Well last week involved more wild and crazy adventures with the family. And anyone who has paid attention to my family can guess EXACTLY who that title refers to.
Friday evening we celebrated the girls’ birthdays with family and a small cookout at the park. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed cupcakes and peaches and hot dogs and brats. We found some DELICIOUS queso filled brats that I fell in love with. (I feel like lately my life revolves around food and sleep.) Bryn event ate THREE cheese hot dogs. Apparently that little girl is growing like a weed.
Their aunt also got the girls some fun jewelry making kits. So, naturally, as soon as we got home we had to try them out. Bryn got to make three bracelets. She loves the one with a big giant heart charm the best. Lana got to make rings and bracelets and an ear cuff with wire and jewels.
Note: The ear cuff looks super awesome. However, wearing it for an hour or more is painful since it is meant to just clip onto your ear. We all discovered this the hard way. Except for Troy who wouldn’t put it on no matter how much we begged. XD
Saturday was HIKING!!! Since Troy has been working his tail off to get in better shape with our backpacking vacation coming up, a baby on the way and just because it’s good to get healthy, we started off splitting up. The kiddos and I took off in one direction to do a couple loops. Troy took off the other way to go running. We discovered that, in order to prepare the kids for backpacking adventures, they will definitely need some more training. Then again, I think the place has a lot to do with it. If it’s new and exciting, that makes it more enjoyable. We even got to see a snake, baby toads and a caterpillar nest.
After our hike we met back up with Troy to hike the other direction. The children became less than enthusiastic. However, they always enjoy going to the tower so we made sure we made it there. Troy was a bit disappointed, though, since he was hoping to do more mileage. But apparently Bryn didn’t eat breakfast and the rest of us were beginning to starve to death. So…back to civilization we went. Mind you, the kids and I successfully completed approximately 5.5 miles so I certainly wouldn’t call that too shabby!
Bryn was beyond excited for Saturday afternoon with her big birthday present. She and I went to a Unicorn Painting Party. We got to sit down and they taught us how to properly paint a unicorn. It was pretty exciting. I’ve never really painted and I think Bryn really enjoyed the one on one time with mom. I don’t think she ever gets that. So, this weekend we will hang up our pictures in her room.
Sunday was BEACH DAY. It was perfect beach weather. Not stifling hot out, but warm enough to make getting in the water feel glorious. We spent at least three hours out on the lake. Troy even swam across the entire freaking lake and we had to spend time squinting around to see if we could see his head still bobbing above the water. I am extremely grateful that he did not drown.
Troy also taught Lana how to swim and stay in one place in the water. (Yes, there is a specific name for it and it completely escapes me right now.) The kids also enjoyed testing their limits since they can barely touch the bottom out by the rope and Bryn can’t touch at all. Therefore, I got to go back and forth with them multiple times to ensure they did not drown and had me there to grab on to if they needed me.
Honestly, swimming that day felt like quite the workout and I felt good after coming out of the water. Oren decided that clinging to my back when his dad was trying to throw him in the water was the best option because then Troy would throw me in the water also. O was also thrilled that, while in the water, he was able to carry me around on his back. He is just the cutest, sweetest boy. Sometimes.
Life with the chickens has been a bit crazy. As noted last time, we had some serious raccoon scares with two of our girls. Blackie and Red are both doing great, by the way. Unfortunately the next day I counted the girls and realized one of them was missing. Summer. She was an adventurer so I don’t know if she wandered off and was taken or just taken.
Then, earlier this week, the coop did not get shut up properly and we lost four more girls. One of our Australorps (I’d named Lumpy since it had a red lump on its chest), our Brahma (which Oren named Oren), and Silver my silver-laced black Wyandotte. Daisy, the brown Rouen duck we’ve had from the very beginning was also gone.
I am immensely sad at the loss of more babies. Now we are down to 16 chickens, including Paprike, with two of our originals and two injured. Unfortunately, with Fudgie becoming more aggressive with the females, I am working on trying to find him a new home. If necessary, I will have Fudgie and Buttercup go as a pair since they are so closely bonded. I spoke to Lana since they are our ducks and she seems to much prefer that option so I will do everything I can to make it a reality. That will leave us only three ducks.
The raccoons are smart and I worry about them getting around my coop. It’s going to require close maintenance for a few days until it either dies or decides it’s not going to get in.
This weekend Bryn will also be coming to visit for her very first ever one on one weekend. I am extremely excited to spend some time with our girl and the fact that we have made such leaps and bounds with her.
Then…next week…..VACATION!
chickensandtomatoes 