Kids Rule, No School

our country cat

     Last fall while walking, we found a little black and white kitten.  We didn't know whether it was a male or female, so we assumed it was female and my husband named it a manly name...Spot.  Spot was quickly washed and loved and given a home here on Blue Pig Hill.  Over time, it became evident that Spot was not girly at all, so his name turned out to be a really good idea.

     I had always lived in suburbs prior to now, and had only known life with indoor cats.  I had no idea that having a male cat in the country means that one day the cat will get done eating and napping, go outside, and not come back for three days.  The first time it happened, I was convinced that something terrible had happened to him.  He came walking up the driveway with a little limp and I hugged him and was overjoyed.

     The next time he "went on vacation," I was absolutely certain that some predator had gotten him in the woods.  I imagined that his little ghost was walking around every day.  Then, one day he just walked in our trailer like he'd never been gone.  So, the next time he left, I knew better than to worry.  Sure enough, he came back just like before.

     This time, however, he's been gone almost a month.  I don't bring him up in conversation; luckily neither do the kids.  I finally cleaned out his food dish and put it up.  I like to think that maybe he's just decided that he'd rather stay an outdoor cat full time, wandering the woods on his own.  I wouldn't blame him as our latest dog, a Great Pyrenees, always thought that Spot's arrival was akin to that of a full fledged mountain cat; the dog would do his best to chase Spot away.

     I don't know if we'll ever see our cat again, but I know I have to say goodbye slowly and quietly.  He is a sweet, loving animal and I wish him the very best.  And, I will always have an extra food dish stored away incase he decides to stop by for a short visit.

mom's little helper

     I'll be honest...sometimes life with a three-year-old is just plain exhausting.  I love her more than life itself, but I am mentally unable to play "Toy Story" with her all day long as much as she wishes otherwise.  Lucky for me, when I tell her I can no longer play because I have to wash dishes, cook, sew, etc., she perks up to say she needs to do the same.

     There used to be a day when I would tell her, no you can't help mama...it's a big job.  After all, it goes much easier and quicker if I take on the task myself.  However, I've started to let her in one the action and I'm so glad I did!  It boosts her self esteem to be able to do a grown-up task. 

     When it's time to wash dishes, she stands on a stool and soaps up each non-breakable dish by herself.  I follow up discreetly so that she doesn't realize I'm finishing the washing process.  When it's time to cook, all stirring duties go to her and her alone.  She even expanded her cooking play last night by bringing out pots, spices (still closed), and one of my cookbooks.  She made me the most delicious invisible noodles!  Then, when I'm ready to do a little hand sewing, she inevitably wants to take part.  Santa was wise this year and brought her her very own sewing kit.  She sits beside me and puts needle and thread to fabric.

     When all is said and done, my little girl has had a few minutes per day to copy mom and contribute to the household...and I've gained a few minutes free of the words "wanna play with me?"  Like I said, I love her, but I'm terribly and thankfully exhausted! 

harnessing the sun at last

     Today is December, 28th, 2011.  For our family, this day will remain etched in our minds because today we are finally converting the sun's light into electricity to run our household.  And it has been quite a long wait to get to this point!  We moved out to the country back in January, 2011.  It was a cold, difficult, but fun struggle for quite some time. 

     When we were able to install a septic system, we cheered!  When we finally installed a water well, we celebrated!  Then, we knew the next step would be installing solar panels.  Then, the months went by agonizingly slow.  We're doing all of this on a cash basis, so each step involved waiting for the next payday to come along so that we could save a little more money.  Over the summer we had at long last saved enough money to buy the panels themselves.  At that point, I just knew that we would have them up and running in no time.  That was optomistic to say the least!  Summer turned into fall and then into winter. 

     Now, nearly a year after we moved, we are able to generate power without the aid of our trusty generator.  Honestly, I expected fireworks or applause when the sun came up this morning.  Instead, the sun rose quietly and elegantly as it always does and the reflection of light off the new solar panels glowed brilliantly as though to acknowledge those wonderful minds throughout history that have contributed to the technology that allows us to use the sun's ray to their fullest.  I am in awe and ever so grateful.  I am amazed that nature and technology can combine so effortlessly.

     For anyone even thinking about utilizing solar power, let me tell you that it is absolutely worth every penny, every day waiting, and every bit of sweat from the wonderful man (my awesome husband) that installs the system. 

the pushup king

This past weekend, my son's cub scout pack spent the night at the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, TX.  It was a wonderful time to say the least.  Carlos loved touring the ship and looking at the jets while Abigail kept her focus on the water; she was hoping for a glimpse of the mermaids that she is certain live just under the surface.

