spring break

Is it wrong that the reason I'm looking forward to spring break is that I won't have to rush anyone off to the bus or go to preschool or anything!!! We're free!!

Oh, and Kmart is doing double coupons again and so is Albertsons!

Could this week get any better?

Oh yeah! No scouts!

I'm free!

We'll probably go to the library and maybe the park if the weather cooperates.

Hubby is home off on Monday so I'll probably do my couponing then. I won't have to take the kids and they won't get bored at the store. Besides, I can concentrate more when I don't have to placate them.

A couple of good coupon blogs I read.

athriftymom.com

krazycouponlady.blogspot.com

I'm still learning about coupons, so these blogs help me quite a bit.

I'm still not comfortable in Walgreens, and we don't have a Rite Aid anywhere near us, But you've got to start somewhere.

Charlie and the girls are doing well. Charlie has finally stopped the relentless scratching. At least, it seems like it since the bare spots where he rubbed his wool off on his back are growing back again, and no new ones have appeared. Crossing my fingers. I'm aiming for a late April, early May shearing.

I finally went through those last 2 fleeces. I haven't had any training in skirting the wool, so my attempts were poor. When going through the wool, I pull it apart so that when it is washed the water easily gets to everything. You see, a sheep's wool has lots and lots of greasy lanolin in it that has to be washed. Sometimes this lanolin is concentrated on the tips of the wool. It takes a lot of time to dissolve like that. So by pulling it apart and also getting rid of the worst bits of it, I'm able to wash it without going crazy and wanting to pull my hair out.

So now I have grocery bags full of stinky wool that needs washing. I guess I should do that this week as well....we'll see.

A was feeling yucky last night. She had a fever and a bad headache. I'm hoping that she'll feel better this morning. We've all had colds this past week, our fourth this winter. C and I take turns bringing them home from kindergarten and preschool.

Please!!!! Please!!!! teach your child to sneeze/cough/whatever into his elbow before they go to preschool and kindergarten. I've gotten 2 colds from kindergarten boys coughing in my face. You can only back so far away from them(The first was the Skylar cold, the 2nd was the Ernesto cold) and A has gotten 1 from Anderson in Kindergarten. I don't know where she picked up this last one.

Maybe we should go the Michael Jackson route and start wearing those face masks. :)

Speaking of Kindergarten, C is reading so well!!! I'm so impressed. Of course it helps that her preschool teacher had her reading. Starting out at the top of the class has really given her an advantage. And her teacher has been so helpful by continuing to challenge her.

Please! make sure your kids are solid on their letters and sounds before they start kindergarten. It will help them out so much!!! There are a surprising number of kids in C's class who are really struggling with identifying letters. I feel really bad for them because they are smart, but have had to start behind all the other kids.

The school is really good at working with them though. They have several teachers that give them one on one help. One in particular is specifically assigned the kindergarten.

I'm excited by this year's garden. Hubby has started to clear it out and we've started seeds inside. Now if only they would grow!! I don't think they are getting watered enough. But I don't want to water them to much.

The ward helped us get Mom and Dad's trees pruned. I'm so excited by the prospect of fresh fruit!!! Nothing makes me happier than a tree ripened peach or nectarine.

YUMMY!!!

And no goats to get out and eat the garden this year!!!!! YAY

Here we go again

so I haven't felt like posting lately due to the feeling of having way to many blogs to maintain.

One post for the personal blog, another post for the family blog. I was just feeling overwhelmed and not motivated.

So I am going to try for the easy solution. I'll post to the personal blog and then I'll edit it for the family blog.

I was going to make the family blog all sappy sweet and braggy. But I just can't do that. I'll figure it out. We'll see.

Well, I'm pretty sure that Charlie doesn't have scrapie. He is still alive and well and this has been bugging him for at least2 months. He is showing no other signs of scrapie.

So I'm thinking its a burrowing mite or something. But I can't treat it very well due to not being able to get the medicine through his wool onto his skin. Its called synergistic delice. Just had to say that. Synergistic.

Anyway, with all the warm weather, I'm considering having him sheared early just so I can save part of his fleece and treat him.

In the meantime I've got to to worm all the sheep and they all need a hoof trim. I'm just not sure how I'm going to get hold of half wild sheep. Charlie won't be a problem. I picked him up by his front hooves just the other day. It was kind of funny. He was taller than I would have supposed. I've just got to figure out how to get him on his tush.

I gave away 4 of my older chickens to a couple who just like chickens. They wanted them to raise chicks and play with their rooster. Seemed like nice people. Easier to give them away then kill them for the stewpot.

The cows are getting nice and fat. One more than the other. Though both are steer, one has horns and the other doesn't. I think it has to do with when they were fixed.

With the weather getting so warm, it has me thinking about yard work, pruning fruit trees, planting new trees, and lots of stuff like that.

I've asked the high priest group for help with pruning mom and dad's orchard. I'm glad they are willing. It will take a lot of weight off of the family. I'm going to have a hard time getting them out here to help with rearranging the sheds and cleaning them although they are all helping to mess them up and take things out without replacing it.

I feel a little like the little red hen. If you can't help take care of it, you can't have any. Is that bad?

I'm doing another powdered milk order. This time its much less stressful. The price is better and people who ordered before either didn't order enough, or liked it so much they told all of their friends and family about it, and they are ordering too.

So, after years of thinking about it, we finally broke down and purchased a flat screen tv. Hubby wanted a 42 inch, I said, maybe a 38 inch and after comparing prices and shopping around, we ended up getting a 32 inch from Costco.

We had to renew our Costco membership but for the warranty, we thought it was worth it. and it will be fun to have the membership for another year.

Hubby was thrilled and has proceeded to hook it up to the computer and now we can watch tv online. Its pretty cool.

I'm working on my 3rd pair of knitted socks. My first pair was a little short. They are ok to wear, but I would like a pair that fit well. So after making a pair for hubby (as requested) I'm now working on another pair for myself.

I've still got 2 fleece to clean from last year. I've got to get them at least processed before its time for this years shearing. I don't want to get to far behind. Also, I've heard that with time, lanolin hardens and is harder to clean from a fleece. Don't want to deal with that. Plus it kind of smells. :)

I knit socks!!!

thank you Bevs Country Cottage.

First you helped me make super awesome easy baby booties and now you have nursed this beginning knitter through socks!

I no longer have sock envy because I have a great pattern I can play with and have fun with.

How do they look?

Another one

We lost another chick. I'm starting to feel rather cursed.

This time it was not the weather or anything like that.

No, this time it was the other chicks. He managed to get trampled when I went out to feed them.

They always rush over to the side of the pen in anticipation of when I might throw a few handfuls of feed in to distract them.

They are usually the 3rd coop to be fed, and I'm not certain when it happened...

But when I opened up the coop, I was surprised to find a twitching and dead looking chick. It spasmed when I picked it up. I thought I had killed it.

I fed the chicks and did most of the chores all the while checking on it here and there.

It only got worse.

After some contemplating over the problem, hubby offered to kill it with the pellet gun.

I left the pasture to turn on the hose and was spared the noise of the gun. Hubby was nice enough to throw it over the fence afterwards and I couldn't help but go and look just to make sure it had died.

I was so glad that it did, and that hubby was able to put it out of its misery so quickly.

It was a rooster.

I think it gets worse the bigger these birds get.

I can't believe I've lost so many birds!

The end of an era

Late last week my 91 year old Grandma passed away quite expectedley. She had suffered from organ failure for the past month and basically got progressively worse.

My grandfather (her husband) had passed away in late August. So Grandma was going to get to be with her sweetheart.

I thought it would be a happy occasion with many happy reunions.

It surprised me however when I felt the tears come.

I came to the realization that a part of my childhood had come to an end. Some of my childhood memories had ended.

The memory I'm talking about is all the memories of Grandma and Grandpa and them in their house.

The crazy rug in the basement that we played hopscotch on. Aunt Linda's wedding. All the Readers digests in the bookcase and watching movies in the TV room. The crazy things Grandma and Grandpa had on their fireplace mantle and how they rarely changed. I mean how long was that crazy sundae looking thing there for anyway?

The pictures in the hallway and using the upstairs bathroom with the sliding door and Grandma's panty hose hanging everywhere. The weird bathroom downstairs where you weren't quite sure how to lock the door but you hoped you did it right.

Sleeping on the couches in the basement and the breakfasts that Grandpa would cook for us and how he would go to the store (even in his 80's) for the ingredients before we were even up.

The path in the backyard and how when I was young it felt like a secret forest.

These are all good memories, but with someone besides Grandma and Grandpa living there, it will never be quite the same.

I posted this on my family website, but so far, people have ignored it.

Sometimes I feel so out of synch with my family.

Unexpected

Tonight I had an unexpected conversation.

I had put the girls to bed and was kissing hubby goodnight. He has to go to bed really early. And rather than going to bed like a smart person would do, I stay up and work on projects.

Tonight when I went into the family room, I found A with a blanket and pillow on the recliner. She didn't want to sleep in her room, but I told her that the recliner wasn't an option.

I tucked her into bed and she told me that she had a bad dream. She had gone to the beach and died. This brought to mind all of the times that hubby and I will be into a show and not realize that a child has wondered into the room. We've been changing our ways and if we watch a violent show like Burn Notice or Life or whatever, we try to watch in another room or on a computer where they can't see. But anyway... I digress.

