Mozart in the Making…Maybe

Hudson has officially started piano lessons. Normally, I would refuse piano lessons at such a young age, but since I’m not charging him for it I figured it couldn’t hurt. We are starting very simple. He is focusing on the C major scale and pushing all of the keys down separately.  It is amazing to watch him sit at the piano mustering all of his power to push a single key. His hands are so dwarfed by the keys he plays and the bench upon which he sits. I am so excited to take this single step. After all, isn’t that how all great journeys begin?

Aside: I have had to bribe him with chocolate chips on occasion…after a scale and sometimes after each measure.  I don’t see any opera composing for him in the immediate future.

For He’s a Fast Little Devil…

     So lately I have been getting calls from my mom some afternoons to hear updates on my brother, Brian.  Usually, I can hear screaming fans(okay, very supportive parents) in the background cheering their kids on as she talks to me.  In all his Junior glory, Brian has taken up another sport.  Since lacrosse isn’t until the spring, Brian has added cross country to his fall lineup.  Run Forest…I mean Brian, RUN!!   Props to my little brother Brian for making Varsity this season and lettering in track.

Little Traditions

I decided that I want my kids to look forward to Conference Weekend.  In doing so I think I found the first little tradition for our family.  Conference always seems to be a time for me to rededicate myself to, “try a little harder to be a little bit better.”  As a result I thought this weekend would be a great time each year to rotate the 72 hour kits(Yes, I am slowly getting back “on the ball” that I so awkwardly fell off of last year and was subsequently getting steamrolled.  Have you ever seen those little cartoon guys that biff it on their skis and turn into a massive snowball with arms and legs…that would have been me last year).

Recently, we let Hudson and Annie have their own 72 hour packs.  After those packs were taken care of I turned my attention to ours.  Will and mine do hold all of the food after all.  I figured that no one wants to eat nasty, stale food when they’ve been kicked out of their house and on the run so Conference time is now officially, “eat all of the 72 hour kit food and restock” time.  This way it will all get turned over once a year (Don’t worry, I am aware that conference happens in the spring too).

The kids loved doing it..Will was the biggest fan.  He snatched and stockpiled all of the Beef Jerky and peanuts right away.  If anyone is looking for ideas, this is what our menu looks like for our 72 hours.  Better yet, If anyone has any ideas I would love them (We have gone the MRE route before, but decided on something new).  Keep in mind the food for each person fits into a gallon rubbermade container.  I also keep the menu displayed on the inside of the container so I can remember what food I need when restocking or eating. Water is packed separately.

Day 1    Breakfast:  2 Granola Bars  1 Oatmeal   1 Hot chocolate                                                                       Lunch: 1 pckge soup mix      1 packge crackers                                                                                         Dinner:  1 stick Beef Jerky         1 Fruit Snack                                                                                            Snack:  5 pieces of candy   4 pieces of gum

Day 2  Breakfast:  1 Fruit snack    1 oatmeal      1 Hot  chocolate                                                             Lunch:  1 stick beef jerky   1 pudding cup                                                                                                Dinner: 1 Can soup      1 pckge crackers                                                                                                   Snack:  5 pieces of Candy 3 pieces of Gum

Day 3  Breakfast:  1 fruit snack  1 oatmeal    1 Capri Sun                                                                          Lunch: 1 Ramen Soup  1 Pckge crackers                                                                                                  Dinner: 1 Granola bar  1 pckge peanuts  1 Hot Chocolate                                                                         Snack:  5 pieces of candy    3 pieces of gum

Yes, It’s My First…

Freqenting the beach as much as we do had me thinking we’d seen it all.  Boy was today full of firsts.  My friend, Amy and I took our kiddos to the beach today.

First #1  The Seal

I was suprised today to see a seal gliding along the waves.  It looked like a human body at first until the wave more fully formed and we got a good siloutte of its body – high gloss waves today.

First #2  Annie Bannanie

She is finally back in the water for the first time since her scary roll of death in the waves a few months ago.  She is loving life on the cautious side.

First #3  My New Pets

I never really got pets growing up and I just happened upon a little colony of clams/mussels/bivalvia… whatever you want to call them.  As the tide started to go out hundreds of these little guys the size of my pinky were left behind digging like crazy to get back into the water.  I couldn’t help digging them back up.  Amy and I had 300 or so in our hands showing the kids the siphons and the foot that came out when they thought they were safe.  Naturally, the kids all began collecting them and I took about 50 or so home.  It’s really fun to swish them around and watch them all furiously dig back into the sand.  They are sitting in a cute crystal bowl until I get tired of looking at them.  Then they will go back to the sea Nemo style – by way of Austrailia or is that the toilet?

Since then I decided to research them and have found the following intriguing facts:

Clams are in the class Bivalvia…they have an open circulatory system, kidneys, a heart, a mouth and an anus.  What more could I possibly want in a pet?

Anyone up for an “eye-spy” can click on the above picture and try to find the siphons (Siphons: two elongated tubes that extend out one side of the organism that act as filtering devices for food particulates in the water…yummy).  They actually look pretty cool – floweresk.  I find myself all too often sitting on the back porch swishing and staring.  I really should find better use of my time(And yes, these are pictures of my little guys.  I took the top and the bottom picture and Will was nice enough to take the middle one for me).

I’ve Been Served

So I was “served” a subpeona for a criminal court case today…as a witness.  When I think of “being served” I usually think of a nice lamb roulade or a decadent, chocolate black truffle cake at a fancy restaurant.  It threw me little off guard considering:

#1 I am not a criminal.

#2 I do not engage in criminal activity.

#3 There was no waiter in sight holding anything remotely resembling truffle.

After a quick panic here is a conclusion I drew all by myself…ready?  I haven’t witnessed any murders…EVER!!  This was easily checked by noticing the name at the top of the subpoena did NOT belong to me.  I called the attorney’s office and found out they deal only with criminal cases and witness protection…should I be worried that the guy who used to live in my house is in witness protection for whatever crime he saw being committed?!  Maybe The Mob will show up at my doorstep tomorrow.