Mystang's Homesteading Circus

[CntryBoy777]

First off ya know your child way much better than me, but at 10 he could be looking at spending time with Dad and doing things together.....not many enjoy being alone, I never did....I also had the desire to help my Dad and learn from his lead....however, he continually pushed me away or would send me off to do something else away from him....after he retired from the Navy and we moved to the farm, he was a grounds keeper at the community cemetery....quite a few family are buried there....and I would go to help and spend time with him.....I was given the hedge shears to trim around head stones and foot markers while he mowed....he never told me how much he appreciated it or that it was a good job...I was walked from stone to stone and all flaws were pointed out and was told that I could do better.....things never changed throughout life and our relationship was always strained because of it....until he got old and was dependent on me and my assistance.....I loved him in spite of himself, but the teenage years were filled with turmoil between us.....sometimes spending time with ya on his terms may lend itself to a long lasting and loving relationship....nobody always wants to be pushed away....here shortly ya will turn around and he'll be gone.....if ya get the chance look up "Cats and the Cradle" by Harry Chapin on youtube....there is a whole lot of truth in that song....and I have seen it from both sides at this stage of life.....

 

[Latestarter]

And they will grow up, fly to the city and tell horror stories to their friends about how Daddy made them do.....(insert all farm chores here LOL)

And then years after that, one day, they will wake up and it will have dawned on them how special a childhood they had really had, and share THAT with their grandkids.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

I’ve gotta laugh because my 9 year old son is the exact same way.

 

[Baymule]

First off ya know your child way much better than me, but at 10 he could be looking at spending time with Dad and doing things together.....not many enjoy being alone, I never did....I also had the desire to help my Dad and learn from his lead....however, he continually pushed me away or would send me off to do something else away from him....after he retired from the Navy and we moved to the farm, he was a grounds keeper at the community cemetery....quite a few family are buried there....and I would go to help and spend time with him.....I was given the hedge shears to trim around head stones and foot markers while he mowed....he never told me how much he appreciated it or that it was a good job...I was walked from stone to stone and all flaws were pointed out and was told that I could do better.....things never changed throughout life and our relationship was always strained because of it....until he got old and was dependent on me and my assistance.....I loved him in spite of himself, but the teenage years were filled with turmoil between us.....sometimes spending time with ya on his terms may lend itself to a long lasting and loving relationship....nobody always wants to be pushed away....here shortly ya will turn around and he'll be gone.....if ya get the chance look up "Cats and the Cradle" by Harry Chapin on youtube....there is a whole lot of truth in that song....and I have seen it from both sides at this stage of life.....

I could only "like" one time, but I figure this post deserves about a million likes.

 

[Mini Horses]

How many sheep do you milk? How much milk do you average per day? Maybe you could teach the two oldest, one at a time, to help. If one doesn't "like" the sheep, keep it short or they will resent the chore and upset the ewe. Then give them a different chore.

Will your children be returning to school soon?

 

[mystang89]

I have 2 sheep that we milk but that will hopefully increase as the years go by. As of right now we get about 3 cups a day off milk. Again, not as much as I hoped but look for it increasing in the years to come. I get the impression the children want to learn how so I don't think I'll have a problem getting them out there. We homeschool so I don't have to worry about a strict schedule to get them off to school.

 

[Mini Horses]

That's great, that they have an interest. Homeschooling -- wow you are a busy man!

I'm thinking you have the sheep for meat and graze help, as well as the milk. But the milk isn't of a volume I would feel adequate for my time to get it. With the numbers you have in your family, I'd suspect you go through a good deal of milk! You may want to consider a cow (may be too much) or a goat or two. My Saanen & Nubian girls give me 1-1.5 gal per day each. Great milk. Plus appears it is easier to get to than the woolies. You know, you don't have to rebreed every year -- many of these goats will "milk through" for a couple years. Eliminating the need for keeping a buck on site, see?

Just a suggestion for your SS adventure. It appears you are in it for real.

Love the rainbow pic.

 

[greybeard]

And then years after that, one day, they will wake up and it will have dawned on them how special a childhood they had really had, and share THAT with their grandkids.

Yeah well, time also, simply has a way of distorting memory and time generally has some help.
If we want to have a good memory, we have a tendency to throw out most of what we find/found unpleasant and keep only what we enjoyed.

Inversely, if for some reason we want to have a bad memory or assign blame, we throw out the good and only retain the bad.
After a decade or two, that which we don't 'want' fades into obscurity.
Such, is the human brain and it applies to how we view our own actions just as it applies to how we view the actions of other.

Memories are kind of like 'stripping to the waist'.
You can do it, from either end.......

 

[mystang89]

Starting school today with the children. Have a new one in kindergarten today so we'll see how bad the growing pains are. The first few weeks will probably be the worst with everyone getting used to what is expected of them, the time frame they are given etc but after that I'm sure everything will smooth itself out. I'll make it a lite day for them, (and myself) today and then go cut another tree down. That'll be nice to get out after being cramped up doing school work.

Past few days have gone smoothly enough. Still trying to get over this cough left over from the cold or whatever it was that I had. Each night I'm having to take some Benadryl to stop the dripage at the back of my throat which wakes me up with coughing fits. Then around 12 or so I'll take some more to get me through the night. I hate taking the stuff, being reliant on anything isn't quite my style but I'm a grumpy bear without my beauty sleep.

After getting all the school books out and placing them on the floor because I have no where else to put them I decided it was time to make a wall bookshelf in my room. Just an way little thing, nothing complicated. I had a scrap log left left over from the sign I made for the homestead so I decided to use that since it was always cut and about the length that I wanted. The only problem was that it was "cut" (butchered) with a chainsaw so I would need to sand all the divits out with the belt sander. They were too pronounced for an orbital, especially since the lowest grit I have for the orbital is 60, whereas the belt sander has 40. I got about half way through before the belt finally caught on one of the larger divits and ripped. I figured I'd just put the project on hold until I got some more sand paper for the belt sander. I went out there later on and saw my 10 y/o son with the orbital trying to sand out the rest of the board. I didn't stop him as it gave him something productive to use his energy on and went about my business. He finished up as much as he wanted and the next day went out and started on it again. He finished the rest of it.

The pic is what I had done just before the belt ripped. Had half completely sanded. The rest is what was still to be done. When he finished, the rest of it looked as good, if not better, than what I had done already. I am extremely proud of him. Not because he knows how to use a sander. Anyone can do that. I'm proud of him because what he did took perseverance, patience, solitude and keeping silent and finally because of his ability to keep to his commitments. He didn't give up half way through our because it was hard. The boy did a good job. All I needed to do was take the chainsaw to the part I had already sanded and cut down part of it which was curving and sand it back down (with the belt sander). I don't have a planer unfortunately but if anyone wants to donate one to me I'll take it! All I need to do now is figure a way of getting it in the wall which I'll look into today.

 

[Bruce]

You need a planer!