My life with chickens . . .

It’s not looking good. Just read this today about Japanese Saipans, and it has me worried.

Female Saipan Chickens have duller coloration than males. Their bodies are usually colored with brown and buff shades and white. Males, however, have impressive colorations. Their feathers have metallic sheens, and their bodies are golden or bronzed. Necks are golden to green, and the crown is usually bright red or rusty in color.

Jewel and Iva are both getting pretty darn colorful. And Jewel definitely has that metallic, iridescent thing going on. What oh what am I going to do with 2 roosters????

Grass Heads

So far this summer, I have done an absolutely terrible job of using the activities on the list. I’m not going to feel bad about it – up to this point we have been perfectly happy spending long hours at the park, playing in the yard with friends, and eating lots of popsicles. Today, however, seemed like a good activity day.

Can’t wait to see these guys with a grassy head of hair!

My life with chickens . . .

The girls are growing – and they are hungry! Every time I walk out the door they come running, begging for treats

Today Jewel was making some decidedly chicken-like noises – not the baby peeps they have been making up until now. Could my girls be growing up? Does this mean eggs are in our future?

Is it just me, or are my “girls” looking a little bit like roosters?

H•O•T

Hot does not really begin to describe it. Sweltering, perhaps? Boiling? You get the picture, right?

We started the day with friends at the park, sticking close to the fountains as staying wet seems to be the only way to stay cool. Afternoon found us running through the sprinkler with the neighbors, then lounging in the shade in the backyard. Thank goodness for our shady yard!

3 more days till Daddy comes home

Today was the last day of vacation Bible school. The kids have had such a wonderful week at VBS! Every night at dinner they have sung me the new song they learned that day (and argued about the words) and chattered on and on about the art projects they did and the new friends they made. 

For the last day, the children were all asked to wear their VBS t-shirts. Lola Gray, however, says that girls wear dresses. She finally agreed to wear a skirt, but of course we couldn’t find one! (Did we leave her purple ruffled skirt in Virginia? I can’t find it anywhere!) In the end, she wore shorts topped off by her biggest, pinkest tutu. There were some, before Lola’s birth, who teased me that I was sure to end up with a tomboy who would scoff at all the frilly dresses I was dying to buy. Seems those folks were wrong. This is the girliest little girl there is. Fearless to be certain, but definitely frilly.

We followed up VBS with a very sweaty lunch at the park. Fletcher has turned in to a swinging fanatic in the last week or so. He has been “pumping” for months now, but something really clicked last week and now he is able to pump himself really high. And he loves it. The higher the better. In so many ways he is my more cautious child, but when it comes to the swing the sky seems to be the limit. I love the huge smile on his face when he swings, and the excitement in his eyes. And I love this photo of his sweaty hair flying in the air.

bounty

Remember when I said we were getting 1 tomato a day from the garden? Today I got 7 ripe red beauties! Seven! I’m so proud I could pop. (And I’m glad Raymond is coming home soon to help me eat them all!)

a busy week

I realized I haven’t posted for a while. It has been a busy week, though I have not taken a single photo! The kids have been going to vacation bible school in the mornings. They are loving it, and come home full of songs and stories. The lunch program has started in the park, so we run from VBS over to the park for lunch and an hour of play before heading home  to meet Kate. I’ve started back to school this week, teaching one class every afternoon and Kate has been staying with the kids. They love her, and are having a ball – they barely even notice when I leave the house! By the time I get home from class, we have just enough time for an hour or 2 of play before dinner and bed so they week is passing in something of a blur!

The garden continues to grow, and we have had ripe tomatoes every day for a week. Is there anything better than a homegrown tomato? Fletcher has even been eating them whole – like an apple!

The “girls” are continuing to grow as well. I’ve been trying to give them treats every day – just veggie scraps from the kitchen mostly – and they seem to be warming up to me a little more. Last night I opened the coop door to check on them after they had curled up for the night, and not only did they not immediately hop down and run away from me but they actually let me pet their backs for a minute! I think that is definite progress!

