finally . . . a new post!

Jed has endured his first stomach bug. It started on Monday, although things weren't exactly right on Sunday, and by Tuesday, I was suffering serious bodily-fluid PTSD. I'll skip all the gory details, but yesterday he began to perk up and today, he seems to be going at full-speed.

Before I get to some new pictures of Jed, I wanted to show off my African Violet. Earlier in the week, during The Time of Tummy Troubles, it bloomed for the first time since Eric gave it to me last year. Many years ago, my maternal grandmother maintained a healthy crop of regularly-blooming violets, but after she died, my mother and grandfather did not have much luck with them.

Therefore, I grew up understanding that the violets are difficult plants that won't bloom, so when Eric give me this one, I held no hope for future flowers. I figured I could keep it alive (maybe), but I never suspected I'd see another bloom. Apparently, Grandma must have been as good at ignoring her plants as I am!

Yesterday, Jed was still dragging, so when Eric came home from work, Jed got one of his favorite books and happily climbed onto Daddy's lap. (Sorry for the poor picture, but I was trying to take it from the kitchen without catching Jed's attention!)

This morning, before going to school, he seemed to be back to normal.

a big saturday

Jed started his day with a birthday party for his classmate. He had a blast driving a fire truck, swinging, and eating cupcakes cleverly baked inside ice cream cones. This combination of activities resulted in a midday bath and an early nap.

Once he recharged his batteries, Jed spent his afternoon at the Lebanese Festival. Mostly, he ogled females, particularly the belly dancers with whom he was completely enthralled. Eric and I marveled at the number of small children with hair that could compete with, and in some cases beat, Jed's in terms of quantity and general craziness.

mesmerized by belly dancers

Jed didn't give the oud player time of day.

He watched these dancers, too, but the more accessible girls soon caught his eye.

Eventually, we had to reign him in, and Eric played his belly like a bongo.

stormy afternoon

First, a bit of bad news: I checked on our cardinals yesterday only to find nothing. Absolutely nothing. They are gone without a trace. Not a feather, not a single piece of egg shell, no little bodies on the ground or near the nest: nothing. I don't know if they were picked off by a snake, a hawk, an owl, or one of the many cats that prowl around, but they are totally gone.

In good news, we got to spend some time outside before the skies opened up yesterday. Jed has finally decided to put his feet on the pedals of his tricycle rather than propping them on the wheel fender and waiting for you to push.

a rumble of thunder

followed by another prompts a wary eye to the sky

eventually, rain drove us on to the porch

and then wind pushed us inside

animal news

Winston was Pet of the Month in the April issue of our neighborhood news letter! To extend his fifteen minutes of fame, you can click here and scroll down to page 9. Congratulations, Winston!

And our baby cardinals have started arriving. Yesterday, I could see one very scrawny, very tiny gray ball of fluff with a tiny, but wide-open beak. Hopefully, in a day or two they will be big enough that a photograph will actually show then. Right now, they are only rarely making any noise and even then, it's the quietest, softest little chirps you've ever heard.

more visitors!

On Friday, Uncle Brian came by for a brief visit (and a trip to the park) before heading to Durham for a reunion at his university, which shall remain nameless on this blog. On Sunday, he returned with Aunt Dara for a great day-long visit during which we enjoyed our first meal on the new patio. Thanks for the visit and for helping us christen the new bricks!

back inside,

it's time to point out "choo-choos" obsessively to Aunt Dara

and then it's time to jump on the sofa with Daddy and Uncle Brian

but today we're back to quiet time at home

a few more pictures

Carolyn shared a few of the pictures she took during their visit.

at Marmie's birthday dinner

and a few snaps of Jed

marmie's visit

While Marmie and Carolyn were here, I took the opportunity to do lots of errands! Sadly, that meant I didn't get a lot of pictures. But I did get a dining room table moved, rocking chairs delivered from my parents' porch to ours, and I picked up Jed's old car seat from Caroline, who had brought it down from DC now that Lucy has outgrown it.

Jed relived the good ol' days in his former carseat.

Outside, he helped me water our new plants.

And Jed and Marmie enjoyed the "new" rockers before I washed them.

complete with an accidental tribute to Eudora Welty

visitors

Marmie and her friend, Carolyn, arrived on Thursday. We've had a great visit so far and I'll post more pictures in a few days, but here's Jed opening the Curious George book and monkey Carolyn brought him.



And we have another resident. A pair of cardinals worked busily in one of our camellias for several days a week or two ago, but I'd long forgotten that when I started to prune the bush yesterday. Mama and daddy cardinal, however, wasted no time in calling their friends and sounding the alarm to remind me. This morning, I caught a shot of mama on the nest. The c-shaped metal on the left is a bracket from our old gutters, but the red diagonal just to the right of the bracket is her tail and her beak is the red spot a little farther over to the right. Hopefully, we'll have new baby pictures to post soon!

red ball

During a brief trip to the grocery store this morning, Jed spotted a bin o' balls and began yelling his version of "ball." In this case, asking (or yelling) and receiving actually worked.

Easter and egg huntin' part 2

On Friday, Grandma and Grandpa arrived with a special Easter gift for Jed!

And Saturday morning, he headed straight back to it.

Eventually, we pried him off the tricycle to go to our neighborhood Easter egg hunt and brunch. Jed wanted to skip the eggs and get down to business,

but Daddy coaxed him into hunting-mode, and once Jed figured out the eggs held candy, he became an expert stalker and held his own with older children.

By Sunday afternoon, Jed was worn out, but he managed to stay awake for a few Easter photos.