The Barnyard

it still is warm one day, cold the next...so on a cold day last week, i became keeper of a box of chicks. my brother-in-law dropped them off after they were about to meet their demise. since we have the coop, i became the chicken lady by default. we had a number of deaths since they hadn't been taken care of for a day, but seem to be going strong now. the kids and i check themall day long, adjust the lights, pitch the straw, and feed and water them. we even did it before morning church with ben gone to meetings. don't know if i could pull it off before catching a school bus...maybe i'll make that attempt when they're older. i had to take a few pictures; i've taken care of chickens before and they are only cute for a short time. i think that's why i don't have a problem when it's 'cluck and pluck' time, calves and lambs are a different story. emerson is the most fearless chick holder. she actually holds still while i take care of the brood up there and loves getting to hold them. meanwhile, after trying to reclaim the garden (it's in bad shape) and planting the beans, bentely informed me bob...now, 'boberella', was about to have kittens. i say anytime...it did look like she was leaking. do cats' water break? she-ra is trying to be a good girl. she has a new place for her bed and a long chain. she hangs out with us when we can watch her in the yard, goes walking with us, goes with ben, and hangs out at the shop. sometimes i feel like i am in charge of the funny farm...maybe a post for later. we're hoping summer will want to come and stay (does anyone think it is the end of the earth? there are crazy things going on everywhere?)! but, anyway, that's the update from the barnyard. i wasn't totally ready to take on one more thing, but what ya do, right? the long days, especially when it's warm, are giving bridon and me fits. see the boy? i won't let him take a nap anymore because he keeps bentley up, so by dinnertime he is falling asleep at the fork, literally (that's spaghetti hanging out his mouth). that boy is something else, wearing his dusk mask as a hat, carrying around bob, being mean to his sister...or teaching her how to drink water out of the hose or lap it up like a dog from the wagon. anytime he gets in a moving vehicle, he is toast! a ride with grandpa sent him napping again...love him though, and the rest of them. bentley is my biggest helper and i can't believe how mature my little emerson is these days. has it only been a year since she was my little babe?