Random Bits of What's Going On

Life continues here in our household and we haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just off the face of Blogger. :)  My last post was about my trip the the hospital.  Since then I have been back to the cardiologist for a follow-up appointment and was released from taking the Motoprolol, which suited me just fine because it was giving me low blood pressure (~100/50-60). I felt like I had no oomph or gumph all day, every day.  I was diagnosed with SVT most likely aggravated by decongestants I took for my cold (and that I had taken in the past just fine). So far no more recurrences of the rapid heart-rate and I am thankful for that.

I have worked in the garden quite a bit have have some things in but not as much as I'd like.  I found a toad one afternoon and Susannah loved holding it.

Sylvia is our adventurous one. I am surprised that she has not fallen/climbed out of her crib yet and I hope she never does. Her 1 year molars are working their way in; 1/2 of one has already cut through. After that discovery, I understood her sudden change in sleep patterns. Now she is back to her normal 12-hours at night and an afternoon nap. She LOVES to swing but even more she loves to slide down the slide by herself.

The very biggest excitement of the week was being offered 6 chickens on Sunday, to arrive at our place Tuesday or Wednesday.  We have been talking about getting chickens for a few years, but it had always gotten put off because building a people house was more important than a chicken house.  This past winter we were thinking that this year would be the year.

I pulled out my old jeans, Daniel's Tingly knee-high boots (did I mention that it rained/drizzled all day Monday and Tuesday afternoon?), dragged the pak'n'play outside to contain Sylvia when she was awake, and worked at getting the area for the chicken house (currently pen) cleared out and then the pen constructed.  We had put in the 2 corner posts a few years ago, but everything else I did myself with occasional texts or phone calls to Daniel to find out where certain tools were. My child-hood degree in farming paid off in knowing how to swing a hammer and staple up fence. :)  After 3 days of work different than I'm used to I was well-aware of muscles I haven't used in close to a decade. It was hard work, but it was fun and it is satisfying to see my hard work working well.

The hens arrived Wednesday evening and Susannah is in love with them.  Sylvia has fun watching them, too, and today one was finally close enough to the fence that she could reach in and touch it. I am glad they are friendly chickens so the girls can experience them hands on.  We got our first egg this morning and I'm eager for them to get back into the swing of laying so we can eat all farm-fresh eggs!

Today we went grocery shopping and Susannah asked if she could use a little cart. It was not the first time she asked, but the first time I thought she was ready.  She did pretty well with several reminders to watch where she was going. :) The check-out lane was the biggest test of her self-control, being closely surrounded by so many things to look at, but we made it through without too much hassle.

*Please excuse the grainy cell-phone pictures. :)