Filed under: Uncategorized
Jonah hanging out.
In the spirit of follow-through… here are a few more pics of the flowers in the yard. I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but I didn’t take pics of the stuff I planted this week! So, those will follow on a less rainy day! ♥
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- Side/front of the house. Phlox, lilacs
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- My favorite tulips ♥
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- Leaves on trees ~ FINALLY!!
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- More Tulips
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- Plox, Phlox everywhere!
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- Daniel being a goof
Filed under: Uncategorized
Hello Friends!
This week proved to be an extraordinarily busy one! LOTS and LOTS of planting done – mostly ornamentals early in the week, followed by starting lots of seeds today! A quick pic:
I really wanted to get away from all of the STUFF inside the house – the past two years have seen loads of plants and animals (chickens) in a sunroom keeping warm & growing. I don’t have a greenhouse (although I am considering building a small one!) so I covered containers with heavy gauge plastic to keep out wind, rain & animals & keep the plants nice and warm! I put a good layer of newspaper underneath the flats that I have the plants in. The temps are warming up now, although we still have cool evenings, but the warmer temps, combined with the greenhouses, should give me a nice start for our garden. Just to show what you can do in a small space, there are over 200 seeds started in the containers shown in this picture. All will be transplanted to either bigger containers (My container garden will be on this same little deck that is terribly under-utilized) or directly into the garden soil.
Another Quick Pic for you… baby bunnies are now 2 weeks old…and so cute!
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Hello Friends!
So, In trying to come up with topics that are relevant and important, one idea kept hitting me in the face and then I realized that even though we don’t have an exceptionally small food budget, I’m still really cheap…errrr… frugal and so I can TOTALLY write about this! I just decided to do this yesterday and am starting to write down the extremely healthful meal plan and will post several days of meal plans within a few days.
In other news… Tis The Season!!! Gardening Season! I’m starting a few more plants indoors today after church and then I’m ready!!! Ready to till up soil, add compost… Oh I can’t wait! Spring on the farm is SO MUCH FUN! We took pictures yesterday of one of our new baby bunnies:
Isn’t it adorable?!?! They were 8 days old yesterday!
We also took pictures of Haidong, ready for prom… a pic of all of my boys (and me)… Daddy is out of town working so isn’t in the picture, but… take a look at this crew!!! 🙂
I will also be posting animal and flower pics this week, documenting all of the wonderful things going on ‘down on the farm’ this week. In other news… I do have one lone rogue chicken out there that we’ve been unable to catch to get back in the ‘chicken yard’… And one did get in the house last week when I opened the door, trying to carry in dinner from the grill… and this, my friends, is where the Blog’s title ‘Rogue Zahmbie Chickens’ came from…
Have a blessed Sunday, Friends. Love, Hugs, Blessings & Bare Feet! Jen
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: classical homeschooling, homeschooling, montessori, personal experience, radical unschooling, thomas jefferson education, unschooling, waldorf
So… recently I’ve been asked by many people about the different methods, or styles, of homeschooling. There was a program on one of the Discovery Channels last week called Radical Parenting and there was a style of Homeschooling called “Radical Unschooling” that was presented in that show. This is a parenting style combined with Unschooling. We use some Unschooling methods (not a whole lot of Radical Unschooling methods, although many people do believe unschooling in and of itself to be radical), along with some Unit Study methods with our boys. When parents/teachers combine methods to come up with a method that works for their family, this is called “Eclectic Homeschooling”. Below are Links to explainations of different styles of homeschooling methods.
an overview of different styles:
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/methods/Methods.htm
Charlotte Mason Method:
http://www.charlottemasoneducation.com/
Classical Method:
http://classicalhomeschooling.com/
Eclectic Homeschooling:
http://eclectichomeschool.org/
Enki Homeschooling:
http://www.enkieducation.org/html/homeschool-curriculum.htm
Montessori Method:
http://www.montessori.edu/homeschooling.html
Thomas Jefferson Education:
http://www.tjed.org/what-is-tjed
Umbrella Schools:
These are distance learning, virtual schools, independent study programs or charter-type schools that children are enrolled in (some states do not allow homeschooling and so a parent enrolls their child(ren) in an umbrella school and the child is a student of this school but does his or her studies at home.)
