Creativity Monday

I took Littlest Sis to the Pediatrician this morning to discover that she has a nasty ear infection in her right ear. So we decided to stay around the house today and do things that were fun for a baby girl.

Graham crackers, a movie, and her favorite lion chair seemed to make her ear a little easier to bear.

And what could be more fun than a box??
The kids always love it when I let them play with the cardboard left over from packages and diaper boxes and such.

Sis was no exception. It's almost as good as coloring on the floor!

Meanwhile...

I am very glad that my kids have such good imaginations!

The "big kids" converted the new baby gate, and the box it came in, into a store that sells ice cream in the front and dog bones in the back. It didn't take the dog long to figure this out!

Leave it to Facebook

So I found myself roped into doing a survey on Facebook today. I had to pick my 5 favorite things from when I was a kid. Number 3 on the list: Singing very loudly while riding my Cabbage Patch Big Wheel. And wouldn't ya know...someone posted pics of great 80's toys. And there it was!

Sing with me!

"Oh let the sunshine IIIIINNN, face it with a grin. Smilers never lose, and frowners never win. Oh let the sunshine IIIIIINNN face it with a grin. Open up your heart and let the sunshine in!"

:)

Fledglings!

I was very glad to have taken the picture from the last post when I did! The very next day, the babies left the nest. I was able to get a few photos of the fledglings before they scurried off into hiding.

Hey man, quit poopin' on my fence!

The protective Mama.

Waiting on Mama...

(Biggest Brother and I waited for what seemed like forever, hoping to get a shot of her feeding one of them. I had to sit at a distance and shoot through the window, but at last!...)

I thought this picture was so cool! It's a little fuzzy due to the distance and the screen. But if you look closely, you can see Mama shielding her eyes from her young ones beak as they achieve the worm swap!

Worms x4!

These baby Robin "quads" outside our window have one busy Mama!

We've been watching her busting her tail day in and day out to feed all of their demanding little mouths.

She's a good Mama!

First Walkers

Littlest Sis got her very first pair of real walking shoes. And Mommy loves them!

Now to work on that whole walking thing! :)

The headband was a tool to enable me to put sunscreen on her face, but she decided she liked the look.

Knuckleheads

Morning time at our house...

Apparently, this is the "Breakfast Spaceship" so I've been told!

Rainy Day Fun

Rainy day number 3 in a row, and the boys were about to come out of their skin. It was either find some way for them (Younger Brother especially) to exert some energy, or invest in overnight shipping from the straight jacket company! And then...an idea!

Just as I thought!

The Bounce House the kids got as a present from Uncle A just so happens to fit perfectly in the basement play space!

They could not have been more excited.

Not that it isn't fun in the yard, but apparently it's double fun when you get to have it in the house!

Even Littlest Sis got in on the fun!

Thanks Uncle A!

I think we may have found our rainy day salvation!

NOT an emergency!

Friday marked the end of the school year for Younger Brother. They got to do a lot of fun things this week, including a field trip, and a visit from a few fire engines and ambulances...for educational purposes of course.

On the way back from school, he asked if he could play his Nintendo DS when we got home. I said sure, as long as his chores were done first. He went straight to work cleaning up his room and the living room as he had been asked. Then called up the stairs to me, asking when I was going to come check his work so he could play. I told him I was dressing his sister and would be down in just a minute. Apparently he thought it was taking too long to get to play his DS...because he called 911!

Thankfully, the operator could tell this was NOT an emergency, and talked him into bringing the phone to me before dispatching the emergency vehicles to our house!

"No operator, there is not an emergency...YET!"

Actually, I didn't say that for fear they'd take me seriously.

But I wanted to! :)

To the sky!

After much anticipation, the time for Biggest Brother's caterpillars to emerge as butterflies has arrived!

First out...Abby

Sadly, Abby emerged with only half of a functional left wing. And that half had a significant tear as well. Brother decided to keep her and take care of her for the remainder of her lifespan, rather than allow her to become ant food.

Everest was a little slower to emerge. I let Brother eat his dinner in the formal dining room to watch the coming event.

It took much longer than we expected.

For a full 8 hours Everest wiggled and writhed in a spectacle that I had never seen before.

The chrysalis literally looked like a swinging punching bag.

Then, finally!

We were relieved to see that Everest had two perfectly formed Painted Lady wings.

Brother kept them both for the day, then took Everest outside to release him that evening.

(I realize they are probably not a male and female...we just went with the names he gave them.)

Everest sat for a brief photo op, then skipped off over the fence and was gone.

--------

But the true highlight of the day came later! We had observed Abby flopping around in the cage in failed attempts to fly, and assumed she would never be able to be released. But after much hoping on praying on Biggest Brother's part...he was convinced she could do it.

He took her out of the cage. And we watched with joy and astonishment as she, with her mangled half a wing...

took to the sky!!!