guess what im thinking about :)

guess what im thinking about...

Source: fennelandfern.co.uk via Deborah on Pinterest

we miss our chickie girls.

playing with Pinterest this morning.
 i made a entire pinboard just for my chickens.
i really miss them :)

*was having trouble with the embedding codes, but looks like i got it.
this is going to be fun.

like father...{like daughters}

like father...{like daughters}

Dad had to work on my car...

soooo the little cuties had a brilliant idea

(& maybe in order to be busy but stay out of Dad's way)...

why not set up their own shop of course...

 

since their car needed a tune up too...

 

love the Barbie Jeep on ramps...

 

& the skateboard crawler...

these girls are resourceful & smart cookies.

(yet not quite so good at putting things back together)

{FIELDTRIP} beach adaptation study

a few weeks ago we spent seven amazing hours at the beach. it was hottest day in history here to date at 114 degrees, which in our house with no A/C was unbearable. we suffered through some math work at home as the temps rose. then said FORGET IT!!! packed up & headed to the beach.

the beach is one of our fave classrooms. surprisingly the beach was packed with homeschoolers (during other schoolers time). we met new friends & it was one big playdate. this particular beach is nicknamed "mommy beach" which meant i actually had a swimsuit on out in public! mostly just us moms & no one cared. we stayed in the refreshing water the entire time.we packed up our school box to go, but never took it out of the car. regardless, it was still a school day & an educational trip so we did a lot of observing along with our playing.

the next day at home we were beyond exhausted, still hot & muggy. our classroom is the hottest room in the house so we brought our classroom to the front room couch in front of a fan. for science we discussed (compared & contrasted) & studied some of the animals we observed at the beach. (surprisingly it may have been the most involved discussions we've had yet) we have been studying animal habitats & "adaptations" they need to survive in them. we listed the animals we saw at the beach &adaptations they were created with in order to survive in their aquatic environment. *

exhausted bodies schooling on the cozy couch 

animals we chose for our discussion & write ups

dolphins (ex: streamline aerodynamic bodies)

clams (ex: shells, filter feeders)

pelicans (webbed feet & torpedo shape for diving)

MATERIALS & STUDY AIDES

 

for the kinder...stuffies rounded up for her dictation & drawings

other resources:
THE BEACH
various books
computer
each other
poetry

poems...like the one above that i love. adding to the memory work list.

* discussion of adaptations was also a way for us to carefully dispel the notion of evolution as an explanation for the way each creature perfectly suited with their particular adaptations for their environmental needs. we also discussed that adaptations are one way animals/we were divinely created for their protection & provision.

friday flowers

friday flowers ::

{a sneak peak from my garden zinnias & blackeyed susans}

so cheery. so lovely.

five hours later & the girlies & I resurrected our garden beds for the cool season. just in time for our plant unit. don't worry...took lots of pix!

chickies

the little chickie girls are starting to roost. it is such a good laugh to sit & watch them learn. we sat for a long time laughing & giggling as they fell over & slid around trying to balance. i took TONS of cute pics...but i think it's one of those things only a mother can love...so i'll spare you.

Little Acorn & Fluffy Cheeks are top students in the advanced roosting class

{notice anything new? BIG GIRL FEATHERS!}

practice making perfect

we helped them out by adding a stick. that's where we find them most of the time now. all lined up side by side & sitting pretty.

*these stinky little chicks had to leave the classroom & are outdoors now. POOCHIE! the girls will be charting their progress & doing a chicken lapbook to share soon.

...i can explain!

SO...GUESS WHAT?

yup. i know i said we wouldn't...BUT let me explain.

