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| Of course everyone had to be in the picture and holding something! |
Showing posts with label critters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label critters. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Our first egg!
After months of waiting one of our chickens finally gave us an egg! I was surprised at how big the egg was. I was expecting the first few to be quite small, but this one is almost as large as the large store bought eggs! Must be from one of the Jersey Giants - can't wait to see how big they will get.
Friday, April 8, 2011
More critters!!!
Because we don't have quite enough to do around here and it is not nearly chaotic enough...we decided to get chickens! At first it was going to be just a few chickens for eggs, so I put in an order for 8 Rhode Island Reds and hubby started to build a small coop.
Then he said to me one day... "We should have some chickens for meat too."
To which I said, "then you are gonna need a bigger coop!"
So we ordered a shed that will be converted into a coop.
When I went to pick up the 8 day-old chicks I ordered, they had some Jersey Giants (which I knew would be great meat birds) that were only about a week old so I got 10 of those. While they were putting them into a box I asked if they were all hens.
She said "Yes, did you want a rooster?"
I said "I don't know, do I need a rooster?" At that point I wasn't planning on getting one..
She said "Well, they are free."
I said "Okay, I will take one!" So now we have a Barred Rock rooster too!
If you are keeping count, that adds up to 19 chicks. A very odd number that I am sure drives my hubby crazy!!! Here they are...aren't they precious?! Yeah precious pooping machines!!! But that's okay, the cute peeping makes up for it, and soon we will have yummy eggs. Oh, and we named the black ones, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Nuggets.
Then he said to me one day... "We should have some chickens for meat too."
To which I said, "then you are gonna need a bigger coop!"
So we ordered a shed that will be converted into a coop.
When I went to pick up the 8 day-old chicks I ordered, they had some Jersey Giants (which I knew would be great meat birds) that were only about a week old so I got 10 of those. While they were putting them into a box I asked if they were all hens.
She said "Yes, did you want a rooster?"
I said "I don't know, do I need a rooster?" At that point I wasn't planning on getting one..
She said "Well, they are free."
I said "Okay, I will take one!" So now we have a Barred Rock rooster too!
If you are keeping count, that adds up to 19 chicks. A very odd number that I am sure drives my hubby crazy!!! Here they are...aren't they precious?! Yeah precious pooping machines!!! But that's okay, the cute peeping makes up for it, and soon we will have yummy eggs. Oh, and we named the black ones, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Nuggets.
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| Carlee is holding the rooster. We named him Rocky Roo |
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| awww so sweet and cuddly |
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| until they start flapping those little wings! |
Monday, February 28, 2011
Loving Ellie
Most days the kids don't bother much with Ellie, but on this day she decided to give puppy kisses and the kids enjoyed loving her right back...
she didn't even mind when Sam got a bit rough. That's when I stopped the video to settle him down, which he did. Then this little love fest went on and on!
she didn't even mind when Sam got a bit rough. That's when I stopped the video to settle him down, which he did. Then this little love fest went on and on!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Our newest addition
Because we don't have nearly enough chaos we thought it would be fun to get a puppy. One day we went to see our babysitter in her high school drama play. On our way home there was a family with some puppies they were giving away...and so because we are all suckers for puppies we stopped. They said the mother was a pure bred chocolate lab and no clue what the father was. We think probably some kind of deerhound.
Well, we decided that it is as good a time as any to get a new puppy. One of the biggest reasons is because Ellie is getting older and we wanted the puppy to learn her good traits, like staying in the yard without having to be tied up for one thing. I noticed that the puppies that looked more like labs were much more active and more likely to be jumping up on the kids. And so we picked the puppy that they said was generally the quietest. Hubby was sold when he picked her up and she licked his face. I was hoping for easy to train, we shall see ...meet Lucy!
So I am sure you are wondering how the first week went. Biggest lesson learned is - do not get a new puppy the day before your hubby goes away for a week! The worst part was that I ended up being quite sick that week which is not a good thing to be when you are trying to house train a 2 month old puppy. A puppy that was quite sick for the first couple days - probably due to the stress of being away from her littermates and the change of dogfood on her delicate little tummy. Oh and did I mention the chewing - good grief! We got through the first week...phew!
Well, we decided that it is as good a time as any to get a new puppy. One of the biggest reasons is because Ellie is getting older and we wanted the puppy to learn her good traits, like staying in the yard without having to be tied up for one thing. I noticed that the puppies that looked more like labs were much more active and more likely to be jumping up on the kids. And so we picked the puppy that they said was generally the quietest. Hubby was sold when he picked her up and she licked his face. I was hoping for easy to train, we shall see ...meet Lucy!
