Pictures of the Kids and the Chickens

The kids' blond aunt suggested I have not been posting frequently enough (see, my redheaded sister, you're not the only one who gets nagged). She told me to just put pictures of the kids up, since that is what everyone wanted to see, so here they are. Rachel took the one of Kelly. While I was busy taking the others, Michael was busy mixing the bread flour and sugar with hot chocolate mix, hence the guilty look on his face when I put him on the counter next to the sink to try and contain the mess.

The chickens are getting big...

...and so is Naomi!

Kelly and Gwen were playing dress up.

Summer was reading and listening to The All-American Rejects and did not appreciate having me come after her with the camera.

Naomi Talking

Naomi is growing up. She weighs twelve pounds (more than 1 and1/2 times her birthweight) and she loves to talk. Smile and croon to her and she will smile and coo right back. Watch for the dimples :)

Muddy Fun

Stan dumped a barrel of water out in the backyard.
The kids had fun, fun, fun!

Our Chickens

We are enjoying having chickens. The picture above was taken right when we got the first ones and the three oldest were about two weeks old. Now they are about six weeks old and our youngest one is about two weeks. The picture below shows how big they've grown.


From left to right they are -

Rachel's Ameraucana named Lily - 6 weeks old

Kelly's Rhode Island Red named Rose - 4 weeks old

Amy's (used to be Summer's, but she gave her to me) Plymouth Barred Rock named Buttercup (Summer also has a hamster named Westley - get it?) - 6 weeks old

Gwen's Jersey Black Giant named Daisy - 2 weeks old

Heather's Ameraucana named Violet - 6 weeks old

If you want to know more about the breeds, check out this chicken chart - Backyard Chicken Breeds

I bought them some meals worms at Petco last Thursday for a treat to eat out of our hands and they LOVED them. It makes me feel a kinship with the chickens after eating one of the meal worms that Ruby sent to Rachel. The ones I bought are all for the chickens, though. They are much more alive than the fried ones Rachel shared with us.

Pictures at the Park

During spring break, we had a picnic in the park. Summer was bored with the idea of swings and slides, so I let her take pictures with the camera. These are some of my favorites.

Michael was fascinated with other families. I was too busy with everything else to really stay on top of him, so he spent a lot of time wandering into other people's space while Summer wandered around after him trying to get a good picture. He listened intently while a mother lectured her daughter about their rules for using the equipment, he stood on another mother's blanket and watched her (with an open mouth) feed her baby and later, tried to go home with this mother and child. I don't know if he was more interested in the little girl or her riding toy.

Happy Belated Birthday Heather!

Heather turned NINE a couple weeks ago. Here she is with her birthday apple pie.

Happy Birthday Heather!!!

Naomi in the Swing of Things

Warning - unless you are almost as fascinated with Naomi as we are, you may find this video mind numbingly boring.

Why is this here?

Ouch!

Too Much Blogging

I must be blogging too much. Last night, I was too warm in bed and dreamt of the blogger dashboard. I kept looking for the link to take off my blanket.

Resourcefulness

We had bagels for breakfast. Michael was in the kitchen while I was getting things out and he was anxious for breakfast. He asked for food and I told him I'd toast him a bagel in a minute. He grabbed one and said, "I'LL toast a bagel" and ran over to the toaster. I thought, "He can't fit it in the toaster, so I'll just let him try until I get a chance to take care of it for him," but I underestimated his resourcefulness. He broke his bagel into bits and stuffed them in individually.

The Weekend

Fifiteen years ago Friday, Stan proposed. He brought me flowers and we had bratwurst for dinner. We went to a German deli that eventful day in 1992, so we like to re-eat the memories each year.

Saturday, we went to San Onofre State Beach. It is an historic surfer spot and we saw lots of surfers yesterday.

Speaking of surf, Michael was afraid of the waves and insisted Stan carry him most of the time we were there.

Kelly dragged this rock by the seaweed attached to it down the beach a ways.

Heather also found a piece of seaweed attached to a rock. It was easier to carry than Kelly's piece.

There is a nuclear power plant at one end of the beach.

Michael wanted me to take a picture of his sand. It is a compromise we often employ when the kids want to take something home we'd rather not have in the house, "No, you can't take that in the car, but do you want me to take a picture for you to keep?"

Which also explains this picture of Gwen with a wad of seaweed.

The tide got lower and lower while we were there and uncovered all kinds of interesting treasures.

Our favorites were the sea slugs.

Here's another one that was smaller, but prettier.

Here is Gwen with a snail. Notice her green shirt - Happy Belated Saint Patrick's Day!

Kelly carried this slug around for a while. She even let Michael pet it - lucky!

Naomi was one month old yesterday. She is growing up and looking more like her parents everyday. She is getting acne like her mother and is going bald like her father! We still think she's the cutest baby on the planet, though.

The kids found a recently dead, still stinky crab. Here is Rachel with one of the claws.

Here are Heather's feet next to it. It was big!

Summer got her hair cut last Saturday and we've had requests for pictures. She's rather windblown, but you get the general idea. It's cute hair.

We had a tailgate party back at the car and ate brownies.

Here's one last picture, even though it isn't very good, photowise. Naomi is just beginning to smile socially, but those gems of adorability and dimples are still rare.

Multitasking

Heather will be a good mother. She already has down one of the most important skills - multitasking.

Anniversary

Thirty years ago today, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That event set me on the path to happiness I enjoy with my wonderful family. Life isn't perfect, but it is good. Thanks Mom and Dad loving me, putting up with me, and raising me in the Church.

It's a Zoo Around Here...

...or a barnyard...or something. Michael is a cow today (his all time favorite clothes) and Naomi is a bunny. Too cute...or two cute...or something!

Sisters Taking Care of Each Other

Friday night, Naomi was still up after 10:00 wanting to be held. Summer offered to take care of her while I got ready for bed. When I was done brushing my teeth and hair and washing my face and feet, I went to get the baby and let Summer go to bed. I found them both asleep on the couch. I took this picture at 10:41 p.m. I wonder who was out first?

Saturday night, Summer was ready for bed, I was not and Naomi was up and wanting to be held. Summer offered to hold her while I got ready and it was déjà vu all over again. I took this picture of the same corner of the couch at 10:41, exactly 24 hours later. Maybe Naomi is on a schedule.

Dirty, Clean, Messy Again

Yesterday, Michael played with his sisters in the backyard for a while. They found an orange that had fallen off the tree and Michael wanted to eat it, but he was too dirty to consume anything without major contamination occurring.

It took two applications of baby shampoo and countless cups of water dumped over his head to get him clean. The water was grayish brown when we were done and had nameless backyard things (in addition to the orange) floating in it.




When he was all shiny clean and dressed, it was time for lunch. At the end of the meal, he was left with a cup that had an inch and a half of milk in it. He was just about t o exit his high chair in his usual fashion, by sliding down under the tray, when I told him, "Finish your milk before you get down or I'll have to dump it in the sink."

He grabbed his cup, took a big swallow and said, "I'll dump it in the sink!" He then proceeded to leave his high chair with the cup in his hand, revealing gloppy graham cracker pieces and bits of chewed up apple mixed with the milk that showered his hair, face, shirt and high chair, while I was hollering, ineffectually, "Leave the cup on your tray, leave it on the tray!!!"

So much for the clean boy!