Ohio National Poultry Show 2012

You may not be able to see, but Lil is bouncing up and down in this picture. The reason? The Ohio National Poultry Show.

The show runs this Saturday and Sunday at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus. Judges will award ribbons and trophies for perfectly conforming birds in all categories for both adults and youth on Saturday.

The rows of cages contain feather-headed chickens, fancy ducks, Buckeye chickens*, poultry for sale (expensive, show-quality birds), and dinosaurs. 

Really, who can deny that this chicken looks like a dinosaur?!

Amid cockrel cries and duck calls, a limited number of vendors offer books, equipment and information. Owners are more than willing to share about their animals. Several breed groups also have tables with information about their varieties.

Backyard chicken keepers, those curious about poultry, and photographers will enjoy the Poultry Show.

The Ohio National Poultry Show - website and show schedule (beware the colorful text, unaligned pictures, and lack of organization) Saturday November 10, 2012 & Sunday November 11, 2012 George Voinovich Livestock Building on Ohio Fairgrounds (near 11th and I-71, enter from 17th) $5 admission

*Slow Food Columbus and the fine chef at Knead are offering a 'beak to tail' harvest dinner featuring the Buckeye chicken breed on Monday. Buy tickets ASAP as they are very limited.

Develop Nature Fluency - Leave No Child Inside

In the push for reading and math fluency, children in America are missing an important part of growing up: nature fluency. Nature-deficit disorder, as some call it, is implicated in the obesity epidemic, rise of electronic media consumption, decline of ocean and atmospheric health, and general disconnect with the world beyond humans. What's the solution to all the deficiencies? A re-education in nature.

Nature fluency is witnessing the cycles of nature, being able to name creatures by the seasons, and appreciating our place in the natural world. It can't be taught inside. It must be experienced outdoors.

Today is No Child Left Inside Day. If you have a child, take them outside. If you don't, spend some time in nature yourself and encourage others to do the same. While you are outside, keep in mind the following pillars of nature fluency.

Developing Nature Fluency

Learn To Be Outside - This sounds like an easy one, right? Just walk out the back door. It can be as simple as that, but observing a few rules about nature makes the experience better for other people and the environment. Namely:

• Respect property lines and trails
• Take only pictures, not rock, plant, or shell souvenirs
• Keep it quiet - other people who might be silently observing wildlife
• Learn what is edible and inedible - and only eat with permission
• Respect wildlife and give them space if a trail crosses their path

Observe, Name, and Record - Develop a working vocabulary of the things around you to better describe what you see and track changes from year to year, place to place.

• Watch for what interests you - rocks, flowers, trees, birds, insects, or weather
• Learn the common and scientific names of what you see
• Use a field guide or walk with nature enthusiasts to confirm identifications
• Consider keeping a field log that tracks date, weather, location, and species seen
• Note the season changes in light of your preferred creatures

Appreciate - When confronted with the vast wildness that is observable even in city parks, humans begin to see that we are not alone. Our choices have consequences on the environment. We belong in the circle of life. Sometimes it's nice to appreciate nature with action:

• Become a member of a society that protects species or land, such as Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy or Duck Hunters Unlimited
• Participate in a clean-up hosted by a local park or watershed group
• Make a drawing, song, or story about what you see in nature
• Advocate for nature education in your schools and community
• Make spending time in nature part of your family routine
• Find ways to include outdoor play and exercise every day

How will you observe No Child Left Indoors day? Alex and Lil will be pressing cider while I am milking a cow on the Ohio dairy tour.

Wool Carding, Dying, Felting and Weaving {Homestead Studio Recap}

For the last three Mondays, Lil and I explored wool with five children aged five and up and several adults. In a new class format I'm calling Homestead Studio, we use what we know and wonder about to guide open-ended exploration. Books help fill in the stories we can't experience in an hour-long session.

Week One: Washing & Carding

During our first meeting, we met our wool: raw Navajo-Churro fleece from Cota Farms. The fiber was primarily white with some dark sections. Touching the raw wool left our hands softened (and a little smelly) from the lanolin.

To remove the ample dirt (poop) and plant material, we washed the wool. Cleaning wool is tricky - too much agitation and you'll end up with felt instead of fiber. We soaked the dirty wool in warm water with Dawn soap inside a mesh bag. An amazing amount of soiled material streamed from the wool into the water. After a long soak, we moved the mesh bag to a bucket of warm clear water for a rinse. Then we removed from the bag and let it dry in the sun.

