This turtle has been lurking around the garden for several days. Today I picked him up and brought him home to let the kids get a closer look.
We plucked 10 leeches from his body. 6 were clumped all together just above his/her head. The kids were disgusted yet fascinated by the little parasites. They tried to kill the leaches by smushing them with rocks but the little boogers were tough. SO, we held them with tweezers and lit them up with a match. It was actually quite fun watching them swell and then pop from the heat.
Tomorrow we’ll search the web to learn all we can about this big guy and his little parasitic friends.
#1 is video taping the leaches in action. They moved pretty fast.
This month we took a field trip to the Georgia Renaissance Festival. They host a school day which means every thing is toned down and G rated for the day. I loved that there were 30 minute demonstrations all over the park detailing out what life really was like back then. Those were all free. What I REALLY did not like about the place was that we got cheap admission tickets but to do almost anything cost money. My friend that went with us, thankfully came up with the same allowance as me. Each kid had $10 to spend however they wanted. All chose to get souvenirs and skip out on the rides and other attractions.
The kids and I were both fascinated at how every single person that worked there was in full character the entire day. It really was like stepping back in time. If I had to rate the experience on a 1 to 10 scale, I’d give it a 7.
Joust
The harp. Heavenly music … seriously.
It was exciting to see a condor.
The man kept calling it a conder. Drove me NUTS.
That thing is so huge.
Yesterday we went to the Center for Puppetry Arts with some friends. I had heard amazing things about their performances but I must say that the act had no plot and I wasn’t very entertained … but the kids really loved it. Well, my youngest did lean over and ask, “How much longer do we have to watch this?” Despite my bad review, we will go back based on the fact that I have heard their shows are really awesome.
The whole event inspired my young ones to come home and build puppets of their own. We pulled out any and everything we could think of that could be used as decorations. They had so much fun. I even made one too. Today they are working on a play to perform with their puppets – The Aliens Take Over the Earth and the People Fight Back.
We would like to say thanks to Mr. Box Turtle for sparking our interest and causing us to have an impromptu science lesson first thing this morning. You were a brave little man and endured quite a lot in the short time you were in our home. Thanks for sticking your neck out – literally – and the rest of your appendages so that we could really examine ALL of you. Thanks for your patience as we surfed the web to properly identify you and cram as much as we could in our head about what takes place during your almost 100 year life span. We apologize about the bath, scrubbing your arms and legs with a brush and for pulling at your toes so we could see if you had webbed feet.
So. The other night I am visiting random blogs – mostly ones I haven’t looked at in 4 plus months – and on one lady’s site I see that she has posted pictures of her garden. It’s AMAZING. All organized in these neat wooden boxes, zero weeds, luscious produce bursting with colors all over the place. Ok, I scroll down. The next post – she’s sewn THE most ADORABLE apron for her little precious preschooler. Keep scrolling. Then I see she has taken up photography. She’s pretty good (NOT amazing but very good). Then keep on keepin’ on scrolling and I read she’s HOMESCHOOLING. She has all these crafty handmade charts, cute book marks she’s made and just all kinds of crafty little things that just make me …. I think the word I should put here is jealous. ??? I like COVET all her talents. Yeah I do some of that stuff but through her words and little snippets of pictures into her little world – it left me feeling not quite inspired but blah. I got up from the “pooter” and walked around the room. I told the hubby about her. Very enthusiastically he replied, “Well just do it. Make it happen. Buy a sewing machine and make stuff. You’ll have a great garden next year!” What a man! But I don’t see myself as having that kind of potential.
You know it’s funny. Comparisons. On and average day (not any day in the first week of a new homeschooling year!) if you were to ask me are you ok with who God design you to be, I’d probably reply. “I feel comfortable with who I am.” But when faced with someone whom I am in awe of their talents, the comparing begins and in the end I look weak and insecure. Thankfully I don’t deal with this very often. Less and less episodes of these internal battles happen the older I get. I seriously doubt they’ll ever go completely away.
