p.s. the birds continued...

Thought I'd post a video of ds2 making 'bird' sounds on our electronic kit last week.

The kit is basically a load of electronic components on a base board. The idea is to link up wires between springs that come from the components. Each of the 'projects' in the accompanying book gives a list of the numbers of the terminals to connect, some background on the project (and suggestions for adapting it) and a circuit diagram. I've just googled it and found a modern equivalent of our 500 in 1 electonic kit (ours is quite old) on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Electronic-Project-Lab-Kit/dp/B000LR9E4A

£159.95 - yikes! I think I got ours for about 4 quid secondhand!

The birds (food, plucked and electronic) and 'Big Girl's Blouse' Kale

Ok. So the birds don't like our bird 'cake'. Or perhaps they don't realise that those weird yoghurt pots hanging upside down from the apple tree on bits of 100% cotton wool (my best knitting stock) are actually meant to be lunch. Either way, the bird cake remains untouched.

Which is more than can be said for the birds...or the bird to be precise. It seems that something has had a chunk out of one of our chickens. We came down the garden the other morning to find a pile of black feathers outside the run (yes OUTSIDE). We did a quick count of the chucks in the run - none were missing - and they looked ok (a bit scrawny and hen-pecked as always, but nothing new). Today, however, one of them is definitely limping with a damaged claw and appears to have a chunk of feathers missing from her back (not sure why we didn't notice this before - maybe more feathers have fallen out since we first looked).

Here is the pile of feathers.

And yes, those are my feet.

[Sadly this foot affliction is a well-known side-effect of having more than 2 children:'nice mummy' enters a transitional phase which without adequate sleep and chocolate and a nice holiday in the Caribbean can result in her becoming 'mummy the monster'. The disease affects mothers in a number of ways; most noticeably in the voicebox (loud screeches and interminably long rants) and in prolonged cases - where there is extensive exposure to offspring - the physical development of the feet is affected. There is no known cure.]

The chicken thing is a mystery though. Whatever it was appears to have grabbed the chicken through the bars of the run fencing, been unsuccessful (i.e not eaten it), and left a pile of feathers on the path. But what chicken would be stupid enough to go near the bars when something like a fox was around (and without making much noise). It's more damage than your average rat could do (even if it was ridiculously hungry), so the whole thing is rather puzzling. My only thought (and I've just thunked it while I'm typing this entry) is that it could possibly be a ferret. The next-door neighbour's kids had pet ferrets which escaped months ago and for a while we used to see them running through the chicken run, causing chaos and mahem (big flurry of anxious chickens doing the daft things that chickens do when they're anxious). But I thought ferrets would only usually take eggs or young chucks?

Will have to google that one.

It still leaves us in the dilema of what to do about the injured chicken. She seems to be managing ok, but experience has shown that the other chickens are likely to gang up on her (chickens have 'bully the weakest' /'pecking order' - politics) and cause further harm. I think I'll see how chuck is doing tomorrow and maybe clear out the greenhouse as a temporary shelter.

So, while checking out the chicken situation, I had a quick recky of the garden. My Italian Kale was looking very sad (but has since perked up as it defrosted today).

Sad Kale (look, you can see it shivering)

These mediterranean types are big girl's blouses compared with the rugged British greens. Mind you, the latter often taste like cattle food, so that's probably why I'm growing the former. And I watched Jamie cooking with the Italian stuff in a programme tonight so it must be awwwright mustn't it? Bless his cotton socks; he can come and cook for me any day...

Errhum..

The plastic over one of the raised beds where I planted the garlic (erected to stop the chickens digging them up) has had the added bonus of keeping the parsley frost free and still productive. I still have no idea what I'm going to use the parsley for (does one garnish baked beans on toast in one's house?), but it seems to be indestructible and non-invasive; both good qualities in my neglected veg patch.

Not very exciting picture of parsley

(are you bored yet?)

I've been sorting my seeds out for the next season and had theis year's delivery of heritage seeds from the HDRA (now known publicly as Garden Organic) seed collection. As always, I have far too many seeds, and lots of seeds for things that we probably wont eat even if we successfully grew it, but I've stuffed them into the box, in order of month of planting. It's all very organised with little cardboard separators between the months. Peppers and chillis and tomatos first (Jan-Feb). Then 20,000 packets of seeds for Mar-Apr. Then absolutely nothing until September (one seed pack in that section).

I read somewhere that this date thing was a really good way of organising your planting.

Yeah...

On Friday ds2 mentioned something about electronics and whereas I would usually have made excuses - or pointed him in the direction of dh - I patiently went in the loft and got out an electronics set that I'd got secondhand years ago (probably when he was a toddler!). Ds1 had never wanted to use it (hence why it was collecting dust in the loft), but ds2 spent over an hour making circuits to create 'bird sounds' (we seem to be having a bird theme going here) and then fiddling around making alterations. I was clueless, but both the boys seemed to know alot more than me! When ds2 started telling me what a transistor did, I started glazing over (as I would if dh did the same), but I have to admit I was impressed.

