Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sleep...
Don't you wish you didn't need it?? It's such a waste of time. Just think of all the things you could be doing.... Do you realize how much I could get accomplished while everyone is sleeping?? It's so quiet... it's the best time to blog... seriously. I can actually take a thought to complete fruition. Like, from beginning to end.... sometimes, during the day with four beautiful, insanely wonderful children, I forget what that's like. :)
Seriously....
there is not a cuter three year old in the universe. No offense if you have one.... but, dang! He's sooo cute! And he's ALL mine :)
Crackin' Geodes and Testin' Minerals
Today was a cool lesson day. We went over what a mineral is and it's properties...wrote it all down... talked about it...and then....THEN, we took "school" outside. And the ***fun*** began. (not that book learning isn't fun..but, you know what I mean...)
*anyway* we went outside....and got out the geodes. GEODES!!! how cool is that? I couldn't wait till the day when we studied rocks so I could get us...I mean, THE KIDS....some geodes. The day had arrived... with all waited with bated breath.... the kids hammered away....
And then ...the moment we'd all been waiting for... what's inside??? what's inside??
Cool, huh???
I didn't buy Isaac a geode...because he's three...and I didn't think he'd know what it was anyway...so, we put him a rock in the geode bag. He was in heaven...
Then we broke out the testing paraphernalia...to test the minerals...
Which was pretty dang cool... we had ceramic plates for the streak test, glass plates (which..ok...I won't lie...I didn't let them try to scratch anything with the glass plate...I was afraid it'd break and somebody would get cut...LOL...we did use a nail...which is along the same hardness level, I think) a penny, a nail, and our fingernails for the scratch test... it was fun!
The streak test on one of the ceramic plates:
Then, out came the hydrochloric acid...which I was just a tiny bit nervous about. We tested one of the minerals and a few rocks lying around with no reaction. I was ready to put it up...I know..very unscientific of me... and the boys and Sarah were begging to keep it out and see if they could find something it reacted with. So, they tested a cinder block...you can't imagine (ok, perhaps you can) the oooohs and ahhhhs that followed when the acid bubbled up on the block. And it was on from there... it reacted on the mortar on the house in a very kid pleasing way... LOL.. when Malachi put a few drops on the mortar, it actually smoked and fizzed... they were totally loving that. Yes, I thought it was very cool, too.... :)
All four kids learning together.. this seriously makes me smile.....
*anyway* we went outside....and got out the geodes. GEODES!!! how cool is that? I couldn't wait till the day when we studied rocks so I could get us...I mean, THE KIDS....some geodes. The day had arrived... with all waited with bated breath.... the kids hammered away....
I didn't buy Isaac a geode...because he's three...and I didn't think he'd know what it was anyway...so, we put him a rock in the geode bag. He was in heaven...
Then we broke out the testing paraphernalia...to test the minerals...
The streak test on one of the ceramic plates:
Ameraucanas... A Recent Photo...or Two
Sunday, April 10, 2011
A Spy Birthday Party
Sarah wants a Spy Birthday ... I am debating on whether to make her a suitcase cake with spy gear lying ON TOP of the suitcase...or trying to make an OPEN suitcase with the gear inside. The overachiever in me *really* wants to make an open suitcase ... but, dang..... I'll have to spend lots and lots of time trying to figure how to get that top lid to stay open.... which means less time for the actual gear...and do I wanna do that? But, it would be awfully cool... hmmmmm.... I just don't know.
Did I mention that I am also on the Yearbook Committee for my homeschool group's yearbook? Designing pages. I'm not the most tech savvy person to ever open a *creating* program either...just sayin'. Oh, and I'm *teaching* the digital scrapbook class this month to help others create their two page family layout. I'm doing three classes. Oh, and this month in 4-H is my month to plan. And we are doing yearbook individual shots. And the kids have a dentist appointment this month. And we're meeting the very kind rockhound one day. And.... oh....nevermind. One bite at a time, right?
Did I mention that I am also on the Yearbook Committee for my homeschool group's yearbook? Designing pages. I'm not the most tech savvy person to ever open a *creating* program either...just sayin'. Oh, and I'm *teaching* the digital scrapbook class this month to help others create their two page family layout. I'm doing three classes. Oh, and this month in 4-H is my month to plan. And we are doing yearbook individual shots. And the kids have a dentist appointment this month. And we're meeting the very kind rockhound one day. And.... oh....nevermind. One bite at a time, right?
This Makes Me Happy
"Did you read chapter 4 yet?"
"Yes! The movie didn't show that!"
and so on.......
Anyway, last year, Jacob didn't even think he could read an entire chapter book and now he's reading a book that is like, I don't know, 4.256 inches thick. Seriously. It's huge. And he's reading it. And his confidence level is soaring. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! I am so proud of him. I'm proud of them all. I love to see them all lying around reading. It makes me happy to know they can find contentment in the pages of a book. *sigh* color me happy. <3
(Yes, that is laundry behind the chair. I can't be bothered with that now... I'm *sighing* in contentment.)
