A Mile in My Shoes

Happy Birthday U.S.A. !!!

(Let's just pretend it hasn't been a million years since I've posted)

(Oh, and I don't have any new squirrel news except *one of the babies was hit by a car.  We gave it a proper Christian burial and was laid in a grave next to its mother.  The graves are marked with crosses made from popsicle sticks and glittery pipe-cleaners.* To read the text between the *s - highlight it with your mouse.  Except Nichole.  Nichole, you should just look away... you don't want to know, trust me.)

 

In our family, the Fourth of July is almost as big as Christmas.  Our cities' festivities all occur on our lakefront, and I grew up just a couple blocks away from the lake... so the Fourth was huge for us as kids.

Everyone we knew wanted us to save parking spaces for them in front of our house.  One year my uncle even parked in our front yard, which was something because our front yard was a steep hill - hard enough to stand on let alone park a pickup truck on.

My parents would make a ton of food!  Family and friends would gather, we'd come and go between the lake and our home.  Some of my best childhood memories were of this day.

As I grew up, I developed a great love for learning the history of the United States.  I learned that one branch of my family first settled here in 1645, and another great-grandma claimed to be able to trace her family back to the Mayflower.  Back in the year 2000 my husband and I were able to travel to New England (it was a business trip for him, and pure fun for me!) and we visited Granby in Connecticut where my family first settled (we were the Gossards).  It was very exciting to see the family name on a street sign, and to visit one of the homesteads.  We explored a cemetery where many of my ancestors were buried, and met with a local historian that showed us around an old school house.  My heart races with excitement as I recall the memories of that trip.

As a homeschooling mother, every moment is a teachable moment (grin) and this holiday is no exception!  Our family loves books, and I thought I'd share some of our favorites with you.  It's my hope that as my children read these stories, and hear their own family stories that the spark will start a flame in their hearts as well.

"Did you know that your great-great-great-great-great-....grandpa had his foot shot off in the Revolutionary War?  And that while he was fighting, he once saw George Washington himself?"

Here are a few of our Favorite Fourth of July books:

My absolute favorite right now has to be The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh.  I love the illustrations, the story holds the children's interest, and it really has everything they need to know about the history of the holiday.  Fun to read = fun to learn.  I highly recommend it.

Iris' favorite is Katie's Trunk by Ann Turner.  It's a story of a little girl, about Iris' age, that lived at the time of the American Revolution.  Her family was loyal to England, Tories!, but I won't tell you anymore for fear of ruining the story for you.  I will say it was an interesting perspective for me.

The next two are also very popular in our home.  Benjamin Franklin and George Washington both by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire.  We love all of the d'Aulaire books we've read so far.  They are published by Beautiful Feet books, and are as beautiful as they are fun to read.  My kids have probably spent hours studying the illustrations.

The other series that contains some books helpful to learning about this Holiday is the ...If You... Series.  We are reading ...If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution, ...If You Grew Up with George Washington, and ...If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution.  While more informative than story-like, the children enjoy them and learn a lot from them.  I feel they are very well done.

Two books that I enjoy, but are still a little to "wordy" for my children are Liberty by Lynn Curlee and Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz.  I think maybe a slightly older child would enjoy these books very much.  Liberty is the history of the Statue of Liberty.  I learned so much from this book, and it even has a couple of pages in the back with Specifications and a Timeline.  Shh! We're Writing the Constitution is illustrated by one of our favorite people - Tomie dePaola.  This book is chock full of interesting facts about the men that wrote the Constitution, very unique.  Again, I learned so much.  I was also thrilled that the last 16 pages of the book are the Constitution itself!

My children were gifted the book Old Glory an American Treasure by the parents of a dear friend.  It's a very good book for planting the seed of Patriotism in our children and they love the Lang-style illustrations.

 

But that is just my 2 cents!  I would encourage you to do what I usually do, and that is to get these books from your local library first and check them out for yourself.

