Out my kitchen window, day 346

This evening, SIL Scarlet came over to stay with Kieran while Seth and I went out to celebrate my day of birth. As we drove down the road and passed a Hibachi Sushi Bar, I mentioned that I might like to stop there for my birthday dinner. I mentioned it mainly because Seth is violently opposed to sushi (and Oriental food in general), and I enjoy watching his reactions whenever I suggest I would like to dine at such places.

However, in this instance, his reaction wasn't what I had predicted. "I'm boycotting that restaurant."

"What? You can't boycott a place you never go to in the first place."

"Yes, I'm boycotting all Chinese restaurants."

"That's not Chinese--it's Japanese."

"It doesn't matter. I'm boycotting that, too."

"Boycotts only work if you intended to go to a place to begin with. If you don't like something and don't go there because you don't like it, that's not boycotting. That's just 'not going there.'"

Am I right or am I right?

In any event, Seth is not (currently) boycotting Outback and so there we went for some Aussie Fries and steak. Happy birthday to me.

Out my kitchen window, day 345

Another day, another doctor appointment. Our nearby children's hospital has 47 separate divisions or clinics (cardiology, genetics, radiology, etc.). We have had appointments with 12 of those 47 clinics. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining because I'm not (at least, I don't think I am). I'm merely stating a fact--we've made many visits to the hospital these past 18 months. Almost monthly hospital visits to a variety of specialists simply weren't on the agenda two years ago when we found out I was pregnant with Kieran.

But, as usually happens, you just "do the next thing" (to borrow a phrase from favorite author Elisabeth Elliot), God gives grace, and life goes on. Today's visit was with the radiology division to conduct a swallow study on Kieran--to make sure he was swallowing food and liquids as he should be (a common WS symptom is trouble with swallowing). The outcome was that all looked good and he was swallowing as he ought. And so, we move on to the next doctor visit, ENT (otolaryngology) . . . .

Out my kitchen window, day 344

My wishlist is bigger than just a piano. It includes a personal masseuse, a personal chef, and a personal maid. And also a personal on-call babysitter. And a chigger-free yard. Oh, and learning the secret to making fries that taste just like the Aussie Fries at Outback.

But, in this fallen, cursed world, we can't always get what we want.

And sometimes, thanks to Geothermal Guy and the tax refund he provided us, I can get what I want. A few years ago, my parents gave us a set of China dishes. They've been packed away in a box in the pantry since then because I had no place to display them. And so, onto my wishlist went "China cabinet."

This past Saturday, when we were out and about in the rain, we stopped by a furniture store that was (ostensibly) going out of business. And I found (what I hope is) a good deal on a cabinet (and a few other pieces of living room furniture). I say "ostensibly" because Seth told me when he picked up the furniture in the truck and brought it home on Wednesday that he'd heard from a local that the store has been going of out business for five years. Seems their "gimmick" is "we're going out of business--oops, no we're not--oh wait, maybe we are again." At any rate, I'm enjoying our new purchases and hope to soon have the cabinet filled with China.

Out my kitchen window, day 343

When the clouds ran away and the sun made its presence known this afternoon, we took a trip outside to blow some bubbles and clean the chick box.

Kieran enjoyed watching the neighbor mow his grass on his riding lawnmower. And we christened the chicks with their new names chosen by you.

Meet Henrietta of the Holler.

And Chiclet.

And Jemima.

They offer their thanks and salutations to those who participated in the naming game (and I do, too).

Out my kitchen window, day 342

The rain continued today. Sadly, I've run out of things to throw in the wash and so all that lovely rainwater is going to water the lawn.

We experienced a two-hour power outage this morning. The electric company sent a truck down the lane to investigate, and while I didn't talk to the electricians, I heard the sound of chainsaws echoing through the Holler. Soon the line guy was up in the bucket doing something to the wires, and when he was finished, they packed up their truck and drove away. And there was light.

Out my kitchen window, day 341

During my early and formative years, I took piano lessons. For whatever reason, out of all the songs we learned to play, the main one that sticks out in my memory is my sister's version of "Onward Christian Soldiers."

