Hello everyone,

How do you write of ordinary life, an everyday existence, and make it interesting?

How many people actually want to read, in a nutshell, what we did at every hour of the day?

It is just what everyone else does. We get up in the morning and get dressed, eat and play or do school. Nothing distinguishes it from any other family's life. We can only do so many exciting things a week. But still, some of you would like to read of the mundane things that make up our life, so we will try to make them as enjoyable to you as possible.

Mom planned school lessons. It was as stressful as ever it has been.

Holden and Jacey made pancakes for lunch. The kitchen was full of rambunctious singing and laughter - Otherwise known as rowdiness. Of course they were discouraged from such things as it was a bad example if they wanted the younger children to behave.

Seth and Ian rode scooters and bikes in the 'great room' as the heavens were again pouring water upon us. It has rained for much of this day and looks as though it might rain again tonight. They do say that cloudy days make for brilliant sunsets, and it does appear to be true here. Most every evening, the sky is filled with brilliant colors and the pungent odor of rain.

Mom and Dad ordered pizza online and picked it up in town for supper. After black olive, cheese and pepperoni pizza, we all watched City of Ember. Seth wasn't quite sure if he was afraid of the movie or not, but was sure Mom would be scared of the giant mole. She wasn't worried, but assured him that she would sit next to Daddy, just in case. Mom wasn't scared, but she also wasn't impressed with the ending, she hardly ever is.

Jacey has been reading Jane Eyre and studying english today. She is preparing to take the English Composition with Essay CLEP (College Level Examination Program) test. She does not feel ready, but there is still time.

Holden has been reading, playing guitar, and being Holden, which only he does best.

Ian has been reading a version of Robin Hood to himself and is reading in his head, though he often skips the words that are unfamiliar to him and difficult to sound out.

Seth has been Seth. Is there anything else to say about him? He enjoys playing Uno with whoever might play with him and building forts with the boxes.

Everyone is in bed but Mom, Dad and Jacey and the house quiet for the night. The windows are open to let in the night breeze and, hopefully, not the rain. The crickets are calling and the frogs are sounding lost in the rising mist.

It is truly one of the most beautiful places that God has created and we feel priviledged to live here. We hope that all of you will come and visit us soon. We miss you all.

Your friends,

-The Daughtons-

Salutations!
The Daughton's are just settling into quieter things as it as it grows late.
This morning was quiet in order for mom to sanely plan the school year. The boys played outside or in the 'great room' while Jacey watched, or read to them. She is currently reading the Hobbit to the younger boys, mainly Seth, and they are enjoying it.
Lunch followed (leftovers) and then we were off the the Owl Pen Book Barns. It was quite amazing that we didn't get lost going there, or coming back. Owl Pen Books is really just a barn full of books, but it is mysteriously charming all the same. In Holden's opinion, it was a good bookstore because the door squeaked, or was it the door squeaked because it was a good bookstore. The whole 'store' was made of a barn and an old house which had been lined with rows of shelves. The books were mostly antiques, lending a wonderful smell to the air. We came away with minimal damage to our pocket books and some good books to read.
After our excursion to the book barns, we made for home and put together a picnic dinner. We then picked up Daddy at work and took him to his volleyball game so we could watch. While Daddy was being a ref, the boys played 'lacrosse' with their new sticks.
We traversed home after Daddy's games and the boys are in bed now, as we all should be soon.
Thank you everyone who has left comments, we have greatly enjoyed them.
If you would like to drop us a letter by snail mail, our address is:
215 State Line Rd
Eagle Bridge, NY 12057

If you have White Creek as our town name, that is correct also, they share a post office.

