In the middle of March this year, our beloved yellow lab, Sunny, disappeared from our farm place.  It happened in the night.  She was out with me in the evening helping with chores and when I went to do the same in the morning, she was gone.  As Bill returned home from the night shift and as I was leaving for work I mentioned to him that Sunny was not around.  For two days we drove around the neighborhood in the morning and in the evening, seeking information from any neighbor we could find.  Nobody had seen her.  We’d heard stories of people stealing dogs to sell them to research companies and the like and we began to fear that this had been Sunny's fate.  Then a call came.  Sunny had been spotted with another dog just across the section at the neighbor’s house.

What a relief!  Bill rushed over but by the time he got there the pair was gone.  For the next three days we played a game of cat and mouse.  By this time most of the neighborhood knew about our missing dog and they were on the lookout.  From time to time a call would come saying that they spotted Sunny and the other dog here or there but they were always gone by the time we got there.  This is very out of character for Sunny.  She is so friendly she would walk up to anyone.  It seems that when a dog gets in the running mode they become a different animal, taking on feral characteristics and living on instinct.

This went on for nearly a week and based on the reports of their sightings the dogs covered many miles.  Finally a neighbor was able to get close enough to catch Sunny for us and we brought her safely home.  Then came the next worry.  You see, we hadn't had Sunny spayed yet and I had noticed the day before she ran away that she was "in season". 

Now before you go scolding me for not having my dog spayed let me tell you the rest of the story.  We got Sunny from a friend in the fall, smack dab in the middle of hunting season.  Now you don’t go and spay a huntin’ dog in the middle of the season.  Our plan was to have her spayed early in the spring when she could be comfortable outside and have it done and healed before the flies got too bad.  You see the last female we had spayed didn’t have such a good experience and we wanted to do it better this time around.  Okay, I know, too little too late.

So I did the math and sure enough we were looking to have a litter of puppies sometime after Lily’s birthday.  Time passed and sunny showed all the signs that she was about to have a litter.  Poor girl, she had an udder that dwarfed some of our dairy cows!  I got a nice spot in the garage for her all set up where she could stay in peace and quite, sheltered from the wind and sun.  We kept her there that last week except when we had her outside with us.  That’s what we did on Saturday, May 17^th.  The kids and I were working outside and Sunny was with us.  We took a break to pick up some feed at the elevator and when we got home Sunny was gone again. 

It didn’t take long to find her this time.  She was in the barn, crowded into what used to be the manure gutter and she was having puppies.  She kept having them all day too!

The puppies started out looking like blind gophers but quickly became very cute.  Not to long after they got cute, they got to be stinkers.  They got into everything.  Any toy left out quickly became a chew toy.  I planted some flowers, they ate them.  And you would not believe how much poo nine puppies can make!

So I decided it was time for the puppies to go.  Sunny agreed.  She was tired of them trying to nurse and often chased them away.  We weaned the puppies and got nine different colored collars for them so we could tell them apart.  Big mistake.  As soon as we could tell them apart we started figuring out which ones were our favorites.

So now comes our dilemma.  All the puppies are gone except for the two we like the best, Della and Jake.  We can’t possibly keep two puppies we need to pick just one.  Here’s a little about the two so you can help us decide who to keep.

Della- she was our first pick as a favorite.  For the first two weeks we had the collars on she was the first to come and greet us.  She’s a sweet pup that loves to snuggle.  She’s quieter than the rest and more laid back.  She’s bit of a mama’s girl and took the weaning a little harder than the rest of the litter.  She didn’t gain weight like everybody else but is quickly catching up as she has less competition for the food bowl.  She’s growing into a tall lean dog.  She seems to be smarter than the others.  When I stand in the kennel to lure them in, most of the pups come running.  Not Della though, she won’t be tricked into being locked up. 

Della, not the best picture though

Jake- He warmed up to us a later than Della.  He is now one of the most friendly pups always showing up to greet us.  He quickly moves on to other things if you don’t play with him, probably a little ADHD kicking in there.  Jake is a rambunctious boy and usually the first to get into trouble.  He always gets his share of the food bowl and is well-built because of it.  Jake is the quintessential lab.  Friendly and loyal but maybe just a little on the clumsy side.  He definately has good hunting dog potential.

Okay, it's not Jake but they all look the same anyway!

