It Was Like a Pillow Fight -- and We Couldn't Find the Liver

Rose Bud got hit in the head by a bird. A Cedar Waxwing, to be exact, although we didn't know it until later.

We were peacefully driving down the street on the outskirts of town with the windows open because it was a beautiful day.

Suddenly, all at the same time there was a thud and Rose Bud ducked and yelled, "OW!" and I saw something white zip through my peripheral vision and then there were feathers everywhere. Little ones. Blowing all around the car.

And Rose Bud said, "A bird! It hit my head!"

And none of us could believe it.

We didn't see anything in the car. Everyone was looking all around them. We all were sure that SOMEthing had gone into the car. We FELT an object had moved through. But no one could see anything.

I found a street to pull over onto. I got out and looked in the back of the van. Pepper thought maybe it had fallen back there. Rose Bud and Daisy got out and looked between their seats and the door.

Nothing.

All the way home I alternated between cracking up and worrying about a bird decomposing in my closed-up-148 degree van once we got home. We kept looking all around.

At home I pulled into the garage and opened Sunshine's door. And SCREAMED. There, sitting under his feet, LOOKING AT ME, was a Cedar Waxwing. I'm sure it was just as upset as I was. More, maybe.

It sat. We all stared. It stared. Pepper got Daisy some gloves and she carefully eased in to pick it up. Just as she was about to grab it, it flew out, bumped the ceiling of the garage and flew to a nearby tree.

Where it stayed for over an hour. (can you see it there on that bottom branch, right next to the trunk?)

Rose Bud is fine.

We're not sure about the Mr. Waxwing.

We began our day with Pepper lying on her bench upside down, peering inside and wailing (do you detect a theme here with Pepper? She has only two voices: Giggle and Wail) "I CAN'T FIND MY LIVER!!!!"

It took about 5 more minutes of searching before we discovered the poor liver, along with her stomach between her binder and an old lapbook.

Did I mention we've been studying the human body? And that we're making a life-size paper body? And that they color and cut out their organs and glue them onto said paper body? Hence the need to find the missing liver.

And here was the excitement in Daisy's day:

 Yes, they are green.  Neon green.  Mr. GT wanted to know how she would know if she had lettuce in her teeth now.

And that was our day.

Facebook

If you wonder where I've gone (again), I've quit (for real this time!). While I appreciate the easy access to friends, especially those who are far away, I've always had a niggling issue with all the info out there on FB and I've never REALLY trusted their privacy policies and claims. Then I read this: 10 Reasons to delete your Facebook account

Whether it's true or not, I'm just tired of feeling uncomfortable about all the info/photos/relationships out there. I like to be anonymous. Mostly.

The last time I "quit" I didn't really quit because FB only lets you deactivate your account, not DELETE it. Unless you find the secret button mentioned in this article. And honestly, I hope that really did delete me. Probably it still retains everything I've ever posted there. sigh. I did delete everything in my account before I quit it--pictures, private messages, relationships, etc.

I don't know. Whatever. Maybe I'll get back to blogging more here.

But in the meantime, if you need to find me, you probably already know how and I'm happy to email with you.

Blessings.

Not Tough

Daisy, in her school journal: "last night we ate Basil (one of the roosters we butchered this spring). He wasn't at all tough."

Farm kids!!! LOL

No Matter What We Do, He Loves Us

When I hear this song, it is always God speaking to me:

I've Always Loved You, by Third Day

I don't know how to explain it
But I know that words will hardly do
Miracles with signs and wonders
Aren't enough for me to prove to you

Don't you know I've always loved you
Even before there was time
Though you turn away
I'll tell you still
Don't you know I've always loved you
And I always will

The Seagull Still Soars

6-school meet (rescheduled due to thunderstorms a couple of weeks ago--it should have been 13 schools.)

Rose Bud ran her best 100m in 15.46s

Her 400 m was slow at 1:14 and she was 3rd in her heat--the other heat was faster.

She placed 2nd in the long jump with a jump of 12' 6 1/2". She jumped over a foot better than 3rd place. 1st place was 12' 10".

She is disappointed though because her jumps keep decreasing and she's jumped farther than 12' 10" before. She's thinking she should have had first. She's hard on herself. It was good enough for this meet.

Cookies

By Sunshine

3 c. Baking soda
4 c. Flour
1 c. Butter
2 eggs
rice: a big cup
chawky chips: a big cup
sugar: a big cup

Stir it up. Put chawky chips in. Put in oven really hot. Cook 3 minutes.

Edited only to not include the van as an ingredient when he began to get silly.

3rd 3rd

Track Meet 4

100m 4th in her heat, time: about 14.7
400m 3rd but they didn't get a time on her.  She thinks, based on the runners behind and in front, it was about 1:12.5
Long Jump 3rd with a jump of 12' 2" (top jump was 13' 3")  She's not feeling her jumps and is frustrated that they're decreasing.  It WAS really windy.  She wants Mr. GT to rototill up a new jumping pit for her.  (he planted her other one!)

The 400m

The Dandelion Relay