Wes and his flock

We have always lovingly referred to Wes as a "Mother Hen".

He is very protective of the kids and likes to keep his "chicks" close to him at all times.

Have you ever seen a mother hen with her baby chicks? She will lovingly tuck them up under her wings so a predator is unable to see them. It looks like she is sitting on them and smothering them to death but she's not. They are happy and protected up under those wings.

Ok ~ Well that is Wes. After we had Madison, he worried about her all the time. He had no problems asking other people to wash their hands before touching her. When we moved to Georgia his mom took care of Madison for us while I worked and he went to college. He drove his mother crazy telling her how to take care of her (like she hadn't already raised 3 kids). He would even hide her toys so other kids couldn't touch them and make her sick. Friends used to tease us that he would put her in a bubble if he could.

After Jake was born... it got worse. He would lay a blanket over his infant seat when we went in public. He would unashamedly say NO when someone wanted to peek at him or hold him.

Then add the girls to the mix and he became certifiably CRAZY. He was really embarrassing sometimes!

When the girls got about 3, he finally started letting them go into the Chick-fil-a playground like "normal" children. He would stay in there with them and tell all the other children to stay away from his kids! He (mother hen) would follow them around the playground keeping the other children (predators) a safe distance away. I would just sit looking through the window, eating my lunch and trying to decide how I could get out of there without the other parents knowing he belonged to me!

Our chickens must recognize this quality about him.

They seem to really like Wes. When he goes outside, he will call "Cheep, cheep" and they all come running like he is the Pied Piper!

Last Saturday, while he was up on the scaffolding working, they followed him up there.

This is Reese. (as in the peanut butter cup). She climbed up and started watching him work.

He just couldn't help himself. He had to stop and pet her. Maybe that is why they like him so much. Snickers must have gotten jealous because she started climbing up the scaffolding too. See her over to the left?

There she is still climbing. Wes has gone back to work like it is perfectly normal for chickens to be climbing scaffolding. I think we are beginning to lose all perception of normal out here.

Finally, Snickers makes it to the top. Maybe we should considering putting little packs on their backs and they could start carrying nails and tools up to him. Then I could go inside and take care of some important responsibilities like filing my nails or watching Real Housewives.

Maybe this is why it is taking us so long to get this house done. Wes, get back to work and quit playing with your flock of chickens. Makes me think of a Beyonce song...

"All the single ladies, all the single ladies

Now put your hands up

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh oh"