tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34049796901622822982011-11-27T18:17:10.256-06:00Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.comBlogger3771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-8348024074386085592009-11-17T07:10:00.006-06:002009-11-17T08:17:05.619-06:00

Another great day out at the Petroglyphs. The boys really enjoy going to these and they got to see and do some really neat things yesterday. Even if we did have to leave early and didn't get to make an arrowhead! The picture above is Jack, Jack, and Clay watching a short movie together in a viewing room they have.Jack made some Tipi's :)And the boys got to help assemble a tipi of their own.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-39822338331136356622009-11-16T08:55:00.000-06:002009-11-16T08:55:00.231-06:00

Remember the top picture? I gave it as a heads up in my weekly wrap up post. You'll find out what it's all about at the end of the post!Here are some more pictures from the Kirby Science Center. I took even more than this, terrible I know! We were lucky to basically have the place to ourselves. We went on a school day (Mic had no school that day) and saw only a few other families. There

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-80523658847038243732009-11-15T10:53:00.000-06:002009-11-15T10:53:00.169-06:00

The closest hands on science center is a little over an hour away. It pains me to admit that this is the first time we have went to this one. What a shame, because the kids had a blast. We bought a year long membership and will have to make it back a few more times this year. Which is what I'm hoping for. The boys have been begging ever since we got home to go back again. I feel bad for not

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-44034246218297526312009-11-14T21:43:00.003-06:002009-11-14T22:29:40.639-06:00

Okay, it's getting late in the week and another is about to begin :) I really can not believe we are so close to Thanksgiving. I can't wait :) I ordered, from the library, a ton of books on Pilgrims and their lives, the Mayflower, Wampanoag Indians, and other general Thanksgiving History and that will be our focus this week and next. I was able to print out some great word finds, story

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38126981202845990432009-11-07T13:19:00.007-06:002009-11-07T14:49:35.893-06:00

This week wasn't too busy, but it was productive. Jack continues to plow his way through chapter books and is on the 6th MTH books. He's also read a few other chapter books we have. Right now, since we have misplaced the 6th MTH book (he's on chapter 7 too), he is reading a book on silly laws for each state. He laws and giggles each time he reads it. Which is my favorite part of watching him

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38561901774123305302009-11-05T08:45:00.000-06:002009-11-05T08:45:00.126-06:00

We made this for dinner the other night and it was so good. So good. The boys gobbled up everything on their plate and have been begging for me to make the Pumpkin Casserole again. The Chicken Pot Pie, is just a generic recipe for this. Lots of veggies, leftover chicken, a gravy made from chicken broth and milk, seasonings and then a homemade pie crust made with butter on top. Divine. It

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-45148275308347243002009-11-04T12:58:00.004-06:002009-11-04T13:19:54.259-06:00

I'm pretty behind here, I realize this. Just be preoccupied with other things. Last Thursday we had some friends over, well a lot of friends over! Within a few hour time span, 15 kids came in and out of my home. It was a lot of fun. Alicia and her children came over for a while and enjoyed some oh so good (but not so good for you) snacks. I did get a picture of all of them, not the best, but

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-25232976421975988352009-10-28T10:38:00.000-05:002009-10-28T10:38:00.238-05:00

We did it again. While driving into town last Wednesday I saw this little thing in the middle of the road. It was raining and about 36 degrees out. I pulled over and picked up this...........................She is so sweet. She was frozen, beat up, and extremely tired and hungry. We got her home and cleaned her up and feed her. Chad is very allergic to cats, so we can't have them in the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-63924013006131711762009-10-27T17:35:00.005-05:002009-10-27T18:03:19.420-05:00

You know it's almost Halloween now! We made it to the pumpkin patch this weekend. It was cold and rainy and MUDDY. Holy smokes. The boys had fun though. Mic was at his dad's, but he didn't seem to disappointed to miss out. I even offered to take them all again and he passed. Haha, oh well.We took a hayride out to a field of teeny tiny pumpkins and each one of the boys got to pick

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-60613655849523280612009-10-23T16:39:00.001-05:002009-10-23T21:53:36.955-05:00

It was a great week :) We kept busy every day with things and accomplished a lot. Jack and Clay both did their work boxes almost every day without complaint. On Wednesday, there was no school here, so the 2 boys went to a friends house all day long. Without mom. While Mic, Oliver, and I sat at home and just relaxed. It was peaceful haha!Jack was super proud of himself for doing his work each

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-53383454907850076172009-10-21T15:30:00.001-05:002009-10-21T16:27:23.969-05:00

Everyone loves pumpkins this time of year, right!? We did use a squash also to observe, cut open, inspect, and to cook for supper :) We kind of used them interchangeably this week, since there isn't a huge difference in their growth, reproduction, or their inside plant structure. We have a pumpkin patch visit planned for Saturday so we don't even have a pumpkin yet haha. That will finish out

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-37173487100330781722009-10-20T13:28:00.003-05:002009-10-20T13:37:09.001-05:00

Just had to pass this one along, too good to miss! Check out this.................Coombs Organic Maple Sryup; Original Price at $26.00. Subscribe and Save at Amazon for 15% off at $22.10. Then enter the coupon code BASCOM35 for an additonal 35% off, for a total savings of 50%. That's only $13 total, and with free shipping.Even better, I used my giftcards I have earned through Swagbucks, so

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-52904110716192962562009-10-19T17:24:00.003-05:002009-10-19T17:29:46.762-05:00

