Chicken's crying "wolf"

I was playing with Wren in his room in the comforting gloom of 7am when we heard a godawful shrieking and "bocking" from the hens. I rushed out to the coop barefoot (scene: dark, wet, grass covered in hen poop) expecting to surprise a raccoon or possum or fox or ... well, anything.

It was pitch black with only the faintest hadean blue to the sky and I couldn't see anything in the coop but they kept going BOK BAAAARK BOK BAAAARK in a most alarming way. I rushed inside, grabbed a flashlight. My mind was now going "boa? monkey?" I was losing the geographic plot. I remembered my garden boots.

I looked all around. The chickens were walking around in the run but I couldn't see any cause for alarm.

I am guessing Chippie (the third hen) is about to start laying and is making a fuss about it.

We are going to have breakfast now. Yawn. Frost is catching up on homework - on glaciers.

Wren is 3

Wren turned three on Sunday. He had a small party with a volcano cake on Saturday. On Sunday we were lazy and made a large pile of wrapping paper and plastic bits from the toys we unwrapped.

Wren blows out the erupting volcano.

Wren cannot resist tasting the lava.

Close up of the volcano cake with the D&D figures being inundated.

Kellie had the idea of filling the sensory table with blue jello as an ocean for some sea animals. The jello is still there - we used 10 packets. Unfortunately we forgot to open it at the party but Wren and Frost find it fascinating.

Kellie and I also found it fascinating. Particularly the way the jello looked like splashing water.

Small facts about Wren at 3:

His favorite movie is BOLT. He loves the pigeons but hates "the scary part."

He can count to 10 and a bit higher on an ad hoc basis. He can count 1, 2, 3 and 4 objects correctly.

He loves to sleep with his soft shirt, bunnies and various other soft animals.

He still naps 2 hours every day but wakes at 6ish.

He says "OHMYGOD" when things are exciting.

Upcoming dates:

Jan 5th - my brother turns 40!

Jan 11th - Cardiology checkup.

Jan 7th - Annual ped visit.

Don't you EVER EVER EVER do that to my brother

More drama in the House that Wren Built. The bathroom remodel has made it more difficult to bathe. Last night I realized I had lost count of the days since Frost showered and was certain he had not washed his hair since he last went swimming with Alex weeks ago. I told him he had to shower before bed.

"No way" he said. "It took too long doing my homework."

"Well, then you shower in the morning."

"OOOOKKaaaay."

This morning I told Frost it was time to shower. He denied it. He asked me if I wanted him to miss his bus.

"Its an hour before the bus leaves. You have time to shower and wash your hair and eat breakfast."

"I don't."

"You do."

"Arrgh."

I follow Frost down into the basement. It is all dark because Kellie is staying with us and sleeping down there. Frost shivers melodramatically in his black footed pajamas. Wren follows, with concern. I turn on the shower in the laundry and leave a big towel on the pile of wood offcuts. Then I squeeze a dollop of my shampoo and try and put it on Frost's hair.

"NOOOOO, YOU IDIOT" he yells. "That's grownup shampoo!"

"Don't do that to my brother!!!" yells Wren from the doorway. He is afraid of the shower - scared that I might plop him in it but Frost's screaming is doing nothing to allay his concerns.

"Oh, just wash your hair quickly." I command.

Frost has shut his eyes and is now flailing around in the shower darkness in fear of the foam.

"Aaaah. That will sting me. Aaaah aaaah"

"JUST WASH IT QUCKLY!"

"Damn it, damn it." he curses, washing.

"Okay, you can get out now. You're done."

"No, its nice. I am not getting out."

I sigh and leave him to it, scooping up Wren at the doorway.

"You must never ever ever ever do that to my brother again!" he tells me. "NEVER NEVER"

"He is just showering."

"No, you must never ever ever ever do that to my brother. You put him IN THE CAR WASH!"

I am laughing but trying to be serious. Wren is now Frost's defender against me: the ogre of hairwash torture. This is a familiar figure in Wren mythology.

"If he baths I won't."

"No, never ever do that to my brother."

"Ok Wren."