Homestead Happenings
We are finally getting around to painting our kitchen after a year of living here. The paint job is probably 30 years old. It needed a fresh coat. I had an old cabinet that was here when we moved in. I was tired of looking at it. We only got half of the kitchen primed, but its already a happier bright and cheery room. The walls will be bright white in the kitchen.
I also want to note, that we will be painting with oil, as the Amish use. I would have never used oil, had I not had the experience of having walls with oil paint on them. I think its a requirement with messy children, esp in the kitchen!
Our tomatoes have been recovering from the bugs, and we have one last hurdle. The drought makes it to where they grow out of their skins. I think most survived that dilemma. Now we have tomatoes............and 3 carrots. We helped Urijah plant a whole package of carrot seeds. We had 3 sprout. Urijah gets first pick as it was his SFG, but we will have to draw sticks for the other two. Of course we have no idea what that actual carrots look like yet.
Even with our troubled garden all is not lost. I got a great deal on some "spotted" tomatoes at a local produce place this week. I got about 20lbs of tomatoes for $2.50. I canned about 7 quarts so far. Quinten's jalapeno plant has sprouted a few peppers but they never make it inside. They gobble them right up.
What We Are Learning About
I am an unschooler at heart. I try to set up some structured lessons for the children, but I truly much prefer to watch them learn through life. I have been working hard to find that balance. In the summer we do very little "book work" In August we start to taper back into a bit of a schedule. We are getting some of our group lessons in, history and scriptures.
Jacob is doing great in Seminary class. Second place in Scripture Mastery memorization.
Our Adventures
Monday Daddy took the children to the library. Scouts on Wednesday. Friday one of the best cooks I know invited us over for dinner. Brother and Sister B have a few apple trees in their yard and my children were in heaven eating them. Brother D kept telling them to stop eating the apples, they had homemade cake and ice cream for dessert. Needless to day, they were too full for cake! It was such a wonderful visit. I really enjoy getting to know members of our ward better.
Saturday we went out running errands and a bit of grocery shopping. Then we went off to visit the cows.
Saturday we went out running errands and a bit of grocery shopping. Then we went off to visit the cows.
On Our Bookshelf
We borrow alot of books from the library. This week we have 8 movies and 65 books.
The Little's Books
The Older's Books
Jacob is reading On the Far Side of the Mountain
Abigail is reading Nancy Drew Series
Isaac is reading Hardy Boys Series
The Schooling Books
The Ancient Egyptian World
The Ancient Greek World
The Ancient Roman World
Everyday life in Bible Times
Sign Language for Kids
Drawing Creepy Crawlies
Incredible Bugs
Question and Answer Encyclopedia: The USA
Mom's Books
We borrow alot of books from the library. This week we have 8 movies and 65 books.
The Little's Books
Zachary is reading the Junie B Jones books.
The Older's Books
Abigail is reading Nancy Drew Series
Isaac is reading Hardy Boys Series
The Schooling Books
The Ancient Egyptian World
The Ancient Greek World
The Ancient Roman World
Everyday life in Bible Times
Sign Language for Kids
Drawing Creepy Crawlies
Incredible Bugs
Question and Answer Encyclopedia: The USA
Mom's Books
Daddy's Books
Lucky Man: A Memoir
What We Are Watching
Little House on the Prairie Season 4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Thomas the Tank Engine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp-- ★ ★
Fern Hill ★ ★ ★
Bugs Bunny ★ ★ ★
Toy Story 3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Chip ~n~ Dale Rescue Rangers ★ ★ ★
Care Bears ★ ★
What We Are Watching
Little House on the Prairie Season 4 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Thomas the Tank Engine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp-- ★ ★
Fern Hill ★ ★ ★
Bugs Bunny ★ ★ ★
Toy Story 3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Chip ~n~ Dale Rescue Rangers ★ ★ ★
Care Bears ★ ★
Challenges/Accomplishments This Week
We have been having quite a few challenges. The biggest one this week is a drop in business. I suppose things are slow for everyone, its starting to catch up with us.
We also had a new parenting challenge. Isaac stole a pair of sunglasses from the Dollar Tree. I don't know how he figured he would get away with it, but his sister ratted him out. Daddy made him return it to the store and apologize. The lady was gracious, but she also said, she had never had a parent do that. Isaac will also be doing some scriptural and legal research on stealing and property rights. This will be next weeks Family Home Evening lesson he will be teaching.
