The Wonder Years

ENDGAME- ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement

2009-10-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well, for all of you who have been asking about the lack of activity on this blog---now you'll have something to chew on.
Watch this video in your spare time.

ENDGAME- ALEX JONES - Blueprint for Global Enslavement

When I first began reading about the NWO (New World Order) and other secret organizations the conspiracy theorists credit with causing the unbelievably, un-American society is appears we are headed for, I really thought they were a bunch of quacks. However, the more I've read or in this case watch, the more it becomes believable.

Anywho, let me know what you think after you watch "Endgame".

It's the great pumkin, Wyatt and Wesley

2009-05-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wyatt and Wesley were recently entered into a pumpkin growing contest which will conclude this fall at the AL Farmers' Market in Montgomery. The market provided each child with three pumpkin seeds, some basic directions and the promise of a new bicycle to the boy and girl who can grow the largest pumpkin. Wyatt and Wesley are rooting for each other to win and, of course, we're rooting for both of them.

We planted their seeds about a week ago and this is what we have as of Sunday, May 17. I don't know if you can tell, but the pot on the right has a few bumps where the sprouts are about to push through. Wyatt immediately claimed that as 'his' pot of pumpkins, to no one's surprise!

And here is a shot from today.

Wyatt's are obviously taller, but Wesley's are beginning to push through as well. The next step is to prep a place in the garden to transplant them once they're a little bigger.

Chicken Drama

2009-04-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

We had an interesting Monday. I stepped in a huge pile of scat (that's the proper term for wild animal poop) next to the chick brooder this morning. We could not really identify it at this point as my 180 lbs coming down on it in a pair of worn out crocs did quite a number on the original dimensions of the pile :). Anyway, upon examination we determined that it was from a creature who eats things covered in fur and is infested with the largest flatworm you have ever seen.
All of the chicks survived the visitor, but we noticed one of the fancier breeds had a head injury and the other chicks were pecking at it. After separating it to the makeshift infirmary, we were able to clean it up pretty well and observe it's behaviors. We think it is going to make it and tonight it will have the presidential suite compared to the brooder accomodations it has been living in. We put shavings and individual feeder/waterers in Daisy's old dog kennel. And it got to come into the laundry room!
We set the live trap, baited with canned fish steaks from Winn-Dixie. Hopefully we'll have the culprit in the morning!
The coop is nearly finished, sort of. We were able to get some scrap vinyl from some friends for the flooring. Over the weekend we cut the pop-door, David and Wyatt built a ramp, hung the roosts, cut down the gifted nest boxes and replaced the rotten wall on the other side of the door. My dad has been a huge help in getting this whole project going and I'm very thankful to him. He spent the majority of his vacation week with us repairing the broken front door, replacing rotten wall studs and floor, attaching a porch to the front, and setting posts for the fence. Wyatt and Wesley loved having him around so much and looked forward to him coming everyday. They can't wait until Papaw and Nannie retire!
I have intended to get some pictures of the progress posted. Maybe we can make that happen tomorrow.

Running around like a chicken....

2009-04-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

We have been busy, busy bees since my last posting. Gardening has given way to a new obsession...Chicken Fever!

We started a little over a week ago with 25 day old (well actually 2 days old--they had an extra day in the mail--bless their hearts) chicks. They are black Austrolorp pullets, which is a fancy word for hens. I think after they lay their first eggs we can actually call them hens. They will grow up to be a shiny, greenish-black with red combs. We believe they are all pullets as none of them had white spots on the backs of their heads. Only time will tell... Their names are Button, Rosie and "all the other peep-peeps" because they are so darn hard to tell the difference between.

Here is a picture of their first day home.

Unfortunately, we had to deal with the loss of little "Pasty butt" the very next morning. Apparently, chicks can have problems with poo sticking in their tail feathers, tail fuzz at 2 days old, and they're essentially stopped up from the outside in. This was the case with P.B. I was afraid the kids would be really upset, but Wyatt's reaction was, "Oh well, we still have 24!" (I was secretly proud that he was using his math skills correctly.) He and Wesley gave it a proper burial in the bare spot where we've pulled up some old fig bushes.

