Our Kids

Today was our very first day taking care of the animals at the girls school. We are due to care for them the second Saturday morning of each month. So this morning we loaded up the mini van and headed out to the school. Upon arrival we could hear the geese and boy were they mad, apparently we were a little late, the ducks got in on the action too as soon as they saw us walking in.

We quickly let ourselves in to the barn and went off to feed the ducks and geese. I tried to feed the geese by hand and that kind of hurt so instead I quickly threw the feed in to the duck pond area and was done with task number one. With the duck and geese off our backs (literally) we went on to care for the rest. We had to let the sheep, goats and pig out of their stalls. Cocoa is one of the little goats but he started butting Piper right away to let us know we did not feed them fast enough.

We quickly put out alfalpha for the goats and sheep and moved on to feed the pig. He gets a special bowl of food and has to be fed in his pen so the other animals don’t steal his food. So I told the pig to get back in his pen and he did and then we fed him. Then the girls gave the goats some treats and Cocoa came up and just put his head right in the bowl and started to steal them all, I can see we are going to have to watch this one. While the girls were off treating up the animals I was changing the water in the stalls, those buckets were HEAVY. Once all the barn animals were happy we let ourselves out and headed over to the chicken coop.

The girls ADORE the chickens, why I dunno cuz it was kind of gross in that pen. Anyhoo, we went in and fed the chickens and they seemed happy to see us even though they had plenty of food. The girls crawled in the hen house and collected about a dozen eggs and then climbed out again, they thought that was FUN. Then it was time for chicken holding. Both Piper and Lela held a few of the chickens and generally had a good time. By chicken holding time I was standing outside the pen with Landis who had opted out of the whole experience. Lela got pecked on the food by a chicken but other than that the chicken experience was quite uneventful.

I am so thankful we found this school (through a friend for whom I will be forever grateful), we loved our animal care experience and hope to get more involved as time goes by and the girls get bigger. It was nice to be on the campus with no school children because you can really appreciate what has been created there in the most unlikely of spots.

I haven’t posted since the 4th of Nov? What is up with that? I know for sure that things have been happening but as I sit with a second to myself I can’t remember any of them, lol!

I think we are finally over the cold(s) around here except for Jason who seems like he is ALMOST over it. Piper has had a rough go lately with her teeth falling out, her bad fall on her back and her cold and it has shown up in her disgruntled personality of late.

Lela is getting teased at school for being the only curly haired girl:( It makes me sad but I know one day she will love her hair. I have recruited our close friends and her curly haired assistant kindergarten teacher to help ease her through. I am happy that we have so many folks that love us/her and can reinforce what we tell her at home.

Landis continues to be THE sweetest little thing. The other morning I was feeling really badly and I laid down in bed, she came and curled up next to me and put her nose to my nose and her hand on my cheek until I fell asleep and then she slipped out to be with Jason. The second I woke up she was there staring me in the eye almost checking to see if I was okay. She can also be very trying and opinionated but I chalk a lot of that up to being 3.

Phoebe is all smiles as usual even though she has a little cold. she now brightens up when she sees folks she loves and she is quicker to smile at an admiring stranger. She almost wants to pull herself up to stand on things but doesn’t have the confidence just yet, but she will soon.

All in all I couldn’t be happier with my loved ones and life. The new house is mostly finished and we are getting SO excited. The girls and I start taking care of the farm animals at the school this weekend and we are stoked about that. We have been showing out house for rent and are getting great traffic and I suspect we will have it rented in no time. So the train is moving forward, choo choo!

Showing on all channels all the time starring Piper, Lela and Landis…..
(crowd cheering)

On this episode, door slamming, stick poking, yelling, toy stealing and punching.
(crowd cheering)

So stay tuned you won’t want to miss a minute.
(cue commercials)

Yes that is the scene here on Big Sister Season 4. Most of the sibling rivalry and general surliness comes from Piper and Landis (not surprisingly they are most alike), Lela manages to get hit and generally mistreated by Landis and ends up in tears. Piper does most of the yelling, or speaking with her “big voice,” that she gets from me:(

Now this is not any major stuff, this is mostly a 3 year old not knowing her boundaries and big sisters getting frustrated. I have to say that the girls are generally very loving and play well together but lately we have been passing a cold and some other virus back and forth and that has really set things on its head.

Piper and Lela both seem to be either really happy or really unhappy. I spoke briefly with their teacher and she said it was common and she was seeing it at school too. All in all I can’t complain and as long as I stay semi rested I can handle it, but I have some moments where I think I am going to lose my mind (that is if I had one to lose). Tomorrow I am volunteering at Landis’ preschool (someone shoot me now) so I better caffeine up so I can deal with 12 three year olds. Just when my life was getting dull and boring:)

Yesterday we had our check up at the dentist for the 3 big girls. All of them did super. Piper and Lela got xrays and cleanings and Landis got a tooth counting. Next time in May Landis will have her first cleaning and she declined the xrays this time. With the girls our initial experience with the dentist was so negative that I am moving in a little slower with Landis in hopes that it will go better. Piper and Lela love this dentist so I am over the moon about that. No cavities for anyone. Lela’s teeth are spreading out at the bottom making way for her new big girl teeth and Piper’s new big girl teeth are doing their best to make room for themselves but it does look a wee bit crowded in there to me. Landis’ teeth were just perfect of course and even Phoebe got a baby toothbrush to chew on:) All in all a pain free visit.