The Old Folks Home

[Alaskan]

Yep, I like properly raised kids.....


it was funny, I was getting feed bags from the store last week, and child #3 and 4 were with me. They were helping me, so of course they wanted to carry the bags, load up the big flat cart, and push it about. As I paid, they started out the store with the bags, I warned #4 that the cart was super heavy, and if he wanted to take it down the ramp into the parking lot, he better spin it around and go down backwards, since it would be easier to control. (I had 5 or 6 bags, 50 pounds each). It didn't look like he would do what I suggested, and he is a very skinny and tiny 8 yr old. I just shrugged. If they fell off, they would have to reload the cart, and he would learn, whatever. (there was no car in the way to crash into)

Anyway, some late 30s guy from the store offered to help them, and went out with them to help with the bags.

Bags loaded up, we get in the car, and I start to drive away, and child #3 says "WOW!!! I hate dealing with other adults! They always treat me like I am a little kid! You treat me like an adult!" Child #4 agreed.

I think the difference is that I am very clear.....in lots of things I tell them the easiest way to do it, but whatever, if they want to screw it up, it is all good. In the things that matter to me, I clearly say what may or not happen (the 8 yr old wanted to move the 50pound feed bags, I told him he doesn't get to move them until he is bigger, he only weighs 10 pounds more than the feed bag, so he does NOT get to carry them, period.) Child #3, even though he is only a coupe years older than #4 is about twice the size and weight, and does get to haul bags, but I don't let him do many or often.

The guy from the store offered to help, the kids said no thank you, they didn't want any help, and he helped them anyway. I think that is what the boys disliked.



My baby sister said something about how I am much more laid back than most parents. I do put my foot down at things that will cause death, brain injury, and eye injury. Also, I am pretty clear that if there is a risk of stitches, dismemberment, or broken bones, it really needs to be done during office hours, SO much cheaper!

 

[Alaskan]

Went through evac alert this year... Forest fire near by.

ew! just say no!

 

[perchie.girl]

Yep, I like properly raised kids.....

I am much more laid back than most parents. I do put my foot down at things that will cause death, brain injury, and eye injury. Also, I am pretty clear that if there is a risk of stitches, dismemberment, or broken bones, it really needs to be done during office hours, SO much cheaper!

Yep Office hours ..... Been there...

Letting them learn from their own mistakes.... Priceless.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
We have Reverse 911 now. An Awesome idea.... Evac alert lets you get ready.... just in case....

deb

 

[hennible]

Yep, I like properly raised kids.....


it was funny, I was getting feed bags from the store last week, and child #3 and 4 were with me.  They were helping me, so of course they wanted to carry the bags, load up the big flat cart, and push it about.  As I paid, they started out the store with the bags, I warned #4 that the cart was super heavy, and if he wanted to take it down the ramp into the parking lot, he better spin it around and go down backwards, since it would be easier to control.  (I had 5 or 6 bags, 50 pounds each).  It didn't look like he would do what I suggested, and he is a very skinny and tiny 8 yr old.  I just shrugged.  If they fell off, they would have to reload the cart, and he would learn, whatever.  (there was no car in the way to crash into)

Anyway, some late 30s guy from the store offered to help them, and went out with them to help with the bags.

Bags loaded up, we get in the car, and I start to drive away, and child #3 says "WOW!!!  I hate dealing with other adults!  They always treat me like I am a little kid!  You treat me like an adult!"  Child #4 agreed.

I think the difference is that I am very clear.....in lots of things I tell them the easiest way to do it, but whatever, if they want to screw it up, it is all good.  In the things that matter to me, I clearly say what may or not happen (the 8 yr old wanted to move the 50pound feed bags, I told him he doesn't get to move them until he is bigger, he only weighs 10 pounds more than the feed bag, so he does NOT get to carry them, period.)  Child #3, even though he is only a coupe years older than #4 is about twice the size and weight, and does get to haul bags, but I don't let him do many or often.

The guy from the store offered to help, the kids said no thank you, they didn't want any help, and he helped them anyway.  I think that is what the boys disliked.



My baby sister said something about how I am much more laid back than most parents.  I do put my foot down at things that will cause death, brain injury, and eye injury.  Also, I am pretty clear that if there is a risk of stitches, dismemberment, or broken bones, it really needs to be done during office hours, SO much cheaper!

