Yesterday, we went to music lessons and the kids did really well! Samuel kept focused on his lesson through Shiphrah and Solomon being so loud & rowdy (I had all to do to keep them from bouncing off the walls and still pay some semblence of attention to Samuel's lesson!) that neither I nor Mr. Cline could focus very well. We were both most impressed with him! He didn't hit strings (that we could hear!) and remembered his pieces well. He gets to learn the next couple lines of Perpetual Motion. Even Shiphrah had a good lesson! She did many things on her own that normally require lots of help and direction. All in all, very pleasing. I told David about that in the evening, and David shared with me that when he and Samuel have their nightly prayer time, that music is one of the things that Samuel prays about--that he would be diligent, focused, work hard, and be pleasing to his mommy & daddy in his efforts. Awwww!!! He is such a precious child! They all are. I am so blessed, even when they've got the energy of 100 energizer bunnies!
We then went to Edward's feed. While I like the Amish/Mennonite chicken feed well enough, it isn't that much cheaper than Edward's and doesn't warrant the gas money for the trip up there if I'm not already heading that way. So, I got 250 pounds of chicken feed for the month. I then talked to Mr. Edwards (who looks nothing like the Mr. Edwards on Little House On the Prarie by the way--this was confusing to the kids) about goat feed. I need to get the girls (does) off the medicated feed because they will soon be in milk. He doesn't carry the non-medicated goat feed other than a custom mix, and in order to buy it from him, I'd have to order 1000 pounds at a time. I can't use that much in a timely manner. I'm working on getting a little co-op going, but until I can do that, I need a workable option. So, Mr. Edwards was very patient with me (and my rowdy crew) and we poured over all that he had... and came up with his 16% Mare & Foal ration. It's really close to the Dairy Goat ration and I'm tickled pink to have found a workable solution! I was thinking I might have to resort to the Purina Dairy Goat chow, but it is so covered in molasses, it reminds me of Cracker Jacks. Not good. Anyway, I've spent the better part of a week trying to figure out some options and am thrilled to have one finally!
Today, after a big egg breakfast (the kids helped sprinkle in the shredded cheese & bacon) we all went out to do barn chores and a little pruning in the doe pen. There were some low limbs and brush that needed to be removed before we have goats with udders. (Wouldn't want to snag one on anything!) We enjoyed our work trimming branches, throwing them over the fence, and then trekking them to the burn pile.
Daddy & Samuel are still out working on some modifications to the barn (another hay loft over the buck side, and a section of flooring that had previously been dirt in the feed room). Solomon is napping and Shiphrah is amusing herself indoors. Our hunter friend plowed up our garden (our tiller needs about $300 worth of parts to repair it...) and we are eagerly looking forward to spring!
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