Oct. 13, 2009 Where does the time go?
On various forums, I have seen a few different terms for things left unfinished. UFO's. UnFinished Objects. WIP's. Work(s) In Progress. To Do. That one is rather self explanatory. No matter what you call it, I find that my blog is full of great intentions. Tons of ideas swirl around in my head. I tell myself "tomorrow, I will have to enter that". And then I get sidetracked. Again. And again. And yet again. A day turns into a week, a week turns into two, and before I know it, a month is gone! I have had this happen with several projects in my life, and I am drawing my line in the sand. NO MORE! Today is the day for change!
So, for some accountability, I am sharing my major projects in progress list. I hope to come back with updates daily, or at the very least, a couple of times each week!
dresses for each niece (x 5)
curtains for friend
afghan for hubby
quilt for our bed
quilt for son
momma pads
cloth diapers
hats
wool makeovers
There are more, but those are the MAJOR ones.
Won't you join me in my challenge? I hope to have all of these completed by the end of October, but realistically, it is more practical to say one project per week..which would put me into December. If I work at it. What are your goals for your unfinished projects? |
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Aug. 31, 2009 The worst nightmare of a canning woman....
| After making a huge batch of spaghetti sauce, and planning a full week of preserving....the seal went on my canner. Of course, it isn't one that is easy to find, so a scavenger hunt is in order. ::sigh:: it is going to be a long week with lots of extra traveling that I wasn't planning on doing. |
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Aug. 28, 2009 A nifty, frugal, quick idea for canning season!
| Tonight, while fretting over the shortage of bath towels that we feel during canning season due to needing a soft spot to rest those freshly filled jars, I had an idea hit me like a bolt of lightening! It may not be new to you, but I haven't heard of it before that I can remember. I thought I might share with anyone who might struggle with this same dilemma. I cut a queen sized mattress pad down to fit on top of my table so that nothing hangs over the edge on any side. The elastic bands could be used to help hold it in place, but I preferred mine to be doubled over for extra thickness since my workspace is actually a fold up table that is made of resin rather than wood or laminate. For those who might ask how this idea is frugal, well, it seems that every time I get a box or bag of hand-me-downs, there is at least one mattress pad in it that has a stain or other "flaw". I often see them at rummage sales and thrift stores for very low prices, if not free. |
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Jun. 30, 2009 TEACH magazine!
WOW! May I say it once again? WOW! I got my newest issue of TEACH magazine a few days ago and haven't had time to get all the way through it yet. Once again, I am in awe. I don't know how to explain it, but the topics, even though planned out and known ahead of time, really seem to be most fitting at the moment I get the magazine.
This summer issue is about purity. My first thought was "great! I have daughters who need to be reminded of how important purity is in their lives" and I could use some pointers and refreshers as we bring up this subject in depth once again. Boy, was I missing the boat with that thought. Purity goes beyond the physical body. It goes beyond teen girls and boys. As I have read through the articles, I am reminded that everyone has to deal with purity. What we eat, drink, see (read/watch on tv or movies), hear (radio/music/speakers), touch...all of it affects our purity. I can't pick out any one particular article off the top of my head as being above the rest or one that stood out. Each and every single one spoke to me on some level or another. Many of them left me asking questions of myself. "How did I let that slip in?" or "When did that become tolerable in our home?". Subtle little steps over the years have eroded some of our basic goals. This particular issue of TEACH really was a wake up call for me, at a time when I have already been evaluating goals for myself, my home, and my children.
I was also thrilled to see a new column. Budgeting with Barbara is right up my alley. As a frugal/cheap/penny pincher home manager, I am always on the look out for great ideas. Every great once in a while, I find a new idea that works better than one I already had in place. This particular article is about party planning on a budget. Not only does Barbara Markarian do a great job of expressing herself with step by step details (perfect for my visual learning style so that I can "see" her method), but she includes recipes! I can't tell you how many times I read something and it will mention a great "frugal" recipe or a favorite to serve to guests...but no mention of how to make it. Boy, I tell you, that really bugs me, because I am also a "foodie". I love new recipes and reviews. Barbara gets my ***** (read that as 5 stars), and so does Mrs. Lorrie Flem for having the wisdom to bring such a section on board with the magzine.
Now, if only there were a few more hours in the day to be able to read it all the way through in one sitting!
