Today is the day!

I intend to post about our journey. However, while on the road, we shall be internet - less for the next 5 days. So I shall blog again from the other side! Have a great weekend. (Yeah, I'm fully aware it is only Wednesday.)

Working on stress management

Well, a last minute change of moving company, that story is a little long for a blog post, and now our moving date is set duh... duh... dun... for tomorrow. 

Maybe.

Maybe, tomorrow midday, or evening, or possibly the next morning. 

That is okay though. 

Now, the company I ordered our white goods from, has dumped our order on a completely different land mass, and it will be at my expense should I wish to have them delivered. A rather significant cost.

But that is okay. I didn't really need that stove, or washing machine... did I?

So, we are totally good.

But for the car.

Which has developed a knocking sound, and requires new tyre.

That is okay. 

The mechanic has been called. 

All it requires is time and money.

Now, I need to go and bath my poor sticky little boy. 'Cause he and his sister have come down with the most gosh darn gross sinus cold. 

(I have been doing this mama thing for a while now but seriously this is special.)

We are doing okay though. Just taking moments to pause and give out hugs and juice boxes.

The sun is shining and we are doing alright.

Tomorrow should see us moving out!

Snuggle ducks

Take two things seriously: mess making and nap time .

Poulets.. how dare he!

When the farmer brought our poultry, he told me now these poulets are very young and will not lay for about 4 weeks.

Well, if they were trying to make a good impression, or if only in indignation at being called poulets...

Our hens laid their very first night here!

Thank you Mrs. Chickens.

(I wonder if the croissants and strawberries swayed them.)

Kick this crazy up a notch

Well today the cuteness level of our house went up by 12. The crazy factor, well, that just went off the charts.

A dozen little ducks,

so adorable.

The hatchlings

 are pretty excited,

as am I.

These chickens, 

they are regal in their markings.

To paraphrase Robert Munch - Chickens are smarter than you think.

I didn't realize this. 

So the chickens, they got out.

Chickens on window ledges,

Chickens on the stairs,

Chickens in the kitchen (priceless - the look on the puppy's face as he ran tail between legs into his crate)

Chickens everywhere.

I picked hatchling no 5 up out of his baby swing to keep him out of harms way. Not having turned the swing it off. 

The cockerel  perched on the baby gate, leapt onto the swing, and rode it like some sort of poultry surf board. He looked pretty pleased with himself.

The girls freaked... seriously... freaked right out. 

Hatchling no 4 and I were in stitches on the floor.

Hatchlings no 1 through 3 charged upstairs screaming. 

Hatchling no2 was shrieking 'Whaaaa! We are all going to diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!

I gently explained that these chickens were their favorite food, and not the other way around.

The three girls are still hidden beneath a duvet, completely unconvinced.

Little Miss Naughty

This little girl right here. She has the biggest heart. She loves with every inch of her person, and mothers her little brothers as though they were her own. She is a loyal friend and I feel very privileged to have her as my companion. She is sweet, and funny, and loves baking.

Sometimes though, I get the impression the hatchlings wake up and think - Right, today, I am as big as I have ever been. After primping their feathers a little they come to the conclusion that today just might be the day they climb the social ladder. 

It is days like these where what I see as naughty behaviour or a tantrum, probably seems to them like they are showing me exemplary levels of generosity.

Today, for instance, I think hatchling no3 thought, oh dear my mama is looking a bit tired. I bet she could use a break. Being a big 4 years old, I rather think I could run the show.  

It looks easy enough.  

So we butt heads, again and again. As I insist, things are fine. I'm in control, and everything is fine. 

She is not convinced.

I swear, tantrum number three was her saying, 'Are you sure? How sure?'

'20% sure?'

'30% sure?'

'50% sure?'

'75% sure?'

'Really, you are starting to twitch, I'm not sure you are sure.'

Then, at some point, balance is restored. She calms down, regains her cool.

And looks at me like sheesh, you didn't have to get so worked up about it. I was just asking.

So cute, but some days,... a little big for her boots.

