It's a Boy's Life

{Goat Milk} Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Cajeta Swirl

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:11:15 PDT

I am waiting on new cultures to arrive before I can make more cheese and we were getting a little overrun with milk. Yesterday I made a half a gallon of yogurt and used another half gallon of milk to make cajeta in the crock pot. We have made dulce de leche in the crock pot before using store bought condensed milk, but I wanted to try it with with our fresh goat milk.

It took all day to cook down, but it is so, so good. It tasted a little like a mix between caramel and butterscotch.

To Make Cajeta:

1/2 gallon goat milk
2 cups sugar
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
dash of cinnamon/ 1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 T water

You can make this on the stovetop (quicker, but more hands-on) or in the crock pot (much longer, but does not require constant attention). I went with the crock pot so I didn't have to stand and stir for hours.

Place the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar in the crock pot and turn on to high. Stir every so often until the milk is hot and sugar is dissolved. Stir in the baking soda water. Continue cooking on high stirring every so often. I just stirred as I came into the kitchen, maybe once an hour or so. Keep the lid off since the goal is for the milk to reduce and caramelize. It took about 12 hours to thicken up to the consistency I wanted (like a sauce/topping) if you want it thicker just cook a little longer.

And this morning Annika and I made vanilla bean ice cream to go with our cajeta. Sometimes I make the more involved ice cream by making a custard with eggs, milk and sugar but today I went the simple route.

To Make Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (raw):

2 cups raw goat milk
1 cup goat milk yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean

Whisk all of this together and pour into a 1.5 qt ice cream maker and mix as the machine instructs. The key here is to have 3 cups of liquid. You can use a combination of heavy cream, whole milk, skim milk etc. The lower the fat the less creamy the ice cream will be. I choose 2 cups of whole, raw goat's milk and 1 cup of yogurt this time to see how the yogurt affected the consistency.

We also swirled about 1/2 cup of our cajeta into the ice cream just as it finished processing.

It wasn't quite all the way frozen by lunch time....but it was still really good!

Garden 2013: Finally Planting

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:03:29 PDT

Planted:

80 tomatoes, 20 heirloom varieties
20 peppers, 8 heirloom varieties
15 eggplants, 4 varieties

300 peas, 3 varities
Kale, lettuce, chard, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower (all but the kale are doing rather poorly at the moment)
radishes and carrots planted in straw bales

Herbs: Sage, Oregano, Lavender, Thyme, Wormwood, Curry, Rosemary, Calendula and 7 different varieties of basil
Flowers: Cosmos, Zinnias, Marigold, Sunflowers and a few different wildflowers

We stayed in the garden most of the day yesterday, and with this addition I was able to get a lot done. Annika (and the boys) played in the sand ALL day in the shade of the old apple tree.

The first tomato....on one of the plants I started back in February.

{Review} Come on an Ooka Island Adventure!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:45:12 PDT

Reading. It's one of the most important skills anyone can have. It's also one of the most stressful parts of homeschooling. I have successfully taught 3 of my 5 kids to read. I was not blessed with self-starters or motivated readers. None of my 3 oldest taught themselves, none of them zipped through words quickly and effortlessly, and none read for pleasure for a long time. You would think that having done it 3 times before, teaching #4 would be a breeze. But like with most things, my kids are all very different and what works for one definitely doesn't work for the next. Lakin and I are in a frustrating place right now in his reading journey. He's stubborn, a perfectionist, and doesn't have a huge attention span. We are making slow but steady progress, and I will take any help I can get when it comes to teaching how to read. I am a firm believer that practice makes perfect, so the more words, books, games that have to do with language the better.

Over the years I have used many different computer programs aimed at teaching phonics and language skills. I have used CD based programs, free website, subscription based websites and free trials of many more. So when I was asked to try out Ooka Island I was pretty excited. Like I said- I will take any help I can get in hopes that it will help make reading click!

About the Product:

Ooka Island is learn to read game designed for kids at the Pre-K to 2nd Grade level. It teaches phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension. It is a self contained application on your computer, available for both Mac and PC, that adapts to your child based on their abilities as they go through the program.

Ooka Island follows a cycle of guided play, e-reader and free play to help keep the kids engaged and eager to learn. The Ooka Island map is full of fun and games such as Alphabet Mountain, The Cake Factory and Bubbly Trubbly that teach things phonics, blending, decoding and sequencing. The player moves through these games during the guided part of each lesson. Then they enter the Popcorn Library to read and earn books. In this e-reader section they listen to a book and complete comprehension activities. You can even print out a book path for them to place stickers on as they complete each book.

In addition to the application, there is a online component to the game where parents can go to see their child's progress. You can view all sorts of reports and analysis and see how your child is progressing. You can also find resources to use offline such as workbooks, book paths, certificates and even music to help keep your child excited!

What did we think?

Lakin LOVES games like this, and he was so excited when it came in the mail. It is very visually appealing which means kids are excited right off the bat.

What I liked most:

I like that is it self adapting. We have used programs in the past that don't adapt as the child progresses and this leads to boredom or frustration as things become too easy or too hard.
This program does a really good job of keeping interest alive. The games change with enough frequency and they have enough movement and story lines involved to keep you thinking.
Extra resources. Games like this are only part of teaching your child to read. It's still very hands on with parental involvement required. The activity books are great reinforcement for what they are learning in the game and the other resources work to keep the excitement alive.
I liked that it had a lot of directed activities. This meant that Lakin couldn't keep repeating his favorite games and he couldn't skip those he didn't particularly like.

