18 January, 2013

Oddments

I just have NOT felt like blogging much at all. Our days have been busy ones & I've been trying to increase my efficiency around the house which equates to less computer time. But I really don't feel like doing another load of laundry either so here you have me.

We've been taking Fri. off of homeschool for a park day which has really been lovely. Frankly it's the only exercise I get excepting my puttering about the house. We meet w/ usually a largish group around 11, walk alongside the river for what seems to be nearly a mile sometimes, come back for lunch & let the children play until 3ish. This is the first time I've been social in a real adult regular social group when getting drunk was not the main focus & the first time I've ever hung out w/ other moms to just hang out & talk. The dads keep themselves pretty well segregated but w/ eyes out looking for malefactors who would destroy our peace. There has only been 1 instance of a creepy playground watcher but the unwavering gaze of an alert dad scared him off. Since I also do a light day of schooling on errands day we do another light day of school on Sat. to make up for it.

The children get to run themselves exhausted & consistently see friends every week for play which is new to them & their games are pretty funny. A lot of the olders will play some kind of sport, the boys Victors age will go on some kind of hunting mission, the girls settle down to play ponies or draw a million cats w/ sidewalk chalk & there are always bikes & scooters around. I'd like to get them roller skates, just because it takes up so much less cargo space during travel. I bring the wagon along because Miranda & usually another small person just can't keep up on the walk. But it's fun for the whole family.

Our small church fellowship had dissolved in Sep. so we've been attending a different church & that has kept us busy as well. There are small groups that meet every other Wed. & it looks like one will be started in our neighborhood as there are 4 new families here all of a sudden. These are the DiMartinos. They are a new family in our area who will be in our group & in the short time I've known them I've seen a lot of how Christ & His Church can be based on their marriage. This fellowship is really in touch w/ helping out other members & it's exciting to be a part of that. Before we leave on Sun. Victor sets up something like this:




You know it's a beautiful day when GI Joe & Cobra can worship w/ each other.


Did you know a rooster can choke to death?  We were preparing to go over to my mother in laws for a supper & Mike was moving vehicles around when Victor & Charlotte came screaming to me that one of the chickens was flopping like it was dead. I stuck my head out of the door long enough to see the last spasms of the wings & figured Mike had run over it. I was cleaning the water filter so I finished that & changed into my butchering jumper. I just don't try to get the blood stains out of it. I felt it & there were no broken bones which puzzled me exceedingly until Victor offered up his observation that he had swallowed a rat & choked on it. I looked in his beak & sure enough. It wasn't a rat (which relieved me to no end) but rather an acorn cap I could see. Chickens aren't known for their smarts. I was rejoicing & singing as I went inside to grab my butchering kit.

 I figured I'd show the kit Mike got me as opposed to the severed choked rooster head. This is better than jewelery. I had an hour before we were slated to leave so I had time to put a chicken in the fridge for a luncheon & was very happy the chicken was a rooster & not an egg layer.

 Miranda has the oddest phobia of ladybugs. She freaks out when they get close to her. They have a tendency to die in the bathtub &amp when they float to her or down the drain she becomes a hysterical, weeping, toe dancing, hilarious mess. I feel guilty about thinking her funny but she is. She's very adamant about me sweeping them off if they land on me & howls if I pretend to pet & kiss them. I haven't decided if this falls into unbiblically provoking her or just trying to shake a silly idea out of her head. I'm riding the line on both sides, I know; I just can't figure out being scared of ladybugs & want her to get over it. The house is infested every winter & they'll not be going away.


  New Years was pretty quiet, we stayed in & went to bed at the usual time. I didn't buy any favors like last year, but I let them set up a tent & sleep in the living room all together for a treat. They were happy w/ it so I wasn't going to get more elaborate than that.


Green Snoblin (the duck) & Squirm were set up as camp guards.

They all got too hot in front of the stove in the middle of the night & wandered back into their own beds.

That's about all for now, I've got some more posts in the works, but knowing my streak lately, don't hold your breath.

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