A New Nephew!

Just minutes old...
...and weighing in at 9 pounds, 13 ounces.

He's a keeper!

A slightly more composed photo :-)

Elliot was born down Texas-way, just this morning.
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In other news, Loren has taken in one car to get the recalled cruise control fixed, and tomorrow the other one goes in. He's still feeling rather punk, but getting up to do a coupla things each day. It's been one thing after another with him, and he's somewhat frustrated that it is taking so very long to feel better. I do think the worst is over....*crosses fingers*...

This is the crunch time of year. We still have school and yet the outdoor chores have started up. Ma's been busy with some mowing yesterday and a little digging in the garden this afternoon following the grocery shopping.

It certainly will be nice when school is over!

Speaking of which, Kendra comes home this weekend:-) Just in time for Derek's 17th birthday. Wow, everyone is getting so old.

Not me, of course. I remain ageless and youthful, yet have gained the wisdom of almost fifty years, retaining my wits all the while.

Well, except for those blank-outs in front of the kitchen cupboards, those sore muscles from digging and that time I left laundry in the washer for two days.

OOPS, that reminds me....
 

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Hols of the Day

Another exciting day of thrills, folks, for it is:

Shrimp Scampi Day!

Yeah, like we can afford shrimp. Or even driving to the grocery store...pardon my bitterness.

Zipper Day, because it was patented on April 29, 1913.

Greenery Day

While this may sound like an extension of Earth Day on the 22nd, Greenery Day is really a celebration of Japanese Emperor Hirohito's birthday. Apparently, he loved plants.

Today in History:

1429--Joan of Arc leads Orleans France, to victory over English

1553--Flemish woman introduces practice of starching linen into England (I'm assuming that they meant, "...introduces to England the practice of starching linen.."

1905--2" rain falls in 10 minutes in Taylor TX

1943--Dietrich Bonhöffer arrested by Nazi's

1961--ABC's "Wide World of Sports, debuts

1975--US Forces pull out of Vietnam

1990--Wrecking cranes began tearing down Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate
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Must go. Have to continue celebrating Greenery day by mowing more lawn, because...

...it turns my shoes green. We are also not eating meat this evening because...well, I'm saving the chicken for tomorrow.
 

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Well Folks...

...there'll be another trip to Mayo on Friday. Maybe that will be the last one.

Owing to poco sleepo and mucho headacheo last night, I drove Loren up to Rochester for another dressing change on his hot pocket...I mean, his dry socket.

This time when the doc flushed it out there was a bit of blood but that is a GOOD sign, for it means (according to el docco) that granulation is taking place.

That might not be the word....but it starts with a "g" and it means a protective barrier is FINALLY starting to form.

By Friday, the doctor is hoping to send Loren home with his very own syringe and only cleaning--not medicated dressings--will be needed.

As to his virus, there are still a few lingering symptoms but they are fading, though slower than we'd hoped.

Loren stayed home from church on Sunday but did get out of bed for a bit in the afternoon, to get the mower in shape for the summer. That wore him out.

And SPEAKING of the mower, we arrived home this afternoon with time for me to get out and put that baby to good use :-)

Ah has sniffed the sweet, sweet smell of greeny cut grass! And just in time, as the last vestiges of winter had pert near withered the gizzard of mah soul.
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In birthday news, Ardith's is today :-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ma chère!!

Can you believe she is 25 years old?

Don't worry, Ardith...it's only a quarter of a century. And when I turn 50 this September, it would seem appropriate that special celebratin' oughter be in order.

Who knows, maybe there will be a unique alignment of the stars in our honor.

In the meantime, I'd better go to bed and rest up.
 

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What Happens When Four Inches Fall Overnight...

...on ground already saturated.
Carolyn and Ethan helped me clean at the church yesterday, and then we drove to two miles south and one mile east of our house. The kids were stunned to see Mr. Ackerman's fields awash in water.

Another view of Lake Ackerman.
I saw Dawson today at the church and he said the good thing is that while the creek rises fast, it also falls quickly. Also, he was thankful the field hadn't been planted yet and he's trusting God to work it all out.

"My grandpa told me, 'If you get bent out of shape about the weather, you don't want this job.'" (being a farmer)

You can see where a lot of field debris was washed over the gravel road.


Flooded pasture land, of the same large body of water, a mile further east.


We drove past a "Road Closed" sign to view this.


Hmmm, this flooded place is nearly level with the paved road.
Practically a rapids where the water is rushing from one field to another.


Oh...did I mention it was really windy ? Down went the feeder stand. Again.
Broke my new finch feeder, too. I can probably fix it with duct tape...

One of these days I'm really gonna hafta bury the pedestal part in the ground. But nothing happens until the wind dies down, first.
 

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Life in the Yard

It was Tuesday and that dreaded time of the year when we pick gravel out of the front ditch. This past winter was exceptional for bits thrown up on the lawn.

For a change, I decided to make a day of it and get at much done as possible, instead of spacing this chore over 4 or 5 days as in past years.

Not only did this limit our work to one day, but the overall clearage was better than ever! (click on pictures to enlarge)

Trevor did a fair amount of work, despite his preference for minuscule tools.


Oh goody! My blood red peonies are coming up :-)



Despite occasional wind velocity experiments, Ethan did the lion's share of picking up pine cones all over the front yard, which he seemed to prefer to bending down and picking gravel out of the grass.


Carolyn, Nolan and Derek, "in the ditch." I went along the edge with a rake and pulled some stones back onto the road.
Nolan specialized in stopping every ten minutes to ask me if he could take a break...

Melinda toils, despite getting over a cold. There is no end to my need of slave labor, and I figured it would do her and Ethan good to be outside in the nice weather.


No more Mr. Nice Hoyts....this year, instead of throwing the stones back onto the road, we used them to fill in a low place in our driveway.


One of my jobs was to get all the fruit trees pruned...


A few daffodils all aglow, the first spring flowers to make their appearance.


At the end of a hard day of labor, 'tis time to gather the apple whip branches...ideal for making bows :-)
A match of archery skills between Ethan-of-Grimace and Carolyn Trueblood.

Which arrow went the farthest?



The only one of its kind to come up, this little star-like flower is blooming in a small rock bed near the road...
...a reminder that persistence has its rewards.
 

