When all else fails...

bring a slide...inside.

We have had another trying week (two weeks?) of a sick boy.  This tough as nail...dirt eating...chicken poop slinging boy....has a sensitive tummy.  Round two of a stomach virus for him and mama and daddy are waving our white flags.  

Seriously ...stomach virus you win...now please go away!

tether dog

adele is our big fur child...and unfortunately doesn't get all the attention she so desperately desires...

thank goodness she keeps herself preoccupied with the tetherball...

no eggs....take 2

A few weeks back Owen's doctor recommended to remove eggs from his diet because of his persistent eczema.  Dry patches of itchiness just kept popping up and didn't seem to go away...no matter how much lotion we used.  Unfortunately giving up egg has not been easy.  First a sneak cupcake attack (don't even get me started...) and then there were other mishaps.  I have also thought of myself as pretty allergy aware...but apparently not with eggs...and boy are they in everything....even my mama milk.  So, even though he is barely getting much milk these days I have decided to go off eggs for a while as well.  I suppose I am not ready yet to wean Owen completely...but having to give up eggs might be just the catalyst I need.  A summer without ice cream....i don't think i can bare the thought!  So today we officially start being egg free again...hopefully we can get through the next two weeks with out any other sneak attacks....and hopefully mr. owen will be less itchy!

buck buck buckaaack!

the surviving two hens from last year
their theme song is "i'm a survivor" - beyonce

Owen and Bardi the barred rock...

pullet butts

more pullet butt shots

Isabelle feeding her "mama" hens and the newbies

so happy to be outside
(and throwing dirty straw all around)

wagon rides from grammy

pure happiness

a firm grip

silliness

I can't quite remember if I have mentioned the pullets yet...?!  But here they are!  After losing the majority of our layers to the neighbors dog we decided to replenish our "flock" and will be investing in an electric fence...we hope to not lose anymore chickens...to the dog at least?!  Meat birds and ducks will be ordered soon and there is a chance we might host a few piggies...we shall see!  For now we are enjoying what looks like the beginning of spring and a visit from grammy!

holy macaron!

Well it only took a few moments of internet searching to figure out what to do with left over egg whites (the yokes being used for ice cream....what else?).  It was a toss up between homemade marshmallows and ....wait for it....macarons!  Not to be confused with macaroOns.  These french pillows of sweetness are one of the most delicious treats I have yet to encounter.  They now rival my mother's sandwich cookies as my most favorite dessert....the sandwich cookies still win though...for now!  I took the task of macaron making very seriously....as I read from many reviews it can be a finicky process.  I aged my egg whites, weighed, sifted and said a few magic words (en francais s'il vous plait!)....and I may have just had some beginners luck....but all i can say is...holy macaron success!

the cookies sitting to form the "skin"

PERFECTION! macaron w/ ganache filling
sorry it is late...so the lighting is bad..
i took the macaron out to take a picture of it...i had every intention of putting it back....
...it didn't make it back in the box....

I used the serious eats recipe...can be found HERE.  I am so excited to whip up more of these tasty treats...and with all the possibilities of macaron flavors and fillings....it will be one exciting macaron adventure.  I just might find myself trying to figure out what to do with all my extra yokes (no that would be silly...more ice cream of course!).

easter sunday

Owen was thrilled mama used the fake grass...

it was like...so much better than the wooden toys mama made...

easter morning

natural dye eggs by grammy

more natural dyed eggs...that grammy is so crafty...

a quiet moment investigating the inside of an acorn

just as daddy suspected...a weevil larvae

a naturalist in the making

It was a weekend full of family friends and food...I guess that is the usual theme of weekends in RI....and boy I wouldn't change it if I could.  I managed to capture two of my favorite moments this weekend...the first being Owen full of silliness with his fake grass wig and the other with aaron and isabelle's heads leaning into one another while talking about nature and larvae.  I also had some not so favorite moments (yes i have those too) and without going into too much detail, I want to thank my family for loving me even when I'm not at my finest.  A family who loves and cares about me and supports me....even when I am slightly crazy.  

I have the best family a gal could ask for.