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Apr. 1, 2009 TEACH magazine Spring 2009
Ok, so I admit it freely. I am not the speediest person out there. I have heard the term "sidetracked home executive" and while I admit that I haven't researched it at all and don't know exactly what it means, I suspect it would be an accurate description of me. I get myself into this project or that plan, or this season sneaks up on me or that even pops up that I forgot about, and well, "tomorrow" becomes "next week" and then "next month" and sometimes even...yes...I will sadly admit it..."next year" oh, my! Not at all as I intend it to be, but well, as you may guess, I don't exactly have complete control over my schedule. I have the influence of 9 others, as well as the menagerie of animals that we keep. Life gets busy, I get lazy, or sometimes, I just plain forget. This time was not the case. This is another 'tis the season situation. I have so many things that I do this time of year that are simple to do and quick to get done, but they require the right order of life to happen as planned. Reading a magazine and reviewing it isn't quite the same as picking up a bit of yarn and a hook and being able to just put it down at the sniff of a smelly diaper. It requires thought, pondering, a bit of time to "absorb" what is being read, and to process it.
Anyway, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had just gotten my first copy of TEACH Magazine (can be found at this link: TEACH Magazine ). I was (and still *am*) completely thrilled with receiving it. You see, in the course of life, mom's wants and needs almost always come last in this house. Homeschooling support has been the weakest area of all. I have to admit that when I saw the cover of the magazine and realized that this issue was focusing on marriage, I was a bit disappointed. I was sure that after waiting all this time to get my very own homeschooling magazine, I was going to get into some real great homeschooling stories of how Mrs. Homeschooler had conquered her child's dread of math or some great new gadget or book had come out that I hadn't heard of. Well, there are some great stories in there about homeschooling, but most are about marriage. In retrospect, my disappointment was premature and totally inappropriate. I am glad I have actually had these couple of weeks to browse the magazine in bits and pieces. That was the only way my life allowed, of course, but it was worth it for me to change my attitude. You see, I had expectations that someone else in the world would be doing exactly what I *wanted*. It turns out that it wasn't what I wanted, but what I *needed*. I have to admit that I laughed hysterically with tears in my eyes as I read Mrs. Lorrie Flem's article "His True Love Gave to Him". You see, there are so many similarities in that article and my own life, that I honestly have not allowed my magazine to be out where my dear hubby could possibly read it. I am afraid he might take it a bit too far and want his own buffalo head. But, as I have pondered, I realized that in my own way, I already have several. Her short article reinforced in me that marriage isn't just about just living with someone and loving them, but doing things that may even seem painful or not rational to us to go above and beyond what others would consider normal, and show our hubby that we truly mean it when we say it. Oh, and in case you might wonder about my "buffalo head"? Well, I have guitars and swords hanging in my bedroom. Not beautiful, fancy, delicate acoustic guitars, but electric ones. The loud, screechy, hard rock playing guitars that hubby likes to beat on while playing Hendrix or AC/DC. And of course, some Minnesota Vikings decor. Couldn't have anything like the Packers on the wall, that would just be tacky for a bedroom, silly girl! Forget that frilly girly stuff, that is for other houses! Never mind that the room is a rustic, soft, country blue, that purple and gold just matches everything. It says "Pride". It says that we are "true Minnesotans". I have spent the last week or so admiring that purple and gold and realizing that it says oh, so much more. That can just be our little secret though, ok ;)
As I got a bit farther into my reading time, I realized that almost every single article that I have read in there happened to be written as if it were written to me. Not to a group, not to subscribers, but to me. I felt pretty special. When I got to the article, "In Be 'Teen' Times", I read so many little snippets that confirm the very beliefs that I work so hard to teach my daughters and sons every single day. I am in awe. I am thankful. I am not even through the entire magazine as I literally have had to "steal" moments to read as far as I have, but it is worth every moment. I encourage everyone to take a chance and order a subscription, find a friend with older copies, or even borrow one so that you can pick up your own bit of reinforcement from these women who have given some Godly advice and reassurance to those like me who are not so far in their path as wifes, mothers, teachers, and homemakers. They are a blessed group for which I am very thankful.