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Been busy, again

It's been another eventful coupla days at the Hoyt household.

Yesterday was spent outside. Seeing as there were no 'snow days' during the school year, Ma called a 'yard pick-up' day on Tuesday, taking advantage of the last beauteous day before another rainy spell.

I had the kids aworkin' for nigh onto 6.5 hours, with the sunburns to prove it. They were practically beggin' me for some quiet book learnin' time on the couch.

In one fell swoop the ditch was de-stoned, the yard de-coned and the the fruit trees and raspberry bushed pruned.

It was goodsome workedness and there should be some pictures and explanations up on ye olde bloge tomorry.
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In educational news, Derek received his ACT scores back yesterday. He was pleasantly surprised :-) I wasn't, 'cause most of 'em have come out of that test feeling they did terrible, and then the results come back better than expected.

I won't go into details, but I think that this, along with a good SAT score and what I expect his GPA to end up at, will combine to bring some type of academic scholarship, if the previous collegiates are any example.

We is mucho pleasoed :-D
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In medical news, Loren drove himself up to Mayo today for another dressing on his detoothed gum. That's an answer to prayer in itself, that he felt able enough to go alone! Left me free to take Derek over for his pro-time, return two formerly lost library books, and mail off a certain person's birthday present...*wink, wink*

THEN, I was even able to go shopping, taking the the little boys for their turn with Maman. Due to the ornery Green Lincoln Dragon Lady's unstartableness, we drove the evil-red-car-of-mouse-smelliness. But that was OK since the trunk actually opened saving me the uncomfortable chore of burying Nolan and Trevor beneath grocery sacks. As it was, the leftover seat was piled high, along with the trunk.

Shopping day means a good supper tonight, despite the painful fact of having to spend 25% more on food these days.

We shall dine on Sweet Potatoes, Freshly Cooked Frozen Corn, and Pork Steaks à l'Orange Gatorade.

I'll leave you with a cutesome White Throated Sparrow. He came last year several times to the feeder, but yesterday was the first I've caught him...


Is he not a handsome fellow? Gotta love the white throat and yellow head markings.




God has made a wondrous variety of beautiful creatures.
 

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That Earth Day Thing

First of all, I'd like everyone to take note of my stunning abilities to change the font color :-D

Secondly, I'll come right out and admit (as some may have guessed from previous comments) that I don't hold much to the theory that human industrialization has changed or is in the process of irrevocably changing the earth's climate.

nevertheless,

Thirdly, the first chapter of Genesis instructs us to be good stewards of the earth, so I don't advocate strip mining, throwing garbage here and there or slashing and burning the Brazilian rain forest.

Fourthly, I totally reject the false dichotomy that is so often proposed that you either have to believe strongly in humankind causing dangerous global warming or that you want to go trash the planet. (note: the phrase 'false dichotomy' comes from two Greek words that mean, "I've been to college, read a coupla books and now I want to impress the folks on the old homestead with my infinite wisdom.")

This means, Al Gore, that I can not believe the same as you on global warming...AND YET I HARBOR NO ILLUSIONS AS TO THE EARTH'S SPHERICAL SHAPE.

Fifthly, here is an interesting article that points to recent measurements on temperatures. Measurements that seem to indicate the earth has peaked in heat and is heading the other way.

Sixthly, purely for amusement, HERE's a link that describes a Canadian Earth Day celebration that was interrupted by an untimely blizzard, hee, hee.

Seventhly, (and we do wonder if that number might be significant--it isn't of course, but thinking it is makes as much sense as some other theories...) Ma has a wonderful new product to promote that fits in nicely with today's theme:

Mom's Best Naturals Cereal

(I figured your eyes were getting tired of the green by now)

These cereals are great, because they...

• use renewable energy (notice the windmills on the box? Huh?)
  
• aren't made with high fructose corn syrup (yes, even the evil Republican Hoyts think about that on occasion)
  
• taste DELICIOUS! Much better than the usual generics that we buy
  
• are cheap. Most boxes are just over 2.00. That's two dollars, folks!

Eighthly, Earth Day is also 'celebrated' on March 21, the spring equinox.

Ninthly, the history is a bit confusing, involving two men:

John McConnell
--born in Iowa
--started the March Equinox Earth Day
--first celebrated in 1970, primarily organized from San Fransisco, which is named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, birds and the environment

Gaylord Nelson
--Wisconsin Senator
--started the April 22 Earth Day
--ALSO first celebrated in 1970, using 'teach-ins' patterned after the peace movement

Tenthly, I was there. No, not in San Francisco, but in the fifth grade. I distinctly remember my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Young, an enthusiastic firebrand who had us draw some special flag on paper, or something. Probably with environmentally safe crayons, I don't know. I also remember I was in his 'good books' since I was the only student who had put down "Peter, Paul & Mary" and "Simon and Garfunkel" as my favorite music groups, which apparently were also his :-) (Thanks go out to my older brothers and sister who brought these records home, since we didn't even watch Lawrence Welk, ha, ha--that last part was free...)

Eleventhly, even though I don't adhere to the imminent burning up of the atmosphere due to carbon emissions, we still use those funny curly lights in our lamps and fixtures. You know...the ones that require a HAZMAT team to clean up when they break and release Mercury.

Plus, I like to watch birds and grow flowers and work out in my garden...oh, and as I may have mentioned before, I do believe the world is round. I hope these proclivities ever so slightly improve my standing on the Evil-Persons-Who-Don't-Believe-All-The-Hype list.

Twelfthly, I found an excellent article that explores some of the concepts behind Earth Day and how people of different persuasions might approach it. It's from two years ago and put out by AIG (Answers in Genesis).

Thirteenthly, I don't need a special holiday designated to remind me of our responsibilities as Christians to be good stewards of God's creation.

In the end, Romans 1 is a good reminder to worship the Creator, and not the creation.

p.s. I would have finished this post earlier, but I was outside clearing some flower beds and burning the trash...
 

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There and Back Again. Again

Tooled up Mayo-way again today.

Loren got a new dressing on his formerly toothed place. That was after the doc flushed out a bunch of food particles.

It's just too cavernous to keep clean, so they're putting this dressing on, to be followed by another one on Thursday--yes, a-nother trip--and then THAT should be the last one.

Maybe.

Loren had a slight fever again last night but who knows what that is about.

