Flouting

Earlier this week as McKayla was doing her spelling we came across the word 'flout'. Having the Scholastic Children's Dictionary by our sides we proceeded to look up 'flout', as she didn't know the meaning. Here is the definition given:

flout (flout) verb If you flout the rules, you break them deliberately.

Waiting about half a second my brilliant child says to me 'Oh like you are going to flout the by-laws.' ..... I was completely stunned and at a loss for words. I hadn't really thought of it in such deliberate terms before now. The way she said it made it sound so much worse than I had previously thought.  I stood there for a moment and then proceeded to talk to both of the girls about how we had taken all the steps we could at the moment to effect a change in the by-laws and how hopefully the aldermen would see the need for an amendment. I talked about how we would be respectful of our neighbours and how we would ensure that our chickens wouldn't bother them, how we could share our eggs with them and the other benefits of being more and more self-sufficient.

Ever since walking away from that conversation, however, I have been having such conflicting emotions. I know that many people will and have said to me 'don't worry about it',  and feel that I am being silly with all this 'chicken business'. But there is a part of me that is wondering when if ever it is acceptable to be aware of a 'rule' and to do the exact opposite, just for the plain fact that I don't happen to agree with it and think it should be changed. Day in and day out my children push, sometimes slightly, sometimes more so, against the rules that their father and I put in place...how is this any different? I am constantly saying to them 'hey it sounds like someone wants what they want when they want it eh?' (thats a tongue twister!) And when McKayla said that I would be 'flouting' the by-laws,  I felt that someone should say that to me.


So while we are still going ahead with building our coop and anticipating our ladies arrival, it is not without a bit of a black cloud over my heart and with unanswered questions swirling about my mind.

The base (don't even ask how long it took!)

Windows that I have been dying to use somewhere! The ladies will need their light!