Trivia Question

So, who can identify this quote:

"Forty-two pounds of edible fungus"

Anyone?

A Daily Day

Yea, we have two more butterflies that have hatched, and the kids got to watch the most recent one emerge from its chrysalis just a couple of hours ago. Very cool.

They have had five different friends over to play today, and they are fully enjoying the most "unstructured" part of the summer. I think this is the first summer we haven't signed them up for ANY day-camps. Not even VBS. (Who wants to go to VBS from 6-9pm???)

They've been having squirt gun fights, digging in the dirt, riding bikes and scooters, playing games, and going back and forth with the neighbors.

We spent yesterday afternoon at the Civil War Reenactment. Predictably, the boys LOVED the battles, which seemed to go on all day. Sometimes when the cannons would go off they would make incredible smoke rings, which would roll across the battle-field and slowly drift upward. I cannot believe how many people bring their kids, sit right on the edge of the battlefield, and don't bring any hearing protection! Yikes! Also, I'm glad we decided to go Sunday instead, as Saturday was very rainy... and all those people camp out there in their authentic canvas tents and wool clothes. Ugh.

Of course, we're not doing ANY homeschool over the summer. What with all the bird-watching that Wyatt has instigated, raising Tate's tadpoles (the cutest TINY baby frogs!), building a worm bin for home-composting (MY project), and hatching Gunnar's butterflies, we just don't have the time to do ANY homeschooling. Especially science ;-) I guess I'd better order the 'birthday' ants next.

Enjoy your summer!

Painted Ladies for Gunnar

We (okay, really, who shops around here?) I got Gunnar a butterfly kit for his birthday. Set up the habitat and sent the little coupon off, and received five tiny caterpillars. But oh my goodness, these guys mean business. They just about doubled in size every day - no kidding! Within a week they had each made a chrysalis (plural chrysalides) on the top of their little tub.


Well, today was the day. Our first Painted Lady butterfly hatched! The boys eagerly watched "him" (who can tell?! Wyatt named him "Bob",) roll and unroll his proboscis and flutter his wings. He's still just hanging out up on the roof of his habitat, but we have dutifully supplied him with orange slices, which he can flutter down to eat (drink).

Pretty cool! Wyatt is drawing illustrations and they have been looking up information in their bug books on what to expect, as far as "Bob's" habits. I suppose Bob will have a sibling by tomorrow.

Narnia or the Nutcracker?

I took this picture of the view out our living room window.

Note to anyone considering metal roofing: PLEASE think about your neighbors, and the glare you will be subjecting them to on every sunny day. Good grief.

But I digest... that's not why I took the picture.


Narnia fans, look behind the house and above the garage roof. There's either a very oddly pruned tree back there, or Reepicheep waving his sword!






That's what I thought when I saw it myself, but when I saw the zoomed-in version, the mouse took on a whole new dimension...

He appears larger than life - like the Mouse King in the Nutcracker! He has grown to monstrous proportions! He's coming over the garage!

Quick, Clara, the shoe!

Those people...

You know "those people"... the ones who claim to have seen Elvis in the mold in their refrigerator? Well, I'm not saying my husband is one of "those people", but he is insisting I put this on the blog:

I'm not sure when he took this photo, but he calls it
"Rasputin in the Pickle Jar".

There's a close-up down below... a bit blurry.

Hmmm.... you be the judge.

I'm just saying...

Fishing... not catching

We went camping last weekend with a bunch of Kerry's architecture buddies... 20 year college reunion.

I'm sure I'll have some more pics to post (when Kerry gets them to me...) This came from one of his friends.

Fishing appears to be Very Serious Business.

Unfortunately, there was lots of fishing, but no catching.

Oregon... 2008 #9

Gunnar

Tate

Wyatt

Oregon... 2008 #8

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... more vacation pictures!

And, really, there could be even MORE... it just takes a long time to upload some of my dad's (HUGE files).

But, Uncle Dave sent these treasures:

<------ Dave and "the G-man"









Dave and Ann Marie ---------->













<----------- My husband, and the father of my children.

Lest you think it cruel of me to post this publicly, let me just say that he WANTED his picture taken when he did this. He ASKED for it!

Serena "up" date... not

I wish I had good news, but it gets worse and worse. Whenever you think of Serena, pray for her. She must be terrified. She is barely four, and has no idea what is going on.

Pray for Patty and Curtis, who have cared for her... the people who love her sacrificially and who are grieving like parents who've had a child kidnapped.

Please pray.