Animal Issues

Chickens are apparently a pretty hot topic in some places:

"More than 30 people chimed in with their opinions on raising chickens, their cleanliness, the potential for attracting predators and property values. All but a few said that they fervently supported more chicken-raising.

Several officials said that in their many years on the village council, they have received more input from residents about chickens than any other issue, including water rates, municipal budgets or the storm water utility." -- reported today by the Downers Grove local section of the Chicago Tribune 

(I'm not sure where they get their chickens but personally I cannot attest to their cleanliness and I can tell you for sure that they do very little for property values.....at least chickens of the human variety.....)

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Lately our little ones have had their own issues with animals. Or should I say, issues with correctly identifying animals. 

The other day I was looking out the kitchen window when far off I saw a family of deer. 

"Hey look, a deer!" I exclaimed. The pitter-patter of swiftly moving feet brought three children next to me. 

"That's not a deer, Mom," Lilly said after jumping up on the counter. "That's a fox."

"Lilly, that is not a fox. That is a deer," I stated matter-of-factly. 

"No Mom, it has pointy ears. It's a fox," she argued.

"I want to see the fox," Liam screeched, jumping up and down next to me, trying to peer through the window.

"Guys, it is not a fox. It is a deer," I repeated as I lifted him up. 

That's when Solomon started tugging on my pants and yelling: "I want to see the tiger! I want to see the tiger!" 

Ooooh, so close. 

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Liam's fifth birthday is fast approaching. And while he is still tiny and has trouble being understood when he speaks, he has recently began acting all sorts of grown up. And by grown up I mean he has become increasingly addicted to any and every sport on television, often watching the same soccer, football or hockey game over and over until he can tell you about every scoring play as if he had done it himself. Or at least we think that is what he is talking about. We pretty much understand: "TOUCHDOWN! Then-it-was-6-to-zero-and-they-kickeditanditwas7tozeroandtheywerewinningand......"

Hockey season just started and so now he is constantly asking if he can watch it. Like today:

"Mom, can I watch golfing?" he asked.

"Golfing? You mean hockey," I corrected.

"Yeah, the Penguins. Can I watch the Penguins and the Bunnies?" he went on.

"Um, the Bunnies?" I inquired, quizzically.

"Um, no, I mean the Rabbits," he said with a slight hesitation in his voice. 

"The Rabbits?" I asked again.

"No, no, I mean the Reindeers. Can I watched the Penguins and the Reindeers?" 

"OOOOOH, you mean the Penguins and the Rangers!"

"Yeah! Yeah! The Rangers! Can I watch that game now?"

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Perhaps I need to add a little more animal and team identification to my chicken raising.....