Mic decided he wanted to try out band at school. He picked the trumpet and last week I went and rented one. I'm not sure he will even enjoy it. If he does, I will be pleasantly surprised :) This should be interesting.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-18465527829362729102009-10-17T07:53:00.000-05:002009-10-17T07:53:00.649-05:00

I know you may be wondering about my sanity right now, but this was the extent of our week. It was pretty productive, even if we didn't do much when it come to book work haha :) We played in the snow (crazy).Jack and Clay spent a good portion of their days taking little old toys, VCR tapes, and anything else they could get their hands on apart. I guess there is a lot to learn in this process

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-47602365572262771062009-10-16T17:05:00.006-05:002009-10-16T17:26:01.763-05:00

On a whim, my husband had a friend come over this AM to teach him how to butcher chickens. By 8am, three of the roosters had meet their maker. Jack sat by and watched the whole thing. Oliver, Clay, and I made it outside just in time to have a refresher course in gutting a chicken.We got three nice sized chickens from the process. I never weighed them, but they weren't light at all and I'm

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-3812240897810776962009-10-13T22:49:00.001-05:002009-10-13T22:49:00.255-05:00

My garden is done. Good bye. Adios. Au veior. Ciao. I will love you again next year. I think I did pretty well with the small space I had. I will truly miss going out and picking all those great goodies. I am bummed that I wasn't on the ball enough to get out there and cover the peppers or at least pick off what was left on them. It's snowed here twice all ready. Insanity! Either way,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-46041889807696955522009-10-13T07:40:00.000-05:002009-10-13T07:40:00.550-05:00

Now that I am able to upload some pictures again, here is a photo dump of a few things we have done over the last 2 weeks (I believe).Nice face, huh?We had to see if it really was impossible to smash an egg with your bare hands. Here is a quick rundown on the how-to's. If you put the egg in the palm of your hand, make a fist around it, and squeeze with all your might...........do you think it

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-51163685302108447262009-10-12T11:27:00.005-05:002009-10-12T21:59:58.245-05:00

MondayLunch ~ Scrambled Eggs, Hashbrowns, PearsSupper ~ Potato and Leek Soup, Apple CrispTo Do ~ Soak LentilsTuesdayLunch ~ Cheese Quesadilla's, Carrot SticksSupper ~ Red Lentil Curry, Jasmine Rice, Green PeasTo Do ~ Defrost ChickenWednesdayLunch ~ LeftoversSupper ~ Roast Chicken, Brussel Sprouts, Mashed Potato's W/ Homemade GravyTo Do ~ Defrost Ground BeefThursdayLunch ~ Salmon Patties, Lettuce

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-20843904507491134582009-09-30T08:32:00.005-05:002009-09-30T09:01:40.010-05:00

There are many different recipes out there for stuffed zucchini. If you have never tried it, I suggest you do. It happens to be one of my favorite ways to eat zucchini, right after zucchini pickles that is :)It's easy, healthy, and a great way to use up those ginormous zucchinis that hide away in your garden. We all know I'm good about leaving them to grow just a little bit too large.Here is

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-50681765727642615262009-09-29T09:55:00.003-05:002009-09-29T10:18:51.189-05:00

Is a little late, I know, but that's okay :)TuesdayLunch : LeftoversSupper : Stuffed ZucchiniTo Do : Soak BeansWednesdayLunch : Egg Salad Sandwiches, Apple Slices, Carrot SticksSupper : Chili, Baked Potato'sTo Do : Make Taco ShellsThursdayLunch : Cheese QuesidillasSupper : Roast Chicken, Creamed Corn, BroccoliFriday : LeftoversSupper : Chicken Pot Pie, Fresh Lettuce SaladSaturdayLunch : Scrambled

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-82298584816302637682009-09-28T14:56:00.000-05:002009-09-28T14:56:00.402-05:00

Haven't done an update in a long time! The garden has slowed down hugely. I probably will not be getting much more from the garden except for lettuce, swiss chard, and some beets (which have done pretty poorly). There are some zucchini, tomato's, and pepper scraglers out there also.I've been going out about once a week and bringing in what I can. The tomato's have been over run with bugs, but

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-25243706512200679112009-09-26T08:49:00.003-05:002009-09-26T09:29:03.943-05:00

Well, if your read any of my last few posts. You would know that we have nasty bug going through our house. That is most likely the H1N1 Virus. As I type this Saturday morning, I now have 5 out of 6 people sick in this house sick. Who isn't ill yet? Well, it's me. I think Mom's have this uncanny ability to stay healthy to nurse everyone else back to wellness and then BAM. They get it and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-18942889374467767572009-09-25T22:19:00.007-05:002009-09-25T22:52:07.989-05:00

We read the book Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Elhert this week. The boys really enjoyed the book and I thought it would tie in well for our Nature Study this week. It's a book that follows the life of a Sugar Maple Tree. You know, the cool tree with the helicopter seeds? Well, we think helicopter seeds are pretty cool here. Anyways....................We set out into our big backyard to

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-66822509612009695912009-09-24T14:49:00.004-05:002009-09-24T14:55:53.640-05:00

I got this recipe from a friend a we had to try it out. The boys loved it and it was a great treat for them. Perfect amount of sweetness without being over the top. Oliver loved it and porked out on popcorn for along time haha!10 cups air-popped popcorn1/4 cup honey1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon1-2 TBS Coconut OilPop popcorn. Bring to a boil the honey, oil, and cinnamon. Pour honey mixture over popcorn