Unit Studies:
http://home-educate.com/curriculum.shtml
http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/schoolroom/unitstudies.php
Unschooling: (I think the name “unschooling” is a misnomer. Unschoolers “reject” traditional grading systems, worksheets and other “busy work” in favor of experientially based learning. For example, Jonah does his math in the grocery store – if these are four for a dollar, how many can I get if I want to pay $5?, or keeping track of how much the bill will come to, unit cost on items (there are 5 ounces in this bottle and it costs $X…. how much is it per ounce and is it cheaper to get this other product?). Jonah has had a difficult time with reading… so, to me, it is important that he learns to read, so when he shows interest in the sports page of the newspaper or in a basketball website… I am going to encourage him to read the sports page and the basketball website… It doesn’t matter to me that he doesn’t care about “See Spot Run.”… the end result is that the child is reading. So, experience is vital in unschooling… which is why the boys are also involved in farm chores, animal care, the garden and other life experiences that introduce critical thinking, problem solving, practical life skills as well as opportunities for math (if we need to worm a goat, and she weighs 100 pounds, how much medicine do we give her? We got 15 eggs today,how many will we have this week if we get 15 eggs on 5 days?), reading (plant seeds to 1/4 ” depth, dosing information sheets for animal meds, feeding instructions for food, etc) and sciences. The primary difference between unschooling and radical unschooling is that unschoolers have some “governing rules” to live by… the boys have restrictions on what they can watch and how long, limited time on video games (and did not play video games until they got a wii for their 9th birthday), and they have chores and things they have to do because they are part of the family and have to help keep things afloat… not a terrible amount of things to do, but the twins are expected to help Sam pour a drink if he’s thirsty, we just help each other get our things done.)
Radical Unschooling: (Below is a fantastic site, I’ve used it as a reference many times. You will see the difference between unschooling and radical unschooling -in radical unschooling, there generally are no rules to speak of. The child(ren) choose all aspects of their lives – what to eat, when & where to sleep, there is no discipline, no restrictions on anything (including video games and television, etc. I am not a radical unschooler but there are several things we “borrow” from this philosophy. I will say that the children and families that I know (and know of) who are radical homeschoolers are content, peaceful and very polite and well adjusted. Some of the aspects of radical unschooling are different, even unsettling, to some, but, as with anything else that is not harmful to a child/family… I think everyone needs to choose what works for them.)
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling
Waldorf Method:
http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/02_W_Education/index.asp
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: I'm back, Jonah on a plane, service dog, updates
OK, so, as inevitably happens… life happens. I am so busy (Everyone is!) that I let things go. I ALWAYS let go of things that are for me, though, and I need to not do that quite so much. I enjoy sharing with my friends and so am resolving to improve. I’ve had many requests to get back to doing this… and so… here I am again.
I will be building this up. I plan on having contests, prizes, etc. And this time of year, when there is so much to do ’round here, I have no excuse to not share what we’re doing… granted, you may not want to hear about playing in the dirt, in which case, you could come back later and read more about playing in the dirt… we do play in dirt in the Spring… that is what Spring is for!
As for me, I remembered my login information for the blog. I feel so accomplished and “done” for the day! My rememberer isn’t always the greatest, so if you are in this boat too, you know what a good feeling this is! ❤ .
A brief update: My sister is doing pretty well. She was in the hospital again for several weeks and is on the rebound. We're thankful for this. She's also in pretty good spirits – another praise! The boys have been pretty healthy… We all had the flu over the winter and (although the pediatrician's office told me that "that's impossible" ugh!), the flu (confirmed flu – the boys were tested) lasted only a few days (Jonah was not feeling well for 2 days but was not terribly ill) and Daniel had a bit of a rougher time with it, but even he was only "really" sick for a day, and he did have some respiratory stuff, but it all cleared up and he was better in just 4 days…. So much for that "big, bad" flu… the docs were pretty riled up about it because I refused the tamiflu… crazy how our immune systems deal with stuff and get us healthy again, huh? So, a few rough days and that was better. Sam will be with us at home full time next school year (YAY!!!) and he is already asking to do worksheets for "homeschool"…. he is going to be SOOOO much easier to teach than Jonah! LOL. Things are moving with Jonah's service dog! We are so excited! We are attending a presentation being held on April 21. His sponsor (Milkbone) will be presenting a check to the organization (Canine Assistants) and then we will schedule training. Training will be 2 weeks in Georgia for Jonah and me. Not looking forward to many parts of that aspect of things ( Jonah is terrified of planes ) but I'm sure it will all be fine.