I can't say that I ever became really proficient at playing the piano, although I took lessons in college and accompanied the songtime at our church. Even so, when I moved away from my parents after college, I missed having a piano to tinker around on. Owning a piano has been on my wishlist ever since--one of those "some day . . . " dreams.

With Kieran's diagnosis and the knowledge that he may have musical abilities which would need to be nourished and encouraged, my desire to own a piano has intensified. In one study I read, those with WS indeed has musical abilities, but those who took lessons and trained in the art were actually proficient at it.

Thanks to the 30% tax credit on the geo-thermal system and to overpaying on my quarterly freelance taxes last year, our tax refund was quite sizable this year. Although we're putting most of it in savings, I cajoled Seth into thinking about spending some of it on a few luxury items.

I'd heard about a piano store closing on the other side of the city, and we took a drive over there on Saturday to see what they were offering. While I walked into the piano store thinking I might purchase a cheap upright piano, I walked out with (what I hope is) a good deal on this better-for-us digital piano (no tuning required!).

And today, dodging the raindrops, I brought the piano in from the car and set it up. Both Kieran and I have tried it out. He still has a long way to go to reach the "proficient" (or at least the "playing an actual song rather than just banging on the keys") stage.

Out my kitchen window, day 340

Today was another rainy day in the Holler. And rather than spend it curled up under our blankets, we decided to spend it out and about.

Seth has been trying to get me to cut Kieran's curls for some time. I've steadfastly refused, mainly because I didn't want to go through the drama of screaming and squirming.

And so today, one of our errands was to stop by a shop and get Kieran's hair cut. It went well until the stylist broke out the little clippers to trim the sides of his hair. And then the crying commenced.

In the end, however, no blood was drawn, the curls were cut, and Kieran now looks more like a little boy, just as Seth had wanted.

Out my kitchen window, day 339

Rain came to the Holler today. I love it when it rains, and the Holler gets all foggy and misty and damp, and we're cozy inside curled up in blankets.

BIL Ethan paid us a visit this afternoon (and by "us" I mean "the car he's currently working on in our pole barn"). He stopped in for a few minutes to say hey to his nephew and check out the chicks.

They're growing quite rapidly and are eagerly awaiting the names you have selected for them.

Out my kitchen window, day 338

I have a dilemma.

My dilemma is this. Almost two weeks ago, I planted three pots of squash and three pots of cantalope seeds. And then I put them in this container. I put a seed marker in one of the pots to mark which row was cantalope.

And then the marker got taken out and the pot got twisted around, and I became unsure of which row was sqash and which was cantalope. And then one row of seeds began sprouting, while the other row has remained sproutless. And now I'm wondering if I should replant squash or cantalope seeds.

I suppose I could replant both squash and cantalope seeds and end up with 6 plants of one kind and 3 plants of another kind. That might solve my current dilemma, but it may create another dilemma when the time comes to put said plants in the ground as I'm quickly running out of space in my garden to plant new things because the strazberries and strawberries are taking over, and Seth continues to want to plant more blueberries (why? I don't know--we can't even get the blueberries we currently have to produce).

Oh, the drama.

Out my kitchen window, day 337

Another Spring day in the Holler.

This afternoon, we took the chickens out on the porch to clean out their box and provide them with fresh bedding.

I decided to add another wing (nudge, nudge) to their space just to make sure I was meeting the two-square-feet/chick that was suggested by MyPetChicken.com. They seem to be happy with their extra space. Little do they know they will soon have a much larger space in which to roam . . . .

Out my kitchen window, day 336

Williams Syndrome presents itself in (among other things) a variety of dental problems, including defective tooth enamel, which can lead (obviously) to tooth decay. Don't ask me to explain why the tooth enamel is defective because I can't--just accept that it is what it is (I'm so zen).

At our last appointment with the geneticist, he suggested that we begin monitoring Kieran's teeth now. Thusly and henceforth, I made a dentist appointment for him, which was today. At the appointment, we were given a questionaire to fill out. One of the questions was, "Do you think your child will react negatively to a dental exam?" I answered, "Um, yeah." Not really. I just checked the "Yes" box and moved on to the next question. Are there any 17-month-old children who do not react negatively to dental exams?

