Hop to It :: Jackson's {Chick-Less} Easter Photo Shoot!

You know that quote that says, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry?"

True. True. So very, very true.

Matt and I have recently acquired 15 more chicks to raise and eventually add to our flock of backyard chickens. Before you flip out and wonder where we are going to keep all of them, we are giving seven of the sweet little babies to our neighbors Jimmy and Ashley and their three little boys. I was so excited when our friends Isaac and Crystal brought us the chicks from Crystal's school on Saturday, because I was already thinking about how adorable the pictures I would pose with Jackson and the chicks would be. I mean, hello! How many people actually have access to baby chickens for an Easter photo shoot?? Not many, and I was certain the pictures would be perfect.

Famous last words...

On Tuesday morning I set up my cute little, amateur backdrop and props in our new dining room. The natural light spilled in through the windows and my Happy Easter banner added the perfect touch. I enlisted the help of my hubby to help me wrangle and pose both the chicks and Jackson when Jackson woke up from his morning nap. As we were picking up Jackson from his bed, Matt says, "Aren't you worried about Jackson touching the chicks and getting 'chicken germs?'" * I had thought of this, but I just assumed that I would have antibacterial hand wipes ready. "But he puts his hands in his mouth all the time." Hubby adds again. Well, now he had my germaphobe, irrational, crazy momma coming out. 

I readily admit my insanity. Sorry not sorry. :)

I didn't want to give up my idea of Jackson adoringly staring at the chicks as they snuggled up against his legs and I snapped photo after photo of picture-perfectness, so we agreed to only bring in two chicks and to have Matt snatch Jackson up the instant he reached to squeeze the love out of them. I set up the table next to the backdrop with hand sanitizer and hand wipes and went outside and picked up two chicks and placed them in a container. 

I should have known the instant the chicks started peeping louder than I had ever heard that this was going to be a disaster. We set the three down together on the sheet, and everything went downhill from there. The chicks peeped so loudly that I swear I couldn't hear anything. They pooped three times (and there were only two of them!) Jackson crawled away from the chicks, not toward the chicks and almost ripped down the sheet every time he moved. Matt and I moved between putting the chicks back, wiping up poop, sanitizing our hands, moving Jackson, sanitizing our hands more, adjusting the falling sheet, putting broken plastic eggs back together, wiping up more poop... {sigh}

Finally, I threw my hands up and said, "This is not going how I had planned!" I took the chicks back outside and threw in the towel. I was sad that it hadn't worked out, but I fed Jackson lunch and was determined to try again without the peeping chicks.

Thankfully, a new arrangement of the props and backdrop, and just Jackson as my subject made for some of my favorite photos of him ever. I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

*
I'm linking up with some other great blogs this week in the "Hop To It Challenge!"

*Chickens do carry bacteria and diseases like salmonella, so if you are considering having chickens, especially around children under five, proper hand washing and sanitizing is necessary.*

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