rocket launchers and swing

 Over the past couple of weeks, I have had four different neighbors/friends drop off a cup of coffee for me as they swing past my house. Two are anonymous and probably dearly loved. Two are dearly loved. They swing by Matador, my favorite coffee shop, and pick me up "The Eryn" and I cannot tell you how much delight it brings me. The boys all caught COVID and in the two weeks that we were housebound, those little nuggets of kindness were pure joy to me. I love this place where such beauty surrounds me, and not just in the abundant mountains, forests and forest creatures. 

Lochlan has started turning on music at night and listening for a couple of hours before bedtime. He gravitates toward George Winston (I HIGHLY approve) and to 40's swing tunes. I love it so much. I'm going to teach him some swing dancing because I think he will love it. I've started making little ditties on the piano to his repetitive phrases and he gets the biggest smile on his face when I do it. Each word is assigned a piano note and we mix them all up to come up with songs. He sometimes starts belly laughing when I start plinking away at the keys with his comfort phrases. :-) 

Declan has been wanting a mini horse since I can remember. He absolutely loves horses but wants one that he can drive with Lochlan, take into nursing homes to visit the elderly and use to reach out to kids with autism. We finally found "Murdock" for him and he is a magical pony. He is 6 years old and Declan is in love with him. We had him less than 24 hours when he was poisoned from something he ate (possibly a mineral in the feed or weeds in the field) and we almost lost him as soon as we found him. However, God was merciful and it appears that he has fully recovered from his brush with death. Declan is taking him on walks and brought him in the house yesterday to get a look around. With the help of Austin, Declan is designing a custom cart which they will then build; he is making it specifically to fit onto the forest trails around us. 

Kelton has decided that we need to add some modifications to the Sequoia to make it "cooler". I was in full agreement as my mind jumped to light bars, water storage containers, a heavy duty bumper, mounting my jack and possibly a roof rack, all of which would complement my existing winch. However, his plans differed slightly from mine, as he explained that we should install flashing lights (like police cars), a machine gun mounted to the top, rocket launchers along the side and at the very least a massive orange plow on the front to shove cars out of our way when needed. He has been extremely frustrated that people drive recklessly, but particularly when we are pulling a trailer. As soon as other drivers see the trailer they make marvelously stupid driving decisions. I have to give Kelton an A for creativity, even if practicality may not be at the forefront of his ideas. 

Madigan learned from Uncle Paul how to work on lawnmower engines and he is on a mission to learn more about mechanics. He's absolutely fascinated by machines and how they function. So, I'm on the hunt for someone to mentor and teach him. I love how his mind works and I have never seen a mind retain literally everything it hears (unless it's a list of daily to-dos from his mom) the way his does. If he sees or hears facts, processes, or ideas he does not forget them. His mind is a sponge and he deeply ponders and considers everything. When he finishes school each day, he's most likely to be found walking across the rock walls deeply engrossed in an audio book. 

The past couple weeks have been filled with wonder but also have not been untouched by tragedy. I loaded my horse before dawn one morning and headed to the woods for a solitary ride to reflect, think, pray and absorb. It worked. :-) 

The Golden Days

 

It is a chilly morning and I'm cuddled underneath a particularly soft blanket with a cup of Yorkshire tea next to me. Aberdeen is beside me and my Bumpy is curled on top of my feet. The sun is peeking up on the horizon and the mountain has that morning glow. The past couple days have been so special, for all that is ordinary and all that is extraordinary. 

Uncle Paul and Aunt Wanda included a visit to our house in their epic RV journey across the west and it has been life-giving to see them again. The love and bond of family, far and wide, even continents apart, is beautiful. The boys are absolutely eating up every minute they are given with them, and I know that goodbyes are going to be difficult, as always. It is extraordinary to see them after so much time has galloped by since we last were together, but it is truly the ordinary, simply moments together that are the most remarkable: watching the boys help rebuild the famous little riding mower (which doesn't mow) with Uncle Paul, looking through the family photo album, catching up on all the (far and wide) family news, sharing a lunch of Aunt Wanda's beef soup, wandering the nearby ruins in the late evening, family dinner last night. Time robs us of so much, but in the losing, perhaps we more deeply treasure what we should. I treasure this.

 

The boys have been training their horses each week and this week they each took them on a long walk. Those babies conquered some big fears with the ruthless perseverance of their masters. ;-) Wynn DOES NOT LIKE ditches, of any sort. So, we, of course, had no difficulty finding several ditches to assist in the training, and Madigan patiently guided Wynn with steady pressure and a little bit of fight for over 50 minutes, until she went from leaping, bouncing and falling through the ditch to walking confidently, if not enthusiastically, through each ditch, trusting Madigan (probably) wouldn't lead her to a catastrophic end. 

