Scribblings from a twenty-year homeschool veteran about homeschooling, life after homeschooling, occasional peeks into the world of writing for children, and the ups and downs of life in general.
You can tell I'm scrounging when I dig into the Archives for source material. But the fact is that it's pretty boring around here lately--since jury duty is over. So I found these old pictures and thought I'd WARN you against giving into your children's pleas for pets larger than a goldfish. This is Kristel with her horse, Panda. Now Panda belonged to our friends at church, but when their daughter grew up, they gave her to us for Kristel (age 11). Panda was a ripe old age 23, and our friends figured this was the old girl's retirement plan. Since we were already into "livestock mode," having milked goats, raised sheep and chickens, raised calves for beef, as well as meat and angora rabbits, we figured how hard can it be to keep a horse?
It's not hard; just expensive. And you can't eat them. Between worming and the farrier, the hay and grain, she cost a bit more to keep then...say...chickens. But Kristel and her brother played with her a lot. She braided her tail, rode her in the huge field across the street (where, incidentally, she lives in her house in the development now), played "store" and had a ball.
But there were a few added costs to this new pet;
1) Christmas Eve--we come home at midnight to a horse shed full of water; Panda had knocked the faucet off the automatic waterer and it was flooding the shed. Turn off water. Fix another day.
2) Panda decided not to get off Kristel's foot one day, and here was the result: Surgery and stitches. Pain and payment. But worth it, right?
When we knew they were going to develop the field across the street into houses, we couldn't keep Panda any longer. One acre isn't enough room, and we had no trailer. So we WALKED her home--clear on the other side of town. Panda lived another 10 years!
Go with chickens next time. When they don't cooperate, you can eat them. Kristel and Chad proudly holding up our freshly killed "dinner." City cousin, Sherry, not so sure about the whole thing.
I was going through some old pictures to put together a YouTube for my folks for Christmas, and my heart fluttered at the old picture I found of my oldest DS. Not so much the picture, but the fact that I just saw him on a tractor not so long ago. But he had his daughter with him. Moral of this post: Treasure the moment. I'm sure Karen at Bakers Wife and BubbeBobbie can attest to this. They grow so fast! Enjoy TODAY. Forget the laundry--just for today. Forget the dust---just for today. Go on a walk. Read a book to your kids. Play a silly game--just for today. DS at age 2. Big helper! DS at age 28--a REALLY big helper with his DD.
This isn't exactly an Archive story, as it happened only yesterday. My DD acquired a new pet for her 4-year-old DS 3 (her bug lover). She didn't acquire this pet in the usual way, however. Her in-laws told her about the 5-6" praying mantis sitting in their driveway, so somebody drove out to Orting and brought it back.
Now, this may seem like a silly thing to any of you from the mid-west, east, or south. But guys! I've lived in Washington State my entire life and the only praying mantis I ever saw was about 2 inches long--over in Eastern Washington, and I was astounded! This guy, named "Pickles" by DS 3, is a monster if you ask me. And he is a perpetual eater. Always hungry. Well, last night we caught a spider for Pickles and brought it over to DD's house (she lives across the street). This was a big, ugly spider. Pickles usually eats the body out of spiders and leaves the legs.
We put the spider into the habitat, and it suddenly seemed even bigger. We were afraid the spider might bite and kill Pickles (Don't laugh. We know nothing about praying mantises except that they are the biggest bug I've seen in my life! The insects don't get very big in Western Washington. I think the rain stunts their growth).
We panicked and figured we'd better get that spider out of the habitat. After much noise and excitement, good ol' Grandma (AKA me) got it out and tossed it out the sliding door. Then I got the brilliant (AKA stupid) idea to take Pickles out of the habitat so I could get a picture of him for the blog.
Hey! Nobody told me praying mantises FLY!!!
He took off, wings whirling, amidst screams and shrieks, and flew behind the fridge. I felt terrible! Poor Pickles! Probably the only praying mantis in Western WA, and DS 3 loved him so! No fear. I grabbed a large plastic cup and went after him. Thankfully he lived, I captured him, and put him back in the safety of his habitat with his 3 flies and one smaller spider. Here is Pickles, just before his surprising "take off."
One morning, not so many years ago, my 8-year-old daughter, Kristel, came screaming into the house with an empty egg basket (her morning chore was collecting eggs). "There's a coyote eating our chickens!" she shrieked.