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-13871606501977156562009-09-23T16:54:00.006-05:002009-09-23T17:15:00.919-05:00

We started The Story Of The World last week to use as our history. We had to wait a while to start it officially because we ordered in some of the recommended books from the library and some took a while to get in. It was a bonus today, because Mic was home. He has been pretty ill this week, running a fever from Sunday until late last night. His temp must have broke then, and he has been

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-83374396180121482732009-09-21T15:11:00.004-05:002009-09-21T15:34:00.247-05:00

Well I finally sat down last night and made up a plan for this week. I don't know why I stopped, but over the last few weeks I've been struggling with what to make. I think because we aren't getting as much fresh local produce? I've been making most of our meals around what I can get from our garden, the freebies we have gotten from others (pears, apples, potato's, onions, peppers, green beans

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-49656085628264851572009-09-18T10:04:00.005-05:002009-09-18T10:42:14.213-05:00

I didn't do a wrap up last week, mostly because we were out of town for a few days and secondly because our library books didn't come in on time haha. The boys are sitting here as I type, finishing up their school work for the day. How nice to get it out of the way.I made a loose schedule last week and from now on, Wednesdays will be devoted to history and doing a lesson from our Story Of The

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-32702765070495272202009-09-16T09:21:00.001-05:002009-09-16T09:21:00.468-05:00

When we were up north, we were able to dive into some more local history. Some very neat local history if I must say so myself. My husband and I were very intrigued by it and enjoyed learning about it. The boys had fun at the museum, but really didn't get the historical value of it. In a few years, it may soak in haha. Either way, I know they were able to file away some information in their

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-64321708039495897732009-09-15T08:56:00.001-05:002009-09-25T22:57:53.087-05:00

We did our Nature Study for the week, at the lake. It was fitting and very relaxing. The boys spent all weekend playing and exploring the lake and the life around it, but there is something special when I give them their notebooks and I tell them it's time for a nature study haha. It's so weird how they change their mode and dive right into it.Oliver found, carried around, and played with a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-24449183608445692882009-09-14T17:43:00.006-05:002009-09-14T20:30:58.398-05:00

We got home this afternoon. The weather was beautiful, we had a blast with our family, and the boys got to have tons of lake time. Fishing, boat rides, swimming, playing, and just hanging out. Here are a few pics from our annual family lake trip. This is my whole family (on my mothers side). Lots of good company :)The boys got to listen to some great guitar music.Clay and Oliver got to play a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-69808450675308001752009-09-12T22:04:00.000-05:002009-09-12T22:04:00.515-05:00

We are excited here, our yard is somewhat coming together. Last week, Chad planted grass and that is slowly coming up. Having grass is something I never knew I loved so much in my life. A home isn't very homey when your surrounded by mounds of mud and dirt.We also had an outfit here a few days ago to pour some concrete for our little driveway. Which is also nice, I'm really hoping to cut down

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-46708974469211729112009-09-11T10:11:00.000-05:002009-09-11T10:11:00.267-05:00

It's that time of year again, we are going on a short weekend trip. I hope to enjoy the weekend and stay healthy! Last year, Jack and I both were ill and it's hard to enjoy a family weekend when you have the crud. I'm spent last night catching up and getting some blogging done. I've been slacking, but I love doing it. For no reason, except, well I 'm not sure exactly why I keep up haha :)Oh

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-50990139892602174342009-09-10T21:57:00.004-05:002009-09-10T22:04:17.167-05:00

Jack has had some loose teeth for a while, the front two to be exact. This AM, I was telling him it would be another week or so (or so I thought). We were moving it around and I think it's kind of creepy but neat at the same time to wiggle a loose toother.Anyways, in the car this afternoon he yelled out of the blue "My tooth fell out!". Sure enough, I reached behind me and got to hold his

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-72236618965125468482009-09-09T12:10:00.003-05:002009-09-09T12:13:47.383-05:00

Just got say this, but so far today we have gotten 9 eggs! Woot Woot! Two giant eggs, three teeny eggs, and four regular sized eggs :) I found one this AM at 6:30 when I opened the coop and Clay and I just went out and picked up 8 more. I had to make a pocket with my shirt, first time ever. Every other day, I could just carry them back in my hands. We should have enough now, to sell a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-35771047323272939502009-09-05T19:00:00.001-05:002009-09-05T19:00:01.114-05:00

The boys have been begging to read Charlotte's Web so we spent our week reading this out loud and reading other books on spiders. Some of the books we read this week are here. We also got some various books from our library on spiders. Actually almost every book came from the library. I want to get into the habit of ordering what we need the week before. Since our library is so small, this

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-8710956274100086732009-09-04T22:31:00.007-05:002009-09-25T22:58:25.497-05:00

We do this a lot, but have never really called it anything. Just "play time" or "get your butts outside and run off some energy" time. There is a great blog out there, The Handbook Of Nature Study which is set up to follow along or go along with the book The Handbook Of Nature Study. We do not own the book, nor have I read it. I just skimmed a long, visited a few links, and this is our

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-91092387799552347542009-09-03T20:07:00.003-05:002009-09-03T20:25:09.698-05:00

Hard to think that my sweet baby here...........................has grown into this........................We have had a peaceful day at home today. I picked out a Wall-E plate set that he quietly pouted for in Shop-ko a few weeks ago. Since dad wasn't home today, we will wait to give it to him. Not much, but he is too young to care about presents and it's not what birthdays are about.We sang

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-73655023195146144942009-09-01T09:41:00.005-05:002009-09-01T09:50:13.780-05:00

