Puddles and New Beginnings

Unhappy times at Happy Acres. Our goat Puddles had to be put to sleep on November 4th. He had urinary, kidney, bladder (whatever you want to call them) stones. He hung in there for a while and took his meds but..... His buddy Storm baaa'ed all night long and so on Saturday we went and got another buddy for him.
I didn't care if we got a sheep or a goat but it had to have the same personality of Puddles. He thought he was a lap dog instead of a goat. Also I wanted a female as the stones are less likely to cause problems in females. It came down to two jacob sheep (one with two horns and one with four) and a little saanen. The saanen won us over. She is 10 weeks old and was bottle fed. We named her Snowflake.
There was some initial pushing and shoving but they play beautiful together now. The kids love her and we have decided to breed her. So next year in September or October we will breed her and she will deliver sometime in February or March, 2007. MaryAnn has dreams of feta cheese. We shall see how busy things are then.

I have basically lost it and Thursday blew up like Mt. Vesuvius. Not one person in my house said "Bye I love you" when they left. They just ran to get away from the looney person. I went and gave my two week notice at work. I have been worried about Jessica (and she won't call me because of her brother), trying to do everything for everybody and basically driving myself insane. So I need time to regroup, reorganize and take some down time. Also I am going to start going to a group for people with people in the military. Right now there is just Pastor and two of us (which I like). Oh and I have to say "NO" to those who say can you buy/sell some of this to support this or that cause, type up this, come to this meeting etc etc etc. And the kids are going to do what they are told when they are told.
I learned alot while Puddles was sick I also learned what I was doing wrong with the goats. Just because I can be good to them doesn't mean it was good for them. Then I came to realize it is the same with my kids, just because I can do/buy for my them doesn't mean it is good for them. I shouldn't have to go into their rooms looking for laundry, tell them the same thing five times and then check to make sure they do it. They do what needs to be done in school. Well things need to be done at home also. I realize kids all over are like this but I was basically a door mat and nobody listened. Now I am the Drill Sergeant if you ask them but when they realize I am not kidding things should go alot smoother. I can't back down because I know they were driving me insane! Literally not just figuratively.
Since Thursday I have finished a pair of socks, knit a pair of mittens and planned out what I want to make next. Hope to start on it today. I also re-organized the stash alittle and have some lincoln in pokeweed dye which has to come out today.
Curt and JT went fishing up in Pulaski for the weekend. Tori and I went to lunch yesterday and are baking today. Things are getting to better.

So here is hoping that things are going to reach a nice balance.