Weeds Pulled--Check

Last weekend was absolutely gorgeous! I wish that I had been able to go play at the beach. Instead, I was responsible and took Todd to his baseball game. After the game the boys spent the afternoon at Oma's house. I stayed home, did some chores, and yard work. Do I look exhausted? I was.

The good news is that now that my beds are weeded, I can do some planting. That is, assuming the weather clears up sometime. We were in a tornado warning earlier this morning, and I think it is supposed to rain for the rest of the week. By the time I get back around to planting some flowers the weeds will all over again. Groan. Not to worry though. I will get my plants in the ground, and I will have flowers for spring. It's hard not to stay motivated when the weather is beautiful, which it should be next week. By summer, I will be over it. Then there will be no more yard work by me until fall. I'm such a wimp outdoors.

Momma Bird

I know I posted that our little wrens decided to nest elsewhere. I am so pleased to say that we were mistaken. About a week ago, Brett was in the garage one evening when one of the wrens started yelling at Brett. She then hopped right into the nest. Later, after she had left the nest, Brett peeked in and counted five little eggs. I have not yet seen the eggs, myself. I'm too short, even with a stool. However, I know that she has faithfully been keeping them warm. I am so surprised that our activities did not deter her from keeping her nest here. Brett has continued to work in the garage (with relatively loud power tools). Copper has gone in and out of the garage playing Frisbee with Brett. I have continued to open and close the garage door to drive in and out; I have used the washing machine and dryer which are fairly close to her nest; she even let me take this photo without complaining. (Can you see her little head in the hole?)

Brett read that wrens will usually stay in their territory year-round. They live about six years. Which mean that these are probably the same wrens that built a nest in Brett's boat last year. The eggs hatch about two weeks after they are laid, so we should be getting little babies in the next week or so.

I am so happy that they don't consider us a great threat and that were able to provide them with a safe and cozy place to build a nest (even if it's a little loud and busy).

The Toothless Big Boy

A little over a week ago Todd told me that he had a tooth loose. I figured this day would be coming soon. A number of kids in Todd's class have lost some of their baby teeth already.

Last fall Todd saw a Tooth Fairy pillow at a craft fair I had dragged him to. He wanted to buy one very badly. I told him that I would make him one instead. He was excited about that idea, and I soon took both boys to pick out their own fabrics. The project sat in my closet for a number of months. When Todd told me about his tooth this month, I quickly had to get to work and finish the pillows. Fortunately, they were easy to make, and I was able to finish them over one weekend. The boys loved them. Can you guess whose is whose?

When Todd came home from school this afternoon he told me that he thought his tooth would fall out today. I had him show me, and sure enough, it was pretty loose. I reminded him that Aunt Donna, who was a kindergarten teacher's aid for a number of years, was a pro at pulling teeth out. I told Todd that if his tooth started to bother him by wobbling too much or if he wanted to have Donna pull it out before he ate dinner, we could call her and she could help get it out no problem. Todd said he would rather let it come out on its own.

It did that. After eating a slice of homemade pizza and some pineapple tidbits Todd told me that his tooth was out. Where was it? Nowhere to be found. My child swallowed his first baby tooth! [If you know Brett at all, you know he had to step outside by this time!] I looked around his plate and chair just to make sure. Yup. It's gone. Todd then suggested the unthinkable--I assured him that even if he saw the tooth later that we would not be retrieving it. I don't care if he thinks it could be washed.

Todd had seemed a little nervous, and had admitted a few days ago to being a little worried about losing his tooth. Brett and I have remained positive, letting him know that it wouldn't hurt and that he was growing up to be such a big boy. When it came down to it tonight, he was cool and calm. He wasn't even that bothered about swallowing it. And, to top things off, I managed to get a great smile for the camera.

When I came home from choir practice tonight, I saw that Todd had made sure to leave his tooth pillow on his bed. He was rewarded with a $1 bill.

Congratulations, Todd. You are growing up so fast!

Next Up: Shutters

Good news. The roof is finished, and here's the "after" picture to prove it.