Ethan is feeling rather miserable and Melinda is not TOO bad, but still sick.

We wait to see what happens to Derek and Carolyn. So far it has missed me.
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Now I have an assignment for all you avian aficionados: Identify this bird!

I snapped this while tramping through a little woods in a small park of some kind on my way back from the Drop-Kendra-Off-At-The-Mississippi trip.

Ridiculous, I know, but I can't figure out WHAT this is.

I'll leave it up to my informed relatives:

--Cousin Terry
--Brother Tim
--Brother-in-law Stan

Frankly, I give up!

Anyone who is not listed above AND correctly identifies the bird will receive a special prize from Ma. No foolin'.

If it seems like some new species, I'm goin' with "Beluga Goose."
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You'll want to tune in tomorrow on Earth Day :-D

Ma will have appropriate links of recent data, my own personal pick of a new breakfast cereal (yes, it's related) and maybe even another Bald Eagle picture, the posting of which I've been slacking, lacking the identity of that crazy bird (above picture) seen on the same trip.

Bye now...I must finish reading Mr. Popper's Penguins pour los kiddos, tonight.
 

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Ye Olde Hodge Podge

Continuing on life's crazy course, Ma brings you a short sampling of discombobulated bits and pieces that perfectly describe the disorganized fog of a near fifty-year-old brain.

Or, it could be the migraine...I don't know.

Oh say, did you notice that Danica Patrick won her first Indy car race over the weekend?

You've come a long way, Baby...including not having to be called 'Baby' any more :-D

On an unrelated note, it was this day in 1857 that Alexander Hamilton supposedly patented the bustle.

I'm sorry, did I say Hamilton? I meant Douglas ! It was Alexander Douglas that patented the bustle back in 1857. I have it straight from the Scopes Systems site, which has only steered me wrong several times in the past.

In the Holiday spirit:

Today is Kindergarten Day. The term 'Kindergaarten' comes from a German word which means, "Let's send our 5 and 6-year-olds to school so we can eat more chocolate."

Oh alright...it is a German word though, that means 'children's garden.' Friedrich Froebel started one in Germany back in 1837.

In America, this means we start one year earlier than first grade to get a head start on the road to non-education.

Friedrich Froebel changed the way we think about early childhood education. He designed balls, wooden blocks, tiles, sticks and rings to demonstrate that children learn by playing. Known around the world as the Froebel Gifts or Gaben, these objects were an important part of his Kindergarten. The Froebel Gifts have been widely imitated and adapted by educators and toys makers.

The important thing then, is that we get the kids away from their home setting so that they can play with toys and learn somethin', fer cryin' out loud!

I think I'd better stop before I get carried away.

Today is also Patriot's Day and San Jacinto Day.

What this means, aside from the important historical implications, is that Texas and much of New England may not receive mail today.

In health news, Loren was running a low fever again before bedtime last night but he is "normal" so far this morning. We have to drive up Rochester-way today so he can have his dry socket looked at again. Hopefully this will be the last time...

In the diet department, I imagine that Loren has lost a few pounds over the past weeks and I have probably gained the same.

That's what it's all about folks...when one spouse has a trial, the other pitches in to compensate, heh, heh.

On the weather front: the good news? It will be in the 70's today!! The bad news? I'll be sitting on my duff, most of the time.

Have a nice day now, because...somebody really ought to.
 

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Yay!

Loren woke up without a fever this morning :-)

First time in three days.

And, he didn't cough all night!

Maybe things are on the mend...
 

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Trench Warfare

That's what it's like between Loren and his illness.

The virii lob a projectile over to where Loren's dug in. Soon, his fever goes up.

His weakened immune system fires back. He hunkers down and waits for a brief respite, which might mean his temperature will cool down to 100.

Sooner or later another heat-seeking missile arrives and the fever rises.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Never a normal temperature.

Eventually, his body should win.

All the "sooner or laters" seem to add up to a long time, though....
 

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Distraction Can Be a Good Thing

It keeps one from constantly giving depressing sickness reports.

I found out something interesting just now...

The year 2008 is the International Year of the Potato !

The potato is being touted as part of the answer to avert a world-wide food crisis.

There's even an International Potato Center :-)

This reminds me that we just had sweet potatoes for supper last night, so I'll give a quick rundown, which hardly qualifies as a recipe.

First off, if I'm making the fancy sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving, I'll cook them whole, in the scrubbed peel till soft. Cool them a bit and those skins will just slip right off.

However, if you want a product that looks like those things in the cans at the grocery store but tastes MUCH better, here's whatcha do:

-Rinse desired number of sweet potatoes
-peel one at a time over trash can and then,
-cut up into large chunks
-drop immediately into pan with two inches of water and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
-repeat with other potatoes (sweet potatoes brown quickly when peeled, that's why you plop them right into the water)
-cook just until fork tender
-remove potatoes to bowl, turn up heat to high
-boil that water down close to a syrup and pour over potatoes...be careful, it will burn easily toward the end

Serve with butter. YUM!

This boiling off process is especially effective if you're talking on the phone and don't notice it's rising up over the pan edge until you hear this neat, "ZZZZSSSTT!!" sound.

The ensuing smell is not to be confused with aromatherapy, unless you are trying to rid the house of unwanted visiters.
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Here's another amusing tidbit or ten...

Mitt Romney lists his "top ten" reasons for dropping out of the presidential race, as given during a surprise cameo appearance at the Radio and TV Correspondent's Dinner, held last Wednesday:

10. There weren't as many Osmonds as I thought.

9. I got tired of corkscrew landings under sniper fire.

8. As a lifelong hunter, I didn't want to miss the start of the varmint season.

7. There wasn't room for two Christian leaders.

6. I was upset that no one had bothered to search my passport files.

5. I needed an excuse to get fat, grow a beard and win the Nobel prize.

4. I took a bad fall at a campaign rally and broke my hair.

3. I wanted to finally take off that dark suit and tie, and kick back in a light-colored suit and tie.

2. Once my wife Ann realized I couldn't win, my fundraising dried up.

1. There was a miscalculation in our theory: "As Utah goes, so goes the nation."

No matter what happens in life, it helps to laugh once in a while.
 

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I would just ask ....

...that you pray for Loren.

He's as miserable as I've seen him post-transplant.

