Forked Eyeball Party & Sheep Huggin'

Today we hosted a Halloween Party for twenty little ghosts and goblins. It was great, I'm exhausted but it was worth it. I think (hope) that all the kids had a great time. For a great Halloween Party mix together the following:

• forked eyeballs (Family Fun recipe)


• putrid punch


• sloppy joes


• pin the wart on the witch


• pumpkin bowling


• pumpkin bean bag toss


• weaving a web


• treat bag decorating


• feely box filled with gross feeling things, and kids courageous enough to stick their hands in!


• monster mash freeze dancing


• "looking for Dracula"


• ghost poop toss


• sheep hugging


• turkey chasing


• hay ride


• sunshine


• lots of happy, excited little kids

We also took time in the day to celebrate National Hug a Sheep Day. Annafleece was well loved today.

Multi-tasking: Hug a Sheep & Halloween

Saturday's a big day at the Rice River Lamb Company. Try a Halloween Party for twenty plus children, plus celebrating Hug A Sheep Day. Since I know the kids will want to hug and love the sheep, it's only natural that we participate. So far I think Annafleece and Opilio will be the lucky ones.
I gotta go... my plan is to have the whole house clean tonight so tomorrow evening is reserved for cooking and game organizing. Wish me luck!

Most of a Month

A busy month! Things have been going well, just the business of school, kids, and getting ready for winter.
Add to that plans for a big Halloween Party for a bunch of kids next Saturday, and it's extra busy.
The boys are doing well, and as soon as I get a chance I'll post more pictures. Kohen is "discovering" reading exactly how he's supposed to, and loving it. Isaiah is getting excited about being three in a couple of weeks.
We've got a barn full of hay, a large pile of firewood waiting to be cut, and sheep growing meat and fleece. The plan is to do one more round of worming to try and preven liver fluke losses before putting Marshmallow in with the ladies. We are breeding fourteen ewes this year.
Nate has been struggling with a pulled muscle across his shoulder and chest for the past three weeks, but is still managing to get plenty of work done, just don't make him laugh!
I'm just trying to stay ahead of things at school. They are hiring another half time special ed. teacher to help Crystal and I manage all the students.

October, here we come!

October First, wow! Here's a few updates, hope for time for a more complete post with pictures tomorrow.

• The first four weeks of school have flown by. They were very busy weeks, and my classroom still isn't in the groove I like it to be, but it takes time.
• Kohen still loves school, and loves his teacher even more. On the second day of school she gave them each a small 2x2 inch square of polar fleece "blankie" as a comfort item. Kohen might as well be nicknamed Linus. I had to spend ten minutes searching the house for blankie before he would go to bed tonight. It goes in his pocket to school each day too. Whatever it takes, right?
• In sheep news, I am down to my winter size flock of 17 (15 ewes, one ram, one wether) along with the eight still to be butchered. It feels good to have sold so many ewes to good homes. In fact two moved up the road a few miles and are being spoiled as backyard pets! My plan is to not breed until late November this year. I want to get a tighter worming regime completed first to combat the crazy deer liver flukes that inhabit all the pastures around here this year.
• In goat news, I am still milking Nora twice a day, and still getting a gallon of milk a day! She is such a good, mellow goat. Got to make the breeding plans for the goat girls too.
• Weekend plans include planting trees, putting the garden to bed (have to remove carrots and beets first), planting garlic, cleaning the coop, finishing siding the barn, and general fall cleanup. Is there really only two days in the weekend?
• Tomorrow night the boys and I get to attend a bonfire as our final "Moms and Kids" event of the season.
• Last weekend we attended the Roach Family Pig Roast. I wish there was a way to bottle up this event. It is the coolest, laid back, get-together around. I love Missy and Tom for their great hog roasting abilities and group hosting abilities. It doesn't hurt that Kohen has decided he is "in love" with their daughter! The combination of cool fall night, dozens and dozens of people you wouldn't see all in the same place, a wonderful assortment of food and goodies, bonfires, wine, home brew, I could go on and on. Thank you Tom and Missy!
• I'm trying to come to terms with Is turning three in a month, not sure I'm ready to be done with the two's stage. He idolizes his big brother, scary as it is.
• Koe is back to violin lessons. I am amazed at the memory capacity of his brain. He started back like we had never stopped for three months! We even played a pizzicato duet of "Boil 'em Cabbage Down" the other night at his lesson.