Coco, our kitten

I don't really like posting twice in a day, but it make things so much easier, when I have my blog sent to family and friends in one fell swoop. I figure that this is the best place to post what is going on with our dear little kitten that we've only have for a few weeks.

On Good Friday, we were packing to spend the weekend in TN with my husband's awesome parents. As I was doing some last minute checking on our chicks in the garage, I noticed a little black kitten running in and out of the door. Well, at that moment, we didn't have any cats or kittens, and it was completely unexpected. The children immediately fell in love with her and asked if they could keep her. Well, we were about to take off for the whole weekend, and I didn't think it would be safe to lock her in the garage, especially with those little chicks! So, I told the kiddos that if the kitten were still around when we got home after the weekend, they could keep her.

Promises are promises!

On the following Monday, after coming home from our Girl Scout meeting, who should come up the driveway, but that little black kitten! Okay, so now we have a kitten. The neighbors are absolutely tickled, and they are now teasing that maybe a pot-bellied pig or goat should be next in line for our farm. Right. After tossing names around for a day or so, we all settled on the name of Coco, as she is not just black, but has somewhat of brown highlights in her long hair. She is really adorable, and has been a blessing in teaching the children the responsibility of feeding and caring for an animal. The only thing they are not responsible for is the litter box.

This past weekend, on Sunday, our dear little one was attacked by a 3-legged dog. To us, it looked like a pitbull-mix, but the shelter said they entered it in as a boxer-mix. It doesn't really matter, a Coco was really torn up from the encounter. Her left front arm was fractured at all of her major joints: shoulder, elbow (the worst), and wrist. Since she's so tiny at about 8 weeks old, the doctor had to do a closed manipulation of the bones to get them all back in place. Her bones are too small to try to screw back together. The doctor was most concerned about her elbow, as it took the worst of the injuries. If the elbow can't heal in a decent manner, the arm will have to be taken off. Even if it stays on, she won't get too much use out of it, poor thing.

Right now, my wonderful sister-in-law is caring for the kitten, since she works at the animal hospital. The kitten will be in a splint for at least 4-6 weeks, if all goes as planned. I fear when she will be released to come home as these children are soooo rough! We'll figure it out, eventually.

I called the shelter, as the dog was not recognized by any of the neighbors that were present when the incident happened. The shelter said that I have to call everyday to see if the dog has been claimed. If he is claimed, the shelter will give me the owner's information so I can get them to pay the doctor bills. I feel sorry for the dog, as he was pretty nice and social with the humans around. My major concern was that he did start for the kitten while it was still in my son's arms. See, he took her outside to show the neighborhood children up the street his new kitten, against mother's orders. Whew, if ever there were a lesson to be learned!

My babies are growing!

Okay, so who did I get those little chickens for, anyhow? I have been the most reluctant one about getting pets. Why? Because I know that I will be the only one to take care of the critters, and I simply don't have the time. At least that's not on top of my list of things I want to do with my spare time. Now, we have 7 prepubescent chickens, 1 silkie ring-neck dove, and 1 severely injured kitten (story to come). Out of all of these wonderful beings, the chickens are way up there when it comes to getting pleasure in caring for them. Little did I know!

The chickens take the most time throughout the day to care for. We have to go out twice a day to check on food and water, and to check to make sure they are going up and down the ladder okay. For the past couple of days, they all seem to want to stay in the top part of the coop. I don't know if that's because it's been warmer lately, or what. We tried to put them in the bottom, but they all ended up back in the top. I am done trying to figure out the psychology of our chickens, so if they want to stay in the top, go for it. I do know that I prefer for them all to be in the top, as that area provides the best protection from predators. Seems I've been hearing way more owls hooting since we brought the birds home. Hmm...

It is amazing to watch them grow. It was so funny when they started losing their baby feathers. At first, I started to panic that they were infested with mites or something. And then I figured out that they were just going through puberty. How cute! I just wish we could be more sure of their genders. A couple are growing their combs before the others. Although, both male and female can have them, I wonder if the ones growing them now, are male. One of them I am pretty sure is a cock, as he is very vocal, already has been growing his comb on top for a while now, and is the most aggressive. This, to me, is hilarious because he is also the 2nd smallest of the whole bunch. It's like that little man syndrome! Ha!!!

So, we're going out of town for the weekend, the children and I. I have some close friends with children that will stop by everyday to count the chickens and monitor their waterers. I figure that's all they really need at this point. They can go up and down as they please, the feeder holds enough food to keep them for 3-4 days, and there is still some greenery and bugs on the bottom, if they want more than chick feed. I still can't help but think that I'll be thinking about them the whole weekend. I really hope those darn owls don't try to get into the coop. Of course, there are other marsupials and rodents out there that I should be concerned about. Oh, and when we were having our Girl Scout backyard camp out last weekend, just 5 minutes down the road, I could hear all sorts of coyote cries. I better come back to 7 chickens or I'll be pissed!