She told me that she died on the beach and that Jesus had come and told her that she shouldn't go to the beach without Mommy and Daddy.

So we said a prayer and asked that she would have happy dreams and no more bad dreams tonight.

So this led to a very sweet conversation about what would happen when we die. I explained that if she died, it wasn't something to be frightened of. I told her about how our spirit goes up to heaven and then she would be able to spend time with all of her grandparents who had passed away and how nice they were. And then I started crying because I had such wonderful memories of them all and how I missed them all (especially my paternal Grandfather who passed away when I was 8). So that led to me crying and A said "don't cry Mommy" or something like that. And I told her why I was crying.

I told her how I missed all of those people and how the thought of her dying made me sad. Then I told her that she wouldn't die for a long time. I told her that her Great Grandmother who is dying from organ failure right now was something like 96. I told her how it would take her 92 years to get that old. That was a long time. And in the meantime she would get older and go school, jr. high, high school, college, and how she would get married and have babies of her own.

Then C piped up from the other bed and said "Mommy I want to be a teacher when I grow up and have lots of babies." It was so sweet.

So I kissed A goodnight and then went over to C's bed. We talked a little about the Grandma who was dying. She asked me what happened when we died.

I told her about how our spirits were separate from our bodies and how when her body died that her spirit would go to heaven.

So this led to a short explanation of how when she was a baby inside my tummy her spirit joined with the babies body. I am sure I confused her a little. But I tried to break it down for her.

Then she asked about how babies get out of mommies tummy, or something like that. So I said that the babies grow in mommies tummy and then come out here in a special place here under my tummy.

I was very vague and just pointed to the bottom of my tummy.

I told her that I would explain it better to her when she was a little older. And she said "when I'm 10?" and I said, no, maybe when you are 7 or 8. And it dawned on me that she is nearly there.

Anyway, I kissed her goodnight and tucked her in.

It's just amazing to me the kinds of conversations that happen when you are least expecting them.


What a sweet experience. I love my kids so much.

I'm learning to knit!

So, a few years ago, I decided that I might be interested in learning to knit. I saw a learn to knit kit done by lions brand yarn. It was on sale and I've been interested in learning to knit, but was a bit intimidating.

I'm a pro at crocheting. I can follow most any pattern, and am able to make stuff without a pattern.

Well, I'm a sucker for a good sale and I decided that what the heck, I'll try it!

So, I bought the kit, followed the pattern. But I didn't like the finished project. It was pretty boring. So I took it out and then found an easy pattern for a really cute scarf on some internet site.

I made it through the project, but it was a bit scary. Knitting makes me feel out of control. I'm really in a bind if I don't count, or forget where I was, or lose a stitch!!!!!!

So after that scarf I put the knitting down. I thought maybe I would pick it up at a later date.

Then I got into spinning. I got so into it that I went from a learn to spin kit purchased off of e-bay to owning 4 Cormo sheep, a spinning wheel (majacraft!!!) and a newly acquired drum carder (Christmas! It is SO much faster!).

But lately, I've been feeling limited as to what I could do with all of my wonderful homemade yard.

I felt like I couldn't make any baby blankets with it (a past passion) due to felting and the need to wash baby items frequently.

And in the meantime, every time I was at a thrift store and I saw needles, I bought them (much cheaper). And I ended up with a decent collection of sizes.

Well, just recently I thought, why not pick up the needles again?

I decided to try and knit a scarf, you know, just to remember how to knit. Then I decided to suck it up and relearn how to pearl.

Ugh.

Anyway, I'm still refreshing myself.

I've just been knitting this and that. I started on a really cute scarf and then knit the kids some ear warmers (using the knit and pearl together and making a cute windy pattern).

I still have half a scarf on the needles at this moment, but I'm going to finish it. Its a simple knit stitch over and over. It would match the ear warmer I made for C perfectly.

Change

so why the change to a new address yet again?

Well, my family found my blog. I decided that I was ok with that.

Well, 2 of my sisters, AE and S decided to read all the way back to 2005 and of course become offended by what I said 2! YEARS!!! AGO!!!

I've moved on, but why can't they?

My sister S keep calling me and trying to get me to apologize for my entries.

I don't know why I should. I've moved on and those were feelings that are in the past. In fact, S and AE and I have probably already hashed out these situations.

For some reason reading about it for them is like opening the box again.

I finally just gave up.

I'm tired of changing my blog to suit them. I had to get rid of history, the older posts link and the search function. My blog looked so unfamiliar. I didn't recognize it anymore.

So I said to heck with it. I moved the blog to another account so they can't find it and started a new blog.

It will be filled with fluff. No deep seeded emotions or feelings. Or even things to think about.

Nope, it will be the braggy family blog that everyone and their best friend writes these days.

I don't think I've sold out due to the fact that this blog is still out there.

I've still got my rant and rave blog! So hallelujah!

A blog to check out

www.pioneerwoman.com

Strangely enough, it was hubby who pointed this one out to me.


Here are some other new ones that I enjoy.

http://sheepgal.typepad.com

and

http://jerrybaker-amg.blogspot.com

A letter

To any person who may have been diligent enough to read all my entries clear back to 2005.

First of all, props to you.

Second, I would like to state (as I stated many times in those early days) that this blog (especially in the beginning) was meant as a journal for me. An outlet, and a way to get feelings out without making my husband listen to them.

I have had people contact me telling me how they are offended with something I said, a story I told, or even a feeling I had.

I have had people tell me that they wish I would delete entries so that others couldn't read them.

I would like to say to you that I won't. This is my journal. If I deleted or otherwise altered those entries it would be like ripping pages out of my journal, and pretending that I wasn't feeling that way, or thinking those things.

I don't feel that it would be being true to myself.

So in order to please these people, I have altered my blog so that you can no longer access historical entries.

If someone finds a way to access historical entries, I would appreciate being let know so that I can 'plug the hole' so to speak.

For those offended by my posts, I will say this. You are reading my personal journal. I am allowed to have my own thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Also, please take into consideration that over the past 4 years I have matured, as we all have. You will notice this in the posts as you read them. I know that when I read old posts that I notice this about myself.

So, take this how you will.

couponing

So today I went a little crazy and bought about $75 worth of groceries. It only took 3 stores, but I ended up with a trunk full of groceries.

I started at the Albertsons that is farthest from my home. I bought 4 boxes of Quaker instant oatmeal (buy 4 get them for $1.50 each) and 5 boxes of quaker cinnamon Life cereal (Fred Meyer coupon for 5 for $10). Then I used 2 $5 off coupons from the sale the week before (buy $30 of certain items, get 3 $5 off coupons for your next order), and some mfg coupons (2 - $1 off when you buy 2).

I paid $2.16.

Then I ran the deal again. 5 boxes of Life (Freddies 5 for $10 coupon) and my mfg coupons (2 - $1 off when you buy 2). And another $5 off coupon from the sale the week before.

I paid $3.60

I was so impressed with myself I had to call Milton and tell him about the awesome deal I had just gotten.

Then we went over to Subway and had lunch - Just over $6. but since this isn't groceries, I won't add it to my total.

Then we went to the Albertson's closest to my house and ran the deal 2 more times.

The first time I bought 4 boxes of Captain Crunch that Albertsons was having a sale on (buy 4, get them for $1.50 each)
And I bought 4 boxes of Cinnamon life and 1 box of Captain crunch using the Freddies coupons and the MFG coupons.
I spent around $14.96 (can't find the receipt)

The second time I bought the 4 boxes of Cinnamon Life and 1 box of Captain crunch.

I spent $8.60

Then I went over to Walmart and did our regular shopping and only was able to use $1.25 worth of coupons. But I was also in the 20 or less checkout. I spent around $48. I had some non grocery items to buy as well as 2 large Pace Salsa's which are around $7 each.

so this is the story of how I got a trunk full of groceries for around 77.32

There are still people doing better than this. But I'm still learning. There are tricks that I have yet to figure out. But in my favor, I will say that its hard to think this all through while keeping track of 2 hungry kids :) .

Another one

We had another chick die. Unknown causes.

I was checking the small chicken coop for and egg yesterday (the silkie is living with the chicks) and in the second box I checked there it was. A dead chick.

It took me by such surprise that I couldn't help but say "oh!"

Anyway, I have now idea why it would have died, except maybe exposure? Maybe it got to cold?

8 eggs today, 4 eggs yesterday. I'm not sure what is going haywire here. Oh well. All the better reason to not keep all these darn chickens.

I've come to realize that 1) I like chickens. Some are really quite nice. Others are snotty and the rooster is just a big goofball. 2) I can't make money from selling eggs.

So I've got a couple of options. First one is to wait until spring and see if I can sell hatching eggs. People have broody chickens but either don't have a rooster or can't have one. So they look for hatching eggs. If this doesn't bring in the money ($4-5 per dozen) then its on to...

option 2! - which is to keep about 5 chickens and maybe a rooster and be happy about it.

Why is it that every make money scheme I hatch turns into a rotten egg?

One of these days ... :)

I realized today that my sheep need some attention.

Charlie pulled out a big patch of his wool. He likes to rub on anything that will stand still. The calf hutch. The chicken coop. I've looked closely on his skin, and none of the other sheep are itching, so I don't think it's lice. But I may treat them for it anyway just to be sure.

For sure I'm going to sew them coats. I bought the material off of e-bay this morning. So it will be happening soon. I'll have to post pics. But how will I get them to hold still enough to put them on?

