Our family is praying for all those who have been affected by the major storms in the last few days. We have friends we have not yet heard from in the OKC metro area. We live in tornado ally. We have experienced tornados and spent time in shelter, praying the storm away.
My Own Experience with a Tornado
The year I graduated high school, I rode a tornado out in the horse pasture. I knew a storm was brewing, but needed to get the livestock in so I could feed. However, they didn’t come and I took out into the pasture to bring in. As I approached the horses, they took off and headed for the lowest area of the pasture, and irrigation drainage ditch. I turned around and out of the corner of my eye saw the tops of a bunch of trees on the western edge of our property being snapped off into a cloud, that was actually a tornado. I ran after the horses and burrowed down with them in that drainage ditch, wrapping my arms and legs around my mare’s leg. We were all laying down until it passed. Little did I know my daddy had seenthe radar and knew I was out in it. He had raced home to try and protect me, but instead his pick up was picked up turned 270 degrees and slammed into an large elm tree. As I wandered back to the house, stunned and completely forgetting to feed the horses, I saw his pick up setting at an odd angle in the road up against the tree. He was bumped and a little bruised and quite frazzled, as was I.
I don’t say all that to down play the storms. What I am saying is that sometimes those little cells, turn out to be large and do crazy things quickly. When you look at the radar, or sky, you think you have an hour or so, but really only have 15 minutes. That day, I had been out for 1.5 hours.
How to Help
Those who have been affected, please know we are praying for you. For those who would like to help, please check this link, all the places have been screened to be sure your money/donations go where they say they will.
Earlier this spring I found a very easy to set up chore system for non-readers. With our special needs children, I have four non-readers, and many times, the older kiddos end up doing their chores, because the littles can’t read the check list and by the time I find the problem, it needs tended to immediately. Mommy Fail!! Easy Peasy Chores has helped me get past this mommy fail.
If you decided to purchase the Easy Pease Chores eBook, use code OnThePrairie for 15% off. Good through Thursday May 23.
However, this new system has pictures, and words…so, now they can see what they need to do, I am also setting it up in a binder, so I can easily flip to the time of day, or room/area that needs the work.
Easy Peasy Chores comes with GREAT instructions for those moms or other parental unit, that needs help with setting up a chore system routine. However, for me, I pretty much printed the cards and ran with an idea that hit me when I was scrolling through and looking through the file. (It’s a homeschool mom thing to take off on an idea that is not in the instructions)
Side note, that could be why I am speaking on Curriculum Modifications and Adaptions for the Multi-Abled Family at the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha. Adapting and Modifying is why I am still homeschooling…oh, and a whole lot of grace from God and supreme pressure to continue from God and my husband.
Easy Peasy Chores has opened a door that has been locked for quite some time in our home. Making it so our younger non-reading children can look at the chore chart and know what they need to get done. It is working and it is great to not hear from the olders about the fact that they are having to do the youngers chores or tell the youngers they need to do their chores. Less arguing and bickering is a HUGE thing in any home with several children. Easy Peasy Chores is literally bringing the Joy back into chore time!!
I printed off a set at a time, as in when I opened the file, I printed the 2-3 pages she has grouped together. Then I cut them out.
Assigning chores
I marked each card with highlighters to assign the chores to each child. Some chores have all six children working on the same chore, so that card will have six different colored dots on it.
See the six colored dots? You could also use 1/4 inch sticky dots if you can find enough different colors for your family. I could only find four different colors of dots, and decided to use the highlighters instead, I had the highlights on hand anyway.
Organizing Chores
I organized my sports card sleeves by daily, time of day, and then what day.
We have chores in the morning before and after breakfast, before and after lunch, after nap, before and after supper, and before bed. We also have different chores each day, some Monday and Wednesday, Some Tuesday and Thursday and a whole lot on Saturday (sometimes half of those on Fridays).
I divided our sleeves into those time slots, so they would be easy to figure out when to do. I did not print off more than one chore card per child, instead I marked the cards with highlighters in the color assigned to each child.
By putting the chore card filled sleeves in a binder, we are able to take it into each room as we work in that room, rather than the “constant need to see what to do next and getting distracted in the wrong room issue”. (Come on moms, none of you know what I am talking about, ehh?)
Decided to purchase Easy Peasy Chores?
Use code OnThePrairie for 15% off. Good through Thursday May 23.
Here is the complete list of supplies that I purchased to put together our Easy Peasy Chore System in.
When I set out our Easy Peasy Chores System, I used our working for the most part routine, which I had put together in January. However, with summer chores upon us, I did add and take out a few things. I stuck to this chart for the most part though.
When my children complete a chore, they have tickets with their names on them, that they slide into the chore card pocket. I then know to check to be sure the chore was completed properly.
I had not planned to set this up for all my children, but found it was so easy that I added my older two in. That way they have at least two charts to look at each day. No excuses to not know what to do each day!!
I will be speaking at the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha about Developing and adapting a Family Routine/Schedule for the Multi-Aged , Multi-Abled Family. I invite you to join me there!!
