February 2018 Sweet P Farm

February started out with my first official poultry processing job! Lincoln was a chicken grabber.

My set up. The birds go from left to right, kill cones, scalder, plucker, evisceration, chill tank. 

Elise was in charge of the evisceration table--she did 45 of the 51 birds processed.

The finished product!

Captain, before he hit his awful adolescent phase. Only 16.5 more months working with him until he becomes trustworthy! I think I can make it. I think I can. I think I can.

Chores involve a literal ton of moving feed in 50# bags. My kids are strong!

Pearl, Elise & Ruby getting in some morning loving. The does are due anytime in the next 4 weeks--can't wait for baby goat kids!

Chores also involve a lot of water. And with the well below freezing temps, they also involve a lot of hose draining.

Captain, again before his bratty stage, when the kids could still pet him without him being a juvenile delinquent.

A very cool picture. 

Baerli, in her favorite pot.

Schwanli

Heidi, the mama cat (obviously taken NOT in February)

"Tiny" the bantam araucana was having a tough day, so we brought her up to the house so she could warm up and rest.

Even with all the cold, there was clear space on the pond for all but a few days.

How we prep for dissection. I know, you want to join our school! Sorry, it's a private boarding school, and there's no way in the world you could afford it.

We took our 4 pigs in to be butchered and I brought home a set of lungs and a heart. We invited some other homeschooling friends over and had an amazing time seeing how everything worked. Amazing!!

Elise would like to wish you a very happy Valentine's Day!
The boys came up with all sorts of valentine cards that had to do with literal hearts--a vial of blood with "straight from the heart" on it; a piece of dried heart tissue in a card...

Screen time

The question of how much screen time is too much--or is there such a thing as "too much" screen time? came up on a local homeschool discussion group, and my thoughts were so varied and all over the place that I decided to try to sort through them here...

I go back and forth on how much screen time I think is too much, with input from the older kids (kids are 13g, 11b, 9b, 5.5b, 3.5b, 4-monthg). Generally speaking, the older kids get 20-30 minutes of game time a day (usually Minecraft or Terraria) and the younger boys get 10-20 (usually PBS Kids or cool math games).

***update 10/25/2015***

A few months ago game time started to become an obsession at my house. I would be asked multiple times a day by multiple children if today would be a game day. How much time? When can we do it? Can we do it now? How about now? Can we play yet? And then when they'd get to do it they would watch each other and game time would drag on all afternoon, leaving cranky kids and a cranky mama.

One day, I'd decided I'd taken enough. And I had.
And that plain little me got a little bit mad.
And that plain little me did a very plain thing:
Threw a fit!
And that fit broke the game time fiasco!

Okay, so that was a really bad re-mix of Dr. Seuss (and it doesn't even rhyme), but the fit part is totally true. I felt a bit like a 3-year-old. I even went so far as to explode, "When I was a kid I played outside! I hardly ever played computer games! And I was happy! And inventive! And didn't bug my mother about game time EVERY SINGLE HOUR OF EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! ARGH!!!!"

I said "no more!" and "if you ask me again you don't get games for at least a week!" and "go outside and explore these amazing 17 acres we just purchased so that you will have so much to do outside at any time of your life!"

Phew! It felt good!

So now we have a new plan: game day is Friday. They get 45 minutes in the afternoon after our field trip and quiet time. And everyone has to play at the same time. They can choose to watch or play, but when the 45 minutes is up, that is the end. Sorry the internet was being slow, time is up! Sorry you had to go to the bathroom, time is up!

Now no one asks me all day every day about playing games--they know when they get to do it, and that is that. And I haven't had any fits. It's a total win-win. !!

A snapshot of my life

Every year my older kids take the Peabody Test--an annual test is required by the state, and this is our test of choice. Every time our tester tells me that this test on this day is just a snapshot of what my kids know--things are always in motion and always changing; the test just catches one moment.

So this post is me noting down a moment of my life...

