October AND November 2020

Oh yes, you get a double dose of homesteading because I neglected/forgot to write this up last month. But who even noticed?! It’s a pandemic! We had an election! This Month On The Homestead‘s timeliness does not rate. Fall in Vermont blows in with intention. No balmy leaf-crunchers here, fall is a rapid descent to winter. In a year that’s felt like a decade, November alone spanned several years.

Wood Stacking: COMPLETE

The wood purveyor himself loading up the final bay of the woodshed he built

In November, Mr. Frugalwoods hit his goal of putting up three years’ worth of firewood in our woodshed. He spent late summer and fall in the woods, felling trees, skidding logs back to the yard, bucking logs into rounds, splitting rounds into firewood, and finally, stacking firewood in the woodshed.

We heat our home with this wood all winter long (in our super efficient wood stove)  and while in one sense it is “free,” in another sense, it is perhaps the most labor intensive, time consuming, and beautiful way to  keep yourself warm and your forest healthy (old trees must be taken out to allow new trees to thrive).

Welcome to my series documenting life on our 66-acre Vermont homestead, which we moved to in May 2016 from urban Cambridge, MA. Wondering about the financial aspects of rural life? Check out: City vs. Country: Which Is Cheaper? The Ultimate Cost Of Living Showdown as well as my monthly expense reportsContemplating going rural? Here ya go: Want To Move To The Country? 15 Things To Consider.

The wood stacking crew

In addition to the nine cords of wood in our woodshed (each bay holds three cords), Mr. FW and Kidwoods put 1.5 full cords on our back porch, completing one of our most laborious cold weather preparations. The wood on the porch is what we’ll burn first. We usually reload the porch once a season as our typical burn rate is three cords per winter. We burned our first fire of the season in early November and haven’t stopped. For truly, winter is here.

Also, who knew that age 4.5 is when you get into stacking wood? Kidwoods hefted, handed and hauled, wearing tulle and glitter. Littlewoods made a valiant attempt but dropped a log near her foot, got sawdust in her eyes, and decided to retreat. Age 2.5, as it turns out, is not for stacking wood. No problem as age 2.5 is for hiking with mama. She and I walked around and around the woods, leaving the logs to the experts.

I cannot imagine anyone is thinking this, but if you read the preceding paragraphs and are DYING to know more, here are some tutorials I’ve written on all things wood:

Dispatches from The Toddler Ennui: by Kidwoods, age 4 and Littlewoods, age 2

Part I: Outside

The Toddler Ennui

We, The Toddler Ennui, are engaged in pursuit of a (likely poisonous) caterpillar. Yes, one of us is carrying our snow pants and yes, mama is carrying the other pair. Despite the frigidity of this air, we refuse insulated pants and also gloves.

Further, we have no apologies for the fit we threw about our frozen fingers after we picked chunks of ice out of the water table and ATE THEM. Also, not sorry about the fact that we insisted our underwear was on backwards and sat on your lap–bare bummed–in the middle of the driveway to rectify the situation and also straighten our socks, which are too big, but which we insist on wearing.

Listen, we have our reasons and you will never know them. We’re about to be hungry for lunch and one of us is going to lobby for the mile-long march to check the mailbox while the other wails in a pile of leaves.

Part II: Inside Edition

Hello and yes, Toddler Ennui here again. Mostly we are not remorseful for one of us closing the other’s arm in a door this afternoon and also are not too bothered by the quinoa all over your kitchen floor. We cite the making of our own lunches–we know how to spread some avocado on some bread–also dressing ourselves plus the fact that we helped you clean the bathroom. We know we were not at all in your way as you bent over the toilet with a scrub brush and we scurried beneath your legs to dust the floor.

I take this fir sprig

We do not understand why you have sciatica pain as we are so willing to assist you with the laundry and do not understand why you dove to rescue a diaper from going into the washing machine–it was dirty, no? Is that not the purpose of a washer? Despite your shortcomings, we appreciate that you allowed us to brush your hair this evening and wind it into a knot with a pipe cleaner. Sorry (not sorry) about the puff balls we shoved down your shirt.

