The Chicken Palace

Today was a big day for the Cirillo Family Chickens.

They moved out of the two room cardboard shack in the garage...


and into the Backyard Chicken Palace!


Chris (with a little help from the kids) built a manificent chicken house. It's got doors that open in the back for easy egg retrieval and doors that open in the front for air and easy cleaning. It's got hanging perches and ramps, individual nesting boxes and hanging feeders. It really is impressive :).
Moments after he hammered in the last nail and cleared out his tools, the kids and I were in with the hay and cedar chips.



And mere moments after that, the chickens moved in. They were so happy - running around pecking at the ground and checking out their new digs. I know I feel so much better. I thought for sure someone was going to accuse me of animal cruelty if I left them in that box one more day.




...not to mention the garage was starting to smell like a farm!
Happy moving day Chickens! We hope you like your new house.

Merry Christmas

All Pictures...no words...enjoy...

Back to School!

It was a great first day of school for everyone. It was a Wednesday, the sun was out and there were smiles all around. Dad made a giant batch of chocolate chip pancakes and worked from home so he could walk the kids to school.







I also got to go back to school this year! I applied to NSD at the end of the school year last year - just looking for something part time as Chris hasn't been able to find higher paying work yet and the construction business is well, you know...Sooooooo, I applied but didn't hear anything all summer. Then 10 days before school starts there was a frantic series of phone calls as a 4th grade teacher at Frank Love needed a job share partner and hadn't found one yet and somehow was given my name. There were many delays and many moments where I was sure it wouldn't all work out (and maybe didn't even want it to), but the Friday before school started, I took the job and signed a contract. CRAZY. The principal only wanted to continue the job share if the teachers split the day and not the week so Pris teaches mornings and I teach afternoons and just like that I'm back in the classroom :). Chris has arranged his schedule so he's home in time to pick the kids up from school so finding a place for Nicholas has been my stress. Mom is coming up on Fridays and Chris is going to work from home on Wednesdays and I think M, T, Th we found a lovely little preschool that has an extended care option that would allow me to drop him off at 11:15 and stay until 3pm when Chris can pick him up. I really feel blessed about the whole darn thing but expect chaos for the next month or so :) as we all adjust. Let the good times roll!




Once again, Go TEAM CIRILLO!

I did It!

Okay, so this post is a little late in coming...


I did it and it was SO FUN! My only goals were to run the whole 5K and finish under 35 minutes. Attainable goals I thought and I totally did it :). My final time was 31:21 and I would run another race in a heartbeat.

GO TEAM CIRILLO!!

Torchlight 5K

I just signed Chris and I up for our first 5K race!! I'm so excited...and just a little bit nervous :). It's on July 31st in the evening just before the Torchlight Parade. It'll be live on KOMO 4 News so maybe (if you tune in) you'll see Chris and I panting to the finish line. I figured that running on the parade route through downtown will distract me enough to finish the race. Can't wait to share the pictures!