1. I'm very very wishy washy.
2. they were so stinkin'cute. look at that face!
3.  i have been wanting chickens for over 15 years. i over thought it & made up all kinds of excuses not to do it : they're gross & poopie, the bird flu, what to do with them when they stop laying, etc...BUT with the girls pet sitting we've been enjoying tons of fresh eggs & what a difference. the superior quality. { i must say we don't even like eggs so much, they taste & smell gross, we tolerate them at best.} BUT we do think they are a necessary superfood & we do eat them. that being said i HATE paying for less fresh inferior quality store bought eggs especially now that we are used to the bright orange nutrient rich yolks.  our chickies are organically fed, when they grow they will be free ranged & pastured. in addition to the joys of chicken hood, by spring we will be enjoying the amazing benefits of free range organic farm eggs from our own backyard. more than anything i LOVE feeding my family freshness grown from home. having chickens has brought us one step closer to self sustainability & officially turned us into Brownsugar Farms.
4. everyone has been telling us (ALREADY) we need a replacement for Little Miss Daisy to help us cope with our loss. were not ready for another doggy. Thus the chickies came as a timely distraction. their little joyful chirpies are such a happy sound & they are surprisingly quite cuddly. & EASY! they are keeping us company in the classroom & our spirits up. we are even thinking of doing the whole 4-H thing as a school project.

meet Little Acorn, Paddock, Fluffy Cheeks & Georgia. we decided to start off with just 4

Araucanas are beautiful birds & are called eastereggers because they lay a variety of egg colors such as blue, green, pink & yellow

the  Barred Rock chickies will be black & white and lay brown eggs

told you they were snuggly

oh & this book finally convinced me to do it. even if you aren't considering chickies, this book may persuade you. so CUTE & obviously this mama is a sucker for cute!!!

* sadly us city girls are trying to come to terms with the fact that  living in the country comes with its own threats & blessings. we cant avoid them & have to try to not live in constant fear. the chickies are our means to sustainability, nutritiously superior fresh eggs & food for our family. we love our pets & value each life. everyone keeps telling us we have to view our chickies as egg producers only, not pets & to be prepared because they have many natural predators.  that part we struggle with, never really had to looked at anything that way...I'm having a hard time even eating chicken anymore. the girls close the classroom door when we do. it's heartbreaking for mamas to lose any of their babies. alas...
                                                                    wish us luck!!!

NOT-BACK-TO-SCHOOL-DAY {a delicious start}

ahhhh...NOT-back-to-school-day. everyone should be so lucky...

to start the day with history and...

special treat :: hot chocolate sundaes (caramel, marshmallows, whip, sprinkles...gone before i could get the camera)... 

out in the (COLD!) sunny courtyard & slurped through a straw

marshmallow fishing...

we think it was an all around DELICIOUSLY successful start to this new school year!

* this summers happenings have set our schedule back & we are easing into the "official" start of school transition this week. part of the beauty of homeschooling! we are giving the classroom a late coat of paint & reorganizing. & hope to be ready to fully bust it out next week. stay tuned! 

::Friday Flowers:: bright & cheerful wildflowers

 ::Friday Flowers::

nature is my teacher {bright & cheerful wildflowers)

 

wild flowers found hiking the Santa Marguerita River Trail

what a day, week, month. summer even. beautiful flowers always brighten the mood. i love how these sweet little flowers are bright, cheerful & boldly continuing to thrive (more like defiantly) in complete contrast to their surroundings. with no matter to how tiny they are mind you. thankfully nature is my teacher. & thankfully i am nature's student.

our heartache for little miss daisy {one of the hardest post ever}

we miss this sweet girl

{one of the hardest post ever}

this post is HARD as it is fresh & difficult to go thru let alone write about. while the girls & i were away on our last summer trip, a few hard things happened. one being our little poodles were attacked by coyotes on our courtyard. both were injured & traumatized but Daisy could not be saved. thru quick action & selfless kindness of a neighbor, she didn't suffer long & was loved &comforted to her end.

the poodles aka the married couple.

which brings me to consider finding a home for our kitty girls. at least Lovely (grey tabby) because she is not as outdoor savvy as Luna (blk & wht cow print)