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| This is actually Ellie's crate, but for now it will do because she is smaller than Ellie - but not for long! |
So I am sure you are wondering how the first week went. Biggest lesson learned is - do not get a new puppy the day before your hubby goes away for a week! The worst part was that I ended up being quite sick that week which is not a good thing to be when you are trying to house train a 2 month old puppy. A puppy that was quite sick for the first couple days - probably due to the stress of being away from her littermates and the change of dogfood on her delicate little tummy. Oh and did I mention the chewing - good grief! We got through the first week...phew!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
too funny - my tutor
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| Carlee was working hard at her schoolwork and I had the camera right there so I snapped a picture. |
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| She looked up and said "MAMA" so I snapped another one. |
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| A couple minutes later Bootsie sat up a bit and it looked like he was overseeing her work, so I snapped another one. |
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| He immediately turned to me with a funny little growl/meow that he does, which let me know that he was annoyed and that I should stop it because apparently I was interrupting the lesson hahaha |
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Gilbert
One day the kids were outside and came running in to get me. They were so excited they were practically jumping out of their shorts "Mama Mama you just have to come right now, you just have to come and see what we found". Of course I went quickly, desperately praying that they had not found an 8-foot snake!
It wasn't a snake, it was a teeny, tiny kitten. Very cute and very very young. Way too young to be away from its mother. I guess he was only about 4 weeks old.
It wasn't a snake, it was a teeny, tiny kitten. Very cute and very very young. Way too young to be away from its mother. I guess he was only about 4 weeks old.
They immediately named him Gilbert and we just had to feed him, which thrilled Carlee to pieces!
She even hand fed him some milk-softened food...
But then there was a problem, he was just way too little to be in our house. The cats didn't want anything to do with him, the dogs would not leave him alone thinking he was a toy or something. Then there was the kids - they constantly picked him up, dropped him, and even tried stuffing him into pockets and boxes. It was simply dangerous for this kitten to be here. Not too mention, he was totally flea infested to the point where the fleas were probably killing him.
Anyway, after a couple of days of constantly trying to protect the kitten, we finally decided that our house was not the best place for him. In this photo I think he is pleading to get out of here...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Hanging out
Hanging out til the neighbors dog leaves...LOL he was up there for hours I was beginning to worry.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
It must be a nightmare
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Painting helpers?
The kids wanted desperately to help with the painting, but I was using oil paint and didn't think it was a good idea to let them help. So we had them washing down cabinets, inside and out haha
Later I had the cabinet doors lined up on the counters and the table so I could paint them. As I finished the ones on the table I turned to do some others, I turned back to see this!
It was pretty easy to figure out who did it, all I had to do was check the bottom of paws! I didn't think it was Boots, with only three legs it is pretty tough for him to jump from the floor onto the table. He prefers to jump on a chair first and I had all those moved out of the way. Of course it was Tigger, little brat had white paws!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Critters and more critters
The other day I walked into the kitchen and saw this... 
Luckily the camera was sitting right there on the counter and the way that the cat was lying there so casually I assumed that the frog was dead. But it wasn't, just waiting for its chance to escape. I have learned that well-fed cats do not catch things to eat them, they catch them to torture them - I mean to play with. Well, on this day, Tigger-kitty had caught a frog and brought it in the house to play with it in comfort!
The kids soon discovered what I was doing and came to investigate. Their excitement got the attention of the dogs and Ellie got in there to investigate. This was all too much for the frog who took a couple hops but his escape was blocked by the cabinet. I managed to get this shot before I put the camera down to rescue the poor frog. The words on this photo would be:
Cat: Oh I can still see you, but I just finished my breakfast so I am gonna play with you for awhile longer.
Dog: Are you gonna eat him or am I?
Frog: OH CRAP
By the way, I checked the frog and he did not seem harmed in any way. I quickly let him go, ignoring my kids begging to hold him.
I have also decided that Tigger-kitty must be bored. Yesterday, the outside doormat was covered with feathers. Thankfully the door was closed this time!
For more great photos visit Wordless Wednesday or Wordful Wednesday
Luckily the camera was sitting right there on the counter and the way that the cat was lying there so casually I assumed that the frog was dead. But it wasn't, just waiting for its chance to escape. I have learned that well-fed cats do not catch things to eat them, they catch them to torture them - I mean to play with. Well, on this day, Tigger-kitty had caught a frog and brought it in the house to play with it in comfort!
The kids soon discovered what I was doing and came to investigate. Their excitement got the attention of the dogs and Ellie got in there to investigate. This was all too much for the frog who took a couple hops but his escape was blocked by the cabinet. I managed to get this shot before I put the camera down to rescue the poor frog. The words on this photo would be:
Cat: Oh I can still see you, but I just finished my breakfast so I am gonna play with you for awhile longer.
Dog: Are you gonna eat him or am I?
Frog: OH CRAP
By the way, I checked the frog and he did not seem harmed in any way. I quickly let him go, ignoring my kids begging to hold him.