Enjoy the pictures of our prepubescent babes. I'll try to take more photos along the way, as they get older. I can't figure out how to caption the photos, so here's a rundown of what you're looking at: At the top, are my two little reds, holding one of their little reds. Next, is one of our RI Reds, next to a qt-size Mason jar, for size reference. Third, is our cockiest little one. He is also the 2nd smallest, but very fiesty. The fourth is my son's, and we call her Mohawk Girl. The name was Mohawk Man, but we've since realized that it's most likely a she, not a he. Good thing, since we only want girls. Last one, on the right, is our little Road Runner. She is soooo fast! She is a blast to chase, or at least a blast to watch the kiddos chase. Poor thing.

Have a Blessed weekend!

Food for the foodies!

Anyone else have the problem of going to the spice cabinet in the middle of cooking, just to find out that you don't have what you need? Well, shoot, I do that with major ingredients, too, but that's not the point. The point of this little gem of an entry is to show and tell about my new herb garden. Yay!!! Everyone should have an herb garden, I think.

First of all, we just happen to have this bare circle in the middle of the front yard. There is an electrical outlet on a post and a cord coming out of the ground, plugged into the outlet. Interestingly, I could never get an answer as to just what, exactly, this little mess was when we bought the house. So, I leave it plugged in. Anyhow, the ground around this outlet is nicely prepped for a lovely little circular garden, about 6 feet in diameter. What would be cuter than a beautiful, fragrant herb garden? Never again will I be distraught over the lack of herbage in my house!

So, how did I start, you ask? Simple, I figured out what we use the most in the kitchen, and then I thought of some medicinal herbs that may be needed by my extremely active family. After some research, I came up with the kitchen herbs that can also serve as medicinals: basil (common and lime), cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, marjoram, sage and thyme. There's nothing like having dual-purpose plants at my disposal! Oh, like those dual-purpose chickens out back.

Second, I had the children help me mark off the garden into pie-shaped sections, using yarn and rocks to weigh down the yarn. This made it colorful and fun for the children to participate. I certainly want them to be comfortable with eating the herbs, so by letting them help grow and cultivate the garden, they'll be more open to eating the "fruits" of their labor.

Third, I figured out that I should have had the children till and loosen the soil BEFORE we marked off the sections. So, we unmarked the garden and tilled it up, adding in some nice dark stuff to make it yummier for the new plants. After that, we remarked the garden.

Fourth, we made our trip to the home improvement store for our seeds and plants. I found all I could in seed form, since that seems to be the most cost effective. Then we meandered over to the plant section and picked out the rest of what was on my shopping list.

Once back home, the gardening was old news for the young ones, so Mommy had the digging and planting all to herself. No complaints here! Getting your hands in the dirt has got to be therapeutic, in some form or fashion, no doubt about it. It's also a very empowering feeling to place seeds in the dirt, thinking that I have just started to grow something that can serve and supply my family with goodness for years to come. Oh, and the yard will look pretty, too.

So, there it is. Herb gardening made easy. All I have to do now is to water, wait, watch, and weed. So far, it's been a little over a week. No seeds have sprouted, yet, but I'll give them a little more time. One of the dill plants has completely bent over and killed off. No worries, that wonderful home improvement store has some sort of a warranty. Now, if I can only find that darn receipt!

I suppose that I will be expected to share recipes in which I use these wonderful herbs. You've got it! We've already used the common basil on a homemade pizza last week. We simply pinched off a couple of leaves from each plant and placed them, whole, on the pizza with all the other toppings. It was soooo delicious! I promise, there will be a plethora of recipes to come, with herbs included. Hmm, pesto is sounding pretty good to me, right now. Okay, stay tuned...

What is my job title again?

Stay-at-home mom.

Sounds pretty simple, right? One would assume, as I did when I was still working but pregnant, that a SAHM is simply one of those frilly homemakers with some silly apron, who tends to their family with a smile. I'm not even sure how I came up with that picture, as my own mom, once a SAHM, was not that way at all.

I am currently looking at a possible internet job that focuses on the scope of being a SAHM. Since looking at that job posting, I've been scrambling my brain about what in the world would be my focus.

Just for kicks, I'll give a run-down of my "job description", and this is not to be compared to working mothers, housewives with no children, working women with no children, etc. I'm just exploring my world.

Matron Murphy's job description:

• wife - caretaker of Mr. Murphy,


• mother - caretaker of 2 children,


• cook - prepare meals for anyone present in the house to eat, keep up grocery stock


• maid - clean entire house, top to bottom, take out trash, make sure cans go out on trash night,


• launderer - keep all clothing clean and presentable, mend as needed,


• CFO - maintain all finances, pay bills, balance checkbook, budget expenses,


• landscaper - maintain lawn, maintain gardens, keep driveway clean


• house doctor - try to keep all family healthy, and treat as necessary when sick, keep up stock of medicine cabinet,


• appliance repair tech. - maintain all appliances in household and repair as necessary,


• teacher - educate my children to the best of my ability, give them as many experiences as possible, keep up-to-date with the world so to make learning current.