Yesterday I went out around noon to give the chickens some scraps and found this monster. It filled up the palm of my hand and weighed in at 4 oz. Our biggest one yet! Most of our eggs are 2oz'ers. Bigger ones at 3oz's and the smallest are about 1oz each. Which is funny because our biggest hen, Buffy (a Buff Orphington of course) lays the teeniest eggs out of every one. Here is our giant

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-91773646992500271012009-08-30T07:56:00.000-05:002009-08-30T07:56:00.187-05:00

I have major issues with cutting my children's hair. Once you do it, they are no longer a baby :( I have waited with all of them til they are about 2 years old.Apparently he does too..............Even a great tasting organic sucker didn't improve his mood................But I stuck it out.................And the boy looks mighty fine now if I must say. He'll look smashing for his 2nd birthday

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-52572547906238641462009-08-29T07:30:00.002-05:002009-08-29T07:45:41.185-05:00

We actually started doing a more structured school day last week. Very slowly we are going to ease into things. Public school for the kids here, doesn't start until after Labor Day. So we are a little bit ahead :) We have been doing things all summer, but just a very laid back approach. We are loving our work boxes. Clay is the biggest fan of them haha. Jack just likes them lol, he enjoys

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-41644088348640315232009-08-27T22:22:00.000-05:002009-08-27T22:25:57.596-05:00

I planted these sunflowers really late, hoping they would provide some shade in the run for the chickens. Well...........they provide shade that's for sure, but they grew the wrong way and provide little shade for the chickens lol. The kids DO love them and they are the one thing (besides the zucchini) which have been totally unphased by this years weather. We plan on saving the heads for the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-11763300517724493552009-08-25T22:07:00.002-05:002009-08-25T22:17:46.488-05:00

Isn't he cute? That is my monster haha :) We got this idea from the book Early Learning Skill Builders by Mary Tomczyk and decided it would be a fun activity for everyone. I got the book from the www.christianbook.com for a great price if your interested. All you need is a die, crayons, and paper. The concept is simple. You first draw your body of your monster. Then you roll you die for the

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38446802246049321602009-08-23T13:51:00.000-05:002009-08-23T17:18:38.270-05:00

I didn't plan on doing this, but I've noticed that Jack has a very hard time doing any school work, when he is at the kitchen table. More than likely because our house is pretty busy all the time. So this past week, I have worked on getting my catch all office cleaned up and have transformed it into a great space for me and the kids. It is very small though.......but it works great. It should

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-12201578606798257072009-08-21T09:13:00.001-05:002009-08-21T09:13:01.087-05:00

I keep forgetting to do these, which isn't good is it? Oh well, I do keep the tally bar updated and am looking forward to see how much we got here in August. It won't be a ton, but we have gotten a lot so far. I buy just a few things each week from the farmers market, mostly onions, potato's, and fruit. None of which we grew this year, oh I lie, we did plant some potato's that had gone to

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-16473554543538226842009-08-20T08:53:00.005-05:002009-08-20T09:13:40.044-05:00

Not much to say about this one, except sorry for another chicken post haha! We made eggs for breakfast the other day and the boys enjoy picking their own egg (always Thanking Beatrice in the process or asking if there is a baby chicken in there lol). Jack picked out the biggest one, which turned out to be a double yolker. He was THRILLED. He said it tasted better than a normal egg too. Which

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-72833027599383949012009-08-16T11:21:00.005-05:002009-08-16T11:55:04.041-05:00

We are patiently waiting for the rest to follow suit :) I have been keeping them in the run, I'm afraid to let them out, I really don't want to find gigantic nests of eggs in the grove or in the honeysuckle haha. Once a few more start laying, and they have the idea of the nestboxes, they can go out again. Although I realize they may still lay the occassion egg outside the coop. Hmmm, I guess

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-76752310303972073102009-08-15T08:28:00.002-05:002009-08-15T08:34:48.030-05:00

Ugg, I haven't felt this ill in a LONG time. Just thought I would pop in a say I should be back by Monday. It started with Clay, he ran a low-grade fever, then threw up, then laid on the couch for 2 days and was all better. He only complained of a stomach ache, but yesterday mentioned that his throat doesn't hurt anymore.Then I got it, Thursday night, my throat started to hurt and I was just

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38132606832362023562009-08-13T11:47:00.001-05:002009-08-13T11:47:00.963-05:00

The other day I fried some fish, it sounded good so I seized the moment and went with the flow. Boy oh boy was I glad I did. It was some of the best fish I have ever had. I know it's good, when I get one of these.....................Two thumbs and two feet up. Great supper, Mom! Number 1!I used a beer batter and fried it in our lard. It was crispy, but not dried out, and had a great flavor.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-57749957066155605072009-08-12T08:57:00.001-05:002009-08-12T14:19:38.730-05:00

No, not herpes you sickos! Herps, is short for Herpetology, which would be the study of amphibians and reptiles. We went to a great class at the local ecology center and the kids had a blast and learned a lot in the process. I have to say, this place has been a great resource for us. Classes a few times a month that are close, affordable, fun, and are full of information.I took just Jack and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-31627892059348746552009-08-10T19:09:00.001-05:002009-08-11T06:57:50.310-05:00

