We are usually pretty successful at timing our outside farm chores for when Alistair is asleep. This morning Ian and I clipped the goats' and sheep's hooves and trimmed Ava's claws during his nap. We then traded Alistair watching back and forth so I could muck the barns and Ian could sew patches on his and the boys' Scout blankets. By the time we were done all that, it was supper time and Ian and the big boys were flying out the door to ice skating lessons, leaving a pretty tired Alistair and I with evening farm chores still to do and a rapidly setting sun. I strongly dislike leaving the farm animals out at dusk as I am petrified of one of them becoming the neighbourhood coyote's next meal. So with Alistair in no mood to be left sitting in a stroller or sled and not enough time to nurse him to sleep before dark, I snuggled him up in his snowsuit and strapped him on to my back. We did evening chores together - two for the price of one, I guess.
Admittedly it was slightly more difficult picking up goats, manoeuvring Ava from field to crate, and collecting the eggs from the nest boxes with a hefty beast of a baby on my back but I managed. Alistair had the best time; the animals had him giggling and gurgling happily. Once we had everyone put up in their nice clean barns, we headed inside and got Alistair bedded down too. He went right to sleep with zero fuss.
Even though time was not on our side this evening and my back might not be thanking me tomorrow, everything worked out in the end. I am happy to report that all dependants here on Gael Glen Farm are clean, safe and best of all - asleep.
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