All the sudden life exploded!! I've found myself with NO TIME to get on the computer to balance the checkbook, much less blog. I have some things I really want to share. So, stay tuned. After the storm passes, I hope to get some things caught up on.

Car Seats

Oh, there are so many to choose from!
Brady needs a new seat. The one we have is "expired." I questioned: "Do I get one that will stay with him until he doesn't need on anymore? Or do I get one that he will grow out of, but I will be able to pass it on to the next child(ren) and plan on purchasing a booster seat down the road?" I think I've decided with the latter.
The thing is, I'm not sure where to start. Consumer Reports would be great, but I'm cheap and don't want to pay for that info. I would like one with cup holders, I think. And my friend has one that had little lights on the side so the child could see what he/she was doing at night. Those were pretty neat.
Price really isn't an issue. It's tax refund time and we'll have what we need to invest in something good. If it weren't for the blessed refund, it would be a different story. That doesn't mean that I'm going to buy the most expensive one, just because I can though. I still need to make every dollor go as far as possible.
One other factor is that we have cars, small cars. A vehicle upgrade isn't in the plan at this time. I don't expect to have a lot of extra room after squeezing in two seats. It would be nice to have something that doesn't dwarf my back seat.
Do you experienced parents have any input for me? I sure would love it! Thanks!

The verdict is in....

Really?

Okay, so we got 10 inches of snow out here. That's the most this area has seen in DECADES! It's beautiful! We were watching it snow, and snow, and snow. Felt like home. I love the white blankets that cover the land everywhere. I love the brightness that blinds me when I walk outside. I love the sound of the slush under my tires. I miss it.

However, school has been out for 3 days and tomorrow will make 4! I understand the day the storm is going on. Bad driving conditions. The day after, okay. The road crews aren't as well equipped out here. Carl and I saw the saddest excuse for a snow plow! They use sand instead of salt. This isn't common weather, why should they invest tax-payer money into equipment they'll hardly ever use?

So you have Saturday and Sunday to let the snow start to melt and the plows to reach more areas. No school Monday...alright, things are still a little yucky out there....I guess. But Tuesday too?!? Are you kidding me?!?

Ahh, I know there's some factor that I haven't been made aware of yet to qualify 4 days out of school. I just don't understand why people are so afraid of snow. Drive slower, a little more cautiously and you should be fine. I think it took like 2 feet of snow for us to get this many days off back home.

Hurry hurry to the fire...

We got to go to our local Fire Station today! It was a lot of fun. Brady says "The Fire Truck is big!" Fireman Dustin showed us all around. We got to see the workout room and the kitchen and the best part of all, the TRUCK BAY!! Brady did get a little scared when Fireman Dustin started up the truck. All was well though. I learned the difference between a fire engine and a fire truck is that a truck has a ladder on top. Thanks Fireman Dustin for showing us the station!

From Then to Now

Some 28 years ago there was a little boy who posed for a camera in a velvet red jumper, turtle neck and knee socks....Now this little boy is doing the same thing!!

One day in September while out on a run, I found this Bright Orange Caterpillar. He gave off quite the scent! it smelled orangy and spicey, like spices.
I did some research and found out it is a Spicebush Caterpillar. Those HUGE shiny black spots are supposed to look like eyes. They are not his eyes.


So I put him in a jar with some sticks and greenery. I read that they like to eat Azalea leaves. Lucky for him we have one out side.

He hung out in the jar for a little while. It took him a couple of hours to get settled. He started attaching himself to a stick.

He made himself a support on each side of his body. He hung out like that for a few days.

He made himself a translucent chrysalis. I got very excited!! My caterpillar would be a butterfly soon!

The chrysalis darkened. It looked like a dead leaf. It took him a week to get like this.

I found him September 4, 2009. I waited and waited and waited. I thought it took caterpillars two weeks to emerge. I was very disappointed when Christmas came around and I still had a dead looking leaf of a chrysalis hanging in my jar.

Two weeks into the new year, I was starting to worry. I was starting to prepare myself to give this thing a dead line. The web site said sometimes they "winter over" in their chrysalis. How long was winter to a caterpillar? I thought about where I would put the contents of the jar. Surely I couldn't throw them away on the off chance that this thing would emerge. Maybe I would just lay it behind the azalea bush...

And then one Sunday as I was getting myself a nice glass of grape juice, I glanced at the jar. Something was different!! I had just looked at it that morning and it was still a dead leaf. Now there was a big black bug with droopy wings in my jar!!

It had be come a butterfly! But it's wings were still limp. That means we just missed the big event. That's okay because the event happened! We put the butterfly back in the jar, after much protest on the butterfly's behalf. Besides, Brady was down for a nap and he needed to see it.

Less then two hours later the wings were fully expanded. I'm not sure they were ready to fly though.

He hung out on my hands for a while. He only tried once to fly.

I was so proud of my little butterfly! He was black with orange and white spots. On the top of his torso he was actually rather hairy.

We showed him to Brady when he woke from his nap. Brady said "The butterfly scare me," and wouldn't get close to it.

We all went for some time out side. It was a relatively sunshiny day. The butterfly just stayed on my hand for a while. Finally I convinced Brady to hold the butterfly. Not two seconds after we made the transfer to Brady's hand did my little butterfly float off. He took a flight over to the fence. I wasn't prepared for him to go. I planned to place him on the azalea bush out front. I went to get him off the fence, but off he went. He landed further down the fence and I couldn't get there due to soggy ground. I watched him as he took off again and floated over the fence. He was gone.

Carl said that's how it is going to be with kids. Before we realize it they are ready to go off on their own. Lucky for us though, because kids have stronger ties to their parents than butterflies. I moped the rested of the day over the suddenness of it all. I was happy that it emerged. Carl and I inspected the remains of the chrysalis. That's a pretty contraption.

Over the next week Brady randomly brought up the butterfly at random moments. He would ask "Where the caterpillar in the jar?" and say, "The butterfly float over the fence." or "The caterpillar changed to butterfly."

Here's a song from Rachel Coleman. I've inserted my own lyrics to fit Mr. Spicebush. I really love it:

Caterpillar Dreams

I’m a little CATERPILLAR tiny and green [orange and fat]
Crawlin’ around head full of dreams [I crawl around just like that]
Inch by inch takes all day
I’m dreamin’ of wings and flyin’ away
Just a little CATERPILLAR down on the ground
I climb a tree hang upside down
I don’t know why I build a cocoon
Not sure why I do what I do
But if I were a BUTTERFLY
I could leave the ground behind
Would things look different way up high?
I wish I were a BUTTERFLY
I’m just a little CATERPILLAR fast asleep
Eyes closed tight lost in a dream
In my dream I break free
Stretch out my legs and check out my wings
I feel just like a BUTTERFLY
Watch me leave the ground behind
Things look different way up high
I feel just like a BUTTERFLY
Look at me I’m flying!
I’m really flying!
Somebody pinch me!

Watch a video of it here: