Lily certainly does not spend all her time skipping in the grass tending her chickens and goats (but it is a nice daydream). Getting her to cooperate is often a chore, just like any other child. She does not always want to put on her barn boots and go out, but she is almost always in a better mood post-barn than pre-barn.
In an especially foul mood this week while transitioning back into the social pressures of preschool, you can see the attitude she flashed at me in the barn with the chickens. A few minutes later she is working hard and taking pride in her ability to care of her goats’ water needs. She spent about 20 minutes this week pulling little burrs out of the goat’s coats. Quite a bit of patience for a 5-year-old.
She may grumble a fair bit and does not enjoy the “have to’s” in life, but she is so at home outside. I take pride in that. She has found the baby goats like freshly brown and falling tulip tree leaves. She patiently collects them and hand feeds them to the goats. Before handing one over, she saw a slug on it and showed it to me. I told her the goats wouldn’t like that, but I bet she knew who would. Right away, she said: “my chickens!” She put it in the pail and on the way back to the house, tossed it in the chicken yard. Bertha scooped it right up. That’s my girl!
Small Wonder Nutrition 