Plugging along in the winter.

I have a tendency to spread myself over multiple projects. Such is the case with blogging. I post happenings on Facebook, plus I have a private forum where I write more personal things...not to mention the multiple public forums (for chicken owners, moms, etc). I'm currently a little obsessed with myfitnesspal.com, so if you're trying to lose a few pounds, you can come find me there. Yup, it's time to get back on the weight loss wagon. This is going to be my year! ;)

Anyway...about the chickens. It's an ongoing process, somewhat fluid, with sticking points occasionally. I paid (what is to me) big bucks to get a custom-built coop with a run, and I'm happy with the result. I started out with eight chicks, then got two more from someone else; then I lost four of them to predators - leaving me six, which is what I was supposed to have to begin with (according to the landlord). BUT...then, a couple of months ago, I tried hatching a batch of fertile eggs from the grocery store (no, I did not come up with this strange idea on my own). Of that batch, I ended up with one live chick. I bought three more chicks to keep him company, but I ended up selling two and taking one (another young rooster) to the local feed shop to do with as they please. We have one girl left, six weeks old today, hanging out in our laundry room (in a plastic storage bin). I took her out yesterday to try life with the big girls, and she immediately got attacked. So we'll put that off for a bit longer. Future plans: to try hatching again with fresh fertile eggs (lavender and maybe splash Orpingtons - I <3 Orpingtons!) in the spring.

This winter hasn't so bad for me. I think the weather has been a little milder. We haven't had any snow yet, and there have been more clear (or partly clear) days. Marcus is hankering for snow, but I'm just fine without it. ;) I'm not really any more involved with groups than I was a year ago, but I guess it's not bothering me as much. We go to swimming lessons twice a week (morning for Ari, after school for Marcus). I used to take Ari to a regular playdate on Tuesdays, then Wednesdays, and now they're back to Tuesday, so we can't go (since we like our T/Th swim instructor). Sometimes we meet with other friends on Monday mornings, but it's not a regular group. We generally spend afternoons at home unless we have errands to run. We let the chickens free range in the yard for a while and give them treats (very popular with Ari). I'm still feeling the lack of any close-knit social group, but we're in contact with a few different groups, and I guess that works most of the time. I also keep thinking I need to give our Lake Forest Park moms group a little push somehow, but I can't fathom inviting a group over to our messy house (which is of course an ongoing project).

Speaking of which...Loki passed away last month. It's sometimes a little empty in the house without him here, and I think Phantom misses him. But the upside is that there are no longer hairballs and feline accidents all the time. The litter pan is gone. So we're one step closer to a living room safe for crawlers (not that I have any crawlers anymore, but friends do).

Christmas was good overall, and I was actually awake for New Year's Eve (albeit in a later time zone). I think it was the first time I stayed up on NYE since before I had kids. Ari fell asleep on my lap in a recliner (and amazingly stayed asleep through all the midnight hoopla). It was very nice to be with family for the occasion.