Do you see what I see? And my first ever contest!

Yes, ladies, we have a new little one on the premises. Time will tell if it is a boy or a girl (or even, sadly, if it will survive), but in the meanwhile, we need a name. Now, given that it is the Vigil of All Saints (Hallowe'en), I was thinking something in a religious mode...Of course, Faith, Hope, and Caritas (Charity/Love) either one would have been fine, except for the fact that this could be a wee lad. A rooster named Hope? Uh, no. Sounds better on a hen, tyvm! So it needs to be gender neutralish, but still something...autumnal? Saintly? Religious? Come up with something people, because I'm coming up blank! LOL So, what is the prize, you ask? Well, aside from my eternal gratitude in taking the whole naming thing out of my hands, I'm not sure. Maybbeeee I'll just come up with something. Its not as if I don't have a whole slew of potential prizes on hand! Let's just say that it will be something fairly small. Light-weight (and hence, cheaper to mail). Probably vintage. And possibly multiple pieced. I'll post a picture when I've decided exactly what shall constitute the prize in this, my very first ever, "NAME THAT CHICKY-BABY" contest! The winner shall be determined by the children, so you'd better make it good! The contest ends Thursday, November 5, 6pm Central Time. So put on those thinking caps!
See the weeeee little beak and eye? Yep, Momma is "baby sitting"!!

Here we are, exploring the tiny chick coop a wee bit...

Being introduced to food and water...Big Momma is good at this!

A bit of "mother love"--accompanied by lots of clucking! She is an excellent brooder/mother, and hopefully, with having only the one to care for, she'll get it through to maturity. Just keep your fingers crossed that it is a pullet/hen! We need more egg layers, badly! This one will be coming into maturity right at the end of the winter, early spring, so hopefully, we'll be getting some eggs out of her while we wait on Big Momma to brood out another batch. Rather than listening to our roosters crowing each other down!

Today's big event is of course not eclipsed by the necessary house work--laundry, dishes, vacuuming--since #2 has decided that chores are optional, she has been given more, very...distasteful..ones to do. Like cleaning off the wall at the back of the cabinet where we keep our trash can. Yeah. Not pretty. I vacuumed off the floor in there (not pretty, either, but at least I wasn't up close and personal, if you know what I mean!), and so we've got a pretty well scrubbed out cabinet. I think it needs some more work on the more "scrub resistant" spots, but that can be done this next week, when I am looking for tasks with which to occupy her hands and mind. I think scrubbing out the trashcan is also on the agenda for this next week. She'll just love that, I am sure. But there are times when harsher measures are called for, and this is one of those times. And, it gets some of those chores off of my list done and over with--and not by me! WOOHOO! Hopefully, it will teach her a lesson she will not forget any time soon.

We're tidying up the various baskets of books and magazines, getting them sorted out, and shelved properly. We've vacuumed the more public areas of the house once again, switched over more laundry, fed the chickens, chased small children around the house (#4 & 5 did a Houdini and disappeared out of doors while I was vacuuming the dining room. Fortunately, we caught them before they got nibbled on by Percy and Co). We're almost done with everything for the moment.

Since El Husbando kindly took me out to dinner last night (woohoo! Night off for Momma!), tonight will be our lasagna night. We'll make it something a bit "festive", since we aren't trick or treating.

I have some more photos to post, but we'll see what the rest of today holds as far as picture posting opportunities! Hopefully, your weekend is off to a good start, and you are well prepared for tomorrow's celebration of all the saints--known, and unknown, and Monday's rememberance of all the departed souls..saintly or otherwise.