So we have 4 roos...........2 more than we wanted haha :) Now comes the oh-so-fun step of deciding which ones stay and which ones go.We have The 3 Stooges, which are Silver Laced WyandottesAnd then there is Russell Crowe....................The 3 Stooges have some downfalls. For one, they all hang out together. Almost all the time. They pick on Russel, as a group. The look for bugs, as a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-76431227659485576462009-08-08T16:52:00.001-05:002009-08-08T16:52:00.448-05:00

At least I think that is what number I'm on haha :) I haven't taken any garden pics lately, well I did a while back but we needed to cut the weed/grass between the boxes and it looked HORRIBLE, so I just scratched those pics haha ;) Plus, my camera has been out. I have made sure to take pictures of the baskets of goodies I have brought in over the past few days. I would bet, we have been

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-83905388637784989882009-08-07T08:46:00.001-05:002009-08-07T23:29:34.229-05:00

We try to eat as many fermented foods as possible (normally as a condiment not as a main dish). We do the homemade yogurt, water keifer, home made sauerkraut and kimchi. We have been waiting a long time for fresh green beans to make some Fermented Dilly Beans..............and they were worth wait!For more information on naturally fermented foods (like my legal disclaimer haha!), I highly

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-62239276757942584642009-08-06T10:36:00.000-05:002009-08-06T10:36:00.143-05:00

Mic is finishing up his swimming lessons for the year. I'm amazed at how well he does. He reminds me of myself, a little fish I tell you! No fear. We also took the chance to do the bouncy ball kit Clay got for his birthday. It was a huge hit! So much fun and pretty easy. Mic was very skeptical, he didn't think the balls would actually bounce. He was happily proven wrong. They worked great

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-46983330006613465612009-08-05T21:55:00.005-05:002009-08-05T22:32:23.019-05:00

Clay had a belated birthday party with some friends Tuesday. Alicia and her kids were able to come over for a visit. He had wanted another family to come also, but they got sick and were in the doctors that AM with Strep, so it was good they stayed home haha!He had a lot of fun and insisted on getting a game to play and some goodie bags.He was thrilled to receive this really neat bouncy ball

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38842228592845172262009-08-04T11:50:00.005-05:002009-08-04T13:34:29.278-05:00

And I obviously got my new camera haha ;) This AM, I slept in, which was my own fault. I didn't get out to the chickens til almost 8am *gasp*, I know I know. I let them out, went to fill their feeder and noticed 2 eggs sitting on the roost! I was shocked. We JUST put the nest box up, they aren't quite at the laying age I was expecting. Everything said 5-6 months, they aren't even 5 months

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-80430694409589313192009-08-03T23:23:00.005-05:002009-08-03T23:34:11.777-05:00

Some of you are going "Gosh! There goes Erica again swooning over liver *blech*." Sorry guys, but we really do enjoy it here. I made it a few days ago and everyone gobbled it up :) Oliver can't get enough and I'm always surprised how well it tastes, only because every tells me how much they hate it hahaha :)So anyways, Jenn over at Nourished Kitchen is doing her Clean Your Plate Challenge and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-58189772731824630342009-08-03T09:40:00.000-05:002009-08-03T14:23:45.704-05:00

A while back, the boys and I read Bartholomew and The Oobleck by Dr. Suess. Great book and I have been waiting and wanting to do this with the boys for a while. Just needed the right day I guess, haha.Anyways, we made some oobleck. A quick, easy, but messy science project. What is oobleck? Oobleck is a type of non-Newtonian fluid. Which means it displays both properties of a liquid and a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-11626977182852490282009-08-02T12:35:00.002-05:002009-08-02T12:40:07.452-05:00

OH I am SO bummed because this weekend was fantastic. Clay celebrated his 4th birthday and it was his proudest and funnest yet. He enjoyed it completely and I only wish I would have had some pictures to remember. My sweet baby is four!! I can't believe it!!I ordered a new camera last week and thanks to the gift cards I have earned through swagbucks, it cost me little to nothing! So, this

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-58890235907401433712009-07-30T10:30:00.003-05:002009-07-30T10:31:31.560-05:00

The recipe I followed for the Zucchini Pickles was pretty easy...................................picture is from last year as my camera is broken! Ack :( What a bummer and we have a birthday coming up.2lbs Sliced Zucchini2 medium onions (I used one large onion) sliced1/4 cup salt2 cups vinegar2 cups sugar1 tsp celery seed1 tsp turmeric2 tsps mustard seedPlace zucchini in pot and cover with

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-28600214288445550212009-07-29T00:01:00.000-05:002009-07-29T00:01:00.820-05:00

Oh we have been getting lots of nice things from our garden :) Swiss chard is my new favorite vegetable. Never had it til this year either! We pick just a little of something every day. We also have been enjoying fresh raw green beans. After I go for my run, I pick them and snack on them while I stretch. Now that is living!Some days are better than others for harvests, but that is okay.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-31411229199304407552009-07-28T23:49:00.000-05:002009-07-28T23:49:00.373-05:00

Like everyone else, we are a little short on money this year. We have been taking advantage of all the local museum's, shops, highway stops, and monuments we can. We visited a little museum that is located in my hometown. Only $5 for all of us to get in (kids were free, adults were $5), so the price was just right for a fun little trip.There were trains to explore, lots of old buildings with

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-26018184465347835492009-07-27T23:32:00.005-05:002009-07-27T23:45:46.542-05:00

A while back, I rendered about 1/3 of that huge block of frozen hog fat I have haha. If I haven't mentioned before, when you have a whole hog processed and ask for the lard...................make sure to specify that you want it divided up and not all thrown together in a massive hunk'o'fat. Just a suggestion. Otherwise you'll have something that looks like this :)Anyways, it was simple and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-53776360860219359722009-07-14T14:18:00.000-05:002009-07-14T14:18:00.383-05:00