Last week Elise and Sammy were pretty sick--so sick Elise had to sit out some ballet. She wasn't getting better when Sammy was, so I took her in to the doctor to have her hemoglobin checked. Turns out she had pneumonia. Well, that explained a lot! Today was the first day she has felt well in 2 weeks. She danced all of technique and pointe, which hasn't happened in 2 weeks. She came home feeling so good that she got the little boys ready for bed, organized the laundry room, started the laundry and cleaned up in the family room. It's good to have her back!

Now, the reason I thought that maybe her iron counts were low is because I went to the cardiologist last week for some heart palpitations I've been having. They took some blood and turns out my hemoglobin counts were at 9.6 (the bottom of the normal range is 11.8). Then I went to the midwife the following day where they took some blood...hemoglobin was at 9.3. So I'm totally anemic right now...which explains my constant fatigue and heart palpitations. But I thought maybe Elise was suffering from the same thing as me. We'll find out when her blood draw results come back.

Because of my anemia, I did something I haven't done in years: I bought red meat. Okay, so maybe it hasn't been years, but it's only been once or twice a year for the past many years (since we've been in school...it's SO expensive!!). However, I'm at a total loss as to what to do with it, because I'm not used to cooking with it anymore. I'm also taking iron supplements, and have the option to have iron delivered to my blood stream intravenously if I'm not feeling better in a week or so. I have little energy so am highly motivated to bring up my hemoglobin counts! I also can't deliver at my birthing center if my iron is below 10. :(

My mom's cancer is stage 4 and very aggressive. My brother who lives next door (practically) says there is an almost daily change in her, and not on the improving side of the scale. She has good days and bad days, and is on hospice care. I have good days and bad days with that news. All of my brothers and their families and my family and I are gathering together the week after Thanksgiving to go to a beach house and be all together in one place. We've been having family Skype calls that have been so much fun! We try not to tack on any "for the last times" in our planning and merriment. But it's always hanging there.

I bought 100# of apples last week, with the goal to do 10# of applesauce a day in my crockpot. I'm about 30# down with applesauce, and we've probably eaten at least 20#. I'll do another batch tomorrow, but I might end up canning it instead of freezing it as I am out of containers and my freezers (both of them) are full. I also need to make apple crisp filling...yummy!

At Caddie Woodlawn's house in Wisconsin

I signed the three older kids up for an online charter school that gives us some of our taxpayer money back in the form of reimbursements for educational expenses--up to $800/child. Our part of the deal is that each child submits 1 worksheet in 4 core subject areas (History/Social Studies, Language Arts, Math & Science) every other week, which works out to 9 weeks/semester. However, we just got signed up, so I've been trying to get everybody logged in, download worksheets and organize everything for 3 kids. Phew!

Plus, now we have to get all the worksheets completed by the end of the semester...which is something like 7 weeks away. Mason, Sammy and I started working on them last night, and they were having loads of fun! The fun continued this morning...until it was no longer fun and the kids learned the true meaning of "busy work". We'll push through these next few worksheets, then pace ourselves with more time to work on each one. Funny how me helping them has reminded me of all the time I wasted doing things like this when I was a kid. I'm sure there is useful information, but man! I'm glad we have so much fun learning without worksheets to tie us down!

At a nature center class--taking samples of the creek

I've spent much of the last two days (and nights) doing my Board of Directors work for the North Ballet Youth Company. My main roles are very much under control, but some immediate needs came up with things I help with, so I've been doing that. Amazing how my brain continues to stretch and grow--the older I get the more I realize I don't know. :) Thankfully I'm also more adept at figuring things out and I know more people who do know.

I'm in charge of costumes and the Silent Auction again this year. The huge difference between costumes this year and costumes last year is that I have a costume organizer and a head seamstress, along with other parent volunteer seamstresses. They make my life wonderful!! I also put a potential Board member in charge of the Silent Auction, so in both roles I am mostly just a manager. It's delightful!

So that's all the extra stuff going on right now. Normal life includes ballet 4 days/week, choir 2 days/week, Virtus (our homeschool co-op) once/week, teaching piano, making bread, having friends over, YW, Scouts and the day-to-day cooking and cleaning that accompanies a family of 7+. It's wonderful, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Monarch butterflies

My awesome friend, Sandy F, got me hooked into the wonderful world of monarch butterflies. In no time, we identified all the milkweed near us, found a single egg and a 2-day old caterpillar. We soon added 4 more caterpillars of various ages to our menagerie.

