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Archive for December, 2008

Job Interview Friday morning

December 31st, 2008 at 10:00 pm

I have an interview Friday morning. It is in answer to an ad on Craigslist.

I would be watching an infant and a toddler at their home 3 days a week while one of the parents is there, but sleeping. Both parents work night shifts as nurses, but one is 7-7 and the other is 10-10. The job would be from 9-3 during 3 weekdays, varying each week. They work opposite days so childcare is not an issue of an evening.

The plus is, on days my husband is working, I can take my 3 girls with me to their home (they are 10,10 and 12). We homeschool and they can just do their work there. The mom was very excited that on Tuesdays we go to the library and on Fridays to homeschool coop. Her kids can go along with us and have some socialization--the library has classes/storytime for babies thru high school that all meet at the same time. And, the coop is very open to parents bringing in visiting children, as many of the homeschool families do some daycare or are foster parents. In fact, our coop even has a nursery that is staffed by the same parents all semester, or I can take the little one with me in a stroller.

The mom is also open to the fact that once in awhile it would be best to watch her kids here at my house--such as when we are expecting a load of hay, grain or a cow is calving.....

They don't live in our town, but in the one where the coop and library are located, about 17 miles away. (This is also where there is now a CVS store) and we do part of our grocery shopping (except for Aldi's) and buy our feed.

The down side, is it is only $7.50 an hour, but that is the going rate around here for everything from grocery store clerk to working at city hall. (Before I married and moved here I was up close to $25 an hour, several years ago). But if you factor in I will not have to pay any child care, that makes it more appealing, as does the fact we will not be missing our regular weekly activities.

Going to try this CVS thing

December 31st, 2008 at 02:35 am

OK, I missed getting Sundays paper, so that was a bummer - no coupons. So, I am checking trying to find coupons online for the items I am interested in. We are already planning a trip to the library tomorrow, and go by the new CVS store on our way there.

I still am not sure exactly how the bonus bucks thing works. I already have one of the red cards.

Another thing I don' undertand...I bought some stuff at a CVS store several months ago and on line, it says I will be issued a reward for $10.81 on Jan 1. What does that mean? Does it take 3 months for the bonus bucks to catch up??

Our water company (rural water) was investigated by the state, and is lowering their rates next month. YES! I also got our new bill today, for $35.48. Last month I had a credit because it seems they had been estimating the water bill compared to last years water use. However, early this summer we got our
new front loading washer, so they were over estimating it (hence a credit last month). So for a basic month, I expect it to be in the $30 range from now on out. A year ago it was around $75-$100 depending on the month, so we have slashed it at least in half with the new washer. (It only uses 8 gallons of water, even for a large load, and its large load is almost twice as large as my old washers large, and it used 66 gallons for a large load and 44 for a small one). So, I am washing twice as much laundry in 1/8 of the water. The energy tag that came with it gave the figures for electric use, and we estimated around $7-$13 a year for the electric. So, it is saving us money all around.

Sad News & Weird weather

December 30th, 2008 at 05:04 am

I do some writing for thriftyfun.com, and have made some writing money from that site. The founder and editor, Susan, passed away on Dec 21. I found out yesterday. She was a real nice lady and I have some very nice emails from her. She was only 60.

We have been having weird weather here in Missouri. One day it will be in the 20's with snow and when you wake up the next morning it will be in the 60's. Then it snows again the next day and repeats. This past week we have had 2 ice storms, each followed by a day in the 60's. The entire farm is a muddy mess.

Christmas Program Tonight & I need to make soap

December 21st, 2008 at 09:13 pm

Tonight is the childrens Christmas Program at church. I have helped with it some, and it should be very good. We stayed after church to help set up for it and we go back in about 2 hours. So, we are home just long enough to do the chores, eat, and bake cookies to take back with us tonight.

I plan on taping the program tonight, and for once (and I do mean for once) I actually planned ahead and bought a two pack of blank tape. (I am a big one at going to record something with out charging my batteries or getting tape). I even got some that were marked down at Walgreens--They are maxwell, so should be ok, after all, how can 8mm tape go out of date???

Right now DD4 is mixing up the chocolate chip cookies. She is trippling her recipe. I will count this as a math lesson (trippling fractions isn't easy when you are 10) and also as home ec.

If I remember, I need to get some soap ingredents after the Christmas program. I meant to pick them up when I was in the store getting the tape, but totally forgot. (I make my own laundry and dish soap, its much much cheaper and easier on the septic and our skin, as it is all natural.)
If you want my recipe for soap, it is on my homeschool site. http://countrysidechristianacademy.blogspot.com/

Got wood

December 21st, 2008 at 03:25 am

Its cold, real cold, real real cold and it is windy. We had very little firewood ready to go, (like less than a 6 hour burn). So, I hunted on craigslist and found some very close by for less than 1/2 of what some others wanted. Their price included it being split, unloaded and stacked.
Normally we can cut our own wood, but DH has been working overtime, has to work his own vacation and is finishing up taking night classes. In addition he is also studying for a national board test he has to take in January, so, I felt it was worth it to buy the wood. Not to mention that Murphy likes to hang around here, and if I didn't, he would show up and the power would go out, hence no heat...
Got a possible lead on a job today. It is part time working in a home where there is 2 infants. Nice part is, on days my husband works I could take my 3 with me.
My blog on blogspot now has over 300 hits, and some more ads have appeared on it. So, hopefully it will generate some income also. DD#4 put some earrings she made on it to sell. She took a jewerly class last semester at homeschool coop.

Puppy is costing me money.....

December 17th, 2008 at 06:36 am

She chewed through another outdoor heavy duty extension cord. Chewed clear through it-put it into peices. Why she did'nt get killed I don't know, as it was plugged in at the time. So, tonight in the snow we had to get the big boy (4x4) out of the barn and go 20 some miles to get another cord-else the chickens would freeze tonight when it gets below 0. I paid $20 for the one she chewed at Lowes, and of course the farm store was higher, so around $30 for this one.....

DH buried this one--apprently it runs under the barn wall and through conduit into the coop and is now there for life. My daughter said no way the dog can get to it now and it will never come out of there.

Why do I keep the dog?? Because she is a beagle and has been very good at barking all night keeping the coons away from the poultry. Without a beagle, we loose chickens. Our biggest loss was 43 slaughtered in a 48 hour period. No other breed seems to work for us, but the beagles, how they carry on when the see a coon, then they chase them off. So, I guess it was worth a new cord.

ho hum day

December 13th, 2008 at 08:17 pm

It is windy. Too windy to do what I planned to do outside. We could do what I planned to do tomorrow today, but that would be a trip to the city, and I am "too cheap" to drive and pay for the fuel for a 63 mile round trip. So, as a result I am bored.
We did run out of milk, so I guess I will run to the little town and get a gallon. That will kill some time. So, I guess I will do that, then come home and possibly read.
Isn't it funny how we complain our lives are too busy and we want a quiet day. Then we get one and complain as well.....It doesn't help that it is dark, dreary, windy, cold and damp outside either...

Think I got it figured out now...maybe

December 12th, 2008 at 02:29 am

OK. I think the blog is up and running. I can see it, so I am assuming others can too. Tonight I figured out how to put pictures on it. Ideally I would like to get to the point that it maybe generates some revenue...eventually..... So far I have over 40 hits on it and one follower.

I took the kids to the library for their last homeschooling class until January. Todays topic was on Christmas around the world. They learned some history, social studies and fun facts about several countries regarding Christmas. They also made some Christmas ornaments. For example, did you know that Christmas was not legal in Russia for over 70 years? It just became legal again about 20 some years ago. It was due to the government not wanting religious holidays.

My 12 year old also now has her "internship" for homeschooling. She is going to start shadowing at the library and helping with the discovery club classes for younger children. One of her 10 year old sisters is working at a vet clinic one day a month (owned by my cousin, so its 'safe'). Now we are looking for an intership for the other 10 year old.