And, during the exam (which was all of 60 seconds and involved no instruments or high-pitched noises), Kieran reacted as I had predicted. The dentist had him lay down backwards on my lap and proceeded to examine his mouth while he screamed bloody murder. I suppose it was rather convenient for the dentist, since K's mouth was wide open.

The end result was that Kieran's teeth look fine--the enamel seems to be normal and without defect for now. We'll see the dentist on a six-month schedule to keep tabs on the teeth. In the meantime, I suppose I should remember to brush his teeth more routinely . . . .

Kieran, fascinated with the washing machine in action

Out my kitchen window, day 335

After Kieran awoke from his nap, had his lunch, and I finished some things I was working on, we went outside to enjoy the weather.

I planted the rest of the daffodil bulbs that I didn't get planted last fall (we shall see if they decide to grow beyond the little stubs they were producing while in the box) and pulled some weeds in the garden. Kieran puttered around picking up rocks, "weeding" (i.e., picking the heads off my johnny-jump-ups), and trying to decide if he liked the grass. The jury is still out on that.

Out my kitchen window, day 334

The weather has taken on a decidedly more Spring-like attitude again. Apparently, like us, it wasn't ready for summer just yet. Sunshine, with a cool breeze, renews my love-affair with Spring.

After returning home from church this morning, we enjoyed a delicious hamburger-and-hot-dog lunch, hot off the grill.

Out my kitchen window, day 333

Today, we took a trip with Seth's sister and nephews to EnterTrainment Junction.

We all had a nice time enjoying the G-scale model trains (and a few of the other trains).

Some of the boys were a bit skeptical that the Junction would be interesting, but Uncle Seth assured them he knows fun when he sees it. So, they trusted his judgment, and indeed, all had a fun-filled day.

Out my kitchen window, day 332

On Friday, we celebrated Seth's brother's birthday.

Ethan's birthday wasn't on Friday, but we celebrated it that day anyway. Because we were busy on his actual birthday -- he with an exercise class, and we with a TEA party.

Ethan isn't really into celebrating with big parties and lots of people (he's an enochlophobic), so we celebrated with his sister, nephews, and us.

And it wasn't really a celebration. It was a cake with candles stuck on the top that he blew out--Ethan's perferred method of a birthday party. We aim to please.

Name those Chicks

The polls are open. Let the name-choosing commence.

Chick 1

Chick 2

Chick 3

Out my kitchen window, day 331

Sometimes you just never who will show up outside your window and want to have their picture taken.

And sometimes you do know who shows up outside your window and wants to have their picture taken. In this case, it was Seth's sister and nephews who are visiting for the weekend.

Out my kitchen window, day 330

 The chicks seem to have settled into their new home nicely.

Kieran has been checking on their progress like any good chicken-keeper.

And when he gets tired of standing, he uses the peep-hole on the side of the box to keep an eye on them.

Out my kitchen window, day 329

Since MyPetChicken.com doesn't ship their baby chicks to hollers, I had the chicks shipped to a post office in the big town near where Seth works. The thought was that when they arrived, he could easily swing by and pick them up on his way home. What I didn't think through was what to do if Seth were stuck in the middle of a big project at work and pulling one of his 12+ hour days when the chicks arrived. Apparently, "I have to go the post office to pick up some chicks," is not a valid excuse for leaving work in the middle of the day.

So, when I got the call that the Easter Eggers had arrived, Kieran and I went for the hour drive to pick them up.

And when we returned home, I opened the box to make sure all three chicks were present and accounted for.

When my parents were here, my dad helped put together a brooding box in preparation for their arrival. So, slightly scared that the chicks would peck my eyeballs out (or at least my fingers), I picked them up one by one and placed them in their new temporary home.

They'll live in the box for the first 4 weeks, and then I can transfer them to the coop outside. The box (and the chicks) are currently residing in our kitchen; however, this may soon change, depending on their level of chirping during the night hours.

Kieran enjoys watching them scurry around in the box and is learning to "be gentle" with them.



Now, on to the naming process. Send me your suggestions via the comment box, and on Saturday, I'll post a poll for you to choose your top three names from those suggested. Since I've used up my imagination with Hen and Chick, I promise this time to actually use the names you chose.