Would you like to meet my new neighbor? She has 12 children.....

Meet Mrs. Quail. She is a cute but a very annoying new neighbor. She has decided that our backyard is the new home to her and her 12 babies.
This is the best picture I have of a couple of the babies (or chicklins as Gwyn calls them) running for cover when I stepped outside.
We discovered our new neighbors had "chosen" our home when one of the chicklins followed one of the kids in the house. When the boys and I tried to get it out it ran under our dishwasher. We waited until dad got home and by then we had quite a few neighbor children trying to help as well. After hours of trying to coax the little chicklin out of the deep dark crevices of our house, it finally came out. Gil was in bed and Gwynnie and I were reading stories when we heard the little thing crying for it's momma. Bob found it hiding in some bunched up rugs and then the three of us got it outside. Gwyn kept saying "it's just so cute."

The next few days our two younger kids were constantly at the window watching the momma and her "chicklins". Gil would run out of the door trying to catch one. Tuck and Abe (and friends) have found joy in trying to count them and chase them around. I have had to get after them to leave them alone many times. Bob has tried to no avail to try and get her to relocate her babies. On Sunday Gwyn ran in from the backyard yelling "Gilbert killed a chicklin" Bob, Tucker, Abe and I ran out to see Gil poking a dead baby quail. I am sure he did not kill it but Gwyn is convinced he did. She told me today she is "so mad at Gil for killing that chicklin" Anytime he is going out in the backyard she says to him"Now Gilbert don't hurt a chicklin". Poor Gil. I am happy to say that I have not seen Mrs. Quail in a day or so, let's hope they have moved on.