Our girls(?) are getting big fast!  We added two more to the flock, Madison (named after Maxson St. home) and Piper (named after our home in Encinitas on Pipes Lane).  Madison is a Cuckoo Maran, and she should lay chocolate brown eggs. Little Piper is a Barred Rock. She will be all striped with black and white when she’s a big hen and she’ll lay some nice brown eggs.  Even though these girls are 2 days younger than the rest and smaller NOW, they will be bigger than the other three when fully grown.

Piper and Madison

The girls are 3 weeks old today! I think they are in that awkward phase right now… skinny and gangly looking… and then they’re molting so they lost their cute baby down and funky feathers are coming in and falling out.  We took them outside for their first “field trip” in the backyard today! Isaiah is pretty natural at holding them and picking them up. He took each one to the coop to show them around.  Lala is a great help. She’s an expert at shoveling chicken poop. Oscar had to stay inside for our field trip because I just don’t trust him yet.  If Dave were home, I would have let him out, but 5 chickens and 2 kids had me outnumbered 7 to 1 already!

Isaiah and Clementine

So, we have a chicken dilemma here… Since last week I’ve been thinking BOO our favorite chicken might just be a rooster. We can’t have roosters here! And I wanted BOO for her blue eggs. But HE won’t be laying any eggs if he turns out to be a Roo. I’m asking the experts for their best guess and so far it’s about 50/50.  It’s early to tell, so I’ll be posting updates, but you can keep track of my findings here:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6672871#p6672871

BOO or maybe ROO

Our big boy graduated from Pre-K at El Camino Preschool on Friday! Yes, I cried… several times. I can’t believe Isaiah is going to kindergarten. He looked so big in his cap and gown. We will surely miss his wonderful teacher Ms. Debbie and all his friends. We will miss this amazing school with the best teachers, a great director (Ms. Heike Burton), and plenty of room to roam. Ms. Debbie has the patience of a saint and has such a special way with kids. They adore her and look up to her. She never needs to raise her voice. She’s calm cool and collected at all times, yet, she gets down and silly with them! She has a love for children, learning, and art that is so inspiring. Isaiah spent his days here learning, imagining and making friends… catching bugs, watching caterpillars turn into butterflies, being a super hero, astronaut, dinosaur, listening to stories, singing, dancing, climbing trees, scraping knees, and dreaming up adventures. He came home with an armful of crafts, holes in the knees of his jeans and plenty of dirt in his shoes every day. That’s what I call fun! It took at least 10 minutes to leave when it was pick up time because Isaiah always wanted to get every last second of being there… playing on the play structures, the boat, the playhouses, the kitchen, the stages, the telephone booth, the cars and tricyles on the road… this school has endless avenues for kids to role play. He would climb the tree outside almost every time while his sister would pick flowers in the field out front. He couldn’t wait to go to school each day! Thank you El Camino Preschool for a priceless experience that we will never forget!
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Isaiah has been in karate for a few months now and he’s just loving it! It is a WONDERFUL “sport” that takes discipline and lots of hard work!

He goes to United Studios of Self Defense (USSD) in Oceanside. What an amazing Dojo! Master Terrell is a 5th degree black belt and has been studying karate for 25 years! All the senseis at USSD are passionate about karate and really love the kids! The lessons they teach are not simply about self defense, or kicking and punching. They teach the importance of self control, discipline, perserverence and character. Not only that, the kids have SO much fun! Isaiah takes private lessons once a week and group classes a few times a week.

Isaiah is one of the youngest kids in class and he’s doing very well. We’re so proud of our little guy for earning his yellow belt on Saturday! KIAI!

Today was pajama dress up day at Isaiah’s school (in lieu of costumes) so we went to school to take some pictures. A sweet little girl named Julia was extremely affectionate with Isaiah; and Lily kept shaking her head at her. Every time Julia gave Isaiah a hug, Lily would go up to her and say, “That’s MY budder.” So cute, Isaiah is her very best friend and she was sad the whole way home, saying quietly to herself, “that’s my budder…”

More pictures of Halloween 2009 to come.

Isaiah’s pajama parade Isaiah and Lily are the two skeletons on the left (Lily’s mask is backwards).

Isaiah and Daddy ride the dragon!!

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Lily and Daddy fly on a plane!

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