Without a thought, I snatched up the first thing I came across--a broom--and tore out of the house. Indeed, the chicken yard looked like a war zone. The hens were ravished! Infuriated at this wanton act of destruction, I looked around for the culprit. Sure enough, there he was with a chicken in his mouth. I ran after him, hollered, and whacked at him. He dropped the chicken and took off.
But not for long....Soon (and I mean a few minutes later) the coyote was back for the breakfast he'd dropped on the run. Enough of this, I thought. So I went into the closet and got out the .22 pistol. I slammed in the clip, told the kids to stay in the house, and went out in the front yard. There he was, not more than 15 feet away, with another chicken in his mouth. He looked at me--daring meto take action.
That did it! We live inside the city limits, but I didn't care if I shouldn't be shooting off guns in town. I took aim and shot at the coyote. He didn't drop dead. He didn't drop the chicken. He didn't yelp. He didn't move. He just looked at me. Another shot. Same reaction. I began to think I was firing blanks. Two more shots. Missed again.
Then, apparently disgusted with my poor marksmanship, he trotted off---chicken still in his mouth. We never saw him again.
Moral: If you're going to shoot a coyote, try some target practice first.
Has anybody ever seen the muscial Camelot? I've got a rendition of the "May" song:
"It's May, it's May, the lovely month of May, That lovely month when we all learn if our teaching has gone astray...
"It's time to do, a wretched test or two, and try to hope each of our kids can quickly make it through."
Well, that's enough for now, but you get the drift. In the old days I was a test administrator for HomeSchool Legal Defense, but now I do it for BJU. In the old days I tested up to 60 kids; now I test one. In my home. My oldest grandson, who lives across the street. Mama sends him over 3 days in a row and it's a low-key, casual affair.
My oldest two children actually looked forward to testing years ago. Before all these wonderful co-ops, it was the social event of the year! I made it fun for the kids, with long breaks for snacks, socializing, and rope jumping.
This year my last homeschooled child, 15-year-old Ryan, took our state's WASL test, so he avoided the usual IOWA or SAT or CAT test.
Nathan: "Just a few more minutes and I'll get my computer break."
Well, I'm digging in the Archives for this one! How many kids can have their favorite pet join them for a day of school? This is Baby Princess Licorice (Licorice for short) snoozing at Kristel's desk. Was she a distraction? Well....yes, sometimes, but oh, so worth it! This was our first year, when "desks" mattered, and offered a transition from Christian school to Homeschool. Didn't take long to toss convention aside, however, and move to one big table in the rec room, then to the kitchen table, then...well, now my youngest is back in his room--on his bed (a big no-no for the oldest ones), at the computer, or whatever! Twenty years does that to a person.
It's my daughter Kristel's birthday today! A time for remembrance. My oldest; my guinea pig for homeschooling. Poor thing.
When we began homeschooling in 1986, there were no curriculum stores or homeschooling magazines. She and her younger brother just continued using the A.C.E. curriculum PACEs they'd used at the Christian school. We've come a long way, haven't we? My younger kids have reaped a rich harvest of homeschool options when it comes to curriculum!
Memorial Day is not just a day for remembering our country's veterans and our loved ones who have gone on before us (although that's the primary reason and a GREAT one!), but also to reflect on all the memorials in our lives. That first homeschooling day. That first discovery that I could do it! The realization that the kids actually liked it, too! My first homeschool co-op. Our first discovery that homeschooling has its advantages--like going to the River to swim in September, when everybody else is at school, and having the whole place to ourselves!
And another first---blogging. Whether this becomes a good memory for another Memorial Day or a not-so-good memory remains to be seen.
This is Kristel with her horse, Panda. Now Panda belonged to our friends at church, but when their daughter grew up, they gave her to us for Kristel (age 11). Panda was a ripe old age 23, and our friends figured this was the old girl's retirement plan. Since we were already into "livestock mode," having milked goats, raised sheep and chickens, raised calves for beef, as well as meat and angora rabbits, we figured how hard can it be to keep a horse?
Surgery and stitches. Pain and payment. But worth it, right? 
Kristel and Chad proudly holding up our freshly killed "dinner." City cousin, Sherry, not so sure about the whole thing.
DS at age 2. Big helper!
DS at age 28--a REALLY big helper with his DD.
This guy, named "Pickles" by DS 3, is a monster if you ask me. And he is a perpetual eater. Always hungry. Well, last night we caught a spider for Pickles and brought it over to DD's house (she lives across the street). This was a big, ugly spider. Pickles usually eats the body out of spiders and leaves the legs. 
Here is Pickles, just before his surprising "take off."
Pickles, safe and sound once again! 