A Three Year Old's Prayer
God-
Thank you for this stinkin' chili....I like our spagetti better. I like chicken noodles, but Sarah doesn't. Amen.
Thank you for this stinkin' chili....I like our spagetti better. I like chicken noodles, but Sarah doesn't. Amen.
The Saga of a Dollhouse.. the Build-it-Yourself Kind
Have you ever seen one of those dollhouse kits that you build yourself? You know...they have eleventeen thousand pieces and you get to paint each one and glue it and tape it and measure it and .....
Yeah. My sweet Sarah wanted one for Christmas....and I was all eager and oh, yeah, a fun project!! ...cause I don't have anything else to do. I mean, I was practically getting bored....and whatnot.
This is the dollhouse ...in the box... not intimidating, really.
This is the "dollhouse" out of the box. Intimidating??? Ummmmmm....slightly....
Hmmmm...let's see...*where* is the (1/4) 10 3/16 x 6 1/8, Bev., Grooved piece... and where the heck is the 3/16 mark on my ruler??!?!? seriously.... ;)
On the bright side, I feel a good paint buzz coming on .... whoo! ;D
Ok, so Sarah and I painted the pieces of the house...sides and front with a green paint. I have a picture of that, but my organization skills leave it somewhere unnamed.
The next step was staining the shingles. Yes. You read that correctly. Stain the SHINGLES. Just reading that gave me the {{{shivers}}}. Do you realize the measuring involved with that?? So, I decided to stain the shingles and totally block adhering the shingles out of my mind until it became absolutely necessary to focus on them.
To stain the shingles, I read that you cut a milk jug in half, put the shingles in the top half and pour the stain over, let it drain into the bottom part, and then lay them out to dry....
The directions said to tousle...ok, it didn't say "tousle" ...I just can't think of a different word right now... the shingles every 3 hours the first day and then 4 the next or something like that... I *might* have neglected to do that...and they *might* have stuck together. ok. now that we have that out of the way...
The next thing we did was to paint the floors with a polyurethane sealer. Following that was the gluing and taping of the walls to the floors, to the roof...which actually went pretty smoothly. Well, if you don't consider the fact that the middle floor with the hole for the steps was put in incorrectly by *someone*. The steps were supposed to be on the left at the front of the house. They are on the right side at the back of the house. We'll chalk it up to *unique-ness*.
And we painted the foundation... we added sand to our paint so it would look gritty and more foundation-like. It turned out pretty dang cool.....
The inside walls and ceilings I painted about 3 times ...that dang chipboard/clapboard/whatever soaks up paint like a mad dog. The great thing about it is that I noticed after the fact that when I put the electrical tape in, it will need to be covered with wallpaper or more paint. Yay, me!! I just love lessons in futility... love 'em.. LOL...
I had to draw guidelines on the roof and the gable....separately....before I put the gable on the roof. Which, speaking of the gable....I was so excited to get it on the roof....oh my gosh!! It actually worked!! I mean, it went on...looking like a gable... cool. Anyway...those guidelines... I'll be danged if they didn't line up. WTHeck??!?! The guidelines on the roof were supposed to run nicely in with the guidelines on the gable. I don't know. I have issues with a ruler. Who's bright idea was it to make a stick with 192 lines on it and only label TWELVE of them??? Seriously. That's just WRONG. I get stuck at two-twoths...but, whatever...
The next step was, shall we say, freakin' TEDIOUS!! There were hundreds of pieces...probably. I didn't count them. But by the time I painted each of them four times each there might as well have been. You see, the windows even come unassembled. You get to put them together. I will tell you...when they suggest that you put a small piece of tape on the corners before gluing the four frame pieces together and putting a rubber band around them to hold them together...that's a good suggestion. Otherwise, the pieces fly everywhere...almost as easily as your temper does. Look at all the lessons you can learn building a dollhouse... patience, temperance, MATH. So, after putting those together and letting them dry, I painted each piece...windows, railings, posts, window boxes, and other porch paraphernalia. And the porch floor.
After the paint dried, I got to start gluing things on...that was FUN :) It was starting to look like a bona fide dollhouse. The work was paying off......
How cool is that?
The next step was working on the porch. I swear... ok, I really might have. I tried not to ...I attempted temperance. But those railings... oh dear me.. they moved...they slipped...they wiggled...they jiggled. I instructed all children to stand 2-3 ft away from mommy and the porch until it was completed...just to be safe. You know.. cause I am not quite saintly ... *yet*... haha :)
Isn't that the sweetest thing???? Yes...it is... bless it.
It was time for the shingles. I sweated. I broke out in hives. I dang near bit my nails off and started on my toes. And that was all before I glued the first one into place. And then....I swallowed, I breathed, and I made a glue bead line for the first row. Whew. I was shaking in my britches. It was intense. ...and then, lo and behold....the shingles were appearing on the roof and looking acceptable. I did have some issues with the top of the gable, but I eventually got a couple on that covered the roof wood, so I was happy. And then....THE SHINGLES WERE DONE! It seriously took me all day one Saturday....ALL DAY.
