House O' Sullivans

Last month, after much deliberation, we decided to re-home both bunnies. Snowball and Niblett had been fighting, violently drawing blood on several occasions, so we separated them into different cages and finally decided that they needed homes where they'd get more attention them we were giving them. They were adopted by an awesome family that will give them both lots of love. The concession for the kids was that they could each pick out a new chick, since we'd harvested the entire flock last fall.   Snowball's last day in the backyard  Niblett with his main handler, Hal  Here are the up and coming hens--Princess, Snow White, Brownie, Squeaky, Spot (otherwise known as "Black Hawk"), and Goldie  The kids are in love We also celebrated Hallee's seventh birthday last month on March 27th. She's been impatiently waiting for this day since her last birthday. The night before her birthday, she didn't go to sleep until after midnig...

I had an epiphany recently.  Although pregnancy hormones generally prevent me from any higher-order thought, I finally realized something about myself.  It is this: When I am pregnant I go through the stages of grieving.  In the process of growing a new life, I literally lose my own for a time and I mourn that loss.  "Normal life" is whisked away into an oblivion of nausea and vomiting.  My normal body likes to move and accomplish and think, my prego body is slothy and my thinking moves into what I call "brain stem"--survival, that is.  I emotionally fight against the take-over, using up what little energy I do have.  Denial, anger, self-pity, mourning, then the final acceptance of what is and once I stop fighting against the total-body and mind takeover, things are easier.  My body is still sick, but my mind and emotions open up--less consumed with the loss of my "normal life." Mothering asks all.  Becoming a mother changed what I do d...

January will forever be "Austerity January" at the Sullivan household.  My Uncle Danny and Aunt Leslie got us started and this is our third official observance.  The idea is to not buy anything all month, surviving predominantly on food storage.  We do pay our regular monthly bills, naturally, and we slightly modify and allow ourselves $25 a week to buy milk and fresh produce and we do fuel our vehicles (those vehicles are part of the chaos story to come).   Time slows down in January and I find myself realizing that I don't need much at all to be perfectly content.  Hustle and bustle decreases dramatically and a satisfying stillness fills the vacuum.  These are some photos that I took of the kids at a free zoo day last month: Sophie Gene Hallee Bradshaw Noble Ezekial Roanhorse As January drew to a quiet close, chaos suddenly unleashed with a fury.  Last Wednesday, Casey was driving home from some appointments in Ogden when his car...

  Mr. Zeke the day after he was born at IMC Two years ago on this very day, Mr. Zeke joined our family.  From the very beginning it was evident that he was a peaceful, content little soul.  I had heard other mothers talk about how "easy" their babies were and could never relate, having had two fussy, intense baby girls.  In fact, I could not even imagine having an easy baby after Sophie and Hallee.  It didn't seem probable or possible.  Our Sophie mellowed out considerably with time, Hallee is still tenacious as ever, but Mr. Zeke-Horse is the easy one and he was born that way.    Sweet-faced Zeke, just a few days old. Mr. Zeke--one-year-old So we started today's celebration with a hearty bacon, eggs, and orange juice breakfast.  Now I can count on one hand the number of times that I've cooked bacon in my kitchen, so it was a special treat.  (Newel and Karen turned the kids on to it at their last...