Farm boy

Mason and I are spending lots of time outside these days. One way he tells me that he wants to go out is by pulling on his rubber boots (sometimes on the right feet!). It's a skill he recently acquired, and it is so fun to see how proud he is when he gets them on. He absolutely loves helping with chicken chores, playing in the dirt, moving rocks, looking for bugs, watching the birds...no matter what it is we're doing, I'm constantly reminded of the importance of him having time to explore the natural world. I love that Mason is learning about the cycle of the seasons, where food comes from, and how he is connected to the soil, the rain, the bugs, the sun. Gathering eggs is one of Mason's favorite chores, and it's worth losing an egg now and then to see the pure joy he takes in collecting them. He also loves shoveling dirt, or as he calls it "Mason move dirt!" We are building a raised bed in the back yard right now, and he helped carry some of the smaller rocks to build the wall. This morning he helped shovel the soil and add some compost. He'll help with the entire process as we add more soil, plant seeds, watch them grow and harvest the food. One of the highlights of his morning was playing in the wheelbarrow after we unloaded some compost...