Alia_in_FL
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Posts posted by Alia_in_FL
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We're about to build a home. We have 6 acres and have cleared the house site and now are trying to decide on a houseplan. The acreage is very beautiful -- mature hardwood trees and a huge open, gorgeous pasture neighboring us so our backyard view will be of the pasture. It's a quaint country setting, but I am a chic-ish, contemporary-ish gal as far as my decorating style/preferences. I'm down to two favorite houseplans.
For our thread, we'll call this one "PLAN R":
http://www.architect...lan-69402am.asp
(on this website, you'll have to scroll down to the 6th pic to see how the whole house would look on the front/facade side)
and we'll call this one "PLAN S":
http://www.houseplan...-0-garage-32304
PLAN R is more modern-looking, and I really like it, but I'm concerned about it looking inappropriate in the setting and, heaven forbid, if we ever had to re-sell, I'm concerned it's too modern-ish for the next potential buyer. But, I really like it the most. I'd do a different color that this family in the pics opted to do but I'd keep the standing-seam metal roofing and I'd move the front-facing garage to the side.
PLAN S (with the larger front porch), looks more country and inviting and may look more appropriate given the setting, and it's a bit contemporary but the downside is that because all of the living is in the middle of the house, and the way our land is situated and the way we have to face the house, the bedrooms on either end would block the pretty views of our property.
I know that Plan R is almost 3300 sq. ft and PLAN S is almost 2700 sq. feet. Don't decide based on square footage as I'd need to shrink PLAN R down to the 2700 sq. feet mark, so they'll be the same square footage. And don't decide based on the presence of the garage as we'd put one towards the back of Plan S.
Can you please take a peak at the two and tell me your preferences and thoughts?
(and I can take criticism if you just think one or the other is uglier than a witch's nosemole).
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You all have been very helpful.
I'll post his/her pic when we decide on "THE ONE." The neighbor said he'll give them away at 6 weeks! (isn't that too young to quit nursing from the momma!!?!?!?!!!!).
The pup will definitely stay indoors while he/she's a pre-teen and get to romp outside when we're out there during puppy stage, then when he/she's old enough to not fit under the house/squeeze through the fencing, etc. then we'll increase his/her outdoors time.
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You all have given me our strategy. We're going to follow this advice and spend some time with them and observe and see which one fits us and which one takes to us (esp to my son).
Focus on observing behavior and personality rather than looking at the gender so much and seeing who "meshes" with us. Good advice! Thanks!
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Bassett hound rat terrier mix?!
Me need pictures! Please!
I'll try to attach some.
The pic of the black and white pup doesn't do her justice as I had JUST woke her up so she looks a little tipsy.
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If you're getting to meet all the puppies and decide, why not decide based on the puppy's personality instead of gender? Even if most males were aggressive (not in my experience) it doesn't really matter what most of them are like, if you get one that's the exception.
In my unasked-for opinion, I probably wouldn't plan on a puppy being an outdoor dog if you're not particularly knowledgeable about dogs in general. It makes it more likely that the dog won't be socialized and then you can end up with behavior problems later on. I think it's a little different when you've had dogs all your life and you're adding a barn dog to the crew you already have than it is to get your first puppy and plan on only having it in the house to sleep at night. You might also need the dog inside more frequently during the summer in your climate, so I'd make sure you were comfortable with that. I only know as much about you as you've shared in this post though, so I could be wrong. :) Our dogs are generally housepets, although I know there are very many happy outdoor dogs out there.
We are outside/outdoors all the time. We have 2 cats, 1 elderly dog (the dog is 15 years old and we inherited him recently when an elderly neighbor died and left him; this dog doesn't allow kids to touch him without yipping so I'm not going to assume all males are like this dog), 21 fish, 14 chickens, 9 guinea fowl and we're outside ALOT (for about 3 hours a day as I garden) so the dog will be hanging out with us alot. Plus we have a huge screened in porch with fans that he can get in on hot days. I haven't ruled out the dog having a doggie door that he can come in the house (in the mud room) to cool as he/she wants.