Next, we picked remaining plant material out of the clean dry fibers. We aligned the fibers with carding combs. Using the combs was difficult for some of the children because it requires coordination and a fair amount of strength.

We ended the class with a walk through the neighborhood looking for pokeweed. At home, I made dye from the pokeberry fruits.

The picture book for the day was Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep: A Yarn About Wool. The kids loved this silly cartoon-illustrated story of a farmer who makes knitted sweaters for his sheep.

Week Two: Felting

I presented pokeberry scarlet, natural black, and natural white wool for felting during our second session. Each participant had a small plastic container filled with warm water and a little soap. They wet and rubbed a small piece of white wool to create a mat or ball, adding wool to make the piece larger. Some chose to add color details on outer layers; some felted around plastic balls to later cut open for bowls.

After everyone had some experience felting, I offered bars of locally-made soap. When a bar is covered with felt, the wool provides pleasing color, an exfoliating texture, and an easy way to grip the slippery soap. Participants of every age enjoyed felting.

Weaving the Rainbow concluded our felting day. Soft, detailed watercolor illustrations tell the story of an artist using dyed wool to weave and felt a landscape wall hanging in this book.

Week Three: Weaving

Finally we made our way closer to a sweater, what most kids said they wanted to make at the beginning of the Studio series. We made fabric from wool.

Lil showed the others how to finger knit. This required too much coordination for some of the group but others completed a small rectangle of knitted fabric.

I made available two looms: a plastic, craft store version and a homemade cardboard box loom with a cardboard shed. The plastic loom used a long dulled needle to weave and the cardboard box used shuttles. Everyone tried both looms and realized quickly why hand-woven garments are so expensive - we barely created four inches of fabric in the whole class.

A few kids tried branch weaving. We wrapped wool horizontally across a v-shaped tree branch for the warp and used needles to pull yarn through as weft. These came out a little funky but I love the haphazard natural look.

We finished the class with Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie de Paola. Young shepherd Charlie shears a fleece, dyes the wool with pokeberries, spins yarn and weaves himself a new coat with a meddling sheep companion.

Join Homestead Studio!

The next Homestead Studio will be Mondays November 12-26 from 2-3 pm at City Folk's Farm Shop. We'll make home goods like cleaners, bath and body products, and candles from all-natural materials and scents. The projects are geared to appeal to children ages five and older and adults alike. Register on the Homestead Studio page.

It's OK To Be Renegade

Do you ever feel like the only jar without a lid? I do. When my kid climbs up the slide, I see the looks from other parents who wouldn't dare let their kid break the 'rules'. I confuse adults when I redirect them to ask my child questions and then listen to her answers because most adults act like kids can't think or speak for themselves. And the opinions about our choice to raise an unschooled, only child? I attract comments like fleece attracts dog hair, even from strangers!

The School For Young Children (SYC), Lil's former preschool where Alex also attended as a child, is one place where I don't feel like the odd duck. SYC teachers agree that children have valid feelings and their words matter. They take time, as we do, to understand and meet kids' needs.

The result of such a system of thought is that kids at SYC of both genders wear tutus, use tools, and go wild with art supplies. They are allowed to play in any way that doesn't hurt people or property.

Children experience conflict amongst each other and learn through resolving disagreements. When SYC kids share or apologize, it is out of genuine expression, not obligation. Parents are encouraged along the way to express their own feelings and grow themselves.

It's OK NOT To Share...

SYC alum Heather Shumaker drew on her experience, and those of SYC teachers who include her mother, to write It's OK NOT To Share...and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids. This handbook for parents include the child development science behind why it's best to let kids experience conflict and empowerment. Heather's writing won't put you to sleep, though - each chapter is full of immediately useful phrases and situational solutions.

None of the ideas in It's OK NOT to Share are new to me. Our parents raised us with many of these ideals and the rules (though I bristle against the very concept of renegade rules) come naturally to us. The practices Heather outlines are exactly how we have been parenting for almost seven years now. Can you believe Lil will be seven at the end of the month? I can't handle how fast time flies!

What the book gave me was a sense of peace about our renegade parenting. We might feel lonely sometimes, and receive odd looks and comments, but bringing up our daughter as we do is justified. We hope that by empowering her to speak up for herself, to resolve conflicts, and feel her emotions, she will grow up to be competent and compassionate as Heather Shumaker suggests.

I look forward to seeing Heather next week at her reading and book signing at SYC next Wednesday, September 19 at 7 pm. I would love to see you there!

