­March 2, Spring, year 36

Mmm, new journal. Amazing how habitual this has become. Get a journal for my birthday, use it to record my thoughts of the year… I blame Muffy! Hehe… She did start this off after all. Though it was New Years then, not my birthday.

…It's sometimes hard to believe that it's been fifteen years since I started working the farm. Some days I wake up feeling like I've only just begun, and other days I wake up and it feels like it's been my whole lifetime.

Not that this is initially a bad thing. I rather like the feeling of it being a brand new day with brand new challenges to tackle.

Like getting Alan to actually finish weeding the newly planted seeds. I swear that boy will be the death of me. He should have been born Rock's son! Such a lazy little boy.

Ah, I shouldn't complain. He's at least trying to help out. And he's only nine, I should give him more of a break. I keep thinking I didn't work Jamie or Laurie so hard when they were nine… but that could just be my mind playing tricks on me in my dotage.

Hah, Skye's laughing at me now. Says I'm still just as young and cute as I always was. Flatterer.

He's still the same, no matter how much time has passed. Maybe a little more genuine in his happiness, but still sweet and suave. His hair has gotten longer too, now that I think about it… which reminds me I ought to cut mine again, it grows too dang fast!

The girls do love to play with it though. Mirei likes brushing it, Laurie likes braiding it and Meri just likes holding onto it. Sometimes I think it's like a leash instead of just hair.

Five kids… I blame the Harvest Goddess for the two pairs of twins… Meredith is actually my first single birth, and I intend to have her be my last one as well. My house is getting rather crowded, with Jamie and Alan sharing a room, and Laurie sharing my old room with Mirei. I've been trying to figure out where Meredith will sleep once she outgrows sleeping with her father and me.

I may end up needing to hire Gotz so that I can build another room, or extend the girl's room somewhat… And Skye wonders why I don't want any more kids.

I think, sometimes, about the future. Farther along than the next day, I mean. Past when I'm gone. It's natural for kids to outlive their mother, but Skye will outlive them all as well… I wonder how that makes him feel. There are days where I'll see him lean on his hoe and just stare off into space.

It worries me, but I can't exactly do anything about it. I'm human after all, not one of the long-lived People of the Moon. I don't want to ask him about it either, since I don't want to see him upset.

I know he's slated to be the next King of his people.. or at least, his Palace. But he's sworn to stay here with me and our kids until his father is actually on his deathbed, which—according to him—shouldn't be for another century or three. At which point, we'll be long gone, or I will be, at least.

I mean, Winny's half PoM, and she's about three hundred years old, with no sign of actual aging or dying any time soon. She just doesn't show her blood-ties as obviously as my kids.

It's actually a little wonky how the genetics turned out. I mean, with Lauren and James, they have solid colors for their hair and eyes. But Alan and Mirei have streaks in their hair or opposing color—In the case of Alan it's blond streaked silver, and Mirei is the exact opposite—and Meredith… well, silver bangs and two eye colors make her to most unique of all of my kids. Skye likes it for the most part, he says it makes our kids stand out. I'm a little worried about it though, because I know at some point they're going to want to explore outside the island, and sometimes standing out in a crowd isn't the most comforting of things.

Ah well, there's not much I can do about that until they get to that point. Sometimes I don't think Jamie ever will, he's definitely got the farming blood in him. Laurie's got it too, but I think she inherited more than just Lauren's name. That kid can draw! It's pretty easy to figure out where she is once morning chores are over, she usually goes down to talk to Cody and get art tips. I've shown her some of Lauren's old sketches, and now she uses them for referencing too.

Those two are going to be fifteen this year. And so far I haven't had any really big signs of teenage rebellion. They seem quite content with what they're doing… though Lauren has asked about going to college in the city, for art. I've been saving up for that since she mentioned it a couple years back.

Luckily the farm is prosperous so it's not to hard to divert some money into a college fund for her. And of my kids, she's the most normal looking, with the blonde hair and the green eyes, so she would definitely stand out the least.

I should not be agonizing over this… whatever happens, happens, right? Besides, Skye survived just fine, a lot longer than Laurie will have to be in the city, and he's the one with straight silver hair that Jamie inherited!

…and I have this sneaking suspicion that if they get teased, there will be magic used. Well, at least my kids can care for themselves.

It's good that James is taking over more of Uncle Tak's chores, he really is getting to old to being doing chores and running back and forth between the towns to ship all the products. I might start doing that myself, it'll give me a chance to harass Pony on a daily basis.

Or maybe Skye and I can switch off on that one. Loaning Uncle T Honey, or Blaze our gelding—named for his white face, and speed—would probably make the trips easier as well. Maybe take Blaze and use Honey or Savannah as pack horses?

Hmm, I'll have to run the idea past him.

The farm has grown so much… five horses is the least of it! Thankfully, I can always count on Rick to find buyers for all the extra animals I tend to acquire.

Ack, I hear cat complaints. From behind the TV. Again! Marmalade will never learn… He's so old now, but he's been a good tom at least. There's so many happy animals here on the ranch, it's not just kids that make me feel so blessed. Ah, I suppose I should go an untangle him. Silly thing.