Friday was quite the exciting day on the farm. I watched our mare foal. She had a little stud colt. His name is Snickers, and he is super cute, a little sweet with some crunchiness around the edges. As in, if you can get your hands on him, he settles right down, but catching him, without Stormy getting quite grouchy is becoming a bit of an issue. lol Food is our friend!!! Hardly ever does anyone actually see a mare foal, but I did just that! I walked outside to check on our mare, and she foaled right in front of me.
Snickers is a very loved little guy. Nearly three years ago, we tried to breed Stormy, but she was hurt very badly, and lost the baby early in the pregnancy.
She is a VERY protective mommy, and with food in front of her, we can handle the baby, without, well, you risk being her food. We will be dealing with that over time. I am super glad that she is such a good mama, and we don’t have to worry about anything getting in that shouldn’t be there. Including turtles, as there is a dead one in there.
I got to watch mare foal to Snickers, and well, that is quite unusual. Normally mares won’t let you watch them. I hid around the corner of our garage, and got this shot:
Then she got up turned around twice walked to the left of where she is here and he was born.
I ran in quickly after he was born, when I saw him thrashing around trying to get out of the sack and broke it open around his face. I towel dried his face, head, and neck a bit as there was a cool breeze and I didn’t want him to get chilled. Here she is checking him out for the first time.
As soon as I could tell she was going to be fine with him, I backed away and kept watching. This is her first baby, and she is obviously in love with him.
Friday evening after Stormy and Snickers had a chance to bond well, we continued imprinting him and introduce our dog to him, so she would accept him as part of her family.
We are enjoying getting to know Snickers, and will be sharing more pictures of our adventures in making him a family horse.
Farm wives don’t quite have the days that other moms do. Farm Life makes things a little more adventuresome. Some times God finds a way to wear you out before your children have even popped out of bed…
The last couple of weeks have been a farm life frenzy. Cows, a bull, horses, and chickens, along with our pets and a couple of baby bunnies.
Farm Life About took My Nose Off
Two weeks ago:
It all started when I got up to go check on our pregnant mare Stormy, due to foal any day. I walked out of the house, had just walked around my van when a huge black cow comes flying by. I don’t mean meandering, I mean a dead run, because Aunt Bea (our dog) is right on her tail. Aunt Bea does this when the cows get out, because the yard is her area, not theirs. After I peeled my nose off the cow’s side and gathered my wits enough to look around, I noticed eight cows in the yard. I called my hubby who was still in the house and let him know about the cows. They aren’t our cows, but, we don’t really want them running around the yard, especially where our children play. As we got to checking the situation out a little closer, we quickly realized there were actually around 25 head running amuck. It took about an hour to get them all rounded up and back where they go.
Farm Life found a baby bunny
As we were finishing up and hauling hay to the horses, I looked down and found two baby bunnies (no hair yet), they were alive, but they were not in a nest. I sent them in with one of my girls to get warmed up. Later that day we found two more not far from where I had picked them up already dead. One died that night, and the other lasted four days. I suspect as the cows were running through the yard, they scattered them.
Horsing Around with Farm Life
Last Sunday, we decided to let our kiddos ride our older horse (not the pregnant one). Well, she decided to prove to us that she isn’t old, umm, I think 24 for a horse is pretty old. lol She tried to take off with our ten year old, so The Hot Guy (aka Brad, my husband) jumped on her, and she tried to buck with him, so I got on and just road her down until she quit trying to buck. I was able to walk the next morning, and it has been nearly two years since I last road, and it has been nearly 20 years since I had to ride the buck out.
It takes a bit to remember that when you are training, your horsemanship skills fly off the horse with that first buck. Your goal becomes, sticking with the horse, to help the horse know that won’t get them out of their “job”. And so, as much as I hate it, my toes are down here, as I am nudging her back into movement after bucking a whole circle with me. lol
Monday, we had an orthopedist appoint for our thirteen year old, Philip who broke his wrist nearly three weeks ago at a youth group skating party. When we got home, I rode Dee, the old horse again, and had to again ride the buck out. I haven’t ridden since, as I umm, needed to umm, rest up and let my legs stop hurting. lol
Bucket Calf
We also, still have a bucket calf we are feeding. This is Rosie and Hannah. Rosie is not as calm as Scooter was, and is quite um, spunky. Scooter was put together with a mama cow who lost her calf and is doing AWESOME!!
Hannah LOVES to help with Rosie.
We had doctor appointments every day this past week. Noah has a sinus infection, Heidi had a second opinion on her vision (which is a whole other post), and then Isaiah got strep, and Hannah had an appointment for her legs.
Friday, before we took off to Hannah’s appointment, we had a special deliver, which I will post about soon… Hint, it has to do with the beginning of this post!
With all these appointments and happenings on the farm, my posting may become a bit sparse, but I plan to be posting some more farm pictures.
We should have lots of baby pictures coming soon…
Farm life is never boring and constantly changing. Do you live on a farm? How does your farm life compare to ours?