{bear with me just a little more}

I'm sticking these pix in to get all the hard stuff over with. our little zoo has had a hard time year.  i had planned to blog about this a while ago, but it was also too difficult. we also had to say goodbye to mama's boy Bamm Bamm a few months ago. another one of the hardest days of our lives. we still love & miss him dearly, but after 3 years of hard work he remained unpredictable & it was not a safe situation for all our family members (human & furry) 

such a big fat love

:: who's left in our little zoo? ::

Kahlua

our dear old lovely girl

Prince Oliver Coco

 i spared the gruesome pix. in the heat of the attack, the neighbor opened the gate to tend to Daisy who needed immediate help, & Oliver ran off after the coyotes. Poor boy was missing for 2 days & of course we feared the worse. I've never seen such a traumatized & exhausted animal before. but with lots of TLC & a little beef liver his joyful personality is coming back & his physical wounds are slowly healing.

we are still praying & accepting prayers for healing, but thankfully we still have a few creatureblessings to love :: Kahlua, Oliver (LUCKY BOY!!!), {not pictured} mama cat Zooey,  bunny boy Carmello, our bearded dragon Zoingo, tree frogs. sounds like enough right? for safety & sake of heartbreak we have decided it is (which also may mean no chickens...or EGGS!!! I'm thinking).

 the country is a wonderful place, but for critter lovers, & admittedly city people like us, it is also a cruel heartbreaking example of the circle of life.

weird thing is i don't have any blame to place. the coyotes need to survive & were doing what they were beautifully & masterfully created to do. we are after all intruders in their original home. presently we are  just trying to heal our little ohana...& gently guide us all forward.

*thanks for letting me get this off my chest here...couldn't move forward without showing respect in honor of Little Miss Daisy's short & sweet 3 yo life. Precious Little Angel.

what we wore wed & no spend week

i haven't yet done a "What I Wore Wednesday" linky post & wasn't planning to ever. but the girls saw someone elses post this morning & thought since we were dressed to go out it would be fun to share. so maybe just this once. my NO SPEND WEEK update is below. it's getting hard y'all.

::WHAT WE WORE WEDNESDAY::

i have to state again YES they do dress themselves, YES we go out in public this way & YES im ok with it!

1

2

3

had to get the skirt

mama  *the FAB necklace im wearing was made by 2. shown again below*

i've really been wanting yellow shoes. i LOVE these & luckily i found them days BEFORE NO SPEND WEEK! they need some embellishing i think. hmmm...

 the FAB necklacemade by 2. one of the peices of jewelry she

finger knitted for me. i added the vintage flower pin & wear it any chance i get...so CUTE! she loves making pretty things.

NO SPEND WEEK

• we saw one of our faves Hotel For Dogs at the weekly Edward's Cinema Summer Free Movies (FREE)
• as always we brought our own snacks (FREE)
• after the movie we went to Barnes & Noble & BROWSED for about a hour & a half. which was actually fun. (although i wrote down some titles & found them cheaper on line...on my shopping list to be purchased AFTER NO SPEND WEEK! still FREE)
• for lunch we passed up the B&N coffee shop & the Farmer's Market. drove ALL the way home for left over sloppy joes & fresh pot of coffee (FREE)
• decided id rather a cappucino...yet needed a milk frother. since it's no spend week i couldn't purchase one. tried to froth my own milk in a skillet with a whisk. NO BUENO...added coffee frother to my shopping list. (FREE)
• for dinner i realized we only have half a gallon of milk & 6 eggs left. we are not close enough to the end of NO SPEND WEEK so i started to ration. wont even tell what we ate,  but oh a neighbor did give us all a FREE slice of watermelon. put eggs & milk on my shopping list. (FREE)
• the girls are doing fantastic with the challenge surprisingly. mama is the one struggling not to spend. 3 has become quite the NO SPEND WEEK enforcer! & good thing because i need the reminder everytime i say "i NEED..."  & i still have 4 long hard days left. i need to stay strong & focused. game face on. i can do this!