And no, I can't remember what a transistor does. If it could clear up dog poo, sort out the odd-sock drawer or even cook Italian Kale then I might show more interest. I don't need to know what a transistor does to be grateful that an electronic gadget is working. And I don't suppose a florist needs to know the ins and outs of photosynthesis to do their job...

Well either the volcanic mountain of craft materials has finally erupted, or the home-educating Gremlins have been doing some tidying up...

I really shouldn't feed them after 5pm

So...I finish on a photo of dd1 riding her bike (shortly after this was taken she got distracted by looking at the postman coming the other way, tipped to one side and fell off). Funny how I always take photos just before my children damage themselves in some way. Some might say it's inattentive parenting. I prefer to call it sequencial fate. Camera + child = nice photo + minor accident.

Essential clothing for a bike ride in below-freezing weather:

woolly hat, jumper, coat and - oh yes - shorts!

The Early Dog Gets the Bird Cake, and Feng Shui 'Ice Blocks' Shortlisted for Turner Prize

Well, as you can see from the photos we're still heading towards an ice age...

Top of this week's activities has been 'chiselling out large chucks of ice from a frozen lake and building it into ice towers/sculptures'.

I reckon the final results are good enough to go in the Tate Modern (I'm a mother, so of course I'm biased). Not surprisingly the artists had to suffer for their work - cold hands, wet feet and runny noses - and their parents had to suffer too (as personal assistants, carrying around the sodden gloves from their mini geniuses). Ah well...all in the name of art.

'Ok guys, I might need a hand with this one...'


There's something decidedly Feng Shui about this one...

though I think the bit of frozen pond weed hanging out of the bottom wedge on the right might be blocking the energy flow {g}

Ah, that's better. Just pile it in a heap.

Turner prize, here we come...

One of my new year's resolutions (the resolutions which I keep telling everyone that I haven't made, but are such an ingrained habit that I suppose I subconsciously have) is that I would try and do a few small things with the kids every day.

Ok, let's get this clear. I'm a home educator, and home educators are meant to do stuff with their kids; isn't that what it's all about? Well, yes, and - er - no. As the lesser-organised home educators among us will know, the reality is that days sometimes drift by, stuff kind of gets done (but we're not sure by whom and how - the home educating fairy perhaps?) and things seem to get learnt (by a mysterious osmotic process that often baffles me) and then we look around and find that the children are a year older and we sit back and say 'how did that happen?'.

So. The idea that something 'planned' (well planned-ish) will happen each and every day is a bit of a novelty for our family. Not that we haven't tried before... And that's what I intend doing. Again. No doubt human nature will intervene and we'll slip back into our chaotic - but mostly productive - selves. Isn't that what new year's resolutions are all about? Making wildly unrealistic promises to yourself, feeling good cos you've managed to fulfil them (briefly), and then several weeks later drifting back into whatever you were doing before you had ambitious hopes for change. Until the following year, when you go through the process all over again...

Anyway...er where was I ? Oh yes, doing one or two things with the kids every day. So, starting with good intentions...

Ds1 made a victoria sponge cake. Despite making a pig's ear of following the recipe (I was on the phone at the time, so he basically just chucked the whole lot of ingredients in the bowl and stirred it round - {g} - must be genetic!) it was a much better cake than most of the ones I've made.

And we made fat 'cakes' for the birds with veg lard and bird seed. We've had the bird seed in the cupboard for about 5 years. I'd given up feeding the birds as they never ate the food we put out, but since next door got 2 rotweillers and scared off all the cats in the neighbourhood, the birds have returned.

To bulk up the bird fat cakes I added some of dh's mixed raisins and nuts into the mix [shhh don't tell him or he'll start feeling even lower in the pecking order than he is already]. Anyway ds2 heated up the stuff and poured it into some yoghurt pots and we tied them to the apple tree (and my washing line) with string.

It's been too frrrrreeezing cold to go and examine if the birds have tried to eat any of it yet. It got the dog's 'seal of approval' though:Jack managed to get up on the table while the yoghurt pots were cooling and had a quick munch of the top layer! Could make the next few days' doggie walks interesting...

Yum! Bird fat 'cakes'

(Before the dog queued up for his tasting session)

And ds2 helped me cook pancakes for breakfast this morning. Not something I'd planned (so does it count towards my resolution?).

At that time of the morning I usually growl at anyone who comes near me in the kitchen, so it was a huge sign of my restraint and responsible parenting to put him in charge of a frying pan.

[We all know that cooking with kids is really great for them isn't it? Or so the parenting books say. Mind you, what these books don't tell you is that sharing a mixing bowl with a child has been known to cause long term damage to an adult's mental well-being]

ds2 pancake cooking (just before he burnt his finger on the pan)

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me...three frosted hens, two anxious owners and a black tardis in the chicken run.