The Mayo doc said he'll have to let the virus run it's course. There is nothing they can do for him since the bacteria cultures did not come back positive nor the tests for influenza A and B.

Terrible headache. Tylenol is the only pain reliever allowed and he doesn't use it much since it gives him a rebound headache.

Still running a fever, though not over 100 at the moment.

Much coughing, sneezing, runny nose....the works.

Carolyn and Derek still seem fine, but I suppose they'll get it in a day or so. I am very glad Derek was able to take the ACT test already, and that he can go to the Republican convention in Dubuque tomorrow. Let's hear it for those Severs who are giving him a ride!

I've cautioned him not to start any riots.

I'm feeling the beginnings of "something" but am dosing with the ol' Zicam and Zinc lozenges in hopes of preventing or at least staving off the onset until I can get through another day or two...
 

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Another day, another sickie

That leaves Derek, Carolyn and myself still well. Looks like Melinda may not be able to attend the district convention as a junior delegate tomorrow...

Before I forget, NO...WE DID NOT FEEL THE EARTHQUAKE.

Like sensible people, we were asleep around 4:30 this morning, though technically, Loren could have been coughing at that time, during which we still would not have felt the earthquake.

Loren didn't have that great a night. Lots of coughing and woke up with a low grade fever. In tracing the pattern displayed in the two little boys, it could be a little while before he is over this funny bug, whatever it is.

They did test him for two strains of flu up at Mayo, so we know it was neither of those particular virii.

At the moment he is sitting up in bed, resting in a semi-prone position.
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On a more cheery front, my 100 strawberry plants arrived this morning! Who would have thought they could squeeze that many into a 8x8 inch box. Sadly, I have not even started digging the beds, as it is very wet and much Mayoish travel has ensueth over the past weeketh.

The strawberry plants will live in the fridge until I can fix up their new home.
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Ok, now THIS is really cheery :-) Back in the fall sometime, Derek took the PSAT. When his scores came back he knew he'd missed the top cut by one percentile. I still thought that was quite excellent and told him, "Well, it's going on your transcript, by George!"

Today he got a letter from the Merit Scholarship peoples, saying he had gotten into the top 50,000 scores in the country. (it's the top 25,000 that make the cut for the Merit Scholarship program)

However, since his scores were still pretty high, he is allowed to have that officially reported to two colleges of his choice. It is still possible that he could qualify as a semi-finalist. At the very least he will be called, "Commended."

Ma is most pleased :-D
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Now, as promised earlier, here is the Picasa album of our tree cutting adventures. We weren't really involved in the adventure, per se, but we did watch from windows and I braved the cold from time to time, in between getting little boys' baths done on a Saturday night, fixing supper and eating and practicing for special music the next day.

It certainly won't be interesting to all, but our kids might want to take a peek at the 28 pictures. And yes, that is snow you see falling towards the end of the sequence.

Tree cuttin' day

I really should get something done today, particularly since I am now responsible for washing dishes for all the sickos.
 

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Wow

Eight O'Clock and nary a post.

I must be slippin'.

Loren has been hacking a bit today but he was up and around for an hour or three messing with computerish stuff.

Hey folks, we all need things to live for...and besides, it keeps him out of the bars, heh, heh.

(that's a JOKE. he doesn't drink)

Speaking of Loren, I'll mention a few tidbits from the ol' hospital stay:

--we were told to report to Emergency, but all of their exam rooms were full, so they took us to Critical Care. We walked into the large room with curtained partitions and Loren starts looking around with this amazed recognition, "I remember this! The last time I was here was when the helicopter brought me in!"

Ah....memories. Let's see, was that the first 10,000 dollar helicopter ride? Or the second 10,000 dollar helicopter ride?

--the infamous IV attempt. They always have a hard time getting an IV in Loren, stubborn cuss that he is...and Monday night--or was it Tuesday morning, it's just so hard to remember--was no exception. I knew something wasn't right when the nurse was trying to squeeze something in through the syringe and it made this big puffball under his skin. The third time worked. Loren may have been a little dehydrated.

--one of the good things about leaving at 3 in the morning is that they don't man the parking ticket booth during overnight hours. That's one small skip for a Ma, one giant leap for Ma-kind.

--Loren had a nice view out of his hospital room window of the black armored Hummer's belonging to the Dalai Lama. Seems he was at Mayo for his annual checkup :-) He had a few speaking engagements also, but Loren heard one nurse say she wasn't going to attend this year. She'd gone before but had a hard time understanding his English.

Can you imagine? A chance to see an historical figure like that and passing ?
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We have another person showing signs of sickness, but maybe it won't be so bad this time. Maybe this will be the last sick child.

Maybe we'll never even get sick again...

HA HA, HA HA, HA HA Ha

It's OK, though.

I have homemade tapioca pudding.
 

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Together Again

 
We is.

My, am I tired of sitting in that car! Especially since the cruise control went out the first trip up on Monday. We had to drive the old-fashioned way, with foot to the pedal.

Loren is feeling a bit better, though still hoarse. The sore throat comes and goes. Mouth is still hurty from the dry (s)ocket business.

The tests haven't shown any special infection, though the results of some are still pending. Most probably Loren reacted more strongly to the same virus the two little boys had.

They are both better, though Trevor still coughs and Nolan is somewhat hoarse.

It's my best judgment that all will live.

Here's a handy tip for staying awake on the way up to Rochester: stop in Osage--the halfway point for us--and get a Hardee's Jalapeno Thickburger, with (at least) a medium-sized drink.

The burning really enhances the alertness factor.

Even if you stop after 4 bites and remove the rest of the peppers, you're still good for 40 more miles of sensational stingsomeness.

Of course, the really FUN part is coming home and immediately having to make supper for the crew...

But mostly, it's just good to have everyone together again :-)

At least, I assume that's how I'll feel once I get rested up enough to experience some type of emotion.
 

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A Touch o' Heart

Here's an inspiring YouTube clip of an audition for "Britain's Got Talent."



Ma's just a softie for this kind of thing.
 

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One in the hospital and 4200 sniffs per hour

The fun just keeps comin' folks!

First of all, I don't think anything terrible is happening, but Loren is up at St. Mary's for tests.

Last evening he developed a fever and when it got to be the highest he'd had since transplant, we called up Mayo. They gave us the option of going local (30 minutes away) or coming back up to Rochester for the second time that day (2 hrs 20 minutes).

