~Week Eight~

 2/19- Our new high school copywork curriculum... details forthcoming. I am so excited about this project!!

 2/20-Playing with big brother's sunglasses

 2/21- Funny story. 

From the six ducks we bought last spring, we had only two remaining after one mysteriously disappeared a couple weeks ago (no signs of "fowl" play). No worries though. With one being a drake, we counted on them maybe hatching us some ducklings this year. 

Well on this day we were noticing traffic slowing down on the road (which it sometimes does if the ducks are by the roadside) but we didn't see them out there and didn't think anymore of them. Besides, some vehicles were turning around in our driveway so we thought maybe there was an accident up the road. 

It was lunchtime which is about the time the mail is delivered and with a book order I was expecting and I assumed it was just the mail carrier at the door when someone knocked and I ignored it. 

Later one of the children went outside and found that someone had made a delivery all right and it wasn't from the post office. It was the dead drake in a open box. 

Personally, I find it somewhat funny that someone took the time to gather and box up what amounts to roadkill and drop it off at our house. We're wondering now if all the traffic issues were because she wasn't leaving her dead mate. 

Anyway, we gathered all of the duck eggs we had laying around and the couple she has laid since and will take a stab at incubating them to see if we can replenish our little flock. I've really appreciated having the duck eggs this winter. They have faithfully laid nearly daily with a yolk darker and richer in color than the hens which tells me they are efficiently foraging... for free. 

 2/22- First signs of spring were announced early this year. With the pleasant weather I'm far from surprised, but it was still a welcome announcement from a cheery daughter. 

 2/23- I baked a special treat that I don't often prepare- soft pretzels. I don't know why. It's not like they're difficult and I sure do enjoy them. Everyone but me thought them too salty, but that's just because they don't know how to eat them properly by brushing some salt from the top, eating the top first, and then dabbing the bottom half in the rest of the salt. 

Boy did I pay for it though- I woke up quite swollen and it took all day of careful water management to get the swelling down in at least my hands. Lesson learned. 


2/24- No photo. In hindsight, I should have taken one of my pitcher of water. 

2/25- Daddy surprised everyone this morning with donuts. (I use the word surprise lightly. Everyone has a fair guess as to where he's going on a Saturday morning if he leaves before breakfast.) 

Yes, you're in the right place- it was me rambling on about reducing sugar consumption just a few posts ago, but we're needing some more free five gallon buckets and we've learned the best way to get on the waiting list is to patronize the bakery. A shame isn't it? And ironic too, since we're trying to keep stocked up on healthy whole grains and that's the purpose behind the buckets. 

Rebekah loved her donut (of course) and it wasn't long before she was acting as goofy as can be. Within five minutes of being done though it was pretty obvious she crashed from all the sugar and was just sitting there staring off into space. 

Hope your week was a lovely one and that your Lord's Day tomorrow is a blessed one!