Cock-A-Doodle-Dooooooo!!

"Steve &Joey"

                        That's what I heard this morning at the tender hour of 6 a.m. and what a magnificent sound it was! No, it was not Elvis finally asserting himself as the Big Daddy Rooster in the yard. It was our new Buff Orpington Cocks crowing in the dawn. They are unamed as yet,the children have affectionately dubbed them"Steven & Joey" for reasons only they can fathom. Edd has it in his mind however that the roosters should be named after famous(or not so) Kings of old. That will be another blog I am certain. For now I will tell you that loud, almost strangled sounding crow of our 5 month old Rooster was a delight to our ears. yes, we are wierd that way-quiet bothers us. At least too much of it. We inherited the boys from my new friend Jeff (rabbit guy) who had a rather tragic raccoon incident that left his flock considerably smaller and vulnerable,thus we relocated his roosters and their ownership to our lil farm.

                           So, Edd and I have been exceedingly busy building yet another MUCH LARGER addition onto the henhouse, in order to comfortably accomodate everyones needs. We used 7 wooden beer pallets and 2 large 8 foot long plywood pieces to construct a pen frame. We then inserted additional beams along the center of the pen to support a roof . We added a roof of plywood to cover only 1/2 the top of the pen, choosing to use hardware wire for the rest for better ventilation. Summers here are scorching hot and though the shade from the roof will be welcome,ventilation will be required to catch what small breezes  arise to keep body temperatures down. The outside of the pen is completely wired top to bottom in hardware cloth for added safety from the prying hands of small creatures which pray on the hens and their eggs.

Everyone seems very content in the new housing and it is light and airy while being secure enough to allow me a solid nights sleep with out worry.  The rooster called "Steve" is crowing now as a matter of fact. It is 4:22 a.m.
                          Kids are flourishing. they haven't slept in doors in almost weeks now, preferring the crisp night air and starry skies to the boring white cielings of their bedrooms. They spend their days homeschooling and baking and working on science projects or playing in the giant mudhole the ducks have made under the trampoline. I say playing , but what they actually did was build a small dirt and water replica of Venice. Yes, Venice.I am sure it started out as playing, but what they called me over to view was a small working canal system, complete with houses made of twigs and sticks and tiny "ferry's" floating along as water taxis made from large leaves. I was amazed. We haven't even studied this , this year yet here it was in my backyard. they were so proud. So was I. Today they spent the afternoon riding their skateboard and playing baseball at the neighborhood park, It's a field with nice grass and a swing set with no swings and a basketball court with no nets. but it has port-a-potty's and they love it so...
                           Owyn will be 7 soon-May 14th to be exact and it seems like time has flown past with such speed that I must have missed something, I blinked or I slept in too many times or, or, ... I just feel like she is so grown up and soon she wont be my little Owie anymore and then what do I do with myself? I never looked past being a full time Mommy to children young enough to need me constantly. The thought actually terrifies me. I don't want an empty nest, I want a FULL one. Raging each day loud and boisterous and full of life. I don't crave  me time, or down time or quiet time. yes, it would be nice to have unrestrained sex again again, wherever and whenever we wanted, but lets face it-we are just too tired for all that nonsense anymore. It's a lovely thought though.
                           Layla has admitted in that "I'm not admitting anything by NOT denying it" way that teenagers tell you things they are not yet comfortable yet to admit openly, that she is dating Darris. She is excited about the dance in 3 weeks and so am I if truth be told. She is ready for a crush, for a first love if you will, for a heartbreak if it comes to that. She can handle it and she will be ok. I'm telling you this for my benefit not yours. I need the comfort, letting go aint easy ya'll. Those who know me well ,know I don't let go of anything. I'm kind of a pitbull  about things. I get my involved and I STAY involved. So it is hard. S.A.T kinda hard, but I'm reigning in my demons and pushing her a little to towards her independance.
                          Kieren has become an excellent skater and is changing his habits and physical appearance as well. he's getting a six pack. His abs are getting firm and the baby fat of a few months ago are melting away before my eyes and the torso of a young man is emerging. He walks straighter and a lil more cocky and he speaks with more confidence now too. I see his future changing from the day dreams of an elementary student to the apirations of a pre teen with dreams and goals. This metamorphis is largely credited to Dawsons growing presence in our home. He is a great motivation for Kieren and they make an unstoppable team. Kieren has an artists imagination and vision and Dawson has the mind of an engineer. Tonite they built a working cross ow with legos and a rubber band. granted it was not going to take down dinner but it held a "bow" and shot it across the room when the "trigger latch" was tripped. All that in less than 10 minutes. Impressive I say. It is nearly dawn and I need at least a couple hours sleep before we start all over again. There are cinnamon rolls rising in the fridge for breakfast and the coffe pot is ready to brew. Goodnight all-Thanks for reading.