Ok, I changed a setting on my computer and lost what I was originally writing and I feel like saying Phooey! to it all, but I will press on.

It's amazing how much time I can manage to waste when left to my own devices.  I've had the opportunity to get all sorts of things done over the past few days and I really haven't done any of them except laundry and a bit of canning.  I did get in an incredible nap yesterday until my son's rooster woke me up.  I think I'd like to have him for dinner.    I was wanting to get all this gardeing done but the weather decided to get hot, muggy and windy.  Yesterday it rained, so I've had two indoor days that I was not counting on.  All I can say is that I've had lots of time to talk with the Lord.

Since it is so hot today and again tomorrow, I thought I'd kick on the A/C since it was 85 degrees in the house.  I usually dont' mind the heat in the house, but I knew that this evening it would not be good sleeping in the humidity and such so I turned it on......nothing, nada.  Hmmmm.....check the automatic thermostat to see about any weird programming issues.  Check.  Go to basement to see the circuit breakers are in the correct position.  Check.  Nothing.  Ok, flip the breakers to see if that helps.  Nothing.  Hmmm. now what?  Back up stairs to check thermostat again.  Seems fine.  Back downstairs, look at breakers to see if I missed something.  Check.  Go over to furnance to see if I can fix something (if you hear a gasp, it's my hubby as he reads this!)  I discover a switch in the off position.  Flip switch to on position and WA-LAH!!  The beautiful sounds of the machinery kicking on.  Sorry guys, I know you are camping in this weather, but the house will be cool when you get home. 

I've been collecting our books for lessons for the upcoming year.  We will be starting Weaver Volume 3 with the supplement added alongside.  Aaron will be primarily using it with Ben on occassion.  The supplement is intense, so we'll see how it goes.  I really like what I'm seeing though.  It's very thorough and meaty if you do all the activities.  I don't think even a robot could do all the stuff that is listed.  Wish I had unlimited time to do it all.  It's great! 

To compliment it, Aaron will be starting Apologia General Science.  I found a lapbook/notebook to go along with it.  I downloaded a free sample of the first module and it looks really nice.  I think it may make this a bit more fun for him, but I will have him take a look to see if he wants to use it or not.  I think it would be an excellent addition for him and ease him into using this textbook style of learning.  Ben will be doing the science in the volume.

Both guys will continue on with Math U See Epsilon that they started at the beginning of summer.  They are both doing so well with this program.  Also, I will be testing both guys to see where Ben needs to be in spelling and if Aaron still needs to do it at all.  He was almost finished with the program when we set it down for summer.  I'm hopeful he won't really need to do any of it.

As an addition to our Bible lesson in Weaver, I purchased the Precept homeschool curriculum on Joshua.  I'm eager to teach the guys how to study the Bible inductively and I love the Precept materials.  We will be starting Joshua in Weaver and this will be a great supplement, not that Weaver needs any supplementing.  It's great all by itself.  I just want to teach them the inductive study methods.  This is so important.  Plus, they are going to love Joshua, it's such a guy book.

The garden is plugging away.  I will be taking pictures soon.  The boys have been helping some with the weeding and such.  There's always a lot to do.  Having trouble with squash  type plants this year.  Also, the tomatoes are taking FOREVER!!!!  What is with that?  I've heard the same complaint from everyone else.  So strange. I have 25 tomato plants and have had only two tomatoes so far and you always get a couple of really early ones to tease you, then nothing for weeks on end.  On the upnote, the sweet corn is coming in and it's wonderful.  I think we'll be picking it this week and putting it up.  It also looks like I'm going to have a lot of acorn squash, tons of potatoes, onions, for a little bit longer I'll have zucchini (one of the affected plants) and I'm hoping for lots of pie pumpkins, but I'm thinking I won't get very many (another of the plants affected), I also have Blue Hubbard squash and it can't make up it's mind whether to live or die.  At least I will get one big squash and hopefully another before it makes up it's mind for the latter.  My buttercup squash is doing ok, just not as prolific.  I think that's because I'm trying a bush plant and not vining.  We'll see how it does.  Digging potatoes is a bit of work.  I'm slowing digging my first patch I planted in early spring.  I have two other patches still going.  I planted a 50 sack of seed potatoes for kicks, well we'll see if I kick the bucket digging all those out!!   I'm getting lots of beautiful potatoes though.  Watermelons are coming along nicely.  This happened last year when it took the plants forever to get going and when they did they took off!  WE had lots of watermelons.  I think the same thing is going to happen again.  Only this time I have 3 varieties taking off on me instead of one.  I had a nice crop of kohlrabi.  This stuff is great fried up with potatoes and zucchini with butter and herbs.  YUM.  I also like to eat it just raw.

The goat milking is going great.  I"m getting about a quart or more a day.  I milk only in the morning since I separate the kids from them in the evening so I get the morning milk.  Then they are all together  for the whole day.  We are picking up another doe at the end of the month.  I'm excited about that.  She's a cutie.

A few more weeks until animal swap comes again.  I"m looking forward to getting rid of most of these ducks.  We have too many.  Aaron will be selling off one of his goats too.  Hopefully the momma of the kid he had this spring.  She has horns and a bad disposition.  He's not too eager to sell her, but he can keep the kid which is a doe and dehorned and sweet as can be, breed her and have those kids to sell.

Aaron has been working at a dairy farm for a day about every other week.  He loves it!  Both boys have also done some bean walking in an organic field making $9 an hour.  Pretty good cash for kids.  I think they may walk beans again this week, we'll see.  They've been staying pretty busy with helping in the garden, chores and all the animals to take care of.  Plus we did do lessons over the summer.  We'll be taking a break either starting this week or the next, depends on whether they are working or not.

Life on the farm is not dull.

Blessings,

Ann