90% - 10%

Finally! GRITS has begun, in the past two weeks, to speak using "I" instead of "you" when referring to himself. I knew that the pronoun situation would eventually work itself out, but I was getting impatient. Now we just need to nudge out that last 10% and we are set for proper speech. Learning is so much fun to observe... most of the time.

Donations for an orphanage

These are the items, in order of importance, that we would like to collect to bring to an orphanage in Ethiopia, when we go in October:

-gloves, surgical and disposable
-hand sanitizer
-gummy multi-vitamins
-Advil
-anti-itch medicine
-alcohol swabs
-antibiotic cream
-nurse gowns
-tooth paste
-diapers, large
-wipes
-shampoo and conditioner
-liquid soap
-towels, medium
-erasers
-sharpeners
-markers
-pens, blue and red
-scissors
-glue
-underwear

Hens

So, we have been issued our permit, the chicks have been ordered for an October delivery and preparations have begun. What you see here will be part of the extended run for the hens.

Because I love names, I have been thinking about names for the hens for quite some time. Originally, I wanted to go with names like Henrietta, Meghen, Gretchen and Athena; however, today, while making chalk drawings out back with Baby GRITS, another idea occurred to me. We will be getting a Silver Laced Wyandotte, two Australorps (just in case one of the chicks doesn't make it), a Barred Plymoth Rock and an Easter Egger. Until another idea hits me, their names, respectively, will be: Dotte (pronounced Dotty), Al and Orp, Ymo (pronounced Emo, as a nod to some of my favorite students EVER) and Aster. Now, Aster is most likely going to be my favorite because of her potentially blue or green eggs and so her name is extra-sweet: It's also the name of a flower, which I love, and it's a traditional Ethiopian name.

Now, all we have to do is raise these chicks without losing any, the chances of which are low-ish, I think, with this being our first try. To eggs!

I just can't get enough!

The chill in the air has made me extra observant in the garden today, relishing the zoom of every hungry bee and the flash of colors.

Perspective

Ah, the garden

God is such an artist:

Baseball?

Well, it has taken a few days to convince GRITS that this is tennis, and not baseball, but he has finally taken to it. Score!