Aqua Fun

Sania on his Papa's shoulders

Play! Something my children know how to do very well.  Water play is a big favorite, especially with their papa.  They spend much time in the pool cooling down from the intense tropical sun, after jumping in the trampoline or riding their bikes.

I never taught my children to swim.  We've always played in the pool. The children became comfortable with the water and learnt to move their bodies like a fish.  Sania began swimming on his own at two and a half and Sasha at the age of three.

Some images of the children with their dad, I captured a couple of days ago.

Sania held in position to be flipped over

Their favorite game in the pool with their dad.

In the air

They always want to be thrown higher.

Sasha with Papa

Sania returns with a big smile.

Sasha being thrown up in the air

Sasha's turn to be thrown up in the air.

Nana enjoying the cool water

My mom has been visiting the past couple of weeks.  She to is a great swimmer and spent much time swimming with the boys when they were little.  The boys have copied her elegant strokes and have kept her quite entertained with their playful energy.

Snuggle pups sharing a towel

My babies.

Sooty keeps me warm after my swim

A warming cuddle with Sooty our sweet little cat.

The Children's Easter Tree

The children's easter egg tree

The children found this tree in the garden a few months ago and said it would be perfect for the easter tree.  It is a branch usually attached to the palm trunk which holds all the seeds.

Our little felted chicks comfy in their nest

The children and I each made a little chick to put into the nest.  We needle felted two little balls each.  Felted them together and added a little red wool for the beak.

You can see the little nodules on the branches which once had a big red seed attached to it - enjoyed by the birds.

Some of the eggs the children painted surrounding the tree

The boiled eggs painted were used to decorate the bowl which holds the tree.

Easter bunny and chicken

The big easter bunny has been with us for a couple of years now.  The hen, chick and smaller bunny are new additions for the easter display.

Little chicks with their new mama

Our little chicks from my previous post are doing well.  One of our wild hens had been roosting on eggs out in the cow pasture for a long time.  I paid her a visit, taking along the little chicks and shook her eggs only to hear liquid within.  They turned out to be rotten.   I brought my little chicks along with me just in case and carefully tucked them under her at the same time.  After she pecked me a couple of times I took her and the chicks to a small hen house and left them there together.  She has adopted them after they were three days old. Unfortunately my little boys who were attached to them cannot go near the little chicks since the wild hen is extremely protective. She has flown at me a few times to protect her new babes.

A Fluffy Surprise

Where does all that cheeping come from?

We had to move mama hen and her eggs to another location because her nest was infested with mites. We dusted her and the eggs with diatomaceous earth.   Stressed by the move she abandoned her eggs.

Sadly we took them home and placed them upon our gas stove.  The pilot lights remained on providing warmth to the eggs.   This was not an easy task as at times the stove got so hot from all the cooking or too cool in the evenings.  We thought we had lost them.

The egg is cracking open

Until early one morning when I came downstairs to prepare breakfast and I heard this beautiful cheeping song.  Excitedly I ran out to call the boys and these are the photos of the first few hours of our little chick being born.  Two others followed soon after.

It's opened

She cheeped and cheeped and pushed and pushed...

She's pushing herself out

The boys couldn't help peeling a few pieces of the shell..... then she pushed herself out

Almost

She was curled up in a damp ball.

The Head

Sania's little hand stroking her head.

A Wooly Nest

We brought out a little wool nest I previously felted.

Keeping her cosy

and cradled her to keep her warm.

Sasha with little chick

To let her know she is loved.

Warm Chick

Sweet tender hands amazed by this beautiful miracle.

Learning to Stand

Leaving her to explore.

Fun with the little chicks

Playing daddy to all the chicks.

Out in the garden

These little chicks are so beautiful and run to us for food as if we are their mama hen.  It would have been nicer for them to have their mama's comfort, easier for them to find their way and explore the world with more safety.  At the moment they roam in a small open cage kept in the garden during the day and we bring them into the kitchen at night. In a few more days I think they will be able to join some of the bigger chicks and explore on their own.

Feeding older chicks

These are older chicks we had a few weeks ago.  They have become quite tame and enjoy being fed by the boys as much as the boys enjoy feeding them.