Spring Storm!

A storm is coming in. I know that if I lived in the mid-west this would be a common occurance, but here in the Central Valley of California it doesn't happen all that often. Spring storms are much more interesting than winter storms. Winter storms are just rainy and gray, but spring storms.... well, there's wind. We're having that now. Most of the time, it's enough to make the smaller branches bounce around. My little lanterns are swinging to and fro in the Chinese Pistasche trees. But, every once in a while, a larger gust comes up and wooosh, the larger branches are swept up and the trees shake. The neighbor's flag across the street is flapping around, too. As I look out the big windows, not only am I in awe of the weather outside, but I am very aware of the comfort and safety what is on the inside. Our home is pleasant and comfortable, safe and warm. We are safe, not only from the storms outside our home, but the inside of our home is also fairly tempest free. Oh sure, we have our conflicts and little spats here and there, but overall our home is a peaceful place, a place to find shelter in a storm.

We are suffering!

Today I feel like Sisera. Remember that guy in the book of Judges? He was the commander of the army and he went to that gal Jael's tent for a rest and she drove a tent peg through his head! Well, I feel like someone is driving a tent peg through my head. Our allergies are so bad. I have my second sinus infection in a month, poor Bubba is coughing and hacking. He's got so much gunk he doesn't know how to deal with it, and I'm not sure how to help him. He's already on 3 meds for his allergies/asthma, but I gave him some Xoponex to help with the cough and some guafenisin to help loosen up the phlegm. I hope it works for him, poor kid. Duh-duh has been coughing and hacking as well, and poor Missy Lou coughed all night long. I think the culprit is that huge field of fiddleneck that's blooming at the end of our street. I'm seriously thinking about hiring a crop duster and loading him up with Round-Up. We need some relief, though, or we are all going to go crazy!

Great Field Trip!

OK, quiz time here people. Question: What is the distinguishing characteristic of the cavalry division of the army? Answer: No, it's not that they are on horses. Yes, they do ride horses, but what distinguishes the cavalry is that they carry sabres. I bet you didn't know that, did you? I didn't either until Friday. Friday our homeschool group took a trip up to Oakhurst for a field trip. Originally, the high point of the field trip was to go to the museum up there and see the genuine artifacts from Abraham Lincoln. But, the gal who organized the field trip also included a stop at the park to see a living history and that really turned out to be the high point of the trip. We got to visit with a couple of camp doctors (one of which had a definite anti-homeschool bias), a lady doctor (I'm sure you didn't know that there were only two colleges in the 1800's that would admit women into its medical school), a blockade runner (he was absolutely fascinating, but got "highly offended" when I called him a smuggler :)). We got to see how women dressed (all the way from the undergarments to the bonnets) and all throughout our visit we got to hear the canon going off. Duh-duh really got freaked out because of the canon.

So, we were there for about an hour and a half and then broke for lunch and then headed on over to the museum. The museum was interesting, but not as interesting as I was expecting. Plus, the fact that Missy Lou kept having to go potty, as did Duh-duh and then I had tantrums to deal with, I just didn't see much. The kids were tired and they had done really well most of the day. I think it all went over their heads. I mean, we're still in Ancient Egypt for history, so even though they know who Abraham Lincoln is, they don't know much about the Civil War. But, it was a great day. We met up with Hubby's sister and her kids and got to meet a new baby cousin, so the kids were thrilled with that. All in all, it was a very good day.

It takes a little imagination!

OK everyone, close your eyes. Now, imagine with me..... you are on a windswept desert plain. The air is hot and dry on your cheek. The tall, sandstone pyramid towers before you. You turn and look at the funeral procession making its way toward you. There is dour music, wailing and all sorts of carrying on. It is the funeral of the great Pharaoh - Chick-menotep. Chick-menotep was the most powerful Pharaoh Egypt had seen in hundreds of years. He had wealth unimaginable. Under his rule, learning and the arts flourished. He was fluent in many of the ancient languages and was famous for his diplomatic arts. His queen was the fairest in the land. The procession winds its way to the entrance of the pyramid and the Pharaoah goes in to his final resting place.

Ya got that? OK. Then pretend that is what's really happening to our chicken mummy, instead of this unceremonious disposal of the body.