So now we need your help, which one should we keep?  Any thoughts or comments would be much appreciated!

As a response to my dear sister-in-law I'm writing about my typical day.  Ashlee is fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom and in her last blog entry she wrote about her typical non-exciting but perfectly productive day.  Now, I've had the good fortune to experience the stay-at-home-mom lifestyle and believe me, it's no picnic.  If I was given the choice today I'm not sure that I would choose to do that again.  Just wait a year and a half until both my kids are in school, then I'll be able to fulfill my dream of being a stay-at-home mom .

For now I'll maintain my sanity by escaping to my cubicle for 8 hours a day, torturing myself by thinking of all the projects I could be working on at home, if only I had the time.  I don't know how people manage the working-mom life.  Our daily schedule leaves so little time for extras during the week.  On a typical day I barely have enough time to finish the things I need to do- eat, sleep, take care of kids and critters, heaven forbid I have to go to a meeting, swimming lesson, or anything else after work.  There's just no time for it.

So as a response to my dear Ashlee, An Ode on a Working Mom...my not so perfect (but typical) day-
5:30- hit the snooze
6:10- realize I had better get my butt moving
6:30- ahhh, my peaceful time outside, checking critters... uhhhhgg, is that goat limping?  Another hoof injury, why in the world did somebody decide that it was a good idea to dump all their scrap metal in the woods?
7:00- better get the kids up
7:05- kids, get up!
7:10- Kids, we're leaving in 5 minutes!
7:15- break down and drag the kids out of bed so I can dress them like a limp doll.
7:25- leave for work, only 10 minutes late today!
7:35- drop kids off at daycare, they scream for another hug as I sneak out the door.
8:00- work (yawn) They have the air conditioning on today, I know I should be thankful for that but it's FREEZING in here.  I can't help but think the taxpayers' money makes our building into a refrigerator in the summer.  What a waste.
2:00- realize that I've really done nothing productive today, take a coffee break
4:30- another wasted day, back home to bust my butt to get things done that I need to do at home.
5:00- pick up the kids, they fight with each other all the way home.
5:15- try to escape whiney kids by going to my room to rest
5:20- they find me, beg for supper, wake up Bill
5:45- supper- scrambled eggs, again. while making supper and waiting for the kids to finish I managed to whip up a batch of strawberry preserves to can.  I picked three buckets of strawberries on Sunday and most of them are sitting in the fridge waiting to meet their final destiny as jam, pies, sorbet, and other yummies that we can save for the dark winter months.
6:30- Lily and I pick rhubarb for our next canning endeavor- rhubarb sauce
6:45- Bill complains that the yard is a mess, parts of a raccoon I poisoned had been scattered about by our puppies, and why didn't I take care of it right away?  So I did raccoon pick-up duty.
7:00- Lily helps me chop the rhubarb and start it stewing.
7:45- Kids need a bath...
8:00- kids, get your PJ's on and brush your teeth!
8:15- I stink too bad from raccoon duty, I'll tuck you in after I do chores and shower, GET TO BED!!
8:20- first half of chores- feed the critters, put the puppies in the kennel, call the goats up, fill the watering tanks.
8:30- back inside to put rhubarb sauce in jars and process
8:40- Kids, get to bed, I'll tuck you in when I'm done!
9:00- back outside for chores, part two- catch the two goats with hoof injuries and give shots, penicillin for infection and banamine for fever and swelling.  They hate me know.
9:20- back in to take the jars off the stove and clean up
9:25- No, I'm not finished yet, GET BACK TO BED!
9:55- The much-needed shower
10:10- I tuck in Lily and Jack
10:15- send Bill off to work
10:20- Lily tucks me in
10:30-            

Love ya girl!!!

If you haven't yet noticed, I've been working on updating our website with a new hosting service.  Although I enjoy putting the pages together, I really know nothing about website building, domains, hosting...whatever!  It's all a big experiment to me.  What I do know is that now we don't have those annoying advertisements on our website so that's a plus!  You will now have to add the www to the front of our name to get to the site, here it is: http://www.andersonsoakcreekranch.com

The bad part is that in the move to the new hosting I lost all of the pictures that had been in my previous blog entries.  I've got most of them loaded to my photobucket account so if you want to see them, check out:  http://s162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/khoeschen/, I think that will work.

