Novellas New Calf

Scout , Novellas new bull calf

We had a very exciting week here at Novellas Farm!

On Tuesday we had a group of kids come out to

visit. Most of them were kids who go to school

but were out for Spring Break. I don't know why,

but for some reason I wanted to do some extra fun things with this group. Kind of like storing fun

for when they are in school, and  would have a reserve to draw on. So I had lots of things planned, making ice cream and  smores, you know just a lot of things I thought they wouldn't be doing at home. Little did I know.....

Anyway, after we milked Mattie, I let Sunny and Novella out to mingle with our guests. Usually Novella loves to hang out with people, but not on this day, both she and Sunny headed out away from all the kids. The kids tried to chase her, but I told them to be patient and she would come over when she was ready, so they left her alone.

When lunch rolled around and Novella still didn't come over ( she usually come and begs for left overs)
I began to wonder.... Novella's due date was the 16th, and this was the 13th.... maybe...well I went to check and sure enough she had had  her calf! A little bull  we named Scout.

The kids were excited, and after we had moved both baby and mom into a pen and given them fresh bedding and such, the kids came down in small groups to see the baby. One group saw Novella eat her after birth! 

When we have a new calf there is always lots of extra work to do, mainly extra milking. No baby could ever drink as much milk and colostrum as Novella produces. I have been milking her out each day along with all the regular chores.

 Periodically, Novellas loses the calf, she is a very low key mom. When she remembers him she moos til we all look for him and bring him back then she licks him and moos very softly to him, kind of like a whisper. It is very cool.

Sunny loves the new calf.

One really beautiful thing about these animals is how much they all seem to love him. and how gentle they are with him. It is such a an honor to get to know these animals like this, to be able to just observe how they treat each other. Cows are one of those animals we have forgotten,  we just use them. But really they are so much more, I am so glad kids are going to get to see this!

Happy Birthday Scout!!!

Children will be Children

Happy Boy!

A few weeks ago we had a group of kids visit Novellas from Austin.

They were all very nice ( as usual). But there was one  child who made an impression on me.

 A girl aged around 9 and her
mom.

The little girl, I'll call her Jane, had just started homeschooling. Really, I think we met on a Wed. and she had left traditional school the last Friday.

Her mom seemed really, really happy to be here, so did Jane. She was active, interested in trying everything, happy... you know?

The mom told her story, she was a former teacher (I always love the former teacher home schoolers)
and she had been forced to admit to herself that the system she was in, was not working.Not for her, her daughter, nor most of the students she taught. She was almost giddy, in wonderment about the freedom they
were experiencing.

The school system had wanted to medicate her daughter, take the child out of her..... keep her quiet, calm,
controlled.  And she had put her child on medication, for a while. But when she started to have problems getting her daughter to settle down for home work she went to the doctor for tips on behavior modification.
Instead she was offered a second, stronger medication.  The mom said no.

the inconvenience of childhood

There were a few times during the day when the mom tried to tell her daughter to be quiet, or settle down.  I assured her that the rules they were used to did not  apply here. There is no need for a child to come out to Novellas Farm and not act like a child.

I like kids, I like to see  kids run,
and have fun, I like to watch them make friends with each other.

But evidently our schools do not seem to...... like children. at least they do not seem to like children acting like children.

I received an email later, from Jane and her mom saying they had one of the best days ever out here

 Hearing something like that makes it all worth while.
Thanks I had a great day too

Check out this information from a school nurse chat board.
http://allnurses.com/school-nursing/what-percentage-your-262668.html