Very Small Hobby Farm

As a Home Maker one of the things I feel is important is having a few animals. Having animals can be a pain, but I believe the benefit out weighs the difficulties.

The benefits to having the animals is the closeness to creation we are able to experience. The children learn confidence. Not to mention the joy and much laughter. We get eggs and bug control from the chickens, protection from the dog and pest control from the cats. The first time I observed the children playing outside with the dog, a sense of relief came over me. What was this? Why relief? Ah-ha, I knew then I no longer had to worry about snake bites.

I say a few animals is good. We were able to go away this weekend, but we had to make sure the animals were cared for. The dog and chickens had self refilling feeders. The cats were fed by a friend. If we had any more than these it would be harder to get away. However, I am still trying to figure out how we can have a goat.

RATS!!!

Scritch, scratch, scramble awakened me in the night. NOT AGAIN! Mice, squirrels, birds and this time rats love our attic. There is poison up there, but when will they find it?

It probably began after we got the chickens. Rats often like chicken food. We put the feed in a large trash can with lid to deter these pests. Two of our three chickens have been laying eggs for a while, but the third didn't seem to be productive. I became suspicious when she was very talkative near our raised porch. Ah ha! Having sealed off her entry I thought, "maybe the rats are eating the eggs." They would have no need of the poison.



My Basil! Sweet, innocent, tender seedling got it's top chewed off! They were practically my babies. Do you know how much time and care it takes to grow something? "This means war!" I declared slamming my fist on the work bench. We have rats, so I got cats.

I have now happily and proudly buried 3 rats in the past two days! No food source and a predator. I win!

Why I Wanted to Nurse

I guess I had this ideal in mind. Mother and child all snuggled up together sharing a special moment. My body, the sole provision for this new little one. It was something as a woman I was suppose to be able to do. Sort of a badge of honor idea.

Then my precious new born...is ripping my titty off!!!!! OUUUUUUCH!!!! Only the love of a mother can let her body be so terribly used with out retaliation. Being a mother is one of the ways in which we can experience and share the love of God.

To my utter disappointment I was not able to nurse my children the way I thought it is supposed to be done.

So, I am pitching my fit about not "being able" to nurse. God shows me HIS love in spite of my pride and selfishness.

How long was I planning to nurse any way?

My badge of honor? Humility. That I am not proud of. There is no glory for myself...There is only ONE who is worthy of glory, Jesus, who took on flesh and humility, the very thing I didn't want.

Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples,"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (NKJV)

I Peter 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in His steps: (NKJV)

It is better to have a happy baby than a crazy mom. Sacrifice yourself and see what God does with you.

"Behold, I (Yahweh) lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in HIM will not be disappointed." Romans 9:33 (NAS)

Infant Potty Training

In my post I listed a bunch of things my sister and I have done, tried or are doing. What makes it crazy is that you have 2 country women trying to do 'country' things in the city. IPT can be done any where. The reason IPT is crazy is because not many people in our culture do it.

Infant Potty Training (IPT). It is not what you think. It is not trying to potty train a baby like you would a toddler.

My sister calls me one day and says, "My baby just went potty on the toilet!" "What?!" I couldn't believe my ears. Her baby was using the toilet before her toddler. How could this be? She explained about a web site she visited.

Gives all the instructions and premises. I didn't start from birth as many have done. I tried to give myself flexibility. I remember being so frustrated with my toddlers when they were learning how to use the toilet. I would even get angry with them. One day I heard that a toddler doesn't even know what a toilet is for when all they have been taught is diaper. It was an "ah-ha" moment.

My sister and I agreed that we would not be sold out to this method, only use it when we wanted or when it was convenient. It is after all counter cultural. And I WAS NOT going to have this method getting me frazzled with my baby! That was a BIG NO, NO.

To my surprise, having this easy going attitude has allowed me to succeed. I still do not hold to this method as a 'end all', 'cure all'. It is just some thing different, for "fun" - see if I can do it - idea.

There are perks, but I do not hold to them as "have to happens": cleaner bottoms, fewer diapers, ease of "potty training" in toddler hood. I think of it more like "potty introduction 101."

Jewelry

My adult little sister bought me some pearls in East Asia. I was a bit worried. I do enjoy jewelry, I just can't wear it often and not for long. I guess it irritates my skin, I am always figitting with it. Gold, silver, chains, threads. It didn't seem to matter what the meterial. My husband and daughter bought me a few things last Christmas a simple gold chain and dolphin earings. Very cute. I was hoping the simplicity would allow me to wear them.

Having recieved the pearls I realized why I don't wear jewelry. It's just plain irritating! Except...for these pearls! At the end of the first day, I realized I had forgotten they were on. I believe this was due to them taking on my body temperature. Wow! I was amazed. I was able to enjoy having jewelry on and not even know it was there. My skin loved it.

I can enjoy a bit of dressyness all day long. Thanks Sis!

All the Crazy Things My Sister and I do to Save Money

It comes as no surprise that our husbands would laugh at this new blogging venture. We are well known for the many crazy things we have attempted over the years in effort to save or make money.

gardening, composting, growing wheat, plant nursery, seeds, baby sitting, pyramid schemes (we never went past the part where we had to "invest" money), making things from scratch like various crafts and home made "napkins" from unused towels, clothesline, making our own yeast, chickens, IPT (Infant Potty Training)

You name, it we may have tried it or would be willing to. These things may not be crazy in and of themselves, but in how we go about doing them...in our urban houses.

I'm still trying to convince my husband that a goat would be a good thing...