So, our weekend...What is it about summer that says every weekend must be jam-packed?  Whatever happened to lounging at the lake and being lazy?  Actually we got to do a little of that but it never seems relaxing with the kids around.  Oh well.  I was blessed to be able to spend the weekend with an old high-school friend and her family.  Nicole's little sister Kadie got married to an old swim team contact and we had a grand swim-union at the wedding dance.  The kids had a blast too, candy, dancing, glowing necklaces, yup, the whole bit!  Jack won over the heart of the flower girl, another family friend, and got his first kiss!  He gets really embarrased about it so be sure to tease him when you see him!

Sunday we got to lounge at the lake with Nicole's family, basically my second family, it was so nice to see them all again.  Afterward, Jack and Lily settled down with a nice juicy piece of watermelon, and then a bath!

Whew!  After a busy weekend, Jack and Lily enjoyed a bedtime snack of juicy watermelon

So, now back to another week, a short one, but a week nonetheless.  We're looking forward to the annual Fourth of July visit from my brother, Derek and his wife, Kim.  They need to get a break from the perfect San Diego weather every now and then.  Jack and Lily always look forward to seeing them.  They've been asking for the past two weeks, how many days...?  It will, of course, be another typical, busy summer weekend but we'll definately save some time for lounging and eating watermelon!

With every new endeavor there seems to be a learning curve.  You can read books, make plans and talk to people who have gone before you.  These are all good preparations but for me anyway, the best way to learn is to “just do it.”

Such as been the case with so many of my farm and garden projects.  For every new thing I’ve tried, you’ll find on the shelf in my room at least three books and a pile of articles to go along with it.  Nobody can say that I don’t so my research, unfortunately doing research and actually having the experience of doing are two completely different things. 

It often takes an unusual situation to distinguish between one who has prepared by researching and one who has prepared by experiencing.  The heavy rains we’ve been blessed with over the past week have been my unusual situation and I have been tested.  Actually, I would say it’s the heavy rainfall on top of all the other new experiences that have really tested me this week.  One thing I’ve learned, if it can go wrong, it will.  Here is a sampling of some of this week’s experiences and what I’ve learned from them.   

Brooding baby chicks- This is definitely not a new experience for me, I’ve raised hundreds of chicks.  Reading books told me that I am to set up a draft free area using cardboard walls, supply a heat lamp and dry bedding and observe them to make sure they’re not crowding under the lamp or dispersing away from it.  Like I mentioned, I’ve done this, I’ve also brooded chicks other ways but for the most part, this is simple and it works well.  So… I had some new hatchlings in a stall in the barn, I used corrugated polycarbonate from my old greenhouse as a draft shield, heat lamp, bedding, all was well…until a curious dog or rooster knocked over the draft shield and all the chicks escaped and I was left picking up chick carcasses all the way out the barn door.  I can imagine it was quite a thrill for the dog.  Lesson learned- no matter how sweet and gentle the dog is, no canine can resist the urge to chase little fluffy play toys, until they no longer run away.  Keep the chicks in a dog-free zone.

Raising kids (the four-legged ones)- this is a new experience for me and I’ve done my research.  I have yet to find a book that will tell you that when there’s trouble to get into, they’ll find it and if you think you have a potential hazard around, fix it immediately.  Two experiences support this knowledge, first was my mom of triplets, finally after three days in the barn with her newborns she ventured out to the woods with the other goats.  Two of the babies followed, only one came back.  Goats can’t count.  She was happily nursing her two when I came to check on them and realized one was missing.  I stole one of the two babies to use on my search.  His hollering finally convinced little brother to holler back.  He was stuck in the cattails by the lake.  Luckily I was able to get him out and dry him off before any damage was done, he’s doing fine now.  My other trouble maker wasn’t so lucky.  Our old dairy barn still has the gutters and barn cleaner which empty to a small concrete pit in the back.  This pit has the tendency to fill up with water, definitely a hazard so I covered it up.  The little rascals were always playing around it and eventually my cover slid off just enough for a little doe to fall in.  No fun.  I have since filled the pit in but I had to learn the hard way.  Lesson learned- baby goats can’t swim, eliminate all drowning hazards!

Here you can see the manure augar that comes out of the concrete pit behind the barn- pretty easy to see why baby goats like to play here.

