Hello, world.  I'm still here.

I hear birds... chirping.  I hear children... giggling.  I hear...  I hear...  Well I hear something.  A bird or a chipmunk.  Funny how the sound makes even the dark morning seem warmer.

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Our church has been faithfully praying for Kirby to find work, even calling at random times of the week to offer places to send his resume.  This Sunday, while Kirby was home with sick kids, there was a new family in church; the man, Nathan, asked for prayer, "Please pray that God would help us find a machinist."

It seemed every head turned toward me with wide smiles and raised eyebrows, "There's an answer to prayer, right there in the second row!"

I bee-lined as casually as possible after the service, "I hear you're looking for a machinist."  I reached into my purse for my contact card, "My husband is a machinist; that number is his cell phone."  Nathan asked a few questions, and I made it clear that I only sort of understand what he knows.  "He knows Eubama, Hydromat, Index, Davenport...  He doesn't write CNC, but he can edit it."  I tentatively mentioned that I've heard him use words like 'proximity indicator' and 'concentricity'.
"Does he know CorelDraw?"
"He doesn't use it, but he reads the printouts.  Basically he takes the drawings from Corel and sets up the machines to Do That."
"What would you say is his major strength?"
"Troubleshooting."
He asked his wife for the cell phone, but they'd left it at home.

(Eventually, I turned my conversation to his wife, Mindy.  She says they spent many of the first years of their married / with children life on a boat off the coast of San Diego.  Intriguing!)

I hadn't even told Kirby the whole story before Nathan got home to his phone and called to invite Kirby to meet him at the shop.  Kirby is now working a two week trial period at a workplace less than eight miles from home.  At two dollars an hour more than he was earning before.  Yay!

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Bri's garden seeds arrived in the mail today.  She has been planning her garden all winter, doing all sorts of unnecessary calculations ("If each member of our family eats two carrots per day..."), drawing charts of germination times, square footage, and soil needs.  Even if we harvest nothing this year, it's worth it just for the planning experience.

We'll get Roma tomato starts later.  For now we've got seeds for Scarlet Nantes carrots, Buttercrunch lettuce, sweet bell peppers, cucumber, zucchini, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, sage, cilantro, Walla Walla onions, Sugar Ann Snap peas, sweet corn -- and we're going to give the watermelon another try.  In all of our attempts at watermelon, we've never produced a single edible fruit, but hey, we're stubborn folk -- and we're crazy for watermelon.

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There's only one time I can remember us all being sick at once.  (Winter 1999, when Bri went from Smooshy to Scrawny.)  Most of the time, it's sick kids and a mommy grateful to be Well and Able to take care of them.

This time it was my turn to be sick.  Kirby said I had a fever and left the room to talk to the girls in hushed tones, but under all my blankets, I was shivering with cold.  They kept waking me, making me drink water.  Myra, bless her heart, brought a Bible Story book and started reading aloud to me.  I don't remember how far she got before I finally fell asleep, but I do remember thinking she has a nice reading voice.

If I hadn't been sick, I would have figured Bri, Logan and Wilson have "just a bit of a cough."  Now I know how weak and tired they feel, so we're all taking it easy.

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In the meantime, I've been doing some design work.  And by "some," I mean I dream in Photoshop.  In the last month, I've sold four logos.  Kirby is talking about getting Adobe Illustrator for me, but I think I'd have to be pretty Big Time to justify the expense.  Eh, we'll see.  I've already seen three of my logos in use.  Very cool.

I announced in no uncertain terms that we would ALL be practicing our very best manners at the dinner table.  None of this reaching and walking about that happens all too often in our house.

When I'm mean, I try to sprinkle it with a little sugar, so I used some fun alliterations to help them remember: "Keep your Feet on the Floor... your Bottom on the Bench... and your... Fingers on your Fork."  Everything was working nicely until Bri got smart and put her Tongue on the Table.  *rolls eyes, shakes head*

Wilson has set up shop in the living room.  All his Lego items are nicely displayed on the coffee table; he's patiently perched on the rocking chair, waiting for customers.  "These cost invisible dollars," he tells me.