*sigh* ....I get happy and contented just looking at it. Look at it. All those pieces....in place. *sigh*
Well, ALMOST all the pieces. The window frames that go inside aren't finished. Hence, the absence of the window panes. I had the bright idea to stain the inside window frames. Bad idea. My stain was much too dark. Somehow, I figured that although the stain looked too dark in the can AND too dark on the FIRST frame I stained, by the time I stained ALL the frames, it would look less...dark. Yeah. It didn't work out that way...who would've known??? So, I'm going to have to paint those a neutral color or something...I don't know yet. And there's the electrical work. Oh dear heavens. I can't even think of it. The electrical tape scares me worse than the shingles did. Like I kinda can't breath when I think of it...seriously. But, whatever...one day I'll just do it. I really don't have much time left. Her birthday is the 17th...and she wants dollhouse furniture for her birthday. Shiver.. I guess I'll have to just swallow my fear and go for it. And then there's the wallpaper...which I'm sure involves measuring ..with a RULER. Dang things....
Yeah. My sweet Sarah wanted one for Christmas....and I was all eager and oh, yeah, a fun project!! ...cause I don't have anything else to do. I mean, I was practically getting bored....and whatnot.
This is the dollhouse ...in the box... not intimidating, really.
On the bright side, I feel a good paint buzz coming on .... whoo! ;D
Ok, so Sarah and I painted the pieces of the house...sides and front with a green paint. I have a picture of that, but my organization skills leave it somewhere unnamed.
The next step was staining the shingles. Yes. You read that correctly. Stain the SHINGLES. Just reading that gave me the {{{shivers}}}. Do you realize the measuring involved with that?? So, I decided to stain the shingles and totally block adhering the shingles out of my mind until it became absolutely necessary to focus on them.
To stain the shingles, I read that you cut a milk jug in half, put the shingles in the top half and pour the stain over, let it drain into the bottom part, and then lay them out to dry....
The next thing we did was to paint the floors with a polyurethane sealer. Following that was the gluing and taping of the walls to the floors, to the roof...which actually went pretty smoothly. Well, if you don't consider the fact that the middle floor with the hole for the steps was put in incorrectly by *someone*. The steps were supposed to be on the left at the front of the house. They are on the right side at the back of the house. We'll chalk it up to *unique-ness*.
How cool is that?
The next step was working on the porch. I swear... ok, I really might have. I tried not to ...I attempted temperance. But those railings... oh dear me.. they moved...they slipped...they wiggled...they jiggled. I instructed all children to stand 2-3 ft away from mommy and the porch until it was completed...just to be safe. You know.. cause I am not quite saintly ... *yet*... haha :)
It was time for the shingles. I sweated. I broke out in hives. I dang near bit my nails off and started on my toes. And that was all before I glued the first one into place. And then....I swallowed, I breathed, and I made a glue bead line for the first row. Whew. I was shaking in my britches. It was intense. ...and then, lo and behold....the shingles were appearing on the roof and looking acceptable. I did have some issues with the top of the gable, but I eventually got a couple on that covered the roof wood, so I was happy. And then....THE SHINGLES WERE DONE! It seriously took me all day one Saturday....ALL DAY.
Well, ALMOST all the pieces. The window frames that go inside aren't finished. Hence, the absence of the window panes. I had the bright idea to stain the inside window frames. Bad idea. My stain was much too dark. Somehow, I figured that although the stain looked too dark in the can AND too dark on the FIRST frame I stained, by the time I stained ALL the frames, it would look less...dark. Yeah. It didn't work out that way...who would've known??? So, I'm going to have to paint those a neutral color or something...I don't know yet. And there's the electrical work. Oh dear heavens. I can't even think of it. The electrical tape scares me worse than the shingles did. Like I kinda can't breath when I think of it...seriously. But, whatever...one day I'll just do it. I really don't have much time left. Her birthday is the 17th...and she wants dollhouse furniture for her birthday. Shiver.. I guess I'll have to just swallow my fear and go for it. And then there's the wallpaper...which I'm sure involves measuring ..with a RULER. Dang things....
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Rocks and Minerals Update
Had to share....I am ***SO*** excited. I got in touch with a rockhound/author of a book on rocks and minerals who put me in touch with another rockhound/member of a local rock and gem club who is going to meet with the kids and I and share his knowledge and zeal!! I am seriously tickled pink...heck, I'm tickled magenta! You know what this means, right??? It means I don't have to cram for a rock and mineral extensive lesson...it means I can follow my unit study plans BUT I can let someone else step in and really bring it home. I love it! Definitely one of the best parts of homeschooling...meeting with real people who are willing to share what they know... dang it, that is just the coolest thing. OH!! AND, I just found out an old (as in length of time known) friend's husband works at a local quarry!!! Field Trip!! Yeah, baby...it just doesn't get any better.....
