MonsterFool

17 Feb 2010 Ren

Feb 17, 2010

My parents’ cat, Ren (short for Renfield) asleep in his carrier a few hours before his trip to the cat hospital. He’s been poorly for over a week. Turns out he has what is most likely chronic liver disease, quite common for Himalayans.

16 Feb 2010 Library Blocks

Feb 16, 2010

Storytime at the library was followed by toy time. Here is Miss Julianne, the new children’s librarian, asking the girls about their towers.

15 Feb 2010 Snow Ladies

Feb 15, 2010

From left to right: Snow Creature (a bit eroded), Valentine, Heart, and Bird.

14 Feb 2010 12 Roses and 43 Days

Feb 14, 2010

since I’ve seen him. Thank you, love.

13 Feb 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count

Feb 13, 2010

Sam and I are participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend. After two 15 minute watching sessions, in two different places, our tally so far is: 30 Juncos 30 American Tree Sparrows 29 Northern Cardinals 9 Blue Jays 5 Grackles 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker. Sam spotted the Red-bellied Woodpecker first. “Mom, …

12 Feb 2010 Tricky Tracks Props

Feb 12, 2010

Today was Sam’s second Tiny Trackers class at the Tyler Arboretum. The title was “Tricky Tracks”–how to find evidence of animals in winter. Things we looked for included: tracks, habitats, body parts, and scat. Before the kids trudged out into the snow, the teacher showed them some of the things on this table. The most …

11 Feb 2010 Too Much Snow

Feb 11, 2010

Sam climbs to the top of the snow mountain next to the house. This is before Mr. Plow came and cleared the driveway, so the mountain is even bigger now. When Sam saw the plow come up the drive, she came running to me with tears sparkling on her cheeks. “Mom, the plow is going to destroy my mountain!” “Oh no, sweetie,” …

10 Feb 2010 Blizzard: Take Two

Feb 10, 2010

Didn’t we just do this? I took this picture on Saturday, a mere four days ago. 18 inches have fallen so far and it’s not supposed to stop until midnight.

9 Feb 2010 Garden Sprouts

Feb 9, 2010

Sam and a few other kids in the Garden Sprouts class at Tyler Arboretum watch as Miss Karen pries open a seed pod. The class today was about how winter plants provide food for animals and birds. After the walkabout through the Arboretum, the kids made bird feeders. Sadly, this project included peanut butter, so we had …

8 Feb 2010 Loo Roll Valentine Necklace

Feb 8, 2010

Basic idea from Filth Wizardry, a craft blog I quite like, especially because the author is British and her prose reminds me of terms like “loo” for “toilet.” Speaking of which, our original visa application for the UK has been flushed. Thanks to some eleventh hour immigration wizardry, we think we’re on track for …