tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79877424924596091992024-03-05T05:33:54.741-05:00HornGully FarmHornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-84681344283277458972014-03-18T19:40:00.000-04:002014-03-18T19:40:42.569-04:00New Chicklettes !<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welcome" to our new additions!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, guess what I have in my dining room today!!</span></div>
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<i> ... Six baby chicks.</i> <br />
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Three bantam, three tinted tetra.</div>
We brought them home on Saturday and they are sooo cute! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So how did this great acquisition come about? </span><br />
We had been thinking of getting a few chicks either this spring or next. Also, I had also promised 'Becka and 'Liz an angora bunny as a pet sometime soon. On the way home from the park on Saturday we stopped at Tractor Supply Co. to look at fence panels and, guess what... They had the spring chicks in!!<br />
<b><i> Okay, they were cute and all, but we did not have a brooder ready for them and were not planning on bringing they home</i></b>. However, I went around the corner and saw a rabbit cage. Just the right size to hold a half-dozen chicks for a couple weeks while we put together their permanent coop. <br />
So, when the chicks are out of the cage, the little girls are all set to get a bunny.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You know what we will be doing next weekend, building a chicken coop</span>. I hope to get some pictures up for you as that gets constructed.<br />
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HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-19614582434110512652010-11-07T18:42:00.004-05:002010-11-07T19:10:27.735-05:00Mac & Cheese - Dairy Free<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRMYtIu5x2sRvDicFnhmt_vyP4TDwEkRQfhan_zEF047gQYmkK64qsW8RcNH9JKONgMk3LtAPItSAwraXwP8PUM3cLZzqW3R4QOTNOJDWe9Z6lWfzodI2hZpf_rOvZpF8EiMXiM2A8U8/s1600/nov1+212.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536962331052288194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRMYtIu5x2sRvDicFnhmt_vyP4TDwEkRQfhan_zEF047gQYmkK64qsW8RcNH9JKONgMk3LtAPItSAwraXwP8PUM3cLZzqW3R4QOTNOJDWe9Z6lWfzodI2hZpf_rOvZpF8EiMXiM2A8U8/s320/nov1+212.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Okay, I really hope the picture looks as good as the original tasted! It came out creamy and rich with no gritty feel like I sometimes get with cheese imitations. I really think the sun dried tomatoes added depth and the spinach kept it from being boring. Next time I make this I will actually try to measure my ingredients - I am sooo bad at that sometimes... Even if you don't make the Mac & Cheese, this basic cheese recipe is really good. It is good as a dip/spread, or in cooking. Can't wait to try it again.</div><br /><div>General Directions for the Mac & Cheese</div><br /><div>First I started the noodles. Then began with a soy-based cream sauce (roux plus unflavored soy milk) which was seasoned with some pepper and garlic powder. Added about 3/4 of this DF basic cheese recipe (<a href="http://www.dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/basiccheeserecipes">www.dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/basiccheeserecipes</a>) and whisked well. The cheese was still a little thick, so added the water from some re-hydrating sun-dried tomatoes to thin the sauce a little...then decided that the sun dried tomatoes smelled so good, we should chop those up and add them and some spinach. Red, White, and Green all mixed together and smelling like an autumn meal should.</div><div>This got a thumbs up from everyone (even my soy-phobic 6yr old). Hope you like it, too.</div>HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-12376058169787791922010-08-07T04:27:00.002-04:002010-08-07T04:41:28.256-04:00Moving - againWe will be moving again in about three weeks. I do not like packing. However, I will be able to stay home with the kids again. (Yea!!!) Homeschooling and working full-time, while possible, is very difficult. Still, nothing tests strength like doing something you were sure was beyond your ability and being successful.<br />Okay, math quiz, how many boxes does it take to a homeschooler's book collection? .... Yeah, I don't know either. One of these days I am going to measure how many linear feet of book-spine I have though. :) I get my love of books from my Dad, and I just can't part with a single one. When I found out we were moving I told myself, "no more books, you have enough to move as it is." But then Goodwill had some science texts, and I had to order school books for the upcoming school year, and .... well, now I have another box to pack. ;)<br />Guess I'd better get back to work on that, huh?HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-30380210367870487222009-10-23T01:05:00.004-04:002010-04-17T06:43:38.886-04:00Saving the World one Pre-schooler at a TimeToday, as I tried to rein in and direct two "under-fives" and two "old enough to know betters", I had a light-bulb moment. A contribution toward the scientific development of renewable resources. One that will light up every city in the continental U.S., eliminate the childhood obesity dilemma, and..... decrease parental psychiatric admissions by at least 25%.