I have made it a personal goal to be able to run up the driveway at the farm house. It is steep and long and from the driveway at our house to the top where I turn around is about .75 miles. Distance wise it isn't very far, but considering the fact that I really hate running, it is a challenge for me. This week I started running 150 steps, walking 150 steps, and repeating until I got to the top. I think I'll have to do that for another week because set 3-4 still feel like they are going to kill me. At least it is shady most of the way and usually breezy in the mornings.
On Monday we officially started our first year of homeschool. Kehli was really not this grumpy, just putting on a show. We are still adjusting and probably will for another week or two. The girls do pretty good getting their lessons done, but the boys are having a harder time focusing. I figured this would be an issue.
Evan asked me, "When can I go to real school again? Where I can talk to people."
There are a lot of wild emu on the farm and a lot of nests around lately. Did you know that the female lays a nest of eggs then leaves? The male emu takes care of the eggs and the babies once they are hatched. The last picture is a dad with 12 little emu running around. So cute!
One thing that I really do not like about the farm house is the flies. We had some concern about the Zika virus in Brazil, but we haven't had any issue with mosquitos. The bug spray keeps them away. There are these little flies that bite you and they make you itch like you have never itched before. If you itch the bites stay for at least a month. The first night we were on the farm, I got bites all over my left ankle and leg. They still itch even though they look like they should be gone. You can see in the first picutre the dried up looking bite on the bottom of the picture. It was the first one I got last month. On Monday I got some more bites on my foot that made it swell up like when I was pregnant. It hurt to put on my tennis shoes for 3 days, but now I won't wear sandals on the farm even with bug repellant on. The second picture is of the back of Evan's legs. He was out one evening playing soccer with the neighbors and didn't put pants on. The flies bite the most between 4-6:00 pm and love to bit on your joint areas. I could not get Evan to stop itching so this is what happens. I finally told the boys no more shorts and flip flops on the farm and I think they are understanding why. These fly bites are miserable
When they first bite you this is what they look like. A small bump with a little blood in the middle. Then the area gets really red and super hot. That lasts for about a day, then the itching starts. Sometimes they will ooze a yellowish liquid and make a nasty crust.
There is a lot of wildlife around the farm. Thousands of different kinds of birds - at least it seems that way. There are burrowing owls all along the edges of the fields. On our way to lunch every day Adam counts how many owls he sees. The Pequaria is about 6 miles away and takes about 10 minutes to drive there. The most Adam has counted on one trip is 21. We saw some macaw parrots yesterday, but I didn't have my camera with me. Evan has requested a book of Brazil birds so he can learn the names of all of them
I brought these two decks of playing cards in my carry-on bag on the airplane and it's a good thing. Since our shipment still isn't here, we have been playing A LOT of Golf and 9-Down. This week we have started playing Go Fish as well. I wish I remembered more of the card games we used to play growing up.
Kehli asked me to braid her hair and then took this lovely picture on my phone.
Yesterday Neto and another cowboy brought some horses down to the house so the kids could go riding. Evan and Kendall had to share and switch half way through. When we get the fence done around the house they are going to bring a few down to stay. The kids can't wait. It will be a good learning experience for them. I just hope they don't get too attached!
On Monday Mark came home from work early not feeling very well. Then he spent all day Tuesday in the bed, or the bathroom. Wednesday he got up and tried to go to work. He lasted for a couple of hours then was back in bed. Thursday was the same. By Thurday evening he was having such horrible stomach cramps that he couldn't talk or move. I was finally able to talk him into loading up and driving to Formosa and go to the ER. So we got packed up and grabbed the kids from bed. Rubens met us in there and went with him to make sure everything was understood. They gave him a mixture of meds & painkillers in a saline IV and he was in and out of the hospital in two hours. It only cost US$70!! This monring he went to the lab to do some bloodwork, then the pharmacy for some prescriptions and pain killers. He said the hospital stuff was better, but he is able to eat a little more today so that is progress. We are hoping it is just a stomach bacteria and will be remedied witht he prescriptions.
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