The Boys Hunt Flies

Since the advent of screentime I am always on the lookout for a compelling outdoor activity for the kids. Imagine my excitement when they invented a new game "hunt for flies." It started after breakfast when Frost rushed inside to tell me that "there is POOP on the deck and it is covered in flies!" Wren was thrilled and rushed outside with Frost who shouted "no, no, no WREN DO NOT TOUCH IT."

Of course, Wren had no such thought. He knew exactly what he wanted - the fly swat. He has been brandishing the fly swat for weeks looking for a moving target: cat, boy, mother. Now he had flies!

Before you become anxious about the unexplained poop on the deck, I'll tell you that it is from our chickens who are allowed to range freely for a few hours a day. Josh says they climb up on the deck because it is their natural inclination to seek the heights. Anyone who knows chickens knows it is also their natural inclination to poop dramatically. They occasionally do this on the deck which is what the boys discovered. If it makes you feel better I shall add that I cleaned almost all of it up before the game progressed and that the little bit I left was as fly BAIT not sloppy housekeeping.

Once Wren started having a fabulous time swatting flies Frost became eager to have a go. As a lazy mother still having her morning vapors I wanted to encourage Wren to remain occupied so I could drink my coffee and didn't step in to let Frost have a turn. When I tried, Wren erupted in grief and anger so I gave the swat back to him. Then Frost erupted in the aforementioned emotions. In particular he said "mothers are supposed to let their kids SHARE and not be SELFISH you are a SELFISH MOTHER because you are not letting me have a turn. That is JUST SO WRONG. I can't believe it. WREN I AM GOING TO SWAT YOU!" When I realized the depth of the injustice [was going to result in violence] I rolled up a tube of newspaper for Frost and told him this is what my family have always used for flies and its much stronger and faster. So, he was happy with that.

Here is the result - my Lords of the Flies. They killed about 10.