Shadowfax knows with absolute certainty that goblins live in trash cans and that trash cans have large mouths with which to gobble up anything, but mostly horses. So, when we came upon a neighbor's trash can near the road, he almost had a heart attack. He was not to be convinced! When we got home, he was still super jittery about our trash cans which were sitting beside the road for trash day. So, Kelton climbed into the recycle can, much to Shadow's horror! He was absolutely mortified when Kelton disappeared inside the can and the lid closed. Then, when Kelton miraculously rose from the gaping mouth of the can, Shadow was in shock and filled with awe. After several replays of this general move, Shadow's courage began to rise, and soon he was even assisting with opening the lid to let his boy free. I love watching the minds of these animals learning, absorbing and growing. The bond between each boy and his horse is developing into something that will change each of them, deeply. 

Here are two videos of Shadow's journey into bravery: 

Shadowfax almost gets eaten

Shadowfax the brave

Another week is ahead of us... Monday is upon us. I do not know what each day will hold and I'm thankful I do not. I will rise each morning prepared for one thing... to take the next step. 

harness zipline sleep

"Harness zipline sleep, harness zipline sleep, harness zipline sleep"
"Yes! Harness zipline sleep."
"Harness zipline sleep, harness zipline sleep, harness zipline sleep"
"Yes! That's right!"
"Harness zipline sleep, harness zipline sleep, harness zipline sleep"
"Lochlan, yes. Harness, zipline sleep." 

We think Lochlan has some form of OCD, and the way it is most commonly expressed is through phrases repeated in almost constant succession. He does it most often when he's anxious, scared or stressed about something, but he also does it when he simply wants something more than anything else in existence. He is not satisfied with us stating the phrase back to him just once, usually, and he's definitely not okay if we just acknowledge that he's said it. He requires it to be repeated back to him exactly as it was originally stated.

The repetition is hard for my brain. I am usually juggling a dozen + chores/responsibilities at any given time, and because I'm female I never have less than 14 things rumbling through my brain at once. I manage the schedules of 5 people, including myself, and since spreadsheets aren't my greatest strength, I invariably rely upon my brain. The auto repeat of the various phrases contributes to the general fragmentation of my brain. 

My everyday conversations in person or by phone are something like this: 

"We are finishing school and then - yes, harness, zipline, sleep - we will be running into town for groceries."
"We are leaving for our backpacking hike - mower zipline sleep - on Friday." 
"Oh my gosh - ride the mower - I cannot believe how difficult this has been for you." 
"Dinner will be ready at 6:30, but- rainbow net bubble hurt - I have to leave at 6:45."
"We'll have 11 people for dinner so - wreck it Ralph - we need to get a couple more chairs in from the shed." 

I think this is why hiking is so important for me. Just one hour each day where I can focus, without interruption, push myself so the stress chemicals are removed from inside of me. It's incredible how much joy I find in those small moments of isolation and reflection. 

The boys are all absolutely amazing right now. Lochlan has made outstanding progress away from being destructive and he has a hunger to learn, to understand, to be a part of whatever we are doing. He wakes up most mornings with a smile on his face, a giggle in is belly, and he is enthusiastic about any and all adventures we embark upon. He's truly a delight to be around the majority of the time right now. He's even sleeping for almost 6 hours at a time. 

Madigan is cheerful and industrious. He is in the process of building at all times and I'm amazed at how well he creates things. He is usually happy to assist in anything, though sometimes he gets brain farts and forgets that he has committed to help. Usually his brain farts are caused by his absorption into one great book or another. 

Kelton is kind and gentle. I love watching him with his wild mustang colt. They are both precocious and ornery, always testing the boundaries, but they also both love to learn and are very teachable. They both have wild manes and spirited personalities. Neither are likely to be tamed, deep in their core. Kelton's training of Shadowfax is a truly beautiful thing; as the colt is tempered and molded, so is the boy. They are both finding their wings with the help of the other. 

Declan is always on the hunt to help others. He is the first to spot if one of us is weary and in need of assistance. He works diligently in school, even when he is struggling with a subject. He loves with his whole being, and he has enough love in his heart to care for even the slightest acquaintance. He has worked diligently to become a best friend, instead of a constant annoyance to his littlest brother, and he has succeeded. Watching their friendship blossom over the past year has brought me so much delight. 

Some days are long, and most nights are longer, but I am so thankful for all that makes this life so beautiful to me.