My new workspace!!!

Check out what Nate set up! The monitor times two! Thanks to a trade at work and the purchase of something called(I kid you not) a dongle.

Yes, whatbird really is busy/crazy enough to warrant this extreme set-up. And yes, I LOVE it!!!! The mouse just moves across(seamlessly as Nate would say) from one screen to the other, and I can leave webeditor open while I work and toggle through other webpages, like google spreadsheet, excel, Birds of North America, and any images of the bird I'm working on. How cool is that!!!!

The Children's Museum!

Today we went to this museum in West Hartford with the Elliots. Ethan had been looking forward to this for days, especially when he learned we were Anna Elliot was coming also. He declared his love for Anna during sacrament on Sunday. Anyways, it was a blast! Except for Ethan taking off when my back was turned and having the museum staff notified to help look for this missing child who was found down three flights of stairs having a great time exploring the museum with us. That was scary for a few minutes. Here are some pictures!

Ethan and Nathaniel driving a safari jeep.

Ethan and Anna playing with water. Better than fire, right? ; )

DINOSAUR!

Ethan in the belly of the beast below! Just like Jonah in the book we've been reading!

Please pass the salt

Ethan likes salt. Can you tell? He loves to pull a chair over to the counter, climb up and open the spice cupboard, and go to town opening the spices up, sprinkling them on his palm, and licking it off. I do not condone this behavior.

Red Lentil Balls

Last weekend I met my friend Hilal at the Putnam Science Academy. She and her friends are organizing a cooking class and invited me to join them. Here are Ayesenur, Eman, Hanim, me, and Hilal. Today I learned how to make Red Lentil Balls, which is something I've had with them before and enjoyed. They were simple to make and I can't wait to try them on my own! Here is the recipe if you're curious...
RED LENTIL BALLS
Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
1 cup bulgar
1 onion, finely chopped(or green onion, used raw)
1 Tbs pepper paste
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
Paprika, cumin, salt, pepper
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and separated
Lemon

1. Boil lentils and water, covered, till soft and lentils easily mash, 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat and add bulgar, mix well and leave covered till bulgar is soft.
2. Sauté onion in olive oil till soft, add pepper paste and tomato paste, add to lentil mixture.
3. Add chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and spices to taste.
4. Use your hands to form the mixture into oval shapes, place in lettuce leaves arranged on a plate. Sprinkle lemon juice over all.

TAG!

I have been tagged by my friend Lona!

I'm supposed to list 5 non important facts about myself...

1. I wish I could sing. I just move my lips in church...

2. I would be happy as a nudist. Maybe a reclusive solitary nudist. I am VERY uncomfortable talking to people. I try though, so if I've ever come off rude or short with you, its not you, it's me. Really.

3. Sometimes I love my son the most when he is asleep.

4. I wonder why God made me so not pretty, seriously beautiful people who can also sing make me sick. Don't you think He could have spread the pretty/talented genes around a bit more?

5. I HATE to sleep. I would love to take a pill so I didn't have to, because then I could maybe get everything done.

Okay now I tag 5 others...

1. Afton S
2. Jenny C
3. Jenny E
4. Jessica W
5. Andee B

Think Spring!

Today I am on the porch working while Ethan naps, and I am not freezing cold! What a difference 15 degrees outside makes. The dripping of melting snow everywhere is beautiful music. I thought this wreath of little eggs was very springlike...

Nathan hates it! Well it'll only be up for a few more weeks. I think it'd look really good against a colored background, maybe I'll paint the door rich navy blue or mossy green this summer. I've been wanting to do that for a while. What do you think? Anyways Nate, these are for you....

Snowy Owl!

Usually when I'm driving at night and I see some sort of owl fly up from the side of the road, by the time my brain registers what it was and to stop and look at it, I've already driven past. Tonight though, as I drove home from Book Club(Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle-loved it!) a large white bird flew over the road and landed just ahead of me. Since it was almost 10:30 and, since I was driving home I was on a back road, I stopped my car and turned it slightly so the headlights shone where I estimated it had landed. Several seconds went by and I didn't see anything. I was about to drive away when out from behind a tree trunk appears a large, white owl. We gaze at each other for 10-15 seconds, then he spreads his very large wings and flies into the woods across the street. Wow! I am really excited-we hear owls quite often where we live but I've never had a good look at one! I'm pretty sure its a Snowy, but I rush home and use the visual search feature at whatbird.com (clicked on CT, owl shape, primary color: white) and it told me it could have been a Snowy or Barn Owl. Definitely the Snowy. Here is a picture of what he looked like:

photographs courtesy Philip Greenspun
You can learn more about this bird here.
(I wrote the interesting facts on this page-whatbird is my part-time job!)