Festival

Today we went to the Got to be NC festival. It was an action-packed day, and the boys begged to stay long after Mike and I were exhausted. It truly had a bit of everything - pig and duck races, antique tractor pull, shark and gator kabobs, horses, bunnies and chicks and carnival rides! Mike and I were surprised the boys loved the rides, and Micah was the one who asked to go on them in the first place!

Chickens

Last week we added a tiny backyard chicken flock. We have 2 Delawares (white) and two Araucanas (brown/tan). They are about 7 weeks old, so they won't lay eggs til about August or September.

We haven't named them yet, yesterday was the first day their personalities started to show. They were nervous for a few days but I think they've started to realize living here isn't so bad.

The chicks are already entertaining. Chickens are pack animals and copy each other in everything - eating time, dust bathing time, flying around in a tizzy time, and sunbathing time.

Their former home on the farm

Mom? I'll write!

Who is going to be the brave one and get out? They traveled home in this, peeping all the way.

Trying out the new digs. This bench will eventually have the nest boxes, the coop is a work in progress. It can be open for the summer to keep them cooler, and they shouldn't have nest boxes right now so they won't get used to roosting in them.

Here they are all sunbathing in a pile.

Strawberry Season

Birthday

So last month I turned 33. We went to a Durham Bulls game with friends, and we had a great night.

Community Garden

This spring, a major project for our household has been helping get the community garden started. Last month at this time, our garden was a grassy lot. In 2 work days, we've built a fence, laid down cardboard, mulch, and built compost beds. We've planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okra, watermelons, beans, carrots, herbs and on and on.

The boys have been very involved and helpful. Micah loved shoveling, and I've been very happy (and proud) that they could make a real contribution.

Wattle

Yesterday we began building another garden bed using a wattle method. Basically drive stakes into the ground about every one and a half feet apart around the perimeter, then weave branches back and forth through them. After it's done we'll line the bottom with cardboard and fill it with compost.

This guy

This guy might be one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He's smart and funny, and he thinks about the world in a different way than I do. Sometimes he makes me tired. He talks a LOT, and he screams really loud when he's scared, upset, angry, or Luke antagonizes him. He still thinks naps are ridiculous, and right now he won't eat pizza, black beans, potatoes, or olives.

Storage

This is one of my favorite IKEA acquisitions. Everything in its place... The boys are doing well putting toys away when they know where they go.