Chick-menotep is finally a mummy!

Today is the day. Our majestic and most gracious Pharaoh Chick-menotep has moved on in life...er...death from just being a dried up bird encased in salt-baking powder-baking soda mixture in a Ziploc bag to a full-fledged mummy.

We cleaned the salt mixture off him, rubbed him in spices (cinnamon) and then oiled him up well and wrapped him in strips of a white sheet (no linen in this house) dipped in diluted glue.

It was a rather difficult job and Duh-duh quit after a couple wraps. Bubba stuck with it for a while, but after a time he got kind of frustrated, so I finished the job. I wasn't too disappointed about that. It was a big job and it was kind of hard getting the wrapping under the wings, but it's done and he's drying now. I'm not sure what we'll do with him after he's dry, but... we sure had fun doing it.

Happy Birthday Duh-duh!

Well, it's March birthday #2 - my sweet second son! He's six years old today and he's quite a boy. When we first got the boys I didn't know too much about babies and he was four months old. He had this thing called reflux, so we had to feed him two ounces and then burp him and feed him two ounces and then burp him. He finally grew out of that, and then grew into ear infections. One spring, I was at the doctor every week with him and his ear infections - culminating in a Mother's Day weekend round of injectable antiobiotics. That was no fun. I still remember sitting in the waiting room and the doctor peeked in and saw we were there and said, "Oh, it must be Friday, Jonatha's here again!" Then, we got tubes in his ears and haven't had another ear infection since. Actually, he hasn't had any health problems since then, either.
Duh-duh is such a fun kid. He's got a winning smile and he's very socially mature. He knows how to get along with people. Yesterday at church, he asked Mr. Brown (the trustee of the month for March) if he was going to hand out bulletins. Mr. Brown said yes, and Duh-duh asked if he could help him. Usually the boys help their dad when he's trustee of the month, but Duh-duh really likes handing out bulletins, so he asked Mr. Brown, too. It was so cute seeing him stand beside Mr. Brown as people came into church. Duh-duh would give them a big smile and hand them a bulletin. Duh-duh also loves to read. He's a pretty good reader now and he'll just sit down with a book and read aloud to himself. But, just don't ask him to read to you. He's never been a "performer" and he's very self-conscious. But, if you wait long enough, he'll sit down with a book and ask you to read or start reading it to you on his own!
Happy Birthday Duh-duh!

Navigating birthdays...

March is birthday month around here. Missy Lou's birthday was yesterday and Duh-duh's birthday is Monday. Good for them... not so good for Bubba. And really not so good for me. Especially since Bubba tends to be the jealous kind and has had a stinky attitude about the whole thing for about a week now. Some parents would tend to include the "non-birthday child" by giving him a gift, too, but for this particular child, who thinks the world revolves around him and has an enormous sense of entitlement, I don't think that would be a good idea. Besides, he has a birthday. Granted, it's in May, but he will have a birthday - complete with cake, presents, the whole nine-yards. And I don't plan on getting presents for the other two, just because they might feel left out. I'm just not sure how to deal with this child. He's nearly 7 years old, too. I can understand jealousy in a very small child, but he's old enough to start learning to deal with unpleasant feelings and situations in a more mature way and not giving in to every feeling and impulse he has. If he doesn't like something or want to do something, you can be sure we know all about it. And if he doesn't like something or want to do something, he really doesn't think he should have to do it. So, I'm preparing myself for more angst as we go to Target today to spend a little birthday money given by a kind aunt. Bubba receives the same amount.... on his birthday, but that doesn't matter to him. He wants what he wants.

My baby is four today!

I can't believe it. My baby is four years old today. She woke up with a big smile on her face and got really embarrassed when I sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She is such a sweet little thing - she's the joy of my heart. She's as stubborn as the day is long, but fortunately, she doesn't show that side of her that often. You ought to hear her throw a tantrum. The other day, she decided she didn't want to eat her dinner, she just wanted a cookie. So, she refused to eat her dinner but assumed that she would be given a cookie. Wrong assumption, Toots! Anyhow, she wondered around the kitchen for 45 minutes forelornly wailing, "Cookie, cookie, cookie!" That's all she said for 45 minutes. Finally she gave up!


Happy Birthday Missy Lou!