Part III: Littlewoods

Yes, hello, I have found this tidbit of greenery for the upcoming festive season. I will now cram it into mama’s coat pocket and demand to gaze upon it every 90 seconds for the remainder of our “hike,” after which I will refuse to employ it in our “nature craft.” I will instead smear glue on self, sister and table, but will not deign to adhere said twig to my paper.

When you try to throw away my glue-soaked page, I will shriek and throw self onto ground. No one, save every parent on earth, could imagine such a bereft state resulting from this one, innocent, sprig of fir.

Parenting By Standing Back

In grad school I learned the concept of “management by walking around,” and I’ve translated that into “parenting by standing back.” I really could’ve used a master’s degree in parenting as opposed to management, but hey, you apply the lessons you have to the team you were given.

Sisters on a hike

During a hike last month, Littlewoods face planted while careening down the driveway and cried for her sister to comfort her. Not me. Standing back is the hardest and best thing I do. I watched these little sisters hold each other, stand up together, clasp hands and lead me home.

All this time in the woods with my children allows/forces me to see the granular detail of the natural world. Crouched on a rock, watching them pet moss and stumble in mud and jab themselves with sticks, I am a silent mama sentinel. I let them explore and engage with nature while I try not to die of the boredom that only an adult can feel. The boredom of non-productivity. The boredom of being in one place with no discernible goals. Because this is the state my children relish. The freedom to move at their (glacial) pace, pick up every (identical) rock, and spend 15 minutes figuring out how to get over a log while I resist the urge to scream: WALK AROUND IT.

Increasingly I watch my girls scamper  ahead of me, going through the world together. They gently hold hands and then body check each other while bolting through a field. I want them to be close, to be friends, to rely on each other, to–at the very least–not body check one another. But there’s not much I can do other than stand back, insist on respect and decency, and let them choose their own clothes.

Since they spend all day every day together, since they have no other playmates (for the moment), since there’s a pandemic, what they have is each other and I have to say–physical damages aside–I think they’re alright.

Parenting By Giving Them Real Jobs

Hard to say who this is more annoying for, but I keep hearing the advice, “give children real jobs.” And so, I’m all in. Since we’re  reluctant (recalcitrant?)  homeschoolers this year due to the pandemic, my kids are getting an education in farm and house chores. Last month, the girls helped me prune the strawberry plants for winter, bed them in leaves, and clean up all the toys + hoses from the yard in preparation for snow. They helped me pull all the dead plants from the raised beds and carted them to the compost in their little pink wagons.

Making scrambled eggs! Can you tell Littlewoods loves her jobs?

Kidwoods puts away her own laundry (in the correct drawers and everything!) and folds all the kitchen towels. Littlewoods sorts her laundry into piles (sort of) and folds her pants by wrapping them into knots.

Is this the right thing to do in parenting? WHO KNOWS???!!! But they’re here, I’m here, no one seems to be going anywhere anytime soon and so, we are all doing real jobs. Parenting is a REAL JOB. Being a kid: also a job. Working outside of the home: A REAL JOB! We’re all doing the best we can, and for some of us, that means bringing a mini wheelbarrow of five leaves over to the garden–dropping three of them–and putting those other two leaves on the strawberry plants WITH INTENTION.

I’ve also realized–during these eight months of ZERO childcare other than Mr. FW and me–that any decision I can surrender, any moment of the day I’m not responsible for is a relief. Yes, by all means, walk into a random part of the woods, no problem.