Still getting lettuce and have very few radish's left in the garden. We just started getting some chard, although I think I could have let it grow larger before I picked it :) I did replant some black radish's, but I think the weather may be to warm for them to grow properly. Things look the same out there, just growing a little bigger. I think the biggest thing now, is that we have harvested

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-23766718707550093412009-07-13T13:55:00.004-05:002009-07-13T14:17:05.498-05:00

Clay and I, just Clay and I!, went to a class on Moths and Butterflies this weekend. It was a lot of fun. We learned a few new things, caught some butterflies, moths, dragonflies, damselflies, and some catapillers. He was able to make a cute little bug house at the end of the day also. I think he enjoyed the wild raspberries he found the most of all though haha :) Typical man, always thinking

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-71869312503960555442009-07-11T10:37:00.003-05:002009-07-11T10:42:07.251-05:00

Have you heard of Swagbucks? It's a site where you are able to search and *win* swagbucks. You can then redeem them for gift cards, music, or other various sorts of paraphernalia. I started doing this around the February and so far have earned about $40 in amazon gift cards. Not bad considering all I'm doing is doing what I would normally do. For example, if I need any information

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-10561353213150954742009-07-11T07:41:00.000-05:002009-07-11T07:41:00.940-05:00

Every year, all the library's in our area have events every week and there is one that my kids look forward to with much anticipation :) The Zoo Man. He's is a local man who brings some a whole bunch of different reptiles around, is super funny to watch and listen too, and REALLY knows what he is talking about when it comes to snakes, lizards, turtles, and other things.This year the boys really

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-59254124332702573202009-07-10T12:56:00.002-05:002009-07-10T12:56:00.496-05:00

I haven't done a whole lot of updating on our homeschooling lately :) Mostly because, well we just have been so busy with summer. What a lame excuse, I know haha, but it is so very much the truth! Watch out! This may get long but it's just a dip in the water of some things we have done over the past 6 weeks!!Some ways we have learned lately are....................Art time with our

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-55186112274580118902009-07-09T09:36:00.001-05:002009-07-09T13:50:39.057-05:00

That is about what the last week amounted too. Thankfully not all at the same time . We did some camping, got dirty, had a few campfires, ate crappy smores, and had some pretty tame fireworks. As long as your all having fun, right? I think that is what counts :)We did a little tenting and roasted marshmallow's. I love smores, but man they are not very good for you. It was our 4th of July

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-33511939846546498272009-07-08T17:58:00.004-05:002009-07-08T18:02:27.455-05:00

My Four Monkeys is hosting a give-away for a gift certificate to Rainbow Resource Center. Which is great if you home school, have you kids, or just want to get some great learning materials to help out your children that are in school. Head on over there for a chance to win :)

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-91529854049300325902009-07-08T12:03:00.000-05:002009-07-08T12:03:00.271-05:00

Look at what I got in one day. I cleaned out a whole patch of lettuce and pulled up most of radish's. There are still a few stragglers hanging out there, but not many. So far so good? At least that's what I'm hoping on :) My baby pac choi did well but then I never harvested it *blush*, it wend to seed, and now it's still there looking all pretty.We are still waiting on things to really

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-12839218505636267152009-07-07T09:27:00.003-05:002009-07-07T09:36:42.412-05:00

We went to a class a while back called "Explore The Arts". I was a little nervous to go and almost didn't go because I was unsure of what to expect. The lady hosting the class was very adamant that children wear SHOES, not sandals and would be asked to leave if they didn't comply. I don't' know why this made me worry, but ti did. We decided to go and I'm SO glad we did. The kids LOVED it and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-5528693018224926842009-07-03T09:53:00.002-05:002009-07-03T10:55:32.599-05:00

This may just look like a boy with an antique red wagon, but it's not. Life is never that simple. It made my heart race to watch them and nobody got hurt, but I hope they don't want to do this very often and can't wait til the dirt piles are gone haha!! It is also Mic's birthday today!! He's 10 years old, finally hit those double digits :) Happy Birthday Mic, you'll always be my baby :)

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-41825336731631635882009-07-01T07:51:00.001-05:002009-07-01T07:51:00.755-05:00

I haven't posted a recipe for a long time! We made this the other night and it was a huge hit, loved it and will definitely make it again! Since the farmers market is open again, I was able to pick up a bunch of free range chickens at a fairly good price..........Yummy! Also, since it's a crockpot recipe, it's really no fuss. Use your crockpot haha! Cleanup is simple, no worries about having

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-22903254424716508312009-06-30T07:33:00.004-05:002009-06-30T07:51:19.367-05:00

It's that time of year again. The local berry patch is open for business and last week; Jack, Clay, Oliver, and myself headed over to pick some berries. The weather was great, not too hot or humid, but it had rained earlier and it was MUDDY. No big deal, we got our berries then were able to come home and get cleaned up :)We picked a tad bit over 14 lbs in about an hour. Jack started out

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-47205742457692332182009-06-25T11:54:00.000-05:002009-06-25T11:54:00.360-05:00

We have been at the lake. A lot. Haha, you have no idea. We have been there 4 days out of the last 6 and the boys enjoy it every single time. Yesterday we met up with Alicia and her kids, which it seems like we haven't seen forever! Summer, which is supposed to be quieter right?!?, has been super busy for us and ever more busy for Alicia. My hat of to her!Oliver spent most of his time,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-85625643124902454772009-06-24T21:55:00.004-05:002009-06-24T22:31:23.847-05:00

