we are ALL loving the weather

I am so loving this weather. We are spending as much time as we can outside before it heats up and feels like an oven.

The girls have already gotten in the sprinkler.

And these girls love it outside – Macy and the chicks.

“Pleeeease, will one of you just hop into my mouth????”

the girls are getting big

I say girls, but I know at least half must be boys. They are only 12 days old and it’s too early to tell boys from girls, BUT I keep studying them looking for any signs. I have the bunch separated now into two groups. Group one has tail feathers (my first guess is girls) and group two has still mainly fuzz for tail feathers (my guess boys). I am looking at their combs carefully everyday to see if I can tell that some are developing at a faster rate than others – that will be my first real clue we have a boy.

We are still enjoying them. They sure do poop a lot though and I mean A LOT! Massive amounts. Like I am thinking each individual chick must poop every 15 minutes.

Here’s a pic of my no tails taking a little field trip. We put them in the dog kennel in front of our glass storm door so they could take a peek outside.

bringing life into the world a whole new way

Yesterday morning around 7:00 a.m. one of our Rhode Island Red eggs showed it’s first pip. Tonight at 8:30 p.m. our hatching ended as the last little chick broke free. It has been exhausting and stressful yet it was one of the most thrilling moments we have ever experienced together as a family. We started with 23 in our store bought incubator. Half way through we realized one was not fertile. Four days ago we discovered one egg was way under developed and the embryo died. Today during the hatch 3 never pipped and we have confirmed that for some reason they have died as well. So, that leaves us with 18 fresh little chicks : 2 Black Copper Marans, 15 Rhode Island Reds and 1 mixed breed (who is the weakest so far).

The kids got to experience all but one breaking completely out of it’s shell. We had several families stop by to share in the joy of seeing these little miracles emerge. I loved listening to my kids explain to their friends all the facts about chickens, incubating and hatching. I know this is a memory and learning experience we all treasure for years.

Now on to the brooding box. We have a heat lamp clamped above a huge plastic bin that will serve as their home for the next several weeks.

Now I am off to bed – with purple little foam ear plugs stuck in my head. : )

I am working on a video to hopefully post by this weekend.

my button

You know the phrase “He really knows how to push my buttons!” Well, who knew there was a express elevator button on me that when pushed – sends me to a level of anger and frustration like never before. AND if, that button actually existed on me, it would read “Freshly Cleaned Dog Found SITTING in the Litter Box EATING Cat POOP.” Now that’s a lot of words to fit on to one button, but believe me – every word would be printed on there b/c that is the exact combination that made me about lose it last night. I know that many dog owners get peeved by finding their dog eating kitty poop and the expression, “DANG IT!” fits their mood. For ME – my dog, who has just been bathed, teeth brushed, combed and dried is found no less than five minutes later SITTING in the homemade boot litter box munching on cat dookie drops – well there is just no word or even cuss word to adequately express my feelings. Now I am not an idiot – well at least I think I’m not. The litter box was stored behind the girls dresser which is caddy cornered against the wall. Macy isn’t allowed in the girls room – period – she still chews their toys. The dresser had gotten moved just enough for her to squeeze back there. When I found her, oooh – she looked so guilty. I scratched the girls floor trying to reach behind there and drag her out. I couldn’t yell since the girls were sound asleep, but my grip and my stare communicated enough that she peed on the floor.

So … this morning I had a talk with the kids. I didn’t tell them what I was really feeling – sorry guys we’re ditching both animals – I just explained that this behavior from Macy makes me crazy and I can’t have it happen again so the new kitty has to live outside until the new owner can take it home. Their eyes welled up with tears, they held the kitty, kissed it goodbye and out it went.

Five minutes later, I find the cat climbing the back screen door meowing. So I took it’s kennel out and even made a little litter box for it (I know I am so dumb) and I went back in. Same thing happened. It kept climbing the screen meowing for us to let it in. I stepped outside one last time and pulled it off the door. It began purring like crazy. I cuddled it close. He wildly rubbed his face all over mine. I so wanted to say to the kitty “I really want to want to WANT to let you in. Let’s keep you and find Macy a new home, but no – you POOP and scatter litter everywhere, and you’ve already begun to climb up on tables and I don’t want you to scratch up my furniture AND leave cat hair everywhere …… NO you are an outdoor cat now.” I placed him down in his little kennel, turned to go inside, he ran in behind me and looked up at me. This tugged at my heart again, but I picked him up and placed him right back outside.

I like things clean

The new kitty is not the best at self grooming or maybe it’s just the smell of kid and dog slobber that pushes me to the point that I give it a bath about once a week. Now HUSH – I am NOT into torturing animals – I just require the ones – who are all up on me and the kids – to be clean.