The Great Fruit Fly Experiment

Fruit flies. They are the bane of every person who keeps fresh food in the house, especially those of us who keep produce on the counter.

When we were recently infested, on a day of a house showing no less, I turned to Facebook fans for suggestions. Lil and I chose several techniques to compare in an impromptu science experiment.

Fruit Fly Science Report

by Lil Tayse-Baillieul

Question: Which fruit fly trap works the best?

Process: We put a little wine and soap in a small jar. We also did apple vinegar with soap and covered with plastic wrap. The third thing was put a funnel in with apple vinegar.

We put the three jars out to see which one works the best.

Observations: It took about one hour for the fruit flies to start to get trapped. The red wine had a fruit fly die first. We put bigger holes in the plastic wrap and it started catching flies. The funnel jar didn't have any fruit flies in it.

Alex tried vacuuming up the flies with the Dirt Devil vacuum. It didn't work.

Rachel tried swatting the flies with her hands. It worked but it was hard and slow.

The fruit flies were gone from our kitchen in one day with the traps. The red wine trap had the most flies.

Conclusion: Put red wine and soap in a jar to trap fruit flies.

This is the way unschooling works for us - we have a problem or interest and we investigate together. We don't invest in 'schooly' materials but use what we have on hand. In this case, the fruit fly experiment provided an avenue for us to talk about the scientific method and controlling variables while solving a real and observable problem with things we have on hand.

And now we know - to most efficiently trap fruit flies, leave an open jar of red wine with a little dish soap on the counter.

Affording Homeschool

Next to legal requirements, one of the biggest barriers to homeschooling is financial.

Homeschooling is cheaper than schooling in that we don't have to pay for registration fees, uniforms, teacher gifts, and extra curricular costs but we do have to purchase our own materials and pay for homeschool classes. The biggest financial drawback to affording homeschool is that most families can't manage dual incomes and homeschooling.

How can a family afford to keep one adult out of the nine to five? And how can they still pay for classes, materials, and travel?

When I left my salaried job, it was to be a temporary stay-at-home-mom to Lil until she started school. The decision to homeschool made us adjust to the idea that I might never bring in a full-time paycheck again. Instead we rely on Alex's decent but not excessive earnings. We manage to make a single income work two ways: smart spending and secondary income.

Smart Spending

We are not the most budget oriented people, but we do try to make well considered purchases.  Here's how our spending breaks down:

Invest in quality

• shoes - one or two pairs per person
• art supplies - in lieu of art classes
• kitchen tools - in lieu of relying on processed food
• clothes - we invest in wool socks and outerwear for comfort and durability
• technoloy/gadgets - we research and spend wisely on computers, smart phones, and tablets. When we upgrade, we resell the old version.
• food - we spend a lot of money on food and liquor because cooking and dining are our biggest

Beg/Borrow/Barter

• library books - we visit weekly
• thrift store or hand-me-down clothes for Lil
• nature - our playground, entertainment, and toy
• furniture - most of our furniture is handed down from family
• childcare - bartered with friends
• goods and produce - I often trade my writing and marketing services for local goods and produce my family needs

DIY

• charcuterie like bacon and sausage
• preserves including tomatoes, pickles and jam
• fermentables including beer and vinegar
• appliance repair rather than replacement
• wood stove heat
• home repair and renovation

Discounts

• educator - many stores and organizations offer teacher discounts available to homeschoolers. Gift Card Granny has a lengthy list of national teacher discounts.
• single person memberships - whenever possible, we buy a single person plus a guest membership at museums, allowing Lil to attend with one of us
• sales - we don't coupon much but do stock up during school supply sales and end of season garden clearances
• wholesale co-ops - I manage co-operative groups to buy spices, bath and body supplies, and flour at wholesale prices

Alt Society (i.e. saving habits against the norm)

• single car family
• combined trips to save gas
• telework - Alex works from home as much as possible to save on commuting costs
• very few activities for Lil - she's not interested and we're not inclined to push her into money-intensive classes
• infrequent date nights - Alex and I go out to dinner or the movies once a month at best
• resist the latest and greatest - many of our belongings are timeless (i.e. old) not trendy. We wear items out until they are truly not usable again.

Secondary Income

My cooking class, writing, and social media management jobs earn a bit of extra money but only roughly 10% of our family income. I could accept more clients and schedule more classes but I can only spend so much time working when I also want to give attention to Lil and her education. My secondary income is limited by this paradox.

