Lane's Birthday

Well, this probably wasn't Lane's most fun birthday ever. He's been on night shift, so he got home about 7:30 this morning and went right to sleep because he had to be back at the hospital at 7 p.m. He slept until mid-afternoon then he had a hair cut at 4:15, and Alexee wanted to go with him. The plan was for them to come back home and get the rest of us and we'd all go to dinner at Senor Tequila before L had to leave for work. Maybe the kids were all just extra EXTRA tired from school or something, but they'd been crying, fighting, hitting, screaming and whining about everything you could possibly imagine since we got home from school. And maybe Crosby still doesn't feel great--he's still coughing. He's had kind of a rough week so far, which is very unlike him. Poor guy. :( I asked everyone to go to the front porch and smile for a b-day picture, and for a few seconds they actually did okay...but then we tried to get into the car. That's when things got to the point that we realized it just wasn't worth it. I don't even know what they were arguing about. To be honest, I often tune out the specifics of their sibling conflicts, and it all just becomes a big, headache-inducing noise. So we were in the garage--it was 100 degrees--and I said, "Lane, do you even want to go?" He said, "Not really." So we got everyone back out of the car and inside. I made the kids go sit at the table in silence and wait for me to get them something for dinner. No eating out and no delicious birthday cupcakes for anyone. :( Happy Birthday, L!

Lane, we're sorry that the evening didn't go as planned, but we want you to know that we love you and we're thankful for you. Maybe in a few...6...8...10? years we can all go out for a drama-free family birthday dinner to celebrate. :)

We gave Lane this Razorbacks flag to put in the front yard during football season.

The un-eaten cupcakes.

***

P.S. Tonight reminded me of a similar situation from my childhood. My sister and I were fighting and being very disagreeable about everything. I think it was either a Saturday or a Sunday and we were trying to decide on something fun to do (as a family) for the afternoon. But since no one could agree, Dad finally had enough and said, "Okay then, we'll just all go pick up rocks." So he took us to the rockiest hillside on the whole farm and that's where we spent the rest of the day. It wasn't funny to us then, but we laugh about it now. I'm glad they gave us that lesson that afternoon. I think we were a lot more agreeable the next time plans were being made, and I still think of it all these years later.

Recent Paintings

I've been in a painting mood lately...Or maybe it's just that Lane's been working a lot so instead of watching Whale Wars or Hell's Kitchen in the evenings, I've been painting.

Nursery canvas for Christy in Kentucky

(I think "Mollie Gabrielle" is such a cute name!)

Football season is almost here, so I made a decoration for the front door. "Go Hogs" for us & "Go Red Raiders" for my sweet TX friend that transferred from Ouachita to Texas Tech. (H, I'll get it in the mail to you real soon.)

I hung ours on the front door today. I wish I'd used the brighter red on it--it dried darker than I thought it would. Hobby Lobby has outdoor rugs on sale 50% off this week, so I finally replaced the worn out Valentine Heart rug! Can you see Bogart behind the caladiums? He likes to be in our pictures. :)

And this one is a baby gift for a friend.

Monday & Tuesday

Nothing super exciting going on here...

Here are just a few pictures from this week so far:

Yesterday Alexee found a few snails on the front porch and put them in the Bug Park, along with a few leaves she added for them.

They also saw the turtle that shows up in our back yard sometimes (We marked it with a little bit of pink nail polish last time we saw it.) They enjoyed popcicles and playing with the turtle.

This afternoon we went to the library. I'm so glad Rhett loves to read. Alexee chose a few books, too, and Crosby ran wild and screamed if I tried to hold him.

Alexee wanted to use the self check-out

After we left the library we went through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru to pick up dinner. They were having a school spirit night which meant that 15% of sales went to our elementary school if you presented the school flyer when you ordered.

The Weekend...Apple, Caterpillars, etc.

