The past couple days I have been working on a new The Prairie Tide. This blog will have ALL of your comments (even the comment you just sent in, Tata!) and ALL of my posts. Basically The Prairie Tide just has a new look and feel.

Why did I change it? WordPress.com does not offer what I need — unlimited editing. I’m really excited about this and will be working on the look for awhile. I hope to learn HTML, CSS, and php while sharing about my life!

My new web address is:

http://www.prairietide.natagan.com/

The part in bold is the change in my address.

So please head on over there and share your thoughts in a comment!

Haniya

P.S. I will NOT be updating this blog anymore. Everyone subscribed to my blog via Feedburner is now switched over to receive feeds from my new blog. If you were subscribed via WordPress, you will have to resubscribe via Feedburner. You might want to cancel that subscription to clean everything up. Sorry for any inconveniences!

P.P.S. Questions? Please share them at the NEW blog. It doesn’t matter which post. See you there!!

Well, guess what? I had an orthodontist appointment on Wednesday and the assistant put on rubber bands! The conversation:

Jen (assistant): “Have you had rubber bands before?”

Me: “Uh… I don’t think so…”

Jen: *laugh* “Yeah, well, you’d know if you had them before.”

Me: “Oh no.”

Definitely “Oh no.” They HURT for the first few days. They are still uncomfortable, but most of the pain has passed. Yay.

I’m supposed to wear them 24 hours a day and I’m probably wearing them 23 hours a day so far. 24 hours a day is like impossible because you have to take them off to eat and brush. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

• Breakfast = 15 min.

• Lunch = 15 min.

• Dinner = 15 min (or more…dinner takes around 30 minutes at our house).

• All brushing times + snacks = 15 min (or less, depending on the circumstances).

I think that’s pretty good! I’m going to wear these stretchy pulling things as much as possible. I want them outta my mouth ASAP.

I had a dentist appointment at 10:00 am on Thursday (the morning after the sleepover). We had to hustle to make it.

The appointments (we each had one except for Baba) were super fast this time! Normally each person is in the “chair” for around 45 minutes. This time it seemed like Naomi and Mikah were 15 minutes and then Mom and I were a half hour.

My hygienist said I was meticulous, my mouth was spotless, and I cleaned hard-to-reach places (like under the edges of the metal bands circling two of my back teeth). I have to admit, that was very nice to hear!

I’ve probably bored you half to death if you’ve even reached this part in the post!

Haniya

First we helped our friend with her two paper routes. It was sooo hot! Their street is like the only street that has shade! Our friend’s mom took us to the boat ramp, then, so we could cool off. We got to ride in the back of their truck. As long as you don’t sit on the wheel wells, it’s legal here.

We got to the boat ramp, which hardly anyone knows about so there weren’t many people, and tested the water. BRRR! You have to understand that water is snow run-off water from the mountains! But we still got in. We all got in to around our waists except Naomi, who stayed on shore to splash anybody making for safety.

After the river, we drove to the park. I skinned my knees there (it’s still bruised), but who cares? We had fun.

And then we drove back home (we kids were in the back of the truck again) in 5 o’clock rush hour traffic! Perfect timing, right?

We finished up the evening with half of an Indiana Jones movie, a round of hot chocolate and popcorn, and a visit to the park down the street with flashlights. Very fun.

And now just a run-down of what’s happened since:

Yesterday Mom, Naomi, and I went to a mother/daughter brunch. We got to see our friends from the sleepover and some others too. One girl (I haven’t seen her since July) completely sprouted! She said I am way tall too.

We just got back from a friends’ yogurt shop. They just opened Wednesday, the 31st of March! Business is going really good for them so far. We’re praying for it to continue in that track.

And… DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! …Gingham is in heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I know, major exclamation points! ) She is vocal and acting like a girl in heat. Can I hear some cheers??? Cosmo is a bit interested, but it’s only the first day, so he should get more interested tomorrow. But he’s already acting more like a buck in the breeding season.

Haniya

P.S. Sorry no pictures!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NAOMI!!

Naomi’s birthday was March 31st — a Wednesday. A food delivery, stuffed full of tiredness Wednesday. But…she bore it patiently and came out on the other side victorious! (*giggle*)

We celebrated Naomi’s birthday on Saturday morning instead of Saturday night because we were so excited about Naomi opening her gifts. I gave her a back door house key with an “I ♥ Goats” keychain (from Hoegger Goat Supply)! How cool is that?! Yeah. It’s VERY cool. I also gave her some magnifying boxes from Acorn Naturalists. Then….drumroll please….we all gave her JOSH TURNER’S NEW ALBUM, “Haywire“!

So, that’s it. A pretty cool birthday if you ask me! Naomi and I have been listening to blaring Josh Turner music ever since Saturday.

Bye! It’s get-ready-for-the-sleepover time!

Haniya

P.S. Oh, and the last two pictures in the slideshow are of Naomi’s birthday card from me.

P.P.S. I’ll share some pictures of the key and keychain when we get back from the sleepover — that’s Part 2.

We’re having a sleepover tomorrow with a friend of ours! Mikah, Naomi, and I are all going. We’ll leave tomorrow morning around 10:30 for my orthodontist appointment and then Mom will drop us off at our friend’s house. We’ll eat lunch and then Mom will drive off to finish the rest of the errands, leaving us behind.

After a long and restful night (yeah, right! What’s a sleepover without a midnight snack?!) we’ll wake up, rush to clean our teeth and Mom will take us to a dentist appointment.

Haniya

P.S. Don’t forget to visit this poll to give me your advice on the Our Animal Family page.

As soon as we got the ducks, I left the goat stuff hanging and focused on the newcomers. The goats are great — perhaps a bit frustrated with all the rain we’ve been having! This morning it was actually pretty nice, but then the clouds raced back. It’s really windy out now.

No one is in heat. Gingham and Piper missed the season. We think Gingham only has an early breeding cycle, because she DID go into heat in the fall. Piper we’re suspecting is infertile. Please pray this isn’t true.

On the other hand, Daisy, Buttercup, Pegs, and Paisley are all over month into their pregnancy. At least we hope they are pregnant!

Cosmo, Dusty, and Coal love being with the girls. They are a bunch of cry-babies if they aren’t in the doe pasture! And Cosmo has the biggest wail of them all!

So…that’s about it. Time for lunch!

Haniya

This morning, as we were checking for new eggs (just a routine thing, seeing as Seedy has gone broody), Seedy got a bit aggressive and ended up cracking one of the eggs with her beak. Addy, the sweet thing, picked up the egg, carried it outside, dumped out the developing duckling, ate a bit of the shell, and took a swim in the water tub.

It’s very sad.

Haniya

The “Our Animal Family” page needed retouching. It was one page for all the animals. One of the biggest problems — for me — was it took so long to update! But now, it has “child pages” for each category of animals that we have.

This is how it is now:

My Animal Family

• My Goat Family
• Old Goat Friends
• The Ducks

A lot better! It will also be easier to find the animal you’re looking for.

One question: should I divide “My Goat Family” into two parts: “The Boys” and “The Girls”? Or should I leave it as one page for all our current goats?

Please leave your opinions in the comment form -OR- vote in the poll below! Thank you!

Haniya

View This Poll

If you would share your opinion with me in the comment form, thank you!!

Haniya

You just can’t resist that face!

Haniya