I don't know what I was thinking when I thought the guys would be able to finish in one day.
I was thinking, "Hey, there are five hard-working guys up on that roof. How long can it take them to re-roof a simple house?" The answer: two days. I am so, so, so very glad that Brett decided to hire it out. If he did the work the himself I would have had to help him. I know I would have been sick of tired of roofing by the time the project were completed.
Aaaah. A nice, new roof. Completed.

The next project, you ask? Painting the shutters.
We need a bold color to liven up the house. Brett is thinking about a color in the red family. I was thinking a nice charcoal gray. We will probably go with something similar to color of the door: brown with red tints. Brett is considering painting the garage door the same color. I am inclined to keep the garage door and columns a cream color.
What do you think?

In Self-Defense

I can't believe what I heard while visiting Todd's P.E. class for the weekly "Mile Club." As I was walking the track with Ryan we passed by a group of kindergartners who were talking. One of the boys was telling the others that a boy had pushed him, so he kicked him back. I pipe up, "Oh, No." He replies, "I can't get in trouble for self-defense." (!!!) The fact that a kindergartner would be thinking that way scares me like you can't believe. Somebody did something to me (by accident or not), so I can kick him, punch him, or do whatever I want in the name of "self-defense." I try to explain that it would be much better to say something like, "That hurt when you pushed me. Please don't do it again." I tell him to always try using words first. He, and the other kids with us, seemed to understand what I was saying at the time, but I doubt it will make much of an impact down the line if he is being brought up with opposite tactics for handling problems. I find it very sad and frustrating.

Book Reviews

I have finished two more books this last month or so.

The first book I recently finished was mentioned in an earlier post, "To See Every Bird on Earth: A Father, a Son, and a Lifelong Obsession" by Dan Koeppel. It is the biography of a "big lister," written by his son. Most "big listers" (those men and women who travel the world, counting birds, seeing and identifying thousands of species) are obsessed with counting birds (in addition to counting and logging other things). The son explains how his father's obsession grew and what drove him. It is often sad, but I found it interesting to see how a hobby of watching birds, beautiful and interesting creatures, can turn into an obsession with counting to the point that you now longer care about those creatures you are counting. It's all about the numbers.

Despite the somewhat sad nature of the big lister's obsession, I still find myself interesting in doing some counting of my own. About two years ago, with Brett's suggestion, I started a little birding notebook where I recorded the birds that came to our feeder each month. I am actually considering picking it up again and officially starting my own "yard list." What compels me to do this?. . . I have no idea. But I'm pretty sure it won't turn into an obsession. I'm not motivated.

The book I most recently finished was another fairy tale by Shannon Hale called "The Book of a Thousand Days." Like her young adult novel, "The Goose Girl," this book was loosely based on a Grimm's fairy tale called Maid Maleen. I thoroughly enjoyed reading both of these books. There are two other books in the "Goose Girl" series by Shannon Hale which I think I will have to go and read now.

Jen's Sister

Okay, so this photo is four years old, but it's the best one I have of the three of us. Can you tell we're sisters? Yeah, especially when we're side-by-side.

However, I was shocked last night when someone came up to me at Todd's baseball game and said, "You're Jen's sister?" I had never seen this person before in my life. "Uhh, yes." (And you are...?) "I'm Nick." (The name sounds familiar, but I'm still drawing a blank). Brett comes to my stupored rescue. "Hi. And who are you?"

Turns out he's Jen's boss. Jen had mentioned to him that she came and watched one of Todd's baseball games. He was on his way to his son's game, and at first he thought I might be Jen. The only logical conclusion he could make was that I was Jen's sister.

I knew that we had family similarities, but I didn't realize that we looked so much alike that a stranger would be able to pick me out of crowd and know who I was. Honestly, I think that's pretty cool. I have always thought that family similarities were cool--something that ties us together. I love recognizing similarities in other families, but I always have a hard time seeing it within my own. I still don't see any similarities between Todd and Ryan, but maybe as they get older those similarities will come out. I'll be watching and waiting.

Relaxing at the Shore

Have I mentioned how much I love Rocky Bayou State Park? Well, I do. I love going there with one or both of my boys and letting them play while I relax. It is so peaceful there by the shore.

I took Ryan last week while Todd was at school. I had not been able to join Anne at the beach, so this was a consolation prize later that afternoon. And what a consolation prize it was. It is officially spring in Florida. Cool, crisp mornings; warm afternoons; and blooming azaleas.

