Author: Joyce

Yesterday, the kids helped shear alpacas.  Each year they learn a new job and they work harder each time.

Megan is learning.  As little as she is, she has more “can’t do-es” than “can do-es”. But this year, she started learning jobs. She swept a little and helped Mark bring her favorite alpaca in.  Then she sat next to Sing and petted her to keep her calm.

Mark brought the alpacas in and helped secure them.  When they were finished, he returned them to their pens so they could go outside.

Andrea learned how to move the first cutting of fiber and then how to hold and help flip the alpacas.  She was not sure about the job at first, but she did an excellent job.

Audrey has been helping bag the fiber and cleaning up between cuttings. This year she and the neighbor did it alone.  As Adrian grows older, he is learning more jobs.  This year he swept between alpacas and stayed out of everyone’s way without having to be reminded.

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It was a fun morning of hard work.  The neighbors had other home school boys come  in to help, so the kids enjoyed the chance to talk to other kids.  The boys were highly recommended to me.  They “look you in the eye when they talk to you”. That is a high compliment coming from my kids!

Megan had a class on amphibians today.  All of the kids were hoping that “Dino” would be there.  They worked on their school work and  helped Mr. Courtney when they could.  At they end, they got to hold Dino.

I had forgotten that Megan held the salamander with help last year, but this is the very first time she held him without any help at all. Megan said he felt like cold gooey stuff.  She said she did not want to hold him again, even though she enjoyed playing with him a few minutes before returning him.

I have been giving myself new challenges to learn to take better pictures.  Allan found a tutorial on using reflectors and I realized that I had made a silly mistake.  I did not realize you could use a reflector on dreary, dull days!  Yesterday, Andrea and I went out into the rain and experimented.

Now to figure out how to “bribe” the other kids so I can practice some more 🙂  I was informed that small jelly beans would work. The only problem is…. where do I find jelly beans after Easter?