I am glad that there are women who have gone before me in this path. I hope that I may be making that path smoother for those behind me. Either way, I am glad this is the path I have chosen to follow and that there are resources out there for me to keep myself on track! |
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Mar. 31, 2009 'Tis the season
Sewing, crafting, gardening, "farming", and still dealing with the winter-y weather here in Minnesota sure makes things interesting. The best laid plans can be thrown off so easily. It becomes a delicate balancing act. I often wonder if our summer life is like any other family out there. You see, we end up with one project or another happening, and before we know it, it is 9 or 10pm and we haven't even had our supper (evening meal for those who call it dinner!). The other day was a prime example of this delicate balance. We were expecting company for supper, and I had a bucket full of "slop" for the pigs that somehow was missed during chore time earlier in the day. I sent my daughter and oldest son out to feed it to the pigs, and proceeded with the meal prep. A few short minutes later, my son came running in to yell from the doorway, "mom, we have babies!" I turned the prep over to my oldest, and went running to the barn. The timing couldn't have been worse, we were expecting one of those notorious Minnesota March blizzards. Babies and cold, windy, wet weather just never spell good news. We are now the proud human "grandparents" to two new, all white cute little baby girl goats (doelings to those who know or care about proper terminology). It was a bit touchy there for a bit, we really had to work hard to dry them off and warm them up. Oddly enough, I think it was a "God thing". You see, if daughter had done her chores completely without forgetting the kitchen scraps for the pigs, there would have been no reason to trek to the barn until the next morning. It is fairly certain that those sweet little things would not have survived without our help as it was just too cold and their momma was too tired to work on them as much as they needed. When we got out there, the whole time between first chores and "slop" was less than half an hour, and Miss Momma hadn't given daughter the slightest hint of babies being there any moment. She is a seasoned pro and apparently had quick deliveries. We did end up bringing the babies in the house a couple of times to warm them up and dry them off better, and we did have to work a bit to get them to nurse, but all is well now and they are bouncing around the pen. Oldest daughter had forgotten or not heard the instructions to continue with meal prep. I managed to come in the house after an hour in the barn, and found that hubby had left kids in charge without explicit instructions so he could see the new arrivals. Toddler had thrown up all over the sitting room floor and himself, and somehow, there was a dining table full of snacks. It was a scramble to get things whipped into shape.
All said and done? our 5:30 dinner became an 8:30-ish dinner. Not bad at all, but I know it is still early in the season. |
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Mar. 13, 2009 Treat, errr, rather TEACH Magazine
I think the title for me should be treat magazine. I just received my first copy in the mail a few moments ago. I haven't read it before, but the cover alone has several things that caught my eye. It has been a long week, and it really feels like a treat to have something all. to. myself. I admit it. I am selfish at times. I am a mom. I am a home educator. I am a wife. I am a homesteader. I do "pamper" myself with proper tools at times like a new sewing machine or fresh fabric for the sewing stash, or dare I say it? new fencing! But a magazine just to encourage me and refresh my focus in this journey of educating my children. Yep, that is a treat.
Be back as soon as I can with a review! |
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Mar. 4, 2009 Time sure flies when you are having fun!
I surely did have every intention of posting more often than I have, but who can resist the chance to snuggle with a new baby and just spend your days "being". All of those great intentions have fallen by the wayside for several weeks. I am finally feeling like we have a good routine with hubby's work schedule. The house seems back in line. The winter seems to be on its wind down, but then again, we are in Minnesota, that may change at any minute, hehe!
It seems we should be having new babies in the barn soon. We have a nice plump goat who has an udder that is getting to be rather full looking according to the reports of my barn chore helper. I suppose the day the kid(s) are born will be the day that I start to venture out to do chores again myself. I have to admit, I have gotten rather spoiled by not having to do them this winter and having a teen child to trust to do the important tasks.
Back soon with some pictures and new stories! A lot more has happened in the past several weeks that just can't be done justice in a few short paragraphs without photos! |
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Jan. 13, 2009 Brain Freeze?
I thought it only came from eating really cold foods like ice cream, popsicles, and other frozen treats. But, I believe I have found a new source for this harsh phenomenon. I have a new theory: The brain slows its ability to process things as the temperature outside drops. It seems I could get nothing done today, even though I never had to step outside to feel the temperature directly, it feels as though it somehow reaches through the walls on days like this and just grabs you firmly and tells you, "I am here, it is winter! Now pay attention!". Some days I just ache when it is this cold outside.
In case you don't know me in real life or even online yet, I live in a cold weather climate. Just do a quick internet search of "midwest record cold January 13, 2009" and you will find many, many links to articles of temps in my regione. All of the ones I found in a few moments of gratuitous searching all said the same basic things. Temps as low as -39 Farenheit in towns around my area (I did find variations in the exact number reported in some articles). Wind chills that read like beautiful spring or fall temps, with one glaring difference...that little, not so innocent - in front of them. Imagine, after being under two, three, or even four or more feet of snow all winter to find yourself basking in the sun on a beautiful 50 degree day come the end of March or even a bit later, in April. The 50 degrees part may seem cold to some, but after being under the snow? It will feel like a heat wave here! BUT, those days are far away for now. That one little detail of the - sign in front of the numbers makes all the difference in the world. We have a saying in this house that once it is colder than -10, it really doesn't matter what the numbers are, it is just plain cold.
