Visible Light

I've now seen everything...

I watched Butterflies mating today. I feel bad for the odd one out - they seemed to have paired off, except we have an odd number. Maybe its just one big orgy - I can't tell them apart.

Butterfly Census

we're up to 8 total this morning - including the one on the bottom of the tent that fell when I moved them over - 3 more to go to have all the chrysalis's transform.

I'll take some pictures later and share when I get a chance. I'm off to help in Megan's classroom.

UPDATE: We ended the day with 10 - But I can't find the one remaining chrysalis so I keep recounting thinking there are really 11. I'll try again in the morning.

Great workout...

I spent 32 minutes working out on Wii Fit. I started out by knocking Winsha off the number one spot on the ski jumping! I then did the Expert level of Boxing, The Advance Step and ran for the middle basic run. I finished up with some stretching. By the time I took a shower I was dripping with sweat - which is new to me since before the only exercise I really spent time on was swimming and you can never tell if your sweating then. so now I'm 7 for 7 days though one day I really took it easy and just did the games, but 6 out of the last 7 I've worked out for 30 mins minimum. That's a whole lot more than I would have done with out this handy dandy Wii thing.

So Cool...

Megan and I just watched a newly born butterfly unfurl its wings! - we're up to 3 total

UPDATE: Then another one came out and while we were watching her - another one just emerged - we're up to 5 now

Amazing...

On the way to the grocery store today I passed a Gas station with gas at $4.06, I didn't think anything of it until the next light where one station was $4.15 and the other was $4.23. I went back and got the $4.06. When I left the grocery store the $4.15 was now $4.23, surprisingly the first station was still $4.06. Even later on when Megan and I were coming back from her Ice Skating lesson it was still $4.06.

I bet tomorrow they will catch up.

Butterfly Update...

Its been a while since I posted that grainy pic of the caterpillars.

First after they got fat they...

Crawled to the top

Attached to the lid...

and started to change - first forming a J and then turning into Chrysalis.

One fell when I transfered them to the Butterfly tent so we laid it on the bottom.

And then this morning...

Our first painted Lady emerged.

Camera View

I was playing around with Google maps and discovered that most of our town has been photographed for the street view... including our house...

it was trash day and our pick up is full of stuff, my car is gone ( too bad cause my bumper stickers are a sight!) but pretty cool

This mornings Wii Fit report

Jack started his workout on the Wii, then graduated to the elliptical in the garage where he still is. I took over the wii and did 30 mins which included 2 runs (one basic with Megan running beside me and one at a longer distance) Instead of just running in place I ran around the room - since the idea is the Wii-mote works as a pedometer - as long as your in range you can run around - better for the balls of your feet. Megan and I agreed we'd try running at a park soon - though she'll have to slow down since she sprints and I plod along.

I did a fair bit of yoga and strength stuff. By the time I got around to Hula Hoops I was too pooped and did pretty poorly. I managed to finally get through the step aerobic routine, which is an exercise in frustration for both me and the Wii. I opened the first boxing game and really enjoyed that one. Nice not to get hit back like in Wii Sports.

All told I worked out for over 30 minutes and really broke out into a sweat. Yesterday I did 30 minutes in the morning and then played around again in the afternoon for another 30 - in the last 2 day thats 1.5 hours more than I would have. This thing is motivating me to move.

Great Pic of Megan

Just had to share - someone took this pic of Megan at the friendship feast/ Talent Show friday night.

Wii Fit...

Jack brought home the Wii Fit. which if you don't know if a balance board that registers how your standing and allows you to do some great exercises. I was leery at first because I tend to doubt the benefits of anything like this. But after 2 30 min workouts I feel stronger already. I'm even enjoying running (with the aid of a good sports bra).

It is weird having something in the house know my weight , but I passworded it so only the wii and I are wise to the actual number - something I don't like sharing.

If you have a Wii - go get Wii Fit - you'll love it. The yoga poses are fun - the aerobic activities are great - we all been playing it - standing up and getting physical with a computer game! If there is more than one of you in your house - you'll wish you had a Wii for the other TVs too so you can all play it at the same time! (Jack and Megan will be back at it tuesday and then the Wii Fit is all Mine!

12 more days to summer!... ending with a rant

Megan has 12 more days of school. I've got most of the summer planned out, with swim lessons, science camp for one week, and a trip to florida. We're also planning a camping trip with our playgroup friends.

