Sunday, October 7, 2007

Sorry its been a while. Ben has been gone this last week in Indiana visiting his fam and showing Bill around. Beth and her girls stayed with me and there were lots of fun times, wool pickin, and laughs. Angelic got stung by a bee and I fixed the leaky kitchen sink all by myself despite my big belly and was very proud of that. (doesn't the kitchen sink always leak when one's husband is gone. . ?)

Yesterday we took the kids to the mysterious high security animal testing facility oustide Front Royal to show them the freaks of nature that science has created and the goverment spends lots of money keeping safely out of site. . . . . well okay, that's what I always THOUGHT that weird place with all the gates and high fences was. . . turns out it is a Smithsonian research facilities where they breed endangered species and try to work on nature conservation etc. They have a once a year October Conservation Festival where they are open to the public-complete with bluegrass music and a burrito booth---so I guess some of the mystery and intrigue is gone forever.

But the event was fabulous. The kids loved seeing all the booths with stuffed birds, ostrich eggs, etc. We got to see one of the few of a highly endangerd species of furry antlered deer from Asia, lots of cute non endangered bard-rock hens and puddle ducks (don't ask me what they were doing there) and . . . . THE BEST PART. . . . .RED PANDAS!!!!!! Hooray! They were so cute and I have wanted to see one in person so much ever since we saw them in Life of Mammals.

They are even cuter in real life and we were able to get really close and see them drink, eat bamboo and sleep on their tummies. We missed the leapords and the bison, and some other stuff due to time contraint and hungry bellies, but we enjoyed the bluegrass music on the grass during our picnic too.

The best part is the event was not over crowded and definitley did not have that feel of one of those events where you are totally lost in a crowd the whole time. It really was a nice sized event and you also weren't overwhelmed by too many things to do. To boot is was full of ladies with cute babies in Ergo baby carriers which made me drool over them even more. (sigh)


When we got home my Dansko clogs had arrived in the mail that I won on e-bay!!! Yeah! Too bad its 90 degrees outside and too hot to wear them. . .


Today I went to Christendom mass as it was homecoming weekend and it was a good plan with the kiddos being so tired from the day before. Beth and I took the kids to low-water and let them play in the mud and water for a while.

The weirdest part of the river though was that the minute I stepped in the current I felt this huge pull on my belly like a contraction but not quite --- it was so strange. I swear water effects pregnant ladies so much. . . .

Oh and lastly Zita has developed the strangest habit. She has this obsession with ears, which is rather hillarious considering her own were so funny and floppy as a baby. It all started when she was nursing--oh at about eighteen months, she would play with my ear. Well then when she weaned it became her little comfort thing to hold my ears and play with my ear lobes. A few months back she would like to go to sleep that way, holding my ears. She still comes into our bed early in the morning and asks to hold my ears. Well that's not too bad, but now she has started to hold other peoples ears. She tries to do it to Angelica all the time, which drives Angelica nuts. And then this whole weekend she has tried to do it to little Joesph Powell several times. Sbe even told me she likes to hold Daddy's ears. So now she has a full blown fetish with ears.

I always expected to have a child that sucked their thumb, picked their nose, had to have a blanket all the time, wet the bed, but this, I never expected. Its too funny.

Well that's a rather long fill in of the weekend --but there you go. Now I'm going to stay up late tonight waiting for Ben to get in so he can open his package with his new mask that arrived in the mail.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

New Mask!!! Will that go with the mysterious black fabric that he took home from here?
About fetishes: Gracie has a fetish with tummies....she like to rub Sarah's tummy as she falls asleep. If she is staying overnight here, my tummy will do. What do people who have no children do for laughs?
It was grand having Ben here for the week-end....the only thing better would have been for all of you to be here!! We missed you.
Much Love, Mama

Annie Hatke Schap said...

I'm totally jealous of your animal adventures. I've never seen a red panda. In fact, I've never even HEARD of a red panda!! I hope my kids are obsessed with nature and animals as your kids are. Martin and I are afraid we'll get kids who are really into space and the universe and all that boring stuff that we're not into. We like earth creatures. Tell me if it's chance or taught.

Margaret E. Perry said...

if she's stopped running around "nakie" then I'd say ears are a good development. :)

Joannie said...

It was nice to see you this weekend, although I only saw a glimpse of you at communion at Mass on Sunday and didn't get a chance to actually talk to you.
You look adorable!!!

Joannie said...

By the way, I always was suspicious of that place too, even though Dr Snyder told me what it was and said he sometimes saw exotic animals walking around over there (they can see over there from their front yard). I was always convinced it was a big secret government thing like the Greenbrier in WVa.
I'm glad you got to see it, although I liked thinking it was a super secret place.

Anonymous said...

Annie, some chance, some taught. . . . having kids certainly got me more inot animals, nature, etc.

Joanie, in a sense I am so sad that the mystery is gone. . . . .