When Alex travels for work, he is paid a per diem for food and incidentals that usually surpasses what he actually spends. We funnel this and any other bonus money into our travel savings account.

Speaking of travel, we take advantage of a airline miles credit card for major purchases. These miles combined with Alex's frequent flyer miles give us the option of free flights. Similarly, we often use free hotel stays through Alex's loyalty points.

We have been fortunate to receive a few inheritances over the years that we save as our emergency fund. Knowing this sum is available should we ever need it helps us stay comfortable with our single income situation.

Every family's financial situation is unique. I share how we make homeschooling affordable simply to note one way to do it. Others work split shifts or make do with less. I believe there are real financial trade-offs to home education but the benefits are equally great.

If you homeschool, how do you manage the finances?

Ohio Homeschool Rules {Back to Homeschool}

Welcome to 'Back to Homeschool' week on Hounds in the Kitchen! First up: homeschooling legal requirements. Whether families choose to unschool, follow curriculum, or road school, we all must do a few basic things to stay 'legal': notify the school district and assess progress. Each state differs in their educational requirements; below, I explain how my family follows Ohio homeschool rules.

Notify

Before the beginning of the traditional school year when the child turns six years of age, parents in Ohio must notify the superintendent of their home district in writing of the intent to home educate. The notification letter must contain specific information about the student, qualifications of the parent (minimum of a high school diploma) and a list of intended home education subjects and materials to meet the minimum 900 hours of instruction. Read the Ohio Administrative Code for all the details needed in the notification letter.

I use the Ohio Academic Content Standards to develop our list of intended subjects. Our materials include the collection of the Columbus Public Library, encyclopedias, field trips around the world, and nature. I can share share our letter via email if you wish to use it as a template for your own.

According to code, the superintendent has fourteen days to respond with a letter excusing the child from school attendance. In our experience, the Columbus Public Schools exceeded this period but did eventually send the excuse letter for Lil's 2011-2012 school year. As of today, August 27, 2012, we are still waiting to hear back from our letter sent August 1, 2012.

When I receive the excuse letter, I scan it in the computer and save to Dropbox to have a digital record. Then, I keep a copy in my purse to receive teacher discounts and prove home education excuse in the unlikely event that someone would accuse Lil of truancy.

Plan a Portfolio

There are two common ways to assess annual progress in Ohio: via standardized tests or a portfolio review by a certified teacher. Given that opposition to standardized tests are one of the reasons my family homeschools, we go with the latter option.

I keep a binder filled with clear document sleeves in our family desk. Throughout the year, I tuck writing samples, ticket stubs, artwork, and other tangibles of our unschooling in the sleeves.

At the end of the year, Lil and I go through the papers and decide what best represents our year. I then three-hole-punch the materials and thread them into a folder labelled with the appropriate homeschool year. I reuse the plastic sleeve binder for the next year.

Alex's parents homeschool Lil one afternoon a week. They keep their own portfolio by printing a picture and writing something about what they did every session.

Certify

The final step in our homeschool year is assessment. We chose Lil's homeschool gym teacher, Chris Quickert, for an evaluation interview. Lil read him a picture book, shared artwork and pictures, and told him about her unschool year. I learned some things at the interview too: when Coach Chris asked Lil what she liked best about homeschooling, she answered 'reading'. What does she like least? Math from a book, meaning workbooks that we haven't touched for months.

Chris provided a very simple letter that certified Lil was progressing. I sent his 2011-2012 evaluation letter to the Columbus City Schools superintendent with our 2012-2013 notification letter.

How do you keep track of the legalities? What else do you hope I'll cover in Back to Homeschool week?

How to Harvest Hickory Nuts

Post by Lil, age six 

This is how you harvest hickory nuts. You have to a hickory nut tree. The bark is jaggedy and there are many lobed leaves on each branch.

This is how you know the nuts are ripe: it has to be brown and also green. When it's hickory nut season you let them fall down and pick them up off the ground.

You have to have a vice to crack them. It's hard to crack the shell open. Squirrels crack the shells open with their teeth.

After the squirrels drop the nuts, they can hit the roof of the garage or the ground. It gets the ground kind of messy so watch out for that.

The meat is ripe when it is light brown. It tastes kind of like pecans. I usually eat them raw.

I like doing hickory nuts because the inside is yummy.

Note from Rachel: Encouraging your child to collect, crack, and consume hickory nuts is a most glorious waste of time learning activity.

Have you ever eaten hickory nuts? Do you like Lil writing on Hounds in the Kitchen? She wants to know!