It's called a "soft opening"

In retail when they open a store with very little fan fair, just to see how it goes, it's called a Soft Opening....then in a few weeks after all the hiccups are worked out, they have the "Grand Opening..."

School started today as a "soft opening."  We've been so busy on the farm and with the CSA and with SALSA...that school snuck up on us.  So this morning there was a scramble to figure out what Boy was going to work on while I had milk delivery and "town day".  Next week (or soon..) I will hopefully have it together and have the chalkboard "First day of School" photos..as this is likely our last year of Homeschool (sniff, sniff).

Here he's working on....um...something...maybe science? at Nana & Pawpa's house.

Teen Bonfire

ONe of the goals of the farm has always to be a place for fellowship.  This October has seen the fruitition of that hope.  We hosted the Homeschool Group's "Mom's Night Out." with 18 Moms in our little farm house.  Then we had the Farmer's Market and had lots of friends-old and new show up to support us.  Finally we hosted the Homeschool Group's Teen Group Bonfire.  We had about 30 teens and parents here.  

The night started very wet and rainy and not looking like a good night for sitting around a fire....but God answers prayer and it did clear up.  The fire was wet, but then a Dad showed up with 10 boxes of back tax records that needed burnt...and there you go! 

Fun had by all.  The cows and bunnies were loved on, There were endless rounds of flashlight tag (of some variation.) Hot dogs and s'mores eaten. 

This is the only picture we got....and it turned out great!

Cold Weather Fun

On the first day of sub zero temperatures, we saw an experiment online and just had to try it
(Here's hoping it's not ever cold enough to try again!)

Creation Museum

We took a road trip down to Cincinnati to take Grandma Arizona to the
 Creation Museum.  What a wonderful day.  We enjoyed all the exhibits and shows.  We saw the new planetarium show about ISON.

 

 

 

 

My favorite room is all the models of Noah's Ark.

 

Doing School

 

Boy and I working on school.

Need a chalkboard?

 

In the purging and cleaning, I have a 3X4 chalkboard that I bought for the homeschool room.  Those of you that know me, know I have an odd tactile thing with paper, chalk, etc.  So I have never hung it or used it.  Come to find out, chalk creeps my kid out too.

 

It's a great chalkboard with a wood frame and chalk rail.  Nice big hangers on the corners.  I bought it for $40 at a curriculum fair.  I'm asking $25.  I plan on taking it to the "Three Bags" sale, then if I still have it, then our curriculum fair.  Just ready for it to get out of here!

 

De-Christmas-ed

Well, I finally had to do it.  Christmas is over (But only for another 350 days!!)

I am only 3 days past my goal of getting this all taken care of.  But it's done and stored away in the cellar for another year.

And School is back in session!  Doesn't Boy look THRILLED??

Off to our first Speech Meet

Yes...I, who flunked speech, has a boy that has joined the homeschool speech and debate group. It's mostly because he wants to wear a tie! Chuckle!

Today is our first meet. My boy looked so handsome...but being a bad mom...I took the camera and didn't take a single picture. I even thought of it on the way home, but we had to get right to chores when we got home, so straight into the work clothes. UG! I can't believe I missed it.

I didn't hear his speech as I was judging in another room. (Parents are not allowed to judge their own kids.) But he got at 28/40 and a 30/40. One thing that I LOVE is that someone else's mom is telling him essentially what I told him he should do to improve his speech. So, maybe by the next meet (3 weeks.) we'll be ready to go. It's not the same kind of speech that you would think of, he's not in front of a bunch of people. Just 2 judges and about 6 kids.

Auditions for the spring play are coming up in 2 weeks, and that's what he really wants to do. We're still debating it as school is going a bit slow. (But even though he is slow-ish at it, I think I've discovered that he is a perfectionist like his mom and if it isn't right he gets stuck into thinking it's not worth doing.) Why I think that is...he's getting mostly all A's. So....

Quick Saturday Updates

So here it is the end of April...obviously it wasn't this month that I posted faithfully as promised in my 101 list...May...May will be the month!  (Oh, and there are updates on the 101 list-I'm slowly working on it as health allows.)

I wanted to do a quick list of what is going on here at the farm, in our little world, etc..(my BFF did a bulleted list and I thought...what a great idea!)