It snowed today!!Yes REAL snow!!

Not a huge amount, admittedly, but it was proper real flakey stuff. And yes! it actually arrived at the appropriate time of year, i.e. not Easter, which is usually when snow makes an appearance round here. So I suppose if we actually have a proper winter now with proper frosts and winter weather, then we can all be totally complacent about global warming again? Or maybe we're headed for the next ice age? Personally, after experiencing the cold weather today, I think I'd rather take my chances with the global warming...

Anyway, this morning the kids did their best to make snowballs in the garden and get each other cold and wet. Mostly they just got cold, but the conservatory did get wet when a mis-timed snowball went straight through the open door and onto the floor. Jack wasn't too happy when he tried to eat the remains of the icy muddy slop; of course anything that falls on the floor is fair game for him and must be worth eating.

At around 10.30am we headed off to visit some nearby friends whose children were once home edded (now in school). Together with another family we hiked off to the woods and up to the natural sandpit at a local nature reserve.

Actually hike is a bit of a misleading word to apply to a long walk with 10 children aged 5-11years up a long muddy hill in the freezing cold. It was more of a zig-zag, stopping-starting, waiting-running ahead, noisy, stomping, stropping, sulking, stick-fighting, dog-chasing, molehill-squashing, leaf-examining, drain-poking, glove-losing, sleeve-tugging, ice-smashing, coat-unzipping, squabbling, trouser-rolling, piggy-backing, sort of epic journey. But we made it! And all children got home with eyes intact despite all that stick-waving ('you'll have someone's eye with that!').

Dd1 in action on a rope swing

Real snow!!! (well, sort of)

However, Jack the dog (and probably the kids too) are now absolutely shattered. And I must admit that I'm a tad tired too. Ok, perhaps the word I'm looking for is unfit.

As of last night, the chickens have an extra 'coop' in their run. In fact it looks more extra-terrestrial - a large domed black compost bin. Why? Well, yesterday morning 3 of the 4 chickens had a considerable patch of frost on their backs and I suspected that the Queen of the Chickens (i.e. the stroppy one) may have kicked them out of the coop. And I was right - yesterday evening I found 3 of the hens roosting on top of the coop. We had to improvise an immediate coop (it was about minus 4 I reckon last night and I didn't want my champion layers frozen solid) and put the empty compost bin in. It looked a little like the tardis (well if you squinted a bit and looked the wrong way through binoculars - it was dark you understand). We took out the little compost bin door and left it open so that any chickens that got kicked out of the 5-star hentel, could pile in to the 2-star Beak&Beak and keep each other cosy.

1st class and 3rd class accommodation in chicken town.

I don't think any of the hens slept in the compost bin tardis last night, but at least when we checked them this morning they weren't covered with frost.

Searching for sea shells...

As you can see, I've been tinkering with the blog layout and colours. What do you think?

Not having the time or inclination to learn html, I'm a bit limited by the templates that blogspot offers, but I quite like this layout. I was worried that it might look a little too sophisticated,but I figure the content will compensate and bring it right back down to common {g}.

Anyway, a new format for a new year.

The main photo is of ds1, head down, searching for sea shells on a beach in Cornwall. I like it. Not sure why, but to me it symbolises what childhood is all about. It's also a bit symbolic of my aspirations towards autonomous home education. You can give a child a handful of nice washed shells that you've found, or you can let them go spend the day on a beach, sandy and barefoot, searching for their own shells. Which would you prefer if you were a child?

Rudolph 0: Dog 1. But the chicken lives to fight another day.

Poor Jack. Outwitted by the chicken again...

Maybe if you ask her nicely, Jack, she'll let you get to the back door.

Oh, and yes, that is a standard lamp at the bottom of the steps. Doesn't everyone have one of those in the garden?

Considering how hen-pecked and scrawny our bunch of chickens are looking (and we do feed them, honest) I'm amazed that all four chickens have continued to lay throughout Autumn and Winter; we've just come back after 2 days away to find 10 eggs in the coop from 4 chuckies! And no, we don't use any extra lights. I know the farmer said that they were a hardy cross, but they've outperformed anything we've had before. Just hope I can find the scrappy piece of paper that I put his address on. I obviously put it somewhere safe. Yes, that safe.

I've been thinking about getting a couple of ducks, but I need to read up a bit first. As long as we can keep the foxes out I figure they can't be too hard to look after. But what would they do to the garden? Would I have a veg patch left by the time they had paddled all over it?

Oh and here's a very sad announcement.

Jack ate Rudolph on Christmas Day.

And here's what was left after an hour of chewing, tearing and destuffing...

Just a couple of nibbled antlers

That's the last time I bother buying that dog a dog toy.

And here are the kids admiring our fantastic light show on the front of the house...(aren't you impressed?)

Ok, ok. So it's not our house. But it could have been...

...and as they always say: it's the thought that matters.