I don't have any great pictures today. No great article links. No fancy words of wisdom. Just a little pondering as I close this day....headed towards my nice warm blankets on my bed, with the thermostat turned up just a bit, and a cute little boy or two who enjoy snuggling with mom. I tend to think that is whay God made winter. Just to keep us snuggling. |
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Jan. 8, 2009 A harsh reality... and a lesson to share.
I have come to realize that I am an organizational junky. What does that mean you might ask? Glad you did ;) It means that I know how things should be done. I know how they want to be done. I probably have all the stuff (and maybe even some extras!). I have done all the planning. I have done all the preparation. I have wonderful ideas... but that is where it seems to end. I somehow lose it all in the follow through. UGH! Why on earth is that?
I browse the internet. I read blogs. I download charts, forms, templates, patterns, and idea lists for all sorts of things from the kitchen to the craft room, garden to barn, and everywhere in between. I get lost amongst all the great ideas. I have so many that I have filled the desktop on my computer with downloads a few times over, reorganized them into folders, and filled it up again. Yikes! All that precious time wasted that could have been put to better use doing things like making those great crafts, baking those yummy goodies, building those outdoor things, planting those gardens, etc.
So, to save you some great amounts of time, I will share some of the best links that I have found or been given. Each has its own special purpose for me. I hope they will fulfill a need for you!
Homeschool and household forms of all kinds ( Donna Young . org)
Calendar that can be edited to add your family events, birthdays, etc. instead of writing them all out on each calendar you get, just type them in once and print!
Crafty yarn ideas There is a free pattern every day. A variety of offerings for knitters, crochet-ers, canvas stitchers, etc.
I have a lot more to share, but that would take a bit too much of your time. I don't want to get you caught in the trap that I fell into just yet! I promise though, if I find that there is something you must have, I will share it. |
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Jan. 6, 2009 Time flies when you are having fun!
As I mentioned in my last post, I am working through the new schedule, planning the coming year, and re-organizing life (again).
You see, during my hiatus from blogging, a bit has changed around here. We added many farm animals to our home once again. We now have a couple of sheep, a couple of miniature horses, several goats, calves, pigs, and the variety of chickens, geese, and our still lone duck...not to mention dogs and cats. Hubby got a new position at his job, and then, they company changed the entire schedule on us after 5 years of the same thing. Last but not least, we added our new baby boy to the mix. All of these things have really sparked a need for changes and updates and streamlining life.
We are talking gardening plans for the year already. We are becoming more and more dis-satisfied with the offerings of produce at the stores, not to mention the whole "must buy in bulk" requirement because of our now "mega" family. We can't ever buy just one or two cans or bags of something, because it just isn't enough. So, our garden plans have to be thoroughly planned out in order to prepare for the bulk of our needs as best we can.
As we adjust to our new routine, and a new baby, I am finding more and more that each of the other children has found ways to cope with my sometimes weaknesses. You see, there is a certain young man, whom I know has a mind that just never stops. With the baby waking during the night, I tend to move slowly in the mornings. Something I have not yet shared is that our home also has rules. These rules require you to be very quiet when someone is sleeping. Nice, right? Well, not if you are the mom and wake up to find this sight:
 That looks like just a piano and a mess, right?
Well, notice the chair pulled up to the side of the piano. That chair was the accomplice. It helped this young man:
Yes, him. I find this picture rather fitting..those stripes may be dubbed prison stripes by certain members of the family...namely a wonderful hubby. Well, you are probably thinking to yourself about now, what on earth does the chair, the piano, and that face have to do with anything? Well, you see... hubby likes to use that side of the piano as his "catch all". We have a tv room in the garage for hubby to watch his football games and "man type shows" that aren't fit for little eyes and ears. He often comes in the house with a snack or a soda, and sets it there. It seems that the height of that piano was not intimidating to this 2 year old. Hubby had ever so innocently placed a box of cookies on the piano the night before, somehow assuring himself that they would once again be safe there. WElllll, I hate to break it to ya', he was wrong. That whole box of cookies not only was retrieved by that not so innocent little face, but it was also consumed by him, with the help of his newly 4 year old brother. I was wondering why neither one had bothered to wake me up with the usual request for "sumpin a' eat" (translation: I want something to eat). By the way, do you have *any* idea how hard it was to find a picture of this little face that didn't have dirt, food, pacifier, hands, or some other oddity all over it??? Yes, I had to search back nearly 4 months. This child is the subject of a lot of photos in our house, but it is almost always a "caught ya" type picture. He is another component of our need to reorganize. Enough said, LOL!
