hello spring!

First trip to the reservoir. It was too chilly to swim, but it's nice to start getting outside on adventures again. This year we are pass #58 - go team! It's nice that everyone can carry themselves and some of their own stuff this year - no more loading up three kids and all our stuff on the stroller!

Our butterflies hatched! 4 of the 5 caterpillars hatched. It was fun to watch the metamorphosis from caterpillars of maybe 1 cm long to chrysalis to butterflies - the kids liked checking them out too.

AND . . . CHICKIES! Katie chose a Standard Sultan, currently named 'Yellow Fluff.' She plans on changing the name when the chicken gets older. Alex named his Blue Andalusian 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,' last name 'Will there be enough room.' Technically his chicken is CCBB2, since there was an unfortunate accident with the original chick and Alex trying to help him drink. We are now all much more careful. Max followed Alex's lead and named his Araucana chicken 'Chick Chicka Boom Boom,' as well. This little beauty lays green to blue eggs - I can't wait!

Roger and I felt a little left out, so we got our own chickies too. Mine is a Cuckoo Maran, who should produce dark chocolate brown eggs. If only the eggs were actually chocolate all the way through! Roger's is a Silver Laced Wyandotte, first name 'Big Money,' last name 'No Whammies!' The heat lamp produces a strange red light, but we're getting used to it. It's going to be fun to watch these guys grow and develop feathers and start giving us eggs. It is already a little weird to prepare chicken for dinner, however. Doesn't really seem nice to be eating our little brood's relatives.