Friday, April 8, 2011
Patriotic Chicks... a.k.a. Ameraucana Chicks! :)
Ameraucana...... that always makes me think of Foghorn Leghorn and my favorite quote: "Lookit here son, I say son, did ya see that hawk after those hens? He scared 'em! That Rhode Island Red turned white. Then blue. Rhode Island. Red, white, and blue. That's a joke, son. A flag waver. You're built too low. The fast ones go over your head. Ya got a hole in your glove. I keep pitchin' 'em and you keep missin' 'em. Ya gotta keep your eye on the ball. Eye. Ball. I almost had a gag, son. Joke, that is." You know....because Ameraucana is like American....is like Red, white, and blue.....ok, it *might* be a stretch, but, I like the quote and will use any excuse to get to use it.... ;D
So, anyway.... I have Ameraucanas!! The kind I've always wanted...well, at least since I've known they existed...which has only been a few years....but, I've wanted them *desperately* for those few years. All the tears and crying and drama paid off a few weeks ago when Darren came home with .....*SURPRISE*!!...Ameraucana chicks....from Tractor Supply. Have I ever told you that I *love* Tractor Supply? Ok...I digress... Color me one bodaciously happy farm girl. I mean, do you know the significance of Ameraucanas?!?!? No?!?! {gasp!!} Allow me to enlighten you. THEY LAY BLUE AND GREEN EGGS!!! How daggum cool is that? I am so excited. Seriously. I cannot wait to get a colored egg.
So, here is a picture of the chicks when I first got them:
And this is the same chicks a couple weeks later:
They have changed dramatically since that time...I just haven't snapped a picture of them yet. I'll post one as soon as I get it. I can't wait to see them with all their adult feathers in.. I'm curious to know which Ameraucana variety they are...and I am soooo hoping that the majority of them are hens. I know it would be hoping too much to wish for no roosters. Well, I mean, I maybe wouldn't mind ONE rooster. I do kind of like to hear them crow...and they have pretty tail feathers... and ... well, that's all. :)
So, anyway.... I have Ameraucanas!! The kind I've always wanted...well, at least since I've known they existed...which has only been a few years....but, I've wanted them *desperately* for those few years. All the tears and crying and drama paid off a few weeks ago when Darren came home with .....*SURPRISE*!!...Ameraucana chicks....from Tractor Supply. Have I ever told you that I *love* Tractor Supply? Ok...I digress... Color me one bodaciously happy farm girl. I mean, do you know the significance of Ameraucanas?!?!? No?!?! {gasp!!} Allow me to enlighten you. THEY LAY BLUE AND GREEN EGGS!!! How daggum cool is that? I am so excited. Seriously. I cannot wait to get a colored egg.
So, here is a picture of the chicks when I first got them:
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Rocks and Minerals and .....Stuff....
We just finished our unit study on Ancient Rome. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed it. I overheard one of the kids the other day talking to the youngest and telling him all about something Rome related and it made me smile. The wax tablets were by far the coolest thing we did related to the study. They have been working on woodburning the covers and their stylus. I'll post pictures when they are completed.
Our next topic of study is to be rocks and minerals. I gotta tell you, I love science. All kinds of science. But for the life of me, I just don't recall learning much about rocks and minerals. Did I sleep during rock identification? Or was it just not covered in abundance?? I don't know. So, I've checked out loads of books from the library and they have several reference books already in their own personal library. I also ordered some rocks and minerals and test kits from www.homesciencetools.com . I have to be able to *see* what I'm talking about...hold it in my hands....examine it. I was so excited the day they were supposed to arrive. To give you an idea how much I was anticipating their arrival, my ten year old darling kept saying, "Mom! UPS is here!" and I'd get all excited and say, "REALLY?!!?" with a big grin....and he'd look at me, give me his impish little smile and say, "No." :) In my defense, I only fell for it maybe twice. Ok, three times tops....
I ordered a 15 piece rock kit and a 15 piece minerals kit and some testing apparatus....ceramic plates, glass plates, hydrochloric acid... Now I just have to figure out what I'm doing with all of it. Or I guess we can all figure it out together. :)
There is a gem mine near our house which will be an awesome field trip to add to the study. The kids can go sluicing and creeking and learn some things in the process. I am also planning a trip to our local science center to glean the information of the employees there.
Our next topic of study is to be rocks and minerals. I gotta tell you, I love science. All kinds of science. But for the life of me, I just don't recall learning much about rocks and minerals. Did I sleep during rock identification? Or was it just not covered in abundance?? I don't know. So, I've checked out loads of books from the library and they have several reference books already in their own personal library. I also ordered some rocks and minerals and test kits from www.homesciencetools.com . I have to be able to *see* what I'm talking about...hold it in my hands....examine it. I was so excited the day they were supposed to arrive. To give you an idea how much I was anticipating their arrival, my ten year old darling kept saying, "Mom! UPS is here!" and I'd get all excited and say, "REALLY?!!?" with a big grin....and he'd look at me, give me his impish little smile and say, "No." :) In my defense, I only fell for it maybe twice. Ok, three times tops....