• Boy's play is today.  It is so cute.  He ended up being "Fozzy bear" from the Muppets.  I've had several mom's tell me that they knew he wanted to be Elmer, but that he was the perfect choice for Fozzy...."Hey..Ker....mit! Wakka, wakka, wakka"  They did it yesterday for the video cameras...today for an audience.
• My parents are back from their winter hideaway.  Glad to have them home.
• Easter was a quiet affair this year, because I got signals crossed.  So Boy cooked his first holiday meal and did a great job.
• I've had 3 more doctor appointments since I last posted.  Still have TN.  Still have depression aggravated by having TN.  Went to see another Dr last evening...changed meds yet again.  I'm sure they will figure out the right cocktail soon.  Another appointment next week (?) to be referred out to the neuralogist (sp?) as the attacks are still doing a number.
• We have two ducks sitting on nests.  They were the from the clutch of ducklings from last year.  We still have two drakes, but "Duck Stew" is going to be going to the processor soon along with a few of the hens.  I've never had duck, but have heard that Muscovy is the least 'greasy' of the ducks. 
• We are now getting about a dozen and a half eggs a day...along with a few random guinea and duck eggs.  But it is an egg hunt on a daily basis.  They have picked a few odd places around the farm that they all seem to like to lay, so we have to check the corner of  Boy's club house (horse stall), in the rabbit nest boxes (that are in storage), the corner under the rabbitry, oh and 2 out of the 12 nest boxes.
• We still have both kittens.  I took them out of the chicken brooder and put them in their own cage.  We I went back later, I apparently didn't latch the cage well because they were both gone.  After hunting through the barn (in the dark--only with a headlamp) I gave up and went to check on the baby chicks....only to find the kittens in the sleeping pile of chicks...Oh well!
• The garden is about to go in.  We've been working (in between the periods of pouring rain) to get all the stuff yanked out.  I'm going to try a different method of planting this year.  I was told by a local, that if you till the soil, it restarts the horseweed (otherwise known as ragweed!),  So at least in the tomatoes and peppers, I'll only till the rows where the plants are going and leave the rest untilled.  
• The root veggie patch will still be completely tilled.  I've chosen a new area to add corn.
• We are about to add some bigger animals.  We will be using Joel Salatin's model to have moveable pastures to grown broilers (chickens), a dairy cow and a few mowers (goats).  Possibly even a "salad bar beef" (Grass fed meat) cow, and a few pigs.  Also, we are scheduled to go look as some meat rabbits. (New Zealands this time.)
• This week will be getting the rabbitry bleached and sanitized for the new rabbits.
• Both the push mower and riding mower refuse to start and have taken the last spin, so we are looking for a cheap mower until the animals can get the fields under control.
• We have gotten a set of solar panels that we are excited to figure out!
• I have found some crazy ideas on the internet that I am going to see if I can make work here.  I'll keep you updated on this...but one of them involves lots of pop bottles, another a bunch of cans!  Good thing we like soda pop!
• We watched a DVD the other night, Food, Inc that reinforced our position of eating locally and in season.  I am still going to the grocery store...and I know our sodas are not healthy or local, but that seems to be the only thing I am buying there anymore.
• I changed the 1001 cupcakes on my 101 list to 800 jars canned.  And I have some unusual recipes for new jellies this year!

Well, my bulleted list is just as long as a regular post. And I'm not done!!  No, I'm not wordy at all!!  :)  I WILL POST EVERY DAY in May!!   Even if it is only short.  Tune in.

New Year..plus a month!

I know I say this quite a bit...but I'm sorry for not being a better blogger.  I've got reasons and excuses....Trojan Virus took over the computer....not much happens in the winter on a farm (like anyone believes that!)...I've had new health issues rare their ugly head,..work deadlines that apply to January only...power outages at home...snow...ice..not being used to typing on a netbook and ending up with 4tijdhsguiv epiuarci....blah..blah...blah.

So, here on the last day of the first month of 2011, I'm going to start off again.  For my birthday coming up, there is a shiny (refurbished) new computer being delivered to our door....TODAY!  Woohoo.  It's faster and more memory for pictures. 

First confessions....it has not been the best year so far.  We found out on the 1st that DH's fishing buddy passed away at a fairly young age.  On the second, a good friend and co-worker (and the Eskies puppy sitter when we went to Arkansas a few years ago) unexpectedly passed at the age of 43.   I discovered on the 7th that my earache/toothache/headache is none of the above and is likely a degerative thing that I will need to take meds and figure out.  DS has been fighting school even though I've tried to do some different things (like a unit study on Pizza, of all things)

I try to take a picture a day...and if not that...then a few a week.  For 2011 so far, I've taken 3 pictures total.  So to say it needs to get better....um yes, please.

