Crazy Mom

Irene was doing some really cute laughing until I got the camera out. I'll post this video because she is quite cute, even though the mother trying to make her laugh appears to not understand that what she is doing is not working anymore. (Also featured in this film is the mom's right-hand ring finger with but a ring of rash on it instead of her beloved engagement ring, which occurred during the gestational period of Irene and had never happened in the previous four years of wearing the ring. Rats.)

The Youth

Kyle's catechumens sometimes stop by to witness some nature in our back yard or in our home. Today the big lesson was that dogs don't lay eggs. Besides that, I found it very sweet to see the kids holding the chickens under Kyle's watchful eye and asking all sorts of questions and generally delighting in our feathered gifts from God.

Kyle and Evangeline went and  got a new chicken yesterday.
A Dominique (pronounce it:  Dom-i-nekker).
Kaylie is good at holding her.

Moses and Jayla discussing the hen's crooked beak.

Bossing people around with a stick.

Evangeline is a protective farmgirl.

Sisters, dad, doing their thing.

been readin' too many o them books

So, its a well known fact that I only thought I could do this chicken thing because it was in some books. Ellee took it to another level today by making meat extract from some bones we bought at the farmer's market last week. We read about this in Robert Farrar Capon's "Supper of the Lamb." Our house smells wonderful, and we have a whole jar of meat extract and a whole bunch of broth too. What next?

This is definitely not how its supposed to work.

"Oh mommy, can I lick the meat extract spoon???!!!"

I read about chicken composting in a book too.

She can't read.

Chickens. Toddler. Chihuahua beagle. Totally normal.

The mighty Wyandotte. She is at the top of the pecking order.

Car Rides, Friends, and Colds

I'm tired so this will be short. We had a great trip, are very thankful for our great hosts, hopefully were a good example to our kids by going to the March For Life, had fun with cute friends, had astonishingly good kids on both car rides, and woke up with colds.

Ready to go.

Playing with Eva Marie, Ella, and loads of cool(er) toys.

I was surprised to find out Evangeline knows how to play with a dollhouse.

Can you spot Irene?

This was the response to "raise your hand if you're the tallest"

Irene, Eva Marie, Evangeline, Ella, Sofiya

Have cold will sleep with pillow.

famous?

My head made it into a photo in a reporter article about the March for Life.

There are some big egos at this thing, but mine could be the hugest.

Marching On

We're leaving tomorrow afternoon for D.C. It's the March For Life again. This year the anniversary of Roe v Wade is Sunday (tomorrow). Monday is the March, and is supposed to be cold and snowy again, and Evangeline, Irene and I won't be going on the Mall for it. It was too cold last year for me to really think about anything else. But we will go to a church service in Alexandria beforehand, and Evangeline and Irene will get to spend the day with three friends, Sofiya, Ella, and Eve Marie. Please keep all the marchers in your prayers (one estimate is 500,000!), as well as everyone who has been hurt by abortion everywhere. We hope that you have a peaceful and prayerful day.

Last year at the March. We didn't even have boots for her.

There will be two more girls this year. Five little girls. Sounds fun.

The Doctor

Today Evangeline went to the doctor for her 2-year check-up. We talked about it a bit beforehand, and even practiced the part where the doctor wants to look in her mouth. She seemed ok with it all, like it would be a breeze.
I stayed in the exam room to take care of Irene and Kyle went with the nurse and Evangeline to do the simple weigh-n-measure.
So, if I had been another mom  in that office, hearing this girl scream, I would have felt bad, like "poor child has to have some terrible yet simple procedure (lancing a boil? a few stitches?) done". And she was just getting weighed and measured. So she screamed and screamed. Checking heart? Screaming. Looking at dry skin? Screaming. Looking at from across the room? Screaming. Poor, nice nurse.
Then she had to have her blood taken. Surprisingly, more interest in procedure, less screaming(?).
Then the doctor came in. More screaming.
Looking in ears? Screaming. Feeling joints? Screaming. Listening to breathing? Screaming. Looking at from across room? Screaming.
Poor kid. Poor doctor.
Then the nurse came back in to give her two shots...
So anyway it was pretty terrible. Lots of screaming. Irene just sat there and looked at Evangeline like she was crazy, which she kind of was.
But the doctor said she looks great and will not see her (hopefully) until next year.
And, in between screaming sobs, Evangeline managed to say thank-you to both Nurse Rose and Dr. Thompson.
She is of average weight, a bit above average height, and a bit more above average head circumference. She also has terrific hemoglobin.
Then she sauntered out of the office in her vest and faux fur hat, commenting on everything as if we had just had a nice, newsy visit with her old pal Dr. Thompson.
Whew. Then we went out for coffee ("boppee") (Evangeline had a vanilla steamer) and had a good time.
And the doctor never even looked in her mouth.
Then later tonight Irene wouldn't stop crying until I put her in her cradle alone, turned off the light, and left the room.

The night before, "So, yeah, I have a doctor appointment. Ho-hum,
right? I mean, I'm just gonna whiz through it so I can have some
steamed milk after."

Later this evening, casually hanging out with  Irene and eating ice.
"Hey Irene, remember that time I went to the doctor?"