I'm doing it (or at least trying to)

December 11th, 2008 at 12:45 am

I have had numerous people tell me I should start a site or blog about homeschooling and farming/homesteading. So I am trying to set one up. I have no clue what I am doing. I had 2 people recommend blogger.com, so that is what I am using. I have also been told I may generate a small amount of income from ads, but have no clue on that yet--one thing at a time.

Eventually I'd like it to be a place where people could order used books, my daughters jewerly crafts and such as well. But, that is down the road aways.

Added::: http://countrysidechristianacademy.blogspot.com/

Homeschooling internship

December 4th, 2008 at 09:46 pm

Yesterday one of my 11 year olds did an 8 hour "internship" with a vet. She loves it. She wants to be a vet when she is older, and also picked vet science in 4H. So for now, she is going to "work" at a vets office at least 8 hours a month. Probably more in the spring when she can get outside and do larger animals as well.

It helps that I have 2 cousins who are vets. I can take her and drop her off, with her sack lunch and know I don't have to worry about her safety, the language she may be hearing and such.

Yesterday she got to "help" in surgery. Her main duty seemed to be cleaning off puppies after a c section, holding dogs while IV's were put in, and helping to shave cats and dogs for surgery. She can in great detail explain to you a cats hysterectomy, a dogs c section, removing foreign objects from a dogs stomach, immunizations, cleaning out ears, canine dental care and more.

Her first comment after we got in the car was when can I go back?

After we dropped her off, the other 2 girls and I went to a bookstore, McDonalds and saw the movie Fireproof with Kirk Cameron. I highly recommend the movie.

Right now I am trying to get some bottle calves. Around here they sell for several hundred each. I found a guy in Nebraska who has them for $85 each, first come first serve. Trouble is DH won't be home for several hours. I can't commit till he sees and ok's. He has been farming for years, me for 24 months. They are cute in the picture, little black and white steers.

Dave for kids

December 2nd, 2008 at 04:50 pm

I am at the library with the kids for the Tues morning homeschool class. Topics vary each week in all subjects.

Todays is great--they are playing the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover game for kids. Works well for me, because DD3 just took the Dave for Kids class at homeschool coop.

Mother in law issues my RANT

December 1st, 2008 at 09:42 pm

The woman is driving me nuts.

When we first got married, my new husband forgot my daughters birthdays. I said something to his mom and her reply to me was "well, they are not his real children, so I don't see that he is required to get them anything at all. they have a real dad for that." (never mind the fact that their "real dad" wasnt in their life at that time)...

Issue #2, every time I planned a family event at my home she has either called everyone behind my back and moved it to her home, or changed the location--this includes a birthday dinner I tried to plan for my husband and my step-daughters college graduation party.

Issue #3. Last week.
Her 70th birthday happens to be on Thanksgiving. So does my dads #78. She is in good health. My father is not. She had a birthday party on Saturday, which we all attended. We spend last Thanksgiving AND Christmas at her house. This Thanksgiving was the year to have it at my parents and she has known that since last years. But, I was told by her that I ruined her birthday by not allowing my husband to come to her home to celebrate her birthday. Hello? She already had her party, how many celebrations does she need? She further told me I was a nonsupportive wife to not let my husband come to holidays at her home. Since we have been married, we have spent 1 Thanksgiving and 1 Christmas with my family. All others have been at her house (she would not let me have it at my house), and also she has had Easter.

She was yelling at me on the phone. So I said it sounds like you are saying my family doesn't matter. She screamed back at me "they don't".

I also explained that my girls were spending (court ordered) 4 hours with their father that day, and it was a 2 hour drive there and back. Their father lives in the same area as my family, so besides it being their turn, my dads birthday, was also the fact we couldn't be 2 places at one time. She told me she didn't care about my kids or my family.

I hung up on her. That was Saturday, and I have not heard from her since.

Thanks. I feel better now!