The other thing is that they all need a good hoof trimming. I just don't know how I would be able to wrangle them enough to hold still for it.


Don't they have pens that are for one sheep/calf where you can confine them and do all that needs doing?


I'll have to investigate.

The cows are doing great. They are gaining weight like champs. We started slowly adding grain to their diet of alfalfa. They are now getting about 5 lbs of grain per day.

We've come to realize something. Cows aren't cheap. I don't know if we will be doing this again.

But it's been a good learning process.

I've learned a lot about all sorts of different animals here on our small acre.

I've learned that I don't want goats. Not even angora goats. They are brats and a pain in my behind.

I don't like rabbits. They poop a lot. But maybe if one of the kids wanted one and was old enough to care for it.

I don't want a cat. 'Nuff said.

Don't want a dog. We love 'em, but hate the land mined.

It's really been a learning experience here. I feel bad that we've had so many animals through here, but I feel like it was necessary to find out what worked for us.

And all of the animals went on to a nice home. Well, except for those darn angora goats. 2 of them were eaten. And mighty tasty they were too I heard. But after they ate my garden 3 + times, I felt like justice was done.

chicken update

I'd just like to annouce that now that the chicken house is freshly cleaned, the egg production is on its way up again.

today we had 7 eggs. The most eggs we've seen in a week.

Yahoo!

Oh, and I've started giving away roosters.

I've got 2 going tomorrow. So that will bring me down from 26 to 24 chicks. I'm crossing my fingers that the guy shows.

Back to the daily grind

So now that the holidays are gone, we are just back to the daily grind.

Hubby has to take a week off at Chinese New year. So I'm looking forward to that. I kind of what to do something, but am not sure what yet.

C still loves school and A loves preschool.

The snow has melted for the most part and until today the weather has been pretty mild. Today was a little cold.

Today I got to choose between cleaning out the hen house or cleaning the kitchen.

The egg production has been extremely low because the odor of the hen house so I chose that project.

It was smelly and dirty. As always, I felt like everything I had on needed to be washed and I need a shower!

The only thing I didn't like was that my dishes needed to be done when the scouts were doing a project around the table.

I have one annoying scout who loves to say things like today "The table needs to be wiped off. There are Cheerios!" and when we were passing out the scouting for food flyers he said some lovely things about how my car needed to be cleaned out.

When he said the car comments, I invited him to clean it. Today when he mentioned the table, I said that I had to clean out the hen house, and then when he said something about it again I reminded him that I am his scout leader, not his mother and then wiped it off.

Considering that all it had was a little jam from lunch and a couple of cheerios from breakfast, he should feel pretty lucky.

Its really the way he says it. Like "I can't believe you don't have a spic and span house!"

He is the rudest boy I have ever met. I know he must have manners in there somewhere. He has a very well behaved family.

UGH.

I wish someone would tell him about how every person in the church is a volunteer at their calling. We don't get paid. Sometimes we don't even really like what we are doing, But we do our best anyway.

The truth of the matter is that I'm still recovering from my herniated disc. Most of my days are good ones now which is awesome. But my stamina is still not as good as it once was. Its getting there though.

I now can stand at the sink (it bothers my back) long enough to load the dishes, wash the pots and pans, and clear off the cupboards. But then I have to sit down for a while. If I push it, It can be sore for the next few days.

I'd love to be able to clean the whole kitchen at one go, but I'm not there yet.

But considering that just over a year ago I had trouble sweeping the floor all at one time, I am improving a whole lot.

And as I improve my house is getting more and more under control. But I can't push it. That is the one thing I've learned. Knowing when to take a break.

I know that people look at my house (I know I do) and think "What a dump!" this is only 2 years old?

Well, I wish I could tell them why its not as clean as I would like.

But I can't.

I guess the one thing I would like to tell people would be, "Are you sure you know the whole story?" Are you sure you are accurately judging me?

And I've definitely learned not to judge people on looks, or their home.

Don't get me started on our Visiting teaching group where we met at my home and the other 2 ladies looked a little uncomfortable on my ragged soon to be reupholstered couches. They barely even spoke to me.

The reason my couches have yet to be reupholstered is that I'm a little intimidated by the project and I really haven't made the time yet. And hubby put the fabric in another room and I don't see it often and its easily forgotten about.

Maybe I need to work on it during the Chinese New Year break.

I'm sorry for this rambling post.

I have to go and tuck the girls in now.

Tater Tots and dead animals

Well, winter is officially here with a vengeance.

We are now dealing with frozen water for the animals and a lot of slogging through snow to feed them.

And there is another side to winter. An unexpected side. A deadly side.

I have had to deal with 4 dead field mice so far this winter.

Yes I said 4 dead mice.

I didn't know this before, but have now been educated that where there are chicken houses, there are usually mice.

I thought this couldn't be the case because so many people over on www.backyardchickens.com talk about how their chickens will kill all sorts of small snakes and mice if they get into the coop.

Well, I didn't account for the fact that once a chicken is asleep, you could basically do anything you want with it. They can be moved from coop to coop and hung upside down if you want.

So this must be when the mice come in to play.

In our small coop where all the baby chicks hang out, I've been using a small bucket of water to supply them with water. Last year I fought against a freezing outside waterer all winter. This year I've resorted to a small bucket. It seem to do well. Most of the time it has less ice than an outside waterer and I can refill it everyday with hot water so that it stays liquid longer. also, the chicks keep a hole open on their own if ice forms. Then they can stand on the ice and drink.

Hey at least they have water.

Anyway I've found a total of 3 dead mice in the water this year already. The first time it was 2 and it grossed me out. But yesterday it wasn't so bad when I found 1 hanging out alone.

Can I just comment about how strange it seems to see them in there? They look so natural. Like they are going to hop up and go on their merry way.

their ears are perky and their paws are usually out like normal.

Its just wierd that they look so alive but are so dead.

UGH.

The 4th mouse I found in our alfalfa. I was getting some for the sheep and I noticed that between 2 bales of alfalfa it looked like something had tunneled through. So I went to move the bale.

That's when I saw it. A dead mostly unrecognizable, mostly decomposed mouse on top of the very bale I was moving.

YUCK!

No I didn't touch it. Yes, I moved it with a strand of alfalfa. I just realized that I'm going to have to see it again today... What the heck am I going to do with it? I guess I'll throw it in the bushes or something like that.

So on to the other dead animals around here.

Back around Halloween we hatched chicks. We incubated 44 or so eggs and 22 hatched. I then bought 9 more chicks to bring new blood to the flock.

We lost the first chick to unknown causes. I think he may have been dropped by someone and it was just to much. If you've ever handled a new chick, you will know that they can be hard to hold on to because they want out of your hands!!!

The second got trampled in the brooder (basically a warm protected home for baby chicks, usually a cardboard box with pine shavings). Probably happened during feeding time.

The 3rd chick was rather a sad loss. We had gotten a new rooster for fresh blood for the flock. He was a few days younger than the rest of the crowd and seemed peppier. He was easy to spot and fun to hold.

Well, one day I was out feeding the chicks (by this time they were outside) and I noticed that somewhere his toe had gotten opened up, and the tip of it was gone. I don't know how or why, but I couldn't do much. I just made sure he got a good meal and that the toe got a quick cleaning off.

The next morning I found him wedged between a nesting box and a wall. Stiff as a board. Frozen solid. Don't know what exactly happened.

Monday, I found the 4th chick. Somewhere during the day the chicks managed to break the 250w 120v (I think?) light bulb that was in their coop. This is a huge bulb and provided a lot of heat.

The light was on in the morning, but when I was out there with the scouts (8yr olds) I found the broken light bulb and noticed a dead chick outside in the run.

It had snowed that day and the poor chick was mostly covered. I don't know what happened. Probably died from exposure.

Luckily, most of the chicks were fine because at this age they have most of their feathers.

I've since replaced the light with a 60watt bulb. It's not as hot, but it's sort of a relief.

The 250 watt bulb almost caused a fire (I found it as it started to give off a lot of smoke) and it always worried me after that.

Its been 2 nights since the light bulb change out and the chicks are doing fine.

So now that I've told you about the dead animals, its time for the tater tots.

Cecilee came home from school one day talking about tater tots. It took me a while to figure it out, but turns out what she was talking about was tank tops.

She had worn a cute sun shirt type outfit that we had put a pretty white shirt under. She was trying to tell me that her friends had liked her tater tot.

It was pretty cute.

Now she keeps trying to layer her clothing for unknown reasons. Yesterday she wore the 'tater tot' under her normal shirt. She said it was to keep her warm.

Yes she has a warm coat, goes to school on the bus and they make the kids play inside on cold days. So its not that she needed more warmth.

Its just kind of funny to see these new ideas that she brings home from her friends.

Anyway she tried to do it again this morning. But no 'tater tot' in sight. She had 2 different shirts, both of them the flowing dress type shirts. There was no way one was going to fit well under the other. It was pretty funny.

No, I didn't let her wear them both.

A new post

I feel like I need to put up a new post, but don't have a subject in mind....

Hmmm

Well, we are on our way up to Salt Lake for a weekend getaway without the girls. We'll be staying in Provo and will be attending the BYU Vs Wake Forest BBall game.

The girls will be staying with their Aunt in Meridian.

Am I the only one who gets all paranoid when taking a big trip and leaving the kids with someone else?