I was hoping to get a road trip in too but I just don't know where to squeeze it. Given the cost of gas, I guess its easy to give up. But that is another story all together.

Last summer I relied on the Little Gym summer camps but I've given up on the LIttle Gym because they raise their rates, and have been so pushy with the sales pitch that they ticked me off. Side story - They've been doing this sales pitch about 2 months before the end of a session called Priority enrollment. Basically sign up now and we'll give you some prizes and maybe even a discount. The one they were doing for this coming fall included some sort of stuffed animal back pack - what ticked me off was the first day we were there that they were doing it - Megan's teacher grabbed her by the hand took her over to the wall of stuffed backpacks and said "which one are you going to pick out when your mom signs you up for the fall." Megan giddy with the prospect pointed one out and then ran over to me and said "mom I get that when you pay them" .. NO I informed her, I don't think we can sign up, we'll see, and my kid - my kid is an angel - she totally handled it in stride and said oh ok, and went to class. THat evening in the car I explained to her that they were just getting to expensive (raising the rates on camp to more than I pay the sitter per hour!) and that I didn't think with school all day in the fall we would be doing to many extra things. - I happy to report that the following week when Megan was once again approached about enrolling (I still can't get over that they talk to the kids about that!) She informed her teacher - that she won't be coming back because "your just getting to expensive" She was so matter of fact the teacher was actually was speechless and finally laughed and said well OK.

What makes this side story more annoying for me is that we have been members of the little gym since Megan was a year old - we did take a year off after she got burned out, but we came back when she was ready for real gymnastics, and they didn't use to be so damn bottom line sales pitch bitchy. The whole talking to the kids directly thing really burns my butt. - and now that is the end of my rant.

Explained in simple english

I get that a mortgage crises was a major contributor to the current state of the economy but honestly I had no idea - I really didn't understand sub prime or why banks loaned money to people who couldn't afford it. Coming back from film club and while cooking dinner earlier I listened to This American Life from May 9th titled Giant Pool of Money - and I now have a much better sense in what developed, and am infuriated that it was allowed to. It is a fascinating listen.

One I can recommend .. well kind of

Film club was this morning, The movie was Sidekick.

It was a fun flick . I wouldn't say it was great but I enjoyed myself. Turned out it was the only print of the movie- very small budget (basically the writer/producer credit cards.) He was really funny after. Its won a bunch of jury prizes at a bunch of film festivals. It'll be on DVD I think June 10th.

Anyway IMDB has kind of a low score for this movie, and I will admit I liked it much better after hearing the film maker discuss how cheaply it was made. For example - the only named star Daniel Baldwin was paid with a paper bag of cash, cast only because he was in town for something else and thought it would be a hoot. So if your at all into superheroes or wanna be superheroes- give the DVD a rent.

Fun times with Ichat

Right now Jack is talking to Pops on his laptop - video conferencing. Last night we had a great time chatting with Casa De Newf in Katy Tx, and Grandpa Cutherell in Ocala Florida. The kids shared toys and pictures they drew and we all chatted about our days. Grandpa even got to show off his new Entertainment center and Island in the kitchen. THe best part about this tech is that it cost us nothing. - well aside from the apples we already all own and the cost of our monthly internet which we'd have to pay anyway. It really gives you such a feeling of closeness to be able to see your family members when you talk.

Life is good.

Our veggie garden

Here's some pics of our veggie garden. Last year our garden was planted and then ignored thanks to my broken foot. This year I thought with Jack's wrist we wouldn't even plant it - and then I got inspired a weekend or so ago and cleaned and planted the whole thing. Then the yard man helped me figure out sprinklers (always a Jack job) - now its all a go.

The whole garden

Brand new strawberries. I ripped out all the old and planted 4 new plants. We hadn't had a decent crop of strawberries in a couple of years.

Basil on the right and peppers on the left.

Tomatoes, 6 plants total 2 romas, 2 grape, an heirloom and an obscure variety someone at the nursery recommended.

There's one more bed - with Marjoram, Oregano (both from last year still going strong) and 2 new lemon cucumber plants. I also plan another bed for behind the a/c i've already got the dirt for it, we're going to grow pumpkins there.

Finally - my little helper

always looking for a treat.

Lots of pic updates!

I wandered around with the camera this evening to take pics of all our happenings ...