Given that going local can mean a lot of running around in the long run, we chose the long run in the short run.

By the time we left, his temp had gone to 101.4, though it mysteriously decreased on the way up and was basically normal by the time we got there.

Still, they are pretty protective of their transplant patients at Mayo so they decided to admit him for tests. He probably has what Nolan and Trevor experienced last week.

Loren will stay up at Rochester for another night. I was going to stay a bit but around 2:30am I decided to beat it outta there. Looking back I think this was the right decision. There are lots of good folks to take care of Loren, but the kids need me: the little ones need cuddling and corralling from time to time, and the big ones don't need the stress of added responsibility. At least not more than they've already had these past weeks.

They were all relieved to wake up and find me back home. And I was relieved to have returned safely. When we left there was still a faint glow in the western sky. When I returned there was a faint glow in the east. In between there was no sleep, but I have taken several naps, since.

Speaking of Trevor and Nolan...they have developed coughs, particularly Trevor who tends to be croupy. Other than that, they aren't doing too badly, but have become quite the proficient sniffers. Trevor's good for 40 sniffs per minute and Nolan a little less at 30, adding up to title's enumeration above.

We've been reading a lot of books.

I figure I did enough driving yesterday to just about get out see Kendra and Sharon. I did enough sitting to get there and back.

And I have to admit that it is something of a relief to return home, be with the kids, and let someone else worry about Loren for a day or so.

Some people might not understand that attitude, but I suspect a few will.
 

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Just Another Funsome Day

 
If you're ever planning to get your wisdom teeth pulled out, try not to develop a dry pocket.

Like Loren did.

April 1st was when he had one wisdom tooth extracted, and after the initial painfulness of that day, things were looking up...until the 6th, when pain started radiating around different parts of the face and head.

Sometimes it was bad, but most of the time it was sorta bearable. Yesterday however, things got worse. Mucho paino and then a low-grade fever in the evening.

We called up the good folks at Mayo and were allowed up to the hospital, where the dentist was doing surgery for the day. The doc was paged and Loren ushered into a procedure room.

His wisdom tooth had been lying horizontal and had left a large cavern after it's removal. No clot formed to cover the wound, so food gathered in that pocket, causing what the doctor referred to as "a dirty wound."

(at last, some dirt for which I can't be blamed)

They irrigated it over and over and then applied a special dressing which will dissolve over the next 48 hours. Loren may need to go back again for addition dressings as many as 4 or 5 times depending on how long the situation lasts.

The GOOD news is, that sliver of tooth that couldn't be extracted won't be causing any problems. (don't ask me why, probably just really intimidated)

We left in a hurry before noon and took along two of those "old people" drinks for our lunch. I had the Ensure...the kind that turns you into people that sit on the beach under an umbrella with sunscreen plastered across your nose. Loren had the other stuff that comes in a red bottle and makes you walk out of the surf clad in scuba gear.

Personally, I think we should have switched drinks. I'll tell you this though...they are not terribly filling and when you get back close to home it is very demoralizing to find out that the Kwik Star is all out of hot snacky foods, AS WELL AS HAVING RAISED THE PRICE OF GAS 5 CENTS SINCE YOU LEFT.

On another yet equally sick note, Trevor and Nolan were apparently NOT faking it yesterday when I said they had to go to church after they presented their sniffling selves and claimed to be sick....now they are coughing, talking an octave lower and have funny sounds in their lower lungs.

Makes me not feel guilty for leaving before the potluck dinner and afterward meeting.

I won't even TELL you about the two hours I unexpectedly spent scrubbing down two windows Sunday afternoon after Loren found mold colonies caused by the condensation.

But you know what "they" say about old houses....they have such character. This is mostly said by people who haven't had to clean mold off old windows that are rotted and ready to fall out--ha-ha-I-LOVE-living in the country!

My hands would still smell like bleach except for the fact that I stopped at the restroom in the hospital and now they smell like St. Mary's soap.

Don't mind me...another couple months of sunshine and I'll be as good as new.

At least I am home now where I can lose myself in sniffly kids.
 

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Tim-ber !

 
The Weikert menfolk came over unexpectedly this afternoon...to take down a coupla trees.

Here goes "Summer Tree"
It's an ash that was dying off more each year. Caleb's going to use it for his wood burning stove.

Down goes "Swing Tree"
This pine has been hit by lightning several times. The dead top fell off during last winter's ice storm. Dean can use this wood nicely for his wood burner.

Everything worked out quite copasetically, concerning distribution of wood stuffs.

Not much time to post more. I plan to have a Picasa album up soon, though I doubt anyone but our kids will be terribly interested.

That's enough excitement for one day :-)
 

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For Sharon

 
:-D  :-D

I was told that the above does not look like an obvious link...so if you click on the laughing faces :-D it will take you to a Dilbert cartoon.
 

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The Jim-Bob Report

 
"Good evening. This is Jim McDonald with another late-breaking news story out of Iowa. Our capital city correspondent, or as I like to refer to him, Our Mano Des Moinso, is Bob MacCackle. Bob? What happening out Ioway?"

"Well Jim, it's our old friend, Ma Hoyt with another innovative diet aid. You remember how she's struggled to keep her weight down over the years..."

"Struggled? Don't you mean, waged a losing battle of epic proportions and ridden the roller-coaster of caloric despair?"

"Oh Jim...have a heart! We're talking about a human being here, or at least something very close. She lives in the May 15th frost-free zone, fer cryin out loud...and that's not easy. Anyways, she's still in there trying and has added a new weapon to her weight-loss arsenal. Behold, the 'divide and conquer' method of eating Dove's Dark Chocolate!"


"Bob...I see a knife, Bob..."

"Now Jimbo, don't have a bovine. Here....I've got Ma ready for a live interview right now...Ma? Can we have a quick word please?"

"Sure, just as long as I don't have to stop....*thwack*..."

"No problem. Can you explain for our viewers the process and your thinking behind it?

"Well Bob, I've been eating more and more Dove's Dark Chocolates...*thwack*...it's gotten to be a problem. I can't see just quitting, though. That would be intellectually dishonest...*thwack*...So I'm cutting each chocolate into 4 pieces, in hopes that I'll be satisfied with a little taste. Besides, these babies are way too big to fit in my mouth and still be able to yell at the kids properly."

