This past week the storms came rolling through. I think our house got a little scared, too. Of course, the ensuing leaks were only symptoms of a much larger cover up by the previous home owners. Now just hoping we can get it all fixed up before another round hits!
TEXAS
This Week In Texas
“This Week In Texas” will attempt to demonstrate an experience we had via photo slideshows. Up first is another rodeo, this time in Galveston. Honestly, the Houston rodeo was a billion times bigger and snazzier, but I really liked the size (and cost) of this more local version.
The Chicken Adventure, Part 1: Easter Eggers, Australorps and Hen Saddles? Oh My
As many of you know by now, I’m not one to sit idly on the sidelines, no matter how displaced I may feel (or actually be). And we all know there’s no better way to get over missing city life than by totally distracting yourself with a chicken coop and half a dozen baby chicks.
Ahem.
I mean, I have carefully evaluated many options for our pet-desperate children, and have come to the determination that chickens are the lowest maintenance/ highest return pet we can handle right now.
For those of you back in NYC who think I’ve totally lost it, let me remind you that we already have a bajillion other birds in our backyard – birds that are busy mucking up our property, making nests all over the place, not being pets to my kids, not laying eggs we can actually eat and not looking particularly pretty. Seriously, have you seen a Muscovy Duck? So I figured, what the heck? Not only can I come up with about one hundred educational components to this homeschooling adventure, but I’m also getting some serious perks pre-chicken.
See, my kids agreed to earn the money to pay for the chickens if we allowed them to have them, and three months later they’re still working hard to earn every last penny. Vacuuming the car out? 50 cents. Dragging the garbage cans back from the curb? 25 cents per can. 50 cents to empty the dishwasher, 25 to put away their laundry. A penny per toy put away – they fight over cleaning up duplos now! And an entire $1 if they sleep through the night without waking us up (a dollar might seem steep, but let me tell you that it is worth every penny). They are happily doing chores, learning about counting and saving money, and happily doing chores! I already love these chickens!
Naturally, being the amazing, slightly OCD homeschooling mother that I am, I immediately started reading up on chickens, chicken coops, and animals that eat chickens and probably live in my backyard. So if you are now considering getting chickens of your own, here’s what I can share so far: Continue reading
Tips For Moving With (Special Needs) Kids
Check out my most recent article on childmind.org, where I divulge how I stayed sane while moving our brood across the country last summer.
The Houston Rodeo, Take 1
Here’s our first trip to a Texas rodeo summed up via slideshow, which is embarrassingly short because my phone went dead halfway through the day. And after a 10 hour jaunt we didn’t even see the actual rodeo (yet) – yes, it was that big! We’re headed back next week to see more of the action.
Insider tips (if going once makes you an insider): I would say “don’t brave the crowds during Spring break” but since it’s too late for that my biggest piece of advice will be to pack your own water! Seriously, water was $3.50 a bottle or more so if you want to save a few bucks (or in our case, like $20) grab a case for $2.50 at HEB before you get there. Also, avoid the portapotties at all costs – we’re not usually wimpy about these kinds of things but by 10am they were already disgusting, and there are much better bathrooms inside the buildings. And I’d be remiss without a shout out to our pals at Lost & Found, who totally saved us from camping out at the Rodeo by finding our car keys, bag and cell phone within ten minutes of them falling off of our stroller – thank you!
The Central Park Zoo 