<br /><br />Are you ready?<br /><br />Imagine a giant generator with multiple storage batteries powered by non-other than a pre-schooler on a giant hamster-wheel. (Come on, you know it's a brilliant idea!!)<br /><br />Families with multiples may even be able to tap in to this as a source of extra income as they sell the extra energy back onto the grid. Parents could use this to fund the replacement of the multiple items of clothing that are now stained beyond belief with paint, play dough, and who-knows-what.<br /><br />Need extra electricity? Remember those marshmallow-super-crispies that you refused to buy? Go ahead and give the little tykes a treat and save yourself a cereal isle meltdown.<br /><br />Now I know some super-brilliant person has probably already come up with the schematics and parts list for this. Probably someone who, at one time, had to babysit a younger sibling, went to university, and is now trying to save the world. (We all know that an actual parent would never have time to put all the parts of this together.)<br /><br />So, go green. Save the world. Save your sanity. Light up the world.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-22073766296862906742009-10-09T04:04:00.004-04:002009-10-13T02:39:40.711-04:00Utopia - part 2I finally had a chance to read more of Utopia on the long drive home from vacation.<br />I had to chuckle as I read through "Book One: The First Book of the Conversation of Raphael Hythloday concerning the best state of a Commonwealth." I kept thinking of Solomons words, "There is nothing new under the sun, but it is all vanity and a striving after the wind." Yes, over the course of 400 years, through various political and religious changes and upheavals, we still have the exact same problems and humans continue to think up 'new' philosophies to fix them. Every so often, I would quote a sentence or two from the book as we drove. It would seem that, except for the antiquated language, some of the 'current events' could have been taken from today's news journals.<br /><br /><br /><br />The main theme of Book One is how the unequal distribution of wealth has led to societal problems. Also, how the crime/punishment equation being unbalanced was ineffectual (ex. the death penalty for stealing food). Moore recounts how rampant unemployment and homelessness, arising from the greed and shortsightedness of the wealthy, had led to increased crime as 'peasants' try to provide for self and family via theivery. His philosophical answer seems to be a type of socialist/communist ideal where wealth is capped (for the King), acquisition of new government lands is abandoned (no more wars to increase a nation's holdings) and a country's wealth in increased by investing within its own borders. The wealth was then equalized amoung the citizens because all had opportunity to benefit from it. The wealth would be measured, not by one man's holdings, but by the overall peace and prosperity of the citizens as a whole. Thankfully, he is wise enough to admit that while such ideas might be successful in theory (great foder for the minds of philosophers), they might not play out in an actual, workable setting (as can be seen by historical attempts at such governments). The ideals are tempered by arguments about why such a 'perfect' system could not be put in to effect, namely the mis-educated, prejudiced, greedy, and power hungry entourage that surrounds and influences the ruling heads of state. (Hythloday's view of the King/courtiers/advisors - not mine, BTW.)<br /><br />I could only take this book in small doses. The sentence structure and language really requires undivided attention. More than once, I wished I had a dictionary for some of the older words. Also, knowing by historical testimony that Moore's philosophical arguments were flawed perhaps altered my view of the material from what was intended to be a serious thought-provoking exercise into a tradgic comedy. Seeing that 400 years after his observations, the same basic human problems exist, jaded my objective.<br /><br /><br /> Still, I did enjoy the challenge both literary and mentally. Book Two is significantly longer. I will post more on that as I have the chance to read it.