So – that's about it for right now. More to come – I promise! :o)
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Hello Friends!
Not even sure where to start here. I could weave a tale of enabling and codependence, love and hurt…but…well, at this time, I don’t know that laying it all out would help anyone. My name is Jen and I’m codependent. I am an enabler. Rest assured, I do it for “all the right reasons”, but that certainly hasn’t done anything for my once-again-crushed emotions. *This* time, I do believe it is a bit different (because of witness accounts), but just her words are strong enough to send my world reeling. The relationship is in such a condition that just a few hurtful words (that she supposedly didn’t say – I adore how the words are TOTALLY something she could say – and HAS said things like this in the past- are enough to push me to being completely, totally done with her. The only constant with her is chaos. But, lest I let on that the problem in my life is her, I have yet more work to do. Well, I have more work to be done. After an emotional evening, disbelief, crying, I have to find the strength to again give this to God. The thing I’ve learned from this, whether or not she actually said the things that were told to me, is that this relationship is very one sided. There is a giver. There is a taker. The taker creates chaos, in the ongoing quest for attention. The giver lives in chaos because she completely allows it. No other reason. I allow it. I’ve been better in my codependency. I have been. Putting my foot down, saying ‘no’ when needed, not letting my emotions get the better of me, but until I am willing to stop the enabling, it will continue. I know this, I’ve known for a long time. What I don’t know is how to let go. How do I let someone I love so much continue on a path of self destruction and chaos. It affects me, my family. How long does she really think we’re going to do this? We’ve given all we have to give. She has gladly taken. We can’t speak to her, she gets angry. Zero accountability, responsibility. Who gets to do that? She needs to grow up. Get a clue. I can’t make that happen. Not my problem. The things I do, at this point…well… I won’t stop helping completely -although, this time yesterday evening, I was completely ready and felt justified in cutting her off 100% – if she really didn’t say those things, I can’t very well make that the straw that broke the camel’s back…right? I don’t like the feeling that I’m having right now. Waiting for the last straw. It feels like an inevitability. Is it wrong that I just wish she’d do something really stupid, say something hurtful? Just so I can feel justified in being done with her? I’m acutely angry right now… trying to not feel the feelings that are ripping at me right now. Trying to just be. It is not working. I’m seeing very clearly right now, which, frankly, isn’t exceptionally pleasant…but I have dug this hole myself. I’ve allowed it to continue. The feelings of victimization that I despise in her are not going to creep into my heart. I am in control of what I say and do. I am not going to be a vessel of negativity and hate. I’m not going to be a tool for evil. I’m relieved that she apparently didn’t say these things, but feeling very uneasy that our relationship is so tenuous that a few little words would end it in my mind. I don’t want relationships like this. This is not what I believe is positive or good. I can’t, for my own sanity, be a part of this roller coaster. She needs to do what she needs to do. I’m not, at this point, cutting her off completely. But I am keeping my distance. I’ve had my fill of the chaos, but am having a great difficulty in my heart because I know my head is telling me “she didn’t do it this time, don’t do anything too harsh.” but my heart is done… going through the motions, waiting for her to understand, waiting on her to get it. Good luck, right? Not waiting for her understanding anymore. It doesn’t matter if or when she gets it. I need to do what I need to do…. My heart is done doing this, going through the motions. And my head…while my head says “She didn’t do it THIS TIME”, my head is also just waiting for the ball to drop one last time… waiting, and probably searching, for one last thing that will give me permission to let it all go.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: blessings, Christmas, family, friends, health, kids, Party, snow
Hello Friends!