I ordered a 15 piece rock kit and a 15 piece minerals kit and some testing apparatus....ceramic plates, glass plates, hydrochloric acid... Now I just have to figure out what I'm doing with all of it. Or I guess we can all figure it out together. :)
There is a gem mine near our house which will be an awesome field trip to add to the study. The kids can go sluicing and creeking and learn some things in the process. I am also planning a trip to our local science center to glean the information of the employees there.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Allergies: Part Trois ~ One thing leads to another and another and another and ......
You know that allergy I developed to goats? And the subsequent visit to the family doctor? And the subsequent visit to the allergy clinic? I now have frequent flier miles racking up with the allergy clinic. Seriously. I'm practically a member of the board. Well, maybe not. But, I probably could be. If I really wanted to.
They put me on allergy meds and gave me a rescue inhaler. I previously thought all inhalers were created equal, but it has come to my attention that they are not. At any rate, they gave me those, sent me home, and instructed me back in x number of weeks. At the appointed time, I returned with many of the same symptoms and was then told that due to a sinus infection, my allergy meds weren't being as effective as they could be, so, I was given a prescription for a two week antibiotic and a two week steroid. OH YAY!! Steroids. Because Lord knows I don't have a big enough appetite already. :) I was feeling slightly dismayed. I mean, two allergy pills, an antibiotic, AND a steroid. I was beginning to feel like a pill pusher....or a hypochondriac....or a, perhaps worst of all {gasp} a wienie. I'm a farm girl, darn it! I don't need forty pills to function....it just ain't right. But, thinking I'd like to get rid of a sinus infection, I dutifully took the recommended prescriptions. I did experience some steroid induced hunger rages...at least, that's what I'm blaming it on. Who knew those Chips Ahoy cookies with Heath toffee were so good?? It's just too bad those darn steroids made me eat the entire bag. Well, I did share a couple with the kids....I think. Yes, surely I did. Surely....
I went back today and my sinus infection is no more! Yay! However, now it has become apparent, via the CT Scan of my sinuses that my nasal airways are blocked. *SIGH* Can I get some nasal spray anyone? Cause I need one more prescription.... And my allergy meds had to be changed again because they aren't strong enough. And oh yeah, I need a steroid inhaler thing. You see? All inhalers are not created equal. Some are rescue inhalers to be used during an attack..and some are medicated to be used twice daily. I got one of those to go with my rescue inhaler. Which concerns me, if you must know. Because I looked it up and it's a steroid. And I just got finished taking a steroid. Do I want to continue on a steroid? Do I need steroid hunger rage? I mean, yeah...it comes in handy when there's a bag of Chips Ahoy, but...I don't know. At any rate, I feel like it's a never ending search for the holy grail. I mean, would I like to have open nasal passages so that the sweet smells of spring could waft upward unhindered and delight my senses?? Well, heck yes. Would I like to rid myself of the sneezing, itching, coughing, wheezing ....well, darn it...yes! What's it going to take to get to that point? Well, now ..I don't rightly know. :)
The allergy that started this all ...the goat one.... is still the same. If I rub my skin anywhere on her hair, I get welts. However, I will say that since taking allergy meds, I no longer come in from milking sneezing uncontrollably. So, that's nice. I still refrain from touching the baby goat. The one who made my eyes swell shut. I decided to leave well enough alone on that note.
So, I reckon it's just a journey....
Now, about those Chips Ahoy Heath..... ;D
They put me on allergy meds and gave me a rescue inhaler. I previously thought all inhalers were created equal, but it has come to my attention that they are not. At any rate, they gave me those, sent me home, and instructed me back in x number of weeks. At the appointed time, I returned with many of the same symptoms and was then told that due to a sinus infection, my allergy meds weren't being as effective as they could be, so, I was given a prescription for a two week antibiotic and a two week steroid. OH YAY!! Steroids. Because Lord knows I don't have a big enough appetite already. :) I was feeling slightly dismayed. I mean, two allergy pills, an antibiotic, AND a steroid. I was beginning to feel like a pill pusher....or a hypochondriac....or a, perhaps worst of all {gasp} a wienie. I'm a farm girl, darn it! I don't need forty pills to function....it just ain't right. But, thinking I'd like to get rid of a sinus infection, I dutifully took the recommended prescriptions. I did experience some steroid induced hunger rages...at least, that's what I'm blaming it on. Who knew those Chips Ahoy cookies with Heath toffee were so good?? It's just too bad those darn steroids made me eat the entire bag. Well, I did share a couple with the kids....I think. Yes, surely I did. Surely....