Please eat whatever food you can reach in the pantry. Absolutely dress yourselves and select your own shoes. I recently re-organized their rooms so they can reach all of their clothes–I took everything off hangers, out of high drawers and put it down at their level. The only unintended consequence (other than HORRIFIC clashing) is that Littlewoods now wakes up early every morning yelling, “I want pick my clothes!!!!!!” until we get her out of her crib so she can select her outfit…

Pandemic Sanity: Hike Every Day

Starting in October (or September? dates are meaningless) Mr. FW and I challenged each other to hike through our woods every day. So far, he’s winning as I stayed inside on several rainy November days while he strode forth.

There’s no one to take pictures of me on my solo hikes, so here’s a family outing

My daily solo hike is my salvation and rejuvenation. My journey of solitude each morning prepares me for the onslaught of snack demands and lunch demands and “play doctor with me” demands. I didn’t know I was an introvert until I had kids. I didn’t know I liked hiking alone until my house was full up with people. I had no idea I preferred my own company until it became scarce.

But I know it now and I recently told Kidwoods that she would always have her own mind as a comfort. Pretty sure that was NOT the answer she was looking for in response to, “I’m bored,” but it’s what she got and I am NOT sorry. The silence of the woods is my balm–no one needs anything from me other than my own two legs. I look at trees, I step over rocks, my mind comes to rest on movement, on nothingness.

I also hike with my girlfriends every weekend. We began at the start of the pandemic and continue because we need connection, time away from our (lovely) children, and exercise. We are outside, socially distant, walking past waterfalls, committed to supporting each other. Another best friend comes over with her baby each week and we sit outside–six feet apart–drinking wine and talking. Yet another dear friend brings her dog over to hang outside with me and my girls and she, in her deep wisdom, helps keep me sane. Connection is crucial. Community is imperative. We are doing our best to stay safe, keep others safe, and maintain the threads that keep us tethered. What are you doing to keep yourself connected, safe and nurtured during these uncertain times? What fills you up these barren days? What do you miss or need or love?

Halloween Pandemic Style!

I grew this thing!!!!

We carved one of our own pumpkins into a jack-o’-lantern! Grew this thing from a seed started in our kitchen, transplanted it to the patch, weeded, watered and–crucially–kept Littlewoods from stomping on it. Yes, I will take a moment to brag on my pumpkin growing prowess, surrounded as I was last month by gourds-I’d-grown.

Few things thrive in the tundra of Vermont; pumpkins appear an exception. The hygge of Halloween enveloped me this year. I had orange candles and orange lights and real live orange pumpkins in every corner of our house. The girls and I worked our way through all known Halloween crafts and I borrowed a doughnut pan from a friend in order to execute a baked pumpkin doughnut recipe.

I’ve pared down what I accomplish in a day. I’ve reduced my expectations. It’s a pandemic, it was election season, it’s going to snow (always true here), I was happy to be snug at home with my carved gourd.

Thanks to my BFFs, we staged a pandemic-safe, outdoor, socially-distant halloween fest for our kiddos complete with trick-or-treating, a costume “contest,” hot dogs over the bonfire, and more than one tantrum. I have to say, we might make this an annual tradition–pandemic or no!

Pandemic Halloween! A cowgirl and a “I ripped off my dragon costume before you could take a picture”

The kids had so much fun jumping in leaf piles, the grownups had so much fun drinking warm cider with whisky, everyone brought their own plates and utensils, and it was all done and dusted by 5pm.

Please note my children dressed as a cowgirl and a “I ripped off my dragon costume before you could take a picture and I am NOT SORRY.”

Thanksgiving Pandemic Style!

We had a wonderfully tiny celebration with just us four. The girls ran around all morning performing their “Thanksgiving song,” which sounded like Jingle Bells with the word “turkey” thrown in. A lot. Mr. FW made stuffing, cranberry sauce, a ham.

I baked pumpkin and shoo fly pies in round cake pans for the first time and I have to say, I’m a convert. My homemade crusts didn’t burn! Yes, the pies looked like misshapen cakes, but they did not bubble over as they did last year in my teensy pie pans.