I start worrying about our wills and stuff like that.

Our wills need to be updated so badly.

For example, A who is 4 now, is not even mentioned.

Also, the family that we have named as guardian have moved to another part of the state.

We feel it very important that the people who raise our kids in our place be based out of the same area that we are. Both of our families are from this area and I want the kids to be around a lot of family.

I think I may have to go and rewrite the wills.

What do you think of this bag?

BE HONEST!!!

Tears

So I've been on a crying jag this morning.

I don't know why. It was like I couldn't control my tears at all. totally out of control emotions.

I'm really not sure why either.

Last night, I had a dream that woke me up. I don't remember many details. I was in a school and something happened and at some point the children were being evacuated. It was a boarding school. Anyway as far as I knew It was just me in the dream.

But as the kids were evacuating from this huge building with multiple stories and apparently not enough exits, in a panicky sort of way, I came upon C my oldest. Her shirt was half off and she was shaken. I picked her up and we were trying to find a good exit. Anyway, I think hubby rolled over because all of a sudden the building trembled and we needed to get out NOW. Then I woke up.

Luckily it was about time to get up because this whole thing really disturbed me and I was troubled by the dream.

Hubby's alarm clock went off and I was able to tell him the abbreviated version of my dream. Just I dreamed that I lost C. Of course, I was fine until I actually had the words out and then I got choked up and cried.

Hubby came over to comfort me and I was sad for a little, but was able to shake the dream off after a minute.

I thought I was fine. I gave both the kids and extra big hug when they got up and we went to church and all was fine and dandy.

Well about half way through the meeting (fast and testimony) I lost it. The whole meeting pertained to losing a family member it seemed like because a grandma died this week after 10 years of failing health due to parkinsons.

So I'm not sure why I was crying. I should mention that I can't get through a funeral without crying during a good part of it.

That, and this dream, and we found out that hubby's grandma died this week as well, and the funeral is next friday.

I am also super tired from a very full day yesterday full of a craft show and a 2 hour shopping trip for a double coupon Wal-mart event.

And my Grandpa who sealed hubby and I passed on a few months ago passed on.

And that got me thinking about hubby's father who passed on a few years ago.

And a little about the tubal pregnancy.

It all had me hugging my family tight and crying throughout the meeting.

I know about the plan of salvation. I know it's true. I have a testimony of it.

But I just couldn't stop crying after Sacrament meeting.

So I went home. I was hoping the change of scenery would help me shake it. It has helped. And hopefully my eyes are no longer red and swollen.

I wonder if I'm going through something hormonal or what.

"Twilight" series - Don't waste your time

Warning, spoilers ahead!

So this past week I was helping out at preschool like I do every Tuesday and the teacher said something about the "Twilight" series and I said that I hadn't read it yet and I found myself going home with all 4 books.

I had been sent off with a parent telling me it would help my marriage and another telling me how I wouldn't be able to put it down.

I was confused and skeptical after all this.

These ladies had been gushing as they talked about the series. They had been telling me about how they would have to edit the 3rd book before they could let their VERY young teenagers read the book.

I later had a conversation with my husband about the whole thing. He said that the guys at work all said the series had made their wives horny (excuse my language). Apparently this was the marriage help that everyone was talking about?

So I began reading later that day. After dinner. I had been told to put something for dinner in the crockpot because I seriously shouldn't start the series without doing at least that. I wouldn't be able to PUT IT DOWN!

I read most of the first book that night. I stayed up until 1am. Not because I couldn't put it down necessarily. I think more because I felt like it was expected of me. That and I was in front of a nice fire in our woodstove and was SO comfortable.

I finished the book the next morning. After reading it I was let down. First of all I would never let a teenager read these books. Especially a girl.

The main characters, Bella and Edward 's relationship really bugged me. Bella was so extremely obsessed with Edward that it bothered me. Seriously, why would you want your teenage girl to think that this was normal?

I also didn't like how Edward spent a few nights sleeping with Bella. Yes, he was in full control of himself, and they hadn't even kissed. But what message is this sending? That its ok to lie to your parents? Its ok to let someone sneak into your bedroom at night and sleep with you? Ugh.

I finished the 2nd book the next day. I won't lie, it was well written. I just wasn't getting what people had let me to expect.

After this one, here is what I was left thinking. And I think this is where I was just over the books.

Girls already get hit with the 'someday your prince will come' stuff from a young age. Why would you then subject them to these books where you learn that after your prince comes he will then leave you and send you into a horrible life altering depression. I wouldn't want a girl to think that was necessary. Or even an option.

Oh and here's the best part. After he leaves and she tries to kill herself with extreme sports, he falsely learns that she had died and begins to take measures to kill himself. The only reason he doesn't is that she is able to find him and make him aware that she is still alive.

UGH

So as I started the 3rd book I realized that I was over the series and at this point was just skimming in order to finish the books so that I could get on with all my Christmas crafts and other things I wanted to do.

I would find myself seriously skimming and not paying attention. At that point I would put down the book and come back to it when I was in the mood to read some more.
Not nearly the 'can't put it down' that I was promised.

And may I say that my very moral father would have called these books from the beginning 'porn', or as that one lady would say in "The Music Man', smutty books!

The 3rd book has an uncomfortable to read bedroom scene in it. Oh and the whole 3rd book Bella is trying to sleep with Edward. The first of the 4th book they finally get married. The honeymoon isn't a play by play, but has enough info in it to make it feel wrong to read it.

I FINALLY finished the last book.

Here is what I got from the book. The inability to sleep without the hall light on for a few days due to all the vampire action.

Needless to say, I won't be seeing the movie and will not be recommending the books.

I will also say that the very staid church ladies who recommended the series to me have me looking at them differently.

I can't believe they didn't chuck the series out the window at the end of the 2nd book.

Those who are allowing their 14 year old girls to read this stuff and encouraging their young teenage boys to read it have me shaking my head.

In summary, don't waste your time on the 'Twilight" series.

Check out my younger sister's blog

http://laurainreallife.blogspot.com/

Sneaky sheep, dispatching roosters, and other fun adventures

So Monday morning we found that our sheep had decided to chew on a chicken coop latch and 3 roosters and a hen got out.

After chasing them for 10 minutes, it became obvious that the last thing they wanted to do was go back inside THAT run. They had only been in that run for a few days. I guess they liked the other one better. Go figure.

So hubby decided that we needed to harvest them about a month early. The hen was one who hadn't laid an egg for about 2 months. She and the 3 roosters were eating rent free. (the rent being egg laying). The roosters were a Rhode Island Red/Pinnon Hatch cross. They were not Pure (for my hatching egg scheme) so they were destined for the freezer.

Hubby got out his pellet gun. Dad gave that to him last year when we harvested the turkeys. why is it that harvesting food around here has tragedy involved?

Anyway, a pellet to the head and the turkeys were gone. It took about 10 seconds of flapping, but it was quickly over.

Well, this time the roosters and hen were out running around. so hubby had to be a 'hunter' of sorts to get this guys.

His first shot took down the most flighty bird (my suggestion) and we thought it was over pretty quickly.

It took about 5 shots to get the next guy. Hubby thinks the target is off on the pellet gun.

****warning do not read on unless you are up to graphic descriptions that will have you slightly disgusted****

Imagine our surprise when after the 2nd bird stops doing the flop of death, the first bird sits up and starts looking around.

Hubby didn't believe me when I told him the first bird was still alive.

Anyway, I'll skip all the awful details.

The short story is that the first 2 birds were very hardy and had to be shot point blank a few times. I feel very awful about this and we are rethinking the whole pellet gun option. We may use the cone method and 'pithing'.

The 3rd bird went down with one pellet (thank goodness). I don't think we could have taken any more.

The 4th bird ran into the neighbors yard. we thought never to be seen again.

We found him last night (1 day later) and hubby took him down with 1 shot after he got home from work.

so that takes care of 4 non-producing birds from my flock.

That leaves me with 16 hens and 1 rooster. 5 of those hens aren't laying yet. 2 Ameracaunas are 6 months old and better start soon or they will be dinner. the other 3 are not old enough yet.

In the other coop I've got 2 roosters and 4 hens (from my own stock!). None are pure bred, but all could be kept or sold as laying hens in the spring. The 2 roosters will be dinner at some point.

I've also got about 28 eggs in a incubator right now. They are supposed to hatch tomorrow. But this morning I woke up to a partially cracked egg. It was dripping a sort of bloody yolk mixture. but more cracks keep appearing, so I guess it may hatch after all.

YAY!

Lets just hope I get more than one bird from this hatch. They are destined to be sold as laying hens for $15 each in the spring. Hopefully that will help pay for feed and the new coop I have hubby building for me right now.

I've started keeping a notebook and recording all money going out and coming in on the chicken business.

If it doesn't make money, I'll sell my stock and just keep a small flock of 3-5 birds. The rooster will either be eaten or sold.

I really hope it doesn't come to that. I'd love to be able to do more to contribute to the household.

(and help pay for my sheep)

Where did the time go?

I love John Denver music. It has so many memories.

Here's an update on everyone.

Hubby almost got laid off at work. He was able to avoid it again, but they announce a layoff about every 18 months or so.. we're thinking about the possibility of another job. But not very seriously. Mostly we are thinking of ways to save money and make more money.