OK, so I’m a slacker… whaddya want? We’ve been so busy around here… joyfully busy, but busy none the less! Last week, we spend a good part of the week just doing an all over cleaning of the house… stuff we normally do, but added in the things we have to do every couple months as well…. taking comforters out of duvet covers and laundering, steam cleaning the carpets, taking care of cob webs (ugh… how on earth?!?! LOL), so we had plenty to keep us busy. The week culminated with our annual Christmas parties. On Friday night, we had a wonderful gathering of friends. We have a pretty big house, but we had about 50 people all on one level (there are 3 full levels and a partial level… so that many people in a relatively small area… aye! But, everything turned out wonderfully and it was a fantastic gathering, a great night of fellowship, laughing, singing and just enjoying each other’s company. One thing that really stood out to me (and, in retrospect, the same thing happened last year), is that (and we’ve all experienced this to some degree, I’m sure), is that the men go into the living room or dining room and chat and the women station themselves in the kitchen… arranging dishes on the countertop so that everything fits, getting serving spoons into the dishes, making the punch, helping with the chocolate fountain, getting ice for the shrimp tray… just anything that needed to be done. And I love (love love love!) how we just gab the entire time, effortlessly, not skipping a beat, while getting everything done that needed to get done. And, possibly the best part is the spirit in which it was done. None of us minded being in the kitchen, none of us felt “it is our place” in a derogatory way… we were joyful and content that this is where we could be, spending time together where we are comfortable. It was the best gift of the night. Yes, it was wonderful hearing one particular gentleman sing a solo (one of the party games) – someone who is not one we would have guessed would sing for us. It was great that the children all got along and played so nicely, it was even joyful seeing the teenage boys waiting for everyone to finish going through the line before they went back and devoured more food…. It was all just amazing and joyful and yet again, another happy memory.
Then, the following day, mom and I spent all morning cooking for our family get together. Other than the usual family personality mini-clashes, it was all good… yes, the hubby had to get some work stuff done and was not being too communicative, yes, some shoes got lost (and found! On my child! OOPS!) and there is still a coat missing (I swear I didn’t put it on Sam!), but all in all… it went well. It was wonderful to see family who we usually only see 2 or 3 times a year, and does make me wish that we didn’t live so far away, but all in all… good times!
Another blessing? We woke up to snow this morning. Not sure why, but the last couple years, I’ve just really enjoyed the snow. Sam was so excited…I barely got inside from taking Henry out when Sam was in the coat room grabbing snow boots and hat and mittens! When we went out for the bus, he was running in circles yelling “Its CHRISTMAS!” granted, he was also yelling something about a scorpion in his mittens… but… well… he’s cute. Haidong was introduced (by Papa – Grandpa) to a good ol’ American snowball fight… Sam was tickled pink to join in the fun.
We are all back to being healthy again… This year has been such an amazing blessing. After the trials of last year, I’m just amazed that God just KNOWS what we can handle. After the difficult year with health issues last year (ALL YEAR LONG! LOL… first surgery/hospitalization in February, last surgery and hospitalization in November! And 7 or 8 others in between those two!), it has just been a complete blessing that the boys have flourished this year. They’re doing amazingly well. Jonah is starting to read (granted all I can get him to read is the sports page and espn.com… but I’ll take it!)… I knew he would when he was good and ready, but I was sweating that one a lot! Sam is coming into his own as well… learning and doing and just having fun. Daniel is an amazing kid… just very willing to learn and has a great sense of humor and a bit of a sensitive side as well. I am so blessed!
So, I guess that’s what we’ve been up to. Keeping busy, for certain. Having fun, always. Loving each other. Laughing. Life is good.
Filed under: Uncategorized
🙂 Of course, “So Little to do, So Much Time” is not something most of us can relate to, right? In the upcoming weeks, there are constant reminders of how much we have to accomplish and there just never seems to be enough time to do any of it. But, if we break it down, prioritize and organize, getting things done can (REALLY!) be a joy.
A few things come to mind when talking about how much we have to get done this time of year… Family coming over for parties, friends coming over for dinner, shopping, shopping and more shopping to get done for Christmas, Thanksgiving dinner and all of the other *stuff* we have to do. Of course, this doesn’t begin to cover the cooking big, fancy meals, cleaning the house because there are going to be people sleeping in places that haven’t seen the light of day since LAST December and trying to keep the children clean and presentable for the ENTIRE Christmas season. (Anyone with a toddler (or a Sam) knows how frustrating this last task can be).