We Zoomed my family, my in-laws, some more family. We hiked. We watched The Grinch. I answered a 4-year-old’s questions about where ham comes from, whose pig it was, whether or not we knew the pig…. . Then as night fell, my husband and I toasted port–a rare drink for us–but such a portend of 2020: jammy, dark, unknown. It was a Thanksgiving like no other. We have so much to be grateful for. How did you celebrate?

The Annual Pumpkin Redistribution

The Annual Pumpkin Redistribution Parade!

I invented a new tradition after Thanksgiving: The Annual Pumpkin Redistribution. Since I outdid myself with pumpkin growing this summer (that makes ONE thing… ), I found myself on the brink of Christmas with 89 gourds in my house. And so, we loaded up our hand-me-down wagon (thank you, G!) and set off to distribute pumpkins in the woods.

The girls chucked pumpkins into the forest at 50-foot intervals to discourage large critter gatherings, but encourage small pod and family unit assemblies.

If you need an activity for your kids this week, let them throw old produce into your yard. This occupied enough of the afternoon that it was apple cider-and-whisky-time when we got back home.

Yes, I could’ve cooked these pumpkins or created 15-step Christmas ornaments out of them. But I wanted to throw them into the woods and hear them crack against tree trunks. So that’s what I did.

Pandemic Parenting Sanity: Outside Every Day

Cradling my tree-fallen child

There’ve been a lot of days this fall when I don’t want to take the kids outside. When it’s rainy, unnecessarily grey, and I just want to hide behind the kitchen counter eating gingersnaps. And some days, I do just that. Other days, I remind myself that everything is better when you’ve had some time in nature.

Children are FAR less annoying when they’ve thrown some leaves around and even adults find fewer things to be mad about. So we tromp through the damp woods, wet leaves are flung, people slip off mossy, rain-soaked logs, and we return home elevated, with freshness in our lungs and clods of mud in our hair (mostly that’s Littlewoods).

When one child falls out of a tree, the other is there to pat her, and my dear friend was close enough to snap this picture. I spend so much of my life cradling one, the other, or both in my lap and I never knew what it looked like until now.

Don’t worry, the one being cradled swatted the other one away as soon as she realized whose tiny hand was comforting her.

First Snow: Not Fake News

Sledding!!!!

Do you remember what it felt like to go sledding for the first time? Me neither. But Kidwoods gives a pretty good impression of what I imagine most of us felt as we flew down an icy slope atop a sheet of plastic.

Littlewoods, relegated to sharing a sled with me, is less enthused about sledding, but I am holding onto Kidwoods’ impish grin of glee.

Going Nowhere Brightly

As we enter this dark winter, we will do our best to be our own light. Quite literally since we replaced all of our kitchen lightbulbs with super-bright, super-efficient LEDs. And bought ten strands of white LED Christmas lights. I cannot recommend this enough. We may be going nowhere, but we will be going there brightly.

Solar Check

After moving here, we had solar panels mounted on our barn roof. My full write-up on the panels is here and I include a solar update in this series. This is the only way for me to remember that: a) I have solar; b) you all would like to be updated on it.

Loving that fire pit life

In October, we generated 456 kWh and November clocked in at 269 kWh which is typical for this time of year. For context, in January 2020 our panels generated 120 kWh and in July 2020 we raked in 816 kWh.

Since our electric company offers net metering, we’re able to bank our summer and fall sunshine for use in the winter, which keeps our electric bill low year-round, even when the sun isn’t shining.

This has been your solar production update. You’re welcome.

Want More Fotos?!

While I only document homestead life once a month here on the blog, I post photos to Instagram (almost every day!) and updates to Facebook with much greater regularity.

Join me there if you want more of our frugal woods. Some folks have asked about this and yes, I do try to post a picture to Instagram every day and–unlike with many other things in my life–I have a pretty good track record.

How was October AND November for you?

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43 Comments

  1. I think these are my favorite photos you’ve ever posted! I especially love the one of the girls making scrambled eggs and the one of you cradling your tree-fallen child. Love, love, love!

