chicken run

Man those little chickens grow fast. Each morning they were noticeably different, larger, yet oh so adorable all the same. We were growing very attached to them. Naia needed to check on them before breakfast each morning and sing them Los Pollitos. Zach needed to have his cuddle time with them. Neighbor kids were coming over to have chicken play time in the cockpit. The chicken love was floating all around us.

 

(our friend and neighbor SuperJen getting in on the chicken love. jen... you need to get some chickens of your own girl!)

And right at the peak of the poultry bonding the mean old mama said it was time. Yes, THAT time. Time to say adios pollitos. They were too big, and too stinky, and too good at flapping and flying.

Yes, we packed up the floating chicken brooder and brought Percy Jackson, Indiana Jones, and Gatsby to our dear friend N's house. Her daughter was in the same farm school as Zach and they set up to have chickens for keeps. So we know where they are and visits can and will easily happen.  They will hav room to roam and peck and scratch their chicken hearts out. The kids were sad. They still talk about the chickens. I felt a twinge of guilt about letting them get attached and then sending them away. Zach knew all the while this was the plan, and who knows how much Naia really understands about the big picture.

But the key thing we want our kids to have are experiences. The living on a boat thing is not their choice. It's a beautiful life, but Doug and I always wanted to make sure it wasn't a limiting one. We wanted to make sure that they didn't only see the world in a watery, tropical, salty dog view. I don't want the canvas of their childhood to be painted only with a boat brush. We want to let them experience as much as possible alongside the amazing opportunities of boat life, so they really know about farms and mountains and cities and museums and theatre and art and forests and camping and sports and music and community. So I hope that one day instead of looking back and saying, "My mom gave away our pet chickens!" Maybe instead they will say, "My mom let us raise chickens on our boat, that was really a neat experience."