Link/Quote/Photo to share
I started a new blog, for grooming, etc.
http://groomernicole.blogspot.com/
Additional Photos of Our Week
We have been having quite a few challenges. The biggest one this week is a drop in business. I suppose things are slow for everyone, its starting to catch up with us.
We also had a new parenting challenge. Isaac stole a pair of sunglasses from the Dollar Tree. I don't know how he figured he would get away with it, but his sister ratted him out. Daddy made him return it to the store and apologize. The lady was gracious, but she also said, she had never had a parent do that. Isaac will also be doing some scriptural and legal research on stealing and property rights. This will be next weeks Family Home Evening lesson he will be teaching.
Link/Quote/Photo to share
I started a new blog, for grooming, etc.
http://groomernicole.blogspot.com/
Additional Photos of Our Week
Linking up with these Blog Hops
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Isaac! I think you did a good thing. Not dealing with such thing makes it more accepted. It will be a good lesson for him and all the kids! (I bet he didn't mean anything terrible by doing it though.)
ReplyDeleteSorry about the garden! Are you able to water it? We've made about 3 quarts of pickles now and still getting cucumbers. (We eat a lot too.) And it looks like we have a lot of potatoes coming...Tons of flowers on the pumpkins and squash, but no pumpkins! ::sigh:: And the corn is stunted and the 2nd crop of lettuce never grew. It's a learning process I think.
we get plenty of water and rain.. the bugs we can't seem to get rid one. Once one is gone a new one moves in!
DeleteIt's shocking when kids do that. I did it when I was a kid and my son has done it as well. I caught a young girl doing it a few years back. She didn't think I saw, but I just grabbed her hand and lifted it back over the bin she took it from and had her drop it in.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son took something, I made him take it back in and apologize. In this case, it was a used toy from a medical waiting room. He was embarrassed but the receptionist was highly surprised.
Another instance had to do with me, but wasn't stealing. I found an unpaid item in my cart after getting back to the car. So, when my husband took it back in to pay, the clerk looked at him like he was crazy and said not many people would have brought it back. Yes, but we aren't most people...we don't steal.
The pictures are stunning (flowers). The kitchen looks great. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. The cabinet looks fabulous! I actually had to go back and forth between the pictures to make sure it was the same cabinet. :-)
Thanks, I wish I had painted sooner. so much brighter in there.
DeleteNicole, you and your family inspire me.
ReplyDeleteDoes oil based paint take longer to dry? Nothing is holding up in my kitchen. We are painting up to every 6 months.
Sorry to hear about your garden. The lack of rain has many peoples gardens suffering. The drawing sticks for the last to carrots gave me a giggle though.
I love the head covering that you are making with the girls. I should get Hannah back into sewing. Myself too for that matter. I do a lot of making my own patterns as well. I rather enjoy the challange.
You really have some pretty flowers around there. Are they planted or wild?
We have delt with stealing a time or two when the children were small. We marched them right back in a well. I think once it was gum with Amanda and some penny candy with either Chelsea or Justin.
I love your poodle how old is he/she? We have two minatures moodies little things lol.
Thanks Jennifer.. I remember when I first me you, you inspired me. I only had 5 at the time, and I thought, How awesome is this lady with 9 chidlren! <3
DeleteOil does take a bit longer but not much. Its well worth the little bit of extra work, and really its not all that much. We just primed with latex here,as that is what we had on hand, but we will paint with oil.
The yellow are wild, the pink and orange flowers are from a friends flower garden. Simon is about 13 I guess. We adopted him as an adult nearly 10 years ago. He could be older..
Nicole, I forgot to mention I really like the head covering. I have debated wearing them.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I have just recently started wearign one. I still need to do a blog about it.. :)
DeleteWow! That really brightens up the kitchen! Much better than that icky color. Lol-you stole something when you were little, too, from a store. Your dad brought you back and made you apologize to the owner! Where did you find the swing and flowers? they are really pretty.
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen looks great. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. The cabinet looks fabulous! I actually had to go back and forth between the pictures to make sure it was the same cabinet.
ReplyDelete___________________________
Kitchen Wall Quotes