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-57065377937807104982009-09-25T03:30:00.004-04:002009-09-25T05:19:08.987-04:00A Vegatarian in our midst<div align="center">I thought it was a phase. </div><div align="center">I thought he did not have the will-power to pull it off. </div><div align="center"> </div>But, after two months, DS12 is still meat-free. Not just "won't eat the pork-chop" meat-free, but "label-reading, won't eat the veggie pizza because the sauce had meat flavoring in it" meat-free. <br />To be honest, I am not really surprised. He never really liked the idea that the same pig he enjoyed watching at chore time ended up on the table as pork chops. Add recent bit of reading on earth-friendly living, and it was finally enough for him to decide on a vegetarian route. The only reason this had not occurred sooner was because he liked the flavor so much.<br />Thankfully this is not a new concept for me, which has made it a bit easier. After my second child, for some unknown reason, I could not stand the sight/smell/thought of meat for a couple of years. The four of us were vegetarian for about three years before we started to re-introduce meat back into the diet. All the nutritional research I did then is slowly coming back to me. I am getting back into the groove of planning more meat-free meals. I was surprised at how difficult that was. I guess I had fallen into a meat/starch/veggie rut. <br /> I do want to make it easier for him to be successful. I still have meat in the freezer, and "contaminated" spaghetti sauce in the cupboard that I will have to keep separate. As I weed those out though, I think I will have to look for inventive vegetarian fare that everyone will be happy with - a hard sell with my DD10 who has no intention of following in her brother's footsteps.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-77171590095839050002009-09-21T04:43:00.005-04:002009-09-30T03:08:08.457-04:00UtopiaOn a recent trip to Goodwill I picked up a 1947 printing of the classic Utopia of Thomas Moore. First published in 1516, I had never read Utopia It piqued my interest mostly because it is reference in the movie Ever After. (One of the few movies that I enjoy watching repeatedly.) Back in my younger (childless) years I loved reading classics by Homer, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Shakespeare</span>, Austin, etc. Part of the draw was being immersed in Old English <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">grammar</span>, and classic sensibilities. So, when I saw the book, I snapped it up.<br /><br /><br /><br />I know I am in trouble when even the introduction to a book strains by mental faculties. Wading through the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">antiquated</span> writing has my head just a little foggy. For example, the first two sentences, each lasting a full paragraph in themselves are 90 and 92 words long respectively. the fourth <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sentence</span> is slightly better at 75 words. I am plunging forward, however. Thankfully, this edition has sub-text references to help me along. As I move forward, I seem to be remembering the lilt and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">rhythm</span> of such wordy <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pleasantries</span>, and finding the meaning and intentions from indirect references. This book will a bit of work to read compared to my more recent books, but I feel it might kick-start my mind a little.<br /><br />I am bringing it on vacation with me. I am not sure I will get to read much of it, but it will be a start.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-12027441625488430832009-08-07T05:29:00.003-04:002009-09-19T02:35:23.997-04:00Summer FunSo, what have we been up to this summer?<br /><br />Our main attraction was season passes to Emerald Pointe. I have to say that it was one the best "fun money" expenses we have ever purchased. I agonized for months over spending the money on this. In the end, I decided that it was the equivalent cost of a weekend at the beach, but we could use it all summer. It was a great decision. The only draw back?.... The kids (and husband) what to go all the time! That's okay. If I don't feel up to going, DH just packs up the munchkins and I get to stay home and sleep in an oddly quiet house. I would definitely do this again.<br /><br />What else? Well, DH has been taking care of our little garden. I still need to get in there and weed, but he tilled, planted, and waters it. I have never had peppers do so well as they have this year in my flower bed. I need to get a few fall seeds in so that I feel productive, too. The kids snitched the few grapes as they ripened, and DD2/5 both love picking cucumbers and zucchini. The tomatoes seem to be staying green forever. But I was informed yesterday that was because DD2, has been eating them off the plant as they just start to ripen. So that explains it!<br />The first year in a new garden plot is always the hardest. We didn't get a large harvest (except peppers) this year, but I hope next year will be more productive if we are still in this same house.