Assistant to the Secretary

Poor Louise. (photo by Louise)

I hate Mondays

Double Up

Today was beautiful and we went for a walk using our new (to us) double jogging stroller. It was mostly fun but I'll say that in this picture I suspect both of them are independently planning on how to make the coming afternoon really long.

What To Say

A couple of days ago I was at the store in the check-out line with Irene. Two older ladies were behind me and oohing and aahing over her. They told me all the nice usual things like "it goes by so fast", "isn't it a miracle", etc. I agreed and thanked them and even let them get in line in front of me. While I waited I thought about how tired I was and then told myself to remember when I'm older and in their position and admiring a baby in the check-out line that I want to say "What a lovely baby. Poor dear, I imagine you are quite tired." (yes, I imagine myself to be British in old age).

Crazy Mom

Irene was doing some really cute laughing until I got the camera out. I'll post this video because she is quite cute, even though the mother trying to make her laugh appears to not understand that what she is doing is not working anymore. (Also featured in this film is the mom's right-hand ring finger with but a ring of rash on it instead of her beloved engagement ring, which occurred during the gestational period of Irene and had never happened in the previous four years of wearing the ring. Rats.)

The Youth

Kyle's catechumens sometimes stop by to witness some nature in our back yard or in our home. Today the big lesson was that dogs don't lay eggs. Besides that, I found it very sweet to see the kids holding the chickens under Kyle's watchful eye and asking all sorts of questions and generally delighting in our feathered gifts from God.

Kyle and Evangeline went and  got a new chicken yesterday.
A Dominique (pronounce it:  Dom-i-nekker).
Kaylie is good at holding her.

Moses and Jayla discussing the hen's crooked beak.

Bossing people around with a stick.

Evangeline is a protective farmgirl.

Sisters, dad, doing their thing.

been readin' too many o them books

So, its a well known fact that I only thought I could do this chicken thing because it was in some books. Ellee took it to another level today by making meat extract from some bones we bought at the farmer's market last week. We read about this in Robert Farrar Capon's "Supper of the Lamb." Our house smells wonderful, and we have a whole jar of meat extract and a whole bunch of broth too. What next?

This is definitely not how its supposed to work.

"Oh mommy, can I lick the meat extract spoon???!!!"

I read about chicken composting in a book too.

She can't read.

Chickens. Toddler. Chihuahua beagle. Totally normal.

The mighty Wyandotte. She is at the top of the pecking order.

Car Rides, Friends, and Colds

I'm tired so this will be short. We had a great trip, are very thankful for our great hosts, hopefully were a good example to our kids by going to the March For Life, had fun with cute friends, had astonishingly good kids on both car rides, and woke up with colds.

Ready to go.

Playing with Eva Marie, Ella, and loads of cool(er) toys.

I was surprised to find out Evangeline knows how to play with a dollhouse.

Can you spot Irene?

This was the response to "raise your hand if you're the tallest"

Irene, Eva Marie, Evangeline, Ella, Sofiya

Have cold will sleep with pillow.