Putting up goat fence- I firmly believe that all the research in the world will not teach you how to do this effectively.  There are so many different opinions as to what works, some will say nothing but livestock panels all around, others insist that woven wire is the only way, still others say that woven wire alone is not effective, you need something that shocks.  Here’s what I’ve discovered, no one fence is perfect for every situation.  You need to pick the option that will work for your pasture but is also cost effective.  Here’s what we did.  We have an overgrown grove behind the house, about 1.5 acres requiring about 1000 feet of fence- it goes along the lake so no fence is needed there.  The sturdiest fence would be cattle panels at a cost of $1200- not including posts.  These would work but there is a risk of goats sticking their heads through and getting stuck, plus, a little pricey!  How about woven wire?  The wire itself costs about $350 but again you have the head-in-the-fence problem so a couple hot wires would be needed to prevent the goats from getting too friendly with the fence.  So, figure another $200 for wire and insulators (not including posts).  Who would have though the pasture fence would cost so much!

We decided to go with just the electric wires, 4 of them (you can't see the bottom one, it's low to keep the young ones in.  All the goat people are now freaking out “Four isn’t enough!”  Maybe not if this was a high pressure pasture but the way I see it, these girls have no reason to get out of the fence.  There’s plenty to eat, there are no bucks around and generally everything they could possibly need is in that fence.  I can see maybe a kid getting out but they don’t go too far.  I’ll keep you posted on how the goat fence works out.  It could be another case of live and learn but for now the only lesson learned- books and magazines can only give general guidelines, unique situations require unique solutions.

Putting up a garden fence- The purpose of a garden fence is exactly opposite of that of a goat fence.  Here we need to keep the critters out, not in.  We deal with all sorts of critters sneaking snacks from the garden, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, goats, dogs, cattle, kids (2 legged), birds.  Of course with some of these sneaking snacks isn’t the problem.  For example, the cows occasionally get out, it just happens.  Have you ever seen what 60 1500-pound beef cows can do to a garden?  Fortunately I haven’t but it’s been close a time or two.  We’ve been wanting to fence off the garden for some time now and it’s finally happening.  Of course I did my homework first.  I researched all types of fencing, even requested samples.  I compared their effectiveness and price and finally settled on welded wire- 14 gauge, 36” tall, 2”x 4” spaces between the wires.  Now, I have a reputation for putting up absurdly crooked fences so I tried to get Bill to help out.  Unfortunately it’s so rare that we’re both home at the same time, coordinating our fencing was not easy- so I set the posts…hehehehe.  IT’S JUST A GARDEN FENCE, NOBODY WILL SEE IT BUT US!  So gimme a break!  He did help me stretch the wire and attach it but that didn’t turn out so pretty either.

Perhaps welded wire wasn’t the best choice.  Notice how it tends to flop around along the top edge- we just couldn't pull the stuff tight!  I can’t think of how we could have made it better, except for, well, getting the posts in straight and making the fence on level ground, and…oh, just gimme a break already!  Regardless of how it looks, I think it will work.  Lesson learned- sometimes you just have to say “good enough!”

Okay, so the list could go on, my critters teach me something new everyday.  They never cease to amaze me.  The other day as the sun was setting I watched the goats play and at one time there were 4 baby goats, less than 2 weeks old climbing in the trees.  How do they do that?  Maybe someday they’ll teach me and it will be yet another lesson learned.

Yup, they came, right on time and yes, that is a picture of Sunny having her babies IN THE GUTTER of the old dairy barn!

Bill and I actually put some thought and discussion into where we should set up a nest for Sunny to have the puppies.  Something comfortable and safe and protected from the elements- heat or cold, who knows this year!  After checking some other blogs of people who have been through the puppy thing it was clear that the best thing would be to build a whelping box complete with little bumpers all around the outside to protect the pups from being squashed by the mommy.  YEAH RIGHT!  Okay so we weren't eaven 100% sure that these would even be purebred after Sunny's neighboorhood antics.  There would be no whelping box building!

We settled on an old kiddy pool, reappropriated from my waterfowl pen.  I washed it out, dried it and collected a bunch of old blankets and towels for bedding and we put it in a quiet corner of our garage.  What could be better?  Cool during the day, out of the elements...We locked her in the garage every night  and as the day got closer she stayed in there most of the day too.  I figured she needed to rest rather than to be pestered by our now pre-teen pup, poncho. 