Happy 4th of July!

Just a quick "hi" and "bye"

I don't have time to do a proper post, but somebody told me they were getting sick of reading about the baby squirrels...

Just look at that face!!!  How could anyone get sick of that???  (grin)

Anywho, I am heading down to Chicago this afternoon with Jessica, Paulette and maybe Brigitte.  We are going to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee!  She is one of my favorite knitting authors, and is incredibly hilarious.

She also doesn't like squirrels.

(warning: SPM's site does contain the occasional foul word if you decide to click yourself over there)

~Baby Squirrel Update~

Here are a few photos that I took before my camera battery died, but I couldn't download until I recharged it!

The day that we lost the Bunny-Squirrel the babies stayed in their nest most of the day.  Every once in a while a little nose would peek out.  It broke my heart.

By evening they were driven out of home by rumbly tummies, I'm sure.  They crawled all over the tree, devouring the seeds in the developing maple-propellers.  (You know what I mean, right?  I have no idea what the technical name is for those things.)

I have to say one thing.  I am so glad I am a human mama!  I wouldn't last 5 minutes as a squirrel mama.  I just about had a heart attack watching those little gray fur-balls scurrying from branch to branch, 2-3 stories high above the ground!  I resisted the urge to run around under the tree with a laundry basket, lined with a pillow, to catch them if they slipped.

 

They just looked sooooo little!

But of course, God designed them to be little acrobats.  And their performance was fun to watch.

We went out the next day and got them a little squirrel feeder.  We filled it with a mixture of peanuts, pecans, oiled sunflower seeds and cracked corn.  It's supposed to be a bird mix, but the squirrels love it.  I wondered if they'd figure out how to get the food out, it requires lifting the lid.  To discourage Blue Jays and the sort. It only took a couple of days.

I'm so proud of them!  Doesn't this one look pudgy?

Just a few days ago we counted all five, so to my knowledge, they are all still sharing the nest and we haven't lost one yet.

It was just about two weeks ago that I was watching them and all of a sudden they all flew to the nest!  I never saw a squirrel move so fast, let alone 5 squirrels.  I couldn't figure out what had startled them until I looked up in the sky and saw a large hawk swooping in circles above the tree!  What smart little squirrels!  They remembered the lessons their mama taught them.

I'm not sure how much longer we'll get to observe these little miracles.  They no longer look like babies.  Their proportions are much like that of a full-grown squirrel. 

They are already quibbling over the feeder, only one will eat at a time.  Usually perched on top of the lid to prevent anyone else from sneaking some kibble!  We've taken to spreading seed on the ground.  They feed early morning and late in the evening.  We rarely see them mid-day.  Although, we check often.  They are so much fun to watch!

I found it!

Actually, Tim found it.

I don't know why I need photos to post, I just feel more interesting that way...

Like, if I couldn't take photos, I couldn't show you my latest thrift store treasure!

I know what you're thinking.  Who is she going to push around in that?  Well... my niece.  I'll be watching her again this summer.  At least until they find alternative child care, which I'm not banking on, so yeah, I'll be watching her again this summer.

Our stroller is shot.  It didn't survive our second child.  But back then, I replaced it with a double stroller.  I don't want to push around that behemoth for only one baby this summer, so I was noodling about borrowing one.  Or finding a cheap one.

Enter a friend that mentions she found an old, but cool, stroller at a local thrift store that she couldn't pass up.  Even though her kids are all teenagers!   She said it was in good shape. And the price was less than pennies on the dollar.

It. is. in. perfect. shape.

And it's an Emmaljunga (a word that was jibbrish for me until yesterday.  Isn't it fun to say?  Emmaljunga.  Try it.  Emmaljunga!  (grin) Doesn't it make you want to learn Swedish?) 

 

 I've always wanted a pram!  Where was this stroller 7 years ago?  (Um, probably being used by the people that paid a gazillion dollars for it, duh!)  It's built like a tank, but it does fold down and will fit in the back of the van.