There was a huge change in this week as compared to last week, plants just sprung out of the ground and they seem to be doing pretty good so far.The tomato's are getting bigger every day and are full of flowers or baby tomato's.The green beans are doing well and the radish's are much more of a success this year!And this bed looks so pitiful compared to the others, but it's doing good also. I

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-67770253342705220722009-06-23T11:00:00.000-05:002009-06-23T11:00:51.108-05:00

We found a good sized painted turtle in our yard on Monday. We have a creek nearby (hey, do you say creek like *crick* or *creak*, just curious haha), but it's about 1 mile away and there really isn't a lot of water nearby. It's been pretty rainy off and on, so we figured he must have wandered in from a drainage ditch or something.The boys and I snatched him up in an old rusty stock pot and

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-24844253916131443552009-06-21T23:28:00.002-05:002009-06-21T23:34:10.802-05:00

Last Saturday, I ran in a 5K with 2 of my girlfriends. While there, one of them mentioned I should cut my hair..........................I love my long hair................it took me a while to grow out...........but man did it sound like a good idea. So I took the week to ponder it out and then on Friday (which was my birthday). I went in to Great Clips and took the plunge. I had enough to

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-6262082135521069682009-06-19T12:33:00.006-05:002009-06-19T12:45:04.083-05:00

We have baseball going on along with T-Ball! Wow. Wow. Wow. It's been fun to watch Mic play this year. There was an amazing switch between last summer and this summer, things much have clicked for him and many of his teammates. They did very well at there games this week and it was a lot of fun to watch. Here he is up to bat.Oliver sat very sweetly and cheered him on, at least for the first

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-20902749238811825052009-06-18T19:40:00.001-05:002009-06-18T19:40:00.344-05:00

Ahhhhhhhh!! That's Oliver's favorite saying lately, and this is his favorite activity when I am working in the garden. Whatever floats your boat :) He keeps busy climbing the huge pile of dirt and I'm actually able to get a little work done.................. but honestly, gardening is pretty darn easy.I'm surprised how much I've shoved into these 3 raised beds. I went back a little over a

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38242610020321347742009-06-17T18:33:00.000-05:002009-06-18T07:57:15.090-05:00

Jack and Clay started T-Ball this week! What fun :) This is Jack's 2nd year and Clay's first. Jack is super excited because he knows what to do this year (as in he knows how and when to run the bases haha). Clay hit the ball, then ran to pick his up, then slowly meandered around the bases. After about 6 hitters, he finally made his way home, hahahahaha..........it will get better over time.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-69187006884181041942009-06-16T18:15:00.000-05:002009-06-16T18:15:00.751-05:00

We are excited to add another little bundle of joy to our family....................a little kitten and she is adorable. My husband is very allergic to cats, but suggested getting an outdoor cat. Right now, she is being housed in the garage, she's still small and I'm worried she will run off.She is very wild and hopefully over time will become more friendly. She bit me and clawed me up pretty

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-30529606309529337082009-06-15T17:52:00.004-05:002009-06-15T18:11:17.766-05:00

The chickens are only 8 weeks old, haha. It feels like we have had them forever and we are not getting impatient for some eggs. I know we still have a long way to go yet, but it will go by quickly :)I love the above picture of Mic holding one of the Black Stars, these are the best birds. Not flighty and very friendly. They are supposed to be fantastic brown egg layers also, lets hope so. For

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-2968740133429456462009-06-12T17:46:00.000-05:002009-06-12T17:46:00.582-05:00

Last weekend I went to city wide garage sales in a local town. This is the 2nd time I've been out garage saleing so far this year and both times have been a success. For a grand total of $44.50 (which included some brownies and lemonade the kids got from a little girl selling at her stand).As you can see, I went a little book crazy. The first 2 pics there is 7 Homeschooling books on Themes, 7

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-40650010793754931492009-06-11T16:16:00.000-05:002009-06-11T16:16:00.982-05:00

The boys and I took a very impromptu trip to the zoo last week also. It was a nice day, not to hot and not to cold, and nothing is funner than visiting the zoo..........right!? Even though the closest zoo for us, isn't a ton to look at. The boys enjoy the trip and there were some new things when we went this time.In the spirit of catching funny signs, we spotted one as soon as we got there.And

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-70610568507732437682009-06-10T16:06:00.005-05:002009-06-10T16:15:04.440-05:00

Whew, I'm sorry for my absence. Just took some time off from blogging and enjoyed reading a gazillion books. I finished up the Twilight series (all 4 books), have read the first 5 books from the Sookie Stackhouse series and am starting on the 6th one tonight, one on organic gardening, The Myth Of Laziness, two books on carbohydrates, and The Rescue. I've totally neglected everything else

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-65252248115260711682009-05-29T11:39:00.007-05:002009-05-29T13:27:26.597-05:00

Yesterday we were able to go to a local lake and make a nice afternoon out of it. It was warm enough for the kids to play in the water and to have some fun :)We started out swimming and playing in the sand. After a while, Mic took off to explore a little inlet and to look for aquatic life. He spent some time there alone and really enjoyed it. He likes those quiet moments.After a while, we all

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-51865453782816396142009-05-25T22:00:00.001-05:002009-05-25T22:09:09.133-05:00

