A Snowy Spring Day!

We woke up to this sight:

SNOW on baby Maple leaves! A sight I do not think I have ever witnessed before!!

We had a good inch or two by the time it stopped.

Our gardens didn't seem to mind it too much! The Day Lily's still looked fresh and alive!

This little Pansy peeked it's way through the snow!

Hopefully everything will be fine! The snow was gone by the afternoon and I even think I saw a ray of sun!

I Heart Faces - "Smiles"

Our smiling baby girl!
Check out more smiles at I Heart Faces!

Cream of Wheat Pancakes

We have been enjoying this pancake recipe for a couple of months now as a change of pace to our usual recipe! The Cream of Wheat also provides an excellent source of iron as an added bonus!

To start out add to a large mixing bowl:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup Cream of Wheat (uncooked)

2 T. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Then add the wet ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 tsp. oil

Then let the kids beat with a wire whisk until well blended, then let the mixture stand for a few minutes (about 5) before cooking.

Then pour the batter onto a hot griddle or skillet and cook until the top looks bubbly then flip and brown the other side.

The kids and I really enjoy these! We double the recipe to make sure we have enough!! I really like the texture and the slight cinnamon flavor. If you add blueberries they taste just like blueberry muffins!

They get a thumbs up from the kids!!!

Check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap and Foodie Friday for more great recipes!

A chick update: what we've learned in 1 week...

...little chicks grow A LOT in a week!!!

Just kidding! This turkey has been visiting our yard every few days and was in the perfect spot the day we had a SNOW STORM (still trying to get over that) to take a few pics from the window.

They really have grown a lot in a week! This pic is from last week:

...and this week!!!

Look at all the feathers that have come in!!! No more fuzzy little chicks!

Little chicks learn how to fly earlier than I expected! They like to perch on the edge of their little pen (and poop over the side! Yuck!!).

This one likes to perch on the feeder!
The chicks LOVE the pulp from the juicer, and all the kitchen scraps I have given them so far except the broccoli? Do chickens not eat broccoli???

The chicks enjoy their new perch that Pat built for them especially the RI Reds! They seem to like it the most and walk all over it checking the others out like they are the bosses!

The chicks also like to give themselves little dust baths in the sawdust! It is so funny to watch them dig a little hole and fluff the sawdust all over themselves!

The boys seem to have lost a little interest in the chicks but the girls are still obsessed!

They love to hold and play and watch!

This is the site of our future chicken coop! We have gotten a lot of great ideas from this site: Backyard Chickens.com It has tons and tons of pics of coops that others have built!

If you live in an area with lot's of potential predators you should bury your fencing 6-18" into the ground (depending on how difficult it is to dig... Pat said this was as far as he was going to go!).

By nightfall this is what we had!

Stay tuned for more chick updates coming soon!

Caged Animals

The hallway was dark as I came out of my room and something caught my eye in Lucy's kennel!

I looked down and two little eye's were peering up at me!

It was James!!!

So I ran to get my camera before he could escape and then the other kids wanted to see what was going on so they all followed me!

Emmy spots him first and she wants in too!

But Lucy gets there first! It is her bed!!

Then they lock Emmy out!

She eventually convinces James to let her in!

Somehow Ethan finds his way in! Now there are 4 IN the kennel!!!!
Mollie thinks it is funny but is not sure she is going in?

It didn't last for long! They then decided being cramped in a hairy dog kennel is not as much fun as it looks and go on to something else.

And just so we are clear on one thing...this was NOT my idea! I was not punishing them for any reason by locking them in the kennel and most likely I won't no matter how tempting it is!!!

Curriculum Clean Out!

Homeschool Creations is hosting a really fun "Curriculum Clean Out"!!!
Homeschoolers can post a curriculum giveaway on their blog using books they do not use any more or something they want to bless someone with!
We are giving away two different books!!

The first is the A is for Adam Coloring Book!

Here is the description from the Answers in Genesis site:
"This popular children’s book is also available as a coloring book. Provide your kids with hours of fun as they color in the pictures that tell the story of creation and the fall of man. Provides an interactive way you can lead your children to the Lord! Softcover."

The second book is:

Learning through Literature, Fun Language Arts Activities with a Math Twist
Here is the description from CBD:
"This book offers a collection of engaging cross-curricular activities with a math twist. From counting objects to shapes, number facts, time, and money, you'll be delighted a how easily you can emphasize math concepts while boosting skills related to literacy. This book is designed to provide teachers (and home educators) with language arts activities, fun art projects, recipes for edible treats, math experiences, and at-home activities that incorporate wonderful literature selections--all related to specific math concepts and skills."

To enter just leave me a comment telling me which book you would like to win!
Or if you want to enter a chance for both books leave a comment for each.

For another chance leave another comment telling me you have also posted a giveaway on your blog in the Curriculum Clean-Out!

I will chose a winner on Saturday April 24th!

Check out the other great giveaways at the Curriculum Clean-Out by clicking HERE!

Our New Babies!

One dozen of them to be exact!

Our little chicky's are sooooooo cute! We picked them up on Saturday and they have been the center of attraction ever since!!! All 12 will be living at our house until they are old enough to go live outside and then 6 of them will head off to the Cowlands. Here are some pic's of our little peeps!

The little ones look on with delight! They love to watch, hold and check them out as much as possible!

This small box was their temporary home until a larger one was constructed!

This is their new home which is located upstairs in our unfinished bedroom! If none of us can sleep in there yet at least the chickens can! The red light keeps the chicks warm and helps to prevent them pecking each other too much, it does nothing for the camera though!!!

We purchased four different breeds, these are the Rhode Island Reds. Click on the link to see what they will look like when they are full grown!

Emmy LOVES the little chicks! Here she is posing with a RI Red.

James and a Red!

The second breed is a Buff Orpington, they look to me like the traditional little Easter chick! So cute!!

Mollie and a little Buff!

The little chicky is a Golden Laced Wyandotte! I cannot wait to see how these ones look as they get older!!

The last breed we purchased is Black Australorp, they are the three little black ones hiding in the back! They are actually very curious and friendly but they seem to be very sleepy after a photo session with the kids so they are hiding in the corner! They ALL (all but 1) were very sleepy at this point and started to snuggle up together for a nap! Their eyes kept opening every time I snapped a pic!

Here comes the one not so sleepy little one who had been munching away and realized the others were not around and very quiet! She started peeping and looking around trying to find them!! When she did she seemed to say "hey, what's going on here?"

The she decided to snuggle in with the others for a little nap! I was able to get all 12 of them in this pic!