Ryan, with his favorite accessory (well, second to Todd's baseball helmet): goggles!

Left, Ryan demonstrates what a zigzag looks like. Right, Ryan starts digging in to the sand toys.

Left, building a sand castle. Right, playing with water.

Left, building up a mountain for his volcano. Right, adding the lava to make it explode.

Thanks for taking me to Rocky Bayou, Mom!

Let's do it again soon.

I Love Legos

I don't know how we managed to do it, but about a year ago we lost Harold's head. I kept waiting and hoping that it would show up. Now I am sure--it is not in our house, and I have no idea where it is. What do you do with a headless helicopter? I was so sad for Harold, and sad for my boys who could no longer play with Harold. [For those who don't know, Harold the Helicopter is one of the Thomas and Friends characters. Lego makes some of these Thomas characters in their Duplo series.]

This past fall and Christmas the boys received some new Lego sets with the little pieces. It didn't take them long to lose a few (!!). I went through the sets, put them together, and figured out which pieces were missing. There were about 8-10 missing. I went to lego.com, but wasn't able to find two of the pieces (three, if you count Harold's head). So, I called up Lego and told the customer service rep which pieces I was having trouble finding and ordered all of the missing pieces. Then I sheepishly asked if there was any way I could order Harold's head separately. She sadly informed me that this set was discontinued. Bummer! I thought maybe I could find something on ebay. But then, a surprise. She told me that they would be sending all of the pieces to us free of charge! I was so excited!

A week or so later, we got our package in the mail. The boys and I ripped the package open, ready to finish building our sets, and what do you think was included in the package? . . . You guessed it! Harold's head. I love Lego!

Left: Harold Before (well, after his loss--before his head replacement)
Right: Harold After. Oh, to be whole again! What a delight!

Todd studiously puts together the Indiana Jones camping set.

Speaking of the camping set, I always thought these bugs were supposed to be scary spiders. Ryan pointed out to me that they had the bottom of an ant. I counted the legs and discovered there were only 6. What's up with that? Scary fire ants?

This is Ryan playing Legos. . . or not.

From One Project to Another

Well, our new front door is finally 99% finished. We still don't have a new doorbell yet, and some of the trim needs to finished up around the bottom, but I'm excited about what Brett has been able to do so far. It makes such a big difference. Looking at the picture, I see that it is time we replaced the door mat as well. Something to put on my "To Do" list.

Our next home improvement project is being done today. We're getting a new roof. I am very excited about that. Our old one is . . . old. And ugly. We've had a few small leaks that have shown up in the form of water stains on the ceilings. Brett was thinking about doing it himself, but decided to hire it out. By the end of today it should be finished--completely. Look for an "after" photo sometime (maybe soon...or not).

One Man's Trash...

Ryan: Can you please not throw this (and this and this) away. I want to keep it . . . forever.

Evidently, the Gatorade bottle makes a perfect rocket. And the boxes are perfect for presents. Ryan, and occasionally Todd, loves to wrap "presents" in his blankets and have me open them. Half the time he can't wait for me to open it. He'll start "unwrapping" the present saying, "Look what you got, Mom!" It is usually some toy that he immediately takes back.

Very sweet. (Not the taking back part, but the giving part.)

Smell Memories

I am not a smoker and hate being around cigarette smoke. It's difficult to breathe through, and I usually have to keep myself from gagging if I am around too much smoke. That being said, I was surprised by my reaction this afternoon. I went to the library and followed an older man on my way in. He had just put out a cigarette and I ended up walking through his smoke wake. Though I was kind of holding my breath, I caught a whiff of the smoke (couldn't help it) and instantly thought of my Grandpa. My Grandpa was a smoker for most of his adult life. He did quit smoking shortly before he died. My grandfather passed away almost seventeen years ago, so I was surprised by this flashback today. I most commonly think of my Grandpa whenever I eat or talk about apple pie [and ice cream--you can't have the one without the other]. Although I still don't like the smell of smoke, it was nice to remember him today.

Ryan's Good Dream

I know I've been talking about dreams quite a bit, but there's another dream from this morning that I had to share. Ryan shared it with us as I was making Todd's bed.