I have found a few more Homeschool deals and freebies this week!! Some are specific to this blog, and the company owners are gracious enough to allow me to share, please only share the link to this post, not the codes. Thank you for understanding!!
This is the history program we have been using for some time. We love the strong Biblical Worldview, and the deep history tied together in commentary and then literature suggestions. Add to that lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning, and you have a very awesome history program that covers Creation to today.’
TruthQuest History and A Journey Through Leanring are offering a HUGE special until May 10!! Only available here!!
PLEASE NOTE:
When checking out with this deal, at type of payment, click on check, enter coupon code, how you heard about it, and then Review Order, Process. You will not be asked for a check number/account. Do NOT click on pay with credit card, echeck or Paypal, the coupon code will NOT work with those payment options. Click on Pay with CHECK. Thanks!!
NOTE: this deal (download) will be emailed to you manually, despite what the automated email you will receive says. You will not have to pay ANYTHING. It may take a little time to get all the downloads emailed to you, so your patience is appreciated. This is all due to an issue with the shopping cart system, and there is now a plan to prevent these issue in future promotions. This is the first time TruthQuest has offered a freebie, and so it is a learning experience for all. Thank you for your understanding!!
I can not recommend this company enough!! I am loving our Parent Resource Cards. When a character trait is neglected, I can grab a card read over and figure out a plan to approach it without being a nagging mommy. Come on, y’all know what I mean there!!
This group of books, which I am getting, are only available this week!!
Launch a new blog or take your blog to the next level with this week’s ebook collection. From balancing your blog and family and setting boundaries for your online presence to monetizing your blog, writing an ebook of your own and using Pinterest to grow your brand, this bundle is packed full of resources for bloggers. And it’s available for 70% off this week only! With your purchase, you’ll get all five of the following ebooks:
A couple of days ago, I told you about an AWESOME Homemaking eBook bundle. Today, I want to share ten reasons you should purchase this bundle before this deal ends on May 4!! Ten Reasons to purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle You get 97 eBooks and several Freebies for $29.97, a $640 value! We…
As I begin putting my thoughts together to head to the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha, I wanted to share with you my tips for homeschool convention packing, when traveling with several children. The packing alone can become quite overwhelming. There is so much to remember, and without a list, I am lost. Here…
The Ultimate Homemaking eBook bundle will help you on your way to being the best homemaker you can be, with recipes, planners, guides, and more. This bundle is sure to help you snap your home into a neater more inviting place to spend with your family. Friday I told you how excited I was…
Are you going to be traveling through Kansas? Need some ideas for Field Trips and other things to study? I started this unit and list of field trips as a way to help others make a list of places to stop as they travel to the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha. I know from…
Homeschool Moms always seem to be on the look out for some great homeschool deals. Over the last week, I have found a few, and also asked some companies to offer a few homeschool deals and freebies. Below you will find deals from A Journey through Learning, All About Reading, Teach them Diligently, and more….
Are you a homemaker? Attempting? Homeschooling Mom? Mom or Wife? Then what I am about to tell you about is going to get you EXCITED. Starting on April 29, there is a HUGE eBook bundle for the homemaker, mom, wife, homeschooler, woman, you name it there is a book for you in this 97 eBook…
It’s that time of year, to make your homeschool curriculum list for the next year. It is a late night, lots of coffee, a calculator in hand activity that homeschool moms around the world are diving into. The Homeschool curriculum list is not like your grocery list, the menu changes as your children learn and…
One of the biggest challenges for homeschool parents is teaching reading, and for a homeschool parent with children who have special needs, that big challenge can seem almost insurmountable for many. Teaching Special Needs Children to Read in the Homeschool can have extra challenges too, as you need to understand what the learning block is,…
Check it out, homeschool encouragement and refreshment coming to a community near you. Teach Them Diligently Marketplace will be held in NINE towns across the country from June through August. Where? What is Teach Them Diligently Marketplace? Teach Them Diligently Marketplace is a way to get refreshed, encouraged, and shopping so diverse and deep…
It’s that time of year, time to get your homeschool convention preparations underway. I can tell you taking time for homeschool convention preparations will really pay off once you walk in the door to the convention hall. As a seasoned convention attendee, this year, I went to my first a bit un-prepared, or not as…
Here I share about my world. My world as a stay at home homeschooling mother, christian, wife, woman, child of God. It is about my life as a farmer’s wife, as a cook, a baker, a nurse, a teacher, a woodworker, a housekeeper, a farmer (yep, I drive tractors, pick up hay bales, and other farm duties), a gardener. So, what you read here, is me, as a transparent sometimes hot headed, passionate, and opinionated person.
I started working hard on November 12, 2012. I hope to lose a total of 60 lbs, but realize that may not be a realistic goal. My biggest goal in this, is to be healthier and to feel better!
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mother, christian, wife, woman, child of God. It is about my life as a farmer’s wife, as a cook, a baker, a nurse, a teacher, a woodworker, a housekeeper, a farmer (yep, I drive tractors, pick up hay bales, and other farm duties), a gardener. So, what you read here, is me, as a transparent sometimes hot headed, passionate, and opinionated person.
