Well Monday, I made good on my promise and got the workbooks out and Raspberry Tart and I did some homeschooling. For the record, I’ve been “homeschooling” Raspberry Tart with and without (mostly without) the aide of workbooks her entire life. It seems like I’ve been communicating with her as if she was a grownup for as long as she’s been with us. Chuck and I have always agreed that we shouldn’t assume anything is too complicated for her simply because it isn’t something that is traditionally taught to children her age. She always shocks us with her ability to grasp and retain knowledge.
Playing Outside in Alaska
For the life of me, I can't seem to get Raspberry Tart interested in spending much time playing outside in the snow/mush. Normally, Raspberry Tart loves being outside. In fact she would live outside if we would let her. But with cold weather, comes lots of layering, and with layering comes lots of trouble.
Raspberry Tart isn't one who likes the idea of wearing clothes at all, so getting 2 layers plus a snowsuit and coat on her isn't an easy task. She's a kid who's easily irritated on a regular day has a hair-like trigger temper to boot, so when her pants get jacked up in her snowsuit all wrong, she can’t work her hands like she wants because of the mittens, and her hair is full of static and is clinging to her face like spiderwebs, she’s going to let you know it. And since she may have inherited her temper mixed with a helping of easily irritated from me, the scene in the coat room can get bad in a hurry. Dressing to go outside during winter in Alaska is a hard transition to make. For both of us.
When we are at school, it is a different story. She loves the time spent outside with her friends. Maybe it is because she’s more agreeable during that time of day. Maybe it is because her friends are there to distract her from the irritations. I think her attitude will change when we get more snow. When the snow is thick it is also dry, like powder. There are also more sledding opportunities in our future. I think sledding will work wonders for her winter weather enthusiasm.
The Wood Pile
Chuck continues to hack away at the wood pile, turning the pile of pickup sticks into short little logs.
In the big scheme of things, I've helped him very little. When we hop out of the truck after a day of gathering wood in the burnt fields or after one of many recent and generous donations from friends, our unspoken arrangement that puts me in charge of the kid and him in charge of the wood, is set into motion. Occasionally I go out to help him unload, and he gets agitated because I am kind of in the way and he'd rather just unload it all himself in the more efficient man-way. But I know him. He secretly enjoys the company and soon we are laughing and faux pushing one another out of the truck bed, as the wind chaps our cheeks and rustles our hair.
Making Fire
I am struggling each day to improve my ability to make fire. I mean, it isn’t as if I am rubbing sticks or stones together, but dang it. Getting this wood burning stove going with enough momentum to stay burning once I shut this iron door, is not as easy as striking a lighter. Sometimes, I wonder how houses burn down. I mean I know it happens. I’ve seen the fire trucks rush by. I’ve even seen houses burn. But dang if I can get some wood and newspaper to stay lit in the fireplace, I have to hover around it for 30 or more minutes.
But with each new fire, I am improving. Being in Alaska (and refusing to burn the pricey oil from our tank that would supply traditional heating) forces me to be persistent, which isn’t normally one of my strong suits. In time, I expect to be an expert fire starter. But now, the fire I began 30 minutes ago, that hasn’t yet put out any heat to speak of, is dwindling from flames to embers, so I’m off to blow at it or poke it or something.
5 Comments
Dry kindling on top of newspaper with a few small dry logs and the right draft will do it. Good Post. Love the pics even if Charley's mad.
ReplyDeleteWell, I know Guy sent ya'll a really long email about wood burning stoves (you know he is the expert:-)I am not sure if there was any info in there about starting fires. Anyway, I know it seems to take a long, long time even for him to get one started from cold; however, I think he really enjoys hanging out by himself (without a child nearby) waiting for it to start. It is not as much fun for me when I am taking care of Jordan. 30 minutes can seem miserable with an unhappy kid & I would rather be spending 30 minutes doing something else, even if I don't have Jordan nearby. I have started our fires & I get frustrated as well because I have to stay right there with it since the door has to be open to get the draft - not the time to be multi-tasking, forget about the fire and burn the house down. I think most people that use a wood buring stove a lot just try to continuously load (even if it means getting up in the night), so there is a constant fire.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I am doing it all the right way, with the paper, kindling, and wood. I think it just boils down to what Phyllis said about not wanting to sit there continuously for 30 or more minutes. Chuck has no trouble at all. He just doesn't mind tending it like I do.
ReplyDeleteWhut chee do is yee git chee some newspaper, lawgs, and lahter fluid and yee squeeze a half'n er two a that lahter fluid in 'ere and boy I tell yeuh THAT'LL git that far goin in no tahm FILEYAT, buddy.
ReplyDeleteI'm just kidding; don't do this. It's a terrible idea and could possibly kill someone.
I like this post. It's about everyday livin' in Alaska. It's also got some great pics that depict the emotion of the particular paragraph we are reading when we see each one. Good one, sister.
Hey sister. You need to put a widget with LA's weather. Just for laughs. My laughs.
ReplyDelete