I have also decided that Tigger-kitty must be bored. Yesterday, the outside doormat was covered with feathers. Thankfully the door was closed this time!
For more great photos visit Wordless Wednesday or Wordful Wednesday
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Nap buddies
Ben is probably the hardest on the pets. If one of the cats scratches or one of the dogs growls it is almost always at Ben. So why do you suppose they prefer to nap with him?
More Wordless Wednesdays at 5minutesformom
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Our family critters
I realized that I have not written much about our pets. Here is their story...
Ellie
When I lived by myself in Canada I got a dog from the SPCA, she looked like a black Benji dog! We used to go on long walks and she pretty much went everywhere I did. Here is a picture of her running in the snow, she loves to run!
When Arlan & I were going to get married I told him that Ellie & I were a package deal. When we went to SanDiego he even had to move so that we could be in an apartment that allows dogs! Well, it did not take long and Ellie decided that he was the best thing to come into her life. She quickly became his dog!!! Her life changed drastically going from being a "farm" dog to a city dog in SanDiego to a beach dog in Huntington Beach. Then we had kids, Ellie tolerates them and occasionally shows them some puppy love.
She does like a soft place to lay! If there is anything to lay on, such as clothes, blankets, or bodies then Ellie will be laying on it.
And she always patiently waits for her turn. I started calling them my furry vacuums because they clean up the floor under the table so nicely.
Ellie is getting pretty old, I have had her for almost 7 years and they guess that she was 3 or 4 when I got her. But she has been a great dog and I hope she has some good years left in her yet!
Matty
Then there is Matty! Poor Matty is not the smartest dog on the block! We inherited Matty from hubby's grandparents and brought him home a couple months before Sam was born. Matty is a miniature poodle and chiuaua mix and because of the poodle he needs frequent grooming. After about 5 weeks he is just a mess!
Matty loves to be near people, but especially Daddy, I guess he hasn't figured out that Daddy really doesn't like him all that much hahaha! Just kidding, he does like Matty, he will just never admit it!
At first Ellie wanted to have nothing to with him, but eventually they grew to be friends.
Matty ended up being quite an expensive little addition to our family. He has had both back legs operated on to correct problems with his knee joints. During the recovery of his surgeries that were about a year apart, he was not able to exercise much. And this was about the time that we started to feed table food to Sam, and not long after to Ben & Carlee. Poor Matty is now nicknamed Fatty Matty. The good news is that he has lost a bit of the weight since we moved here and he has room to run.
Boots the three legged cat!
Within the first few nights of being in our home we met Boots. He was a stray cat that introduced himself one evening when we sitting on the deck enjoying the quiet of the evening. Of course it was hubby (the old softie) who just had to feed him. I told him that if he feed him he would never go away. Well hubby hoped that he would catch mice and that it would be good to have a cat around the yard. So we started feeding him, and discovered that he didn't mind the dogs and really liked the kids. he has these cute white paws and so I immediately started to call him Boots.
A few weeks after Boots started hanging around I found him under our deck with a badly broken leg. I took him to a vet and decided that he was a nice enough cat that we would see if we could fix his leg. The vet's opinion was that cat's generally heal really well and he would probably only need a splint. So I brought him home with a splint and had to keep him indoors. A week later the vet checked his leg, but it had been too bad of a break and the leg was dying. It needed to be amputated. I had already put money into the "stupid cat" as I affectionately began to call him. What was a few hundred more! And so the stray cat became our three legged house cat.
He gets along just fine with just three legs. In fact I have seen him with a mouse and a bird! He is never too far away from the house, comes when I call him, and is quite often where ever the kids are. The best thing I love about him is that he always goes outside rather than using a litter box!!
Now here is the strange thing about our pets...Talk about coincidence!!!
I got Ellie from the SPCA on July 4, 2001
We brought Matty home from the Grandparents on July 4, 2005
I found Boots with a broken leg on July 4, 2008
And then there are the add-ons...There are a couple of dogs in our neighborhood that have figured out we are suckers for cute, friendly dogs. And especially when it is cold outside and we are suspicious of how they are treated at home and they are cute and they are good with the kids... I know I am trying to justify the fact that the other day we had as many critters in the house as people. But Trixie makes her way over here nearly every day, usually around the time I am feeding the other critters. She has good timing! She is a cute lovable little dog who loves the kids. Ellie and Matty tolerate her but her and Boots get along really well.
And the latest add-on...One day there was a big brown dog that showed up in our yard. If you know a lab, then you know that they are just the sweetest, most lovable dogs. And this dog was no exception. We think we know where he lives, but we don't know his name. I started to call him Bob the big brown dog. When he shows up he comes in the house for a snack and a snooze. He was sleeping on my feet while I typed part of this post! The kids love him and he loves, well everything! He even wags his tail while Ellie growls at him, while Matty barks frantically at him, and while Boots hisses and swipes at him. I think they are jealous hahaha.