C is in Kindergarten. She loves school and loves riding home on the bus. The other day I was helping out in her classroom and was there until it was time to go home. so naturally she would be coming home with me. Well as soon as she heard this plan she started crying and saying she wanted to ride the bus home. Crazy kid. I finally was able to bribe her with a trip to McDonalds (that didn't happen, but that is a different story).

A is in Preschool. I help out there 1/2 the time for 1/2 off tuition. She loves it. She has gotten better at sitting still and focusing. She also is minding better. When she started she had a hard time focusing. It is still a problem, but not nearly as bad. She will sit still for story time and circle time. When everyone is in groups, she does a good job staying in her group. But it's not strange to find her group hopping.

I'm still going strong. I'm trying to get ready for a craft fair in 2 weeks. I've been making wool crafts and everything else I can think of. I've got gourds, indian corn, hair bows and wool felted bags.

Nothing is quite finished yet. I suppose I should focus on that next!

So onto my other business proposition.

Eggs, Chickens, and Hatching eggs.

1 dozen regular eggs can bring in $2.

1 dozen hatching eggs can bring from $4-5 .

Needless to say I'm trying to gear up to be able to to the hatching eggs.

I just don't have the space I need.

I think I'm trying to do to much. Hubby is building me a 3rd chicken coop, but I can easily justify a 4th.

I've also got about 28 eggs in an incubator that I will raise until they are pullets and sell for $15 each. The roosters will stick around for about 4 months and then hit the freezer.

Its all about being self reliant. But if I ditched the rooster idea I could have more room for other chickens.

My problem is that the breed that will be the most popular is the rhode island reds. In order to gather the hatching eggs they have to be in their own separate coop. So thats one coop down. Also, they have to have a dedicated rooster. There goes my only rooster.

The other coop is for the misc hens. They are for eating eggs. I had thought to sell their eggs cheaper but there are a lot of people out there with broody hens in the spring who don't want to get a rooster and don't want to spend an extra dollar for Rhode Island Red hatching eggs. But the new problem is that the rooster is in coop #1. so I guess I need another rooster?

Anyway, coop #3 is the problem. I've been using it for the roosters, but in a few weeks I'm going to have a ton of baby chicks (I hope) and I'm not sure where they will go after the brooder. Hubby is going to harvest some non-laying chickens in about a month. Maybe the 3 extra roosters will have to be harvested early.

I guess it could work out. I'm still working things out.

Is it just me ? Every time I eat something with pumpkin and spices I get the worst heartburn. It's awful.

Anyway, I'm officially the crazy chicken lady. Not so crazy though if I can bring money in with it.

Right now the only money going out is the money for feed. That will be expensive over the winter. But I have a lady who has a small hatchery operation who is after my RIR hatching eggs even during the winter. So I may be able to pay for their feed like that.

The only problem I have right now though is the fact that I seem to be trading her eggs for chicks (More RIR for my hatching eggs scheme). 1 doz eggs for 1 sexed bird (guaranteed hen). I think it could work though. I just have to treat it like a business and keep books.

Lets do that here.

Right now they are going through 1 bag of scratch grains and 1 bag of layer feed every 2 weeks. That comes to $50/month (with a $5 off coupon).

So far they are not bringing any moolah in. Except for the 1 doz eggs I sold to the hatching eggs lady, but do those really count since I'll be bartering for new hens with that?

I'll be posting an ad on Craigslist to sell fresh eggs tonight.

Sorry for the rambling chicken post.

And the beat goes on

C starts Kindergarten on Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited!

She's so excited!

She already loves her teacher.

I'm just starting to realize how this is going to change our mellow stay at home life. I'm not sure if I'm ready.

A is going to start preschool in September at the same place that C was last year. I'm excited about that. I'm hoping it will help her on focusing. She tends to sit and stand and move about an awful lot in primary.

I subbed in C's class last sunday and was rather appalled at the fact that she was the worst sunbeam in the class. The rest were sitting and doing what they were supposed to do. A was moving from one teacher's lap to the other and would stay put for about a half second.

We are now actively working on the skill of sitting still and listening.

Ar is coming to live next door at Mom and Dad's house. I'm so excited! I may start a countdown calendar to put on the wall. Each day we could blissfully remove a number until she was here. OK, I'm only full of a little bit of cheese. We are all really excited though.

to change the subject.

The rooster has stopped doing his job. I guess that 8 hens were overwhelming to him. I guess anyway. I checked some eggs today and nope. They were not fertile.

I'm not sure what to do.

He has also started crowing like he is going hoarse. It is strange sounding. Maybe the 2 things are related?

I've been making fruit leather like it's going out of style with my brand new to me dehydrator! But! My kids have been eating it nearly as fast as I've been making it.

Also I think I need to cut the sugar down. I didn't put much in, just enough to cut the sourness, but I think it needs less.

Sunshine almost always makes me high. I love this song. Sorry, if you don't know what I'm talking about, one of the new songs on my blog is "sunshine on my shoulder" by John Denver. I love some of his songs.

The garden is doing well. Everything but the tomatillo volunteer is producing. I'm not sure why, but it just gets bigger and bigger and despite trimming refuses to give us any fruit.

Speaking of fruit, the blackberries are going crazy! We picked 3 times last week and each time get about a gallon of berries. I'll probably go and pick today as well and get that many. When they come on, they come ON. Hubby is looking forward to the jam.

One of those Days

Yeah, today was one of THOSE days.

I knew that C had a doctor's appointment this week some time because she needed to have her school boosters done.

Our dr's office is one of those that calls the day before an appointment. Well, I got nervous because school starts in a few weeks and we hadn't received the reminder call. I made the appointment clear back in June, so the fact that I forgot the exact date is not all that unusual.

I called this morning and had a mini heart attack when they told me that the appointment had been Monday. The nurse said I must have received a phone call reminder. Well, I didn't. If I had I would have been there at 8:30 monday morning.

So, I had to figure out when and where C would get her shots.

This whole thing ticked me off anyway because her original appointment had been in July and when I had called to see if it could be pulled in, they pushed me out because the doctor would be on vacation. OK, gee thanks.

So anyway, I tried several things including an appointment at a free back to school thing put on by SW district health the next town over. Problem was that it was the Saturday before school started. I needed the immunizations done before I could REGISTER her for school.

After exploring several options I made an appointment at hubby's work's doc in the box. It is 2 towns over (at the FAR end), but they could get us in THIS friday! YAY!

So I ran the immunization record down to our regular doctor to have it updated for the appointment (I had forgotten it the last few appointments). They were able to update it while we waited. YAY!

On the way home I thought we should swing by the school for a list of school supplies. On the reader board it said that kindergarten signup had been Monday. So we missed it and didn't even know about it.

I stopped by the office and got the supply list and the kindergarten packet.

I got home and started filling things out.

One thing I needed was a proof of address like a utility bill.

We don't have a natural gas hook up out here so that was out of the question. Our electricity (what they suggested) was online. So we don't have a bill. So I called the customer service line and they said that because it was all done online they don't even generate a printable bill. The guy offered to send me a screen shot of the bill and send it to me.

I said sure. But what he sent me could in no way be used to prove that we live where we say we do. It doesn't even look like it was sent by them.

So a panicked call to the school later and I was searching for our garbage bill. I just hope that works. If not I threw in a few doctor bills, stuff from the government, the bank statement. Stuff like that. Something has got to work. Maybe the sheer quantity of stuff coming to our address for me will work.

So anyway I got through that stuff and the next thing is birth certificate. I look through the safe. It wasn't there. So I went through it again. Not there. I called hubby and he said it's got to be in the safe. So I went through it again.

Then I went through the entire house. Anything that had bits of paperwork, anything that was sentimental that it could have been tucked into.

EVERYTHING.

Not there.

Some time during this search I thought, maybe I could go pick up another copy of it at city hall.

Nope.

They closed the customer service desk in 2004. The only way to get a copy is to mail in for one, or fax in for one. The problem with both is that it takes a LONG time. We're talking weeks and weeks.

But they did contract with a company who could take and process your order online for an additional 10.50 .

so the gov't wants $13 and the service wants $10.50 . It costs $23.50 for a copy of a birth certificate.

Needless to say I threw up a little in my mouth as I typed in my credit card number.

There are no words.

Busy Busy

There is so much going on!

The garden has really started producing. We have been spoiled with yellow zucchini, onions, shallots, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, rosemary, thyme, potatoes, and all sorts of berries! Strawberries, yellow raspberries, and marionberries that are all so yummy!

And then at Mom and Dad's place there are red raspberries, blackberries, and the fruit trees are going crazy! About 2 weeks ago was the apricot harvest and just this morning I cleaned off most of a peach tree.

There is still a lot of fruit to come. There are 2 more peach trees, and a nectarine tree to go. The grapes are coming! As well as the pears and apples. I'm just trying to keep up.

I had thought I would buy a fruit dehydrator and make all sorts of fruit leather, but they are unexpectedly expensive. So instead of paying to much in haste, I'm going to process and freeze the fruit so that as soon as I have one I'll be able to dry it.

I'm hoping a good deal will come along soon because I would like to dry fruit and veggie slices for snacking.

My sister and her family will be coming to live at Mom and Dad's house in about 2 weeks. That should be fun. As long as we don't grate on each other's nerves and end up hating each other. But I'm sure that won't happen :)

The sheep are doing well. They are at Mom and Dad's and are basically worry free right now. Thank goodness.