Things to think about:

We've tried quite a few computer based games in our reading journey, and what I have learned is that they all have good qualities and they all share a common goal. The biggest variable in the equation is your child. Different kids prefer different games, so I have always been a fan of the "free trial" offered by many companies. This way I can know for sure if my child is going to mesh well with the game. Being a self contained application, this might be hard to do, but I think some sort of Demo CD or online sample games might be a good idea so that customers, and their kids, can get a good feel for the game before making their purchase. That being said, my child really enjoyed his time on Ooka Island, and I can see that his skills improved because of it.

Want to purchase Ooka Island for yourself?

Ooka Island can be purchased from their website for the following prices:

Individual:

$12.95 per month or $124.95 annually

Family (of up to 4 children):

$19.95 per month or $149.95 annually

And right now you can get up to 30% off your subscription by clicking here!

A Moment in Time: Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:19:18 PDT

A moment in time. The grass and flowers still wet with dew.

Boys with shovels, pots and a plan. Their entrepreneurial minds at work.

A little girl smelling and picking flowers.

And I am thankful that I get to spend these mornings with them. Together.

Mama Hen

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:16:31 PDT

A couple of weeks ago Chickory went missing. The kids mourned her loss, assuming the fox got her. But 2 days later she came screeching into the yard, clucking and carrying on. Then promptly disappeared again. For a week she would show up every 2 days until finally we discovered her nest, safely in a corner of the barn. She was sitting on 20 eggs.

Now Chickory isn't a big bird. She's actually pretty scrawny. So I pulled about 9 eggs and left her with the rest, hoping it was a more manageable number for her to keep warm. I candled the eggs, threw out the non-fertile eggs and set the rest in the incubator. Yesterday was hatch day. We had one peeping in the incubator when we woke up and 2 more working their way out. A peek under Chickory revealed 3 chicks.

By mid-afternoon she had 7. And by evening, when all was said and done she had 9 little babies. And we still only had our 3 inside. We moved her into a safe, enclosed location- our "chick house" within the larger storage area of the chicken house. We slipped our 3 under her as well.

This morning we went out to visit them. Chickory is all fluffed out with her dozen chicks all crammed under her wings.

All but one so far looks to be half Brahma- fluffy feet and all. Only one little one- all yellow and no fluffly feet.

Annika is in love. She was sad to see the chicks leave the house. But is happy to be able to go out and spend time in the barn with the birds.

Here's our rooster, one of them anyway. A big, beautiful Buff Brahma who gave us lots of colorful little babies!

Motherhood and Then Some

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:14:02 PDT

Day 6 of Blogging Everyday in May. Topic: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question 'What do you do?'

I am not sure what my technical job title would be. When filling out paperwork I am forced to check the not employed or homemaker box (both of which I hate, by the way). So what do I do, exactly?

I am a wife. I am a parent. A mother.

I am a hairdresser. A mediator. A first-aid administer.

I am an English teacher. A science teacher. A history teacher.

An art teacher. A gym teacher. A music teacher.

I am a memory maker. A photographer. A memory preserver.

I am a party planner. A travel agent. A maid.

I am a baker. A decorator. A caterer.

I am a farmer. An animal caretaker. A animal midwife.

I am a gardener. A cook. A food preserver. A seed saver.

I am a writer. A blogger. And right this very moment, I will stop and be a story teller to a sleepy little girl with a Dora book in her hand.

Rain, Rain, Rain...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:02:07 PDT

It rained today. And yesterday. And a few days last week. The clouds are low and the mountains invisible.

At least it is green now, which isn't quite as bad as the brown, muddiness of all the winter rains we had.

The yard seems to have turned into a series of small rivers and waterfalls. The creek has reached it's limit and overflowed.

The goats are cold. And wet. And pretty unhappy.

So are the chickens. They sit on my milk stand in the shed, huddle in corners of the coop, or shiver in the goat's hay. Our top hat chickens look particularly pathetic.

Not all of us are upset about the rain though. The ducks are having a wonderful time!

And tomorrow's forecast is rain. And the next day after that. I know in the summer, when it is hot and dry I will be wishing for rain. But for now, I am ready for it to move on and let the sun shine.

Be Who You Are....

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sat, 04 May 2013 10:25:20 PDT

Source: unknown

This has been one of my favorite quotes since first read it years ago. We, myself included, waste a lot of time worrying about what other people think about us and it doesn't matter if that person is a perfect stranger or your best friend. But the truth is no matter what you say and do, your best friend will love you anyway and you will never see than perfect stranger again, so why do they get to control who you are?

April Showers Bring....Rising Creeks

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sat, 04 May 2013 06:15:25 PDT

It was a wet winter. It's been a wet spring.

And that means the creek at the bottom of our pasture has more water.

The kids, both human and goat, have been going down almost daily to play in the water.

Finding newts and salamanders. Building dams. Making a "moss floor".

Sometimes their boots will get stuck in the mud. Or Annika will slip and be covered in water and mud.

Have you played in a creek lately?

This post is part of the Blog Every Day in May blog challenge. Click below to find a list of blog topics or to link up!

{Review} Saving Memories Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:38:29 PDT

I am a memory collector. Most of my memories are on paper- collections of photo albums, movie stubs, scrapbook pages, articles, etc. Some are computer files of pictures or video clips or my blog posts. But with the exception of those few video clips of my kids as they grow up, I don't have a lot of oral memories collected. Enter Saving Memories Forever.

Saving Memories Forever is a smartphone application and website designed to help record, save and share your family's memories. They have a free version if you want to try it out and a paid version if you want unlimited stories, storytellers and less restrictions in general.

