Easy peel fresh eggs and various little updates

First  off, Miss Tabby is continuing to recover. Her lungs still hurt at times, but not constantly.  She still isn't up to her full energy level, but she's getting closer.  And she's put 10 lbs. back on, last time we checked.  She still has 10-15 more pounds to go, but she's doing good overall. She went back to school full-time last week and was even able to go to the school's "Snow Ball" Saturday evening.

She had the most wonderful dress, made by her friend Cassie.  (I've talked about Cassie on this blog before, and her little angel sister Hannah, that had Trisomy 18, like Lilly.)  Tabby likes satins and laces and steampunk style dresses.  So she sent pictures of several dress styles she liked to Cassie, along with the school's dress guidelines.  Cassie came up with the design and made the dress.

gotta have a goofy picture

Recently I came across a post on my favorite chicken blog - Fresh Eggs Daily - on how to get easy to peel FRESH eggs.  (If you've ever tried to peel hard boiled eggs that are less than about 2 weeks old - you know how frustrating it is!  If you buy your eggs at the grocery, they are probably about a month or two old, so you don't have this problem.)  The answer:  steam them!  I tried with eggs just a few days old and it worked perfectly!  See that post with instructions here.  I'm so happy about this, especially since our hens have finally finished molting and are now laying nicely again.

There was much rejoicing here this past Saturday when the Lowes delivery truck showed up with a new washing machine to exchange for our broken one.  (I lamented about our 2 month old broken washing machine under warranty here so I won't bore you with a rehash.)  Six weeks without a washing machine - especially when half that time we were sick - was NOT fun.  Frank spent hours and hours on the phone with Samsung trying to get the mess resolved.

I think the boys were a bit sad at our last trip to "Laundry Land" though.  They think the laundromat is great fun.

Yesterday during math time, I handed Hunter a penny for a little learning activity.  Then Solomon interrupted needed help with something.  When I got back - only a minute or two later - Hunter had hooked the penny up to test and see if it conducted electricity.  Yes!  Success.  He was able to get his fan to turn on with the hook up.

Both fans are from an old computer that Hunter took apart.  The bottom one is named "Sammy" and the top is "Dilta."  (The penny is between the red and green alligator clips.)

He then had to test the other coins to see if they conducted electricity too.  Then we finally got that math work done!

Exhaust Pipe is recovering from his (coyote?) attack.  I was a bit worried, but I've kept his bite wounds clean and have been giving him silver (for an antibiotic) several times a day.  I have also found that triple antibiotic ointment works marvels for healing and closing up wounds quickly.  I no longer had to wrap the worst leg wound, after using the ointment for just 2 days.  He still is mainly laying around as I don't think walking feels too good for him yet.  But his appetite is great and he is so much better.

Mr. Exhaust Pipe = one super tough dog

I like reading the monthly e-newsletter, "Insights," from Classical Academic Press.  The January issue linked to an article on Psychology Today's website called "Screentime is Making Kids Moody, Crazy and Lazy."  The article talks about six ways that electronics can cause mood disturbances.  It is really eye opening.  Kids today are being labeled with all sorts of mental health issues when it is really is their use of electronics that is causing their problems.  The answer?  An "electronic fast" so that the body's nervous system can "reset."

Something we probably ALL could benefit from!

Finally, yesterday I was reminded yet again of how unexpectedly grief can hit us.  A couple years ago, a mother that had lost a child 20 years previously, told me that she just never knew when there would be some sort of trigger that suddenly made her cry.  That happened to me yesterday when I read Hunter's poem of the day to him.  It was a poem that I had heard or read many times before and yeah it was a sad, but oh well.  However, life experiences have changed that "oh well" to something hugely significant for me.

Little Boy Blue - by Eugene Field

THE little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
The little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,	5
And the soldier was passing fair;
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.
"Now don't you go till I come," he said,
"And don't you make any noise!"	10
So, toddling off to his trundle bed,
He dreamt of the pretty toys;
And, as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue—
Oh! the years are many, the years are long,	15
But the little toy friends are true!
Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face;	20
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue,
Since he kissed them and put them there.

It's lines 13-16 that started the tears and the rest of the poem was so bittersweet to read.

My Little Girl Blue

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:12