Bat on the Loose...

So when I wrote this, I had no idea I'd be sitting here tonight writing about a tiny little creature that we have lost in our house.

We could hear one of the cats crying at our front door this evening and on further inspection realised they had caught a bat - which in itself is quite a feat I'd expect. This is the one aspect of cats that I truly dislike though. The whole catching of animals for sport when obviously our cats are well fed and not in need of hunting for food. However, if it's mice, then I'm all good with that and yet we have found them to be quite useless in this department, go figure - and decided to come and show us how clever they were.

CJ took said bat (teensy little bat) to examine and we found a little hole in it's wing and a bit of blood around the neck so, naturally we have assumed the poor little thing would not be taking too many more breaths. CJ kept him warm in his hand while watching TV and when the bat gave a little wiggle, he opened his hand to show the girls.

It was at this point that our clever little pal decided to make a break for it. Apparently the hole in his wing did not stop him from flying and it would seem the cats had not done enough damage to dampen this little guy's spirit.

And now we have a bat somewhere in our home, hiding out and we can not find him for love nor money!

If he comes flying out at me when I fold the washing - because all of our washing is hung inside tonight due to the rain - or when I rummage through the gift cupboard that has no door at present, I will absolutely crap myself!

You are my Sunshine...

A big thanks to Miss Allie over here for recognising me in my attempts at commenting on a somewhat regular basis.

I really do try. Why? Because I like to let people know that something they have felt was important enough to take time out and write about was read and appreciated. It may not always be a deep and meaningful post, it might just be something put there to provide some laughter in the day but either way, there was a thought of sharing it, of putting it out there for everyone to read.

Sometimes it's quite personal, something that has left the blog owner quite vulnerable, sometimes it's that quiet chuckle I needed to get my day started and I think it's only courteous to let them know how honoured I feel to be able to share those experiences.

So without further ado, I would like to thank a couple of my regular commenters also.

Of course, Allie and Kirrily would be right there on the list if they hadn't already received this award.

And then, we have Karelle, Peta and Mel (who never ceases to amaze me with the time she finds in a day).

Thanks for always being there girls and commenting, especially on the really important stuff. It means a lot.

Valentine's Day Etiquette 101...

When someone gives you a flower on Valentine's Day, and you're not as tiny as the Wee One, doing this might upset them just a touch...

Flowers are not mops or

metal detectors!

If your mum is a florist, she may also be somewhat surprised at your lack of respect for said flower assuming, of course, that you are over the age of 3.

Happy Girls

Every year, CJ buys the girls a single flower each with a card that says how much he loves them, derived from the answers they have given when he has asked. AJ has always said she loves him 20 bucks and Schmoo came up with 3 o'clock all of her own accord.**

I, of course, always get my very own bunch each year but, just quietly, seeing him give the girls their flowers on Valentine's Day is always my favourite part. I think it is such a sweet gesture from a daddy to his daughter/s.

Then, after the Wee One has exhausted all other uses for her flower we put them all together in a vase as one big bunch. And I think this makes it the start of a family tradition!

**The first year he wrote "I love you the world" on the Wee One's card and this year he has written "I love you like dynamite" in the hope that she will stick with it so that he can finally finish his tattoo. There is a spot right on his elbow ready and waiting to add that last little piece of the puzzle once the Wee One can talk. I can't wait to see what she comes out with and am secretly hoping it something of her own because it just won't be the same if it is scripted for her.

You Capture - Kisses...

So I was going to be really prepared for this, honest I was. I was bummed that I missed last week's so was determined to try and get something down for this week.

Obviously I'm not great at that so I have had to go back through and source some photos over the past couple of years. Two instantly sprang to mind so here they are.

The first is of my gorgeous Schmoo with her pet lamb, Kebab - or was it Cutlet? Hmmmm, I can't remember. We had two and then our friends took them and one became a circus performer and the other, well, you don't want to know - when she was just a teensy little tot.

