You Big Chicken!

Last Spring my 9 yo, Quinn, found an egg at the baseball field.  He wrapped it in his shirt and loved that egg.  He kept it warm by creating a heating lamp and he put it in a cage so little kids wouldn't harm it.  He turned it every few hours just like any mama duck.

I really wanted that egg to hatch so he would be rewarded for loving it so much.  So, I "made" it hatch, magically, and with a little help from the local feed store.

Wow, he really loved that duck!  Look how happy he is!

So, then the duck looked lonely.  I thought the duck looked just fine, but everyone else in the house agreed that he was lonely.

We got two chicks to keep the duck happy, and I thought it would be cute for Easter anyway.  But then the duck and chicks needed a place to live.  So my husband built this wonderful coop.

But it was so big!  My husband thought we should get more chickens to fill up this great big coop!  So, now we have about 20 chickens and two ducks.  I don't think I have mentioned that we live in the city, and we are one step away from those loud birds getting the authorities called to our doorstep.

We get about a dozen eggs a day now.  And I have to say that the big white duck, Viola, has so much personality, that now I LOVE a DUCK! 

There is Myrtle, Mavis, Flo, Hazel, Mable, and Martha.  I gave them all turn of the century womens names.  Women who would have on an apron and be in the kitchen making chicken! I crack myself up sometimes. :)

Bells on her fingers and rings on her toes

This is Jubilee, and those aren't exactly rings on her fingers, they are black olives.  

I am thankful this Thanksgiving that I have all my children alive and well.  This little girl almost didn't make it.  She was born at 27 weeks and was very fragile at first.  We were worried that we would never get to bring her home.  But this Thanksgiving she is 5 and is as perfect and healthy as any full term 5 year old.

Every year we try to make a better dinner, and to remind my self about what works and what doesn't, I am going to make this post.  Feel free to add any comments to make all Thanksgivings better everywhere!

Bake the turkey.  That turkey cooker thing doesn't work, quit trying to make it work.  Cook the turkey in the over like every one else.  We put the turkey in the turkey fryer at 1:00, and it still wasn't done at 6:30.  I was a little nervous to serve it, as I like my bird WELL DONE!

The stuffing was a hit!  The trick I finally figured out was to measure the broth, not guess.  And I mixed it in a big bowl and poured it into the baking dish.  I also added 10 eggs.

Do not buy pies from the bakery.  They put way too much cinnamon in the pecan pie that I bought.  They weren't that great.

Doubling the roll recipe only made 2 1/2 dozen rolls.  So next time, double or quadruple it!

Playing cards after dinner was a huge hit, and we all laughed until we cried.

Watching the parade in the morning while eating cinnamon rolls and sausage and egg taquitos was very fun, and held us over until that very late dinner.

Also, I need to remember that my new son in love enjoys the turkey leg, likes chocolate pie, and will win every card game unless we gang up on him.  

Feeling very blessed today!

Morning sickness take 15

When you have a big family, you often hear things like, " pregnancy must be so easy for you!" Once again, they are wrong.  Pregnancy is hard the first time, the fifth time, and the fifteenth time.  I seemed to get morning sickness extra early this time ( 5 weeks) and it is still around now at 9 weeks.  I have kept accurate records with all my pregnancies and morning sickness is only supposed to last 3 weeks for me!  Why do I still feel so yucky?  Ugh!

So, to try to help myself remember to actually do all my morning sickness strategies, I will share them with you:

1. Morning sickness magic from amazon.  Works great if you remember to take it.
2. 25 mg of unisom every night ( side benefit, sleep so heavy that you won't remember all those creepy             early pregnancy dreams)
3. Lemon or lime in the water, and drink lots!
4. Keep sour candies in the purse at all times.  Make sure to hide them in the tiny side pocket so children won't notice them.
5. Eat every 5 minutes.
6. Cucumbers in vinegar! Yum!
7. Take the iron pill at night, or risk being sick all day.
8. Walk!  Exercise seems to keep the sickies away ( during the minutes of exercise anyway).

I am open to any other tried and true tricks to get through early pregnancy.  Hopefully I can post a feeling better post soon.