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My son is age 7 and we're letting him get a puppy. The neighbor's Bassett Hound female "married" a Rat Terrier male and they had 9 puppies. They're adorable.
I've met both parents and they are both sweet & friendly.
Whichever we get will be spay/neutered early, so now which gender?
Are there personality traits that typify one gender or the other? Are males more aggressive? Is one typically more "yappy"? Any advice / words of wisdom?
In this litter there are 5 girls and 4 boys so we have plenty to choose from and we get first dibs.
How do you pick a puppy?
(I don't like yappy dogs; can you tell this early if one's prone to this?)
FWIW, this will be an outdoor dog that will have free range of our 6 acres (all fenced in): and he/she will get to come in and sleep inside at nighttime.
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I can't find this answer online anywhere.
Anyone know?
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Thinking ahead here. How is Saxon Math designed to be used in the elementary years? 4 days a week? 5 days a week? I guess I'd like a VERY basic idea of what you do in a Saxon math session and how often it's supposed to be implemented.
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If you have an on-refrigerator-door water/ice dispenser, how does the water filter system work?
Do you change out a Brita filter or what?
I'm refrigerator shopping and need to understand this.
(Also, any frig recommendations?)
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Oh wow. This thread has been so encouraging!
Thanks to all of you!
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It's brilliant. DD had just turned 9 when the baby was born. They're old enough to not get unreasonably jealous because they see how tired you can get and the effort put into it. And when you're feeling like you're benignly neglecting the elder, they totally take bribes. Oh, and you can take more showers and stay in a few minutes longer.
The bad bit is when you're stretched a bit because the younger is more spirited (one of those, "if I had you first, you'd be an only" type days), and you just want to go shut yourself in the room, you have the elder looking at you like she's your mother and saying with her eyes: "You better discipline her, or I will, Missy!".
But these are all hypothetical scenarios. :tongue_smilie:
THIS IS SOOOOOOO INSPIRING, SHAWNA!
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This is so encouraging to me.
My siblings (there were 3 of us) were all born within 4 years so I've never seen this gap up close. thanks for your incite.
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Hi, All!
This is my first post; a fellow homeschooler friend of mine turned me on to this forum several months ago and I've been tempted to join for a while.
I'm a homeschooling mom of one son age 7. He's an only child. We have been talking about possibly having another child. Won't go into the long explanation as to why he's been an only for so long, but the short answer is my husband's job for the first almost-6 years of our son's life made me a single parent in effect and I just wasn't up to another due to the stresses of that situation. My husband has changed careers (same line of work/different position) which has allowed a more NORMAL parental set-up and the baby-bug is barely nibbling. I'm 36 yrs old and my husband is 39. Our being a bit older gives me a slight pause, but what really gives me a pause are thoughts like: What kind of sibling relationship is possible given such a gap? Will they be strangers as adults since they will only spend 10 years together at home? What does a sibling relationship with 8 years between them look like? Pros? Cons?
In short, can any of you out there give me your input on this?
Alia
We're getting chicks! Help!
in The Chat Board
Posted
Best book: Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow. (I'm more sure of author name than title).
If you're in FL, your issue will be to have a HUGE box so that the chicks can escape the heat of the bulb (in the brooder) as needed. I always go to my local furniture store and get a H U G E box (like that a couch came in) so that my chicks can escape and have a wonderful huge playpen to run amuck in. It's always worked great. I've raised chicks for 12 years now and it's a great way to go and make the brooding process so easy.
Let me say ONE more thing.......like a previous poster said, you likely WON'T be satisfied with 3 to 4 chickens and the brooding process (raising them from hatch to 8+ weeks) is a smidge of a pain in the booty (the costs of leaving bulb on, setting up the box, tending them, etc.) and introducing future chicks to established hens is not hassle-free either, so if you get 3 chickens and 2 die and you want more, then you have to start afresh with the brooding process,expense, and then deal with that older hen not pecking your new ones, etc...........all this to say, that I'd consider starting off with about 8-10 chickens, that way you'll have a flock for several years and even if you loose some to predators/disease, etc. then you can delay the aforementioned hassles by some years. just a thought. (ask me how I know......:-).