How the Product Works:

The first step is to sign up- which can be done by downloading the app onto your smartphone or by going to their website. Once you are signed in you come to the storyteller page. I was given a premium subscription to help with my review, so I was able to have unlimited storytellers. You can add your storytellers, a picture and all of their information from this page.

When you are ready to record your memories, choose your storyteller and then you will be prompted to choose a category for your story. Most of the categories are age related, though there are some general categories like jokes- which my kids enjoyed, and now I have tons of knock, knock jokes to remember this age by! Once you choose your category you will be prompted to choose a question. These questions cover all sorts of topics from vague to very specific (great for those like me, who might not be able to come up with your own story off the top of your head with out a prompt!)

And then you are ready to record! Press record and go! Once the recording is done, you have the option of rerecording if you need to start over or uploading the story to the website for storage and later listening.

On the website you can listen to your saved stories, add tags for easier searching, transcripts, or photos to the story.

The Bottom Line:

I love the idea behind this product. I love that it is portable and that you can record memories as they come. While visiting grandparents, siblings, cousins, old friends, etc. you can capture these stories in each individual's voice. You will be able to hear your grandfather tell that old story, the one he told a million times, long after he's no longer around to tell it. The bonuses of being able to add photos, transcripts, recipes and other documents to your stories make it even better and more expandable. Almost like a verbal scrapbook.

I personally prefer a more paper/visual scrapbook. I like to look at pictures, read old letters or read through journals. But even though I would probably never be my own storyteller, I know lots of people who would.

The app worked flawlessly on my phone. I had no trouble downloading, opening or recording from my device and I had no trouble accessing my files on the website. I even downloaded it from my husband's phone, which has a history of restarting itself often, to see if the app would cause any issues- and it worked fine on his phone as well.

So if you are headed to a family reunion this summer or just simply want to remember what your daughter or son sounded like when they were 1 yr, old this app can do that for you, and you will never have to rely on your own memory, which tends to fade with time.

Where to Get it:

You can download the apps from the iTunes App Store or Google Play, and is listed under Saving Memories Forever. As I mentioned you can try out the free version or opt for the paid subscription for $3.99/month or $40/yr. If you would like to know more about the differences between these 2 versions visit the Saving Memories Forever Website for a breakdown.

Wordless Wednesday: Daisy

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:44:10 PDT

This post is linked to Wordless Wednesday at Wordless Wednesday Bloggers, Mama to 4 Blessings, Mom Loves 2 Read,

{Review} Spanish for You!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:05:57 PDT

Foreign Language has always been at the top of the list in terms of what I want my kids to know. I think it's an important and marketable skill to have. But even though I know that the younger you are, the easier it is to learn a new language, this particular subject always got pushed to the back burner. Lately the kids' exposure to Spanish has been much more frequent, so I was happy to be asked to review a new Spanish curriculum called Spanish for You! and to see how effective it would be for our family.

About the Product:

Spanish for You! was created by an experienced Spanish teacher to effectively and affordably teach children the Spanish language. It teaches reading, writing and speaking skills so that students can really communicate in Spanish. Just a few of the key points of the program are:

It is flexible in many ways. This curriculum has been tested in the classroom, in homeschool co-ops, and at home. You can mix and match your activities to best suit your situation and you can move at your own pace.
It's affordable. Starting at only $39.95 for an entire year's worth of curriculum, this program is very budget friendly.
It's ready to go. Weekly lesson plans are included, so all you have to do is print and go.
The program is designed to teach multiple ages at one time. 3rd grade or 8th grade, they can all work together on the same material.
The Spanish for You! website contains ideas and instructions for many different games and activities to keep the learning new, fun and exciting
2 Audio files are included. One is spoken by a non-native speaker and one is spoken by a native speaker.

How I Used the Program:

My boys are currently ranging between 7th grade and Kindergarten, so I got to test just how well this program is for teaching multiple levels. When you order Spanish for You! you will receive a physcial copy of the text book in the mail and all other supplies are provided via PDF download. I will admit to being a little overwhelmed with the size of the downloads and the amount of files. So I suggest you locate and open the lesson guide first. Each Sunday I printed out that week's lesson guide (2 pages for me...one fore grades 3-4 and one for grades 5-6). The lesson guide will tell you exactly which files to locate and print for the week.

We would all gather together over the book and listen to the audio for that day. I paused it as we needed to repeat, answer questions on pronunciation, etc. We made flash cards for new vocabulary, which could later be used in a variety of ways to help solidify the learning. I received the Estaciones Book, so all of our learning revolved around the seasons. And right off the bat the kids were speaking the days of the week, months and various weather terminology.

Each day the kids would speak, read and write in Spanish. The program covers vocabulary, common phrases, commands, verbs....lots of stuff! But it wasn't overwhelming since it was broken down into small parts with lots of practice. And since it's a combination of spoken repetition, written dictation/worksheets and listening to the spoken language, it's very good at appealing to all sorts of learning styles. And at the end of the very first day, the kids took their flash cards and ran up the hill to talk to their Aunt Lili, who is a native Spanish speaker from Colombia. I loved that they were excited to show off their new knowledge!

The Bottom Line:

What I liked most about this program:

I do not know/speak Spanish. I know the[very] basics, I've watched Dora and Diego over the years, but that is where my knowledge ends. Thanks to the audio files, I don't have to guess on how to pronounce things and I can learn right along side of my kids.
You really can teach all levels at once. The worksheets are different for the various grade levels, so each child can work on the exact same material but at a higher or lower level depending on age.
It's affordable. You can get materials for all grade levels (3rd-8th) for an entire year for under $65.
The flexibility. You can take a little or as long as you need for any given part. The lesson guide breaks it down into a 4 day week, but you can take longer or shorter than that if needed. Some times we need the extra practice and some times things just click right away.
The extras- if you visit the website there are links to lots of free mini-lessons, worksheets and activities. All to help you get the most out of the program.

