Protecting the Girls

Last night, in the dead of night, the dog barked.

I mean, after acting half crazed this afternoon and barking all evening and then barking insanely much around eight thirty pm, my dog was driving my crazy.

My eldest, after seeing that his mama was about to have a meltdown because it had taken he and his three  brothers TWO HOURS to clean the living room (that wasn't even that messy, I know that is hard to believe, but it's true) he took it upon himself to clean out the kitty litter.

That's how I know he knew he needed to do something grand to make sure I knew he had heard me.  No one likes to clean kitty litter.

Not only did S1 clean the kitty litter, he even pulled on his boots to take the kitty litter right out to the dumpster.

He came pounding back up to the house, burst through the door, uttered the word "Opossum" and headed straight for the gun cabinet.

We have an all out hate of the opossum animal.  You may have read about my dramatic war with one in the Praise and Coffee Magazine in Spring 2011.  Earlier this year an opossum snuck into our chicken coop and killed my most favorite chicken, Holly Hoppie.

She could only hop on one leg, her other leg was non working.  We returned home one night from church and heard Holly's death cry.  The boys and I cried for days.

I hate opossums.

Anyhow, S1 went charging for the gun cabinet.

He got loaded up and with S2 at his side, the stormed outside to protect our girls - our chickens.

S3 and S4 stood on the porch...one was wearing jeans, winter boots and a tshirt.  One was wearing undies, a tshirt and bare feet.  The stood perfectly still to wait for the death shot.

The nasty opossum was in our SHED.  The shed I spoke of last night that is stocked with ice cream. In this shed also sleeps chickens...they don't like to be far from the ice cream either.  They know that's where the good food is.

I had been in that shed TWICE that very afternoon.

Whether I was in there for ice cream or not I do not need to say.

At this moment, with two boys standing on the porch clinging to each other, with one son running around with a flashlight and one son loaded with a gun and a dog barking insanely much, my husband pulled in the driveway.

He was told by four excited boy voices what was going on.

I just smiled sweetly and said, "Welcome home, baby."

He grinned as he pulled out his gun and went to join the boys.

The opossum was shot.  My husband informs me I should be nice and not put the picture on the blog.  I think of Kellyn and how she still goes on and on about the boars head post.

Then I thought of Kellyn and how she went on and on about the boar's head so I just texted the photo to her.  She was stuck in a meeting last night, she needed the photo.

Becca tells me she is not interested in the tail being sent to her either.

But here is the information I will give you about the nasty opossum that was attempting to kill my chicken and then steal our ice cream.  S1 is (gasp!) two inches shorter than me (DO NOT tell him I admitted this fact) and that opossum was as long as his waist to his boot.

Not a one of us have ever seen such a huge monster.

It was such a great shot that my husband said we could eat it for dinner.  NO WAY!!!!

Sigh.

Anyhow...

i am thankful for my boys who protect the girls - the chickies and their mama....

Time Change Woes Continued

After the rough Monday morning, I dared to live precariously and drove to the big town to buy some more groceries. Mostly because Sadie has decided our couch doesn't need a curtiany thing under our couch. Or shoes. Or cell phone chargers.

Sadie has only chewed one shoe to bits, and it was S1's. I do believe he may have bribed her to do it, put bacon in it or something. He has been telling me he needs new shoes and I keep putting it off and forgetting and now he has none. So I had to go.

Biggby was giving coffee away for their 15th anniversary. They were hopping busy but happy as ever as they made us S4's little kiddie drink. “The B shop” is one of S4's favorite places to stop, and I don't mind because I need the caffeine at any given time of the day and next year.....well, next year he won't go with me because he will be in school.

But one cannot think on such things when you on the search for something called a KONG, shoes for your eldest and Sesame Street songs still running thru your head.

I put the lid on the coffee and it exploded out, all over my shirt. I was, of course, wearing a very light yellow shirt. The coffee did not match it.

S4 was still wearing his bright white (although now a mud covered knees) jammie bottoms, a blinding red blinking Lightening McQueen shirt and a bright red sweat shirt along with a camouflage winter hat. Honey, we stood out.

I could not find a KONG. I did find a blue Lightening McQueen, which S4 just had to have.

I could not find shoes.

I did, however, find my detergent for HALF OFF!!!!!! I need little presents like that more often, I nearly floated out of the store.

Until I ended up at Pay-less where I found S1 a pair of shoes in the MENS department. And not like they were just in the men's department, they were half way down the men's isle.
That realization had me leaving the store without the shoes, only to turn back (so yes, we did look like we were a bit more than slightly crazy) to buy the shoes. It was hard. I had to tell the lady behind the register they were for my son.

His shoes would probably fit me.

I have not told him this.

I needed something to help this day out so we stopped for ice cream at the home made ice cream store where we knocked down a picture in the bathroom causing the glass to explode over the floor and then somehow lost the brand new Lightening McQueen.

It was not a good day.

I do hope the week improves.