And the other is of the girls kissing their baby sister in those first few months. Just so cute.

And then, whilst searching for these two photos, I came across this...

How could I not put that in?

The "Toofy-Peg"...

When I went to pick up AJ from after school care today she continued reading her book right to the very end before looking at me with a big wide grin and, in an almost singing voice, said "SURPRISE!!!"

Her first baby tooth fell out this afternoon. And, I have to say, it is sooo tiny. Teensy in fact. So tiny, I had to have something to compare it to for size so opted for a Barbie shoe.

She is so excited that the Tooth Fairy will be visiting tonight. She didn't even want to ask her friends what the Tooth Fairy pays for a tooth because she wants it to be a surprise.

So, after much texting and facebooking tonight, the votes are in and, apparently $2 is the going rate for a tooth these days. I have to say that, while I'm okay with that price for a peg, I'm amazed that the price is the same for all teeth. I would have thought the first tooth would have been worth a bit more fanfare personally but who am I to change the rule?

No, sirree, I am a rules follower not a rules breaker (you know who you are)!

And, upon checking here as suggested by a friend, it would seem that if you did, in fact, get 50 cents for a tooth back in 1980, you would indeed get around $2 for a tooth today.

I think I've covered all the bases!

Life on the Farm 2...

Of course, with all the wonderful experiences we have here, there are also times when the girls learn about losing much loved pets.

Today was another one of those days. AJ came screaming up to the house because she had gone to check on our chickens and could only find one out of the three but feathers all around their yard.

CJ went down and, on further inspection, discovered that Nugget and BB had been killed by (we think) a fox. CJ heard some commotion early this morning when he was taking the engine out of his car but thought that one of the chooks was laying an egg. He now feels like crap, knowing that he could possibly have saved AJ's chooks. He feels like he has let her down. The girls are devastated. AJ is trying to be very brave but she is hurting.

We raised the chooks from babies. They lived in our bathroom for 8 weeks and then Mac - the girls' grandpa, my dad - built them a little hutch so they would be safe for a little longer until we had time to build a pen.

We did that last year and they were safe in there but only as safe as anything can be on acreage. Fluff, our third hen - Fluff and Peep were our 2nd lot of chicks to hand raise, given to us by our good friends. Peep grew into a handsome rooster and is, at present, next door doing the do with the neighbours chooks and producing over a dozen babies so far. He really can puff his chest out and be all rooster in the hen house can't he? - managed to survive the attack this morning.

Tomorrow the girls will visit next door to see if there are any babies they can adopt. I have to admit to being a little concerned about the lesson we are teaching by doing this so soon. On the one hand, we live on acreage and this is life with animals but on the other I don't want my girls thinking that it is as easy as replacing our dearly departed. On the one hand, I want to stop the hurt that my girls are feeling and distract them with new baby chicks that will need all of their love and attention but on the other I worry that this will stop the process that is their grief.

I know some will say that this is life on a farm but these were not "working animals" they were our pets. I understand with working animals the need for replacement due to loss of income etc but I have always been led to believe that the loss of a pet teaches our children some fundamental lessons on loss and grief and life.

I could be wrong. What would I really know about it? None of my pets died until I was well into my 20s so these lessons were never part of my childhood.

I should point out that I don't think AJ would ever forget a pet. She is far too loyal right down to our cars and can still remember the first car we traded in but would it be so bad to have some new chickens to shower with love and affection and distract her just a little?

And then I look at those innocent, so very sad little faces and think how wonderful it would be that things could be fixed so easily and maybe I should allow them this innocence before they have to realise the harshness of an adult world where replacement could never make our losses right or mend broken hearts or erase memories.

So, tomorrow, I think we will be going to adopt some new chickens.

Another Stage...

It's official. She's still growing up.

AJ discovered her first wobbly tooth yesterday. *sniff*

She has been anticipating the loss of her first tooth for over a year now with most of her friends already having lost at least two to four of their baby teeth last year.

