About a month ago I was remembering our fun with incubating eggs last Spring, so I e-mailed the guy who runs that program and asked him if he was going to offer that again this Spring. Mr. Lloyd replied that the program was a little different this year, but that he did have one dozen eggs not spoken for, so he’d put my name on it. We picked up the incubator two weeks early and got it all ready, and then on the appointed day we eagerly went to the county extension office to pick up our dozen eggs.

I walked into the building carrying a bath towel to shield the eggs from any drafts on their ride home. My younger kids were waiting eagerly in the van. A lot of teachers participate in the “Chick-it-Out” program, so there was a line of boxes with names on them, but I didn’t see my name anywhere. Mr. Lloyd looked up and down the line of boxes with consternation.

“Your box was right there earlier. I remember it. It had your name on it.”

We stood there looking at boxes, but there was nothing to be done. Finally I left my number and said that I’d be happy to stop back by if someone realized their mistake and returned the eggs.

When I got back to the van I had to explain to the kids that we weren’t going to have eggs after all since our box was taken by someone else. They were a bit confused, but we all just accepted that these things happen sometimes.

That night I received an e-mail from Mr. Lloyd saying that the eggs had not shown up, and that he was very sorry. I responded to his e-mail saying that I would go ahead and leave the incubator set up just in case someone realized their mistake the next day.

Early the next morning I received an e-mail and a phone call from Mr. Lloyd with the exciting (or is it egg-citing?) news that our eggs had been returned! He explained that he had left the unclaimed boxes in the lobby the evening before, and in the morning my box was there and a different box was gone.

We were so tickled! I packed up the kids right away to go claim our prize. I carried my towel again, especially since the weather had turned bitterly cold overnight, and again left the children in the van while I hurried inside to get the eggs. I found a box with my name on it, and I saw a post-it note. I stood there and read it carefully…

Christy- This is your lucky day. One of the teachers is unable to participate. I put her dozen eggs in your box! You should have a great hatch. The spatula is a gift for you. Randy

It took me a minute to process the information. Two dozen eggs? We went from no eggs to two dozen eggs? How cool!!! As I stood there soaking it all in, Mr. Lloyd saw me through the window and hurried out to the lobby. He was so delighted that everything had turned out after all.

“I lost sleep over this last night,” he said. “Oh, and my wife says that this spatula is the best egg turner there is. I hope you like it.”

I told Mr. Lloyd that I would certainly enjoy having this new spatula to add to my collection, and that since I like to cook, I’d give it a workout.

This time when I went back to the van, I had good news for the children. Not only could they see that I was carrying a box, but I was able to tell them that we had two dozen eggs to take care of. I also showed them the spatula that was our gift.

When we got home, Amelia was right at my elbow the whole time I was getting the eggs tucked into their new home. She watched so carefully and asked lots of questions. Before long I realized that my main helper and best “rememberer” would be Amelia. Last time we had eggs I had a hard time remembering to turn them three times a day like we’re supposed to. Fortunately Amelia is on the job this time, so I think the eggs are in good hands.

After things settled down at home, Mike and Amelia each asked me at different times, while holding our new plastic spatula, “How does this turn the eggs?” I laughed and explained that the spatula was for flipping cooked eggs, not for turning the eggs in the incubator.

It has now been a week and a half since we started playing mother hen to two dozen eggs. They’ll hatch in another week and a half, hopefully. Today in church I heard Amelia pray that the chicks would live and that they would hatch. At lunch time Amelia asked if she could pray, and again, she prayed that we’d do a good job turning the eggs and that they would live.

Amelia and I are doing our best to take care of our eggs If we get any more careful, I’m afraid that we’re going to sprout feathers and start pecking at crumbs on the floor!

Stay tuned for our birth (or hatch) announcement somewhere around Wednesday, April 25.