So now it's mine.  And this summer we'll take it to the park... the zoo... the lake front... you name it!  Yeah!

I just wish I had a little one of my own to put in it!  I mean, how cute is this bassinet? I'm going to lend it to a friend, just the bassinet attachment, but oh how I wish I had a little someone of my own to put in it.

It has inspired me to really start praying about that again. To pray for a baby again, whether from my womb or another's, I don't care.  Lord, just please fill that little bassinet!

(sigh)

Ummm, God has a sense of humor, doesn't He?

I'll take that as a lesson to pray more specifically...

Lord, please fill that bassinet with a baby!

Hide and Seek

Currently I am playing Hide and Seek with my camera's battery charger.

Until I find it, my camera is just a fancy paper-weight and I can't take any photos of the adorable baby squirrels eating out of the little feeder we put up for them.  And I can't take any photos of the knitting and sewing I've been doing.

And if I can't blog about those things, I'm not sure what else to blog about....

A Far Greater Tragedy

Keep the Chapman Family in your prayers today.

Last night they lost their youngest daughter in a horrible accident.

Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child died Wednesday evening after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

Maria, one of the Christian singer’s six children, was taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt Hospital, which confirmed the death, according to Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The 5-year-old was hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother, she said. Police did not give the driver’s name.

The teen was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser down the driveway of the rural home at about 5:30 p.m. and several children were playing in the area, McPherson said. He did not see Maria in the driveway before the vehicle struck her, she said.

“It appears to be a terrible accident,’’ McPherson said.

No charges are expected, she said. The accident was witnessed by two other children; the entire family was home at the time, McPherson said.

I can't even imagine what the family is going through.

We are just praying for each person in that family right now.  Steven, Mary Beth, Emily, Caleb, Will, Shaoey, and Stevie Joy.  Especially the brother involved in the accident.  What an incredibly difficult... I don't even have words to express the emotions that are swimming in my heart.  It just drives me to my knees.




Here's a special video from Steven's Blog that was taken about a month ago.

It's a Very Sad Day

As Tim was leaving for work this morning, he noticed a ball of gray fur lying in the street.

No tail and her belly still swollen with milk for her babies, we knew it was her.

The Bunny-Squirrel is gone.

Although she was hit by a car, she looked like she was sleeping.  Harrison and I stood in the house, while Tim used a shovel to carry her behind the garage and he buried her.

"Are you sure she's dead?"  I asked, with a little hope. (Completely ready to jump in the car and drive to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center....)

"Oh, yes.  She's gone."



It makes me want to climb up in that tree and take all those babies into our home! Poor things.  But I know that's not how the animal kingdom works.  And I'm sure it wouldn't have been long before they would leave the nest anyway. 

That's our only consolation - that they really seemed pretty big.  They've been running all over the tree and Tim thinks he saw one running across our lawn yesterday.  I hope they're big enough.

It is a small lesson teaching us we can trust God in all things.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies. Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

Luke 12:6

"Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?  Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return."

"Then Job replied to the LORD : I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted."

Job 38:41-39:4, 42:1-2

Are you ready for your closeup, Mr. Woodchuck?

It was a National Geographic Saturday!

It started with the squirrels during the morning.  We stayed home while Tim ran all the errands and did the busy stuff.  He came home for lunch, and then we joined him for a couple more hours of running around.

En route we were going to pass by a local pond that is a favored nesting spot of the Canadian Goose.   We drove by last Tuesday to see if the goslings had hatched yet but only found a family of ducks.

When we returned on Saturday we found 2 families of Geese.  One had two older babies, but the other had seven brand new balls of fluff!  Somehow I only managed to get 6 in the shot.  One was either behind, resting, or farther ahead.

While we were there we heard an Oriole, and he kindly posed for a portrait.

