Poultry. ARGH!!

My nerves are in tatters. Someone fetch me a Nervine! That friggin' big rooster has crowed about 40 times in the last hour and it's like 20 to 6 or something! I went out there to scatter some grain and try to shut it up and it just stalked me all over the yard - running at me in this zig-zag pattern trying to bite my ankle. I let out the little chicken as a distraction (not that it worked!) and just made it back inside. It strew itself over the thongs I'd kicked off on my way in and glared at me. It's a complete fruitcake! It stands at our front door and looks in at us all for hours on end. Oh fark there it goes again, and again. The neighbours are going to hate us. It wouldn't surprise me if that rooster goes missing at some stage and then they'll ring us and invite us over for a big dinner of chicken and sweet corn soup or something. I would've done it already myself except that my niece is a vego' and already warned me that she'd never speak to me again. One of our two little chicks died yesterday. Me and Izzy read in a book that 10% of your poultry can die for no apparent reason. It was really hot yesterday, I think it died of heat stress. So now we've got one lonely little chick still wandering around looking for her friend and one crazy sexed-up rooster - a couple of misfits. I never should own animals - it always ends up disastrous.

Anakin is just about the happiest person I've ever met. First thing in the morning he sits up in bed with his eyes still closed and starts grinning like a lune. He's not even awake properly and he's in a good mood already. He's just all about good fun. His Dad has finished his sandpit now and put up a swing near his cubbyhouse so he's got an awesome little playground happening outside.

He misses Izzy heaps. He points to the planes in his picture books and says "Plane. Izzy. Daddy. Paul." Yes, very correct - Izzy gone to visit his Daddy Paul in a plane. He starting to attempt 3 syllable words now and says "lawnmower" and "motorbike". He's smart as well as happy!

Gotta go, the in-laws are coming from the opal mines today and we haven't seen them for 6 months or so. I have to go make up a big batch of energy slice and make sure we're well stocked up on tea and biscuits and jam...