We miss you all and always will.
Your Friends,
-The Daughtons-

Good Evening.
The Daughton kids, and mom, started out the day with cinnamon toast, strawberries, and orange juice for breakfast. After cleaning up breakfast, Holden, Ian and Seth played in the backyard while Mom and Jacey moved moldy hay out of the tack room to use for mulch. When it got too warm to complete this task, we started in cleaning the 'great room'. To create a more organized space, we all moved furniture, boxes and bikes around the room and the house.
When this was accomplished, lunch was served (leftovers), and the family split off into seperate areas of the house. Jacey finished, for now, her messenger bag, and the boys played or read.
Then the family packed up and headed for the library's children's program. Jacey checked-out Jane Eyre and hopes to actually finish it this time. The boys checked-out comics.
Mom met another home-school family at the library; their oldest is only 6.
After the library, we ran home, checked on and added to the soup in the crockpot. Then we ran back out in to the rain (yes, it is raining again) to Goodwill. We were looking for the boys' shoes, but we didn't find any. The boys did buy lacrosse sticks and dug out Daddy's old lacrosse gear as soon as they got home. Jacey also found a Folkwear pattern that she had seen and really wanted, but couldn't afford, nor could find anywhere else, for 79 cents. Needless to say, she bought it and will be sewing it as soon as she can find fabric for it.
Payless Shoe Source was next on our list of things to-do and we found Holden a pair of High Tops and Ian a pair of Sneakers.
After a hot dinner of vegetable soup, Jacey went for a walk, the boys played 'lacrosse' inside, and mom and dad talked.
It is still raining, even now, so the Daughtons will be spending the evening indoors, even though it is still light here later than eight o'clock. Dad and Mom had talked about going out together tonight and Jacey will stay with the boys. Maybe we'll watch a movie, we unpacked the vhs/dvd player today.
We are still missing you all terribly!

Your friends,
-The Daughtons-

Hello to everyone from bonnie New York.

It didn't rain today so the boys played outside for awhile. They had the most fun riding down the hill in Seth's dump truck. Falling out and flying through the air was the ultimate goal.

Holden also tried to live up to his nickname, Houdini, and had Ian tie him to a chair.

Jacey finished sewing a quilted messenger bag but has not finished decorating it yet. She also rode Zora bareback a few times around the paddock; Zora's attitude has greatly improved.

Ian has taken to carrying his medic bag everywhere. This is a good thing because Seth fell down on our hike at McCullough Mile-round woods. Seth was very brave and Ian promptly bandaged him up.

We are missing air conditioning, even though it is no where near as hot as Missouri. The windows have been wide open and the fans on high all day trying to keep us cool.

We miss you all and always will.

Your Friends,

-The Daughtons-

Good morning all,

Sorry there was no post yesterday, so let me fill you in on what we did Monday.
Ian and Seth played president and agent. Then the president became an agent too.
So it became two agents in disguise.

Mom, Ian and Holden got the lawn mowed before it rained - again.

It rained ALOT and our windows leaked. Jacey's bedroom got it the worst. She had to vacuum and then blow-dry the carpet because the house has no A/C and is prone to mold.

Because it rained and because their car was still in the shop at noon, we didn't get to see the other home-school family.

We looked among our CD's for some good dancing music to use to introduce Contra dancing to the local homeschool group. We found a few songs.

We miss you all!

Your Friends,

-The Daughtons-

Hello friends and family of the Daughtons!

This morning we all got up early and drove the hour to church. Everyone went to their appointed sunday school. Being a small church, the youth group is rather small also. Holden was in a class mostly full of girls and Jacey was the only girl in a class of boys.

After church, we went to Pizza Hut for lunch and swung by the tractor and farm store in Bennington for a mineral block and fencing supplies for Zora.

Ian and Daddy worked on expanding Zora's paddock this afternoon, while mom and Holden flew a kite and Jacey baked a blueberry cobbler. Daddy and Ian also worked on the riding lawn mower because it wasn't working and found the source of the problem in the form of an electrocuted mouse. Poor thing.

Funny Daughton moments of the day

-Jacey was scrubbing the downstairs toilet with a pumice stone and Seth asked why she was using a whet stone to clean the bathroom.

-Holden contemplated the fashion possibilities of bell bottom shorts.

We miss everyone and will forever.

Your Friends,

-The Daughtons-

Another day in the New York Daughton's Household

Seth made no-bake cookies for us today. He also drew on his face and is now forbidden from using markers for a long time.

Mom has decided not to wash any socks until she has the match. She gets sort of fed up with our numerous socks.

It's been a little warm for the boys to play Arizona Smith outside. They had set up falling limbs and spiked traps for Arizona Smith to conquer and defeat in the little sumac grove out front.

Holden has finished both Alex Rider books and Jacey just finished reading The Chronicles on Avonlea. We unpacked some more books today and have filled up most of our shelf space.

Jacey and Seth went for a walk down the road and played in the little creek.


Daddy finally got home safe and sound around 6:00pm. He brought kites for all the kids, but it hasn't been windy enough for them yet.
We miss you all terribly!

Your Friends,

-The Daughtons-