She got to a stage where she couldn't even talk about it (her words not mine) because she was the only one not losing teeth. I tried to console her with the fact that the longer she has her baby teeth, the stronger and healthier her adult teeth will be but, let's face it, as if it was ever going to fly.

The words were coming out of my mouth and I didn't even believe them. Who wants to hear that when all their friends are doing something else?

But, I tried to do the "right" motherly thing. The thing "they" would say to do and, quite frankly, providing very little comfort in such shallow words.

But we're here. She is so excited although we are a little concerned that, when our little tortoise friend was released the other day and they were climbing over the fence, CJ actually booted her in the mouth.

Either way it's the start of some big changes.

Just not sure I'm ready.

*And there's a part of me - the vain part perhaps? - that secretly wishes her school photos will be before she loses said tooth or after she has had time to grow the new one, while on the other hand I'm trying to convince myself, quite unsuccessfully, that a photo without a tooth will be great to look back on in years to come to provide some kind of time line of events.

*sigh*

Did I mention I'm not ready?

Life on the Farm...

Okay, so I know we technically don't have a farm - well, unless of course you ask the banks who now suggest we are rural and will have trouble borrowing any money, but that's a whole new story/rant right there - but we do get a lot of more interesting things show up here.

And being that the husband always has to go cycling nearly every. Single. Day - such a health freak. Really not sure how we got paired up - he often finds animals that have been injured in his travels which he then brings home to share with the girls.

I don't mind. Most of them. There are a few I steer clear of but the girls love it when Daddy has a new surprise for them. From a praying mantis to a frill neck lizard to a tortoise to a *gulp* massive fecking snake - he found this in the toilet at work. The guy who originally discovered him must have looked funny running back out with his pants down! - most of which are now living somewhere on our property.

And the Wee One is showing that she is just as intrigued as the older girls. She giggles and squeals and points and pats and gabbles to us, to the girls, to the animal, whoever will listen really. She has become a bit stampy lately though so we really have to watch her if said animal is placed on the ground. Don't want any nasty little accidents.

It's nice living here. We're not too far away but it's still a little bit country.

Wednesday afternoon the girls donned their gum boots and introduced the little guy above to his new home in the creek at the back of our property, a little upset that they may not get to see him anymore but happy that he made his way to our home for a visit.

Unassumingly ...

Who would have thought two years ago when I so innocently put the girls in a room together that I would be finding out just now there was a catch.

After all the arguments for putting them in a room together were thrown at me about them needing their own space and it being mean for kids to have to share a room not once did anyone warn me that Schmooey just might get so attached to having AJ in the room with her that it is now impossible for her to fall asleep in there alone.

I'm still not convinced that she misses her that much because I know there have been occasions when AJ has had sleepovers and Schmoo has gone to bed just fine-ish.

So, maybe it's the combination of AJ not being in the room and Schmooey knowing she is still awake, out here, with us.

Schmooey adores her big sister, there's no denying it but that coupled with knowing that AJ is still doing big girl stuff must make even the best little sleeper wonder what she's missing out on.

Just a teensy bit worried about how Schmoo's going to handle things when we take Audrey out of that room and put the Wee One in.

Not that she'll have to worry about it any time soon. The Wee One would have to sleep through the night first and well, going by the last 15 months, Schmoo's pretty safe for a while yet.

Been Trying ...

To write a post for days but with school starting back and work picking up, well, you know what they say? Careful what you wish for.

I'm busy. Not too busy but busy enough that I can't get in here as often.

I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong. I just need to get a bit more organised so I can get back in here.

While I'm here though, a quick little something that has come to my attention. When I wrote the title "The Mould..." it didn't even register that it could be mistaken for a title about the state of my bathrooms, until I read back through January's titles and couldn't remember what it was about.

Good for a giggle though.

Oh and another thing. February is definitely looking up as promised!