First off my yearly skylight cover went up today - because it was toasty today - hotter tomorrow - so the summer has begun - its just an old table cloth I got in Australia when we had a small table - it really is the perfect size for our sky light ...

In the same vain to keep the house cooler without the a/c I also bought some cheap curtains for the kitchen - we still had a rod up waiting for a valance I've been meaning to make/buy...

We're growing butterflies - we ordered some painted lady caterpillars and I can't get a decent pic of them but they have gotten huge - I'll keep you updated as they grow...

We got rid of the jacuzzi. (Gave it to a friend of a friend) so now we are able to actually use our patio. we've had several dinners out there including tonight's. A guy came out to give us an estimate to fix up the concrete, but for now - here's our patio...

Oso had a bath today - with a hose and a giggling 5 year old. After dinner Jack Furminated him and here is the pile of fur a broken wrist man got off the dog.

FInally - our neighbors tree fell on our fence this weekend. Jack cut the branches off so now we have this at the fence line...

and this in a pile on the side of the yard..

Since you made it this far ... you deserve one of Megan - in costume. She and her partner made the tryouts and will be performing twice on Friday the 23rd - once in an assembly for the school and once for a friendship feast/multicultural night the PTC is putting on in the evening.

Doctor Megan...

Megan informed us tonight she has to be a doctor when she grows up ... she said

"So I can take care of mommy!"

a bit later she said don't worry daddy, "I'll take care of you and the dogs too!"

Our future is set - no need to worry about retirement now.

now you shall say Awwwwww!

Every night that I put Megan to bed we play this little game. I love you more, well I love you 100 times more than you love me, I love you a million times more, we've gotten all the way to googolplex and then added to infinity and beyond. At some point Megan said well I just know I love you more, to which I replied that is just not possible. and now our favorite phrase is "not Possible!"

In order to assure bed time doesn't drag on and on our routine is pretty much adhered too since she was a year or so old, and that includes a few songs from a mix tape I made for her. In order to save my sanity (from repeats) we've started each picking one song - she always goes for the same one but I can add a bit of variety. Then at the end we hug and kiss and she goes to bed. But tonight I noticed that at the point when the song was coming to a close and we both knew it, we do this thing where we grab onto each other, and just hug so tight - as if to say I just won't let you go! But when the song ends we do, with lots of promises for love in the morning - who knew being a mom could be so good!

green hair

back in March when Megan and I went away for the week, I blogged briefly about Megan's hair turning green. here's a pic I emailed Jack from my phone that I just downloaded - green very evident...

So if your blond and in San Simeon I recommend you avoid This Motel - well the pool anyway - and let me tell you - we only stayed there for the darn pool!

Valicha

Megan is learning the Valicha dance from a mom at school. We have a multi-cultural feast coming up and this mom from Peru wanted her son to perform but he needed a partner. Megan enthusiastically volunteered, and its been fun watching her learn all the steps. Her version is a bit simpler then the one on the video above.

Anyway - here she is in costume which she tried on the other day. Monday she and the boy will try out for the show .. .I'll keep you posted.

What not to do...

I started a compost bin. Actually I did one before but lost interest. Our city has a great policy of composting with our yard waste, so really I have no reason, but that I want to.

So Anyway ... I went out yesterday to mix it up and when I opened the lid I jumped way back because of the maggots! - I ran and got the hose, and then I approached - skin crawling - damn I hate maggots - since I worked at the morgue and a body came in once just crawling with them...

Anyway I approached slowly because I was sure some big maggot monster was just going to jump out and I was ready with the hose to defend myself. Thats when I saw - it was just Rice! - the rice I had put out there 2 nights before!

Dandelion

Megan found one in our yard this morning and after I instructed her to aim for the neighbors, she made a wish and ....

Jack's worse nightmare!...

I might just have to get another one.

BTW - Jack this means I think finally your right!

testing 1,2,3...

Jack set up a means for me to put up photos on my own on the website - so i'm going to test this out with this sweet picture of my 2 babies...

NEW MASTHEAD

In case you haven't noticed (refresh already!) I made up a new masthead for the blog...I'm a newbie on fireworks and maybe my next one will be more complicated -my goal is just do it - update my mastheads more - maybe once a season. - so Happy Spring!

UPDATE: I set up all my old mastheads on our wiki so that you can see how its changed.

Sharing

Thanks Jack for the link to an NPR story and concert recording of The Swell Season.

Enjoy...