What I didn't like.....well, this might be a first, but I don't have anything to say here. The one downfall I was going to mention has already been taken care of, which means I should probably add great customer service to my list of what I like!

Where to Buy:

If you would like to purchase Spanish for You! for yourself you can buy online through their website. You can choose from Estaciones (Seasons), Fiestas (Celebrations) or Viajes (Travels).

Each package will consist of a soft cover book, PDF Files of the lesson guide, worksheets and flashcard pictures. You will also receive 2 mp3 audio files of the lessons. You can choose to purchase a package for grades 3-8 for $64.95 or individually (3-4, 5-6 or 7-8) for $39.95.

A Boy, a Girl and a Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:37:59 PDT

Rylan has this bird named Queenie. We hatched her in the incubator last fall. She's was a sickly chick. Not very strong, a little floppy, one leg seemed a little off. When we let them out of the brooder and they were old enough and strong enough to hold their own against the big hens, Queenie stayed inside the coop, roosting on the feed cans or hiding behind them all day.

And because of this Rylan took a special interest in her. I told him not to get attached because I honestly didn't think she'd live that long. But he brought her food and water. He carried her out back to be with the rest of the "chicks". Finally she started to come around. She's still a little off looking and one leg is still a little odd, but she's running, pecking and venturing. She is also trained to run to Rylan as soon as she sees him. Or any person, if he's not around.

And now that we have a chicken that will run to us. A chicken that is a little smaller than average. Annika now has a chicken she can catch. And carry. And hug. And love.

And Annika really loves Queenie. Almost as much as Rylan....

This post is linked to the HomeAcre Hop, Farm Girl Friday, The Homestead Barn Hop,

Finally....Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:51:17 PDT

This winter wasn't particularly cold, but it was wet and gray....and long.

We didn't get any snow at all, until March. We had a dusting on the first day of Spring. And various snow and ice days for a few weeks after.

When I would look out the window and all I saw was brown and compare it to previous years when the same view was green and full of blossoms. And I honestly started to worry that spring wasn't going to come this year.....

But finally the switch was flicked....and finally Spring is here.

This post is linked to the Homestead Barn Hop, The HomeAcre Hop,

Restructuring the Goats

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:42:27 PDT

We are making some changes this year in terms of our herd. When we first started out with goats we just got a couple of doelings with hopes of breeding and milking them the following year. Eventually our boys, Scooter and Scout, joined the herd as pets, weed eaters and company for any goat that needed them. And finally Thor, our buck. Over the past 2 years we have grown and today we have 13 goats in our pastures.

Now that we have a couple breeding seasons under our belts and we have a more defined idea about what kind of goats we want to raise, we are ready to make our changes. Over the next year we will be saying good-bye to most of our original herd. Thor and Bella are for sale now. This year's babies will be up for sale once they are weaned. And Bertie and June will leave us this fall or winter once they have dried up for the year or in the Spring if we decided to milk them through until our next kidding season starts. Scooter, Scout and possibly, Poppy, will be staying here. So who are we making room for?

Meet Dottie, a little 7 week old Nubian bottle baby and quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen.

She will grow up to be our first foundation doe. She is ADGA registered and comes from very good bloodlines.

She also follows us around like a puppy and cries loudly when we leave her. In another month or so she will be joined by a second little Nubian doeling (provided she is born, that is).

And this, is Dixon. Our future herdsire. We picked him up on a recent trip back to TN to visit with friends and family.

He's not quite as puppy-like as Dottie is, but his mama produces 2 gallons of milk a day, which is a pretty impressive amount. He is also ADGA registered and from excellent bloodlines.

So by this time next year, we will have a 100% Nubian herd and hopefully lots of little floppy eared babies jumping around!

This post has been linked to the Farm Girl Friday Blog Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, The HomeAcre Hop,

Mountain Science Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:02:28 PDT

Yesterday we went to the NC Arboretum for the Mountain Science Expo (part of the NC Science Festival). There was a ton of booths set up with things for the kids to see, touch and learn about. Everything from the fish hatchery and trout identification to energy use and alternative energy sources.

And tree identification, soil types and all sorts of bugs and other specimen to look at.

Making gummy creations. Learning how to use a compass. Eating EarthFare snacks.

Outside was set up for the messy, hands on sort of science. I think Cohen got about 20 pencils in before he sprung a huge leak.

Annika enjoyed the bubbles the most. And the puppies.

Of course no science festival could be complete without Legos.

Downstairs they had opened up their classroom. And we got to explore animal skeletons as well as meet some of the resident animals- such as Snickerdoodle the rat and Salazar the king snake.

On to Earth Science- with all sorts of rocks, minerals and fossils. As well as a laser thermometer to play around with.

Looking at the sun and the sun spots with the telescope.

Then we took a break to play like maniacs, and try to save each other from falling through the drainage grate.

And finally stopping to smell all of the flowers before leaving.

April 6, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:04:49 PDT

Bones. Found outside and claimed by Annika.

The next round of tomato seedlings growing strong. About 80-90 total tomato plants.

1 of 5 lavender plants. Also growing strong.

Eggplant. It finally got warmer in the house, which means the eggplant finally took off.

Peppers. They grow slower than the tomatoes. But they are getting there. We are trying lots of new varieties this year.

Rhubarb.

And basil. I've got about 7 different varieties.

Spending time with the babies. They are phone pics, so not the best. But they are growing bigger everyday. We'll have some new ones to introduce soon too!