Let your love flow

There’s a reason for the sun shiny sky
And there’s a reason why I’m feelin’ so high
Must be the season
When that love light shines all around us
So let that feelin’ grab you deep inside
And send you reelin’ where your love can’t hide
And then go stealin’
Through the summer nights with your lover

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you’ll know what I mean, it’s the season
Let your love fly like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean, that’s the reason

There’s a reason for the warm sweet nights
And there’s a reason for the candle lights
Must be the season
When those love rites shine all around us
So let the wonder take you into space
And lay you under its loving embrace
Just feel the thunder as it warms your face
You can’t hold back
Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow
With the smallest of dreams and let your love show
And you’ll know what I mean, it’s the season
Let your love fly like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean, that’s the reason

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream
And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams
And let your love show
And you’ll know what I mean, it’s the season
Let your love fly like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you to all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean, that’s the reason

A few weeks ago, before my grandmother got sick, before Raymond left for Italy, I was walking around all day singing this song. It was used in a car commercial recently and it just made me smile every time . . . It has been a tough few weeks, and while there have been ups (Italy!) there have also been a lot of downs, and it is taking a toll. I haven’t been feeling the love so much lately.

But tonight, as I was tucking Fletcher into bed, he said “Mommy, I love you with the whole of my heart. Without you I am nothing.”

It was all I could do not to burst out laughing at his drama. Where does he come up with these things? Raymond would say, and correctly so, that the boy has got my number. And he does. No question. 

I don’t mind though, because behind all the drama the love is real. I am so lucky to be surrounded by so much love. 

Hart to Heart: Dads man up to be Mr. Moms | SavannahNow.com

I hate that Raymond is so far away from us on Father’s Day. I hope we will be able to get him on the phone, though our efforts so far this morning have failed. I also hope he enjoys Anne Hart’s article in the Savannah Morning News today about stay-at-home dads. Here is a snipet:

Raymond Gaddy of Savannah is used to being the only dad in a playground of mothers and children.

While not an official stay-at-home dad because he teaches two days a week, Raymond puts in a huge amount of time taking care of two children and a house. When his wife teaches two to three days a week, Raymond does it all.

“I am glad that I am participating in my children’s development, and have at every step,” he said. “I feel like my kids know me better, are willing to communicate with me about anything and, on a selfish note, I feel richer for the experiences I’ve had with my kids.”

His wife, Ashley, said her husband has more empathy for everything involved with taking care of the home and the children.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a difference between moms and dads. Such as the time Raymond took their then-1-year-old daughter to the park one spring afternoon wearing her silk taffeta Christmas dress. But in the grand scheme, Ashley says, those things don’t matter.

“He does things in his own ‘Dad’ way and has created an amazing relationship with our children as a result,” Ashley said. “I can say without question that he is a fantastic father.”

via Hart to Heart: Dads man up to be Mr. Moms | SavannahNow.com.

Happy Father’s Day!

Things we know about Daddy:

What is something Daddy always says to you?
Fletcher: “You always say that !” (after I say “This is not the time for playing!”)
Lola Gray: “Silly!”

What makes Daddy happy?
us! 

What makes Daddy sad?
Lola Gray: “He doesn’t have us right now so he is sad.” 
Fletcher: “When he gets home he will be really happy.”

How does Daddy make you laugh?
Lola Gray: By tickling us. 
Fletcher: By hanging me upside down.

What was Daddy like as a child?
Star Wars! (I think they were saying he liked Star Wars, not understanding the question.)

How old is Daddy?
Lola Gray: This old (5 fingers)?
Fletcher: don’t know? 

How tall is Daddy?
Fletcher: “Like up there” (pointing at ceiling)
Lola Gray: “Higher than mommy”

What is Daddy’s favorite thing to do?
Fletcher: Play Star Wars with me
Lola Gray: Play with us! 

What does Daddy do when you’re not around?
Fletcher: Try new things like rainbow orange flavored ice cream.
Lola Gray: Go on trips. 

If Daddy becomes famous, what will it be for?
painting!

What is Daddy really good at?
Fletcher: Painting and beating me on star wars and tickling me
Lola Gray: Eating and playing games

What is Daddy not very good at?
Lola Gray: Not tickling me
Fletcher: hiding