On Saturday I was looking forward to a day working outside with the kids.  What a gorgeous day.  It was warm and sunny, with the exception of the occasional wind gust, a perfect day.  We had big plans for the day, (after sleeping in until 8:00!)  First on the list, as always, was chores, mainly feed the bottle calf and check on the rest of the critters.  Being such a nice day I turned the goats out for some free feed and brush control.

After chores it was off to Farwell to pick up some feed and make the annual trip to Country Lane Nursery, our favorite local greenhouse, to pich up flowers for the window boxes.  The trip wasn't going to take long so we left the goats and the dogs out to get some exercise.

We returned about an hour later and strangely, Sunny didn't greet us.  I just figured she was resting in the shade- it was getting a little warm out for once.  We got our purchases unloaded and I went to the barn to start loading up the broilers that were to be moved to pasture.  Then I noticed her- Sunny all curled up in the gutter of the barn panting and breathing heavily.  I though "all right, it's time, let's move to the nest in the garage!"  Then I looked closer and saw three squirming yellow sausages near her belly...too late.

I quickly called the kids in and they reluctantly left their sandbox project to come see what was going on.  They both came in the barn just in time to see number four coming out.  They were speechless.

The process continued all day.  Sunny was very patient with the kids checking out her litter, picking up each new puppy after it was cleaned off.  We had visitors too.  Emily, Johnny, Adrianna and Shari Hovendick stopped by to see all the critters.  They enjoyed seeing the pups and Sunny nicely tolerated their petting.  Although she looked exhausted, she had a glimmer of pride in her new litter.  By the end of the day we had nine pups- five girls and four boys at last count.  That may change, if you've ever tried to check the bottoms of hungry squirmy sausages you'd understand.

We did get the window boxes planted and the broilers moved to the garden for free-ranging.  The goats enjoyed playing outside all day, as did the two-legged kids.  After bathtime we all curled up in my bed to read a couple books...we never left!

Sunday was also packed with activities.  After church we cleaned Lily's room!  If you've seen it lately you'll know that this in itself was an amazing feat!  Then it was off to Jack's Spring Fling concert and Preschool Graduation!

The kids performed a number of their favorite songs and skits including "The Chicken Dance" as seen here.  Jack is in the back, second from the right.  Both of the kids have many friends that attend the preschool, and many of them go to the same daycare as Jack and Lily.  It was a fun time for both of them.  Both grandma's came to watch and to our surprise Bill made it too.  We thought he would be sleeping for most of the afternoon in preparation of working the night shift.

Lily was entranced by the kids performing at the Preschool concert

I'll leave you with this scenic view of goats and cattle grazing on the ranch.  The cattle are in the back- where they're supposed to be, fenced in the pasture.  The goats are in the front, actually grazing our lawn (which is excessively overgrown anyway).  Putting up pasture fence for the goats is the next project on the ranch.  Unfortunately it's a task I cannot accomplish by myself so it requires that Bill and I both be home (and awake) at the same time.  I do not recommend allowing goats to free range, but so far it seems to be working here.  I keep the bucks penned up and the does won't venture too far from the boys.  Plus, if they do, there aren't a whole lot of places to go.  I can't imagine them running across a freshly planted 40 acre field!  Plus, these girls are all about ready to pop with their spring kids- except Tabitha who just had her's- they're not all that energetic right now!

Which reminds me...one more... a baby picture...

Now ain't that sweet?

Okay, maybe not the same kind of party we had back in my college years, but it was a great one nonetheless.  In addition to Sunday being Mother's Day, it was also Lily's 4th birthday!  And since sister-in-law, Nancy's birthday is on Tuesday we had a huge celebration.  Neil and Ashlee came with the P's, Nancy and Robby brought little Hank.  Hannah brought Jake (and was proptly bombarded by Jack and Lily with requests to play Hoola-Swing, a newly-invented game they came up with!)  Both sets of grandparents came and three great-grandparents made it.  Woah!  We are so blessed to have so many family members close to us, it really makes these gatherings special for the kids.  It can be a little tiring for the moms though!

The weather finally broke from the cold and wet pattern that has been common this spring and although it was a little cool out, the sun was shining.  Everybody enjoyed the chance to play and visit outside.  With three cousins under a year old things can really get wild when we're all confined to the inside of our tiny, old-fashioned farm house.  Plus being outside gave everybody a chance to see the animals. 