The chickens are fine and the baby chicks will soon be laying. Any week for some, and any day for others.

The rooster has decided to man up and very nicely fertilized some eggs for the incubator.

I collected 16 and they are on day 2. This will take 21 days so they will hatch the week after school starts.

Also, once the silkie goes broody again (any day now!) I'll put some eggs under her.

Somehow we will have baby chicks around here.

Speaking of school - the fact that C will be starting kindergarten is freaking me out!

But enough of that.

We have 2 new occupants of the pasture. Two Jersey steers. They are just months old and super adoreable. I'm trying not to learn their names and not get attached. If I get to attached then it will take me anywhere from 6 months to a year to be able to eat them. At least, that is how long it took for me with the turkeys.

We'll fatten them up for around 2 years and then put one in the freezer and sell the other to pay for expenses. If it went well, we would buy another 2.

I have to say that I'm totally impressed with out pasture animals. Every one of them has a purpose. A clear purpose. Eggs, meat, and wool. YAY!

I'm thinking about going the midwife path for my girly doctor. I'm still debating over that.

Well, enough for now. I've got 2 boxes of peaches waiting for me in the other room and I've promised hubby that I would make bread this week. The kitchen is clean (mopped yesterday!) so I guess I can't put it off any longer.

Church, insurance, new doctors, & pregnancy

So today in church I was helping out in the nursery again. Its the 3rd week in a row that I've subbed. Anyway we had a girl who was visiting who had been there before. she normally has behavioral problems like bullying.

Today, she was throwing a fit. The "Mom don't leave me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" kind of fit that was unusual for her.

Well, her Mom stayed with her for the first hour, and unsuccessfully tried to leave. She ended up going with her mom to class.

She came in again with another Mom (not hers) who successfully was able to sit her down to snack, and then leave.

After snack, we moved to coloring. This girl calmly got up, walked to the door and tried to get out. She was able to turn the handle of the door despite the child proof knob.

I was keeping an eye on her. As soon as it became apparent that she would be able to turn the handle I walked quickly over to her. But I wasn't quick enough.

She was out like a shot and even tried to shut the door in my face. I chased her down the hall, down another another hall and then into the chapel where the priesthood was meeting. did I mention that she was screaming the whole way?

She collapsed in the back of the chapel where I finally caught up to her. She was a dead weight on the floor and so with the entire priesthood watching, picked her up and carried her to the foyer. Did I mention she was screaming?

In the foyer I was able to talk to her and tell her I would take her to her mom. I had her walking reverently and holding my hand (yes still screaming) when her sister runs out of her class and grabs her. the screaming escalated and ended with me escorting both of them to the relief society room where she was reunited with her Mom.

The other nursery leader and I had a good laugh about it when I got back. I just decided it wasn't a big deal and nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean, what could I have done about it?

Later while taking another child to the bathroom, we saw her with her mom in the mothers room. Quite calm. I'm not sure what the deal with her was today. But sometimes you just don't know what is going on in these kids lives. different things will make them act out or act differently. Heck, she could have just been tired.

On to other subjects.

I'm having a meet and greet with a new doctor tomorrow. Since our insurance is changing to a most hideous new company, I have to find a new OBGYN and go to a different hospital.

They have this layered network thing. Basically the best layer has 6 doctors to choose from. Yes, 6 doctors for a whopping 10,000 or so employees. Granted, these employees aren't all women having babies, but those who aren't to old or done having babies have wives who are having babies.

At first I was thinking I didn't want to fight for a doctor and would just pay 10% more for treatment. Then I was like, why not? Why should I have to pay more ?
lets at least try it.

Well, new patient appointments are hard to come by. My appointment is September 30th. With a doctor I have never heard of. The nice thing about it is that the 6 doctors in the best layer of the network are with this hospitals womens group office. My last doctor was in his hospitals womens group office. So that makes me feel better. That, and the fact that I get to meet her tomorrow.

The other thing that is different with this office is that most of the doctors are female (5 to 1). In my last office most were male, including mine.

So that will be something to get used to.

Anyway, no, we are NOT pregnant as far as we know. We are trying however.

The doctor who did my ectopic surgery said that because of the ectopic pregnancy I would probably need to have an ultrasound early in the pregnancy to verify that it was a normal pregnancy.

I'm not sure how that will happen when the earliest appointment (for a new patient) is SEPTEMBER 30th!!!

But I'm trying not to think about that and hoping that at the meet and greet the new doctor will try and squeeze me in sooner.

Mortification

So the other day C and I were sitting inside watching a show while A was playing on the back porch.

Then C looks out the window and says "Uh oh. A is going potty outside again"

I didn't believe her. A hasn't had any potty training related problems in almost a year.

So I got up, looked out the window and about keeled over from shock.

My sweet 3 year old had taken her shorts and underwear off and was standing in a large blue laundry bucket that we also use for dirty wool washing water. That was why it was outside. I had emptied dirty water out of it and hadn't brought it inside.

Anyway, she had just finished using the bathroom in it!!!! UGH!!!!!!!

Needless to say I yelled "What are you doing?" to her as I opened the back door. She got out of the bucket and I brought her over to the hose where I hosed her off as punishment. Unfortunately this backfired as she enjoyed the cold water on a hot day.

Next came the standard punishment that she hates. I sent her to her room. She went in and bounced out again 30 seconds later saying she needed to go poo poos. Ugh. I'm just happy that didn't happen in the bucket.

And then, I'm thinking about what C said. She said "Again". Are you kidding me? This has happened before? YUCK! After questioning C about it, I'm not sure if it has happened before. I'll hold on to that hope.

I'm mortified. Where does she get these ideas? And why didn't she just come inside to use the potty?

I just don't understand this kid sometimes.

I'm simply recording this story so that I can share it with her in her later years. Maybe at her wedding reception, or at the Fast and Testimony meeting when her first born is being blessed.

What do you think? Maybe I could share it at her graduation instead.

Swimming Lessons

C and A had swimming lessons for the past 2 weeks. They had a lot of fun and enjoyed it for the most part.

C was really good. Doing Bobs and blowing bubbles. She obeyed the teacher very well.

A on the other hand was a pill. She did well for the first week and then on the following Monday decided she didn't want anything to do with it. Luckily I had discovered her weakness. Gum.

So I smartened up and started bringing it with me. The first day she decided she didn't want to swim, the bribe of gum didn't work. But the next day when I physically had the gum with me, she went right in. But I did have to threaten the hour of hair brushing that is usually only hubby's threat. I think its mean. but it sure is an effective threat!

Anyway, anytime after that, as long as I physically had gum, she would go right back in to the water.

One thing I've learned. When she felt forced, like she had no choice, she was stuck in "I don't want to!" mode. When I let go and just let it be her decision (no dragging her to the side of the pool or making her stand in the foot deep water) And using bribes she was much more receptive.

Aren't kids fun!

In other news, the baby chicken is still residing outside the coup and I'm sick of trying to catch it. I've decided that the only chicks I want to have are the ones I raise. Those chicks are scared of being outside the coup.

So I'm looking into my options. But I do have an incubator (borrowed) sitting in my laundry room....

Oh my

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The story of the chicken chase

So I saw this ad on Craigslist and called the lady. she said that she had 7 free chicks if you were willing to catch them.

So I grabbed a few extra neighbors kids and told 'em I'd pay .25 per chick caught. I wanted to pay more, but their mom insisted that this was all it was worth.

We all crammed into the car and drove clear over to Kuna. Well we were in for a surprise. The chicks that we supposed would be somewhat corralled, were in the middle of a horse shelter in the middle of a field covered in fresh horse poop. for some reason the kids wouldn't listen to me when I said we should approach cautiously.

As soon as those chicks saw the kids running at them, they took off. I would have too!

We chased them all over about an acre of land. Through fences, into the hen house, over hill, over dale, and through a few trucks and trailers.

The momma chicken wasn't all that pleased and was squawking up a storm.

After about 45 minutes we were all pooped. It was about 95 degrees out there.

We had caught one solitary chick. We called it good and loaded into the car and headed for Arctic Circle which was just down the street. We were parched.

We all ordered large ice waters and ice cream cones.

We drove home with the windows down and then after a while we rolled them up and cranked the A/C.

We dropped off the extra kids and then headed home. The chick joined the hen house and I soaked myself with the hose while the kids stared in confusion. I guess they don't think Mommy likes to get wet?

Later, I went to put food in the hen house. Imagine my horror when the chick flew past me and out the door.

Yeah. One of those days.

I do have to admit that tonight I noticed it hanging out around the hen house (YAY!) and looking in longingly. I'll go and try to herd it in after the other hens are asleep.

Also the lady with the free chicks is going to try and round them up tonight while they are sleeping.

We'll see.

After paying the kids for their efforts (the prices went up as we all got hotter) and paying for Arctic Circle, my total output was around $9. For one chick. Pretty darn expensive chick is all I can say. And I didn't even add in the price of gas to get there.

One of THOSE days

yesterday was a crazy day.

It started out as usual. The kids always have to catch Curious George on PBS. About 10 minutes into it the power went out. This upset C very much because George was about to get into trouble as usual. she even pulled out the tears. I couldn't convince her that I had no power over the power. I finally had to tell her that she could go ahead and cry. I couldn't change things.

During this, I was on pins and needles over a milk order delivery. Our ward and some others in the area had gotten together to order a large amount of Country Cream Milk. It was coming in yesterday morning and hubby was supposed to pick it up.

