Summer is here

Goodness gracious!  It is almost like I forgot that I have a blog!  Nope, I haven’t been out of town.  Nope, I haven’t been trapped under large pieces of rubble.  I guess I just haven’t felt like writing.  I kept giving myself reasons to postpone posting.  

One reason: we have switched from PC to Mac.  While that isn’t an issue to begin with, the brand new computer that I received kept powering down on me.  THAT was a problem.  My shiny new computer was broken.  So, while waiting for the replacement, I didn’t want to upload any new pictures onto the PC because, let’s face it, if I am too lazy to write a bit on my happy little blog, then I am too lazy to transfer those pictures onto the new computer whenever it arrived.  I also didn’t have much to write about at the time, so I thought the break would do me good. 

Turns out, I don’t have anything good to write about now.   I think I have been BORED.  My parents are at their cabin for the summer so I don’t have weekly dinners at their house to look forward to.  B has finished up Preschool and summer has officially begun.  I think I am having a hard time shifting from the daily grind to the more relaxed way of life that summer brings with it.  Also, when the parent is bored, it is hard to find ways for the children NOT to be bored.  I guess I am zapped.  I need inspiration.  I need something to get me off my duff in the morning that adds a spring to my step.  Right now I feel like I have bricks attached to my feet and I am just trudging through the day.   I will find it.  I know I will.  

One thing I am looking forward to is an egg!  Our oldest hen should start laying her eggs soon.  I check the box every day, even though I know in my heart that it is still a bit early.  I am a little surprised by the lack of guesses in my “Egg Drop” game.   Only 3.  For those of you who have guessed, thank you for playing!  For those of you who are too lazy to guess, well, I might have been too lazy to play as well (considering my case of the “blahs” and everything). 

I need to work on some of my parenting skills.  I wish I weren’t so short with the boys.  I feel like I could be more patient and loving during times that don’t necessarily warrant snippy behavior from me.  The phrase, “Don’t cry over spilled milk” comes to mind.  For example, E had an accident in the bathroom this morning.  He didn’t pull his pants down to go pee and ended up peeing all over the floor.  I got frustrated and mad.  I couldn’t see past the fact that he peed on the floor in front of a perfectly good toilet.  In hindsight, I should have grabbed a towel, gently explained that he needs to actually pull his pants down before he goes pee, and helped him get cleaned up.  I focused on the accident itself, not the teaching moment.  There isn’t any room for shame and belittling in ANY of my relationships.

Okay, enough posting for today.  One thing I am super excited about?  I fixed dinner this afternoon before going to swim lessons.  I don’t have to cook tonight!  What is on the menu?  Cold chicken pasta salad.  YUM!  

Egg Drop 2009

Now that our Hens are starting to mature, we are anxiously awaiting the day when we will find our first egg.  I thought it would be fun to make this a bit interactive, so I am officially announcing the Egg Drop 2009 pool.  

I will include a little information for you so that you can make an educated guess.  Typically, hens start laying eggs between 18 and 24 weeks of age.  I know that seems like a wide range, but I received differing opinions from my chicken books as well as the backyard chicken community.  

Currently, Harriet is 15 weeks old and the other three (Lola, Henny, and Cutie) are 11 weeks old. 

In order to participate in Egg Drop 2009, please leave your educated guess (one per person please) in the comments section.  The person who picks the day in which the first egg is found is the winner!  

It has been suggested that the winner receive the first egg.  However, I am a bit too selfish to let that one go.  Besides, I hear the first egg is pretty puny.  

Happy guessing and good luck! 

The Family Truckster

That's right, folks.  We are now part of the Minivan Mafia that is taking over families all across this nation.  When Prince Charming and I were married we might have included, "We will NEVER own a Minivan" in our vows.  I have loved my Volvo Cross Country so much for the past 7 years.  I have never loved a car that much.  But that car was lacking some space that I was craving.  I wanted more head room, another seat for other family members to ride in, and automatic doors for crying out loud!  I wasn't ready for an SUV.  I wanted convenience and space.  So, enter the Honda Odyssey.  I actually like the way this Minivan looks.  After test driving it, I knew I had found the car for our family.  Prince Charming was still hung up on the Minivan stigma and frankly didn't like the appearance of the car.  However, he was sold on the convenience factor and I knew I had my foot in the door.  So, with one broken marriage vow and an incredible quote due to the Dealer's blunder, we took the plunge.  I still can't believe I have a new car.  I absolutely love it!  The boys love the sliding doors and the "smell" and I love that I don't have to duck my head in order to buckle them into their seats.  The Volvo will be missed as it holds many memories for us.  It took us across the country, twice.  It has been shipped to AND from Hawaii.  We brought both of the boys home from the hospital in that car.  We will be sure to have a proper Good Bye whenever we sell it.  Until then, I am looking forward to all of the new memories that the new Truckster will hold.   

A Plea to all of my Readers

I need your help!

When I started this blog almost a year ago, I couldn't come up with a creative URL, so I just chose a general blogspot address pertaining to our family. Now it is time to change things up a bit. I want the new address to reflect my blog, be kitchy and sassy, and it has to be something I don't want to change.

This is where YOU come in. Enlisting the help of my husband just isn't enough. I want to hear YOUR ideas! Ideally, I would have chosen threemenandalady.blogspot.com, but that is already taken. So, whatcha got? Get your creative juices flowing!

What's in it for you? Well, nothing except the fact that you can take a break from work or whatever it is that you are doing. And, let's be honest here, do you really have anything better to do? You are already reading this, aren't you?

Thank you in advance for your clever, clever ideas!

Accident Prone

It shouldn't come as a surprise to me that our second born (or, "E" as he is now known on this website) would be the first child to break a bone. He does, after all, have a missing tooth and various bruises on his body from running in to things. So, after a day of not putting any weight on his right foot, I took him to urgent care. The Doc there didn't see any fracture, so he put him in a splint (seen above) and gave me instructions to follow up with an Orthopedic specialist. We went to see one yesterday and as soon as they looked, they saw a fracture in one of the teeny bones in his foot. The bummer is that he has to wear the cast for 3 weeks. The nice thing is, he doesn't have to crawl around anymore AND it is purple!

The chicks have become chickens!

We should start finding eggs in their next boxes sometime in July. For now, they are busy scratching, pecking, pooping, and enjoying treats that I bring for them. The three chicks we brought home (Henny, Lola, and Cutie) are 9 weeks old and the Welsummer (Harriet) is 13 weeks old.

Chore Chart

I had been putting off this project for quite some time simply because I am lazy. Now that it is done, the boys enjoy moving the gigantic push pins when they complete their tasks. Also, when they earn at least 7 pins by the afternoon, they get to have some computer or Wii time. They are happy they get to play and I am happy they did some things around the house! Everybody wins!