"So, it's a matter of practicality, as well as conscience, is that right, Ma?"

"You betcha, Bob. Just tryin' to be one with the universe, dontcha know."

"Bob? Jim here...if I may interject a question...I notice some chocolate chards on the plate there, Ma?...any plans for those? I'm sure you don't want to waste them..."

"Of course not, Jim....*thwack*...Glad you asked...*thwack*...I'll be collecting all the little pieces, heating them in a double boiler and making chocolates in the shape of various states to sell on Ebay...*thwack*...I'll use those funds to finance a replanting of the Brazilian rain forest...*thwack*... And after I get really famous from that...*thwack*...I'll be signing up with a talent group out in California...you know, Creative Artists Agency...the one Mike Huckabee...*THWACK*...signed onto this week."

Jim and Bob: "WHOA! "

"And there you have it, Jim. That's all from..."

"Wait Bob...we forgot to ask Ma if it's made any difference...is she truly eating less chocolate with this method of dividing up the pieces?"

...*aside*..."What....? Oh.....OK. Uhh, Jim? I've just had a brief word with Ma...she's so tired from chopping chocolate that she gonna hafta take a nap. So....so I guess it's working! Back to you, Jim."

"Thanks, Bob. And that about wraps it up for today's breaking news, folks. Tune in next time when we ask Bill Clinton what he'll do after Hillary fires him from her campaign staff....until then, this is Jim McDonald, with Bob MacCackle out of Des Moines...

...good night"
 

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Life in the Heartland

BLUSTERY.

We're smack under a huge low, meaning north and west are blizzard warnings and south and east are strong thunderstorms.

But mostly it's rainy and windy, putting us under a wind advisory until this evening. The current wind speed is only 27mph, but since that is sustained, it is howling around the house and rattling the windows.

Sleet on our bedroom panes brought an early wake up call in the wee hours, but now it is just cold, wet rain.

Somehow it just doesn't seem like spring.

The Sickie Report: Nolan is doing better at the moment. Fever is down to 1 degree and he says he feels "normal," but I'm making him rest until after lunch. There were distinct rattles and clicks in his lower lungs this morning so I'm keeping an eye out...

Loren has been sticking to his room most of the time or hiding out in the garage. I have no idea what Nolan has, but we certainly don't want Loren to get it. Loren's mouth has been increasingly giving him problems but he is trying to hold out until his return appointment next Wednesday.

It seems that little touch to the nerve has been quite the literal pain. Loren tries to keep a lid on it with a little Tylenol--the only pain relief he's allowed--but too much gives him a rebound headache, so he has to be careful.

I am running out of ideas for soft foods without repeating a lot of things.

Today is shopping day so I'll go and close my eyes at the meat counter and wait for Divine Guidance. I may also ask Marty the Meat Guy for suggestions of chewable meatstuffs.

*later that evening*

Heydy hoe and back from shopping :-)

Everyone (except Loren) got along pretty well while I was gone, with the help of The Incredibles.

Nolan is feeling much better, but now Trevor has a temp of 102.4. I'm beginning to think the thermometer is rigged. We'll most likely be listening to another audio story tape tonight, as soon as Derek and Melinda stop arguing about their Shakespeare.

Supper was a thrilling meal of fish sticks (minced fish), tater tots (minced potatoes) and another one of Ma's stunning fruit combos: canned peaches and bananas (un-minced).

But I DID mix up the tartar sauce from scratch, with real Miracle Whip, real pickle relish from a jar, and really old parsley flakes from Sam's Club.

We had a dashing bit of thunder and lightning blow over, and now methinks the wind may finally be dying down, even as Jason has informed me over IM that they are under a Tornado Warning in Cedar Rapids.

Loren is still feeling fell and I'm sure he would appreciate your prayers.

Here is a series of pics after which Trevor had fallen asleep on the couch during the evening news two days ago.

Uh...Trevor...wake up...


No...now, come on...


Alright, you :-)

He fell asleep on the couch tonight after supper, but he's not looking quite so happy :-(
 

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Ah well....

...Nolan has a 102.4 fever. And a sore throat.

You know something's wrong when a nine-year-old troublemaker dozes off on the couch before lunch.

Upon closer questioning it was determined he started feeling badly last night.

As in...Tuesday.

Ah yes....Tuesday. It all begins to make sense, now.

Ma's Goals:

*to not be exposed to sick people

*to keep Derek healthy until he takes the ACT this Saturday

*to keep the rest of the family from getting "it"

*especially to keep Loren from getting "it"

*have no one feverish when I go back with Loren to Mayo next week
 

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Ma's Newsy Nuggets

Ma has been scouring the news sites (all two or three that I usually view) to find interesting nuggets you will not want to miss!

But most things I just run across by accident...
_______________

John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, will be offering up jokes for Barack Obama if he wins the Democratic presidential nomination.

Say, did I tell you that Ma's nephew's girlfriend once babysat for John Cleese's grandkids and that she met him?

Sorta make you want to treat me with a little more respect, don't it...
_______________

Now for news of a more local nature....catalytic converters are proving quite tempting to thieves. Lovely precious metals inside:

Palladium - $465.00 per ounce
Platinum - $2033.00 per ounce
Rhodium - $9100.00 per ounce

(yes Jason, I realize I told you 'Plutonium' in that IM the other night, but hey, at least it starts with a 'P')

Toyota trucks are especially vulnerable since they sit up high off the pavement, which makes them more easily accessible, so guard those converters!
________________

And here's why thieves should watch out...again, in Cedar Rapids :-D

You don't pick victims who are former lady boxers and carry an ice chipper.

I thought making him pick up the stolen goodies was a nice touch :-)
 

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Just another weird day

 
Technically, I shouldn't use that title since as soon as I started typing it, the title popped up, indicating I'd used it before. All I can say is this....people who re-use post titles sound rather disparate, and those who talk about it are even worse.

I'm killing time until an Ebay auction comes to fruition, for which I am pinning great hopes for someone's birthday present. When I don't win, I always take the attitude that it wasn't God's will to get that item.