  2. What a great writer you are….once the Littlewoods are a bit bigger you ought to write a book (or three!). The photos, as Allison says, are BRILLIANT as is life from the POV of Littlewoods – but, what an adventure. Doubt these two are ever going to be city gals one day! “A farmer’s life for me!” I hear them say! Thanks for keeping us updated with the very welcome anecdotes!

  3. So many blessings! And I completely agree that going out in nature for a little while every day, no matter the weather, is a boon to the psyche.

  4. “The freedom to move at their (glacial) pace, pick up every (identical) rock, and spend 15 minutes figuring out how to get over a log while I resist the urge to scream: WALK AROUND IT.”
    I felt this frustration sooo deeply in my soul. It’s so important to create independent, problem-solvers… but good lord: MOVE!!

  5. I really admire your ability to devote time to “do nothing” with your kids. This is SO HARD for me. I am always seeing something that I check off my to do list during the day with them. You’ve inspired to me to do even a little better!

  6. It is such a pleasure to read a funny and well-written blog! Thank you for sharing part of your lives with us. We had planned a trip to Vermont in September of this year until Vermont restricted travel from Massachusetts :-(. So, we did a state-cation and spent a few days in the Berkshires. I look forward to reading about your Christmas activities and adventures.

  7. I love all of your updates and pictures! It has been a pleasure watching your life unfold through the blog throughout the years!

  8. The Toddler Ennui piece is so entertaining! You have a gift of looking at life through their eyes and finding the humor in their actions and reactions. I would love it if you always include this section in your monthly updates.
    (Disclaimer: They might love it or hate it when grown. Proceed at your own risk)

  9. I always read the case studies, but this is the first time I’ve read through your monthly column. Loved it !

  10. A lovely composite of two busy, crazy months! And December is already here, in this year that is 20 years or 20 minutes long, it’s hard to tell. I was never able to spend that much time with my kids when they were little, and I miss that stage of their lives, but on the other hand, if I had been able to spend large swaths of time with them when they were little, they (or I) might not be here to tell about it, so it’s probably all for the best.

    I love the photos and I look forward to your December posts!

  11. As another mom to a 4.5 year old and a 2 year old, YOU GET IT. “…while I try not to die of the boredom that only an adult can feel. The boredom of non-productivity. The boredom of being in one place with no discernible goals” is so true. The mental boredom is often what is more painful to me than the physical exhaustion of taking care of two small kids. I’m a goal oriented, list driven, organized person at work so spending time with my small children forces a different mindset. Thanks for your perspective on this! Good luck with the upcoming winter – hopefully you can continue seeing your neighbors!

  12. Your writing makes me laugh and I thank you for that. These days we all need more reasons to laugh. I am so glad you have found new ways to connect with your community, it is the only way we are going to see this thing to the end.

  13. I have a two-year-old and a seven-year-old and the toddler ennui resonates so hard with my household. It’s nice to read that we’re not alone with all of these ridiculous young child things.

    We managed to get a small stomach bug over the summer and I’m pretty sure it’s connected to all the times I had to tell my toddler to stop licking rocks. You’re doing great.

  14. Real jobs….YES! Who wants a kiddie job? And now that my 6 kids are 6 adults…I see the fruit of our labor. The 3 R’s= Responsibility, Resourcefulness, and Respect. Real Jobs fall into the 3 R’s of Adult Raising for sure. When I wanted to go too soft my hubby would say, “remember…we’re raising adults, not children.” He was right and we have happy hardworking independent adults!!! Yay!!!

  15. I love the photos and stories you have shared. You seem to be doing an excellent job of parenting. Your children radiate confidence and joy. It is tough being a parent. I remember my days of resenting the time it took to do the simplest thing and I specialised in special education and early childhood! Now I rejoice in the time I spend with my three year old granddaughter. It is gift to share time with children.