I went back today and my sinus infection is no more! Yay! However, now it has become apparent, via the CT Scan of my sinuses that my nasal airways are blocked. *SIGH* Can I get some nasal spray anyone? Cause I need one more prescription.... And my allergy meds had to be changed again because they aren't strong enough. And oh yeah, I need a steroid inhaler thing. You see? All inhalers are not created equal. Some are rescue inhalers to be used during an attack..and some are medicated to be used twice daily. I got one of those to go with my rescue inhaler. Which concerns me, if you must know. Because I looked it up and it's a steroid. And I just got finished taking a steroid. Do I want to continue on a steroid? Do I need steroid hunger rage? I mean, yeah...it comes in handy when there's a bag of Chips Ahoy, but...I don't know. At any rate, I feel like it's a never ending search for the holy grail. I mean, would I like to have open nasal passages so that the sweet smells of spring could waft upward unhindered and delight my senses?? Well, heck yes. Would I like to rid myself of the sneezing, itching, coughing, wheezing ....well, darn it...yes! What's it going to take to get to that point? Well, now ..I don't rightly know. :)
The allergy that started this all ...the goat one.... is still the same. If I rub my skin anywhere on her hair, I get welts. However, I will say that since taking allergy meds, I no longer come in from milking sneezing uncontrollably. So, that's nice. I still refrain from touching the baby goat. The one who made my eyes swell shut. I decided to leave well enough alone on that note.
So, I reckon it's just a journey....
Now, about those Chips Ahoy Heath..... ;D
Sunday, March 6, 2011
I Only Wish I Was Waxing Poetic...
I am, in fact, waxing anything but..... I've been working on the Roman wax tablets since Friday, not continuously, of course...but, off and on.
The first thing I did was to sand the edges of the tablets down. I then put them in the oven on the warm setting so that the wood could heat and allow the wax to saturate it. The instructions I was using said to set up a double boiler to melt the beeswax. I didn't have one, so I used a pot with an aluminum pie pan on top. It worked perfectly.
I had previously read that before painting the full amount of beeswax into the recessed area, to paint some of the beeswax on to slake the natural thirst of wood. I did that... I then added between a fourth and a half of the small square of wax dye to the natural colored beeswax and mixed it up. One resource said to paint the beeswax in the recessed area using smooth strokes with minimal to no overlapping. So, I took the now sage colored wax and began painting it into the tablet with a 1" paintbrush. I had overlapping....plus, the wax was cooling pretty quickly while I was doing this and it just was not looking smooth at all.
You see....not smooth. I even tried using a medicine cup to dip some of the melted wax out and pour it onto the tablet, but that only added small increments of wax at a time - which cooled in patches.
Jacob was excited and immediately tested it out. We didn't have a stylus made, so I let him use a nail. It worked pretty well...you could actually see what he wrote.
Here I am melting down a chunk of the beeswax with the red wax dye.
I put it on the tablets in the same way I did the sage....painting it on with a paintbrush. I really wasn't satisfied with the way they were looking. After I used the brown wax in a different tablet, and took the aluminum pan off to cool, I noticed that the wax in the pan had cooled nice and smooth and looked great. Which gave me an idea! I could possibly put the tablets in the oven on warm, let the wax melt totally, and then it would cool nice and even. I put one in and voila! It worked! I put the remaining tablets (except one) in, melted the wax to a liquid, and then turned the oven off and let them all cool. They looked dramatically better!
Even though they looked better, I now realized that the wax was too thin. I needed more in the tablets. One of the tablets had a crack in the wood that went through the recessed area and to the other side....meaning if I put it in the oven, the wax would just turn to a liquid and run out the crack into my oven. I was pondering how to fix it, when I decided I could just melt the wax in a separate container and pour it onto the tablet in enough quantity to completely cover the recessed area, thereby making it cool smooth and even.
The one on the left is the tablet with the crack. This method worked so effectively that I decided to fix the remaining tablets in the same manner. I melted the wax in the microwave and then poured it into the tablets not minding if some ran out of the recessed area and onto the margin. I was so happy with the smoothness of the wax!! And there were no air bubbles...which I read could occur. After the wax cooled, I simply scrapped the excess wax off the margins with the edge of a knife. (I did nearly cut my index finger off with the serrated edge, but you probably won't need to worry about that...LOL)
See how incredibly smooth that brown wax looks?!?! Man, I was so happy.... when I took the picture, I hadn't finished the orange tablet, so pay it no mind. :)
We used orange, sage, and brown dye. I'm excited to see which one shows the writing the best....if there is a difference at all.
I tied one of the tablets together with hemp string. I think they are going to look great.
We still have to make a stylus to go with each tablet. I was thinking of buying dowels and whittling them to a point on one end and somehow making a flat or ball shape on the other end to smooth the wax after writing. I am also planning to let the kids use a woodburner to make a simple design on the front of their tablets. I really hope they work ... I know there was the question as to the beeswax having the proper writing consistency because I was using wax dye instead of lampblack. I had originally intended to do one with lampblack just to see the difference, but I didn't. Hopefully, these will work and the kids will get a feel for how writing was done long ago. I know I've definitely learned alot and thoroughly enjoyed the process. :)
The first thing I did was to sand the edges of the tablets down. I then put them in the oven on the warm setting so that the wood could heat and allow the wax to saturate it. The instructions I was using said to set up a double boiler to melt the beeswax. I didn't have one, so I used a pot with an aluminum pie pan on top. It worked perfectly.