On the second day, the Lexington staff invited a number of the cub scouts and young marines to get on the stage and participate in a pushup contest.  Luckily, Carlos was one of the boys chosen.  I snuck to the front to watch the action.  At the beginning there were around 20 kids up there, and they quickly began to drop out.  The crowd was pretty quiet, so I started cheering for Carlos and everyone else took the cue to yell out for their kid of choice.

Soon, Carlos, another boy from his pack, and two young marines were all that were left.  I was now in awe.  I had no idea that Carlos would last so long.  His arms were visibly shaking, but he was hanging in there.  Finally, he lifted his head to look at me as if to ask permission to give up having lasted as long as he possibly could.  I smiled and nodded.  He and his pack mate both gave out leaving the young marines to finish out the competition. 

It may have been just a fun little competition, but as a mother I was overwhelmed.  I did not ask Carlos to compete.  I did not tell him he must do his best and tax his muscles.  He did that all on his own.  To see his ambition flower like that is such a gift.  I know that his self confidence has been bolstered by this achievement.  And, I know that my belief in his spirit and abilities has shot through the roof.  What a wonderful memory!

the truth of our teeth

When I first learned about unschooling and decided to embrace its unconventional concepts, something changed in me.  If I had now questioned our traditional educational system, then what other traditions might I question?  In short, I developed a very open mind to the point that when any new challenege arises, I start asking questions.

A few months ago I realized that my two-year-old daughter had cavities and needed to go to the dentist.  I did my research and found a dentist in the next town over that specialized in dentistry for infants and children.  I figured this would be the perfect choice considering Abbie's age.

When we arrived, I was happy to see that there were plenty of toys and games for children.  Abbie was quite happy playing while waiting for her name to be called.  When the time came, I was told that I could not go into the back with her.  A mother could not be beside her toddler during the examination.  I consented only because I knew that her cavities are a serious problem.

Long story short, when I was later brought to the back to be told how her teeth looked, I was given the shocking news.  Abbie had twelve cavities and would need to be put under in order to have the various fillings and crowns performed.  And, it would only cost $3,800.  No biggie.

Well, as you can imagine, I said "No."  Absolutely not.  They insisted that I not put off these procedures for long because if the cavities progress, they will lead to infections that will spread into Abbie's jaw.  We left and I spent the next couple days wracked with worry and guilt.  Not only did we not have the money, but I refuse to put my daughter under.  It's just not worth the risk.

So this time I began doing some real research and stumbled upon a book that has changed my life and the lives of my family and everyone else I can possibly touch with this new perspective.  Here is this most important truth: dental decay is not caused by germs nor anything else that touches our teeth; it is caused by nutritionally deficient food.  Moreover, dentists do not fix teeth by inserting filling, placing crowns, or doing root canals.  Those are merely bandaids.  Our teeth heal themselves when we begin eating healthful foods!  Not only that, but the quality of the foods we eat determines the width of our jaws.  Having a narrow jaw means that our teeth will come in crooked and we will need braces.  A wide jaw leads to beautiful and straight teeth.

My daughter, as you may know from my previous posts, was a vegetarian since birth.  This is not by our choice, but hers.  She hated meat and refused to eat it in any form or texture.  Her favorite food was bread.  She ate bread day and night and at every meal.  Imagine my pain, then, when I read that our cavities are mainly caused by eating white flour and white sugar.  I had unknowingly been feeding Abigail cavity-causing food all the time.  No wonder she had twelve cavities!  And, my eight-year-old son has a narrow jaw and is in danger of needing braces.

The wonderful book that taught me all of this is called "Cure Tooth Decay" by Ramiel Nagel and is based on the extensive research of Dr. Weston Price who was the first research director of the National Dental Association (later known as The American Dental Association). 

After reading this book cover to cover, I knew I had to step up and take responsibility for my family's dental health.  I needed to make everything from scratch and offer my family foods rich in meat, milk, cream, butter, cod liver oil, vegetables, and healthy oils (bread and white sugar is virtually non-existent in our diets).  I had no clue how to begin, but further research led me to a wonderful book of recipes called "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon.  Her recipes are also based on the research of Dr. Weston Price as well as numerous dieticians and knowledgeable people around the world.  By the way, I make our own toothpaste using baking soda, salt, and peppermint oil.  No more fluoride!