Tom turkey won everybody's attention with his handsome fluffing and stately gobbles.  The sassy geese always put on a show for anybody who dares to come close; it makes chasing them around all the more rewarding!  Of course our new baby goat, Sweet Pea was a hit.  She's the cutest darn thing-  I need to get I picture of her up here too.  Be patient, she's worth the wait!

Okay, so I'm a little low on pictures from the event so if anyone has some good ones, send them to me please.

Goat show update-

Last weekend we attended our first goat show, more on that can be found on the new page dedicated to showing goats...

Here's the favorite picture from the event:

Junior was the only buck in the 6-9 months category so I let Lily lead him in the ring.  She did great and is quite proud of her blue ribbon!

Stay Tuned for....PUPPIES!!

Yes, that's right.  Our beautiful yellow lab, Sunny had a rendevous a couple months ago with another yellow lab and by the looks of it we'll be having more shortly.  My guess is that they'll be here early next week.  Today we'll be preparing a whelping area for her.  This will be a new one for us, with any luck I'll have pictures of the blessed event to post.  Look out!

I had a baby last night!  Actually, one of my goats did.  It was my first kidding so it was incredibly exciting. 

When I went to do my chores yesterday morning my buck, (yes, the one mentioned in the previous blog) was pestering a doe who I thought may be ready to have babies. Since I've never raised goats before I wasn't really sure what to look for as signs of pregnancy so when Sugar Daddy started showing interest, I was beginning to doubt that this doe was actually pregnant.  Based on my little experience with cows she looked like she could be close to kidding.  I decided to be safe and isolate her in her own pen.

After work the kids and I hurried out to the barn.  I just felt like something was going to happen and it seemed like we couldn't get out there fast enough.  I immediately checked on Lena I was a little disappointed to see her just standing around in her pen but then she turned...she lost the plug!  A mucousy string hanging from her backside told me that babies were on the way.  The kids and I watched her for a while and it became clear that these babies would come sooner rather than later, Lena was having strong contractions which was obvious by her straining and squatting. 

It appeared that everything was progressing normally, wait a minute,  how would I know...I've never done this before!  Actually I was pretty nervous and was beginning to think that her soft grunt-like calls to her unborn baby was actually her pleading for me to do something to help her.  I fought the urge to intercede.  The kids watched her safely from outside the pen while I proceeded to do the rest of my evening chores.

Okay, I rushed through the chores so I could continue to observe Lena.  Within ten minutes things started to happen, something was coming out!  Thinking back to all my reading about goats giving birth, I knew the next step after losing the plug was the waterbag.  Sure enough, one contraction later it came.

Sure enough, the white spot you can see in the waterbag closest to the goat's rear end is baby Lulu's head!

Now it was time to brief the kids (the two legged ones).  I had to warn them that it was going to be a little yucky but that this is normal.  I told them the baby would come out slimey and wet and that there might be blood.  Lily was a little scared at this point, which surprised me.  Jack was ready.

It took two more contractions and then out popped Lulu!  Here she is in all her glory.

By this time I was on the phone with my mom giving her the play-by-play, I'm sure she was thrilled.  Lena was a bit tired so I picked up Lulu making sure that the slime was out of her nose and mouth then I placed her in front of mama, just like all the books say.  Lena immediately began cleaning her off.  Success!

It was pretty cold last night so the little darling had a rough start.  I had to rub her good with a towel and put a heat lamp in her pen to get her up and going.  Soon enough, it was time to eat...

Okay, this is too cute.  The little thing can barely walk but she knows what she wants.  She would lunge with all her might toward the doe's teat and more than half the time fall on her face.  When she finally got a hold of a teat she only had enough strength to suckle a few times before taking a break.  this went on for a while then it was time to cuddle up for a nap.

This morning the little Lulu was exploring.  Her new buddy is the resident gimpy rooster.  They're about the same size.  I don't think either one knows what to think of the other!

They make quite a pair though.  Clearly this was quite an experience.  I'm proud that I made it through the whole ordeal from isolating her this morning to recognizing the signs of labor, having never done this before.  Certainly it could have gone a lot worse.  The kids are looking forward to playing with the little one.  I'm sure in a couple of days she'll be getting into all sorts of trouble...stay tuned!