Thankful!

Yes, I am very thankful for running water. Yesterday Franz came home early from work to fix the well. The night before the hose was left on till it stopped running water. So for most of the day the boys and I made do. We have a rain barrel which is how I was able to water animals and we also have a Berkey water filter in the house, so we had some drinking water.

With the advice of my Dad and Franz's research, the problem was fixed by priming the pump with water and restarting it. Then the spigots on the kitchen and bathroom faucets had to be cleaned as they became clogged from all the disruption with the well water.

Today I took a shower and reveled in thankfulness to have running water to do so. Take time to thank God for some of your most basic needs.... I definitely realized how much I took my water for granted.

To also show I am not vain :') I am showing my self happy after enjoying a nice shower. I had not found time to do something with my hair, but hey, I got to take a Shower with RUNNING WATER. So I am thankful for our water and all the ways we can and do use it, and especially having it easily accessible.

20 weeks, 1 day. Picture taken by Cyprian.

Luxury boxes, chicken style

For us humans, they're the best in-person way to watch a sporting event. For hens, on the other hand, they're a place to lay one's eggs in relative comfort and safety. Since Rosemary has found two miniature "first" eggs on the ground in the last few days, this weekend's project was a significant upgrade to our chicken stadium.

There are five luxury boxes in all. They're not air conditioned, and we don't plan to offer hors d'oeuvres, but they're pretty spiffy nonetheless.

I had originally planned eight boxes, four below and four above. Mid-project, however, Rosemary noted that my boxes were a little big, and that we probably didn't need that many. The four below thus became five. And instead of upper boxes, I built a slanted top to keep off errant roosters (that is, chicken who are roosting, not necessarily males). At some point, I could easily add an upper row if it's needed.

I'm a little concerned it's too far off the ground. I wanted it significantly off the ground to avoid rodent problems, but I might have gone a little overboard (aboveboard?). If the hens don't take to it, I'll build a bridge from their roost to the boxes.

Looking to the future egg-wise... The hen (or two?) who has (have?) started to lay is (are?) at least a few weeks early. My best guess is that egg production won't exceed our own needs for at least a month. Within two months, though, I project that we'll be producing five dozen more eggs per week than we will be able consume. Rosemary and I are looking at a few options. We may choose to sell through the FFA program at my school. We're also planning to put an "eggs available" sign in the front yard. But if you're interested in being a regular egg customer, do let me know. We're looking for people who can commit to at least a dozen eggs a week.

Rambling through half the day...

So I actually woke up early to make Franz a nice breakfast. Yesterday I managed to make three loaves of yummy whole wheat bread. So, this morning I sliced bread for toast, buttered and put jam on. Then cooked two eggs over easy and made coffee in the French Press. I normally stay in bed till Franz leaves a little before 7. Cletus wakes somewhere around 6:30 and calls out "Daddy". Franz gets him and the two share an adorable time of communal eating of something snacky. The coffee may have been a bit stronger than Franz normally makes it, but he said breakfast was great. After leaving Cletus and I snuggled on the couch till 7. Then it was time to get animal chores done.

Fresh whole wheat bread made with fresh ground wheat!

 So these next photos are what some of our day has been so far. I don't have a picture yet of the kale chips I am making.

Look what I found on the floor of our coop. Somebody needs to make nesting boxes asap.

Our hens are only four months old! So exciting!!

Just what are they discussing, boyish secrets. They dragged the rocking chairs off the front porch and sat together in the driveway randomly swinging their sticks and confiding in each other.

So this is what you do when it is gray outside and mommy wants to get the laundry done.

This about sums up Cletus personality

Who can resist this ones charms...

A peek into the mind of a five-year-old

Yesterday I was out buying supplies for the cross country meet that STMA is hosting, and in the midst of these travels I came across an unbeatable deal on hardcover sketchbooks at a crafts store. I splurged and purchased one for each of the boys. When I came home this evening, they were each hard at work--Cletus diligently penciling a wild, squiggly line on every page, and Cyprian and Clement exercising just a little more artistic discretion. I was really taken by Cyprian's pictures, so, since I'm too busy with school and cross country meet prep to share anything else, I thought I'd share a few.

We start at the beginning of the book with his name, written frontwards, and what Cyprian tells me is a chicken...