I heard an analogy once that really made a lot of sense to me. If you know my mind at all, you know that I don’t speak in or understand analogies… so the fact that this one stuck with me and is helpful is a testament to the great visual this is.
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A time management guru was speaking to a group of type “A” personalities. He placed a wide-mouth gallon jar on the table in front of him. Next to the jar was a collection of fist-sized rocks. He carefully filled the jar with the big rocks, until he could fit no more.
He asked the group, “Is the jar full?”
Everyone responded, “Yes.”
He then pulled a large bowl of gravel from under the table and proceeded to pour the gravel into the jar. The gravel fit into the spaces between the rocks. He again queried, “Is the jar full?”
“Probably not,” was the group’s reply.
He reached for another bowl, this one filled with sand. He dumped the sand into the jar. The sand filled the spaces not taken by the rocks and the gravel. Once more, he asked, “Is the jar full?”
“No,” everyone agreed.
Finally, he reached for a pitcher of water and poured water into the jar until it was filled to the top. The time management guru looked at the group and asked, “What is the point of my illustration?”
One man replied, “That no matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit one more thing into it.”
“No!” the guru responded.
The point of this illustration is, “If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all!”
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If we don’t prioritize and put the “big rocks” on our proverbial plates first, we won’t have room for them. For me, the “big rocks” are God, family and friends, church commitments, our home, taking care of our animals (who provide food for us) and the health and well-being of our family. This is a whole lot to do, so some of it is shared… the boys help feed animals, milk the goat, gather eggs, feed rabbits, etc. The boys help with cleaning their rooms, putting away laundry, planning meals around foods they can eat, etc. The “pebbles” in my life include things such as clipping coupons, finding freebies, outside chores that don’t have to do with the animals, advocacy for many different things (epilepsy awareness, vaccine information, natural health, attachment parenting, natural parenting, healthful lifestyle, natural cooking, etc.)… These are things that are important to me, things I enjoy doing and help not only our family, but many others as well. But, in the end, they are things and would have to be sacrificed for the “big rocks”, if a choice had to be made. The “sand” in my life would be the little things that I do or have to do that are time eaters… they may well be good things, but spending too much time doing these things doesn’t allow for anything else to be done… other things that are far more important. It might be nice to bake cookies for the boys… but if I’ve yet to make dinner, those cookies are wasting my time…and costing my children nutrition. There is a cost for everything we decide to do. I may want to stay and play on the computer for two hours, but the reality of the matter is that if I sit and play at the computer for two hours… I just spent that two hours NOT getting the upstairs tidied. I won’t ever get that time back and I not only wasted that time, but still have to spend two hours cleaning upstairs. So, I’m not perfect, but I do try to make good time choices to get things done so that I don’t have to worry about getting them done later… in all my spare time.
Hugs, Love, Blessings & Bare Feet,
Jen
Filed under: Uncategorized
OK… short entry… but a nice n meaty one! Go here: http://www.exchange4green.com/gt_view.php?id=247 and get details for FREE (free free free) 50 Personalized Christmas Cards. It is awesome! I just did it (and, a little ashamed of myself…thought it was 40, so I’m getting 40 free ones…) but no strings attached. No credit card required. Just Free. Awesome!
While recuperating from this ILI (influenza like illness), I thought it was an appropriate time to share some information about vaccines. A little boy from a near-by town is suffering from a vaccine injury (from the H1N1 vaccine which he received less than one week before he started having symptoms). My own son is a survivor of a vaccine injury he suffered from the seasonal flu vax in November of 2005. I’ve never been one to follow along or go with the flow with healthcare choices and selectively and delayed vaccinations when all of our boys were infant and toddler age. I felt pressured into giving the flu vax because of the “danger” (words from their pediatricians) of them getting these illnesses with their seizure disorder… must keep them healthy. I followed along, to some extent, for far too long. Only AFTER my son had horrible side effects from one of these drugs, did I do my homework.
