Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Creative Venues ~ Another Birth


If you are wondering about the cut back on usage of electronic and social networks, I have a quick update.

Day one:  one child just about had a meltdown, but later used her time to read a library book she has had for a few weeks.  Another got out the water color paints and painted these:




One used her allotted time to post (on her social network) that she is now only getting so many hours of online time, and many of her friends responded negatively.  Either way, we are sticking to this cut back.  They will find more creative things to do, get their chores done, especially the dishes which never seem to be done completely.   As parents, we are expecting good changes to come along with this.

Just last night our Youngest actually thanked me for giving her a reason to read her library book.  Literally.  We've renewed it over and over for her, and she never took time to read it.  Now, that she has less online time, she has more time to venture into her creativeness.


Our goat-taker daughter named the brown buckling "Preston" but refused (hey, I was trying, ha ha) to name the black one "Travolta."  She liked Oscar, so that's the name I gave the vet yesterday for the black one.  They are both disbudded and have a possible buyer already.  The black buckling is a real show off too.  But then again, aren't all bucks?

Misty, our white female Lamancha delivered yesterday.  She took her time, and had one very large single white doeling.  


She is so adorable.  I can't believe how thick her hair is, and she is so soft.


She will be so stinkin' cute in a zebra goat coat too.  She's inside getting bottle fed.  Why?  That's what they buyer wants.  Not that we want to torture ourselves, but she's still getting her Mom's milk.  This is the first time, in all the years of raising lamancha dairy goats, that we are bottle feeding.  Feels sort of strange.  We haven't weighed her, but she's bigger than the boys are now, at one week old.

It's kind of neat she delivered an all white doeling as the last to be born here at Rooster's Crow Farm.  She has had one all white buckling once, and we always thought she'd make a beautiful white doeling (and she did).  She's not been name just yet.

Hubby picked up another load of wood (while I was watching Misty deliver), so our days here this week will not be boring. The truck already needs a repair on it (again).  There is help here today, to work on it, but it appears to be a quick fix (or at least much less expensive than the last one).

The weather is so much better out, so I'm back to walking dogs.  The tundra is melted and they are getting their much needed exercise. 


Besides, Jesse has been so jealous of the attention his master is giving the goats lately.  I thought it was due time to give him a bit more.  Poor guy. 

7 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Love the goat and dog pics! And congratulations on sticking to your guns regarding the limit on the girls' social media time. Your daughter has artistic talent and to not nurture that (because of time spent on those blasted electronics) would be a shame. Kids and adults, too, can get so much more by reading a book than by using the latest technological gadget to waste away the time. Go ahead and label me an old fuddy-duddy living in the dinosaur age. It was a more connected-to-humans age. :o}

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, had we not set limits, they would have no self-control, and there was so much drama with their friends. Now they can communicate face to face, at school, and be more careful of what they choose to say to them too. I think they will appreciate it. I hope to see more chores done and less mouthiness too. They seem to be more irritable when they are online all the time.

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

Well good for you on limiting the electronics.
I've had to do these sorts of things, when my kids were younger... it was Xbox and game cube and old fashioned dial up internet! Limiting helped but as they got older... guess what?! I quit limiting and let them indulge... but as soon as the excuses started to roll in ... like, I forgot to wash my clothes mom, can you wash them for me...and things like that started to roll in; well I didn't budge. My day was not going to be disrupted because they couldn't pull themselves away.
Consequences.
We've all got 'em!
;)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Patricia, I had the same problems with my son, but with playstation.

Susan said...

How great it is to read this! Although your girls may chafe, I believe you are so right - they will learn to be more creative and more thoughtful in dealing with their friends. Social media sure leads to nastiness, IMHO. I love that doeling! And that picture of Jesse! Oh, my gosh! What a look! It seems that your daughter caught some of the creative genes... :)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, today my 15 year-old is spending more time playing with the goats, and Youngest is continuing to read. I had my camera out at just the right time for Jesse - so funny.

Carolyn said...

Great work on limiting the electronics time. Honestly, I think I need to make MYSELF get off the computer more often.