How was your day?

{Review} The Ultimate Homeschool Planner

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:43:10 PDT

When I first started on our homeschooling journey I spent countless hours planning. I printed off forms and lists and calenders. I had a page for everything I could possibly think I might need to plan. My documents folder on my computer was overflowing with things I had saved but never opened again. Over the years, my planning has streamlined into a few select forms each year. So when I was asked to review Debra Bell's Ultimate Homeschool Planner, I was interested to see how my planning system would compare to hers. And there's not only a parent's planner, but one specialized for students and teenagers!

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is actually pretty ultimate and covers almost all the bases you might need to cover to plan a successful homeschool year, or even to plan a successful year of life.

About the Product:

So what is included in the Ultimate Homeschool Planner?

It starts out with the a yearly calendar- 4 of them actually. So mine has a page (front and back) containing a calendar for the 2012-2013 through the 2015-2016 school years (running from July to June). I normally print off a July-June school calendar every year, so this was a good thing to be included.

Then there is a good 10 or so pages of a User's Guide. Now, I know we all know how to plan, but this User's Guide had a lot of really good information in it and it all comes from a seasoned homeschooling expert! She gives a lot of great information on planning sessions, prioritizing your school year and how to get the most out of your planner. She also goes over the ins and outs of using the student and teen planners.

Then the planning pages start. First with a year-at-a-glace page. This is a place where you can put in your days off, holidays, extra curricular activities and anything else that might need to be planned around or take a high priority to book work. I used this page to mark our co-op classes, birthdays, important farm dates where life-school takes precedence over book work.

Next, there are goals pages for each student (up to 6 students). There are places for academic and personal goals. A yearly goals sheet has always been something I print off each year. Other pre-planning pages include a family priority list and student resource list (and yes, a resource list was something in my planning pages as well).

Then comes the monthly planning pages. These are undated pages with space to write the month, year and dates as well as a few spots to write any notes for the month. Each month is a 2-page spread.

After the monthly pages are the weekly pages, where you can transfer your monthly plan into a more indepth weekly plan. Each week is a 4 page spread. The first 2-pages are a blank planning grid with 6 rows and 6 columns. I really liked that they were blank to allow me to find the best way to plan for my family. I played around with listing subjects, days, kids, etc before settling on days going down and subjects going across. These pages are also undated, which gives you a lot of freedom and flexibility on your school breaks. The 2nd part of the weekly pages are dedicated to Sunday and the week in review. I am a secular homeschooler and was able to tweak these pages for my use. I really enjoyed the spaces to jot down the week's memorable moments and other positives for the week. Those sort of things- that focus on the positive- really help to keep burn out at bay.

Once the planning pages are done, there is still a lot left to this planner. There is a section on record keeping for recording grades and reading lists. There are pages giving teaching tips from learning styles to reluctant learners. And finally a high school planning guide to help with that daunting task of planning for homeschooling high schoolers!

The Bottom Line:

Page for page the Ultimate Homeschool Planner has just about every page I would normally print out for any given school year and then some extra. I found I used it for more than just a homeschool planner, but as a life planner. There was room for all of my my dates-to-remember and activities as well as the educational plans.

What did I like the most?

I really liked the fact that the pages were undated. Homeschoolers come with all sorts of schedules, not everyone goes from June-July and we all take different breaks. So the fact that I could label the calendars in the order I wanted, was really nice.
The flexibility of this product is amazing. You can see it most in the weekly pages. I have used other planners that pre-write the subjects or days of the week or student 1, 2, etc and the fact that I could use the grid to fit my specific planning style was a definite plus.
All of those extras! The teaching tips, the planning tips, the records forms! It was nice to have all of those extra pages in one place.

What would I change?

If I could add one page, it would be an attendance form of some sort. Many states require homeschoolers to keep an attendance sheet, and while sometimes there are specific forms for each state, having one bound in the planner would be one less piece of paper to lose!
I would prefer that the weekly planning pages are sandwiched between the months, instead of all the months then all of the weeks.
The binding. I have a love-hate relationship with spiral binding. I love that it lays flat, but no one in my family, me included, can keep a spiral-bound book intact. The spiral just starts moving up the book as we open and close it! I know there are other ways to bind that can't unravel!

The Student Planner:

I also received a student planner to review. This one much smaller in size- which makes it easy for kids to carry around without getting bogged down by another book. It's set up similarly to the Homeschool Planner with blank month pages and blank weekly pages. There are also a few record keeping pages and a lot of cool "help" pages in the back. There is a ton of information located in those pages, and reminds me of a big-kid version of a mini-office lapbook you might see a Kindergartener or 1st grader use. There everything from a historical time-line to conversion charts to a grammar guide and root words list. And those pages were just perfect for my fact-loving son. One of Debra Bell's goals is to help kids become independent in their learning, and using a planner like this is one step along the way to becoming responsible for their studies.

Where to Get One:

If you are interested in purchasing a planner of your own you can get them from Apologia's website. The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is $28, while the Student and Teen Planners are $19.

Kidding 2013: Coco and C.......

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:30:57 PDT

We could tell that June was getting close to kidding, but every time we looked out on her she'd be up and grazing- which is not a sign of a goat in labor. But she took us by surprise.

Last night Cale went out to feed the alpacas and came rushing in yelling, "June had her babies!!" So I rushed out the door, and down to Cale who had already gone back out to her. She wasn't in the main pasture in the barn like I was expecting- she was in the lower pasture, down by the creek. She was there calling with 2 wet and wobbly babies bopping around beside her.