I originally started this blog to kind of chronicle my gardening. I joined 2008's Growing Challenge and did pretty good. We put plenty of food away and are still pecking away at what we did. Although we are slowly getting down to almost nothing haha.Things there are still plenty of is corn and pickled beets. We love the pickled beets, they just don't get eaten as often. One thing that we

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-46820472865564238532009-05-24T23:29:00.007-05:002009-05-25T00:12:49.436-05:00

Ho Hum Diddly. We did do a TON this week. Nothing you can find outlined in a book or guide. Nothing that had a lot to do with putting pencils to paper. Nothing that you could really grade or put in a scrapbook. But man alive we were busy. Even on the day when it was almost 100 degrees out with 50MPH wind gusts we kept ourselves busy!We did a lot of things around the yard, that will hopefully,

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-6244437631618628082009-05-22T11:00:00.000-05:002009-05-22T11:16:51.321-05:00

How does it look? We decided to do a large run for the chickens. When the boys and I are out in the yard a lot, they will free-range, but on days when we are off running errands or inside getting things done they will spend their time in here. It was a compromise hubby and I came too, he has his reservations about them running all the time and predators. I can see his concern. Plus IThey

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-43153934184002549252009-05-20T22:03:00.001-05:002009-05-20T22:03:00.756-05:00

Oh these chickens are so spoiled, so so spoiled. But we love them to death. The journey of getting them and getting the coop ready has been a fun one. We started off with this very old, very dirty, very junk packed chicken coop. It was on the property when my husbands grandfather bought the property some 50 years ago. Who knows when it was originally built, but I'm guessing you can add

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-18915162171145416072009-05-19T09:36:00.000-05:002009-05-19T09:36:00.254-05:00

Chad has gotten the crops in for the year and while he is able to spend some time at home he has been BUSY BUSY. He built and put sand in a new sandbox for the boys. This one is twice the size of the one in town and twice as deep. Which is nice, haha!He built me one raised 4X10 garden. He has promised me one more for the year, which I'm banking on........cross your fingers!I had to buy

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-72740056821533990672009-05-18T21:16:00.004-05:002009-05-18T21:36:45.597-05:00

Whew, have we been busy....................but certainly I have not been busy doing laundry or washing my floors. Good thing we have plenty of clothes and no one here really cares if there are puppy tracks on the kitchen floor :)I know it's pretty late, and I forgot last week also, but here is a super quick condensed version and some highlights of the week.Sunday, was Mothers Day of course......

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-9675859417447147612009-05-14T13:15:00.000-05:002009-05-14T15:39:50.795-05:00

WE ordered this set a while ago and shamefully haven't used it yet. I know I know. I was kind of disappointed in myself for not getting started on it sooner. The kids have asked a few times and I've put it off with the dreaded "Not today, maybe tomorrow". Tomorrow turned into 2 weeks. No good!!The whole experiment was simple, fun, and educational. The supplies are basic, what good science

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-76505269984279261092009-05-13T23:00:00.004-05:002009-05-13T23:12:41.770-05:00

Okay, apparently Oliver has not mastered painting. While I had my back turned doing some dishes and lunch prep work he was busy making a masterpiece.Good thing this child is adorable!! And that paint is non-toxic!! Tuesday was dubbed *Art Day*, they spent a good portion of our school time devoted to making little masterpieces. Jack worked very hard on painting his own version of Bionicles.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-25700064321839673702009-05-13T07:13:00.000-05:002009-05-13T07:13:00.405-05:00

We are trying to hardy off our chickens so we can put them outside. They are currently in the garage and man are they dusty. I'll have to wash all the hats, mittens, and coats that are out there once they are in the coop. I knew they were dusty, but you don't fully realize just how bad it gets lol!Anyways, my point is, we have been bringing some of the bigger ones outside every day. Well every

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-19699626939460826792009-05-12T13:40:00.007-05:002009-05-12T13:54:20.470-05:00

We went with our ECFE group last night to a local place. They had lots of animals (although I felt bad for them because most didn't have enough room to roam, the goats where housed very well for example, but the geese weren't........sorry, just a beef of mine lol) that the kids got to feed, a play area w/ little tractors, miniature golf, and a TON of plants, tree, flowers, shrubs, seedlings, etc

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-38294056328403127652009-05-11T13:31:00.000-05:002009-05-11T13:31:00.429-05:00

Saturday morning I took the boys to Wolf Lake for some activities and to watch them release some swans out into the wild. It was a little chilly that morning, but we dressed up warm and really enjoyed the day. There was so much to do and see and we were glad that we got a chance to come. First the boys made some binoculars. And while they were making them, a giant blue goose came in hahahaha.

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-14085964690798006452009-05-10T13:19:00.003-05:002009-05-10T13:30:33.373-05:00

Thursday was a beautiful day here. I took the boys a creek about 1/2 mile from our house, Jack Creek. Jack loves that he shares a name with the creek also haha. Mic wonders if there is a Creek named after him somewhere, I tell him probably somewhere in Australia lol.Anyways, we went down there and spent about an hour exploring and walking around. It was just kind of quiet and peaceful and we

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404979690162282298.post-47714639668186693212009-05-05T09:00:00.000-05:002009-05-05T09:01:23.149-05:00

And the boys have not been able to wait. They have slept down there every night this week. The first night on the hard floor, but every other one has been in their rooms. Either Mic or Jack's new room, on the floor, again. Why do we buy our children their own beds!?!?Mic has been waiting a very long time for his own room for one main reason. His own computer. So spoiled, huh? He has

Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.com8