I haven't gotten to the chore photos yet, but it is coming up quickly on the priority list! |
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Jan. 5, 2009 A new year, new chapter..
Wow, it has been almost a year since I blogged last. I have lots of thoughts and lots of ideas of things to blog about, but somehow get sidetracked every time I sit at the computer, and never quite get to all the things I want to do. A lot has happened in the last 11 months since my last post, but for now, we will look at the present, ok?
Since it is after midnight, I am officially the mother of a brand new 15 year old. Wow! That means only 3 years left of her "childhood"! I don't know whether to be sad, scared, excited, happy, or who knows what! There are so many things I want to teach her, so many things she needs to learn yet. So many things I want her to avoid, yet I wonder if I can really keep those things from her life. I will say that I know 100% that only God knows for sure what is in store for her. She has some lofty goals in her heart, and we need to do everything we can to help guide her down the right path and get her started with a solid footing. She hopes to move out at 18, I hope she will find happiness and contentment in who she is before taking such a big leap into the world. Sadly, she feels that moving out at 18 is just a part of life. Hubby and I are clear that life does not have to be the same as everyone else out there makes it appear. She is welcome here as long as she is willing to work with us as a family and do her best to follow our plans for not only her, but all of her younger siblings. Being the oldest doesn't always make those things easy, you know ;)
Also, we have had a brand new addition to our family....we no longer have just 7 kids, but we added our 8th child on December 28th... The tally is now 5 boys, 3 girls. He is a precious little guy who is lovable and patient. He doesn't mind the 2 year old bumping into him or holding him awkwardly, he doesn't mind the pokes to the nose to "beep" it, nor the tap on the head with a finger to see if he will move. For some reason though, he does mind being held by a certain young lady in the home...you see, she vowed the day he was born to not fall in love with him and spoil him like she did with the 2 year old. She swears that she doesn't want him to be too attached as she is 13, almost 14, and when she moves out in 4 years (yeah, right!), she doesn't want to hurt his feelings. I think he might be holding it against her, the silly little guy! Serves her right, I guess. That just leaves more snuggle time to mom 
Since we have added a new baby to the family, and a certain young lady has entered a new phase in her life, it is once again time to set goals for the family and re-vamp the schedule to accomodate the changes. One of my plans is to have blog time at least several times a week, as I don't want to totally forget all these great times.
My immediate plans are to spend this next week scheduling, planning, and goal setting with each child individually, and with the family as a whole. I hope to also spend this week tackling some long overdue cleaning and organizational projects... they seem to be a bit lacking as my last weeks and even months of being pregnant slowed me down considerably. One of the fun projects that I plan to do will involve the kids taking pictures of their chores so that I can make chore cards for my "not yet readers" in the family. I think this will be a great opportunity to "pass the torch" so to speak for a few of those tasks in the home.
So, for tonight, I sign off with the prayer that all of those who read this may find the energy and motivation to tackle their own new chapters in life. |
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Feb. 14, 2008 Appointment update
For those new to the story, I will catch you all up later. For those who have been around me for a while, here is the latest update. I am starting to post in this "new" blog because I feel it is a better outlet for some of the raw emotion that we deal with, and not cause anyone to stumble on my favorite message boards, or even our Caring Bridge site. Why not blogger or type pad or some of the others? Well, because we are homeschoolers. Every moment of our day has some educational function, whether we realize it or not. It isn't a choice, it is a lifestyle, but for those of you who are also living it, you already knew that didn't you, LOL! I don't try to wear many hats and keep different blogs, my life flows from one thing to another and back again, many times a day. There is no separation in life, why should I in my writing?
Hi all.
It has been a very long week, so I have been slow to update. We had a very rough day on Monday, and I just needed to get to a point where I could type without getting too wordy and winded.
Long story, very short. We saw the endo. He tested dc 6's thyroid levels again, as well as CBC and A1C. He said the A1C isn't real reliable at his age but it may give us a picture of what is going on with the numbers we are getting. We compared results on our meter next to theirs and it came out perfectly. He told us stop testing, the numbers we are getting are perfectly normal for young children. He has since called twice to tell dh that the lab results are fine, but we are waiting on the paper in the mail to tell us what the numbers really are.
Now, for my commentary :roll:
The testing and numbers. Not a single other medical professional that I have spoken to has accepted those numbers as "normal" at any time for a child that is non-diabetic. Not the ER doc, not the health nurse, not the phone nurse, not even this doc's nurse :?