Great news! We found a taker for our rescued kitty. The new owner/fellow homeschool mom is moving to a house with several acres and wants it for a barn cat. She’ll will take possession of the baby mid-November. I am so excited I just can’t hardly wait. Seriously … like I am counting the days. He is super precious and I would LOVE to keep him but the problem is with Macy. It’s non stop wrestle mania when they are both out of the kennels. Meow Meow Meow Meow MEOW goes the whiny kitty whenever Macy touches him. He’s not getting hurt, he’s just whining and it drives me and everyone else NUTS. So, it’s been a wonderful experience fostering this cat, but I can confidently say that I doubt I will shed any tears once he is gone.

The poor thing was shivering so, I could hardly snap the picture.

Little mommy was right there to comfort and snuggle him until he was dry.

not what I orignally planned

So yesterday we planned to take school outside. We left the house thinking we’d go for maybe an hour to the local park and finish up reading and then begin a nature hunt and discovery … but for some reason I had the itch to take it a step further. Next thing you know we are heading to Wendy’s to pick up some lunch and driving out to a enormous park where we could hike and explore the rest of the day. The kids took the assignment so seriously. They were constantly stopping to explore the tadpoles in the creek, collecting rocks for their collections, looking for chipmunk homes and drawing everything they found interesting in their Science Notebooks. I was so delighted by their excitement. As the day progressed, we found a path that followed a boggy area that led to a small lake. While we were walking along we began to hear the faint cries of a baby kitty. The closer we got we knew the kitty was crying out for help. Well 30 minutes later … #1’s legs were cover in mud and scratched up from thorns AND we had ourselves a baby kitten. This kitty could be barely 6 weeks old. His legs and tummy were caked with mud and it was obvious there was no mommy around. We took him to the public restroom and with a bar of ivory soap and in a nasty park sink – I gave him a bath. I checked him over thoroughly for ticks and fleas and found not a single one! So I call the hubby and tell him, we have a kitten – at least for one night.

I am not sure what the future is for this little cat “Jake”. Macy has taken to him pretty well. She is being extremely curious and very gentle. It’s kinda weird that Jake has the same markings as Macy. White under his chin, feet, lower neck, chest and tummy. The kids of course want to keep it, but I am not sure I am ready for one more pet. PLUS kittens grow up to be CATS! We already have one. Outdoor cats – nobody really interacts with them much. Indoor cats shed! Then the cost factor $$$$. Oh, and where would I put a litter box. I’d have to be extremely creative at finding the right spot so that Macy won’t eat the POOP!

I know we were supposed to save this little baby, but now what?
Anyone want a free kitty?

These cacti were a thorn in our flesh – seriously. One got my foot (I was wearing flip flops – I was not prepared!) One stuck through the leather in #1’s shoe and hurt him pretty bad.

WHY can’t I get a decent picture of all 3 kids. They looked so thrilled! (Ha!) All of them act like I am torturing them if I ask if I can take a shot of the 3 of them together.

so mad I can't see straight

If MY DOG eats CAT POOP ONE MORE TIME I think I might lose it!

Macy has been a complete joy lately. So super cute and sweet … gentle, loving and kind … a wonderful family pet. Lately we have been letting her roam the backyard more freely. Today I let her outside to get her energy out. A bit later, I called her and she obeyed and came right to me. I noticed her beard was dirty so I opened her mouth and with a wet wipe rubbed her teeth … there it was … CAT DOO DOO! Made me so mad. She’s outside tied up for the rest of the day.

I have spoken with my vet about this and we almost came close to having a nasty argument over it. He really wants me to believe that my dog … who eats one of the most expensive well balanced dog/puppy you can buy … needs the extra vitamins that is found left over in my cat’s (who eats the cheapest cat food you can buy) POOP! I know I don’t have a veterinarian degree – but to me it sounds like complete NONSENSE! I think at heart she is a nasty girl who’s got a flava for some nasty crap.

So, I am off to surf the web in hopes to find something that I can give my cat in her food that makes her poop so super completely and totally gross that my dog will never EVER want to eat her DOO DOO ever AGAIN!

feel the love

Yes … Macy is loved. She had a few rough weeks, but she’s back to her lovable adorable cute little self again which has almost everyone thinking “How could we ever live without her.”

something is wrong

The dog was outside allllllll day. Elliot was over so she stayed in the backyard. Even when the kids went to bed she still wasn’t in the house. Not once did they ask about her, desire to pet her, miss her … nothing.

This isn’t good. Today really made me realize … I don’t think they really like her anymore.

wild animal rescue

The kids discovered a opossum stuck in our fence. This isn’t our first attempt to save a wild animal, but unlike last time, this one really was in danger AND it never came in our house!