The Chicken Chick

There's this girl who loves her chickens. (no. I love them but we are not talking about me right now)

She loves them so much that she's named them all. She talks to them. Coos to them. and has yet to complain about having to go and feed and water them. It was pouring down rain this morning so she grabbed her umbrella and off she went. no complaints. That's what happens when you love your chicks.

We received our very first baby chicks right after Memorial Day this year. Six different breeds and two of each. all girls (we hope)

If you are ever interested in a sure fire way to get your kids to watch less tv this summer--get them chickens. They will provide hours of entertainment and antics.

So this post goes out to Delaney,  our little chicken chick. You are awesome and have already become a farm girl!

(pictures from the first day)

(The Chicken Trainer)

(They are really getting big and have most of their feathers now--this was yesterday 6/26--they are officially a month old)

The Tears of a Clown

Delaney has really been into face painting lately. We even let her purchase (with Daddy's money) a full kit. She really has talent but not always a willing canvas. Today, William agreed to be painted upon. Once he saw his face, he decided he wanted it off... and when it didn't immediately come off from his rubbing, he went off to pout. I love that boy... Even in his pouting state, he managed to pick momma some flowers :)

btw... he's a panda :)

Happy 9th Birthday, Delaney! You deserve a re-do

9 years ago today, I met the most amazing little girl who made every dream I had of becoming a mother come true. She is truly one special kid.

Today was supposed to be a day of celebrating her. Instead, we spent the wee hours of the beginning of her birthday, holding her hair back and changing sheets as the stomach flu started with our sweet girl.

What a cruel joke to have the stomach bug on your birthday! No candles, no cake... no food. Just peach juice, ice chips and cold compresses.

No matter what, Delaney, Daddy and I want you to know that you are amazing and we love you so much. You officially have a birthday re-do coming to you next weekend when we can all get together and celebrate fantastic you!

With love,
Mommy and Daddy

Dads and Donuts... a Zion Tradition

Every year the kids look forward to the annual "Dads and Donuts" event at their preschool. It's a morning where the dads and kids come decked out in their favorite sport's team's apparel, eat donuts and wear paper ties (lovingly made by their kiddos)

Dad's and Donuts was supposed to be in Feb but it was postponed (it was a long winter) to TODAY!
Mommy was even asked to take pictures of the Dads and kids for the school.

Enter the stomach flu....

Both Addison and Jonathan III were downed with the stomach bug last night. The easy choice would have been for Daddy to stay home with the sickies while mommy fulfilled her promise to take pictures. We had one problem.... Will was so excited for his first Dads and Donuts and he was not staying home.

So we did what every other responsible parenting pair would do... we bathed them and dragged them to school :)

 New England Represent!

Will refused to have his picture taken with Daddy... after all that!

 Daddy looks so handsome in his Tie and Patriots shirt

 Will and his friend Arjun from his Small Steps Class

First Piano Lesson

So we bought a keyboard at Costco a long time ago.... it has been sitting in the box, moving from place to place in the house just waiting for someone to take it out and play it. I have had the hardest time finding a piano teach to come to my house and teach the kids. You see, we are in the car so much going to different activities that I knew I would never get cooperation if I had to drag them somewhere for lessons and then they would have to wait their turns. Not going to happen.

Enter Mrs. Paula!

Mrs. Paula has taught Jonathan, Addison and, up to recently, William in the Small Steps 2-year-old Program at Zion Lutheran PreSchool and we LOVE her. I approached her a year ago about lessons but she had no room in her schedule. I feel so blessed that this spectacular woman is teaching my kids to play the piano!

Jonathan was so excited that he got up practiced at 6:30 this morning! Gotta get that boy some headphones!

{7/365} Child Labor...

I had always thought that once you grew up you could do anything you wanted - stay up all night or eat ice cream straight out of the container.  ~Bill Bryson

I'm sure that once my kids grow up, they will look forward to the day that they don't have to bring the garbage cans down our 7-mile driveway. (Ok... it's not QUITE 7 miles--but try hauling full trash cans up it and it will SEEM that long) Or, at least Addison might get a pass but, Jonathan, my son, you'll be taking out the trash for the rest of your life so embrace it.

It's funny to me that the kids get such a kick out of doing such a mundane task. I mean, I've driven past the empty garbage cans left upside from the Garbage Men Sanitation Engineers, for 2 days before making asking the kids bring them down the driveway to the house.  Addison keeps telling me what a big girl she is and refused all help with the can (until she tipped it over and couldn't right it, so then and only then was Mommy allowed to exit the van and help her). All the while, Mommy had to drive slowly down the driveway behind them, pretending the hit the gas (in neutral) because that's what Daddy does and it makes them scream in fake-horror.

But what I love seeing the most is not the independence, but the camaraderie. Big helping little. Jonathan, who was a complete and utter turd,for lack of a better word, tonight, was as sweet as honey helping his little sister to complete her task--encouraging her all the way that she could do it and and "just a little bit farther". I hope that he is learning that from me--I like to think so, but there are days when I shudder at what they see when I'm not being my best. I love that Steven Curtis Chapman song that tells us to do everything we do to the glory of the One who made you and that everything we do matters as long as we do that. Even taking out (or in) the garbage cans...

{6/365} If it ain't broken...

... it just means the kids haven't gotten to it yet :)

I don't want to put the Christmas decorations away yet. It seems like it took so much time and energy to "decorate" that I am having a hard time harnessing the same energy to put it all back. So I've decided to enjoy it a few days longer. I have a "display" on my counter (which is a joke most days because it's more like "Find Waldo" in the clutter of my counter). Some (a lot) of the bulbs have since been broken. My kids are constantly running through the house because we've been "blessed" with enough space to run laps through the house. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the bulbs bite the dust. But now they will be remembered forever.... Plus, I think it's cool that you can see me and my new camera lens in the photo (twice)

Now, back to the kids... tonight they were in rare form. I swear, no matter what I feed them for snack/dinner, their blood sugar spikes around 6:30 and all hell breaks loose in the house. The witching hour. Most times, Delaney is sucked into that menagerie, but tonight she was mellow and happy to snuggle with baby Will. 

I managed to catch "the blur" as he was whipping past chasing Addison...

And I busted Addison tormenting Jonathan while he was trying to have some "privacy" in the bathroom... she kept opening and slamming the door. The second shot is me scaring her with a sudden "What are you doing?!"