So here's the best news.  Since I began feeding my family in this new way around six months ago, Abigail's cavities have stopped progressing.  She has had no infections.  As long as continue what we're doing, she will never have to have a filling or any other harmful procedure.  My son Carlos' jaw has been expanding.  I know that sounds crazy, but we've been keeping track of its width and it began expanding as soon as Carlos began getting all that good food in him.  And best of all, the food we eat tastes ten times better than anything I ever cooked before.  We're eating the way our ancestors used to eat and it's rich and satisfying.  Several of our friends have dined with us and been confused as to how such healthy eating can taste better than any restaurant they've ever visited.  Lastly, we are becoming lean and healthy.  Pockets of fat that I used to carry on my body have melted away without any aerobic exercise.  How's that for crazy?  Drinking milk and eating fatty meat and butter makes for beautiful skin, hair, and a trim body.  Isn't that the opposite of what they tell women to eat?

By the way, did you know that the food we eat determines whether we'll need glasses?  It also determines whether we'll have infertility problems or develop diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia...the list goes on and on. 

Please do your research, read for yourself, and question what you put in your mouth and your family's mouths.  It's so much more important than we ever thought. 

oh, these hot days

Texas, along with a great portion of the country, is in the middle of a drought.  Every day is hot and dry.  Unfortunately, that's not an exaggeration.  Every single day is hot (above 100 degrees) and dry (absolutely no rain).  If we had just experienced a few of these days, it would have been no big deal.  However, there is currently no end in sight. 

The only bright side is that we now have full internet and our x-box set up at our trailer.  What a lifesaver!  My son Carlos is so thrilled to be able to play his games again.  And my daughter Abigail is slowly but surely learning about the games that we had to do without for so long!

I know that by the time winter comes I will be wishing for hot weather as I bundle up in my coat and go about my chores.  So, for now I'm doing my best to keep the fans on high, keep on drinking ice water, and give thanks to the video game gods that we are back in their good graces :)

Back at last

Back in February my family and I made a move to the country.  And, it's been quite an adventure and an absolute struggle.  We take the bad with the good and try to roll with the punches.  For the first couple months, we had to truck water to our property because we were still without a well...but at least we had water.  We still lack air conditioning (a very tough circumstance in Texas) yet we have great friends that let us hang out in their air conditioned home every afternoon.    We're living in tight quarters in a travel trailer, but we keep the image of a newly built timber frame house in our minds to keep us focused on the future. 

With these obstacles facing us every day, you would think that not having internet access is small potatoes.  But, it's truly been tough!  We've been using our smartphones, but there's only so much that can be done on those tiny screens.  Have you ever tried to search for Netflix movies on a 4x2 screen?  Tedious doesn't even come close.  There were actually a number of tasks that we were unable to perform on my phone including blogging and my son's insatiable need to research Guiness world records.  Needless to say, we're thrilled to be back at a full-size keyboard again.

Since moving, there are a number of things that we've learned and ways in which we've changed...but I'll get to that in the coming days.  For now, I've got some farm chores to do around here.  Hope your day is a great one!

 

 

Long time no type!

     It's been so very long since I've updated this blog.  Namely, because we are now fully established in the country and are without the internet.  I'm typing this post from the quaint (tiny) neighborhood library so small that you walk in, turn around, and you've just seen all there is to see. 

     We are living quite comfortably in a trailer.  Our farm dogs run down to the creek several times a day and bring back bones for our viewing pleasure.  Our farm cat runs around outside and does her very best to catch birds yet is adament on using the litter box inside.  And, we now have five baby chicks (Barred Plymouth Rocks) that are now three weeks along and spend their entire day looking forward to playing outside when it's warm.

     My husband and I are busy at every moment of the day with the very simplest of tasks.  We work on the garden, transfer water from barrels to the trailer, check on the propane and generator gas, cook our meals, and take care of the animals.  It's such a different existence; I can honestly say that I've never been happier.  Happier isn't the right word.  Content is more like it. 

     The kids' lives are quite different now as well.  Where before the sun would shine on their faces as we walked from the house to the car, now it shines on them all day long.  Dirt and sticks are the new toys and the wildlife is the new tv.  Well, they still get plenty of actual tv, but their viewing is limited to the times that the generator is running. 

     Carlos longs for the day we get our solar panels set up so that he can watch tv any old time.  Truth be told, though, he really gets a kick out of playing pinecone grenades with Daddy and sliding down the embankment of the creek with the dogs.  And Abbie is in a state of bliss every single day.  She plays, runs, yells, and makes sure that she's barefoot at every possible moment.  Her new favorite word is "generator."  She even made a model of a generator with her toys. 

