The Darndest Things

My friend, Kendra, reminded me this weekend that on my birthday I'd be twice as old as I was when I graduated high school. Thanks, Kendra! I never thought of it that way.

Yesterday, Joshua said, "I love sports, sleep, and Star Wars."

My class had Painted Lady caterpillars. They were tiny. They came in a clear, plastic jar complete with food of some sort. They ate and ate. We left one Friday with tiny caterpillars and returned Monday to these really large caterpillars. It was astounding how quickly they grew. That very day one after another formed a chrysalis. How do they do that? Spit? Molting? The children were amazed. The teachers were amazed. A little over a week later, chrysalis after chrysalis started to shake. It takes them a long time to come out. I waited and waited hoping to see one actually come out, but I never saw one emerge. I'd see a chrysalis shaking and then later there would be this quiet, lovely Painted Lady butterfly next to the empty shell. We admired our Ladies for a couple of days. I gave them watermelon over the weekend. Yesterday we released them, and I hope they have a glorious life of sucking flower nectar. What a great thing to be. Fly from flower to flower sipping nectar, helping with cross-pollination, just being all-around beautiful and graceful. People like butterflies. It would be a different story if you were say...a roach or a spider.

Elijah has this front tooth that's been sticking out like he was kicked in the face with a hoof. It's a baby tooth just dangling by a few roots. His permanent tooth is growing in behind it. I tried to pull it last night but don't have the stomach for it. David didn't even try to pull it. We are the weak-stomached parents.

Speaking of David, he won another race. Maybe one day I'll actually get to be at the finish of a race he wins. He works really hard and runs twice a day, if you were wondering how he keeps improving. While he runs, I eat. Jack Sprat could eat no fat...

A child at my preschool had lice. My head itches all the time now. Have you ever had lice? I believe a poem is in order, and it's one of my favorites, too!

"To a Louse"
by Robert Burns (modern English translation below but do try the original!)

Ha! Whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly,
I canna say but ye strut rarely
Owre gauze and lace,
Tho' faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her --
Sae fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.

Swith! in some beggar's hauffet squattle:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and spr
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

Now haud you there! ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rils, snug an' tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right,
Till ye've got on it ---
The vera tapmost, tow'ring height
O' miss's bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose ou
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum!

I wad na been surpris'd to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy:
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On's wyliecoat;
But Miss's fine Lunardi! fye!
How daur ye do't.

O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
You little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin'!

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!


Modern Translation

Ha! Where are you going, you crawling wonder?
Your impudence protects you sorely,
I can not say but you swagger rarely
Over gauze and lace,
Though faith! I fear you dine but sparingly
On such a place

You ugly, creeping, blasted wonder,
Detested, shunned by saint and sinner,
How dare you set your foot upon her -
Such fine a lady!
Go somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body

Off! in some beggar's temples squat:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and scramble,
With other kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Where horn nor bone never dare unsettle
Your thick plantations

Now hold you there! you are out of sight,
Below the falderals, snug and tight;
No, faith you yet! you will not be right,
Until you have got on it ---
The very topmost, towering height
Of misses bonnet.

My sooth! right bold you set your nose out,
As plump and gray as any gooseberry:
O for some rank, mercurial resin,
Or deadly, red powder,
I would give you such a hearty dose of it,
Would dress your breech!

I would not have been surprised to spy
You on an old wife's flannel cap:
Or maybe some small ragged boy,
On his undervest;
But Miss's fine balloon bonnet! fye!
How dare you do it.

O Jenny do not toss your head,
And set your beauties all abroad!
You little know what cursed speed
The blastie's making!
Those winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice taking!

O would some Power the gift to give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!