Turkey Hatching

There aren't too many things in this world more exciting than watching turkeys hatch.

Zipping: When the chick has pecked from the inside so it looks like a zipper

Mark started this incubator full of turkey eggs that he found here and there, abandoned in mud, left in the poop under the perch... he scrubbed them up, stuck them in, and hoped for the best.

Turkeys hatch head first and then wiggle free

 Genevieve was glued to the incubator, watching and recording every pip and hatch.  It would have been the perfect 4-H project for showing at the fair... but I guess after we get officially signed up we can do it again next year....

Awe, a newborn!

 ...or in 28 days. Yes, the incubator is full again with eggs Mark found out in the woods.

We are going to have turkeys coming out our ears!

Easter 2017

I had this idea that I could get the girls into matching Easter dresses that were handed down from their cousin...what I didn't count on was Genna and Fiona growing....

 ...and the dresses were too short, tight, and itchy.

Fiona changed into something comfortable and they all posed with their "real feelings"

Forgot about changing when we said GO!

Forgotten egg from last year...

Camo egg: When you dye a brown egg green...

Genna and Fiona naturally buddied up with their younger siblings

And Shane showed up just in time to buddy up with Daniel:

At the last count, three eggs were still out there, not counting the one Jason stepped on *crunch*  We've had a lovely day, all ten of us at home and none of us having to go anywhere.

Daniel is Seven

And what a guy he is!  Our current tradition (ahem) is to let the birthday kid choose for the day.  When we asked Daniel what he wanted to do for his birthday, he asked if he could go to Taekwondo.  Well, his birthday happened to fall on a Saturday, so wish granted!

Present contains: one notebook, a pack of Pokemon cards, and Beyblades

He was so busy.  First, he got up early.  He is and always has been an early bird.  His sense of competition is so high that he needs to be first to get up in the morning.  If he isn't, he feels bad for the rest of the day.  He helped his dad make blueberry oatmeal for breakfast and started getting excited for presents!  Teen aged brothers aren't easy to wake up so early on a Saturday morning and Daniel started to feel the weight of not having total control.  He ended up running to his room crying three times because of various offenses (one was me telling him that all I got for him was socks and underwear when I knew he already knew what he was getting because he found them in the van).  I finally had to go wake the older boys up so he could open presents in front of them.

Genevieve and Fiona sewed a chicken on a nest for him

One thing I love about my kids is that they always give each other thoughtful gifts that they create themselves or hand down out of their own toy stash. Ian and Shane both handed down some Pokemon cards.  Genevieve gave him one of her ducklings that is still being brooded, plus she came up with a plan to sew the chicken.  She stayed up late for several nights after Daniel had gone to bed, sewing in secret, and allowed Fiona to make the eggs to go with it.

Taekwondo Belt Cake

My gift to Daniel (besides the toys) was a custom cake.  I had to buy a new Kitchen Aid mixer, because my old one just can't handle a family our size.  The poor thing has been sitting on my counter unused for so long because it just can't make cakes and cookies in the quantities we need.  I also learned how to make fondant.  I figured with all these birthdays in the family, I better find a way to avoid having Costco cake ten times a year.

Then it was time to GO.  He had a baseball game, went to taekwondo, went swimming, and went to Costco and the grocery store.  He came home and zoned on video games while Mark cooked up some burgers on the grill.  He ate his burger and played with his new Pokemon cards.  And finally (finally) we had his cake.  He was so so so tired by cake time.

He persevered long enough to not only eat his cake and his ice cream, but he was able to stay up even later to play Lego Star Wars!

Deep breath!

BLOW!

Easter Au Natural

This is the first sunny Saturday afternoon I've enjoyed in a very long time.

Turkey Eggs by Hairy Scary Rock

Can you see her? Mama Nettles on her Nest

Don't take my picture while I'm broody!

Me Neither! Don't take my picture while I'm broody!

Guess what she is about to do?

Called it.  Caught it.

Seriously so beautiful.  Colored plastic eggs suck in comparison.

This Mean Mama has six duck eggs under her.

Mark's new baby turkeys (Blue Slate and Pencil Stripe?)

Mark also has a bunch of turkey eggs in an incubator in the living room.  They should start pipping in about two weeks.  We have a new 4-H club starting up nearby and I may end up as the poultry leader...wish me luck!