Friday afternoon Rhett went to our neighbor's birthday party/sleepover. He'd been looking forward to it all week. They had a great time. Saturday Lane's parents came to visit. We all went to lunch at McAlister's, then Bob & Rose Mary stayed with the kids while C napped and Lane and I went to run a few errands (including microwave shopping because ours started shooting sparks last week). Saturday evening Lane and I had a dinner date planned with our friends Brad & Leslie. Grammy and Bobba were sweet to stay and babysit for the evening too--the kids always love having them do bed-time with them. We had a delicious meal at Bravo and enjoyed catching up with Brad & Leslie. After dinner we walked over to the new Apple store that opened yesterday morning! We are super happy to have an Apple store here now!

Since Lane didn't work this weekend, he was able to go to church with us for the first time in weeks. It was so nice to all go together. Unfortunately Crosby had started feeling a bit bad yesterday afternoon, and he was running a little fever when we got home. (He didn't have a fever before church though, and I thought maybe he just had a little bit of a tummy ache last night so we went ahead and took him to church.) He hasn't felt up to playing today--he's spent a lot of time sitting in my lap. Of course I hate that he's sick, but I do love getting to sit and hold him--he's usually way too busy for that. Hopefully he will feel much better tomorrow.

I took this picture of C Friday morning. I thought he looked SO sweet!

On the way out the door for the sleepover. Alexee helped Rhett carry his stuff over to his friend's house. Crosby and I walked over there too, but we should have stayed at home because C fell on their front steps and got a big bump/scratch/bruise on his forehead. :(

New Apple store

Lane's cousin got a job there, so we visited with him and he showed us around the store.

And a brief caterpillar update:

Saturday morning we transferred two caterpillars into the bug box and gave them lots of milkweed leaves to much on. The kids have checked on them numerous times. This evening we found that the bigger one has crawled up to the top of the box, just as we'd hoped! Last time we looked, the smaller one was on the side of the box. I tried to pick it up and move it back down to the leaves for more eating, but when I did I noticed it was sticking to the wall with sort of a "spider-web" type substance so I just left it alone. I'm not sure why one is a lot smaller than the other, but they both seem to be slowing down. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Saturday morning--on the leaf

Sunday evening--on the roof

Abracadabra

Last night the kids decided to do a magic show for me before bed. They set up a "stage" in the hallway and made me a ticket to the show. For one of the tricks, Rhett pulled a stuffed rabbit out of a hat. Crosby watches everything they do. It wasn't long before I saw him working on the bunny trick. I love the way A & C are watching R in the first picture, the swift movement of the hat in the middle picture, and C looking at the rabbit in the third.

Another entertaining part was when Rhett told Alexee to "just think of something" to keep me entertained while he went into the playroom to come up with more tricks. After a few minutes of Alexee doing random funny things, Rhett cracked the door open and slipped me a toy phone and said, "Would you please call the manager and tell him we are out of tricks and see if he has any new ideas?" :)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Big excitement in our back yard today: We noticed that the monarch caterpillars have found our milkweed plants!

The leaves are starting to look like this. (I noticed the holes a few days ago, but didn't I didn't see anything eating them. Maybe they were there and I just didn't see them though because I expected them to be visible on the top of the leaves. We found three today, and they were all hanging underneath leaves--they were difficult to see at first.)It's silly, but I was really excited to see that they'd found our yard! The kids were happy too, especially Alexee. She has checked many many times this summer. At first I thought the tiny yellow things in the bottom left picture (above) might be the eggs. But then I noticed they were moving--yikes! I guess they're some type of bug...hopefully they won't mess things up!?
We're looking forward to watching their transformations. I'll probably move a few of them to the caterpillar house in a few days after they've had a little more time to eat. I told the kids that we can't pick them up right now because they're hungry and need to eat and eat and eat.

I copied/pasted some information below that I found about their life cycle. I had assumed that these caterpillars would turn into butterflies and then take off for Mexico for a nice warm and relaxing winter. It made me a little sad to learn that they are the third generation (of four) of the year and they will only live as butterflies for 2-6 weeks. The fourth generation, which will hatch in September - October, will migrate to Mexico and California, live 6-8 months, then return to start the cycle over again. I found that really interesting!