Loren is up in bed feeling rather punk, due to some complications from his "attempted" wisdom tooth extraction. I found out a few details last night that I hadn't known....the doc exposed the nerve and touched it with the cauterizing instrument, "But I don't think I damaged it..." I supposed that might explain some of the pain. The cauterizing machine, necessitated by cutting a blood vessel in trying to get at the difficult tooth, didn't even work until the 10th or so try.

This morning we also heard from an old friend of Loren's teenage years. She and her husband were/are missionaries. They have a large family, the youngest of which has Down's Syndrome. It was found that she had breast cancer and so recently she underwent a double mastectomy.

Sometimes it's really hard to comprehend how God works....
 

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Hols of the Day

Its....

No Housework Day!

The only way one can celebrate this is to do twice the amount the night before.

It's a nice thought, though.

On to This Day in History:

1827--English chemist John Walker invents wooden matches
1926--Mussolini's Irish wife breaks his nose (more on this, later)
1954--President Dwight Eisenhower fears "domino-effect" in Indo-China
1959--Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years
1981--Willem Klein mentally extracts 13th root of a 100-digit # in 29 seconds

The last, first...Willem Klein never learned his multiplication tables as such, but when learning about factorization at age 10, he became so enamored by the process that he played around with numbers to the extent he learned multiplication up to 100, anyway.

President Eisenhower didn't just suddenly wake up, fearing the "domino-effect" one morning before breakfast. The theory had been discussed in political circles and he was espousing that thought in a news conference. His exact words were, "....the "falling domino" principle."

That mention about Mussolini is in error. His wife wasn't Irish and she didn't break his nose. There WAS an attempt on his life however, when a 50-year-old woman of Irish extraction shot at him during a parade, hitting him in the nose.

From this we learn two things:

1) These online history sites are not always correct. Many times they simply repeat the same misstatement from one website to another.

also,

2) You really need to watch out for women when they get that age...

On to something more cheery :-)

April is National Poetry Month, so I've swiped a poem off this site to type in here, seeing as they wouldn't let me copy and paste it so now, for goodness sakes, please go to the site and read the copyright at the bottom of the page and then all will be well.

I like Billy Collins' poetry. Some day I'm gonna hafta get me a book or two.

Forgetfulness

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack it's bag,
and even now as you memorize the nine planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capitol of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are trying to remember,
it is not poised on the the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated down some a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L, as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion, where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.

Billy Collins
 

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On the MLK Anniversary

 
This week's schedule has prevented me from keeping up with all posting potentialities, but I did want to broach the subject of Martin Luther King Jr., his life and legacy.

First of all, I'll start right off by warning that some might not agree with me. Fortunately, my platform is rather small so it doesn't matter what I think, anyway...heh, heh.

Secondly, I'm a 49-year-old white woman, living in the middle of a cornfield, in a state not known for it's racial diversity. I won't attempt to make astute comments on the status of racial tensions in America. I was nine when Martin Luther King was assassinated, so I do remember the event. I recall my mother telling me in the kitchen the following morning, and that he had been considered the leader of black people in the United States.

There was a certain tone to her voice causing me to understand it was a very big deal, even though I was not much older than Nolan is, right now.

Thirdly, I want all my children who are 13 or older, to read this link on the BBC News site. To the right of the page and slightly down, under "SEE ALSO" are six more links...I want you to read all of those, too. One contains the "I Have a Dream Speech."

All this is a part of our history and you should be acquainted with it, familiar with the salient points, and hopefully have a general idea of what the man stood for and what our country was experiencing during that time period.

And its interesting and refreshing to get the perspective of a news organization which doesn't always portray America as the Center of the Universe.

Fourthly, I think it's time some Conservative Christians get down off their high horse. Yes, I'm talking to me.

I readily admit that in the past, I have been influenced by people who have dismissed the good work of a famous person, simply because that person had certain moral failings. I've exhibited an attitude of superiority in talking about specific people in the past and in the present, as if anything they did, aside from their particular fall from grace, had no meaning whatsoever.

Alas, there is not one of us who can pass this test. Each of us has our secret struggle with sin. And while glossing over the negative is equally uncalled for, forever linking someone solely to their indiscretions is a disservice and a cheap shot.

I fully acknowledge mankind's inheritance of the sin nature. But I'd like to think our task in life includes more than neatly dividing up every person and historical event into two categories:

liberal vs. conservative,
right vs. wrong,
north vs. south, or
black vs. white.

So I'm sorry I missed the boat with the older kids, in not taking time to teach about Martin Luther King.

I hope to rectify that in the future.

Perhaps today can be a start.
 

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Quick Question...

 
One of my inquisitive students asked me what the "c" means in a cited work for a paper listing a year, e.g. c1978.

Being equally inquisitive and additionally ignorant, I googled it but got nowhere.

So now I am inquisitive, ignorant, AND intrepid, in asking for some help.

I'll just bet Thainamu knows...

Thanks for the answer I know is coming.
 

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Remember how I said we were getting a special visitor?

 
Hold onto your hats...


Yes, we know people.



Oh alright...it was really our nephew and niece, Matthew and wife, Noëlle who stopped by, and not Pope Benedict XVI :-D

They traveled to Rome two weeks ago. After stopping at grandparents in Illinois, Iowa didn't seem too far away and they hopped over here for a quick visit :-)

Much good times were had. Supper together, then nifty pictures from their Rome trip. They were part of a tour group--all protestants--going with a Catholic Father as guide. He's been there several times before and was an encyclopedia of knowledge.

They loved the whole experience...much of which involved visiting different churches and cathedrals and drinking in gorgeous architecture and amazing history.

(I've changed my mind kids....stop saving for a cruise and start putting it towards a trip to Europe for Mommy and Daddy)

After the slide show Loren went up to rest for the night. The remaining crew enjoyed a rousing round of "Paper Telephone," which I've never played before.

Then it was basically bedtime, so we sang a few hymns and toddled off to bed.

In between there was mucho talko about los collegos and other stuffos :-) I even had time to IM Jason real quick and tell him who was here. His jealous "What?" will be enough to keep me going for another week.

Here's a short album of their visit to our house as well as one more picture from Rome.

Matthew and Noëlle Visit

I had the hardest time with the trema "e" in Noëlle's name. Blogger won't accept that alt prompt command without trying to move you to another site, so I have to pull up the character map from "accessories" in the start menu.

I can put in an "é" or an "à," with alt commands, but not the other.