I couldn't call him to see if it had actually arrived, and he couldn't call me to update me.

He arrived with the milk about an hour or so later. The power was still off so we manually opened the garage door. The truck with the milk went inside and he went back to work.

I had seen an ad on Craigslist for some chicks that were free if you could catch them. So I needed to clean out the hen house. So we cleaned out the hen house until it was time to go to swimming lessons. We barely made it on time.

A has been having problems with wanting to stay in the water and had to be bribed with gum (her new obsession) and threatened with hair brushing for an hour. Yes it worked. And yes I feel bad having to use both. But she stayed in the pool and participated. That was all I asked.

After lessons we stayed around for lunch in the park (free to the kids) and then borrowed a friends 2 kids and drove over to the chick place.

We were very unpleasantly surprised to find that catching the chicks involved a field with horses, a horse shelter full of poop, many broken down and burned out vehicles, a chicken house, and lots and lots of running. We chased the chickens around and around about an 1/2 acre of land.

After about 45 minutes we were all exhausted and only had one chick for our efforts. We gave up and went straight to Arctic Circle for Ice waters and ice cream cones all around.

The lady assured us that she would try and capture them again that night. I'll call her in a little while and see if it worked.

After we dropped the friends kids at their house we went home. The new chick went into the hen house and I hosed myself off. The kids didn't want to get wet and seemed surprised that I wanted to. I guess they haven't seen me run through the sprinkler for a while.

Later, I went out to feed the chickens. Imagine my horror when the new chick flew up and past my head to freedom.

Thank goodness hubby helped me laugh about it. It was a pretty funny story when you thought about it.

What a day! The chick seems to be hanging out around the hen house today so maybe she'll return to the pack. But I assure you that we will be clipping her wings if I do ever catch her again.

Notice the assumption of her. I think it may be more of a hope than a reality. We'll see. Of course if I never catch her again, it won't matter.

yesterday evening was spent helping people load up their milk orders and then later hubby delivered some to people in our ward.


What a day!

outside the house

A new post

Gee I haven't been very faithful in posting lately. Oh well :)

Lets see what has been going on... The goats have all found a new home. We've made the decree that never again will goats be found in our pasture. 'nuff said.

Hubby wants to get some baby cows who can get fat and then hit the freezer. We will need a fence upgrade though. So we'll see about that. I still wouldn't mind some more sheep. They don't push through fences (stupid goats) and eat our garden (ARGH!) 3!!! times and devastate our newly planted fruit trees, blueberry bush, cherry bushes, etc etc, and walk through all of our garden beds making huge dents in the soft soil and then make off with most of the salad greens, some corn and various other plants (but not the tomatoes thank goodness).

But I'm not bitter.

They are gone now. Some to continue with their life as fiber animals. Some to be roasted over a spit.

I can now feed the chickens in peace.

The baby chickens are not so baby anymore and we heard the first rooster crow the other night. It was pretty quiet and we haven't heard it since. I'm crossing my fingers that this will turn into a rooster we can keep.

C finished her tball season and was running the bases and hitting the ball pretty well. Now if we can only get her to pay attention to the ball. She is so cute dancing around the outfield though.

They will start swimming lessons in a few weeks. That should be a lot of fun. I have fond memories (for the most part) of when I took swimming lessons. and Mom would ask me what level I was at and I would say "Beginner 1". I think I took that class a few times.

There is a lot of fruit on all of the trees and I'm so excited for the harvest. Speaking of harvest, the tomatoes are doing awesomely. Hubby has pruned all of the suckers and used pantyhose strips to tie the plants along the fencing we have there for support. I was a bit scared but within the first week we noticed that the tomatoes we had were growing faster than I've ever seen and we had gone from 4 tomatoes to 20 tomatoes in about a week and a half. Very worth it.

Did I mention the goats ate the pepper plants again. We replaced them on Saturday with some of the money we sold the goats for. Should be interesting. We got green, purple, orange, and chocolate green peppers. Yes, I may have gone overboard, but they all sounded so cool and we had the room!

We also planted a bunch of dent corn. This is the kind of corn that they use for animal feed. We've gotten a few tips on how to grow it and then after drying will use our hand wheat grinder to crack it a little for the chicken. Hopefully this will cut some of the costs associated with feeding chickens.

Another chicken benefit is that we are trading 5 doz eggs a month for $10 off of preschool tuition. This and getting 1/2 price for me helping out half the time will bring tuition down to around $22.50/month. Believe me that is a bargain! This lady had C reading and I am so proud of her!!!!! I think that because A will have her for 2 years, she will get even further ahead.

The baby chickens are now about 13 weeeks along and should be laying in about 5 more weeks. I'm still uncertain how many roosters we have. I know we have 1 RIR rooster, but the 2 Ameraucana chickens are really hard to sex. So maybe 1 rooster, maybe 3.

On a serious note -

Since my last post I've had emotional ups and downs. I had a really bad day where I came face to face with reality about the baby. Yes it was a baby. Yes it didn't have a chance. But Yes, it needed to be mourned. I was pretty emotional for a few days and was sad. But I'm doing great now. I think my avoiding the issue and not facing it truly, might have made it harder on me and everyone else. But once I faced it I realized that that was why I had been so emotional about the whole changing calling thing and other things that were going on at that time. But I still say it was very wrong of the counselor to release me on my answering machine. I will make a point to say that to him. but now I know that I'm over it and it will be more of a by the way point as opposed to a super emotionally charged thing that it would have been a few weeks ago.

That last paragraph sounds a little unemotional, but just to assure you, I was plenty emotional about it for a little while there. I just think I've processed things and accepted it since then.

Anyway...

We're off to Utah next week for a family reunion. I'm not sure why we are going there since no one lives there. And I'm not sure if more than 3 families will actually make it. But! We're going. We'll stay at my brother's house if he hasn't forgotten about us.
I think the only activities are going to Lagoon (because my b-i-l 's F-i-l is the head grounds keeper there. But can't get us any free or even discount tickets. We're not going because we are not stupid enough to pay almost $140 to take a 3&5 year old to an amusement park which would only amuse them for a few hours. Maye as many as 4.

And the other activity is dinner at the Olive Garden.

Oldest bro won't make it. Sister can't make it. Gay bro will make it due to nothing else to do (currently living with Mom and no job) and another bro may make it due to same issue. Oh, but he is on disability. so that makes it better.

Mom, Us, bro from AZ, and bro from BYU-I, and maybe 2 live at home bros. I guess more will make it than I thought. I think I'm actually looking forward to it more. Still seems like a long way to drive when the cost of gas is so much. Oh well. Its a vacation and we will have fun.

Anything else to add? I think that may be it.

Over and out.


fight.

My younger sister

She has a great sense of humor doesn't she? :)

Sometimes its hard to make lemonaide

The animals in my life are forever changing. The angora goats aren't growing a type of fiber that I can use. It's annoying, but they will have to find a new home. No use in feeding them through the winter if they aren't pulling their weight.

We just went to a family reunion at Downata Hot springs near Downey Idaho. Wow that place was a rip off. They didn't charge to much to camp, but you were so close to your neighbors that it felt like we were sardines. They charged 50 cents for a 6 minute shower. Not only were you surrounded by campers, but the pavilions were everywhere. I'm glad we left on saturday because there was no way there were enough toilets for the amount of people who showed up by mid morning before we left. My biggest gripe was how much they charged for swimming. My 3 year old was $1.50. No big deal, right? Well, 4-13 or so paid 8.50. As adults, we paid $10.50. OUCH. Yes, this was an all day pass. Yes, they have 2 huge hydrotube slides and 2 smaller ones at the pool and a water park. And they did give everyone $1 off since we were camping. But with 2 little ones and us, we swam for about 2 hours and were done. Hardly worth the $28 or so that we paid. But as hubby reminded me, it was vacation and we were going to have fun. And we did. But I won't ever go back. We also had to drive 5 or so hours to get there. The cost of gas, camping, swimming, etc. and it was pricey. But we had fun and it did provide a much needed vacation.

We also had some big things happen in the past few weeks. About a week and a half ago I started having some low back pain and some bleeding. I have an IUD so my period is very irregular. I wasn't worried until that afternoon I stood up and felt light headed and woozy. I had my 5 year old bring me the phone and I called my hubby. I called him and asked him to leave work early because I was feeling weird and didn't want to faint in front of the kids and freak out. Something felt wrong. It was about 15 min before 5pm, so I was sure he would probably be able to. The pain I was having was in my left low back. I've never had cramps there before.

I laid down and waited for my hubby to come home and thought about what might be happening, maybe receiving a little inspiration, who knows. By the time my hubby came home I had a suspicion that I might be pregnant, and if I was, it was ectopic.

When he came home, he dug out a pregnancy test. I should point out that ever since I got an IUD I was paranoid about pregnancy because if it were to happen with an IUD it would most likely be ectopic. so whenever I felt weird, had a strange period, etc, I would take a test. I went through about 3 tests in 3 years, so I wasn't all that paranoid. Just enough that hubby would give me a box of tests for a gag gift in my Christmas stocking.

Anyway, he dug it out and to our surprise it came out positive. We were stunned. I called my doctors office right away and the doctor on call called me back and said call for an appointment first thing in the morning or if your pain gets bad, go to the ER.