The moral of the story is that we love our pets, and even our neighbors pets! I believe that having pets teaches our children gentleness, kindness and compassion. And I also believe that we will always have pets.
Ellie
When I lived by myself in Canada I got a dog from the SPCA, she looked like a black Benji dog! We used to go on long walks and she pretty much went everywhere I did. Here is a picture of her running in the snow, she loves to run!
When Arlan & I were going to get married I told him that Ellie & I were a package deal. When we went to SanDiego he even had to move so that we could be in an apartment that allows dogs! Well, it did not take long and Ellie decided that he was the best thing to come into her life. She quickly became his dog!!! Her life changed drastically going from being a "farm" dog to a city dog in SanDiego to a beach dog in Huntington Beach. Then we had kids, Ellie tolerates them and occasionally shows them some puppy love.
She does like a soft place to lay! If there is anything to lay on, such as clothes, blankets, or bodies then Ellie will be laying on it.
And she always patiently waits for her turn. I started calling them my furry vacuums because they clean up the floor under the table so nicely.
Ellie is getting pretty old, I have had her for almost 7 years and they guess that she was 3 or 4 when I got her. But she has been a great dog and I hope she has some good years left in her yet!
Matty
Then there is Matty! Poor Matty is not the smartest dog on the block! We inherited Matty from hubby's grandparents and brought him home a couple months before Sam was born. Matty is a miniature poodle and chiuaua mix and because of the poodle he needs frequent grooming. After about 5 weeks he is just a mess!
Matty loves to be near people, but especially Daddy, I guess he hasn't figured out that Daddy really doesn't like him all that much hahaha! Just kidding, he does like Matty, he will just never admit it!
At first Ellie wanted to have nothing to with him, but eventually they grew to be friends.
Matty ended up being quite an expensive little addition to our family. He has had both back legs operated on to correct problems with his knee joints. During the recovery of his surgeries that were about a year apart, he was not able to exercise much. And this was about the time that we started to feed table food to Sam, and not long after to Ben & Carlee. Poor Matty is now nicknamed Fatty Matty. The good news is that he has lost a bit of the weight since we moved here and he has room to run.
Boots the three legged cat!
Within the first few nights of being in our home we met Boots. He was a stray cat that introduced himself one evening when we sitting on the deck enjoying the quiet of the evening. Of course it was hubby (the old softie) who just had to feed him. I told him that if he feed him he would never go away. Well hubby hoped that he would catch mice and that it would be good to have a cat around the yard. So we started feeding him, and discovered that he didn't mind the dogs and really liked the kids. he has these cute white paws and so I immediately started to call him Boots.
A few weeks after Boots started hanging around I found him under our deck with a badly broken leg. I took him to a vet and decided that he was a nice enough cat that we would see if we could fix his leg. The vet's opinion was that cat's generally heal really well and he would probably only need a splint. So I brought him home with a splint and had to keep him indoors. A week later the vet checked his leg, but it had been too bad of a break and the leg was dying. It needed to be amputated. I had already put money into the "stupid cat" as I affectionately began to call him. What was a few hundred more! And so the stray cat became our three legged house cat.
He gets along just fine with just three legs. In fact I have seen him with a mouse and a bird! He is never too far away from the house, comes when I call him, and is quite often where ever the kids are. The best thing I love about him is that he always goes outside rather than using a litter box!!
Now here is the strange thing about our pets...Talk about coincidence!!!
I got Ellie from the SPCA on July 4, 2001
We brought Matty home from the Grandparents on July 4, 2005
I found Boots with a broken leg on July 4, 2008
And then there are the add-ons...There are a couple of dogs in our neighborhood that have figured out we are suckers for cute, friendly dogs. And especially when it is cold outside and we are suspicious of how they are treated at home and they are cute and they are good with the kids... I know I am trying to justify the fact that the other day we had as many critters in the house as people. But Trixie makes her way over here nearly every day, usually around the time I am feeding the other critters. She has good timing! She is a cute lovable little dog who loves the kids. Ellie and Matty tolerate her but her and Boots get along really well.
And the latest add-on...One day there was a big brown dog that showed up in our yard. If you know a lab, then you know that they are just the sweetest, most lovable dogs. And this dog was no exception. We think we know where he lives, but we don't know his name. I started to call him Bob the big brown dog. When he shows up he comes in the house for a snack and a snooze. He was sleeping on my feet while I typed part of this post! The kids love him and he loves, well everything! He even wags his tail while Ellie growls at him, while Matty barks frantically at him, and while Boots hisses and swipes at him. I think they are jealous hahaha.
The moral of the story is that we love our pets, and even our neighbors pets! I believe that having pets teaches our children gentleness, kindness and compassion. And I also believe that we will always have pets.
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