We wrapped up the babies and tried to lead June up to the barn. That's when everyone else came running and things got a little confusing for the goats. June crying for her babies, Bertie crying because June was crying, the newborns cried for their mama which made Bertie cry for her babies, who also came running. We had to pull June up and into the barn and after all the crying stopped and she realized her babies were right in front of her she calmed down and went back to cleaning them. I guess the family bond between Bertie and June is much stronger than I thought.

It was dark by the time we got everyone settled for the night. But the 2 new kids were all dry and fluffed up this morning. They look exactly like their dad, and now we have a little more color in the herd.

We have another pair- a doeling and a buckling. The little girl's name is Coco. But we are still in disagreement on the boy. A few of the kids want it to be Kipper. Some of us want Crispy....

We have possibly one more kidding to go this season. Poppy is still pretty skiddish, though she will come for licorice treats, and I haven't been able to get my hands on her stomach to feel for movement, so we are just keeping a close eye on her udder and body to watch for signs that she might be pregnant.

linked to: The HomeAcre Hop, The Homestead Barn Hop,

{Review} We Choose Virtues

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:00:07 PDT

Character. It's an important thing. It's also something that is often overlooked. If you take a look around you it's not hard to see that character development and education takes a backseat to many so-called more important things. But when it comes down to it your character is who you are. You may be the most intelligent, the most talented, the most beautiful person in the world, but if you are not a good person, a virtuous person, a person of good character all of those positives will be overshadowed. As parents, it's our duty to instill these values in our children. To make sure they grow up to be honest, caring, hardworking, etc. And that is where We Choose Virtues can help.

We Choose Virutes was created by Heather McMillian out of a desire to teach children how to reach their personal potential. How to help them change not only their actions but their attitudes as well. Her program consists of 12 virtues- combined with easy to remember catchphrases and antonyms- that effectively teach children and give parents and teacher the tools and language to help guide them in their journey.

What I Recieved:

For the purpose of my review I was sent a set of Virtue Flash Cards (secular edition), a sample Parenting Card, the downloadable Teacher's Handbook, a PDF of The Kids of VirtueVille Coloring Pages, and the free download of the Family Character Assessment.

How We Used the Product:

We Choose Virtues is suitable for early-childhood up through elementary ages, so Rylan is my only child outside this age-range. (Though, he can definitely use some extra character development, so he participated too!)

We started by going over each of the virtues by looking at the flashcards and reading the catchphrases and antonyms, and discussing any new vocabulary or things they didn't quite understand. Then I gave each of them a copy of the Family Character Assessment. We went down the list and they gave themselves a score for each virtue. When they were done we went back down the list as a group. I asked them harder questions and brought up certain hypothetical situations. For the most part they did very well in their assessments.

Then they each chose a virtue to work on during the week. I also asked them to memorize the words on the card. We tried to come together at least once a day to discuss how they had found ways to exercise their virtue. I also gently reminded them when I saw that particular virtue being ignored. The parenting cards come with many suggestions for activities that will help make the virtues stick, and the flash card set also give a couple different little games to play to help keep the virtues in your mind. Both of those were nice additions to help us learn the virtues.

The Bottom Line:

This product is well-made, kid friendly and gets the job done. What I liked most about the product:

I appreciate that there are different versions available. (NIV, King James and Secular) I had seen this product in the past and didn't realize there was a secular version available.
The materials are high-quality. The illustrations are beautiful and a lot of care was taken to ensure that the materials would be ones that draw children in.
I love the catchphrases and antonyms. It's one thing to define a virtue, but by telling what it is NOT takes the learning that one step further.
I love that the material gives the parent the words and tools to help their child. We all want our children to grow up to have good character, but sometimes it can be hard to find the right words or you begin to feel like the bad guy all the time. This product is a great help in both those areas.

Cost is probably one of the only downsides to this program. The materials are well worth the cost, but many times families on a budget just can't justify that cost. Thankfully, there are some options to help make the program a little more accessible.

If you can't afford the whole kit, you can still get started by purchasing some of the individual parts. If nothing else just get the Virtue Flash Cards ($14.99)or even the Virtue Clues ($5.50) both of which have the virtues, catch phrases and antonyms on them and can be used in many different ways. If you are interested in purchasing an entire kit, you can use the promo code HOME20 to receive 20% of the Homeschool Kit through the month of April.

To make We Choose Virtues even more accessible, Heather is offering 15% off any order! Just use the promo code Virtue15.

A Tribute to David

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:48:58 PDT

A sad thing happened last night when we went to lock up the chickens. Every night we feed them, count them and lock them up. Over the past few months we've lost a few due to a fox that hangs around during the day. And every day I hoped that no more would be missing, but I especially hoped that the favorites- Helen, Ping and David- would be there. And last night, David didn't come home.

David came to us last year as a replacement for Cohen's hen, Prunella, that got nabbed when she got left outside overnight. He was supposed to be a hen. But as he grew, the size of his feet alone told us that he was a rooster instead.

But Cohen loved that bird. He held him all the time and David turned out the be one of the tamest roosters I've ever seen. If you picked him up, he would sit with you until you put him down. He didn't mind being held and never showed once ounce of aggression towards us.

He was also one of the best roosters I have ever seen. Before we got rid of a couple of our not-so-nice roosters, he would stand guard over the hens and chase off any offenders. He would call the hens to him when he found treats to eat. And every afternoon he took a walk around the pasture with a group of his hens and a duck. He walked along the road, while the hens stayed in the ditch pecking around. He was everything you would want in a rooster.

He was a good rooster. And Cohen, who takes any chicken death hard, was pretty upset. And even though losses like this are part of farm life, it was a very sad loss for all of us.

And he will be missed.

