Like a Hen

Chicken Trivia: Hens will try to lay in nests that already contain eggs, and have been known to move eggs from neighbouring nests into their own. Some farmers use fake eggs made from plastic or stone (or golf balls) to encourage hens to lay in a particular location. The result of this behavior is that a flock will use only a few preferred locations, rather than having a different nest for every bird.

So, there really wasn't a whole lot of humor in today. I tried to see it and maybe there was a moment here or there, (like my latest 'Graceful Like a Chicken' moment. You see, I can understand the wisdom in the farmer trying to contain his flock to a particular location. We have a few little kiddie chairs that we keep around the computer table for the kids to stay put in (as if THAT works.) Well anyway, I was going to help the kids with a computer activity so I sat on the little, red, plastic toddler chair I bought 5 years ago at the Dollar Store (best dollar I ever spent!) while holding a feeding Liam, and my extra 20 pounds (consisting mainly of doughnuts, curly fries, a few chicken nuggets and post-pregnancy weight) sent the chair legs out to the side, popping the entire chair out from behind me, much like a hen laying an egg, only it was a red, plastic chair and oh, it wouldn't let me sit on it...luckily, it is very close to the ground but the eyes of Aidan, Madeline and Lily....well, that was a priceless moment, glad it was at my expense) but all in all, this was a run of the mill kind of day.

At any rate, the only thing that really caught my eye today, or ear as the case may be, was Madeline, who at one point during the day announced: "Liam is a little wet behind the ears, mom."

I kind of looked at her wondering if maybe she had splashed some water on him or something but there was none in sight. "What did you say?" I asked.

"Liam's a little wet behind the ears," she said and ran off to change outfits for the fifth time of the day. 

Well, truth be told, at just under 6 weeks, you could say that about Liam in regards to just about everything really. But I went ahead doing whatever a mom of four does during the day and forgot about it until we were eating dinner. 

I introduced edamame tonight, thinking it would be a fun little change. Lily acted like she had an eating disorder, chewing up the beans and then spitting them out all the while saying they were good; Aidan acted like they could gag him on sight alone and Madeline thought they were pretty darn cool.  As she went along, popping the beans out of the pods, she said, "Mom, I'm turning over a new leaf." 

Ok, so where on earth is my 3 year old getting these things? Her father and I certainly don't talk like that. (It's more like: "No Aidan, you can't hit your sister over the head with the broom" and "No Madeline, bite marks do not help Lily look pretty" and "Lily, don't step on the baby's face" and "Seriously Liam, are you done (crying) yet?")

Anyway, it was a great day and although not one for the memory books, I'll take it, "graceful" moments and all.