I was sent to Washington DC for a meeting. I was there to provide "ground truth" to a bunch of bureaucrats making a training manual on Unified Commands. If that wasn't surreal enough, I stayed at the Willard International, a very famous hotel, where the term lobbyist came from. I'm serious, look it up. Anyway, I walked around a little. I only went to one museum, the Holocaust Museum. What else would I do. What else could I do. Some photos from Rome.... Matt
Mac and Emmett slept on the trampoline to watch out for the chickens. And Nana brought them snuggly coats so they could sit and warm the chicks this morning. No one could sleep. I kept imagining the heat lamp bulb burning out and the chicks freezing. Emmett worried about predators. Yikes. I have a feeling they will be in Mac's closet during the huge week long storm that is coming.
Anyway, it was very cute to wake up to these kids being little mamas/papas/nanas! ;)
update: Mac's Americana Chicken is named "Secret" and The New Hampshire Red is officially "Butterfly" So now we have Toby, Puppet, Butterfly and Secret
A most exciting day! I kept Mac out of school for a supposed shopping spree (ugh!) and got completely lost on 8E and ended up in Crest at some god forsaken farm. ("Wow mama you really need a GPS!" she said.) And then she found out that we were there to pick our her BABY chicks! They are 3 weeks old and just getting feathers. They are quick to snuggle under a warm hand and seem very happy..... ...our only worry is Zarina the Huntress. We have already caught her hanging by the chicken wire upsidedown, freaking the little ladies out!
Mac can't stay away for more than a few minutes and Emmett is in love! Just look at them!
4 Hens: yellow headed red bodied one is a New Hampshire Red and is the grown-ups chicken. She is yet unnamed. (hard to get consensus here;) The "hawk" looking greyish brown one is an Americana. She is Mac's and is also unnamed as of yet although the names in contention have ranged from Hera to Hawk Girl to Charlotte?! The dark reddish one is Silas'. She is a Rhode Island Red and her name is Toby the People Rescuer. He will tell you that her short name is just Toby. The soft peachy one is a Buff Orpington and is Emmett's. He has named her "Little Puppet". We have noticed that Puppet seems to be in charge but very gentle, which we hope will set a nice tone to our flock. Next in the pecking order is Toby and then Mac's. The most timid one is the New Hampshire Red.
The backyard that once seemed very sad and dog poopy now feels full of jumping chirping life!
She's not so much into this room (above) although she likes the lights...but it's as close to the color as we could find to print out for the paint guy. She wanted "orchid" and has obviously inherited my color fearlessness (for better, often, or worse, "oftener"!) Now for the labor. The only thing that makes this fun is that we get to do it together. Let's hope Silas cooperates!
Mac is ecstatic because she got a part in PIPPI in Junior Theatre! She doesn't know which part yet but she was worried she wouldn't get in at all as the audition was kinda intimidating. After, she said she would be lucky to be a "villager" or even on the crew. She's been skipping all over the house today! And Emmett is excited because his class is going on a field trip to see it in March! There's nothing like seeing your kid happy!
...two things I cannot be trusted to discuss rationally...because I hate them. And they are... CAUTION TAPE all over the school garden and CHAIN LINK, in general, unless it's in West Side Story or covered in Morning Glories but that's different. And now I have to go apologize. This day is sucking.
...the eyes and the 'thump thump thump' she makes coming into the room due to her 3 legs. She is the most harmless squishy fat cat ever...and the only animal that freaks him out!!!
In the book Eragon the main character learns to use magic but must be careful that he doesn't go too far because magic uses energy...and the amount spent is equal to the amount taken. So the spells need to be cleverly simple so as not to drain the life of the magician.
Well, I find a connection here between Eragon and his magic use and Me and my new IPod. The possibilities at my fingertips are endless however it is SUCKING my LIFE away while I stumble my way through transferring my entire musical life into this 5" x 2 " box. And I am not gifted in this area.
The experience of listening to the jazz genre listed now on my IPOD is lovely ....but.....the reverse equal of this pleasure is the poke-my-eyes-out irritation of burning all my CD's onto ITunes and downloading my library. (Which turns out to be too big anyway....grrrrrrrr.)
And...The wonder of plugging in that teeny device thing that allows me to hear my IPOD on any radio is balanced by the fact that 30 minutes into the road trip the battery wears out and, since I cleaned my car of all my CD's thanks to the "simplicity" of the IPOD, there is now no music in my car at all.
This is very painful and I feel I need a technology secretary to take over. Mac tried but found I was too cranky to work with. Apparently that's another side effect.
And someone today suggested that I really should get an IPHONE....so I can do what, I ask.... blog in the car while I locate a vegan restaurant and discover the artist who is singing on the radio so I can, quick, buy it on ITUNES and download it into my studio/rock playlist? I can't imagine the reverse effect that would have on my poor mind. I do believe I might just implode or simply snuff out. The opposite reaction to that many possibilities has to be completely disappearing. Yes?
As some of you may know the West Coast Dreyers have gone vegetarian. If you want some insight as to why read the book "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Click here for trailer and check out this link http://www.eatinganimals.com/
This is Papa here to tell you that FACTORY FARMS ARE MEAN AND NASTY!
We took very few pictures and video because it was just too busy and fun. But these three capture much of it nicely! What's missing is all the food, the creative and beautiful presents, AND the trampoline assembly (and re-assembly!) as well as all the lovely guests who helped make it all so wonderful...Cia, Larry, Larry, Meg, Crys, Johnny, George, Brian and Richard!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank You EVERYONE!!! We meant to take a full group pajama photo but Silas went to bed early (Nana is the toddler whisperer!) so we settled for an awesome show of MIGHT with these four in footie-jams with butt flaps.
The video below was taken at 6:30 am on Christmas morning with the completely annoying Navidad Chihuahua (that the kids torture Matt with every year by having it waddle into our bedroom to wake him up )... and the Dreyer Family Dancers doing their thing, waiting patiently for the green light to go downstairs...which happens when the coffee is in cups.
And this next little video snippet is after they have checked out their under-the-tree-presents and are surprisingly happier than expected to find only a whole lotta clothes and books and shoes ...only to be interupted by Papa exclaiming that he stepped in dog poo and they were in serious trouble for ignoring their chores yesterday etc etc and then he handed them plastic gloves and ordered them to scoop the poo while they wailed that it was unfair to do such things on Christmas, so true... which led to this...
(no worries, the safety net was built later by Emmett and Papa!)
And when it was all over...after a delicious Christmas dinner (neatloaf that rocked, if I do say so myself) and a fun visit with Grandma Carol and Grandpa Arnie...we got snuggly to not one but TWO movies. Thank God for Harry Potter!!
"Library" by Jon Clary This I found on Eleanor Harwoods Gallery Website, but for the most beautiful paintings of ALL, check out her gallery blog. I had no idea that she was such an amazing painter. I especially love "White Light" and "Bower Bird".
This Sunday night around 7:00ish we will be bundling up the kids in the sleigh (wagon) and heading out into the snow (55 degrees) for some caroling. Bring your woolies and your muffs (sweaters).
We will provide drink (hot chocolate) so bring a cannikin (to-go cup).
It's that time of year! And if you decide last minute to join us you can just wander the neighborhood until you find us. We will be the meandering, loud and slightly off-key group around the corner!