This doc says it must be a neuro thing, see the neuro. Well, duh, you think we haven't done that? She sent us to him! We are waiting for our appointment at Mayo, we still aren't getting info on that in a timely manner :x That appointment is for a different peds. neuro because the one we have is stumped. She admits she doesn't know what is wrong but that we need to do something. She offered meds to drug him to comfort, but that isn't acceptable to us without at least getting a second opinion from another peds. neuro. The next closest one is 6 hours away, Mayo is only 2 hours more of a drive and is considered the best of the best, so she and I agreed that we may as well skip the middle men and go straight to the top...so we are just waiting for that appointment to get here. It is feeling painfully slow.
This man (endo) has now called 2 days in a row to tell us the results are fine, even though he only said he would call if we needed further action :? and neither of us can figure out why he has called twice! Dh didn't think to ask, I was laying down for an attempted nap both times.
This is the same doc who doesn't treat thyroid stuff until you reach a 10, while you need to be below 2 if you are on treatment for hypothyroid, so I know that he tends to let numbers run higher before treatment.
If you or I or any of our dh's had glucose levels like we have seen consistently with dc6, we would be on insulin. No questions about it, I asked.
For now, I have stopped testing. I am tired. I may start testing again after we get those labs back, but for now I am going to wait. We are no further in getting answers, it feels we are even farther. While we don't "want" anything wrong with our sweet little guy, we *KNOW* without a shadow of doubt that there is something, but no one seems to know what it is or how to find it, except to pass the buck. I am disappointed, I am hurt, I am angry, I am sad, I am heartbroken, I am frustrated, I am so many things I can't think straight. Dh is just plain angry. This child has suffered enough. We need to know how to help him. I spend hours every night, while most moms are sleeping, trying to comfort a child who can't be comforted. While he smiles during the day and laughs and giggles, those around us don't see his suffering at night and during his meltdowns that occasionally happen during the day. We have become masters of deception. We know the cues and the warning signs and high tail it out of sight at the first thought that one might be coming because most people wouldn't understand. We would once again hear how we should take him to see someone. We should fix that for him. We should give him something. We have heard it all from well-meaning friends and relatives when I am asked almost daily why I look so tired. My kids are asked the same because they live with bags under their eyes because their sleep is severely disturbed. Not a day goes by that someone doesn't comment on how tired we look. No wonder, they would too if they had a child who screamed and cried out like he does at night....but there must be something out there to fix that, right? The doctors can do a test, right? We can give him something, right? Oh, how they don't understand that medicine is an art, there is no perfection. Not all answers are written in a book. Not all things can be cured with a script. Doctors are not God, but they tend to play the part when they are allowed to do so :(
oh, and for a bit of a laugh? For those who read my pants story, I got my "due". I wore one of those special new pairs of pants on Monday. I was looking and feeling good...all the way to the dentist. I realized once in the chair that the cut wasn't exactly my style, as my bare skin stuck to the chair. No problem, just tuck in the shirt next trip to the biffy, right? Sure! Worked great. Got done at the dentist (final fillings, just one root canal to go until freedom day!). Went for lunch with the family. Picked up burgers to go. On the way out of the food place, I slipped and strained my back, catching myself and stopping the fall. All embarrassment aside, and pride put back in place, I was hurting. I was distracted from that moment on. Went to the next store on the list while family was eating in the van. In and out smoothly, nothing exceptional with said pants. Then it happened. The third stop of the day, the last stop before dc6's big appointment. I got out with dh and dc5 to go into Wal-Mart for a pair of shoes. Nothing else, just that short "in and out" trip. You see, they are the only store that has affordable shoes for my big footed dh, and he had informed me that morning that his had a hole in them and it was -20's wind chills that day. That is when the world came crashing down...oh, wait..that was me! Right next to dh. Right in front of Wal-Mart. On camera and everything. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They had plenty of salt on the ice and snow, in fact it was slushy and wet. I know very well as not only did I fall, but I proceeded to somehow soak up what seemed to be every drop of moisture in that crosswalk. Yep, totally soaked those "new" pants. Thankfully, Wal-Mart carries clothing. Even better? Plus size clothing. In my size. And underwear. Dh felt so bad, in his true style, he laughed. Of course, his first words were "we should just call you Grace!". A new pair of cheap sweat pants never felt so good! I got those, and hubby found a cute pair of chocolate colored stretch jeans for me as well...and that new pack of undies. Don't soft, new cotton undies feel like a dream? Ok, well, maybe not, but they do when you soak through with slush and ice on a day that feels like -20!
