I have been ordered by Dawn to update the blog.

Does she do this to you Natalie?



Sheesh! I have been busy!





The chickens decided to stop laying 18 eggs a day when we had that really cold spell last week. I was worried they were sick. Some of them have some frostbite on their combs but I don't see any with frostbitten toes. Since we are having our January thaw, egg production is up. Just to note, 18 eggs a day in the winter is really quite good. Some flocks stop laying altogether during the winter. We haven't done anything special but put their heat lamp in the shed with them. When it is so cold the waterer freezes up we bring out hot water in the morning and evening.

#3 when collecting eggs on Tuesday took pity on Rocky. He thought he would be able to warm up his comb by holding his comb in his hand. (I mean it works when I hold his cold hands and warm up his fingers, right?) He decided to do this after the eggs were collected and in the basket. One hand holding the egg basket and the other to warm up the rooster's comb. :eyeroll: Rocky didn't like it. Rocky attacked #3. #3 kicked Rocky and 10 eggs were smashed in the process of the brouhaha. He was being sweet; warming up the rooster's comb. :eyeroll:

#2 decided to let an 8 year old beat him in dodgeball with a ball to the nose and a now defunct pair of glasses. Off to Sears Optical to get eye exams and new glasses for the older 3 boys to get grilled from the optomotrist "why do you homeschool? the schools here are so much better than California." #3 doesn't need glasses yet, probably next year.

#5 had a birthday. She is officially "a handful!" Scoff, like she hasn't been since day 1. She chose ham and cheese omelets for breakfast, macaroni and cheese for lunch and chicken and broccoli casserole for dinner. No cake-ICA CWEAM! wif chocwate and whip cweam! Her birthday presents were a girl colored Leap Pad and a Ballerina kit. She loves them.

Grammie sent a Dora birthday card that sings. Her brothers have spent most of the week hiding the card from her because "it is SO annoying mom." Grammie and Poppy are giggling. #2 actually went so far as to text Grammie and tell her "curses on you for sending THAT ANNOYING CARD." She is looking for one for the next birthday, #3's. Poppy texted back and asked what the battery size was so he could give us a dozen batteries to keep it alive and running. (Don't worry Dad-your birthday comes once a year too, and I have resourceful children with computer skills.)

Thursday I taught a Preparedness Class on Cooking With Dry Beans. There were between 30 and 40 in attendance. It was opened up to the entire stake. The handouts and recipes are on my preparedness blog. I am working on getting the handouts pdf-ed/downloaded/linked so the format will be better for printing. I will probably have that done by Monday. The next class will be on February 4th.

Friday #5 and #6 woke at 5:15 am. I was awakened by #6's pillow being thrown onto my face. "Need tuddle mom," murmured our Tornado Toddler as she burrowed under the covers between DH and I. #5 body slammed me and laid on top of me. Of course, they didn't go back to sleep and started having a tickle contest. I was trying to get as much sleep as possible so sent them downstairs to eat a banana. I was rudely awakened by #6 climbing back into bed but covered head to toe in whole wheat flour. I throw on a pair of capris, stumbled around looking for my glasses and grab a sweater and bolt for the kitchen. #5 was using the hand broom and dustpan on the tabletop. Apparently #3 didn't put the flour away the night before and according to #5, "mom, she #6 was thwowing the fwour up in the air wike dis" as she makes air fountains with her hands. Thank goodness the DH walked in from Seminary duty and knows how to run a ShopVac. The girls thought it was really fun to have their hair vacuumed. Really, head to toe in flour. I just looked over and she got flour about 7 feet up. It is on the top of my quilt hanging on the kitchen wall.

Friday night we went to the Hackett's for dinner and game night. As a family of 8 we rarely get invited to other people's homes. They are such troopers! We had a really good time eating spaghetti and playing Blokus. #3 amazed them with his Duplo building abilities.

Other things going on:
-We are thinking about doubling our egg flock to sell eggs for the boys' mission fund.
-We are starting to look into raising a meat flock(s) to sell pasture raised chickens. It would involve also raising steer-pasture raised beef. No milk cows. No.milk.cows.
-#1 and #5 are in counselling. #5 for making sure she understand appropriate touch and who to tell. #1 cause he is really POed about some of the consequences of #5 being molested.
-We have figured out how to make soft cooked eggs in their shells. Everyone loves the novelty of eating an egg right out of the shell with little spoons. #3 loves the fact he can cook an egg anytime in the egg cooker. I just heard him, "MMMM, this egg is purrrrfect."
-I had a really good time in the kitchen gadget aisle of the hardware store. Some of my friends have moved to metropolitan areas-they shop at swanky shops. I now shop at Ace and Tractor Supply and sorta like it.
-I still feel like I don't fit in very well in this ward. All the other moms, all they ever seem to talk about is school; the teachers, the concerts, the transportation, yada, yada, yada. Don't they every read anything? think about anything else?
-The garden is planned.
-DH put in an attic access so my bedroom no longer looks like the Laundry Monster barfed all over.
-I still haven't hung any pictures or windows in the house yet. Who is going to come help me decorate the house?
-The children are lobbying for a new cat. DH hasn't finished his allergy shots yet. I keep putting them off but want to get a puppy and a kitten soon.
-I want to lose weight but just don't know where to even begin.
-School is running at full steam. It took a lot of work to get 5 kids going in the same direction but I have the book shelves organized, the assignment sheets done, project supplies in the house and distractions for the toddler. Now all I have to do is grade their books from last week and print their assignment sheets for next week.
-and #4 has a talk in Primary tomorrow.