I've read that some moms do year round school: 3 weeks on and one week off. I bet I can guess which week they take off. . . Sounds tempting! Check with your doctor. I take B vitamins and a Calcium/magnesium supplement and if I remember to take it every day, it really helps. My husband will write you a testimonial, if you'd like. He's the one who reminds me to take my vitamins.

One year ago tomorrow (June 25, 2009), I stepped on a prairie rattlesnake on our ranch, while building fence. Thank goodness for health insurance! In case you're wondering, a healthy adult human can rack up about $100K in hospital/doctor/surgeon/physical therapy bills over 6 months from one silly little snakebite. On Christmas 2009, exactly 6 months after the bite, I felt like my present from God was a bonus 6 months to enjoy my life and family. So tomorrow is my one year bonus! Makes all those little petty problems seem frivolous. And they are. So enjoy life! Say thanks for all those little gifts. You know, the ones you're teaching to do math and English and spelling!

You might also check out various horse registries. American Quarter Horse Association (aqha.com) offers several freebies like posters and brochures. You could also try the American Paint Horse Assoc., Morgan registry, Appaloosas, Welsh, etc. They may not offer enough for a complete unit but they would have general info (and pretty pictures!) Also, check out the public portion of the AAEP (Amer. Assoc. of Equine Practitioners) and the AVMA (Amer. Vet. Medical Assoc.) Added to lots of library books, these could all add up to a lot of good info and fun. Just a thought!

Remember the KISS principle: keep it simply simple! I winged it the first year. I started a 5yo (and his 4yo sister who wouldn't take naps and wanted to "play school", too). We did math, FLL1/2, spelling, phonics, then read lots of history and science books from the library. I've since added SOTW because it's so nice to sit and read them a chapter while they do the coloring pages. The thing that shocked me at first (actually made me think I was doing something wrong) was that school never took more than an hour at that stage (the lap reading time was extra--and gravy for all of us!) I fell for lots of gimmicks (workbooks on everything from developing manners to correcting letter reversals--all of which come with time and development) and wince when I think of how much I paid for those dust catchers! (A couple of them did come in useful when we needed a shim under the table leg.) So go with the basics, IMHO. One thing you might consider though (now that I've told you less is better :) ) is Mind Benders. Your kids sound like they would love them. We use them one day a week. Our other one-day-a-week is a map workbook--those start in 1st grade, I think.

Not sure where you are but when they divide into Eastern and Western regions, it isn't a line down the middle of the country. If you live east of the Continental Divide, get the Eastern US version of the book. We live in the High Plains and I made the mistake of assuming we lived in the Western Region. Wrong-o!

Try contacting your local State Extension Office. They will know who produces beef in your area. Also, there is likely a Cattleman's Association branch nearby. Depending on your region, it might be Jones County Cattleman's Assoc., etc. If you have no luck, give me a call! We have LOTS of beef standing around!:D (Of course, there may be a shipping issue!)

Deb, you cook mutton in the CrockPot? I've heard it can't be cooked in its own juices (also from my Meat Science professor) but you are not the first I've heard mention this. Any good lamb/mutton recipes you'd like to share???

BTW, have you figured out yet what leg boil and neck boil are? Maybe it was "broil??? I'm trying to recall from my Meats Science course (about 4 million diapers ago) what those cuts would be. (Ever notice how things you used to know are gone now? I think every 10 or 20 diaper changes erase a neuron. Or something like that.) :confused:

I agree about sedum and Russian sage and yarrow being trouble free in the High Plains. But do some research for your area and make sure it isn't too wet for them there. They might rot. If they work, though, go for it. They are perennials and love neglect! I would add perennial salvia, too. It has a long bloom period. (if it isn't too wet there) Clematis vines. Roses--you lucky duck for your 56" annual rainfall! Iris is troublefree here but might rot for you. Lots of bulbs will do well for you--early spring color (tulips, daffodils). Try looking at some sites like monticello.org. They can tell you what Thos. Jefferson planted.

Gosh, you lucky ladies! By the time my babies were 3 months old, it was obvious that they were either going to have supplement or starve. I received LOTS of advice but it came down to this: my kidneys wanted to process those TWO GALLONS of water I was drinking every day more than any other body part did!

I think most kids grow out of this. (We all know a few adults who didn't. They usually spend a lot of time alone!) But most of us had some foibles that we overcame! My eldest, ds 10, has this syndrome. It shows up in school almost every day. We've tried hinging that "thing" he likes most on getting his work done. For instance, if you get your math done in 1 hour, you may go swimming today. If not, your sibs will go and you will stay home. Or, when you finish sweeping the kitchen floor-completely--you may play with [fill in the blank-Legos, in our case]. Instead of griping when a job doesn't get done, we make it clear that finishing that job is the NEXT thing he will do. There will be NOTHING ELSE until that job is done. Completely. (Kids also know that if it's 15 minutes until we leave for church or a pre-planned event, they can dawdle and get at least a reprieve! ). . . Of course, we also do that with food. Didn't finish your chili because you don't like it? Okay, we'll put a cover on it. You can have it for breakfast. Want it cold or shall we microwave it for you?:lol:

Please let us know what your vet said. My prof in Vet. Ophth. (yes, there really are such people!) told clients regularly, "Yes, Fluffy is blind. He's been blind for years. You didn't know? Well, see, he's doing just fine. And if you want to move the furniture, move the furniture. He'll figure it out." Of course, if you're dealing with blindness AND dementia, that could lead to some problems! But dogs and cats have a remarkable ability to figure things out. And the most remarkable thing about pets: they don't "care" if they're blind. Like us, they get used to anything. Unlike us, they don't worry about their image or relationships if they lose an eye, a leg, a tail. (They couldn't drive or operate machinery before so they're aren't as plussed when they lose their license.)

