Around The House

Edie got a bunch of these magna tiles for Christmas and they have been well used already by all the kids. I can't remember who came up with this "sitting chicken" - it was either Gussie or Mary. Or maybe Catherine. Then Gussie modified it so it could be worn as a hat.

Side note: those blocks came with a set of instructions that show you how to lay out the blocks in patterns on the floor so that when you pick up the center, a shape comes together in 3D (like a ball or a house). Gussie started trying to figure out his own patterns to set up on the floor, and became very excited when they started to work. He dubbed these patterns "magical positions." So if he exclaims to you that he has a new "magical position" to show you, it's ok, it's just blocks.

Michael Jr got a Titanic Lego set for Christmas. It's his biggest set ever. I think it actually intimidated him a little when he opened it because normally he sets to building new Lego sets immediately but this box lingered on his table for a few days. I think Mary pushed him into starting it and helped him out in the beginning, then he had it together in a day or so. He declared it was one Lego set he would never destroy.

Then he destroyed it and he and Mary and Gussie built smaller boats out of all the pieces for a few weeks. Then he gathered up all the pieces again and set to rebuilding Titanic, although he had to scour Lego Land for some replacement pieces for a few of the original pieces that were misplaced while they were making smaller ships. But he got it finished, and this time he's *really* not going to destroy it.

Catherine must have taken this picture of Mary sewing new bonnets for her rag dolls because it just showed up on my camera.

Edie has been building a lot of "shooters" out of her Duplos and asked me to take a picture of her collection.

The shooters all make high-pitched "pew-pew-pew" sounds. I'm pretty sure it's from catching bits and pieces of the Star Wars trilogy that the big kids recently watched with Daddy.

Eggs! Our chicks from last year are now old pullets, almost full-grown hens, and with the days getting a tiny bit longer and warmer, many of them have started laying their first eggs. This greenish egg is from Catherine's Americauna chicken. Her eggs will all be light green or blue.

The pullet eggs are still small. This is a large store-bought egg next to a pullet egg. But they will get bigger over the next month or so until they are full size.

Edie went through a couple weeks where she demanded to be wrapped up on my back every morning when she woke up and every time I was working in the kitchen. I think she's back to her normal independent status now.