"Oh, Mom. I had a good dream last night. Sandy was alive. We were in the new house that I drew in the computer room. Not our old house, but a new house with two spots. One for both of them [Sandy and Copper]. And Todd saw Sandy and said, 'That's not Sandy,' because he didn't know that she was alive, but she was!"

Yes, Ryan, that was a good dream.

Ryan has not been having a hard time dealing with Sandy's death, but he certainly has been thinking about it more than Todd. He often brings up the fact that he misses Sandy and that he wishes she was still alive.

Sandy was a good dog.

The Birding Hour

I love the time somewhere between 8:00am and 9:00am when the birds are going crazy getting their breakfast. Of course, I need to keep the feeders filled in order for me to witness this special time. We have four seed feeders: one hanging feeder by our bedroom sliding glass door, one hanging feeder on the corner of the screen porch, one tray feeder attached to a tree trunk, and one tray feeder on the outside kitchen window sill. I didn't believe that the window sill feeder would ever be that successful when Brett put it up a few years ago. I have been pleasantly surprised by the activity that it has attracted, both from birds and squirrels. We also have a bird bath, and during the summer we put up a hummingbird feeder or two.

During this morning feeding time, there is usually about a fifteen minute time period when the birds are everywhere, and I see quite a few different species. I love catching glimpses of the bright red Northern Cardinals; the cute, little, black and white and gray Carolina Chickadees [a no-show this morning...]; the big and colorful Blue Jays; the red Mohawk on the Red-Bellied Woodpecker; and the bright blue Eastern Bluebirds. The finches, though abundant, elicit no real excitement.

But the more I watch my backyard birds, the more I fall in love with the Carolina Wren. It is a cute little brown bird, with a golden tummy and a white eye stripe. His beak has a little curve, and his tail is always sticking straight up in the air. I love that the wren has personality. When he comes to the feeder he makes a mess, tossing out the seeds that he's not interested in. He is a smart little fellow who can find his way in, through, and back out of "people places," like our porch or our garage. [The male and female look alike, so I am referring to the wren as a "he" just to make it easier on myself.]

We have inadvertently caught a few birds in our screen porch over the years. Then, we have to figure out a way to guide these (stupid) birds back out of the porch without them injuring themselves too much by smashing against the screens. It is easiest to get the mourning doves out of the porch. Brett just calls Copper and tells him to get the bird. Copper runs out into the porch, softly grabs the bird (I understand that's an oxymoron, but there's no better way to explain it), and brings it back to Brett who safely releases the bird back outside. That hasn't happened very often, but it sure has been neat to watch when it has.

The wren hops into the porch (wrens are cute little "hoppers"), snoops around a bit, and shows himself out when he's seen all he wants to see. After Brett installed a new door for the garage, I was surprised to find two wrens snooping in the closed garage a few mornings later. They had come through the hole where the deadbolt should have been. (Brett had not yet put a deadbolt on the door.) I thought it was a one-time thing, but the next morning, I saw that the wrens were back and actively building a nest on one of our garage shelves, despite the fact that we had provided at least two birdhouses for them to nest in. It looks like they have completed their nest, but I have not seen much activity in the garage these days, and I wonder if they got spooked by all of the activity in the garage this weekend by Brett. We'll see what happens. Both Brett and I think it would be nice to have some little baby wrens to watch.

Dreams and Storytelling

I recently posted about some of my dreams. I had more since then, of course, but what I enjoyed this morning was hearing about Ryan's dream. He will often tell us (Todd and myself) about a dream he had the previously night while we are eating breakfast. This morning Ryan shared his dream from last night.

He said the he and his cousin Kellie were driving a golf cart. A car sped by and they jumped off into a leaf pile, and after the car passed they popped their heads out. But they didn't get run over. And, they had said, "Don't let Casie in!"

I love hearing Ryan share his dreams with us. After talking about dreams earlier this week I find it interesting that Ryan frequently tells me about a dream he had--once, twice, or three times a week--but I almost never hear about any dreams Todd had. What I do hear from Todd is him trying to embellish Ryan's dreams. Todd understands that dreams are not real, so after Ryan tells us his dream Todd will try to finish out his own version of the "story" Ryan started.