With all that being said....I'm back.  My resolutions for 2011:

• The typical, lose weight & get fit.  This time I've got more realistic expectations and bigger motivators with my new health issues.
• Pay down debt (goal is 1/3-1/2)
• Blog 3-5 times a week.
• Examiner article 1x weekly
• Get organized...really or I (and DH) will lose my mind.
• Homeschooling caught up.

Along with those goals...it's opened up new topics for the blog now that there is not a lot going on outside.

Mixing Bowl Academy

Let's start the New Year off right! With a giveaway!!


On this blog, in cooperation with Currclick, Ami is having not one but two giveaways. The first is for a one time "Mixing Bowl Academy Class." These classes are held "virtually". Some are pre-recorded and others are at a set time weekly. The second giveaway is for a month long class. You can see what they have to offer here .

Go to Ami's Blog to sign up!


"Reprint of my Examiner article"
http://www.examiner.com/homeschooling-in-columbus/mixing-bowl-academy-homeschool-class-giveaway

Smuckers Fieldtrip

We're back!

I've be so neglectful of the blog as late. Here they come, excuses, excuses! I was having a birthday/valentines, preparing Boy to do his PRESIDENTAL speech (he did great, btw!), packing, getting ready, trying to coordinate getting our broken refrige fixed, getting a tree off our house, working OT and generally running around like a chicken....wait...I am a chicken hugger...I don't like that expression. How 'bout "running around like a woman who has lost her ever-loving mind!"? Yup, that about covers it!

But now, we're back from our jaunt and I'm ready to take a deep breath and tell you all about everything that has been going on. Perhaps in more than one post as I tend to be....um...rather verbal!

Our refridgerator has been broken for over 4 weeks. We had a power surge/brown out at the house and pow, the fridge took on a life of it's own...temp at 50*, fan screaming in terror, a brief period where I thought the good Lord above had answered my prayers and healed our machine. Then finally giving up and calling the insurance company to find out the bad news. $500 deductible...ouch. Then I called Samsung and ...la...da....they said they would extend our warranty out and covered all the repairs. Seems the ice maker (which we think has always been broken) dripped water into the motor, and then the water froze and expanded and cracked the condenser motor case or some such thing...But after only 6 days, the ice machine works again and so does the fridge!!! YEAH!!! Now, the water dispenser is not working though, which makes absolutely no sense.

There is still a tree on the house. Still in the power line. Still freaking me out. BUT...I've gotten the estimates I need and the guy is supposed to be out TODAY to get it off of our house, off of our yard, outta here! And he's taking out the little tree that also fell down but didn't get any press because, well it landed in the yard and not on the house. Updates on that after we see what happens today.

We lost our chicken Starr to her impacted crop while we were gone on our fact finding mission (yes, I will get to that!!! Be patient!). So I was grateful that I didn't have to cull her, but sad that I couldn't do anything to save her. Interestingly enough, the other girls did not peck at her sad little body as chickens tend to do (they will eat anything! I think they'd go after us if we weren't bigger than them.) But instead, they buried her in the hay. I took care of that matter and in respect, went and ordered 10 "nuggets" (which is what I call "day old baby chicks") They will be hatching on April 5th!! We know what we are getting and what some of their names will be... Connie, the new Americauna~Maran, the Cuckoo Maran~ and Becky, the Buckeye. I also ordered 4 "American Eskimo" chickens, but they come straight run (we won't know if they are boys or girls until some of them either start laying or crowing!) So we haven't thought up names for them yet. Oh, and on the day we returned from our trip, Arica started laying again! WooHoo.

The homeschool group did a "Hall of Presidents" like they have at Disney World, for President's Day. Each student had to stand up on the stage, with a mic and give a speech about their life, or recite a speech their president had given. It was a very fun night. BOY was President Zachary Taylor, old rough and ready! He did a really nice job. And I learned quite a bit about our 12th president. Now we are preparing for the Pinecar Derby on Saturday.

Speaking of our trip....NEXT POST~

Ye Olde Mill Fieldtrip.

About 6 families from our homeschooling group (which equalled about 25 kids) went to the Velvel Ice Cream factory in Utica, Ohio. It's in an old 1918 Water mill.



We had a picnic lunch before hand...
Then we were able to watch them actually making ice cream that would end up in grocery stores all over.


Here is Boy with one of his best buddies!


Then off to the kids' museum for lots of hands on activities.

Afterwards we were treated to ice cream cups with chocolate or strawberry!
YUM!


I'll post the article the Zachary wrote for the homeschooling newspaper when I get back to my home computer.