Sometimes when the weather is inclement and I think there's a possibility I may end up walking in a snowdrift (because I got stuck or slid into the ditch), I leave my dc home when I need to drive to the other part of our ranch to do chores. Just started that last winter. They were then 9, 8, 7, and 6. I planned to be gone less than an hour, gave explicit instructions for what is/not acceptable in my absence, took a cell phone along, and knew they could call DH at work. Because that worked out on occasion, DH and I have now gone out to dinner (four blocks from home) a couple times--with cell phone. Okay, okay, I use the TV as a babysitter--before I leave, they have to agree on which Roy Rogers movie they're going to watch! But sometimes I return and find them all reading a book. (They get "points" for reading. Bribery works.)

Flank steak was originally designed for fajitas! It was sort of a leftover cut then someone bright decided it would make great fajitas. Round steak is also great for fajitas, stir fry, and making jerky. Some lockers will use plastic chubs, some paper. I didn't know you could just request. I thought you had to take it as they offered. Another thought: we love dissecting the heart. No one at my house eats it:lol:. But if you want to dissect it, be sure to ask the butcher to leave all the big vessels on it or they will lop off the top of the heart. One weird thing: my kids LOVE beef tongue. Go figure! I boil the silly thing in water for 20-30 minutes, let it cool a little while, peel off the skin (while they marvel at the giant taste buds!), then slice it quarter inch thick. They think it's a delicacy. If you don't ask for it, likely the butcher will throw it in "the tank". Tankage is where dog food comes from. I was thinking of what size freezer you need for half a beef. . . I think 20 cu. ft. Anyone know offhand? (If 20 is too big, that's okay. Leaves room for when ice cream is on sale and I want to stock up!)

One of my favorite quotes is: The hardest part of finishing most projects is starting. So you're there! Congrats!:party:

Oh, and DH also said to run the hot water in the faucet next to the dishwasher until it is hot. That will ensure that the DW gets water as hot as it can to start with. We use Cascade, too. Hmm. . .

Same problem here! DH (engineer and all around fix-it man) put in a new thermocouple and the problem regressed. Now, it's back. The machine's only a hundred and ten in dishwasher years. So he's going to replace the OTHER thermocouple (they come in twinsets, I guess) and hope that works. As for vinegar, ditto. Works if you put it in every load. It even works to clean up the formerly grainy looking glasses after a few trips through. (Just pray your dm-i-l doesn't come for a visit until you get it fixed.):lol:

Oh, and you can request the fatness of your hamburger. We ask for ours EXTRA lean (dh has a cholesterol problem). We had to practically BEG at first before they understood that we really wanted it as lean as they could make it--some people ask for lean then consider it too dry and complain to the locker plant. Ours is about 90% and we like it that way. (I still rinse it in a colander before using.)

FYI: an average steer weighs about 1400# "on the hoof" and dresses out at 52%, meaning that 52% of that original weight becomes the carcass (minus feet, hide, etc.) (Sorry if I'm getting too graphic, here, but this is finally one question I know how to answer!!!) In that carcass, once the cuts are fabricated, you're down to around 600lbs, give or take. When you buy half a beef, try to find one on the hoof and someone to go with you on the other half so that you can order the cuts you want from the locker plant (butcher). In other words, don't just order half a beef and be beholden to whatever cuts somebody else thinks you want. When I was a kid, my mom finally got tired of having all those weird cuts left in the bottom of the freezer so she ordered T-bones and hamburger. (The locker plant staff thought she was nuts. But she still had pounds and oodles of roasts and other stuff from the last 2 beeves!) You can ask for your roasts to be cut into whatever weight you want (figure 1/2 pound per person per sitting) and also consider the size of your crockpot. I can only fit a 4# roast into mine. Also, you can order the thickness of your steaks. My dh loves his 1.5". Anyway, if you plan ahead, the locker folks have a list of questions to ask you. It's helpful if you find an internet site that shows the cuts before/during that question/answer session. Sorry if I over-pontificated. Hope I answered somebody's question!

My kids got into Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger, and Hopalong Cassidy. Wow! It's so much fun to watch CLEAN, WHOLESOME, NON-VULGAR stories! Of course, we're ranchers so we like to see the horses, too. For those who don't like shooting and good 'ol fistfights: don't watch these! But the kids figured out right away that nobody really dies because the same guy is on the next episode and looks just fine. Plus, they are cheap on Amazon. You can get 15 hours or something for $10. (Added bonus: we get lots of giggles when the kids burst into singing "I'm Heading for the Home Corral" in the checkout line at WalMart.)

When I first moved to this German settled region, I was introduced to Green Bean Dumpling Soup. There are recipes online, I'm sure. It's EZ and delish! Kids love it, too.

There's a great story in Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley (the Flylady). It's about a young man who goes to his favorite aunt's funeral then is given the task of clearing all her belongings from the apartment she shared with a friend. He said everything she owned fit into one suitcase. He also said she was always everyone's favorite aunt because she was so happy. Every time I need help with decluttering, I re-read Sink Reflections. The Flylady gives me permission to part with "stuff" that I don't need, don't want, and won't miss. I love her! So does my dh.

I use about 1/3 c. in bread recipes, pizza dough, muffins, pie crust (when I ever actually make pie:D).

I've tried that. We live/homeschool in 625 sq. ft. (for those unfamiliar with square footage, that's probably about the size of your living room. . .:lol:) But I've never gotten it to work. We just do the "give to charity" and the box it for later and the pitch-when-they-aren't-looking thing.

Oh, BTW, I just had to reply to this thread because you were gracious enough to consider me an "expert". Thanks! That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day.