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The Life Cycle(s) of a Monarch Butterfly

Monarch butterflies go through four stages during one life cycle, and through four generations in one year. It’s a little confusing but keep reading and you will understand. The four stages of the monarch butterfly life cycle are the egg, the larvae (caterpillar), the pupa (chrysalis), and the adult butterfly. The four generations are actually four different butterflies going through these four stages during one year until it is time to start over again with stage one and generation one.

In February and March, the final generation of hibernating monarch butterflies comes out of hibernation to find a mate. They then migrate north and east in order to find a place to lay their eggs. This starts stage one and generation one of the new year for the monarch butterfly.

In March and April the eggs are laid on milkweed plants. They hatch into baby caterpillars, also called the larvae. It takes about four days for the eggs to hatch. Then the baby caterpillar doesn’t do much more than eat the milkweed in order to grow. After about two weeks, the caterpillar will be fully-grown and find a place to attach itself so that it can start the process of metamorphosis. It will attach itself to a stem or a leaf using silk and transform into a chrysalis. Although, from the outside, the 10 days of the chrysalis phase seems to be a time when nothing is happening, it is really a time of rapid change. Within the chrysalis the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation, called metamorphosis, to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge. The monarch butterfly will emerge from the pupa and fly away, feeding on flowers and just enjoying the short life it has left, which is only about two to six weeks. This first generation monarch butterfly will then die after laying eggs for generation number two.

The second generation of monarch butterflies is born in May and June, and then the third generation will be born in July and August. These monarch butterflies will go through exactly the same four stage life cycle as the first generation did, dying two to six weeks after it becomes a beautiful monarch butterfly.

The fourth generation of monarch butterflies is a little bit different than the first three generations. The fourth generation is born in September and October and goes through exactly the same process as the first, second and third generations except for one part. The fourth generation of monarch butterflies does not die after two to six weeks. Instead, this generation of monarch butterflies migrates to warmer climates like Mexico and California and will live for six to eight months until it is time to start the whole process over again.

It is amazing how the four generations of monarch butterflies works out so that the monarch population can continue to live on throughout the years, but not become overpopulated. Mother Nature sure has some cool ways of doing things, doesn’t she?

Our articles are free for you to copy and distribute. Make sure to give http://www.Monarch-Butterfly.com credit for the article.

Summer's Not Over Yet!

Even though school has started and I've started burning a fall-scented candle (Yankee "Farmer's Market" smells so good), it still feels like summer outside here. Saturday afternoon Alexee, Crosby and Bogart cooled off in the sprinkler while Rhett went to see Spy Kids with our neighbor. I think Bogart likes the sprinkler more than anyone!

*****

On a different note, Rhett lost his 7th tooth last night. He told us it started hurting at lunch yesterday. I was surprised because I didn't even know it was loose! I pulled it for him last night before bed, and I think he was pleased with what the tooth fairy left for him...$2 and this note. He decided to go ahead and use the chores pass today! :)

Celebrating Bob & Rose Mary

Today we had a (belated) family luncheon to celebrate Lane's parents' 50th anniversary. This was the first weekend Lane has had off since their anniversary, so we had to get together a little late.

Bob & Rose Mary with long-time friends, Bill & Sandra

Lunch group photo

Bob, Rose Mary & their 5 grandchildren

Luke, Katie, Rhett, Alexee & Crosby

and with Lane and his brother, Lance

We ate at the Hot Springs Country Club

Beautiful centerpiece

Rose Mary & Crosby

Rose Mary, her five grandchildren, and her dear friend, Sandra

Bob & C

Jennifer helping with her corsage

Bob & Rose Mary

Fifty Wonderful Years together!

Brunch/lunch was great, especially the bread pudding!

Rhett ate lots of ham, a roll and a brownie.

Crosby ate scrambled eggs, a muffin, fruit and several Andes mints. Alexee was sitting at the other end of the table beside Katie so I'm not sure what she ate...

Pretty arrangement in the dining room

Our family and Lance's family gave Bob & Rose Mary an engraved tile (Thank you, Kaye!) for their special occasion. We gave them the package before their real anniversary, but they wanted to save it to open when we were all together.

1 Corinthians 13

The kids had fun with the bubble wrap that the tile was wrapped in. Rhett made Luke a hat. :)

It was a really special day! We enjoyed celebrating with them!