Silly Blogger...don't you know Ma has enough chocolate on hand to thwart your attacks on my sanity?
 

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Ma's Newsy Nuggets

 
Camel Beauty Contest.

Oh hey...what's not to love?

Organisers hope it will remind Emiratis of traditional desert values.

Good ol' Traditional Desert Values. I tried to look them up....they're super, I'm sure.

As long as you're not a camel or a woman.
_____________

Speaking of females, Cousin Terry found a site where a click will facilitate a donation of 1 dollar from Campbell's. You know...the people who make green tomato soup.

Now here's the scoop (in more ways than one):

--YOU don't pay, Campbell's does. All you do is "click"

--The promotion only lasts until April 14--which I just discovered yesterday--so clickity, clickity click.... :-)

--I hesitated for a while to share this, since the "winning dress design" had a somewhat low neckline and I figured I might get some grief from certain peoples if I linked to it, but then I thought about it and here's Ma's take....I DON'T CARE!. If you saw someone collapsed in the street, needing CPR, would you hold back because they had on apparel you considered immodest?

I certainly hope not.

The dress at the site is just a drawing, fer cryin' out loud, so I'm trusting--in the words of the immortal Bill Clinton--we can all just "chill out."

--if you go to the site it will tell you to "click on this year's winning dress," but in reality you need to wait a few seconds and click on a red tab that materilizes to the right of the dress. The red tab says "Go."

--again, you aren't paying anything yourself, but Campbell's will donate for your click. It's so EASY. I go there every morning after I click on the breast cancer site :-D

--Are you ready?.... Go red with Campbell's.
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And speaking of CPR...there are new guidelines, and they don't include pausing for breaths.

Obviously there are exceptions, such as when the victim is a child and one has reason to believe they may be choking on something.

Dr. Gorden Ewy has been promoting this "chest compression only" for 15 years, which goes to show that persistence can pay off.

That's why I'm not giving up on my "lose weight by eating chocolate" approach to dieting.

HA HA! I'm only kidding, of course. For the most part, anyway.
_________________

On the Loren-News front, I'm happy to report that he slept some last night and is feeling better. Pain is much less.

_________________

On yet another front we are getting ready for some special visitors to the Hoyt homestead later today! They are SO special, Ma is not even going all out to clean up the house :-)

(you know you are special if Ma feels comfortable enough to let yo see her imperfections...also, I am 'bout too tired to care anymore)

I will endeavor to get clean sheets on the bed.

Pictures to come, if I remember to take any.
 

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The Loren Report

 
As has been mentioned in the past, if anything can go wrong with simple procedures avec Loren, they will.

The bad news:

--the x-ray taken after the teeth were extracted and he was stitched up showed that a sliver remains of the wisdom tooth. So we'll have to go back in 2 weeks to get that taken out.

--Oh hey...what's another 45 dollars in gas and most of the day?

--the baby teeth had latched on and become part of the jaw structure so they were a bit of a "problem" to get out.

--Loren is one miserable camper at the moment. Hopefully he'll feel better in 24 hours. Sleep looks rather iffy tonight so please pray for him :-(


The good news:

--they only had to take out 3 teeth...one wisdom tooth and the two baby teeth. The other two wisdom teeth are just fine and won't be causing any problems.

--the kids got along quite well while we were gone


There were other small excitements but they were of an non-medical nature and will have to wait.
 

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Warning: Opera included

 
Time for another opera excerpt, folks :-D

No, no...don't go away, yet.

This is truly one of the most beautiful duets I have ever heard in my LIFE!

And best of all, there's a story behind it.

We have a young woman in our church who recently graduated with a music degree from Master's out in Cauli-forn-jah. Of course, she now works as an assistant for three high powered stock brokers and is "well situated," but that is incidental.

The IMPORTANT thing is that she graduated with a degree in music and thus had to perform a senior recital.

Having a lovely voice, she was somehow induced to sing her recital, and not play it on the piano as I did, but hey, we all have our little quirks....

ANYWAY, we were lent the DVD of her recital and what should pop out of the repertoire but the following beauteous selection?

Ah...it is enough to make one weep.

However, being the unobservant Ma that I be, I hadn't noticed the name of the piece and as the months went by I found myself obsessed.

Of course, I could have contacted her or her parents, but that thought didn't occur to me until just now...

AT ANY RATE, when taking Kendra off to college this past fall, I stayed at the home of my college piano teacher and her husband, who taught voice, music history and has a VAST collection of opera recordings.

I tell you no lie, when I imagine their basement and the entire wall, FULL of shelved opera records.

Now you know operas...they are long. I will even admit that parts of them are boring. (please don't convey this to my former Music History teacher....) Each opera contains at least 5 or 6 records.

So I looked at those "more than a hundred" large collections and said to myself, "Hmmm, methinks we can find out that song, perchance!"

I croaked out a few measures of the duet--which is not that easy, my being only one person--and he thought he knew...walked over and pulled out an inch-and-a-half-thick opera, checked the back a wee bit, pulled out one record, and set that needle down plumb on the place!

"I probably couldn't do that again if I had to..." he humbly remarked. (but I'll bet he could have)

The result? I walked away with the opera name, the song, and the name of his favorite opera soprano, Joan Sutherland.

Then I recently found this very duet on YouTube, sung by Marilyn Horne and Joan baby :-)

Now, just a little background:

--first, I realize the two ladies are wearing beautiful gowns that are somewhat...er...chilly...but I'm hoping people can get past that. (can't we all just get along?) One can always minimize it if you have to.

These two are singing about how they'll go down by the river (or somewheres) and pick flowers together. Hey...that must be why they call it the "Flower Duet!"

Give it a try. What can it hurt, besides your ears?

Yes Thainamu, you too! Play it while your husband is walking by and impress his socks off! Play it while that doctor-to-be son is visiting and get him acquainted with the kind of culture that will really add to his practice. (Hey, it takes more than golf, these days)

Here it is...and enjoy. Oh...one more thing...remember that when you download from YouTube, sometimes the first playing is interrupted and stops and starts...so you have to play it TWICE to actually hear it in all it's glory.

Come on...don't be a wimp! Listen to this gorgeous excerpt and tell me you don't feel more refined :-)



Also, I find that playing it over and over is a good way to get the kids out of the room.
 

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