This will be me soon... We are already starting. So long as no one will get killed they ( well the big one ) can try things his way... Talking sense into a stubborn tough little " man " never works any way... I know because their father is a stubborn tough little man... Shouldn't talk I'm a stubborn tough little women... Didn't give the boys much chance of being anything else.

Evac alert was way to precautionary. Oh well good practice... All I worried about where things that had a pulse and my external hard drive. Mom had all the paper work covered...
Yep we all live here... Not sure if I live with mom or she lives with me though...

 

[Alaskan]

I actually found one of thise blog things, that has a great and poetic and GOOD description of the town that I live close to.


In case you are bored, and wanna read:

http://www.eater.com/2014/10/15/6971503/homer-alaska

 

[vehve]

Okay guys, our maples are just about done dropping their leaves. I now need some input from you on what to do with them. I've already collected about half a maple tree worth of leaves to use as bedding in the run during winter, I've dried those leaves and they are ready for use. But now I have about 2 cubic meters of maple leaves to still get rid of. Just placing them in a leaf compost doesn't work, they break down too slowly. And I really dislike the idea of hauling them off to the dump. I don't have space in my hot composter for these, so I need a cold process. I was thinking of digging up about a foot of soil from the raised beds, and dumping a loose layer of maple leaves, about half a foot thick, in there. Then I'd add some grass clippings and some organic home made magical nitrogen liquid before dumping the soil back in there. Maybe some raw compost mixed in with the leaves too. What do you think, will the leaves pull out nitrogen from the soil, or will they of have rotted by the time I get to planting something in spring?

 

[Wisher1000]

I imagine that composting here is different from there, but here, I use a technique that some call lasagna gardening. You decide where you want a planting bed, cover the existing grass, weeds, or soil with a layer of cardboard, then start adding layer after layer of materials. Mine usually consists of layers of leaves (fresh or dry, but chopped is better than whole) grass clippings (this layer must be thin as the thicker layers will mold and form a solid mass of powdery or slimy yuck) newspaper, pulled weeds, chicken manure and bedding, whatever you have or can collect. I also add a few shovel full's of compost from my working pile to jump start the process. It composts more efficiently if you layer green-brown-hot but I don't always do that and it still works, just takes longer. Once I have a 10-12 inch build up (or when company is expected,) I cover it with mulch and it will be ready to plant in a few months. I will add to one all summer, then plant it the following spring.

Those leaves will break down better if you chop them. I lay them out in a long strip as wide as our mower and run over them. It chops the leaves and bags them for me. There are also leaf vacuums that will do the same thing.

Click on above image to zoom.

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[vehve]

My problem is that I already have the beds, and my main goal is just to get rid of the leaves, hopefully improving the soil a bit in the process. I don't have a mower that could handle them, we have so little lawn that we just use one of those rotating ones that work with the motion of the wheels gearing up a spinning blade. I can chop them up a bit with garden shears, but that's pretty labor intensive. I was hoping that I could get some sort of anaerobic process going by burying the leaves. But maybe it would be smarter to spread them on top of the bed sort of as mulch, maybe adding a bit of raw compost, grass clippings and some other nitrogen sources, and then clear the stuff away for further composting in spring if it hasn't broken down.

*Edit*
Also, you're right about the climate difference, the decomposing would be slower here during the winter compared to you.

 

[Wisher1000]

Leaves make good mulch, as long as they don't blow away. I have no idea if you need paths, but they make good coverings for paths, as well. Adding them to the coop will give you wonderful material for your compost pile/bin and if you don't have one, you need one! There are people who bury materials in long troughs, then turn them in before planting, but that is a lot of work. In my opinion, it is easier to make a pile in an out of the way spot and turn it two or three times a year. Then top off your planting beds in the spring from the pile to jump start spring growth. I pile stuff up, the chickens spread it out, I rake (or use the bucket on the tractor) it back up into a pile which "turns" it, and I have a constant supply of "Black gold." As a matter of fact, I have several compost piles. One by each coop and one nearer the house for when I am working in the flower beds and am too lazy to walk all the way to the coops to toss weeds.