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-89550031478998632082009-04-08T03:21:00.003-04:002009-04-08T03:48:48.906-04:00Breakfast Casserole<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Oooohhh</span>, I'm all excited tonight. I found a new recipe that (almost) everyone likes. One of the nurse I work with was talking about "Breakfast Casserole". I had never heard of such a thing - casseroles are for supper, right? Anyway, Google to the rescue, and sure enough I found a bunch variants on the theme. The all consist of a crust (either hash browns, rolled dough, or day-old bread), browned meat (usually sausage), and an egg mixture (sometimes including <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">vegetables</span>, spices, and cheese). You could probably make one-a-day for a month and never repeat the combination. My middle two children (girls aged 4, and 10) are rather picky about texture and flavor combinations, so they did not really like it but everyone else LOVED it. It seems to me like a combination of an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">omelet</span> and a quiche. Here is the recipe I used last night to feed our family of 6:<br /><div align="center"><span ><em><strong>Breakfast Casserole</strong></em></span></div><div align="center">6 small/Med potatoes </div><div align="center">1/2 stick margarine</div><div align="center">1 lb smoked sausage - chopped into small pieces</div><div align="center">1/2 onion - chopped</div><div align="center">1/2 red pepper - chopped</div><div align="center">1lb spinach leaves</div><div align="center">8 eggs</div><div align="center">1/8 cup soy milk</div><br />Grease a 9x13 pan. Peel and grate the potatoes. Mix with margarine. Use this to line the bottom and sides of your greased pan (this will be the crust). Put in oven and turn to 375 while you continue.<br />cook sausage, onion, and pepper together in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">fry pan</span> until onion is translucent and sausage is cooked. Place spinach on top, toss, cover and cook until spinach is thoroughly wilted. Meanwhile, beat eggs with soy milk. <br />Drain fat and liquid from sausage mix, and add sausage/spinach to eggs. Stir to combine and pour over the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">partially</span> cooked potatoes. Return to oven for 35-45 min (eggs should be set and toothpick inserted in center will come out clean). Let cool 5 minutes, and serve.<br /><br />We did have some left-overs since two did not eat their share, but they cut-up and stored nicely (like a quiche would). This only took a few minutes to whip together, and the day-old bread version you fix the night before and let soak bread-pudding style. I can't wait to try it with mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, or asparagus and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">soy-cheese</span>. <br />Yum!HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-84612138511887160612009-01-15T01:59:00.003-05:002009-01-16T04:30:01.554-05:00Dairy-free..ME?We have recently discovered that 4 out of 6 of us have some sort of milk intolerance. It happened slowly, first my husband, then the baby, now DS11 and myself. At first, I was in denial; so I started with a one week total abstinence plan - surely this would show that my suspicions were wrong and I could go directly to the nearest grocery store and buy an entire cart-load of milk, cheese and yogurt ... At the end of the time we were all feeling better -our clothes were fitting better, I didn't feel so sluggish and heavy, and the constant tummy ache was gone. However, to prove this was only coincidence we had pizza , and ice cream for a treat ...oh, so yummy... oh, so painful. There was no denying the rapid onset of pain, bloating, and nausea! Since then I keep finding myself drawn to the occasional bite of this or serving of that and the results are conclusive. No more milk for us.<br /><br />Thus, we have been experimenting with all sorts of dairy-free products. Westsoy rice and soy milks seem to be most popular with my kids. And the new dairy-free cheeses are much better than I remember from when DH first tried them years ago. Eliminating dairy has made me more conscience of providing a balanced diet and so we have been eating more fruits and veggies, too. Since this will have to be a permanent change, I ordered a soy milk maker and have been experimenting with various combinations to make a decent, drinkable milk. After several batches that were rated "for baking only" I seem to be getting the hang of it now.<br />My best attempt so far has been to mix two batches: the first a combination of 3/4 brown rice, 1/4 oats, which I toasted in the oven first. I added about 1/8+ cup sugar to the milk. The second batch was soy beans that had soaked 24 hours. I rubbed off the hulls that were easy to separate, and added 1/4 cup sugar to this milk. The combination of the two made a decent tasting drink which DD1 and I could drink straight from a glass, and DD4 will pour on cereal. The two older ones still won't drink it plain though. I will continue trying different combinations until I find something we can all be happy with. I think the next batch will have slightly less oats since the main criticism of this batch was that is tasted to thick. I will update once I have a better recipe that everyone likes.