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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

gardening and chickening

The chicks are so cute and growing fast. They are super curious and seem to like us a lot. They all rush to be held and if we put our hand in the cage, they fight over who gets to sit on our hand. They know that they will get out too :) but when they do get out, they hang around close to us.

Here is a picture of their old / original home. We cut a door in the side to let them out to play; we had a carpet right outside their door and also let Lily run around with them. We tried to get a video of the chicks jumping on Lily's back and going for a ride, but we are not quick enough to get the camera out. Maybe some time it will work out.

Anyway, here are a few curious chicks right before they stepped out onto the rug:

Playing with Lily.

A problem with their original home: I was in the kitchen yesterday and thought something was not quite right. I turned around and saw two chicks walking around on our couch :) As they get bigger, they can jump and fly a little higher! Here is one roosting on the top of the box:

And our solution to the new problem ... the chicks are now happy in Lily's outdoor cage. She's been roaming around in their coop anyway, so I guess it's only fair that they get her old hutch. They seem to like this better because they are up higher and can see everything that's going on. Whenever anyone gets near them they all get so excited and rush to the door like we are going to let them out. Of course we can't help but give them some attention, but they'd have it all the time if they could.

And now the gardening side of things. The boys spent several hours at the big garden yesterday and came home looking a mess :) I had to get a few pictures.

Tylor

Corban

Corban's hands. Yes, he sat down to supper just like that. It didn't last long though.

The science side of things. Here Corban is testing the various soil samples for different minerals and nutrients. He is also testing the pH levels. So far every soil sample tests great for the things he planned on planting in each place.

6 comments:

  1. So cute. I think we soon must keep chickens, too.
    It is so nice to see how your children are learning. That they connect their experiences outside with intellectual questions and tasks.
    Are they all schoolers or do they an
    learning an job?

    Greetings from a rainy Germany
    Cara

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  2. Hello Cara :)
    Well ... my children are all still learning and also they all have jobs. We all enjoy learning new things together and learning never ends as long as we are alive, right?! The boys do mostly farm work for a job but they have other side jobs as well. My daughter teaches piano and art for a job but she helps me with my jobs too (cleaning houses, cleaning a business and helping old people).

    I began homeschooling them nearly 11 years ago. The goal when I started homeschooling was for them to LOVE to learn. I am thankful that goal was reached. We did not do very much curriculum-type learning (traditional school books) though we do use school books as learning tools.

    Lord bless you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh this sounds good and you can be glad that your country allows to do so.
    But what I am interested in is, if your children are apprentices or trainees for a professions or still "home High schoolers".

    When you do not go to college and university in Germany after High School it is usual to learn a profession for example electrician, nurse or secretary. You have three years to learn in firms and schools and then you get a certificate and you can apply for a job.

    I think it is similar in U.S.

    Sunny morning greetings
    Cara

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello again :) I will try to explain the rules here in the U.S. as best as I can!

    Each state has their own set of rules for homeschooling children. We live in Missouri - the law here requires children to attend school from ages 7 to 16. It also requires 1000 hours of instruction each year, with at least 600 of those hours being collectively in the 5 core subjects (reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science). My children have no problem meeting these requirements :)

    The state has the right to come in and check up on us if they want to.

    My children are not going to go to college. The boys are learning trades so they can work at various labor-type jobs. Right now they are learning a variety of skills and seeing what they might want to get more serious with.

    For example, my youngest likes to do electrical work. If he wants to be an electrician some day, he'll have to work under another electrician as long as it takes to learn that trade. Some sates require a person to be an apprentice for a certain amount of time, take tests, and so on. I do not think Missouri is like that, but if it is, that should not be a problem.

    But what my youngest really likes to do is garden. He might eventually get into some kind of organic gardening and make money selling produce. We are starting to sell produce for the first time this year, Lord willing, so we'll see how it goes!

    My oldest really likes farm work. Farm work is not something you need a degree or diploma for ... you just work hard and people know you are a good, hard worker!!

    Here is an example. Both boys are really good at fixing and building fences for cattle. Local farmers know this and my boys have been hired by a few farmers to fix their old fences or to tear out the old and build new fences.

    I hope this makes sense?!

    My goal is to produce children who love to learn and know HOW to learn. And that goal has been accomplished. If they need to know something, they are quick to get the information they need. They all have different subjects they are interested in and will spend their spare time in these subjects. My oldest is learning how to tune pianos and he is also teaching himself Spanish. My daughter likes history a lot and knows so much more than any of the rest of us about history! She also likes to sew and is starting to make money selling clothes she has made (she also designs some of her own clothes). My youngest likes gardening ... he has read every book about gardening that he can get his hands on, has designed and built green houses, and all sorts of other nifty contraptions that help make gardening easier.

    Of course they have a few weaknesses too ... the biggest one being both boys are not very good at spelling. We hope to work on that soon together as a family.

    OK .. that's all the time I have! Lord bless you Cara.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Joanne, for taking so much time answering me!:)
    But now I understand how it is where you live.:))

    I regret so much that in Germany homeschooling is forbidden.
    I think it has to do with its history.
    My oldest child, a son, is twelve years old and he has to spend so much time in school and after school doing homework, so he has little time for the things he really like...and in a school class it comes to influences I really do not appreciate and I have to deal with.

    Blessings to you and your children
    Cara

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  6. Cara - even though Germany does not allow homeschooling, you can still do all you know how to be a good parent to your children. I know a few mothers who would like to homeschool their children but their husbands do not want them to. They still do all they know how to be active in the children's schooling and also do whatever they can at home with the children.
    God knows your heart and I think he offers special protection in cases where the parent's heart is right with God but for some reason or another the parent is not able to do what they know is right.

    I pray this makes sense.

    Lord bless you!

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