rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

@purplequeenvt , Probably not. We tried during COVID. Dan shuts down and becomes withdrawn as a way to avoid work and becomes depressed without other kids to push him out of it and into compliance and Aiden goes from being just anxious Aiden to being very frustrated and angry and his mental health starts breaking down too. That sounds lovely though. That's basically how my correspondence HS ran their program so I'm so glad her school supports something like that. For kids driven enough, that is exactly what they need. We're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place on this issue. They aren't even getting a normal education this year.

 

[Baymule]

They are older now than they were during Covid. With the hard time they are having in school, they might like home schooling now. Get lessons done, then be farmers the rest of the day. Find other home schoolers for a study day together or play days.

 

[rachels.haven]

That may be where we're headed. It won't be through the school, but there are options (area is traditionally home-school hostile...which will prevent them from messing things up worse, I guess ).

I feel bad for the teachers. Dan's teacher in his last parent teacher conference where she had to tell the parents that their kids with decent or good grades were going to be held back (it was three hours late) sounded broken down on the edge of tears last week. I suspect there is going to be a flush of teachers quitting and our district will further deteriorate. Politics that affect kids stink. They have no say.

So yes...home-school is a definite possibility. If my home sick hubby doesn't relocate us first.

 

[Mini Horses]

Where's home sick hubby from? Is that a long move?

Notice I didn't say "big" cause with a farm, it is. BIG.

 

[rachels.haven]

DH is 1/2 defected PA Dutch (2 gen out, I think?) so home is PA, where he lived until he left for school, specifically the area around a specific county where a bunch of people share our last name. He's enjoying the study of humanity down here, but he mixes like oil and water with other guys in the south so he's been feeling kind of isolated and work has been frustrating since all his work team mates moved away (most to PA) and the kids school situation has been deteriorating and with our "town that isn't" that was formed just to keep a landfill out trying to force the agriculture out and a sudden rapid turnover of type of resident...he's been putting out feelers and quietly watching for places in areas with good schools and waiting...

It all makes me feel like, I like it here, dang it! It would sure be nice to pick a place and be stable for a decade or two.

 

[Mini Horses]

Gosh... After this last move, get settled, barn isn't falling down like last one moving isn't fun. BUT better schools, happy husband and another decent barn . That'd work.

 

[Baymule]

This ain’t working. Husband is not happy. Boys are going to be held back because of ignorant crap, and that is devastating for a kid that is making such good grades.

This is a nice home, nice property, nice barn, but you can find another one.

 

[rachels.haven]

Thanks. Slowly, I guess we will find a place. I'm not sure I'd expect changes for a while. The market conditions are not great and finding a place to put a farm isn't easy. Personally I'd expect the kids to at least finish the school year. (We have been telling Dan we do not care about his test scores and just to keep his grades up as high as he can because that is what schools in other states will care about.)

I figure I'd better not get selfish and stay open to relocating because in TN you're never more than a random windstorm away from disaster, and then I WOULD have a fallen down barn or worse. And my criteria are the only ones that are met here.

 

[rachels.haven]

Despite everything that could happen in the next few months to a year, I'm going to try to keep going like I always do until I can't.

Here are my 8 week old doelings, foot for scale (feeding kids by myself in the dark late at night so no help with pics).

Also, no more goat kids in the house this year. We are down to the outdoor kid raising now.

 

[rachels.haven]

*warning, complaining ahead*
Man, watching my "town" fall is really sad. Photos snuck from the planning commission's workshop on the new ordinance have surfaced, thanks to a lady who runs a local apothecary. The mayor and aldermen really want to get this ban on animal agriculture through before they get booted from office this election. They added more restrictions on even just the 6 chickens we're allowed for personal use, an acreage minimum, minimum space per animal and added excessive and condescending and misleading "where as" statements that "explain" the law, but those are not legally binding according to TN law, only the meat of the law is so unless it says "residential properties" in the actual meat of the law it applies to everyone. The ordinance gets presented for time #1 on the 25th. We don't vote on it. If they let us have voice we can speak. The mayor and aldermen get all the say and they are helping to write it. They are NOT country folk and are totally ignorant to animals. We're on our way out but I'll probably have to sell some goats or get cited if this passes or pay a lawyer and sue the town (yes, on our way out) because I'm only allowed 6 chickens and 24 goats and the chickens have to be enclosed in a structure with a roof and a bunch of other things and during kidding and grow out season I have more than 24 goats(!). Also no more meat wethers. I'd also have to let Bailey and Riker go, as would everyone with LGD's and there are a lot of us, as they bark and that would not be allowed anymore. And I'd have to chop my roosters. (My roosters sound like rubber chickens from Amazon. I don't keep the loud nasty ones. My gander, on the other hand...not in the ordinance) I'm seeing a total betrayal of their constituency and brazen display of lack of candor from our town govt.

Meanwhile the mayor is complaining about a lack of volunteers to run her egg hunt and barrel fest (vendor fest actually), but accepts only hand picked volunteers out of those that step up and boy does she claim to want a lot of people for a town that isn't really a town and then she goes after us for not enough of the right people that she wants standing up. The Easter egg hunt and Vendor fest aren't happening and clearly it's the townspeople's fault.

This got nasty really fast.

Man, people stink!

Also, adulting also stinks, I don't want to spend a small fortune on a home. I like financial security and being super close to being out of debt in my 30's.

*Okay, complaining over.*

Presenting the ordinance time #1 is supposed to happen in 5 days. We're going-or probably Mark is because I doubt they'd let me with kids in and my family won't be able to sitter for me at 5:30 pm. Hopefully I get a break from new developments until next week.

*not "volunteering" for vendor fest*

House hunt continues-endless, until it's not.