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-31700576034817484102008-11-18T05:36:00.003-05:002008-11-21T04:26:58.597-05:00Life's Twists and TurnsThe turns life takes can surprise us sometimes. There have been so many cliche'd terms about this over the decades that we should be wise to the fact that - even when we think our path is laid out before us - it inevitably will change.<br /><br />Such a change threw me for a loop a couple weeks ago. Instead of being busy tending my gardens and animals, or enjoying crafts, music, and homeschooling ... we have been moving. Making a transition from mini-farm to city lot, homesteading homeowner to suburban renter. I have come to realize that the progression of the grieving process applies also to dying dreams. I know we are not alone, and so many others have lost more- homes, jobs, both. As a make my way through the community, I hear stories from people...-parents who lost the farm they grew up on. -a husband and wife both lossing their jobs at at the same company, now with no income. -couples seeing their investments evaporate into thin air. -couples torn apart by the depression that follows these tramatic life changes .... No, we are not alone, still it is painful.<br />Each of my older children have taken turns being upset, sad, and finally resolved to make the best of changes. I have been careful to encase my words with a buffering of "silver linings", in fact my 10yo daughter now uses that term routinely to help her through the transition ("The backyard is small, but *silver-linings* at least we have a park nearby "). My son, after the initial few days of upset, has re-set his agenda to plan a bigger/better farm in a few years. The idea of this being a temporary set-back has him planning big. Meanwhile, I have managed to push through the many things that "need to be done" and only within the past few days has the loss really hit me.<br />However, my four-year-old just broke my heart last night and inspired this blog entry. We have always called her our "barn girl" since she could just live up there with the animals and be happy-as-a-clam (a modern Tom Sawyer - barefoot and mud-covered with bugs in her pockets and worms in her hands). She has managed to be up-beat throughout the whole process. Even when her pet chicken (a Buff Orpington named Princess) and favorite baby goat (a Pygmy - Meg) were loaded on the back of a pick-up truck to be brought to new a home, she was a sturdy helper - firm and resolved to see them properly loaded and taken care of. Last night, however, she had a pained look and came to me complaining of stomach ache. As she dug her toes into the carpeted floor of the new home I asked, "Was she hungry?" No. "Throw-upy?" No. Her little lip began to quiver - "I just miss my animals!" Then the tears began to flow, and she just sobbed and sobbed that she would never be able to pet them, or bring them food, gather eggs -ever again. That is how she fell asleep in my arms- her face wet with a rainstorm of grieving, body quaking with the thunder of loss. It makes me cry, just to type it.<br />Denial - Anger - Grieve - Acceptance - Resolve. I thought that we had just skipped right along to Acceptance and Resolution. As I think about it, I guess, like with DD4, that was not really true. Perhaps, one of these days I will find the time to sit down with myself and allow the thoughts to spin-to allow the whole process to play in my mind. Meanwhile, DD10 often emerges from her room red-eyed and in great need of a lengthy hug. I find DS11 trying to find solace in the Bible's promises- asking for understanding about Adam's curse and Paradise promises. And I continue to push forward- packing/unpacking, shopping/cooking, cleaning up the daily mess that inevitable comes with 4 kids living at home all day - now with less indoor space and no fenced farm to romp about freely. <br />This week we will try to again start up our daily lessons grammar, math, spelling...music, art, history....routine, familiarity, consistency. A place for the mind to occupy itself while somewhere under the surface we heal and forget and start to dream again.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-71774401241476071832008-10-19T02:00:00.004-04:002008-10-21T04:47:17.090-04:00County FairI have such vivid memories of our small town Vermont fair. A herald to fall and harvest, cool nights and the imminence of winter. We drove in, brimming with excitement as our car bounced along the dirt entrance, winding our way to park on the infield. Impatience made the drive last forever. Finally, the car was parked.<br />My first stop was always the horse barns. I probably would have stayed there all day if I was allowed. But, the pull of Mid-way noise and the temptation of fair food eventually led us to other areas.<br />Local craftsmen and housewives displayed their wares. My Grandfather could be found among them, sitting on swinging-chairs of his own design - always with a tan zip cardigan over a button-down shirt with dark tan pants. In the homemaking section, shelves lined with plates of yeast rolls were colorfully paired with jewel toned jars of jams and jellies. Ribbons dangled from the neck of select jars.<br />When the aroma of hot sugar and fried food became much for my young tummy, my parents would treat me to cotton candy swirled around a paper cone - such an amazing cloudy delight. This one a year treat was something to be savored for as long as possible. Later, I would have Italian sausage drenched in mustard and watch the evening's entertainment.<br /><br /><br /><br />Now, I am bringing my kids to the fair. Cotton candy is still a must, and so are candied apples. Rides are the main attraction and we spend about 2/3 of our time defying gravity and common sense. (At least the kids do. After child #3, I lost my appetite for thrill rides - or maybe it was turning 30. But now, I stand by and am the keeper of hats, glasses, and hard won stuffed animals while the more adventurous spin and whirl. I love watching all the expressive faces as they ride.)<br />I still love spending time looking at the home, garden and arts entries. It was a special treat this year, since it is the first time my own children have made entries into these departments. We were thrilled that the three old enough to enter each won ribbons! They are already planning entries for next year. Each one wants to win more prizes than the other. Thankfully, they are in different age groups so they are not being rated against each other. <br /><br />I hope they are able to carry pleasant memories as I have.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-74240724813134312692008-09-27T03:31:00.003-04:002008-09-27T04:25:44.862-04:00Sick babiesSo, I get a call at work at 2am (I work nights at a local hospital), the baby is sick with a 104 fever and both baby and dad (who has to go to work in the morning) are miserable. By the next day all four kids have a head/chest cold. Know how Dad got baby back to sleep? He wrapped her in my pajamas (for momma scent) and snuggled with her on his chest. She fell asleep nuzzling into the cloth of my pj's and muttering, "momma momma momma ...". How sweet is that?<br />As awful as it is to have a sick child, something amazing happens when you are snuggling their fevered bodies close to you, kissing hot little heads. Big innocent eyes look up into yours like you are the only thing in the world that matters and a pudgy fist wraps around your finger. As they relax into your arms, you can feel sleep creep in to heal. It makes me appreciate my purpose as a parent, to love, cherish, guide, teach, and mold this precious gift that I have been entrusted with. But also to realize how fragile human life can be and that we need to care for it and not abuse our bodies so that we can be available for all we a purposed to accomplish. All that insight from a nasty little virus.<br />OK, all done being sappy (for a while at least).<br />Of course, sick kids put all my grand plans for trying lapbooking on temporary hold - on the bright side it gives me more time to make sure I have all the information prepared. To be honest I could probably use the weekend to compile and try out everything we will need.<br />DS is all upset because I wouldn't let him go to Drama practice today.... "I don't feel THAT bad (cough)(cough). Can't you just drop me off? (wheeze)" Umm .... No. I'm sure all the parents would really LOVE me to share our germs. "Aww, mom, your so mean." Yup, that's me... Meany Mommy. Anyway, another day chillin' will do them all a world of good and hopefully we can have a productive weekend. We'll do fun stuff like catch up on cleaning, and grocery shopping ((just kidding)). Actually, the three older ones have to finish their projects to be entered in the Fair next month, so they will probably work on that.... much more fun than cleaning & errands. :)HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-41798658844741269322008-09-22T02:46:00.004-04:002008-09-22T05:00:00.254-04:00Discovery of LapbookingI have been researching alternative projects to stretch my curriculum budget and to keep my kids interested in longer research projects. I was thrilled to discover lapbooking and notebooking! Why had I not discovered this before???<br />When I started homeschooling four years ago, I used <em>The Well Trained Mind</em> as a guide. I still <strong>love</strong> this book as a resource. However, I found that we were unable to follow such an extensive program exactly. Slowly, I morphed to using <em>The Well Trained Mind</em> guidelines for grammar, spelling, and math while allowing history and science to be covered by independent study (reading, art projects, nature observation, etc.) This worked very well for us. Because I garden and have animals, we thoroughly covered all aspects of biology. Since my daughter loves bugs, she would spend hours creating 'Bug-topia' (a little town made of recycled materials to which she would move bugs she found). Now, she also likes historical novels. My son developed a love of history. He read (and re-read) all our history books and then took out library books on the cultures that interested him. He also likes creating 'machines' and loves his K'nex and Lego's. They both did art and took music lessons. I later discovered that I had fallen into a Charlotte Mason type of schedule (sorta). Who knew? Being the overwhelmed mom that I am, I never did thoroughly research Charlotte Mason (it is still on my "to do" list) which is probably why I did not stumble across lapbooking before this.<br />I have spent the last couple weeks researching this and we have just started our first lapbooking project for science -Space. I am hoping that focusing on individual aspects of the subject will help the kids to have a stronger/longer interest so that we can go into more detail. My plan .... have DD10 and DS11 each take a planet per week to research, make a mini book, and then present findings to each other. Together we can make observations of the moon and record its' phases. Hopefully, we will still have momentum to research Red/White giants, black holes, nebula, cluster habits, etc. Meanwhile DD4 can do a Creation lapbook (plants, animals, heavenly bodies).<br />If this goes well, we will probably do State books next. Starting with North Carolina (current home) and Vermont (home state). I have a gazillion ideas on other subjects as well.<br />I have the feeling that my children will be all grown up and finished school before I have discovered all the cool things that we could do together. I am getting more organized though - quite a task for me. :)HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-47653524563909407012008-09-20T03:56:00.003-04:002008-09-22T02:42:52.046-04:00Kids say the cutest thingsKids come up with the funniest things sometimes. My son was asking about how to make Chicken and Dumplings (he loves to cook). My DD4 was listening in, and got to thinking about what she wanted me to bake....<br />"Mom, I like those Apple Dumb-things." Dumb things? "Yes, Apple Dumb-things with cinnamon."<br />We just broke out laughing. After coaxing her on the correct pronunciation, I added apples to my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">shopping</span> list. Guess you know what I will be baking Saturday!HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-31002275202575106042008-09-15T05:12:00.002-04:002008-09-15T06:06:45.125-04:00Old SalemOur home school group toured Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Friday. What a great day! Since it was a "Homeschooler's Day", they had several activities set up, and there were re-en actors present to give tours and answer questions. I was delighted at the extent to which the children enjoyed it.....They would like to go back to complete the things they missed the first time.<br /><br />My favorite part? Learning how to make buttons from thread. I plan on trying it out this week and will post a photo of the resulting button. We also did a workshop on Cyanography. Now, I am looking for a place to buy the solution so we can repeat the project at home.<br /><br />It is definitely a great tour if you every happen to be in the area.HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7987742492459609199.post-7816618315080360152008-09-13T04:18:00.002-04:002008-09-13T05:32:39.787-04:00IntroductionAs the title of my blog suggests, I am a homeschooling mom. We have four wonderful children, ages DD 15 months, DD 4yr, DD 10yr, DS 11yr. I love watching "the lightbulb turn on" as they learn new concepts and expand their creative minds. I combine Classical goals and Charlotte Mason sensiblities with daily craziness to achieve "reality based homeschooling".<br />We enjoy using our 2 1/2 acres to garden, and experiment with a variety of farm animals. Our chickens and pygmy goats free range the the back yard. We have turkeys (for another month or so), a horse and few rabbits in addition to the household cat and dog. Herbs and roses dominate my garden selections. Perhaps next year I will have more time to transform my vegetable garden from weed patch to productive land. :) <br />I thouroughly enjoy the time I get to pursue my love of the arts....I just wish I had more time for it. ....only 24 hours in a day, you say?.... I know, sigh. I have replaced painting and pottery with fiber arts like knitting so that I have something portable for when I only have a few minutes to spare. I am thrilled to have joined my eldest two during their violin lessons this month. Now, I have an reason to bump music toward the top of the priority list! I have to set a good example filling out my practice sheets, you know. ;)HornGullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15878235795543780482noreply@blogger.com0