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Hello, chickies!
I was about to get on the exercise bike this morning when my phone rang. This was bit alarming, as it was 7:00am, and I only had my phone because I use it as a timer.
“Hello?” I answered cautiously.
It was the Post Office. Our chicks were in. Which was quite a surprise, since I hadn’t expected them until Thursday or Friday.
But here they are. They’ve already made a trip to school to meet K/1/2. They have been loved and cuddled and then cuddled some more. I hope not cuddled too much. The kids cannot get enough of them.
We had one who wasn’t looking too good this morning. I wasn’t sure she was going to make it, but by this evening she was looking perky, despite her small size. They’ve all been named (cross your fingers we don’t lose one): Fluffy, Blob, Mosh, Professor Cluck, and James. Despite their boyish names, they are all girls (we hope).
My favorite new fact about chicks is that it’s a bit like hanging out with a bunch of narcoleptics. They’ll be in the middle of doing something and then all of a sudden they just sink to the ground and pass out, in the most bizarre places and positions. Apparently, this is perfectly normal.
I’m also surprised that I find them to be extremely calming. I really think I could just sit and watch them for hours. Toddling about, stepping all over one another, and passing out cold on the feed bowl. It’s really quite zen.
I apologize now for the onslaught of cute chick photos you all are about to endure. I’ll try to mix some cute kids in there while I’m at it.
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Yarn Bomb
Some of the parents from school organized a Yarn Bomb. I hadn’t heard of such a thing before, but it seems to be a bit like graffiti, but with knitting. It's an art installation that lasts just a day, knitters arrive and cover an environment with their work.
Nearly all the students at school pitched in to help knit or crochet. Even the little people, like Neko, learned to finger knit those skinny chains you see hanging from the trees.
I love this concept of crafty public art!
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Waiting
Here sits Shep, waiting patiently by the dryer for his Blob shirt to dry.
I had to get a picture of this, because, according to legend in Tom’s family, he used to wait by the dryer for his blanket to dry.
I love when some things in life never seem to change.
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Apple blossoms
I thought someone would be reluctant to go take advantage of the setting sun, but she was more than happy to oblige. Even did a bit of art directing, that one.
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Tadpoles love Cheerios
Who knew?
All our tadpoles went kaput. I suspect we had some bacteria in our water. I suppose this is why toads lay several thousand eggs at a time, eh? The batches at Susie’s and the school are both doing fine, so Susie passed on a fresh batch to us.
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Pantone
I’m not sure how it took us this long to realize Shep and Pantone chips are a perfect match. I give Tom full credit for this realization. Shep is now carrying around six Pantone chips like someone has just given him a pot of gold.
On a completely unrelated note, this kid fresh out of the bath and that magic hour light makes for a photo that requires not one bit of retouching.
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A perfect day
Well, other than Shep’s cold, which has left him sort of sad and sniffly, and made us have to cancel brunch plans with Duncan’s family. (That last part almost sent the whole day into a black hole of doom.) But Shep, ever the trooper, never complained once.
But other than that? Perfect.
Trip to the garden store. Vegetable seeds planted (better late than never). Overcame my OCD and let the kids pick out all the flowers for the window boxes on the swing set. They did a fantastic job, and it looks beautiful.
Neko spent hours (and I mean hours) chasing butterflies. Her crowning glory was this swallowtail.
Tom gave me a respite this afternoon, and I went to work on our own Secret Garden.
Now he’s off to a lecture, and all the kids were in bed by 7:45pm.
Perfect. (Or as perfect as it gets around these parts.)
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Tea party
Today we opened our house to 11 of Neko’s girlfriends to have a belated birthday celebration. It went off without a hitch and was downright dreamy. I think we attribute a good part of that to the glorious weather.
Each girl brought a doll or stuffed animal. They silkscreened shirts for themselves and their little friends. Then we gathered for tea, complete with cups and plates for the little friends.
So lovely. One of those days where the camera doesn’t do it justice. But it was—you’ll just have to trust me on that one.