Once we started looking for milkweed and caterpillars we were amazed at how many there are around here! Learning about their lifecycle was nothing short of incredible--in 2 weeks they go from an egg that you can hardly see to a 2"-long fatty caterpillar that splits it's last skin and forms an incredible green chrysalis with gold jewel-like trim. 

Then in 8-9 days that green chrysalis turns dark and then clear and then, pop! Out pops a beautiful butterfly!

 

Out of our 6 caterpillars we had 5 hatch into beautiful butterflies, only one of which was a male--and he was much bigger than the females! Their names were Radiance (RIP), Milky (aka Turkey), Sven, Stripey, Engbuhlite (aka Olaf), and Marshmallow. It was a magical 5 week discovery--with every new caterpillar we learned a little more about their life cycle. Maybe wherever we move next will be in the monarch's migration route--we sure hope so!!

My friends

Twice a month some of my friends and I get together and talk while our daughters have their book club and our boys play outside or code. We didn't get a picture with everybody, but aren't we a nice looking bunch?

And here are some of the girls...

 And here is the real us. :)

It is incredible to get together with like-minded women who are devoted to both their own and their children's education. Our kids are at similar stages (ages in-utero - 13 years) and we can talk all about things that are happening and be confident of good advice. And our kids love each other dearly--if I were to handpick a group of kids for my kids to be friends with, I would choose these families!

Sammy is 8!

My dear, sweet Samwise Gamgee turned 8 last week!

We, of course, started with the breakfast of birthday children: donuts in bed!

My kids don't get a "real" birthday party until they turn 10 (ya know, the kind that you actually plan for), but we did meet a bunch of homeschooling friends at our church building for some sock dodge ball and lunch. As is always the case, Elise made his cake--actually, two different cakes, she is that awesome. The kids played and we moms talked and planned. Gotta love good friends!

This is kind of a lame picture, and it only shows the older girls of the 26 kids there...

And then, the most exciting part about turning 8! Better than a party, better than a Scout uniform, better than new scriptures!

On Tuesday night, when I was tucking Sammy in, he told me, "I've been looking forward to being baptized my whole life!" He paused in thought, "Well, not my whole life...only as long as I have known about it."

We held his baptism early Wednesday morning since Stephen's parents didn't get into town until Tuesday evening, our bishop was flying out of town around noon and I was leaving later in the afternoon. We got permission to Skype with my parents since they couldn't be in town, and that was pretty special!

Many of our same friends from Sammy's party made the trek to the church for his baptism, and around 16 of them sang in a special musical number. He listened to the speakers in rapt attention as Grandma Jones told how Jesus had to walk about 60 miles (or to ballet three times!) to go to John the Baptist to be baptized, and Stephen told the story of Elijah on the mountain and how the Spirit of the Lord was not in the tempest or earthquake or fire, but in a still small voice.

Sammy wanted to bear his testimony, and nothing could prepare me for his sincere tears and thankful heart as he bore a brief, sincere testimony. He turned to me at the end of the baptism and told me, "I'm so glad I could make these promises with Heavenly Father. I'm so glad I can always have the Spirit." This boy is ready to keep his covenants!

After the baptism and confirmation (which Grandpa Jones performed--Sammy thought since Stephen got to do the baptism that Grandpa should get to do the confirmation) we had a light brunch, and then the kids all went off to play and we moms did more talking. Then home and off to the airport for me!

Elise today

This morning I woke up my 11-year-old daughter at 7:00 a.m., made a lunch for her and helped her pack her backpack. Then I drove her to the bus stop at 7:20 a.m. She was gone all day until 3:30 p.m., when she rushed in from the bus to get changed so she could leave for ballet at 3:45 p.m. She got back from ballet about 9:00 p.m., completely exhausted after a long day away from home. I couldn't blame her!