Too cold to go out, too cold to play ball.  So we sat in the house.  We did nothing at all.  Well, unless you count Legos.

The latest craze here is Lego models of high tech gadgets.  Kendric made a Nintendo DS, a few Wii remotes, an iPad, an iPhone (complete with camera) with a charging station; Logan made a flat screen TV; Mari made a Wii console.  They proceeded -- all of them -- to play Office in the living room, placing business-y calls on their Lego cell phones.

Man, I like my kids.

Logan was complaining about a hangnail, so while I folded clothes, I filled the laundry sink and told him to soak his hand.  Myra brought clear plastic cups to keep him busy as he stood there.  She started showing him very normal things about water displacement, buoyancy, air pressure, and he was impressed -- 'cause he's never seen these things before.  What?!  Then I realized, he's never washed dishes by hand!  In the bath, he plays with cars and boats.

Note to self: actively provide more opportunities to develop affinity with everyday physics.

Last minute, after I tucked the kids into bed, I decided to make Valentine cards for the kids.  I mean, we don't celebrate Valentine's Day, but... I try to do something every day to show my kids I love them, but it's not always something that is obvious to them.

Valentines day.  Myra's date with Daddy.  Curls.  Olive Garden was swamped so they went to the Original Mongolian Barbecue.  Came home, we watched Dinner for Schmucks.  Mallory had her baby.  A girl.  Wilhelmina Claire.  So exciting!

It's been a looong time since we've played Hide and Seek in the Dark.  Certainly not in this house, so... it's been at least a year.

Logan and Wilson were afraid, so at first I hid with them.  On my bed, under the covers, "Look, guys, it' the same as being in bed on a normal, dark night."  Then came Myra, looking for us; she kept up a steady stream of silly chatter -- trying to coax a giggle out of her prey, but also to keep herself company in the dark, quiet house.  Logan and Wilson were marvelously quiet, but once Myra's eyes were accustomed to the dark, she noticed the lumpy blankets.  Found!

Kendric was It next.  Logan hid in the corner with the laundry basket full of clothes on his lap.  Wilson squeezed between Bri's laundry shelves and the wall.  I stretched out on the floor; Kendric walked right past without noticing.  After several minutes of pure silence, I shouted, "Kendric?!  Are you even looking?"  He answered from the next room, "No, I'm too scared."  I got up and walked with him while he looked -- Logan and Wilson stayed, still and quiet, unafraid, until they were found.  Yay!

In the next round, Myra decided to slide between the refrigerator and the wall.  It was a tight fit, and Bri wasn't seeking long before Myra gave herself up, "I can't take it any more!  I can't breathe!  Please, help me out!"  Sensible girl.  I don't know but back in the day I probably would have passed out before giving away my position.

Our house is scantily furnished.  Not a lot of hiding places.  The kids managed to wriggle themselves into some great spots though, and we were getting sleepy long before everyone had a turn Seeking.  I finally suggested that they choose easier hiding places.  Mari's "easier" place was still pretty good: she simply sat atop the (cool) fireplace in the living room; her black pants blended in with the black stove and her grey shirt blended in with the rocks.

Kirby could never seem to fathom that he had been found without someone ratting him out.  As far as he was concerned, his plan was flawless:  Under the dining room table is the FIRST place anyone looks -- but their eyes are still adjusting from the light, and by the time they can see things, they've already mentally written off the table.  He failed to account for one thing:  these are children you're dealing with, mister, and you can't count on them to do the Expected. 

Kirby and Kendric went to the Mens' Breakfast. The rest of us drove to Rognes to help them clean and pack the truck.  The Pinkertons brought lunch.  Small world, I feel truly local.

Wilson's birthday.  Skating at CDA Skate Plaza.  Pizza, cupcakes, candles, pinata, Legos, Knex.