And then we saw a duck family.  I am hoping it is not the same duck family from Tuesday.  Although on Tuesday there was only one family of ducks, and on Saturday there was only one family of ducks.  If it is the same family, they went from 11 to 5 ducklings!

Speaking of Tuesday...  We drove along the lake-front that day.  As always, I kept an eye out for Our White Duck.  We found her napping with her new beau.  I do hope they have a successful time nesting, I would love to get a pic of her family!

It was so much fun observing all of our neighboring animal families!  We chattered about it all the way home.  Then, when we pulled into our driveway, we found one more neighbor had stopped by while we were out!

Good afternoon Mr. Woodchuck!

He was snuffling about looking for some supper, and then stopped to gnaw on a pile of twigs.

What a great day!  I think next time I have to list my "hobbies" I'm going to include Wildlife Photography!

The Bunny-Squirrel

I've been wanting to write about our "Bunny-Squirrel" for quite a while now.

We have a tail-less Eastern Gray Squirrel that has been living in one of our trees for almost 2 years now.  Well, who knows, she may have been here longer with a tail and therefore indistinguishable from the rest of our squirrelly neighbors?

When we first saw her we weren't sure if she was an ear-less bunny or a tail-less squirrel.  A second glance confirmed the latter.  She definitely lacks some speed and agility since her accidental amputation, but she seems to manage just fine.  She takes about 3 hops, pauses to find her balance, and then continues.

We were thrilled that she survived her first tailless winter, and overjoyed when she survived her second.  I've been trying to get a photo of her, but by the time I dig out my camera she is always out of site.

Except for today.  Today she was working on a task that slowed her down considerably!  I was able to take quite a few shots!  We were also able to confirm that she is a "she", no not because of the super-zoom and my great photography skills (grin), but because today we got to watch her move her babies from one tree to another!

She moved 4 babies in all.  I was getting my camera out of my purse during the first transfer, but caught the next 3 on film memory card.  In the lower right corner shot she had hopped up to our bay window to check out her audience.

If you want to enlarge the photos, you can just click on them.  They'll come up in a pop-up window.

Here's an action shot:

She was moving pretty fast, so it's a little blurry.  But you can just make out her little squirrel feet in the back!

Those babies were pretty heavy.  She was stopping frequently during the fourth transfer.  I think that Little One knew it, you can see those little hands were gripping mama's head pretty tightly!

After all four were moved she popped out of the nest for a little rest and relaxation.  She sunk onto the branch and even laid down her head.  She was spent!  Not 30 seconds later the Little Ones came to find her.

Poor thing! I can certainly relate to that feeling! She got up and moved back to the nest.  The three Little Inquisitive Ones popped in and out for quite a while after that.  I'm guessing Mama and the one Little Shy One were napping.

We had so much fun!  We would have missed it all if our Saturday morning was full of errands, practices, and busyness.  This was a wonderful reward for choosing an unhurried morning!

more info on the Easter Gray Squirrel
squirrel coloring page
another coloring page
Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter
The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel by Thornton Burgess

Craving Order

I am organizationally challenged.

Keeping an orderly home has proved to be impossible as challenging as Chemistry was in High School.

I have books upon books on the subject. Multiple web-sites book-marked. (Don't tell me about Fly Lady, I've tried that, it doesn't work for me.)

Recently I have been relying on two resources.  They have proved to be the best help I've had so far on the subject:

1) Clean Hearts, Clean Homes.

I haven't actually gone through the devotions on a daily basis yet.  But everything I've read so far has clicked things in place like they never had before.  I'm sticking with this one!

2) Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson

This is the ultimate Home Keeping reference guide.  The part that make me giddy is that she not only gives a comprehensive "how-to" for everything, she also tells you why and the history of it!!!  She speaks my language!  When I was younger, I was one of those exasperating children that asked "why?" about everything!!!  Knowing why something is done helps me to retain it.  I can make more sense of it.  I have something high-lighted on almost every page of this book.

For accountability's sake, I'm going to share visual proof of my journey here: