Whittling

For some reason, Tad thinks its a good idea to whittle and carve inside the house. I guess the news paper helps right? His excuse, its cold outside. Hmmm... so he is making tiny arrows, I dont have a picture yet of the bow but will show that asap. He made a miniature pyrimiad after our pyrimiad unit study this last wk, and made a miniature bow (skewer and a pc of string pulled from a feed bag) and sharpened sticks that get shot all over the house. Yes I am okay with this. He just did a book report on a book about Jim Thorpe and now he is reading about an Indian Cheif and so is getting into character.

We have had quite a week! Our helper Alex went back home and I have been hobbling about pretty well, having to wear a brace on my ankle which isnt bad. Its still bruised and nasty but much less painful.

We have a new school schedule, we have been doing math, reading, spelling and handwriting 3 days a wk and doing 2 days worth each time and then the other 2+ days (we often work at least some on wkends) we do science, geography and history. Books, games, puzzles, projects and sometimes educational videos. Its working pretty well, I dont mind getting out all the books each day, but sometimes we end up running late and falling behind on things like projects.

We had round bales of hay delivered, they weigh a ton each. Literally, 2000 lbs. So as they are in my field (I dont have a barn at this time that can handle that type of hay storage), I have to find a way to cover them. I will likely cover one well and build a small lean too around the other.

We have to build a duck coop, until now our ducks have been free range. My friend Amanda found a great deal on some fencing very close to my house so I picked it up. 10 $ for a large number of hog panel. Only 36" tall so good for baby goats, pigs, and ducks! Ducks, because domesticated ducks cannot fly. They can get thru cattle panel (6" sq at top or whole panel is so depending on the type), but hog panel has graduated rectangles, not large sq. So we have to build a small pen, that fits their pool and a small straw bale house for them. they are getting into the goats water because their water freezes at night. We do give them new water every morning and it stays unfrozen but first thing am they soil the girls water.

The chickens had taken to sleeping on the girls hay, IE pooping on it, so they have been moved into their barn and the door stays shut all of the time. They will stay there for a few wks until they have learned to appreciate their heat lamp, constant food supply, lack of goat hooves (they do get stepped on from time to time) and their own perches. Then we will let them back out. If it doesnt work, then we have to cover their yard with netting and keep them in. I cannot have chicken poop on the hay, its simply unhealthy.

We are living in unfolded laundry again, and yes I am hanging it all over the house. We have had some warm days, but my ankle doesnt love stairways. I am already depending on the children for a number of things and so instead of asking them to hang the laundry, we do what we do in deep winter. Hang on hangers, hang on chair backs, half wall etc. So the day I did 4 loads of laundry...well there was a lot of clothes about. Then, the laundry was heaped on top of 2 baskets, and there it lives still.

We will be staying home for x mas and no one is coming here, Tad and I are fine with that and Nathalie is rather bummed. Of course we miss Frank, and holidays are harder for the kids because he is the one in charge of holidays. I just follow his lead. I am not the holiday cook, decorator, finder of x mas music, silly fun guy for the whole x mas spirit gig. I will try, I will do my best. But if they could pick (and no this doesnt hurt my feelings) they would trade me for him for the holidays. They know he would rather be with them than alone, and they know I would be able to handle this alone time so that they could have his holiday cheer. I am not bummed or unhappy, just not as christmasy as he gets!

So that was a long update, there are a million more things to tell you. I am busier than I can possibly handle, I cannot keep up but we are having fun, we are happy. We are enjoying homeschool enormously this yr, 3rd and 4th grade are just plain fun and interesting. I am trying to finish some christmas gift sewing and ordering, we have to pick out a tree yet and possibly have help getting it in... And of course mailing out of the last few gifts to neices, nephews and grandparents.

Thanks for tuning in! More later...