I have to say that the staff at Wal-Mart were exceptional. We had to fill out a report. We had to go over all the details. They checked on me several times while shopping. I even got to change before paying! I felt like I was being sneaky or something, but I suppose it saved them some cleaning as I had been dripping all over the store, I was *that* soaked. They had a whole safety team involved. I know it is procedure, but they made me feel like they really cared, not just like it was part of their job. They were very understanding. There wasn't anything they did wrong, it is winter in Minnesota. What more can one expect? Ice, snow, slippery slush wherever you go. Oh, and in case you might wonder? I am fine, except for my pride, LOL!. I bruised my knee, pulled some muscles in my leg, and somehow go blisters on the finger tips of one hand...I think from the salt they use, but not sure. It may have been from scraping them as I fell too. |
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We have finished another crazy week here. Too much to try to quantify and describe in a short post, but not enough to even talk about either. Just plain life. The kind that makes you tired enough to fall into bed each night and wonder what you truly accomplished that day.
Piggies are growing like crazy. Kids are just crazy  ...oh, wait! that is me that is crazy, they drove me here, LOL! **JUST KIDDING!** Hubby has recovered from his round of illness and is back to work. The kitchen is partially re-arranged in preparation for our remodeling project.
Great plans for the week, let's see if I can get through stuff as planned for once! |
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Oct. 5, 2007 Life on the farm
Not much happening today.
It was a rather lazy day since little one was sick several times late last night. He seems under the weather today, but not actually "sick". It was rainy and gloomy outside, but the busy crew wanted to play in the porch even in the cool wind. What a shock it will be for them when winter comes and they can't take their jackets off anymore.
Link has learned to drink from a dish...quite messy for him, MUCH easier for me.
School took a different turn today. The usual use of the dictionary, but we are working on "construction trades" :o) We are removing cupboards and assembling shelving. Our kitchen will become the pantry in a few short steps. Pictures may come later, depending on how long it takes and whether I remember or not. What will we do for a kitchen you ask? Well, our kitchen will be in the original dining room just a few feet away. Our current dining placement is in the den..and we like it there. The actual dining room wasn't big enough to seat 6, much less 9 and still be able to move around. We have plenty of other living space, the den was already a duplicate space.
Back to work, the cupboards must come out in order for me to get to the next step! |
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Oct. 5, 2007 Who said learning has to be boring?
Once again, it is a late night. I just gave the piggies a bed time snack, and I have a few minutes to myself before my own bed time. I just had to share some thoughts from throughout my day.
My biggest thought was that my 12 year old is breaking barriers in learning. She is reading an old chemistry text book. I don't remember how old, but I seem to remember it is from the 60's. Why is this so extraordinary you ask? Well, because this child has said book in the van. She reads it while we are traveling (daily travels, not vacation type stuff). Not only that, she struggles fiercely with dyslexia, so reading in general is a real downer for her most days. I can't tell you why she is so fascinated with this chemistry text, but she is. At one point, she was reading it aloud to her younger siblings. I laughed to myself as I remembered the dreaded conversations in the hallway about chemistry when I was in high school.
There comes a time when a simple trip to Wal-Mart becomes a learning experience all its own. What better "laboratory" for sociological studies than a Wal-Mart?! There are people of all shapes and sizes, all backgrounds, all financial ranges, a variety of faiths (we are rural remember, there isn't a whole lot of diversity in that part of life in this region). People of all manner of dress or, ummmm, undress we shall call it. I find it always so interesting the things my children observe when we are out shopping. We have many great conversations, and a few not so great ones.
ah, well...thoughts interrupted. I had more to say, but must go for now. Baby just got sick all over the carpet and himself. See you all again soon! |
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Oct. 3, 2007 Hanging in there....
Our little "Link" is hanging in there. I suspect he has some other health problems that have made him the runt of his litter. "Wilbur" is eating like a champ...right out of the dish and then begging for more!
Lessons of the day....
Someone in the house decided to take multi-tasking to a new level. I can't say for sure who it was, but I admire their creativity. They took a coloring book and crayons in to the bathroom. I found them neatly stashed beside the toilet. I guess that teaches me the lesson to always be on the lookout, the little ones will always come up with something new, even if you have "lots" of experience as a parent.