I put it on the tablets in the same way I did the sage....painting it on with a paintbrush. I really wasn't satisfied with the way they were looking. After I used the brown wax in a different tablet, and took the aluminum pan off to cool, I noticed that the wax in the pan had cooled nice and smooth and looked great. Which gave me an idea! I could possibly put the tablets in the oven on warm, let the wax melt totally, and then it would cool nice and even. I put one in and voila! It worked! I put the remaining tablets (except one) in, melted the wax to a liquid, and then turned the oven off and let them all cool. They looked dramatically better!
We still have to make a stylus to go with each tablet. I was thinking of buying dowels and whittling them to a point on one end and somehow making a flat or ball shape on the other end to smooth the wax after writing. I am also planning to let the kids use a woodburner to make a simple design on the front of their tablets. I really hope they work ... I know there was the question as to the beeswax having the proper writing consistency because I was using wax dye instead of lampblack. I had originally intended to do one with lampblack just to see the difference, but I didn't. Hopefully, these will work and the kids will get a feel for how writing was done long ago. I know I've definitely learned alot and thoroughly enjoyed the process. :)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Allergies: Part Deux ~ Achoooo!! Achoooo!!! *hack*hack*
At the time of my last rant, I had visited my family doctor who pointed me to an allergist... regarding my allergies. To goats. Like the one I milk. EVERY day. I wasn't happy. Apparently the dander/hair/whatever was getting all in my facial orifices and irritating them to the point of revolt, i.e. coughing, sneezing, throat clearing, eyes itching and oh, yeah...SWELLING.
The following week, as I was trying to steer clear of any goat petting and overexposure, I sat down to a bowl of Rice Krispies. There I sat, on the floor, savoring the snap, crackle, pop, when I realized there was a zing! being added to the mix.... only it wasn't coming from the cereal...it was coming from my tongue! Yeah...my tongue was zinging...tingling, if you will. Color me freaked! I took some Benadryl and bemoaned the fact that maybe I had developed an allergy not just to the goats themselves, but also to the products made from my goat's milk. I decided to write it off as mostly my imagination and a couple of days later, I had a hankering for some soft goat cheese and crackers. After inhaling, I mean, daintily nibbling, half a round of cheese, I noticed that the *zing* was back...and accompanied by a swelling in my throat. Dang! I took one Benadryl and decided to google it just to see what the "professionals" online had to say. DANG! Swelling and tingling in your tongue is indicative of anaphylaxis. So, I freaked and took one more Benadryl ...just in case....and I might have reminded the kids of the number to call in case of emergency....to which one responded, "It's 119, right?" So, I took the rest of the Benadryl....no, really, I didn't. I thought about it, but, no... I saved some for next time.
The day finally arrived for my allergist visit. I was greeted by one sadistic, smiling employee who instructed me to lie down on my belly and she'd be right with me. Ahhhhh, I thought....this is almost like I'm going to get a massage... which I've never had, by the way. I kept thinking this up until the time that she actually walked in...with a tray full of all these little white things. I forgot to mention that my seven year old princess was with me...Lord knows she talks every breath...I cannot for the life of me imagine where she gets that. Anyway, so I ask her, "Are those needles?" "No", she replies, "....they're made of plastic and what we do is twist them on your skin to open it so we can put the allergen in." Funny how that information did not make me feel any better. To which I venture another question, "How many of those do you need to do?" And then all visions of any relaxation vanished, as she said, "Only 56.".... say what?? Did she just say "ONLY?" Oh, okay...thanks... whew.... only 56... So, she began... and the first row didn't seem too bad...I mean, it was annoying, but I'm a big girl...I can handle a few twisting plastic thingies. And a few more on the second row. And a few more on the third row...and, "DANG! woman! Aren't you finished yet?!?! Sheesh...you'd think you enjoy this!!!" Then, she leaves the room with this final thought, "Try not to scratch...if you need us, send your daughter to get us" Thanks.. I'll just lie here...savoring the after effects. And that's where my dear daughter comes in..."Man, mom....your back looks awful! Ooooh, that one has some mucus coming out! That one does, too! That one looks white! You're getting some big bumps! Oh, look, Mom! She wrote on your back... A, B, C, D, E......"
Finally, the woman (I can't bring myself to say "lady") came back and felt the reactions caused by the allergens and judged how allergic I was. It was then that I figured out why that nice little welcome bag they gave me upon arrival, contained a back scratcher. Yeah. It itched like a mad dog.
