Gutted.....but I shouldn't be

[Parsleythelion]

Gutted....but I shouldn't be!!!

I will be reaching the ripe old age of *cough* this year (as did my wife earlier in the year). We decided that due our recent bundle of joy this would be the last year we would splash out on each others birthdays. She wanted a very nice silk screen picture, which she got and was over the moon.

I am not *cough* until July but thinking that this would be the last big expense I decided to ask for a potting shed (I currently have a bog standard shed but I would like with big windows to propoagte seeds etc so they are not cluttering up the house which has been taken over by "sprig"). I have seen the one I want and passed this onto my wife.

Whilst we were out one day pushing "sprig" round the park, my wife said that she already had a present idea for me, she was going to buy me some chickens (coop etc). I have always wanted but put on the back burner due to the baby.......

I am really gutted because I think that would have been such an amazing surprise. I am now umming and arring about whether to still get the shed, but if not, and I opt for the chickens it will still be great but I won't have the surprise factor.

What should I do?

[julesapple]

Ask for either or...let Mrs Lion decide. You won't get a surprise anyway.....you know it will be one of the two.

[veggiechicken]

Was your wife's silk screen picture a surprise? I have the impression she had already seen it and wanted it. Maybe she didn't realise that you wanted a surprise and you did ask for a potting shed (so that wouldn't have been a surprise either).
You could have a new potting shed and turn the old one into a chicken coop!

[Bigmallly]

Is there anyway you could glaze your existing shed?......Get the coop & chucks, best of both worlds.

[bearded bloke]

Bugger I was gonna put that ^^^^^^^

[Seahorse]

I don't think she could have done anything other than mention it in advance really. What if you'd gone off the idea, or didn't have time? Then it would have been a *horrible* suprise and you'd have had to either put up with unwanted birds, or find a way to get rid of them.

I like the idea of the old shed becoming the coop

[Mikey]

Don't underestimate the amount of space the birds will take up, its very hard not to let them have more and more space, and give them more and more things to play with. They become like children, they entertain you, they frustrate you, and they love to keep pushing the boundaries.

[Florence Fennel]

Buy one for yourself and let your wife buy the other one for you. Double whammy and "cough" the surprise.

[Mikey]

I thought that was a female ploy anyway, My OH normally buys herself a birthday and christmas present just in case I don't. Before anyone comments I've never yet forgotten.

[Normans Mum]

Ask for either. Your wife could always put a little 'suprise' gift in with your main present. that might be nice. : )

[The Reverend]

Evening Parsleythelion, i would tread carefully, or you might end up getting pants and socks.

[SarzWix]

I've made absolutely no secret of what I want for my *cough*yeth birthday in May, and have asked anyone who's mentioned it for polytunnel gift-vouchers. (Yes, you can get them )

If I was you Parsley, I'd go with everyone else's suggestion - get the potting shed and either convert your old one, or sell it and put the funds towards your chickens.

[Parsleythelion]

Thanks for your comments, I hadn't thought about converting my current shed into a chicken house, I was going to give it to my neighbour who is shedless. It's still in pretty good nick.

I think after some thought and a conversation with Mrs P I am going to go with the potting shed and save up for some chickens when sprig is a bit older in a couple of years.

[julesapple]

How awful...fancy being *gulp* shedless

But anyway what they have got they won't miss......go for the shed-into-chicken coop plan. Sprig will love chooks!

[taff]

I saw a video this morning somewhere for a straw bale chicken house on stilts. Cheaper than a coop and insulated too