  16. It’s interesting. I remember when my children were little how badly I wanted them to hurry through life because I felt i had so much to do. I was bored silly by the doodling. Now I’m a grandma and I have all the time in the world for the pursuit of bugs and rocks and the admiration of every single flower. Who would have guessed that would happen.

  17. I can’t get enough of Toddler Ennui. They deserve their own blog! I’m sure the mere suggestion has them shaking their head scornfully at my cluelessness of how valuable their time is. Take pity on me, T.E.!

  18. Love this as always.

    I think you need to get on with buying domains and trademarks. Obviously Toddler Ennui for their political careers and for their individual platforms I’m thinking along the lines of ‘Farming in Tulle’, maybe ‘Chainsaws and Charisma’?

    It’s Homesteading, but make it Fashun 😂

    Looking forward to next month’s report!

  19. So enjoy your blog! Appreciate you sharing your humanness instead of, like many others, portraying that they have it ALL together ALL of the time🧐😳

  20. I just wanted to stop by and thank you for posting during the pandemic (regardless of the posting schedule). Seeing how you are managing with your children and reading the things you are doing to keep yourself sane helps me feel like I’m not so alone in this.

    1. I agree completely, so helpful to see other people figuring life out alone (only household family). It’s exhausting and awesome and nice to read other people’s journeys!

  21. Thank you for sharing your story! Enjoyed reading these signs of how you love your family.

    (Also appreciate that the children have backs and sides and can move:: I get most frustrated by photos of children in these over-posted-photoed times where the children are always lined up with forced cheesy grins, staring straight into the camera, girls even posing with one hand on hip for reasons I don’t understand).

  22. Wood idea…

    Build some small “wood cribs” that are 6′ long, 2′ deep (one length), and about 4′ high. Put something on the top so you can lift them with the loader.

    Take a crib out to where you split the wood and load it there. Move it to the woodshed to let it cure. When you need it for the stove, move it to the porch.

    Much less labor.

  23. I’m a mom of 4 and grandma to 1. Day after Thanksgiving, my 2.5 year old granddaughter and I took an hour to walk around the block. No place to be, no agenda. Just letting her be happy and excited about examining rocks, leaves, and sticks. 60 minutes well spent. I had too many lists in my head, too many things to do when mine were small, but now, I was just happy too. One of the benefits of age.

  24. Your jack-o-lantern is beautiful!
    I love the pie in a cake pan idea. I wonder if it would work for quiche – there is always too much filling for a pie pan.

    1. I can’t see why not? I was so pleased with how well the pies turned out that I’m never using pie pans again! Next time, I’m going to make more crust and fold it over the top edges of the filling. It wasn’t quite enough crust this time, but it still tasted great.

  25. Wood stacking? Ah yes. Mr. Frugalwood could save one round of wood stacking were he able to containerize firewood in some sort of bin that could then be fork-lifted from the shed to the back porch. Some people make bins from pallets, others use the bulk liquid containers with their lids cut off. May not be possible, but worth a mention. Would of course need a pair of pallet forks. We do 3 cords a year ourselves, and have 3+ years on hand too.

  26. Ahhhh dear Mr and Mrs F and kiddiwinks ….i have watched from afar ( SunnyBrommy land aka Birmingham uk for many years but never made a comment ….i laugh so much at your articles and u inspire me too …..i try to be a frugal semi zerowaste sustainable vegan but its achallenge isnt it !!

    with meat loving( but rarely eating it) hubby and 2 flown the nest older sons ….one has prcreated 2 lovely vegan frugalish beings the other one trying to find ….the one !!! And the final one still at home with lovely learning challenges ….finding his ancient parents such an annoying appendage …is that the word … i really cant be bothered to check ….anyways ….
    You guys are AMAZING….HAPPY CHRISTMAS⛄🎄⛄🎄⛄🎵⛄🎄⛄🎄⛄🎄Sarah and family

  27. Apologies for bursting your bubble…. My sister and I still bodycheck each other (we’re in our 40s) but we do it out of love!

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