Chickens and Rabbits and Braces, Oh MY!

Jared is doing great with his new S/W/A/S/H (S-itting, W-alking, a-nd S-tanding, H-ip) brace! The doctor wanted him to TRY to get 8 hours per day in it. He easily wears it without complaining for 18 hours or more each day! He had to get it because his hips are coming out of socket due to the extreme tightness of his muscles in his legs and hips. One hip is 30% out and the other is 60% out. We are praying that this brace will help us avoid or at least put off having to have hip surgery for him. Thankfully he seems to actually LIKE it, which makes sense since it keeps his hips properly aligned. It doesn't limit his mobility as much as we feared, so that's a definite plus!

Allow me to introduce you to John (left) and Erma (right). They are John Wesley's "golden-laced Polish" chickens. I think the rooster is gorgeous! He even cock-a-doodle-doo's for us! Love it! And Erma graces us with an egg or two when she's in the mood. Yum!

Here is Victoria, the rabbit. She's our third rabbit--the third inhabitant of the rabbit hutch that John Wesley built for Lena. The other rabbits were Lena's and they met their untimely deaths thanks to our dogs who seem to have a taste for rabbit! This one is Cody's and has lasted the longest, so we are hoping for the best. I'd like to have a male to name Victor! Then we'd have Victor & Victoria! :)

Behold the chicken digs, built by John Wesley also! Notice the gorgeous models who are helping to demonstrate! (Just like The Price Is Right!)

Chocolate and Vanilla are black and white Silkies and are the newest additions to the chicken house. They are also John Wesley's. He has become quite the authority on chickens of late. I love to watch him when he's interested in something. He reads and researches and obsesses and Googles until he knows enough and then I get to be the recipient of the million obscure facts he has learned about whatever it is.

This has been another crazy week! Monday, of course, was Labor Day, so we got to spend the day in our favorite way--TOGETHER--I think we watched 2 new episodes of the Walton's on that day. I don't know what we'll do when we are finished with all the seasons--it will be a sad day for the Underwood family! Tuesday, I sadly had to send Harold off to work. I took the biggers to our home school group where they have public speaking and Kentucky history class while I do story and play time with the smaller ones. Mom & Dad kept the littles AND made supper for us. Wednesday I took John Wesley, Cody, and MaKenzie to Lexington. John Wesley and Cody had orthodontist appointments, while MaKenzie had a pre-op appointment with the ENT and anesthesiologists at UK. William went to work with Harold, and Mom & Dad kept Lena, Jonas, Jared, and Matthew. Today Harold took Matthew to Cincinnati for a neurology appointment. William, Cody, and Jonas rode along because Harold is also picking up a chicken coop. (Yay! We can get more chickens and now I can get the kind that really lay eggs!!! Erma is just a little too conservative with hers--her one or two eggs every few days don't quite feed this family of 10.) Tomorrow is FRIDAY!!! I will take William, Lena, and Matthew to Pikeville for an appointment with the allergist for William. Harold will take the rest of the crew to Natural Bridge for a shin-dig his volunteer program is having.

Thank goodness for portable school work! The kids have gotten good at schooling on the go or at the grandparent's, phoning me if they have questions! Next week, when I can be home most of the week, our school days will be a bit more leisurely. I love the quiet structure of our regular routine days when they are all busy, absorbed in their studies or chores and I'm busy about my house work and answering the steady stream of questions about whatever they are working on at the moment. That is definitely the life!

Well, speaking of house work, I think I hear some laundry calling my name!