So, anyway, the allergist told me I had severe allergies... especially to ragweed and pines...which is really funny because I am surrounded by both. And she was concerned about the goat milk reaction so I had to get an Epi pen. I asked her if getting rid of the goats would stop my symptoms and of course she said "No" because that would be far too easy, right? Right. However, taking some allergy meds and/or allergy shots should lessen my symptoms. So, I'm taking some allergy meds...and debating the shots. I really don't like needles. And I'm not eating any goat milk products. She said I could in very small increments just to see how much I can handle....but, for the moment, I'm just steering clear. I am milking the goat with my mouth and nose covered...just to try to alleviate some of the symptoms. I've had some fun with it...milking in disguise. Such as the day I wore my bandanna .....
that's the thug look... imma theivin' a little milk....
then Darren bought me a dust mask, so I made a paper nurse hat and went for that look....
then I braided my hair and wore the bandanna for the cowgirl look....
as an aside - look at the quantity of that milk!! Shivers, the baby, had decided that he wanted to nurse on both sides of his mommy instead of the one. So, we had to move him...well, I didn't touch him ...I didn't want to look like the Michelin milkgirl...hahaha...ummmm...okay...that's kind of not funny. Anyway, he had to go to a different pen. Now that he's gone, I'm getting right at a gallon of milk a day...milking once. What a great milk goat!!!
Take a gander at that frothy, fresh, farm goodness!!!
The following week, as I was trying to steer clear of any goat petting and overexposure, I sat down to a bowl of Rice Krispies. There I sat, on the floor, savoring the snap, crackle, pop, when I realized there was a zing! being added to the mix.... only it wasn't coming from the cereal...it was coming from my tongue! Yeah...my tongue was zinging...tingling, if you will. Color me freaked! I took some Benadryl and bemoaned the fact that maybe I had developed an allergy not just to the goats themselves, but also to the products made from my goat's milk. I decided to write it off as mostly my imagination and a couple of days later, I had a hankering for some soft goat cheese and crackers. After inhaling, I mean, daintily nibbling, half a round of cheese, I noticed that the *zing* was back...and accompanied by a swelling in my throat. Dang! I took one Benadryl and decided to google it just to see what the "professionals" online had to say. DANG! Swelling and tingling in your tongue is indicative of anaphylaxis. So, I freaked and took one more Benadryl ...just in case....and I might have reminded the kids of the number to call in case of emergency....to which one responded, "It's 119, right?" So, I took the rest of the Benadryl....no, really, I didn't. I thought about it, but, no... I saved some for next time.
The day finally arrived for my allergist visit. I was greeted by one sadistic, smiling employee who instructed me to lie down on my belly and she'd be right with me. Ahhhhh, I thought....this is almost like I'm going to get a massage... which I've never had, by the way. I kept thinking this up until the time that she actually walked in...with a tray full of all these little white things. I forgot to mention that my seven year old princess was with me...Lord knows she talks every breath...I cannot for the life of me imagine where she gets that. Anyway, so I ask her, "Are those needles?" "No", she replies, "....they're made of plastic and what we do is twist them on your skin to open it so we can put the allergen in." Funny how that information did not make me feel any better. To which I venture another question, "How many of those do you need to do?" And then all visions of any relaxation vanished, as she said, "Only 56.".... say what?? Did she just say "ONLY?" Oh, okay...thanks... whew.... only 56... So, she began... and the first row didn't seem too bad...I mean, it was annoying, but I'm a big girl...I can handle a few twisting plastic thingies. And a few more on the second row. And a few more on the third row...and, "DANG! woman! Aren't you finished yet?!?! Sheesh...you'd think you enjoy this!!!" Then, she leaves the room with this final thought, "Try not to scratch...if you need us, send your daughter to get us" Thanks.. I'll just lie here...savoring the after effects. And that's where my dear daughter comes in..."Man, mom....your back looks awful! Ooooh, that one has some mucus coming out! That one does, too! That one looks white! You're getting some big bumps! Oh, look, Mom! She wrote on your back... A, B, C, D, E......"
Finally, the woman (I can't bring myself to say "lady") came back and felt the reactions caused by the allergens and judged how allergic I was. It was then that I figured out why that nice little welcome bag they gave me upon arrival, contained a back scratcher. Yeah. It itched like a mad dog.
So, anyway, the allergist told me I had severe allergies... especially to ragweed and pines...which is really funny because I am surrounded by both. And she was concerned about the goat milk reaction so I had to get an Epi pen. I asked her if getting rid of the goats would stop my symptoms and of course she said "No" because that would be far too easy, right? Right. However, taking some allergy meds and/or allergy shots should lessen my symptoms. So, I'm taking some allergy meds...and debating the shots. I really don't like needles. And I'm not eating any goat milk products. She said I could in very small increments just to see how much I can handle....but, for the moment, I'm just steering clear. I am milking the goat with my mouth and nose covered...just to try to alleviate some of the symptoms. I've had some fun with it...milking in disguise. Such as the day I wore my bandanna .....
as an aside - look at the quantity of that milk!! Shivers, the baby, had decided that he wanted to nurse on both sides of his mommy instead of the one. So, we had to move him...well, I didn't touch him ...I didn't want to look like the Michelin milkgirl...hahaha...ummmm...okay...that's kind of not funny. Anyway, he had to go to a different pen. Now that he's gone, I'm getting right at a gallon of milk a day...milking once. What a great milk goat!!!
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