Easter wasn't even ruined

The Easter Bunny ordered late this year.  Half his presents weren't delivered until Monday afternoon.  The boy across the street told my children there was no Easter bunny - only big men in bunny costumes.    The wind boldly blew thru and around and up our Easter egg hunt at the lake.  Can you believe the wind blew in Show Low?  On Easter?  Safeway sold Grandma Mikey a platter of frozen fried chicken.  I heard Grandma Mikey ask the deli worker on the other end of the cell phone, "What's up with that?"  Trust me - that worker must have known that my mom does not use language like that often - her money was promptly returned (i hope - I should follow up).

These brothers fight like brothers sometime do.   Ezra decided he wasn't going to Stake conference with us on Sunday.  He liked Noah's tie better.  He wasn't going anywhere with the brown tie on - only the blue tie would do.  He asked Noah for a trade.  Noah only paused for a minute before passing it over.  If you ask nicely, you can get Noah to do just about anything for you.  Jace and I chuckled this morning when Ezra yelled out from the bathtub to Noah, "Good job on unlocking the pink level, Noah."  He was still so proud of Noah's feat on the Wii that had happened days earlier.  It is his favorite thing to do - watch Noah play the Wii.  Sometimes I forget how much they still really do like each other.

Macy was home sick all last week (Noah too).  "Don't you know I've had diarrhea since Easters?"  She decided she loves staying home from school but she hates make-up work.  I decided I love my children but I hate the thought of home school.  4 children home all day = one dirty house, one grouchy mother and one baby that can't figure out where she is suppose to take a nap.  But after a couple of handfuls of chocolate Easter candy, we were all back feeling like our regular selves.

I love when holidays aren't ruined by big men in bunny suits, diarrhea, or me.

Lactating Parents Club

Yes.  This is another post about breast-feeding.  I'm sorry but when it's your only special talent, you end up talking about it (and displaying it in public) too much.  I produce whole milk.  I produce fat and happy babies - all without so much as a thought.  What can I say?  It just comes naturally.  And it's special.

This month, the lactating club around my house had a new member join up.  Jace thought driving to Casa Grande to pick up 16 day old calves would be a good idea.  I tried telling him that he would not be a good substitute for the mama cows udders.  I tried telling him how much work it would be - he would be way in over his head!  He knows nothing about proper head cradling positions, proper latching techniques, colic, ensuring adequate hydration, and analyzing the newborn poop.

But all my warnings fell on deaf, naive ears.  He could not think of anything else.  Talk of anything else.  He hauled those poor orphan calves up the mountain and started his 2X a day feedings.  Soon those cows took over his mornings, his evenings, his thoughts and prayers, and my kitchen.  There was milk substitute to be mixed, mathematical formulas converting pints to gallons and then back to quarts to be figured, bottles and nipples to be washed and sanitized.

It wasn't until they starting dropping like flies that he admitted to his fellow club member that maybe 16 calves at once was just a few too many.  After all those feedings and stall cleanings.  After all that Pepto bismol and all the antibiotic shots, those cows were leaving this life faster than Jace could count.  Jace was saddened and confused.   After 2 weeks, we he went from 16 calves to 4 calves.  That's right.  4.  And I think it's worth mentioning that all 4 of the surviving, prancing calves are little girl calves.  I want to say that I think Jace learned his lesson but he I can hear him now talking in the other room about ordering just Holstein calves next time maybe they are a heartier breed.

I am going to tell him again tonight that the lesson to be learned here is this:  Unless you are born with the equipment attached - Leave the nursing of newborns to the mothers.  Go on home and eat dinner with your other 4 (real) children.

Love you Jace.  Maybe we could think of another club we could join together?  Book club?  Our kids our the cutest club? Chess?  Let me know.  I'll let you be club president.

You best keep up.

The Show Low House.  After.

We have exciting news to share about the Show Low house.  Click here.

The Heber House.  Before.  Me.  Before I gave birth to Mikael.

Other house projects are coming.....the Heber house has been waiting very patiently.  I vote we transform her next.

So, just so you aren't lost......Exciting news about the Show Low house posted here.  The Heber house is still very ugly.  We are dusting off our tools and ripping magazine pages out for inspiration.  And we still live here, in the Snowflake house.  Everyone with me?  Good.

You blink and you'll miss something.  If you haven't been clicking here, then you are missing stuff.  Good stuff.

You best keep up.