One week later, we started to get the feeling that there may not be enough variety in the barnyard, you know having only 24 of the same breed. So we made a trip to the feed store and picked up four more Americaunas. These are sometimes called 'Easter egg' chickens because they lay blue, green and pinkish eggs. We were amazed at the size difference between these day old chicks and the now week old Austrolorps. They quickly became the new favorites, mainly because being different colors, they were easier to name. Sunny, Brownie, Gracie and Matilda. Here they are.

As if 28 chicks were not enough, Friday we decided we needed eight more. So we made a special trip to Prattville and picked up four Silver Wyandottes, two buff Orphingtons and two golden Sex link. (I don't have an pictures of those yet).

It has turned into more fun than we had planned, because we learned that the more we handle them the tamer they'll grow up to be. The kids love their hands-on chick time and so far, so good. No dropped or crushed birds. They like to eat out of our hands and scratch around in the shaving like "big girls". One flew up and roosted on an upper deck in the brooder last night and we were all so proud.

All that's left to do now is: remodel a shed into a chicken coop, build a chicken run and get ready for eggs this fall. This will be Wyatt and Wesley's first money-making enterprise or so we hope! They've already starting promising free eggs to friends. I think their strategy is to get everyone hooked before they start charging!

Oh well. That's just a little of what we've been up to and what all I could share with you about the wide, wide world of chickens. Email me if you want to know more :)

Creation-Day 3

2009-04-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

We have been studying the 6 days of creation. In conjunction with day 3 we planted several packets of seeds in repurposed egg cartons (I knew I'd find a use for them eventually!).
We have a combination of herbs and flowers sprouting and plan to bed the lot out by our front walkway. Wyatt and Wesley fight to mist the tiny plants and try to help the limper stalks to stand back up.
I hope they've inherited their father's green thumb!

New Camera!

2009-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Dear 21st Century,

Greetings! We have arrived! We got our family's first digital camera over the weekend. We played around with it outside (in the gorgeous sunshine and wind) today. It's a Panasonic TZ5 and I still have a lot to learn about making pictures of moving subjects, but I think it's pretty good for right out of the box.

Nocturnal Events

2009-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we read After the Sun Goes Down, a story about things that happen one night among a group of animals in the forest. Wyatt and Wesley used the chalkboard to draw the characters of the story and write their names as part of our language arts for the day.

Wesley was drawing a tiny mouse from the story. There were some minor scuffles over where the eraser should start and stop, but all in all they enjoyed their "school" lesson for the day.

They are both so attentive and mindful (at times) it really makes a mother want to work harder to be the role model they need to reach God's destination for their lives.

puppetry

2009-03-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

They've been dying to sew something on my machine. Today we printed out a simple hand puppet pattern, which they sewed, stuffed and decorated the heads of. Wyatt couldn't stop acting long enough to get a good face shot of his.

The eyes are totally blacked in. They were quite proud of their creations!

Green Acres?

2009-03-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

We decided this year to attempt our first garden. David has diligently plowed and cleared an area about 60 square feet. Last week we purchased potatoes and onions to set out, but the rain has delayed our efforts. Here's a look at the small pond that's gathered at the low end of the garden spot every time we get a couple of inches of rain, which here lately has been about every two weeks.

Every time this happens, we do find some amazingly huge earthworms coming up for air. Another excuse for fishing!

Since we've been so long wait for things to dry out, our seed potatoes have taken on a weird blue tint. We hope they'll still sprout. Maybe two to a hill?

This has turned into a great family learning project. I think it does the kids good to see their parents "trial and error" methods, handling the unexpected, having hope. Maybe by mid April, when everything goes in the ground, the rain with fall in more moderate amounts. Farming is a terrific reminder of Who is actually in control of all things!

Old Baker Farm

2008-10-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last Monday we visited Old Baker Farm in Harpersville, AL with a new homeschool group. We made a day of it with the mazes and animals and hayride. You even get to eat lunch in the loft of an old barn. The kids loved it. I'm completely jealous of another hs mom I met who has this fabulous camera.

She made this picture of Wyatt when he was being less than cooperative. Thanks Liz!

Louie Giglio - Laminin

2008-05-07T07:28:00.001-07:00