Today, I am not posting links. You now know where I stand (if you don’t, I’ll spell it out. For my children, I am anti-vaccination. They will not be getting any further vaccinations. They have received NO vaccinations since November of 2005. I don’t even begin to have the answers for anyone else, but feel a true calling to encourage EVERYONE to research and do what they need to do.) My personal “rules” (for myself) for researching vaccines include NOT doing my reading on sites that have an interest in the vaccine industry. My one exception is to obtain the drug information from the manufacturer. I don’t trust manufacturer sites, hospital sites or even government sites (money does, after all, make the world go ’round). No one is going to convince me that the government that touts such an unproven product so brazenly, does not get some kind of “kickback” for doing so. Of course, I would never suggest or imply illegal activity, (ever), when nothing is “proven”… but I’m not comfortable getting my information from these places. In this same vein… as “weird” as you might feel about the rabid anti-vaccination folks… answer yourself this question… “What do they really have to gain by promoting their view?” NOT giving a child a product doesn’t make anyone money. They are not benefitting by not making money. They are certainly not benefitting by being criticized by the masses. These people, in my experience, have generally seen the injuries and hurts caused by these drugs and are trying to make an impact for the good. Sadly, so many people blindly follow their doctors’ advice. Don’t get me wrong… there are many wonderful doctors and most people are not medically trained… that’s what we pay the doctors for. Here’s the problem (LOL, as I see it… take it for what it is or isn’t worth): I do not believe that most of these doctors even KNOW what is in these vaccines. The ingredients in these vaccines include things like aluminum, mercury (although this is less common today than it used to be), formaldehyde, formalin, aborted fetal tissue cells and other items that I just would not knowingly inject or have injected into my children’s bodies. I do not think most doctors are fully aware of this. I have to believe this to keep my sanity. People have literally said to me (and many others who are opposed to vaccinations for their children) “Its not like I’m injecting poison into my child.” Sigh. Formaldehyde is poison. There is no other way to look at it. What I’m saying is just this: Know what you are consenting to. Those forms they give you at the doctor’s office say some of the mild things the might go wrong. There is not a single mention of any of the potentially life changing side effects that these drugs can have. For your child’s sake… just do your research. The most heartbreaking of cases involve parents who were just going with the flow… doing what they “were supposed to do.” These parents have NO IDEA that these things can happen. They have to live with the consequences of these things for the rest of their lives. Those who research and choose to vaccinate at least know. I truly think we all do the best we can. I can agree to disagree on this issue. A lady once said to me that she wished that people realized that it is hard for parents who DO vaccinate because they think about that choice and pray constantly that they are making the right choice. I hadn’t thought of that, but it was eye-opening for me.
As for me… As I sit here with my apple juice for the third day in a row with no solid foods and thinking about my current bout of the sickies, I am most grateful that our Creator has blessed me with a strong immune system. People are getting sick and staying sick for a week with this. I was kind of resolved that I/we (LOL, some combination of the grown ups and kiddos) would get something. This is a new virus and we have no immunity… but I have not stayed extremely ill… I had one (very very long) night of high fever (I start getting a little delusional around 103.2*, I’ve discovered), and I won’t claim to love the tummy troubles that have plagued me for 5 days now, but I was only on the couch, unable to move or function for a relatively short amount of time. Rest and fluids did their work. I’m grateful to be developing natural immunity to this virus and I hope my boys are developing some as well. My opinion of the vaccine, or vaccines in general, has not changed. The brief illness (in my situation) would not have been worth the risk of getting the vaccine, for me. Everyone has to make the call with their own children, and even for yourself. We all do the best we can. But the responsibility there is that WE all have to do the best WE can. Making our own decisions, doing our own research and finding out answers independently from the medical establishment… WE are responsible for our children’s health. The doctors may be wonderful, we may trust them implicitly… but I am the mom and it is my job to make sure that what goes into my child’s body is safe and healthful. It is on THEM to prove to me (the consumer) that what is in their product is safe. It is NOT on me to just take their word for it. Their word and promise of safety… when there are too many examples of how unsafe their product was for far too many children and adults. Let the buyer beware.
As Always,
Hugs, Love, Blessings & Bare Feet.
Jen
Rogue Zahmbie Chickens 