Work can be fun. Not a lesson I learned, I know the truth ;o) Two of the girls are thrilled with themselves for processing all of the apples. We had about 2 bushels of little crab apples. They used the apple/peeler/corer/slicer and did them all up, put them in freezer bags and put them away. I wanted to make jelly and juice and dehydrate some to mix with granola, but I learned tonight that more apples are coming our way. Besides, the men of the house much prefer apple crisp and apple pie from these apples. I will wait for the sweet ones to dehydrate some for the winter and then start the granola.
Math comes in all shapes and sizes. I found one child playing a dice game this morning, adding up the score she rolled each time she rolled. I found another child matching the names to the number of plates in his hand as he volunteered to set the table. I found another calculating the number of times he would have to pick up sticks in the yard in order to earn enough money to build the fort he wants (note on the finances later!). I had another child figuring out how much money she could spend on candy after buying a trinket she has desired for a rather lengthy period of time..and then decided against the trinket in favor of savoring her hard work! My littlest mathematician was counting forks on his plate today. For some reason, being 2, he needed 2 forks to eat....strangely enough, they don't actually have a function when there, he uses his fingers...but to him they are important ;o)
Finances. I mentioned them above. Since we live on "almost" 7 acres, we have a lot of mowing.... Hubby works hard to provide the finances for our family, and doesn't have much time to do a lot of hands on stuff at home. This year, instead of allowances, we decided that we would pay the kids to do certain jobs around the farm to spread out the work. These are things that are harder work and that we would normally do for ourselves. We have it broken down. For example, picking up sticks in the yard before mowing will yield a whole $2. Keep in mind that we mow a large amount by city standards and we have a giant cottonwood tree that seems to think shedding is its main purpose in life. The job itself is not hard, but it saves hubby time. The kids are learning the value of a dollar and I have less work to do. Hubby can attempt to go fishing a few more times a month.
Some lessons truly have to be learned at home! |
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Oct. 2, 2007 oh, my! Here we go again!
Every so often, we get the "hankerin" to raise an animal of some sort, either to put in the pasture to be pretty, to raise to sell, or just for the fun of it...and then like many farms, the food ;o) What better learning experience for kids?!?!?! I don't think that many compare to such a life, but then again, I am biased.
Today, we went to get 4 weanling pigs. We came home with 7. We had picked our 4. I had the 3rd one in my hands and was trying to load it into the van when the 2nd one got out of the dog crate we were using. The guys decided to grab 2 more just in case I did that again. Well, I didn't, and they couldn't decide which of the 2 was *the* one to bring home, so we got them both. Oh, the other two you ask? They were the runts of two other litters. They looked so sad and helpless. I asked the farmer if he thought they could make it if we were to get them and nurse them along with a bottle. He shared that he doesn't have time to do that kind of work with all of the animals, sad but true, and that if we didn't take them, they would be following nature's course...so I am bottle (dropper) feeding 2 little piglets. He gave them both to us. They are the cutest little buggers. If I knew how to post pictures, I would gladly show you, but I am afraid I will have to catch you up later. I am just a sucker for a cute face. I am so very, very glad that the kids didn't come with us to the farm, they would have begged for all the cute animals. It was hard enough as it is!
I hope to be back with pictures soon!
***AHA!*** I think I got it! Forgive the poor quality and the old date, my camera goes through batteries like the kids go through socks and I was in a hurry. Just like the socks, I don't bother pretending that I am going to fix them any more, the batteries get tossed at the first sign of trouble...and the poor camera date only gets changed when it is ultimately important.
Here is a picture with a bit of perspective of the "runts". It is at a funny angle, but they were sleeping so nicely, I hated to wake them!
 and here is just an overhead shot of the two little ones:
 In case you are wondering, they have already been named. The white one has been dubbed "Wilbur", and the little guy is now "Link"...short of "Sausage Link". Hubby says that is all that he could be made into at his size, LOL! He will likely become the farm pet and not have to visit that "farm up north" as they say on one of our kids' favorite movies. That is, of course, if he survives. The odds are not in his favor, but we don't bet ;o)
I hope you all have a restful night while I am bottle feeding the new "babies"!
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Oct. 2, 2007 Time to catch up with the rest of the world!
I haven't spent much time blogging my own thoughts, but as my kids have discovered some of the creativity and thoughtfulness of so many other blogs out there, they have asked to do their own. As it is with all homeschooling projects, a mom/teacher cannot ask of her students something that she cannot ask of herself. I step into this arena with a bit of interest, a bit of hesitation, and a bit of excitement. I see this as a challenge, but need to temper my time. Businesses to run, children to raise, husband to help, animals to tend, house to keep...and lots of learning on how to do them all better....hopefully, I can in turn share some of that wisdom with others here.
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