Here we see more chickens--certainly an apropos topic here at Kleinshire--followed by a snake chasing someone up a hill. Are there deeply buried feelings of guilt associated with the snakes we've brutally murdered? Perhaps a more seasoned art critic--or child psychologist--call fill me in!

I don't know about this one--an apple tree, to be sure, but perhaps at another level a reflection on original sin? Someone's caught in a giant spiderweb on the next page. I hope it's not me.

Turning to the last few pages--yes, we skipped the middle of the book; I guess it's like a cinnamon roll, where you save the middle for last--we come across the seascapes. Pirates, fat sharks with mutated fins; all the normal boy stuff.

More boy stuff--guns, of course. I'm really impressed by the sun's moodiness.

And in the inside back cover, his name again. Backwards. How that happened, I'm not sure, but it does seem surprisingly fitting that if one's name is on the front, it face inwards, and if it's in the back, that it face inwards too.

Hey, look at all that hay!

Here's the newest Kleinshire purchase:

Not the kids, that is, but the three large round bales of hay. We've quickly found that our two mini pastures don't support two horses and six goats, and the eleven bales of Lezpedeza hay that I got at $5 per square bale didn't last very long at all once the pastures were eaten down. This is Fescue hay, which has less protein than Lezpedeza, and far less than Alfalfa. Nonetheless, it should last us quite awhile. The farmer charged us $50 per bale, plus $50 for the delivery. He claimed they're 1,300 pounds. They're certainly on the larger side, and they're good-smelling too. He offered us a far better deal if we order more the next time. I guess we'll see how the animals like it. For now, the kids are enjoying their new garage jungle-gym!

Let the school year begin!

It is so exciting and overwhelming to be starting school on our little farm!

Cletus built this tower all by himself. Since he was making more of a mess with playdoh this is what he came up with as an alternative.

Both Cyprian and Clement will be doing school. Cyprian is starting the official Kindergarten grade. He did do schoolwork last year and was starting to read. Now he will have a more structured daily routine. Clement I hadn't really planned on doing too much with. But, he has shown an enthusiastic willingness for being in school with his big brother Cyprian. So now I am planning out a school year. It may seem silly to some that I am so anxious, considering how young my children are. But I am a perfectionist so I am in high mode of organizing. This can drive a person crazy and is a daily struggle for me. I become almost obsessed with my ideas and plans to the extreme of neglecting others and things around me. When this happens it is very easy to get so stressed that I seem to fall into a short time of defeat and wallow a bit in misery. Thankfully with God's grace and mercy I get past this unlovely hump of ugliness.

The boys create their own science projects!

I am working on setting up our school area. The hope is to have a well utilized and pleasant space for optimal function time. I will have a schedule that involves 15 minute class/subject times. This structured class time will total about an hour of specific work time for the day. Subjects being Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Religion, Music, Poetry, Art, and Science. Most of these subjects are not intensive but integrated together. Such that science is learning about daily farm life and playing outside and exploring and identifying the things of the land. Reading encompasses most subjects but especially Religion, Poetry, and Imagination. Writing and Mathematics are the most hands on in that there will be set exercises. Art will involve projects of crafting, painting, sketching, building etc. Music I plan to teach Cyprian and Clement the basics of piano, listening to classics, starting to read about a certain musician etc. Though I did not mention History, we will incorporate through study of other subjects and talking about current things. This is just a general sketch. We will not be doing every subject every day of the week. Each day will have its subject matter. I want to leave a day each week for extra curricular activity, such as a field trip.

Of course recess is the favorite!

I love both Maria Montessori and Charlotte Mason as guides for young children in education. I personally am blending the two's philosophies to make what I hope will work for our early years of education. Montessori style for me is teaching the boys through our homemaking, also incorporating independent study of their environment. Charlotte Mason is a beautiful classical approach, with emphasis on literature. We will be having a tea time, where we will enjoy preparing and drinking tea at snack time while having a fun little reading or song.

Homeschooling needs to be balanced with daily animal chores and household upkeep, not to forget cooking wholesome meals and making good snacks. This is why it is so exciting to me while also frightening.

Rocky joins the boys at recess

Of course another favorite part of the school day, LUNCH!