Conversations with Minty and Turi...

Me: stop putting your hand in your mouth. It's filthy!

Turi [pointing to his stomach]: well its ok.  Now i can just have a muddy puddle in here.

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Turi: I want an animal party where they bring around snakes and turtles and things and you get to hold them.

Me: oh a reptile party.  I don't really want to have to pay for a reptile party.  How about a bug party and we could have worms and a stick insect and other bugs you could touch?

Turi: no I HATE bugs.

Me: ok another type of party then.  What about a dinosaur party?

Turi [excitedly]: Yeah!!  They could bring a T-rex for me to touch!!

Me [suppressing laughter][: Darling there aren't any live dinosaurs anymore, they're extinct.

Turi [disappointed]: awwww!!

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whilst collecting the eggs… 

Minty [excitedly holding an egg aloft]: one egg!!

Me: The shell is a bit wrinkly.  I think we need to give the chickens some more shell grit.

Minty [admonishing]: don't say shell grit!

Me [surprised]: why can't I say shell grit?

Minty [in an overly dramatised whisper while pointing to the egg]: because this is the shell grit

(Just a quick explanation for those of you for whom this conversation made no sense.  Chickens need to be given shell grit to help their egg shells develop properly.  This can be given in the form of crushed up egg shells but you have to be careful to make sure the pieces are very small so they don't start recognising their own eggs as food!)