• La Leche League Leader - lead and support our local group and mothers in breastfeeding and parenthood,


• Girl Scout Leader - plan and lead my daughter's Daisy troop

Okay, I think I've said enough. Not trying to toot my own horn that I have some big job, or that I'm trying to justify that I really do stay busy. I do have days when I sit down and wonder what the heck I actually did all day. What did I complete or accomplish? Should I, could I, have done more in one area? Did I even give the children enough attention? Scales, scales, scales!!! It's difficult not to weigh accomplishments, needs, wants and priorities. Now, where is an application for that? I would be afraid to see a pie chart designed to show how much time is placed in certain areas and where it may be needed in others. That's not in my area of expertise, for sure!

It's times like this when I start to get all stressed out. You know, dear husband comes home, worn out and tired, and reminds me that, one day, I will have to be the bread-maker of the family, and HE will get to retire. Have I really retired? Am I on some big vacation? I thought a vacation was when you stay somewhere that you don't have to clean your own sheets, or even change them. Well, in retirement you still have to do those things. But retirement is getting R&R, going outside to tend the garden because there is nothing else to do. Retirement is also when there are no children to take care of because they've all flown the coop! Ha, I'm not retired. But then again, it scares the daylights out of me to think of any other way. I certainly don't want to give this up to go work somewhere out of the home. I really miss the adult interaction, conversation, and even eye-level, but not enough to get back out there. Whew!

So, here I sit, hoping that I have what it takes to be considered an authority on being a SAHM. I fret over having sufficient experience and stories to share. Then again, I simply look at my two little angels and fret no more. They've plenty of stories to create for me, every single moment of the day. I can just sit back, spectate, and report. Thank God I love words! Maybe some day soon, I will add "Published Writer" to my list of titles above. But for now, I'll hop, skip and jump from title to title, as necessary, and love the life I'm living and the family I'm living it with.
My little SAHM-in-training

Something to crow about

I knew when we bought our house last year, that there was a reason we picked a subdivision without any covenants or a Homeowners' Association. We had that primitive, basic instinct that told us the economy was about to go crazy, and we were going to have to take some measures in self-sufficiency to make things comfortable. Well, our instincts were heeded, and here we are, entering the realm of self-sufficiency!

Step One: Raising Chickens

Okay, that is not really the first step we've taken in becoming more fiscally responsible, or tight-wads as some might call it. Sure, we've been clipping coupons, doing sales comparisons, eating lighter (with some added benefits), and reducing our dining-out excursions. However, what's the fun in it for the children? Where is the lesson for them to "live and learn"? What is going to last in their memories when they look back at this historic piece of time? Well, my children will look back fondly, thinking back on their first pets, our chickens, who've added so much more to our household than we could have imagined.

Why chickens? Here are some convincing benefits to raising chickens that may, or may not, seem obvious:

• you get 2-3 fresh eggs everyday, provided you keep 2-3 laying hens;



• you can have fresh meat, and know what it's been fed and how it was raised;



• chickens eat bugs, and help to greatly reduce unwanted pests (ie. ticks, mosquitoes, ants, etc.);



• you have living tillers to work your garden soil and keep the weeds out;



• your children have a blast running around, trying to catch those fast little buggers, which in turn, provides adults plenty of entertainment and conversation.

Okay, was any of the above convincing? It certainly convinced us! So, how does one start to acquire and assess their needs? I can't give enough praise for the first book I checked out of the library, and subsequently bought, entitled, Your Chickens: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing by Gail Damerow. I have found that when you want to learn about something completely new, try to get a children's guide, the wording is so much easier to follow! In this book, I was able to learn about what to expect out of having chickens, how many I should consider for my family, what those crazy little birds need as far as housing, feed, and protection, and the many other money-making opportunities that involve poultry.

After reading up on raising chickens, I was then confident enough to share my interest with my family. My husband, who also shares that "back to the land" calling, heartily agreed to the idea, and next thing you know, we've got baby chicks in a cardboard box in the kitchen. Whew! Of course, they lasted there for only few days before I sent them to the garage for making such a mess of the cardboard with their waterer.

Go ahead, you experienced chicken raisers, laugh all you want. We all have to learn, somehow.

So, according to my wonderful chicken book, those little guys (more hoping for girls) are ready to go out in a coop by 4-6 weeks. Time to build a hen house! Now, you may have to meet my husband in order to understand his passion for carpentry. He loves it. He loves to work with his hands. When he was self-employed doing residential remodeling, he would spend hours talking to the homeowners about what he was doing, adding in little extras to make things look really neat. He even came home one day, beaming, because some old man called him a "real artisan". So, I already knew that the chicken coop project was going to be an interesting one.

We searched all over the internet for chicken tractors, chicken coop designs, hen houses, you name it. The best site we found was a site of 140+ various pictures of chicken tractors. That was all my husband needed to see to become inspired to create his own. What I expected to be a $200 project, ended up being a $400+ project. Hmm, I should've known!

I am posting pictures taken at various steps of the project, in hopes to inspire other chicken coop builders. The coop, by no means, has to be so luxurious, but leave it to my husband, he had to put the nice metal roofing and cedar siding on for a nice, decorative effect. I'm proud of him, and can say that I had the honor in toting his lumber for him, digging the trench to bury the chicken wiring, and holding the ends of the boards he was cutting, getting all covered in saw dust. You want to talk about a marriage revival retreat? Build a chicken coop! Just don't look at the receipts.