     Aside from the absense of the internet, we still have all we need to learn whenever the mood strikes.  We hit the library, rent movies, and just talk while walking in the woods.  We found an old logging strap, pulled it along, and talked about how energy is transferred in waves when you flick one end.  Later that day Carlos learned how energy is transferred in the wave of a tsunami.  Timely though tragic.  In the car he asked lots of questions about numbers.  I handed over my phone's calculator so that he could play with powers of ten.  That led to a discussion on scientific notation.  He found out the scientific notation is so easy that he believes he would have been able to grasp the concept a couple years ago.  I don't doubt it.

     Well, I suppose it's time to hit the grocery store before getting back to the farm.  A thunderstorm passed by this morning so it's now drying out nicely.  I'll post again when I can.

 

Moving day is almost here!

     Well, I've taken a long, long break from the blog.  Why?  As it turns out, getting ready to actually move out to the country is a long, difficult, and tedious affair.  We've been busy getting a septic system in place, building a deck to hold two yurts for more living space, and packing up our belongings for their long stay in storage.  Isn't it amazing what we hold onto over the years?  Isn't it funny how we sometimes buy a large house and then feel obligated to fill it so that it doesn't seem so empty?  At any rate, most of our things will go into storage until the day our new home is built. 

     What's been the biggest challenge in the past few weeks has been the dogs.  They're technically puppies, but they've grown rapidly as we knew they would.  When we take them out to the property, they're able to run, chew on sticks, play in puddles, and generally have a great time.  When they're here in the suburbs, however, it's a whole different story.  By no fault of their own, they long to run in a house with little space.  They chew on the kids' toys and the rugs because there aren't a million sticks laying around.  And, when they go outside they are restrained from chewing the landscaping when they had figured that at least the outdoors was their space.

     Having farm dogs in the suburbs is no fun for anyone.  I'm stressed to the max and ready for us to stretch our legs permanently.  In a few days that's exactly what we're doing.  We're making the big move!  My husband and I are pumped!  Abigail, being two, doesn't understand that we'll be leaving the house for good.  Carlos, being eight, had a slightly different reaction than what we had expected.  He's not going to miss his room, the yard, the living room, the game room, or the house in general.  Instead, he says he is going to miss the oak tree in our front yard.  Why?  It was planted the same year he was born.  Turns out that he feels a sentimental connection to the tree that we didn't know about previously.  Moreover, he knows that we can't dig up the tree to bring it with us "because it's firmly rooted."  I love his choice of words!  When he told us how he felt, I gathered some acorns and planted them at the property so that his tree can move with us in a sense.

     So, we are all set to begin our new life.  We will be without some luxuries for a short time, but it's nothing we can't handle.  And, we look forward to our new farm animals: our chicks will arrive at the end of the month and our bees will come in April.  Vegetable seeds are on order and should arrive in a couple weeks so that we can get our garden underway.  Can't wait!

farm dogs...check!

     As we continue preparing to move to the country, plans must be made and things must be acquired.  This is difficult in the case of a tractor; we will need to rent a tractor for quite some time until we can afford to buy our own.  In the case of a farm dog, however, we had but to listen to our local radio station to discover that nearby were some labrador shepherd mixes free to a good home!  Long story short, Sadie and Maddie have joined our family.

 
     They're just the right type of dog to work on a farm and guard the home and livestock.  Plus, they're really, really cute.  Carlos and Abbie are completely in love and enjoying taking care of the little ones.  After all, feeding, bathing, and walking with dogs is a great learning experience.

     To be honest, though, I think that I'm the most excited one of the group.  This really surprises me because my twelve-year-old Scottie died earlier this year.  His name was Chico and he was not at all a cuddly dog.  I had always wanted a cuddly dog but quickly discovered that cuddling was not Chico's forte even as a puppy.  I loved him nonetheless and took care of him as best I could.  He was riddled with health problems that only made him grumpier and meaner as he got older.  He never cared for children to the point that Carlos and Abbie were not allowed near him.  As a result, his death came as a relief in that he was no longer suffering or having to endure little ones that might aggravate him further. 

     I knew we would get a farm dog now that we were moving to the country, but it was not something that I felt I would embrace so fully.  Yet, here I am lavishing Sadie and Maddie with love, bathing them daily, taking them outside, and learning how to make homemade food for them (no more questionable dog food, thank you!).  In a way, I guess I'm trying to be a better "mom" or pack leader to our new puppies than I was capable of being with my Scottie.  With any luck, I'll succeed.