This post is linked to the HomeAcre Hop, The Homestead Barn Hop,

Kidding 2013: Jack and Jill

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:47:24 PDT

Last year on March 24, it was a sunny and warm day. We were working on the fences in t-shirts and shorts and Bertie was in labor about to deliver her first set of kids. That labor was easy and smooth, and I am grateful that my first kidding experience was easy and uneventful. It prepared me for this March 24th, in which the kidding was not quite so easy....

I woke up yesterday to Cale at my bedside asking if a goat is standing with her head shoved against the wall means she's going to have the babies soon. I said yes and went to check. She was in labor. Early stages, but it was going to be that day. Cale and Cohen spent a lot of time watching that day. So did the chickens, who wanted to lay their eggs in her hay. It was not warm and sunny like last year, it was rainy and cold and windy. But we checked on her every hour or so until about 2:00 when she started to push and the amniotic sack was visible- though I will spare you the picture of that...

Jack getting clean

We thought it would be soon, but an hour passed, with the boys eagerly watching, and still not much of a change. The sack eventually burst and she laid down in the hay, pushed a couple times and then her contractions seemed to stop. I sent the boys inside, telling them I would call when I saw feet. Another hour passed. I was cold, sitting under the heat lamp googling stalled labor on my phone. Eventually I forced her to stand back up and a few minutes later her labor started up again and I could see the tips of the hooves. Cale, who had been the most excited to help with the labor, made it back into the barn.

Once she started to really push, I could see we were going to have a bit of a problem, I just wasn't sure what that problem was yet. What I could see was 2 hooves and a bit of the nose. But one was a front foot and one was a back foot. When she contracted I could see the tip of the second front foot. I tried to rearrange so the front foot came before the back, but honestly had no real clue how or what to do. I sent Cale in to have Paul do my googling for me and once again I forced her to get up in hopes that she could get the babies rearranged a bit better in that position. It worked and as the first kid came further out I realized that it wasn't his back foot, but the second kid's. They were both trying to come at once.

Jill finally arrives!

The first kid, Jack, was delivered. His face cleared and cleaned with the help of towels and Bertie's tongue. Cale held the heat lamp over him as he squirmed and tottered and tried to stand. It was cold, and we needed to get him dry fast. Bertie is a very good mother and is very thorough when it comes to cleaning her babies. I, on the other hand, was much more in a rush for her to get back to delivering her second baby, because it's back 2 feet up to the knees were hanging out of her.

Cale kept Jack warm while Bertie delivered Jill

Jack was up and had attempted to nurse when the contractions finally started up again. Breech babies aren't the optimal position for kidding, but it's not as big of a deal as it is for people. And Jill was delivered breech with out any issues. We got her cleaned up too and waited around until she was almost walking and had nursed as well.

By this time my brother and his wife, Lili, had made it home. Paul brought Annika out to meet the babies. The boys all made their appearances to see them. We set about making the shed as secure as possible. It's rather drafty, so we filled holes with towels, wood and hay. Secured the heat lamp. And hoped the temperatures would not dip too cold in the night.

This morning, everyone is doing fine. Despite the snow flakes blowing and cold wind. Bertie keeps the babies under the lamp and blocks the wind by sitting in front of them.

It's supposed to be cold for the next 3 days, but hopefully by the time June delivers it will be much more spring-like! And hopefully, her delivery will be much less eventful!

This post is linked to the HomeAcre Hop, Homestead Barn Hop,

FamilyMint Money Management Program Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:10 PDT

I have often mentioned how important I think life skills are and how many kids grow up unprepared for life outside of their parent's home. But one of the most overlooked life skill is money management. Parents forget to teach their children smart money skills like how to budget or balance a checkbook. And I will admit, here at our house we haven't really done a lot of talking yet about managing money. We don't give allowance here, but the kids get money as gifts, earned from extra jobs and their fair prizes. They have savings accounts. We encourage them to really think about their purchases when they want something. But that is about all we've done so far. Until now.

I was asked to use and review the FamilyMint Money Management Certification Program and when the workbook arrived I was pretty pleased with the first impression. It's a simple workbook- designed for kids ages 10 and up, though I used it with all 4 of my boys (ages 5-11)- and is meant to help teach kids key money management skills that they can carry with them the rest of their lives. But the workbook is only part of the program. They also include an online application that looks and feels just like the online banking systems we adults use all the time.

They cover topics like keeping track of your money- in which the kids learn how to fill out checks, deposit slips and keep a register. My kids loved this- there is something about writing a check for millions of dollars that is exciting!

And they cover making SMART goals. It was at this chapter that I really could see the wheels turning for my oldest son. He's mentioned a few goals over the past few months and by using the online application he could really start to see that they were actually attainable if he used his money wisely. He spent a lot of time breaking down his goals into smaller pieces and seeing how much money he would need to save per week to get what he wanted. I also appreciated the 2 versions- junior and advanced- where he could work in more detail that his younger brothers.

When we got to the budgeting chapter, I began to see some of the weaknesses of my younger kids. Even though some of it has to do with maturity, they tend to be more careless with their money. My oldest again took a long time creating his envelopes- putting in his goals and even a gift fund to make sure he would have enough to buy birthday and holiday gifts for his friends and family.

The bottom line? I would definitely recommend this program. It's a simple but effective way to teach the essential money skills we need as adults. Some of the best things about this program are:

The workbook can be used by itself or with the online application. When we went over the chapters we used the book exclusively. But once we were done the kids logged on to their accounts to put what they learned into action. You don't have to use the computer at all to use this program.
It's versatile. You can use this program in many ways as a tool to learn budgeting. You can use real money, and you can use it as a way to keep track of reward points for school work, good grades, chores, etc. The more the kids see and practice using these skills the better.
It's personal. The kids are tracking their money and making their goals. That alone makes it much more effective than a hypothetical situation from math or accounting class.

