We’ve reached a lot of milestones lately…
Tommy traded in his pacifiers for a doll who he loves so much, he hasn’t even asked for a paci since.
Zoe started kindergarten and even rode the bus for the first day of school. She was fine, I cried.
And Katie turned 1! She’s also almost ready to walk and has pretty much weaned herself too. Its like they decide to grow up all at once. :)
I used to use phrases like “fox in the hen house” as a metaphor, but owning chickens means we get to use them for real. The benefits just keep on coming…
David and Tommy were out collecting the eggs and fortunately, David saw the 4 foot black snake curled up in the nest before Tommy stuck his hand in to get the eggs.
Not that the snake was interested in anything except for digesting the 4 eggs he had swallowed so far. Good thing we’re getting about 18 eggs a day now so being forced to share, wasn’t too big of a deal. David, being far braver than me, picked the snake right up so we could all take a good look.
You can kind of see the bulge of one of the eggs about half way, near David’s elbow. The original plan was to shuffle him off his mortal coil, but we thought better of it and decided we’d rather have black snakes out in the woods eating mice and such. David took him about a 1/4 of a mile a way, down into the ravine and let him go. If he comes back, we’ll just take him farther away next time. Tommy is unfazed by it and the hens seem fine, so egg collection continues!
Or, when your 3-year old trips and falls while carrying a full egg basket, make scrambled eggs. Here’s my attempt at lemonade on a day that started at 12:30 am with a baby who didn’t get back to sleep until 4. And then woke up for the morning at 5:30 am. Sigh.
Today, I ::
:: worked on my favorite part of quilting – handsewing the binding.
:: knitted a bit of the 3rd in the family of hats for this winter, this one for my love.
:: turned a perfectly respectable and yummy granola bar into an oatmeal chocolate late afternoon treat.
:: got three kids through the day with full tummies and only minor scrapes. Even the tree-climbers.
:: gave away a dozen eggs because I can. And we have blue ones now!
:: repeated “everything’s going to be alright” until I almost believed it. And really, it is.
:: was very grateful when David came home. :)
I want to introduce you to the newest resident of Right Field Farm – Zeke!
Friends of ours moved to Israel for 6 months and we agreed to take their beautiful chocolate lab, Zeke, for them while they’re gone. He’s a great dog and gets along well with Bernie and Kirby, and even gives Bernie a good run and wrestle which that puppy definitely needs.
He’s still learning his farm manners – being a Labrador, he managed to flush, chase and catch one of the chickens. David caught him just as he caught the chicken and no harm was done to either dog or fowl :) I think we can be grateful for the Labrador’s “soft mouth” and duck retrieving heritage that demanded a dog bring back the bird without additional damage. Even with all that, he’s a fun dog to have around and is even better than Bernie at chasing off the deer.
The funniest is how much he loves to eat tomatoes! A vegetarian dog fits right in here :)
The first little diaper dress I made for Katie was a little too big for her. Turns out though that the dress works great as a shirt for Zoe – its dangerous when my lack of measuring for sewing actually works out. I need less encouragement, not more :)
So Zoe gets the pink one and I made a new 12 month old size for Katie out of the same fabric that I made Zoe’s smocked dress out of last year. So double bonus for another matching outfit!
It reverses to a striped blue.
And then, because I couldn’t stop, I made one more for a little girl who likes bunnies. And cowboys.
