Spring is here! And on the homestead, at least on our homestead, it brings an abundance of mud. With my crew of little ones eager to spend time outside after a winter indoors, much of that mud has made its way indoors.
Here are somethings I’ve learned about dealing with all this mud:
Remember Gratitude
I live in a beautiful valley, and have much to be thankful for. A little mud on the floors isn’t going to matter in the grand scheme of things.
If I let the mud bring discontentment, I’ll be the one missing out. Yes, the kids are going to get muddy. I can rejoice that they’re able to go out and play. I can be thankful for the fresh air they’re breathing.
Choosing gratitude, instead of looking for reasons to be annoyed, brings much better results. I may not win housekeeper of the year award, but I’ll sure be Mommy of the Year for these precious kids of mine!
Get Outdoors and Enjoy It
Yes, there’s mud. It’s everywhere! Abundant rain has fallen this year. Our creek and waterfall were swollen, flooding the fields.
But the mud doesn’t mean I have to stay inside. The spring is beautiful here on the ranch, and I want to enjoy it. So I’m going outside more.
Bryan, Ellie, and I walked to the waterfall the other day, and just stood amazed at how wonderful God is. He created such diversity and beauty.
The smell of the cedars, the roar of the falls, and the joy of family. Ellie had a blast stacking rocks, and Bryan took plenty of photos.
The kids and I have been taking a walk to the creek each day. (I’m so thankful for Owen’s stroller and a wrap for Bryson on these trips!) The exercise does us all good.
So get outside and enjoy the beauty of spring, mud and all.
Keep the Animals Dry
We’ve let the bull and the steers out onto the pasture, but the mama cows are still in a pen. We’re waiting on their new arrivals still, and don’t want the calves threatened by the neighborhood coyotes and cougars.
But, they need a bit more bedding this time of year to stay dry and healthy. Their previous layers of poop and hay have thawed, and we can’t get in there with the tractor quite yet to clean it out. So we just keep on top of adding more dry bedding for them.
It’s the same with the chickens. They’re deep bedding in their coop is just about ready to be cleaned out, but we’re waiting until it stops freezing at night. That means they need a refresher bit of straw added more often.
We’re looking for piglets right now, and when we find them, they’ll also need bedding to keep them out of the mud.
So we do what we can to keep the animals dry despite the mud.
Clean the Floors Pippi Longstocking Style
Mopping the floor has never been a favorite chore of mine. But, I wanted to make it fun for the kids. So now we scrub the floor Pippi Longstocking style a couple times a week.
I fill a container with warm water and soap for the floors. Then I dump it out across the floor. Everyone grabs a towel and skates around. We usually play music during this time, including “Scrubbing Day” from the Pippi movie. 😀
It’s a whole lot more fun than one person using a mop.
Leave Mud Covered Shoes on the Porch
I’m in the process of teaching the kids to leave their muddy shoes outside. They can just leave them on the porch to dry. Then, the dirt shakes off easily. Outside.
It’s much nicer on the floors!
A friend also recently gave me the suggestion of having the kids wear snowsuits out. That’ll protect their clothing and can also be taken off outside, and then brought straight to the washer. We haven’t gone this route yet, but I’m definitely thinking about it for my toddlers. They seem to get the most muddy.
Is It Muddy Where You Are?
I’d love to hear your tips for dealing with mud!