If you are interested in trying out FamilyMint for yourself they have a couple different pricing options that will satisfy almost any budget. You can visit their pricing page to see those options. I would highly recommend the introductory bundle which includes the workbook and a lifetime subscription to the online application. I think the pairing of both of these things together are really what make this product shine.

The Kidding Kit

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:28:54 PDT

Today makes one week until our first official kidding due date for the year. The average gestation for goats is 150 days, but can go anywhere between 145-155 days, and that means we could potentially have babies here in just a couple of days.

So it's time to get my stuff together. Just as any expectant mother has her hospital bag packed by the door, I currently have my bucket packed and ready to go. What goes in my kidding kit?

For the birth:

Betadine surgical scrub. This is for antiseptic purposes. To dip the umbilical stump in, to sterilize any supplies and to scrub your hands in case you need to help in the birthing process.
Paper towels or cloths. These are to help wipe off the kids' noses and mouths and help get them clean. Though their mamas will do most of this for you.
towels and/or puppy pads. Most likely the babies will be born in a straw-filled stall, and a wet baby and straw make for a big mess. Having them land initially on to a towel or puppy training pad will soak up some of the moisture and keep them a bit cleaner.
A flashlight. This is handy if the birth takes place at night or in a poorly lit area. And if you need verify the position of the kid.

For the Kids:

Floss/String/Clamp. To clamp the umbilical cord (if needed)
Scissors. If you need to cut the umbilical cord (if needed)
A small bowl/container. To fill with betadine to dip the cord stump in.
Kid Colostrum Replacement. This is for just in case. Things can go wrong with any birth. The mother may not be able to nurse right away or she may reject the baby.
A bottle and nipple. This can be special for goats or simply a human baby bottle with a large hole in the nipple. Again this is for just in case, unless you plan on bottle feeding the babies exclusively.

For the Mamas:

Warm water with molasses added. This gives them a quick pick-me-up after a job well done.
Grain. She'll be hungry!

Miscellaneous:

Garbage bags. One to collect all the messy towels in and one for the afterbirths.
Goat baby sweaters/Heat lamp. If you area is still particularly cold you will need more than just mom to keep the kids warm.
A camera. Obviously!

And that is about it! Most of these items are stuffed in my bucket. Some, like the grain and water, will be last minute to keep it fresh. Now we wait, and watch for signs, that today is the day!

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop,

On Growing Garden Peas

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:41:28 PDT

Peas are one of the most anticipated of all our garden crops. Maybe because they are one of the first things to be harvested after a long winter or maybe because a pea eaten fresh from the garden is one of the tastiest things you can eat. But for whatever reason, I think peas are a must in any garden. There are a few different types to choose from: snow peas are eaten in their pods, snap peas can be eaten in the pod when immature or shelled as the peas grow bigger and garden/shell peas are shelled before eating. We usually grow either garden peas or sugar snap peas and usually shell them before eating.

Peas are a cool weather crop and are planted fairly early in the spring. When we lived in East TN, I shot for a February 15th planting date. Here in WNC, I have moved it up to early March. The plants themselves can handle frost and even some snow cover.

I mentioned in my last post that I like to sprout the seeds before I plant them. I do this because depending on the current conditions of the soil- too dry, cool, hot, etc- the seeds can be a little tempermental when it comes to germinating and I don't like holes in my pea rows. I want as many plants as I can get in there! What I do is simply put a couple of inches of soil in the container- usually left over Clementine Orange boxes- water it well and place the peas in about an inch apart. You can keep them inside in a sunny spot or outside, if you don't have chickens that will gobble them up. Just be sure to keep them moist. They should sprout fairly quickly and be ready to go in the ground in a couple weeks. (I have also left them like this way too long and they still transplanted fine, it was just more of a tangled mess to take apart before planting).

They will need something to grow up as most will grow pretty high. Some varieties will tell you they don't require staking, but even those will do better with some support both for the health of the plant and ease of picking. I have used many, many things over the years as support. I have made bamboo teepees wrapped with twine, wire fencing on t-posts, purchased pea fence, left over deer/bird netting hung over posts and one year the boys collected a bunch of long sticks to stab into the ground in various places. My favorite would be the wire fencing (pictured above) it was the easiest to pick from and the plants could grow much taller, which meant I could fit more plants in a smaller space.

Around the last frost date you should start to see blossoms popping up on your plants. They start off slow but then come in fast. We usually go from picking one or 2 a night to picking basket fulls in a matter of a week. You will know they are ready to pick when you can start to feel the individual peas inside the pods. Don't wait too long to pick them, as the smaller ones also tend to be the sweetest. All of us tend to snack on peas straight from the garden and we hardly ever cook them. In fact, almost every meal in the month of May and early June will feature a handful of pea pods on the plate. Shelling isn't a big deal and is something the kids actually like to help out with. We usually just sit on the floor with a basket of peas, a compost bucket and a bowl for the shelled peas and get to work!

Once the temperatures hit the 70s the blooms will start to dwindle. And around here, by mid June the pea season is over, just in time for tomatoes and squash to start rolling in. If you haven't grow garden peas before, I highly recommend it. And even if you, or your children, don't like peas, I bet the taste of a fresh from the garden pea, with it's crunchy sweetness might change your mind!

This post has been linked to Tuesday Greens, The HomeAcre Hop, The Homestead Barn Hop, Ultimate Gardening Link Up