Like being back at university

So dinner time rolls around and I have no idea what to make.

In the fridge... 6 bottles of cider, a bottle of wine, and half a bottle of baileys. 

In the freezer... 5 tubs of ben and jerrys.

We have done a pretty good job of clearing out the cupboards. It rather feels like being back at uni.

On a different note does cider go off? Best before of August 2011.... hmmm.

A little free space

With the house filling up with boxes 

it seemed sensible

to head outside.

To burn off the 

excess energy,

jump joyfully,

slide stylishly,

and broom through the wood chips.

I hate hangers!

There, I said it.

I got it off my chest. It feels good.

I hate how they seem to migrate into every room in the house. It would seem I am alone in thinking they should live out all of their days in exile... I mean the closet.

I think they know how much I loath them. They resist my packing attempts.

You see I did not want to use more than a single boxes on them. So I stuffed them all in. All of them... even the girls' not so modest collection.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the box gave way to... now the clothes hangers have come out to frolic and play.

I'm not fooled. I am sure they are simply mocking me.

Now I am off to find a larger box and more tape. I will not be thwarted again.

we need a what?

This

is

my beloved

hatchling no1

as she attempts

to convince me

that in addition to 2 puppies

she needs a kitten.

Spring time

One small boy chopped the laptop power cord in half (safety scissors my tushie!), which has put a serious kink in my blog materials... given the iMac refuses to talk to my canon. Apparently the canon offended the mac when it opened it's big mouth and began sputtering powerpc upload info.

So I am now stalking the post man, in hopes that he will soon bring me back to the land of all things internet, and photo software.

Poor Polly

Hatchlings no1 and no2 were deep in their own world playing with their Polly set.

Listening to them chatting away is a interesting glimpse into what they are thinking about.

In a nut shell Polly (played by hatchling no1) lost her leg to the invading huns (played by hatchling no2). 

During the battle her leg was used as a magic wand which encouraged bacterial growth.

Once the plague spread through out the hun polly dolls... now sticked over with multicoloured dots, one legged Polly offered them medicinal herbs... 

The huns declined.

They instead took up residence in the giant toilet.

Where their plague is continuing to mutate until they can launch their biological battle.

One legged Polly has retired to Turkey. She feels Rome is not all it once was. Apparently, she is on the look out for a good prince, and 10,000 slaves.

Her view of the world

This Yuletide season saw the hatchlings all receive cameras.

So I give you the photo collection of hatchling no1. From December... I can't justify why it has taken me this long to upload them.

She clearly likes pancakes. There are no less than 27 shots.

Her brother sharing pancakes with a t-rex.

Interestingly, the vast majority of her photos are of me.

I had not realised just how close one.. or more likely, five little people are watching.

That is food for thought.

For some unknown reason all my photo software refuses to delete the incorrect date stamps. 

Not my most flattering, but he is an awfully cute little guy.

Her beloved cat.

and of course...

bagels.

Market gods

I started by trying to google an ebay god's image... that was an interesting search, let me tell you.

Ebay is a strange place, when I am a buyer, I want to find that unnoticed deal, and win it for a low price.

When I'm the seller, I want all to notice, and all to bid. I wish for bidding wars and high sale prices.

Currently, my ebay trading seems                         to have gone all wrong.

Which leaves me pondering. Am I simply out of favor with the market gods?

Any ideas on a good offering that would see a Ford shift for at least half of what I paid for it? (Not including the thousands spent in repairs...)

'Cause at this point if dancing naked in the rain is what will push the bids up, I just might give it a try.

Love is all you need

I have worried a lot about if I can give these puppies all that they need.

But with each day that passes, it becomes clear. I don't have to, because I am not doing this alone.

There is always more to go around.

Maybe sometimes... almost too much!

Goal!

Dedication

Trial

Strategy

Determination

Patience

Goal!

Can't make us smile

Two cute boys refuse to smile.

Well, at least not at the same time.

Something about rebelling against the matching shirts...

Just in case she gets any ideas.