The boys and I missed her terribly! There was no piano music accompanying our breakfast, no random hugs or extra kisses on owies. No help reading scriptures. No exclamations over the latest country she is studying. No one to take care of the parakeet. My best family chore helper gone--the floor didn't get swept and the dishwasher didn't get unloaded.

Her not being home left a gaping hole--and not because of the chores that didn't get done. She adds something wonderful to our family mix. It was that X factor that was missing. She was missing.

When I was tucking her in I told her she could sleep in in the morning. She responded, "We homeschoolers are so lucky!" I responded, "We homeschooling mothers are the lucky ones!"

I believe it. I love the discoveries we make and the chances we have to serve or snuggle on the couch reading or watch a fascinating documentary or shovel the driveway together. I couldn't stand sending my kids away from me for the bulk of their awake time. I love that we all love to be together--even when we drive each other nuts. We wouldn't have it any other way!

Fortunately there are not many more 9:00 a.m. orthodontist appointments at Stephen's university. Elise was bored in Stephen's office and we all wanted her home!

A day in our life...

So I haven't figured out WordPress yet, so am just going to post on this blog until I get it figured out. :)

This past Tuesday  we went to a friend's house so that I could (re-)learn how to make yogurt. It helps that our kids are similar ages--Elise and K have started a book club together, Mason and Z both love electronics, Sammy and G both love to play games both outside and inside and Lincoln loves E. And did I mention that their mom is a good friend of mine, too?

Anyhow, here is our day in pictures:

I love going places and getting great ideas. Like using an over-the-door shoe holder for card games. Seriously, genius.

K and Elise decided that we needed apple pie. Smart girls! Sandy is one of those moms that you want to be when you grow up. She taught Lincoln how to make pie crust. (I was paying attention, too--pie is not my forte!)

Sandy knows a lot about food and taught me how to sprout wheat. I want to try this recipe--and I want my mom to meet Sandy when she comes to visit! 

Yahtzee

Mille Bornes...and jumping on the trampoline...and making paper airplanes (and throwing them out the window)...

Reading while E has her therapy.

Computer programming after a long day of de-soldering, taking things apart and working on electronics projects.

That was one good pie! We even had fresh, raw whipped cream on top. 

We made yogurt, too, which was our original excuse for getting together. :) I really, really love homeschooling, and I really, really love the families we become friends with because of it.

Life with 5 kiddos

These next couple of weeks Stephen is going to be crazy busy. I'm not really looking forward to it--but, I've managed before and I will again. :) At least his being crazy busy isn't all that common--not like my friend whose husband works finance in NYC. She's a wonder woman.

Anyhow, Monday started out a little rough. Trevor was congested all night, and when he did sleep he was so noisy he kept me awake. I ended up sleeping in until after 9am. I have to say that I have an amazing daughter. Amazing!! When I got up everyone was dressed, fed and had all their morning chores done. In fact, they were playing outside in the snow!

I learned later that Lincoln had had a poopy diaper and his diaper had come undone...so when Elise went to change him the diaper was hanging down one leg and he was covered in poo! She put him in the bath and swished out his poopy pjs. And the whole time she was concerned that the water running would wake me up. She helps put Lincoln down for naps, or holds the baby while I do that. She makes pancakes and gets snacks and can get both babies in their car seats. She does her school work without being reminded (she had most of it done this morning before I ever got up--and I was up early today!) and is always willing to help out.

The rest of Monday went well--I made bread, played games, watched "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", (their favorite show!) and had FHE and prayers, all with the kids, because that's how we roll here. Elise and Mason made dinner--their favorite: Macaroni & cheese with hot dogs and beans. We had a "romanticky" meal with a tablecloth, candles and our new Christmas stoneware (another sweet thrift store find!). Sammy & Lincoln took a bath while the others cooked. The bath is my new dinnertime babysitter. :) Stephen got home a little after 10pm.

I feel like I'm falling behind. The piles are beginning to grow--on my counter, in the hall, on my dresser, in the front room....But I'm simply not able to do everything right now. It seems like just when I'm about to get something (as in clutter clean up) done Trevor needs to nurse or Lincoln has a poopy diaper or Mason has a new invention to show me or it's time for school or lunch or ballet or dinner.