So, no. I am not buying a sewing machine. I probably won’t make cute little bookmarks either. I might have a garden next spring but then again, maybe I won’t. And if I do – I sure it will be loaded with lots of weeds! But I am sure that the way I am wired is to be dependent on God. And when I am really trusting and submitting to Him – he brings out my talents when and where they need to shine. He’s designed me … and knowing that gives me immense joy!
*** If you chose to comment on this post – PLEASE DO NOT write “oh you’re great a what you do” – I am not writing this desiring affirmation. This post is just simply a page in my online diary. Thoughts I want to record to remember later. THANKS!
I keep telling myself to sit down and document what exactly the kids have been doing the past month. But I just keep putting it off with means I am not even blogging about the now b/c I keep waiting until I feel like writing about the “past”.
ANYWAYS – I am procrastinating starting a project tonight so I think I will just ramble a bit. We’ve just been a tad bit busy lately – like everybody else. All the kids were in a play. I seriously cannot believe my #2, who wouldn’t even be the leader in a simple game of Simon Says with her siblings one year ago, stood up on stage and performed. Never thought that day would happen. She was so adorable and I am so proud of her. #3 was the shy one on stage despite the fact she is so out going at home. #1 was a natural. He has a knack for it and I love to see him on stage.
We finished up a few projects for our homeschool group’s end of the year program. The kids showed off their mummified chicken which lay half wrapped in a homemade shoe box sarcophagus. We did a tri-fold on the incubator and Ancient Egypt. Also #1 got up on stage and did a pantomime skit that was quite funny.
We’ve sold our house so we’ll be moving in 3 weeks. We’re making a temporary move until we can find the right home. I am so thankful we were able to sell in this market and not take a loss. I can truly see God’s hand in all of it!
The kids are all in one room right now. I chose to pack the girl’s room first. I am over their floor and tiny little pieces of junk/toys everywhere. It’s been so cute to see just how excited they are to be all together in one room. I swear I just love my kids.
Some times I wish I could just freeze time – savor every kiss longer, feel their embrace for hours, stare into their precious faces and slow down and pray I never forget a moment.
Now onto the … chickens – we got more. ONLY girls this time. Between us and my in laws we were a few hens short. Our boys will be leaving us soon to go and live with someone who has dinner plans for them. So, last week we headed north to the farm and the lady sold me a big girl. She should be laying in a few weeks!!! (I know I am going to completely spaz out when I discover that first egg.) Big Girl was quite the bully when she first stepped in the pen. Lucky for the rest of the chicks – the minute I step in the coop to set the new ones free, the bottom dropped out and it began to pour down rain. I crouched down in the corner of the pen to wait until it let up. Well during the 20 minute wait I had to put Big Girl through new coop boot camp so she’d leave my other little ones alone. A few swift taps on her back after she assaulted my little babies, she realized which hen really was in charge. She’s been pretty polite ever since. We’ve named the girls – Baby Coffee – she’s a French Black Copper Maran (thanks Rena) Scotch (the kids came up with that one???) she’s an Ameraucana which will lay a blue egg. Ruby – she’s a Wheaten Maran and then Big Girl – Cuckoo Maran. All three Marans will lay a dark chocolaty speckled looking egg. They are very entertaining but no, they aren’t pets that are in the same class as a dog or cat. I’d say they’re like fish – entertaining to watch and not too much maintenance is needed but not real smart – they don’t come when you call their name (cats don’t either though), poop a WHOLE bunch and they could careless where that poop lands.
Meet Big Girl, Cuckoo Maran
Sweet Ruby our Wheaten Maran
Baby Coffee and Scotch were too busy pecking to slow down and have a pic made.