Well, I woke up around 1:30 with bad pain. We went to our local ER instead of driving to the hospital my doctor is associated with. It was closer and I was in pain. Thinking back I probably could have held out for the other hospital, but I think it was for the better because it allowed our friends to easily pick up our kids and ward members to visit without having to drive 30 minutes.

Anyway, after a catheter, and drawing blood they were able to confirm that I was pregnant. Well, duh.

They had to do a pelvic (oh joy!) but at least the doctor was nice. In fact strangely cheerful for it being so early in the morning. Next I got to endure a painful vaginal ultrasound. Yeeha! The ultra sound tech said that she couldn't tell me anything. The radiologist had to be the one to do that. Ugh.

Back to my room to wait for the results. We waited for about an hour.

The kids did great this whole time. After the first hour or so, Milton took the kids home to change their clothes and then over to Wal-Mart for snacks and treats. He came back about the time I came back from the ultrasound. Things are a little fuzzy here, but at some point the cheerful doctor came in to tell us that a local OBGYN was coming in to consult and that if he was a women he would go to this doctor and that he highly recommended him.

Anyway to make a long story short the ultrasound showed a growth in my fallopian tube and I would need surgery. We discussed the possibility of it being simply a growth and what would happen if the pregnancy was in my uterus etc. the doctor was great and said that if all possible he would preserve the pregnancy.

I have to say that I was pretty sure that a baby would not come of this pregnancy. It just didn't seem possible.

So at 9am I was off to surgery. I was freaked out since I've never done this before. The kids were picked up by a friend right before we went down so Milton was able to be with me right until I went into the OR.

It was a huge room that was way to big for just me. the anesthesiologist was LDS and Milton and he were talking BYU sports before we went into the OR. He and I were joking about how he didn't need to talk to me about drinking or smoking. I said, "yeah, and all those recreational drugs". It was funny at the time.

Anyway within about 5 minutes I was under. It was unpleasant because I remember opening my eyes and not being able to focus. Also they put this thing over my nose and mouth and I couldn't breathe comfortably. I remember saying over and over "I can't breathe" and that was how I went under. I think next time I'll be having a conversation about how I want to go under.

I woke up and remember saying "I feel like crap" and it was like I couldn't wake up. You know those sunday naps where you just can't seem to come out of it? That was how it was. After a while I came out of it enough to go up to a room. What was strange is as they were rolling me out I remember seeing another man on a gurney near me. Maybe he was next? I don't know. but that would freak me out to be him! Can you imagine being wheeled into an OR where someone was already out?

I spent the next 5-6 hours in a room trying to wake up. I slept a lot and remember hubby saying, I just want to take you home. I suspect he was tired and wanted to sleep but I was pretty out of it.

We went home about 5 or so and a lady from the ward brought dinner. She also came and got the kids the next day. the ward brought dinner over for 6 days. It was so nice.

I'm doing fine now. Almost all healed. The baby doesn't seem real. I don't think it seemed real at all until a girl in my nursery class today said "did your baby die?" and then for some reason it hit me. We only knew for about 15 hours about the pregnancy and the baby didn't have a chance. On one hand I feel shallow and on the other hand I'm glad it's not a huge deal, and then sometimes I feel a little sad for what could have been.

The result is that we will most likely try and get pregnant soon. I'm not sure if it's the healthiest choice for me, since I need to lose weight. But we are thinking hard about it. We'll see.

The other thing that is bugging me is that the ladies in my ward are now all weird towards me. I'm moving on and getting over things but they keep giving me sympathetic looks and "how are you doing?s. You know the ones. They are the ones that can't be answered with an I'm fine how are you?

I also was released from my calling in the nursery. This one ticks me off because the guy released me not only over the phone, but on our answering machine. That was cold.

And! didn't even call me back when I left a message on his machine asking him to.

I think it's someone's mistaken thinking that it will be hard for me to be in nursery.

On the contrary. When I was released today (never got to talk to the counselor) I started crying. It made me sad and I felt like I was being punished. I cried more over that than the baby. Maybe I was more affected by that because of the baby. I don't know.

Anyway, now that hubby is in the elders quorum we can't teach the wolf scouts together anymore. I really really don't want to have to be with another partner. It will be so hard after doing that calling with him. If one of us was having a bad day, the other one took the lead. We would get all the chores done together so that they house would be clean and ready. We had so much fun. I don't want this calling anymore.

But how do you ask to be released from a calling when you're sure that would be a bad thing? You don't ask to be released from callings.. And who knows what calling I would end up with after that.

UGH. Why does everything have to be hard at once?

Why can't I just be in nursery and not have the scout calling anymore? That is what the stake councelor told my hubby is what would be happening, so that is what I was expecting.

Anyway, sorry for the whining. Its been a TOUGH day and not a great month.

Something for nothing?

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It worked for me!

Summer is almost here!

Yesterday we took our scouts to the local fish hatchery. It was a lot of fun. Did you know that it takes a whole year to get from fish egg to fish ready to be released? And they start with 80k eggs and only about 70k eggs will hatch? We learned many exciting things during the 30 minutes that we were there. We will most likely do this next year too.

One of the goats got out on Sunday. It ate some apple tree (newly planted), some raspberry plants, some blueberry plant (and would be berries!), 3 different cherry bushes, lettuce, and peas. It tasted a little of everything in the garden. It even tromped through most of our newly seeded grow boxes. Needless to say its hard to figure out who wanted to strangle it most. Me or hubby. It got out through a part of the fence that mysteriously came undone from its fence post. Still trying to figure that one out.

I spent time on Saturday skirting the fleeces from the sheep. I've come to realize that I have no idea how to skirt fleeces. I pulled out anything that had guard hairs in it. These are stiffer hairs that would make the wool itchy once it was spun. And then I just pulled out anything that was too matted, to yucky with poop or lanolin, or too short. I've put these aside for the future in case I'm feeling overly creative and ready for a challenge.

My mothers day was great. I was throroughly spoiled by my hubby who made me dinner, did the dishes, made a surprise cake for me (and let the kids help!). I also got lots of chocolate from church! And from hubby and the girls. And I got a surprise in the mail. It was a shirt with a picture of my kids on the front. It was very cute and it surprised me that he went to the trouble. When he asked me what I wanted I just told him a nice dinner that I didn't have to cook.

Well Mom and Dad hit the mission field yesterday. I'm sure they will get their assignment, apartment, etc today. I can't wait to hear all about it!

The baby chickens are getting huge. They are over 6 weeks old now and almost as big as my silkie. On a whim, yesterday I moved the silkie over to their hen house. She was showing signs of going broody again, and I thought this might snap her out of it. She could be the bully for once since she is usually the one being bullied. We'll see how that goes. It was pretty comical to watch yesterday.

I am hoping that she will give these babies lessons in being chickens. Roosting, scratching, eating anything interesting on the ground, etc.

I've discovered the beauties of conditioner for my girls. We've been using conditioning shampoo up to this point. The other day I decided to try a little conditioner. Not only did their hair comb out a lot easier, but A's curls seemed a little more curlier! So we bought some conditioner for them. They just have to remember to keep their eyes tightly shut.

My brain feels overloaded

For some reason I haven't felt like blogging. I think it has to do with how busy we've been.

Mom and Dad reported to the MTC this morning. they will be leaving for Texas Next Sunday.

We bought a web cam, but I don't have anyone to talk to until they hook up their camera. My sister in Michigan just moved and won't have a permanent connection until she moves here. I'm not sure who else I could call? Can I call you? Well, over the next week or so I'll hook it up.

We planted most of the garden. I think we have a few more boxes to fill still. I'm happy with our square foot garden concept, but I'm slightly frightened at the amount of stuff we have planted. I still vow to freeze, can, and cook everything I possibly can!

We mowed Mom and Dad's lawn today for the first time. That took a while and really wiped hubby out. Mostly because he had just tired himself out making bird house kits for scouts. He is now at a softball game. I don't think he'll have trouble sleeping tonight.

I just brought Mom and Dad's change to one of those Coinstar machines tonight. They had over $67 bucks in change. Of course Coinstar had to take $5-6 bucks. what a ripoff.

Mom is so funny. When they were trying to leave she was busy scrubbing the bathroom, trying to vacuum, and everything while Dad was trying to pack the car and leave. Needless to say, they left nearly 2 hours after they had planned.

Did I mention we have new animals at our house? We picked up the 3 angora goats that were free. I'm a little nervous about them still. When we first picked them up they stank to high heaven. Oh so bad! Dad thought it must have something to do with what they were eating. they basically were fed everything. their pasture had no grass at all. Something like, if we eat a lot of garlic, it can make us smell like garlic. Anyway, since coming off of alfalfa and now eating grass and rose bushes, they don't smell much. I still want to give them a bath though.

The 3rd goat is sick with a staph infection (not catching). When we got her we knew this. We had to buy medicine for her through her vet. Anyway, it ended last Friday, and I'm not sure exactly how to tell if she is over the infection. I'll just keep an eye on her. Buying her medication has so far been the only cost. At $15 it certainly has been a bargain.

Tomorrow C's preschool class is coming for a farm day. They are going to help me feed the chickens, gather eggs, feed the goats and sheep (they will get a special treat of alfalfa to lure them to us) and then we will look at the garden, have a spinning display, and then play with the not so baby chicks.

I think it will be lots of fun. they'll be here for about 45 minutes. I'm pretty sure that will easily take up all of our time.

I'm pretty excited about it!