Green Egg & Chicken Shoes

You guys, I finally got a beautiful bluish-greenish egg this morning from Ivy, one of my new Aracauna's!  And it was in the egg box, right next to Marigold's big brown beautiful egg (not playing favorites)! How these relatively dim birds figure out where I want them to deposit their precious egg is beyond me. It is so perfect; and the only real reason I got new chicks this year!

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... and it was a double-yolker to boot! Don't you love how the shell is seafoamy green, even on the inside?  So happy!

Also finally invested in some proper coop shoes. I've been ruining my clogs and flip-flops out there and needed some designated 'chicken shoes.'

Garden Update

The cooler temperatures still have things a bit stunted, but we're making progress! So excited about our asparagus this year!

Pushing the Envelope

The temperature was in the 70's all day, but so overcast it looked like the 50's. We didn't care, I piled the water toys, towels, snacks, and kids in the van and drove to the wadding pool where it was very evident that most folks were using the non-existent sun as a guide...we were the only ones there! Hey! We live in the Pacific Northwest people! If you don't grab it while you can it'll be drizzly sweater weather before you know it.

Weekend Walks in the Woods

My family really enjoys walking through our local forests. They're not strenuous hikes, but we puff up steep inclines and trot down the other side. We splash across small streams. We scratch up our bare arms and legs. We talk about the foliage and wildlife. We stop and chat up other like-minded people with their dogs. We love these walks.

In Our Own Backyard

They started digging this week...

A Dog and Her Boy

Fairy

As close as she'll get to flying.

Give Big - June 23

"GiveBIG is a communitywide giving challenge created by The Seattle Foundation that will increase the size of your donation to a non-profit (of your choice). This new, one–day, online charitable giving event will rally together our community on behalf of the amazing nonprofit organizations in King County." There's loads of good organizations to give to  like our zoo, Seattle Tilth, etc. Help out!

* Quote from zoo.org

Summer Lovin'

2 of the best ways to spend a The First Day of Summer; ice cream and sprinklers in the garden

Father's Day, Day

Me and my dad

I had the pleasure of inviting my family over for a Father's Day dinner. Albeit, my husband wasn't there, my sister's family had plans, and my brother (father of 2 girlies) was in New Jersey for his initial Coast Gaurd training. But we made the best of it, and celebrated with chicken skewers, quinoa salad, green beans with toasted pine nuts, fruit and cocnut cake! The kids are all getting older and playing so well together. Here they are after a rousing bout of chase:

Inger, Atalie, E, and N - yes his pants are on backwards....and he's only wearing one sock

And after everyone went home, and the kids had a nice bath E thought it was a good oppertunity to introduce her brother to Twister...hilarious! Thankfully I was nominated as "spinner person."

Happy Father's Day!

To the father of our beautiful children, we love you and miss you!

Bubble Trouble

N got a bubble machine for his birthday, he loves it!

Girl Scouts

E had a great first year of Girl Scouts, she earned all her Daisy petals, and a handful of badges for her vest. She and I are really looking forward to participating with her troop again next year and attending a few events this summer!

Ponytail

I love E's hair short: an inverted bob with cropped bangs. She's been wanting to grow it out, but we have that ongoing morning battle combing out tangles. She also has taken to chewing on it...so I've made the ultimatum of either cutting it back to short or pulling it out of her face e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y. I hate mornings in the bathroom. But, now her hair is almost long enough to stay in a ponytail and she grins and bears the pulling and tugging...

A Little Bun(s) In Your Day

Poppies

E has become fast friends with a little girl around the corner from us, Megan. Yesterday her mom got out canvas's and paint for the girlies to use, and now I have new artwork for the playroom!

Potty

N has been pretty steadfast against using the potty...I know it's usually harder with boys and I really haven't been stressing about it. But I figured I'd at least give the potty chair route a go. I am totally grossed out by them, but he's deathly afraid of the potty ring on the big pot, so I think I'll at least try it for a while. I did a bit of research and Baby Bjorn has never disappointed me before so we went with the blue throne for his birthday and threw in a little reading...so far so good. He's delighted to throw off his diaper and sit when his big sis is.

Highly recommended items:

String

Oh, the tangled web he weaves...

...when he finds Mama's garden string.

Chicken Boy

It occurred to me the other day that N won't know what it's like to not have chickens in his childhood. I kind of like that. He's fearless around them, just scoops them up if they're careless enough to get too close. Most of the time I try and keep them in "the chicken yard" to avoid dug up plants and poop everywhere, but the younger ones are still quite flighty, and oftentimes I'll find them pecking around just outside the confines of the 3 foot high fencing.

Sweet Surprises

I rounded the corner to head downstairs and found N's special 'lovie' sweetly placed next to our real live dozing 'lovie' at the top of our staircase.

Flock of Seagulls

When Boy Meets Mud Puddle