Six on Saturday

1. Chicken Count

The first cheeping started Monday morning with one little yellow head popping out from under our Mamma hen. Then a second head appeared and as she shifted her weight we caught glimpses of a third chick making it’s way out of the shell. Then the Mamma got up and walked away!

That seems to be how it is with our hens. They hatch one or two chicks and are impatient to be up and about so they leave the rest of their eggs and go off and celebrate motherhood with a dust bath and a big, fat, black, cricket. But we’ve learned from experience that if we scoop up the eggs quick smart and pop them in our homemade incubator any that would have hatched usually do. So over the course of the next few days four more chicks hatched and fluffed up in the incubator and were bought back outside to Mum. Thankfully she happily accepted these chicks back under her wing and she is busily scratching around with seven fluffy babies as I type.

She’s a lovely placid Mum and lets us cuddle the chicks as long as we don’t take them away. They have crazy names thanks to the kids like ‘Mr Snoodles’ and ‘Pumberry’ and we are currently taking bets on who is a rooster and who is a hen.

2. Young Adult?

I finally ordered the first book in The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody from the library and I read the first chapter last night. It is good. I know this series is supposed to be ‘young adult fiction’, and I am far from being a young adult, but I don’t care.

I fell in love with Isobelle Carmody when my girls were given the Little Fur series. They were such beautiful books to read aloud which is important when you have to read them night after night, but even better, they were as interesting and nuanced for me as they were for my (then) 5 year olds. I’ve read some of her other books too and when I get a moment I love getting lost in the beautiful words of personal blog, Slipstream

3. The Secret Life of Bees

The lovely Tricia from Little Eco Footprints tweeted this great link the other day – Queen Bee works hard for the Honey. Bees are so fascinating. Sometimes I creep off out the back on my own to just sit and watching them coming and going from our hive.

4. “I’m Booorrreeddd”

I hear that quite a bit around here,from the big kids, and then parroted by the little one. It used to drive me bonkers but I’ve learned better now. This post from Let’s Explore sums up my feelings about boredom well and offers some great insights.

5. 73 Days

Did you know there are 73 days till my big boy’s birthday? He is keeping count because we promised him he could have a party, the first party he has ever had. I am sure I will live to regret that promise, and I am sure it won’t ever live up his overinflated expectations, but I can’t deny him the joy of a party just for him, regardless.

So I’m thinking a Lego party is appropriate for a turning 6 year old who spends all his pocket money on the stuff. I’m hoping to keep it kinda of low key. I’m not making 2/how-to-make-lego-gummies-and-be-awesome-the-awesomeness-is-a-side-effect-of-making-the-gummies-like-osmosis-or-something/” target=”_blank”>Lego shaped gummies (link includes occasional coarse language) or anything crazy like that. I’m thinking just some really engaging Lego activities because it will be the middle of winter, and freezing cold and probably pouring with rain so that means a house full of 5 and 6 year old boys that need to be really, really, engaged least they destroy the joint…. help!

It’ll be fine thought, right? I mean I have 73 days to get organised!

6. I Love School Holidays

School goes back tomorrow. I am sad about that. Sad about having to get up every morning, sad about having to make lunches, and sad about not having to just muck about and do ‘stuff’. Between now and Monday I need to make a batch of muesli bars, a week’s worth of pizza rolls, a batch of Hundred of Biscuits dough to freeze and some Carrot and Zucchini muffins. I guess I had better get off my bum and into the kitchen!

Got some random thoughts to share? Perhaps you’ve come across a fab recipe online? Maybe you’ve written a blog post you’re particularly proud of? Please pop over to my facebook page and add your link to the Six on Saturday post!