And I'm back!

What have I been doing these two weeks? It may be more a question of what have I forgotten to do! We spent a week in Oregon with family and friends, throwing sand, picnicking in the rain, eating way too much amazingness and just being together, finally! And then returned to the whirlwind of homestead life in the spring.

 Peter had carefully reintegrated the chicken (the all black one) back into the flock while us girls were out of town. Best husband ever! Ferdy is doing well. She has a permanent limp, a bald spot and a wicked scar under her right wing, but she lives! She can fend for herself, though she has been demoted to the bottom of the pecking order. Poor thing seems a bit depressed about it, so we love on her whenever we go outside and make sure to give her a pile of treats when the other girls are busy and can't steal them from her.

After a round of rabbies boosters it was time for the house pets to have the attention. Mr Kitty had his once-in-a-lifetime-only visit to the vet. As we tried to explain to Emagene why he had to go and was coming back with an owie it became apparent that she has no interest in the reproductive system or function, though amusingly she does call all grown-ups Mommies and Daddies. Artemis, the best alarm dog ever, went for her yearly haircut a couple days later. 

It was interesting to hear Emagene explain what happened to all the animals to a visiting aunt. E seemed relieved that the dog would not becoming home from the groomer with an owie and be unable to play for a week, like the cat who apparently had an accident while getting his haircut and therefore needed to sleep for 3 days (like I said, no interest in the reproductive system yet and has no idea what the word "Neuter" actually means). She speaks of the chicken as having a really bad owie from the white dog hurting her. She speaks with such an intense emotion behind her tales. I think a chicken living in the tub for a week and a cat not wanting to move stirred her compassion level a bit. She's always been interested in and connects easily with animals. She seems a little more in tune with their emotional levels now. I won't be surprised if she ends up working with animals or surrounded by an extensive array of pets! She tried hard to "rescue" a chameleon from its cage at the pet store yesterday as it tried in vain to climb the glass. I knew if she held it, she would want to bring it home and I don't need another pet at the moment! 

Anyways- in the midst of all that, severe thunderstorms, tornado warnings (though none came close to us, thank the gods!), broken tree limbs, tap classes, the birth of a friend's baby, swimming, growth in the garden, crafting and general domestic duties have filled in the bits of time around all the animal happenings. We have managed to reset our sleep habits and just be together as a family in the last few days. It's been lovely!

Next week, as we move into the third trimester of this pregnancy, it's time to take stock of our house. Clean, rearrange, purge, stockpile, dedicate space and all other things needed to make space for a new family member to join our daily lives while holding dear the last few months of being a family of three. 

 

And plan a camping trip. 

 

Anyone have tips for a tent camping pregnant momma?