Boys Will Be Boys (especially in the country)

My cousin, her children, a friend and her young brothers all came down for haircuts (Lynn has a salon off our house) and just good ole visiting late into the evening.  The kiddos had a ball and I thoroughly enjoyed myself right along with them!   You should’ve seen those 4 boys chasing the chickens with guns!  They were determined to come out the victors.  Two of the fellows had never been so close to a chicken before and thought they were the neatest creatures.  At dusk, I was pushing them on the swings and noticed the chickens were bedding down around the tractor instead of going in.   After a little investigation I found the trap door had been closed and it’s impossible to guess the rest so I’ll just tell you.  Those 4 boys had toted a box of dominoes outside and the inside of the chicken tractor looked like it was littered with mini bombs!!     Now, I know for certain none of the chickens were in there when the attack took place, so I’m assuming it was just war games, but it was a mess.  By this time, it was well on it’s way to dark and the chickens, grateful to have access, started settling into their pen.  I realized quickly this was not a mess I wanted to leave until the morning as it would double, if you get my drift, so I made a dash for a flashlight giving orders to retrieve a bucket and flip-flops.  One by one, I hauled the boys over the side of the tractor and they began gathering the scattered “shells.”  They thought it was great fun and I was having a hard time not laughing at them.  The poor chickens thought they really were being had!   Now, younguns outside several hours at our house get dirty, but boys in a chicken pen after dark come out filthy.  One look at them in light and there was only one thought, “to the tub.”  Those little soldiers marched right in there, no questions, with the biggest smiles and in they all 5 (yep, Kels was not going to be left out of this fun!) went – clothes and all!!  You should’ve seen the mud!  Actually, if you look close you can.

This was after some washing, though I guess we hadn’t gotten to the knees yet!   I wish I’d thought to take a picture before water had hit them.  You’ll just have to imagine…

SUCH FUN!!  Children truly are the great equalizers of the world!  Soon after this they were headed home and I was headed to the kitchen – nope, dinner was not anywhere near ready – it wasn’t even started.  Thankfully, the best men folk in the world live here and they were quite satisfied with a dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and peach pie.  (Though I think at 10 pm I could’ve fed them gravel with gravy and they would’ve been grateful!! )