Yesterday morning around 7:00 a.m. one of our Rhode Island Red eggs showed it’s first pip. Tonight at 8:30 p.m. our hatching ended as the last little chick broke free. It has been exhausting and stressful yet it was one of the most thrilling moments we have ever experienced together as a family. We started with 23 in our store bought incubator. Half way through we realized one was not fertile. Four days ago we discovered one egg was way under developed and the embryo died. Today during the hatch 3 never pipped and we have confirmed that for some reason they have died as well. So, that leaves us with 18 fresh little chicks : 2 Black Copper Marans, 15 Rhode Island Reds and 1 mixed breed (who is the weakest so far).
The kids got to experience all but one breaking completely out of it’s shell. We had several families stop by to share in the joy of seeing these little miracles emerge. I loved listening to my kids explain to their friends all the facts about chickens, incubating and hatching. I know this is a memory and learning experience we all treasure for years.
Now on to the brooding box. We have a heat lamp clamped above a huge plastic bin that will serve as their home for the next several weeks.
Now I am off to bed – with purple little foam ear plugs stuck in my head. : )
I am working on a video to hopefully post by this weekend.
Today during school, we were talking about chickens AGAIN when the whole egg thing led to them wanting to know where human mommy eggs were stored. So we get out the “Body Book” to look at our fascinating insides. Then one discussion led to another – digestion and how things come out : ) and then one to our brains and muscles and so on. I just love all it all evolves and they are so excited and not realizing how much they are really learning. Then my oldest mentions that he saw somewhere a picture of two people who had their heads stuck together. Next thing you know we are talking about conjoined twins. This all lasted over an hour and it was getting past our lunch time, but they had a snack around 10:00 a.m. so I thought let’s just keep going while I have their attention. We head to the computer to learn more about conjoined twins and wouldn’t ya know there are videos out there explaining the entire thing. (You gotta love the internet!) We start watching and it goes through how the fertilized egg doesn’t completely separate and they began to show some twins and one set in surgery next thing I know #1 says weakly, “Can you turn this off. I am feeling dizzy.” I was like, “What???” So we paused it and #2 pouted. I looked at him and he was pale and I mean PALE! He could barely stand up. I keep sitting thinking he must be really hungry and urge him to go get some applesauce. Well he walked slowly in the kitchen and headed for the sink instead. Then we heard it. He got sick and was at the sink throwing up. I rush over to him and he’s sweating like crazy and pale as pale can be. I thought, he can’t be sick. He’s acted completely normal all day. Then it hit me. He got squeamish at the video and couldn’t handle it. I’ve always heard of people feeling faint at the sight of blood and honestly never really believed it. Well, I believe it now! Who would have known. When it was all over, I just had to laugh. I mean he’s gotten cuts and bled like crazy and never felt faint. Oh, he did vomit and almost pass out a few months ago when he got blood drawn to see if he had the flu. Anyways. I wanted to make sure I documented it. He ate lunch 10 minutes after being sick and his colored returned and he was fine the rest of the day.
Side note:
Chickens should begin hatching late tomorrow night. We are all SO READY!
No pics this weekend. We’ve had rain almost every day.
I am sad to say that none of the eggs in our homemade incubator made it. I am really disappointed. The cooler was made with cheap styrofoam and it was just too difficult to keep the temperature at a constant 100 degrees. The first several nights I was up setting my alarm to get up every two hours to check it’s temp. We determined that two of the four eggs were not fertilized. One baby chick died around day two and the last egg had a formed (yes we cracked it open and explored) embryo that probably died on day 7.
So far the store bought incubator is extremely successful at creating the perfect climate for our 23 other baby chicks. I discarded one egg b/c when we candled it, we could tell nothing was happening. All the others are progressing along just fine. We can see plenty of blood vessels as we hold them up to the light and lots of movement. Just one more week and we should have some peeps!
My hubby and his dad are excited about building a coop. We are going to keep most of the chickens just north of us on their property. They live on 11 acres. I REALLY want to keep at least two at our house, in a tiny coop that all together as a family we build. I have almost convinced my hubby that it is necessary I keep some of these babies at home with us. He’s coming around!
Sorry for the lack of posts. Hopefully soon I can catch up on life and begin to seriously blog again soon.