Yesterday I got in my workout clothes and was all set to do my Jillian workout--I had it all planned out (I should have known something would happen!): Trevor had nursed recently and was asleep, so I could work out, get a quick shower and then do school and nurse the baby. Well, Trevor woke up, Lincoln had a poopy diaper and the kids all decided to do the work out with me. Then Trevor needed to nurse so we did school right then. And then it was lunch time. Put the baby to sleep, make lunch, soothe the baby, put Lincoln down for his nap, nurse the baby, finally take my shower! Only 3 hours later!

Mason's ear was really hurting him yesterday, and when Mason complains of pain, I know it's bad. The last time I took him to the doctor he had a double ear infection, but hadn't even noticed! Sammy woke up in the middle of the night because "it felt like mice were biting my legs." Lincoln is currently cutting molars, so isn't sleeping well, and Elise has an uncomfortable-sounding cough. I cut the boys' hair today.

I think that once I get a good night's sleep (which is totally relative with a newborn!) I won't feel quite so far behind. I do enjoy this time of life!! I know there are things that only happen with my babies in the newborn stage--the cooing and new smiles and curling up and swaddling, along with the frequent nursings and diaper changes and night-time wakings. It's all par for the course. It, too, shall pass. And I'm sure I'll miss it.

So,

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow
For babies grow up, I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

It's always fun when grandparents come!

As I mentioned before, my mom got into town about 16 hours before Trevor came into the world. She was here for 12 wonderful days. My plan for after I had TD was to do nothing but take care of him for about a week. My mom took care of everything else--cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, hair cuts, carving pumpkins, reading, field trips, and painting the front room, hall and kitchen/dining room. So, she did way more than I ever do! :o) In fact, I made a list of things for her to do--like cleaning my fridge--and she was glad I had that list! Crazy woman!

Monday night she gave all the boys haircuts (don't worry--Lincoln still has curls!):

She took the older 3 kids to the circus:

And because she didn't have enough to do, she washed walls and painted:

She took all of us to the apple orchard--my first venture out of the house:

She did school with the kids. Notice Mason's concentration? Mom made him hold his pencil correctly, and it was kind of tricky for him...:

She took Elise to ballet:

And the older kids to the St. Paul LDS Temple, and Catholic Cathedral:

Somehow I didn't get any pictures of perhaps the most surprising thing to me: how Lincoln took to his Grammy! I spent several days in bed with the baby, and Lincoln got croup, so couldn't really be near us. In fact, everybody got croup on Tuesday--the day TD was born. Not fun. Sammy was so bad we took him to the ER (but ended up only at Urgent Care) on Thursday. But back to Lincoln and Grammy...

The day that Mom took the older kids to the temple Lincoln cried and cried when he realized he didn't get to go. He was so sad! His face about broke Grammy's heart! She put him down for his nap before she left, but wasn't back by the time he got up. I went in to get him when he woke up, hoping for some snuggles, but he wriggled out of my arms and ran out of the room calling, "MA! Mama!", looking for my mom!

With the croup he started waking up at night, and my angel mother would get up with him (and Sammy). Even after he was over his cough he kept waking up and Mom would rock him and sing him back to sleep. Funny thing, since Mom has left Lincoln has slept through the night as usual. Stephen and I figure that he really liked that time alone with his Grammy. :o)

She carved pumpkins with the kiddos:

             

And read lots and lots and lots of books!

Stephen and I introduced Mom to our new favorite show, "White Collar", and we watched quite a few episodes with our new projector, compliments of my dad. :o) No more watching movies on my little laptop screen!

Speaking of my daddy-o, he stopped by for a couple of days on his way back from Germany! We went to the Science Museum with him yesterday--Mason loved. having him there to do experiments with--and at home to solder and desolder with him. We went out for dinner at Famous Dave's rib house, and he took the kids out for donuts this morning. And of course they wrestled and tickled. :o)

Come back soon, Grammy & Papa!!