Mixers and Chickens and Neighbors - Oh My!

MIXER!

I woke up this morning full of plans.  I had a short list of house work we needed to finish, then I wanted to spend the day doing all the things Miss E always misses out on because she's usually at school.  I thought we'd take the dogs on a nice trail, maybe visit a nearby pond and play some board games.  Turns out, my spouse had a suggestion for us.  He'd have a concrete truck on a job he's doing and we could come watch them pour a sidewalk.  Well, Mr. A has an extreme obsession with tractors and trucks and pretty much every kind of heavy machinery.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see a cement mixer up close.  So, off we went to the job site.  As we left, I told the kids "We're going to see a concrete mixer".  During the 15 minute drive Mr. A shouted "MIXER!" at least 50 times.  He was one excited boy!  We finally arrived and the mixer did not disappoint.  I couldn't even get a good picture of him because he was repeating "MIXER!" over and over.

Waiting for the chickens to appear.

When the sidewalk was poured, the client, who is a friend, offered to let the kids gather eggs from her chickens.  Oh boy!  Another great surprise!  All three kids got to feed the chickens then gather fresh eggs from the nests.  What a treat!  I was frankly surprised when Miss E wasn't grossed out at all as she watched a hen lay an egg - which I was squeamish about the first time I saw it - and then only mildly observed that it was warm when she picked it up.  I was impressed when she wasn't icked-out at all.  Of course the kids wanted to rush home and buy an incubator so we could have baby chicks, but we ate scrambled eggs for lunch instead.

Miss E took this picture of the eggs.  She was very proud of them

Then, as we finished our scrambled eggs, a neighbor came over to play with the girls.  The three of them have played all day, both at our house and hers.  I was able to get a good leg up on tomorrows house work, and even have a real, uninterrupted conversation with my spouse!  Wow, what a treat!  And now, I can use today's fun plans tomorrow!  I feel so ahead of the game.