Yesterday my daughters and I went grocery shopping. Among our purchases was a large green watermelon. It was big and it was heavy. And as we all worked hard to bring the groceries in from the car, the watermelon ended up on the kitchen floor. As I worked to put away the groceries, I found myself waltzing around the watermelon: dodging it, stepping over it. I wearily glanced down at that big ol’ green…egg! I had an idea.

I had read somewhere of giving a watermelon a new identity…as a dinosaur egg. After hiding the “dinosaur egg” in some bushes outside, the hunt for it would make a fun activity for the family and some refreshing eating afterwards. Then…I had another idea.

We have four chickens and one chicken-crazy daughter. She loves to go out and collect their eggs from the various nesting spots. Quickly I grabbed my older daughter, and said, “Come on, help me…can you put this watermelon in the nesting box?…Don’t tell PX!” So filled with conspiratorial glee, we crept quietly out to the backyard. The plan was to place the watermelon, then ask PX to go check for eggs. We were not prepared for what happened next.

We placed the watermelon into the nesting box; by fitting it snugly and at a slight diagonal, it fit perfectly. No problem there. But as we turned to go back to the house, we saw the funniest thing; all four of our chickens were quizzically inspecting the huge egg in their nesting box. They were very curious: which was funny enough. But more than that, they were vigorously commenting and discussing with one another the strange appearance of this big green…

“What do you suppose it is?”…
“I don’t know.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Do you see the size of that…thing!”
“What is it?!?”
“Who put it there?”
“I surely don’t know!”
Then, looking up at me, “Ma?”

It was so comical to see them interact and cast questioning glances back and forth among themselves, and then up to us in their consternation. Their antics brought an end to our original plans, and we shouted frantically for PX to join us and see the chickens and what they found in their nesting box!