We Have A New Addition!

Yup!
Our little family is now with a new member.  Who is bottle feeding and peeing and pooping regularly ... if only it wasn't all over my damn floor.

 As we all know, Hurricane Irene ripped up the East Coast.  Or, as my favorite quote from my AGB on FB put it : "Irene's such a whore - she blew the whole East Coast".  
So after a night of prepping, nesting, crouching in the basement and waiting for tornado warnings to pass - the whole time alone with two munchkins, Mister got forced to work a 16 hour shift - the skies finally cleared. The munchkins did fantastic through the whole thing - they were even somewhat calm during our time in the basement, but they were going stir crazy by the time Sunday came.  It was still a little windy but the sun was shining, so I told them we could take Zac out for a walk.  As we came back to the house, Mooch yelled, "Mommy - look!"  All huddled up on our lawn was this teeny, tiny baby bunny.  It ran into my front garden bed when we got near, and Mooch looked in and said, "There's TWO!"

 We sat and watched them for awhile, and I looked all around our yard - no sign of mama bunny.  Mooch yelled, "Mom, there's a snake chasing the bunnies!"  The bunnies were hopping around like crazy and there was a huge black snake in our garden hunting them.  Mooch usually adores snakes, but she grabbed a stick and started chasing it and yelling.  One bunny took off around the side of our house, and has not yet been found.  The other curled up under a bush and looked terrified.  At this point it was 5:30, and I was debating on leaving it outside or bringing it in.  A neighbor kid had come by to look and she put her hand down to the bunny, and it just hopped right in.  We found an empty diaper box, put a towel inside, and put the bunny in, then I made a mad dash to the computer to look up what the heck I was supposed to do.  

*Disclaimer - yes, I know it is not encouraged to pick up/try to care for a wild bunny.  However, I'm not like most people with animals.  We have had this bunny for 3 days and I've been reading non-stop on care for wild bunnies.  I mean, I crocheted the thing a substitute burrow.  I'm an insane person, and it is a lot of work, so if you find some call your local wildlife rehabber unless you're up to the challenge*


Everything I read said to not stress the rabbit, to keep it warm and after while to feed it 5 cc's of kitten milk replacer formula.  So we ran out to the store, only to find every pet shop still closed due to Irene.  We made do with sensitive soy formula for that night and a heating pad covered with a towel in the bottom of the box.  Also, almost every site said raising baby bunnies is VERY tricky and they die very easily, so I warned the girls that bun-bun might not be with us too long.  We had been calling bunny Irene, until I checked "her" for dehydration (you do this by stroking the - ahem, "genitals region") and saw a lil' tiny bunny wang.  And so, Johnny Cash the Bunny was (re)born.


Though we are all crazy in love with JC, I have yet to find any successful happy-ending stories of wild bunnies becoming pets permanently.  There is a transitional hurdle switching them from formula to solid food (you actually have to feed them the night-time poo of an adult bunny to give them the right enzymes to digest solids) and a lot of bunnies don't do well with that.  Shortly after switching to solids they "wild up" and don't like to be held or handled any more (bunny ball-dropping time!), this is when most people release them.  So we will enjoy what time we have with JC, and let him go when it's time.

I was telling the girls I work with about JC, and awhile later one of them came running upstairs.  "There's a baby squirrel outside and you know about baby animals!!"  Crap.  Mama Squirrel fell out of a very tall tree and was dead on the sidewalk, and little baby squirrel was running around her and making this pitiful little cry.  We got the thing into a box, and looked up a wildlife rehabilitator in our area, and I drove him over.  
She said that around 70 baby squirrels had been brought to her in the last day, and over 300 baby bunnies.

Charlie the Squirrel
In her words they were "completely overrun" with orphaned animals.  She put Charlie in a box with other orphaned squirrels, and they all sniffed each other and then huddled down under a towel.

The girls I work with are calling me Snow White.


And one more thing - guess who's down one baby tooth AND is starting kindergarten tomorrow?  Waaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

Forgetting My Manners

... I am.  That sounded very Yoda.  But thank you all, for taking the time to read and offer advice with the extended family situation.  After an email was sent out from this person that was basically a string of lies, half-truths, and manipulation, I wrote back and asked not to be contacted again until this person was ready to tell the truth.  The response I got back was hurtful - but also closure.  Until someone is ready to help themselves, you can't really do anything to help them.  

Your kind words and advice are very appreciated - thank you.

And I have to share this.  *Warning* you will need a box of tissues to get through it - it is heartbreaking.  A blogger named Jennie from In Jennie's Kitchen  lost her husband very unexpectedly to a heart attack.  They have two young daughters.  She is asking everyone to make a peanut butter pie, one of her husband's favorites (that she had been planning on making him, but did not get the chance) and serve it to someone you love.  
The day I read it I burst into tears, right at my desk, in the middle of trying to read while eating my lunch.  Did I mention my desk is at the end of a hallway and people walk by all the time?  Yeah.  Then the Mister called and I tried to tell him about it and started bawling all over again. And being the sensitive individual that he is he offered these words of comfort: "Are you freaking PREGNANT?!?!?!!"
(p.s. - no I am not)

Make pie, give it to someone you love - or give it to someone who isn't expecting anything from you.  Wouldn't that be lovely?
Peace and love my friends ...

Til Things Get Brighter, He's The Man In Black

We are lucky enough to live right by White Clay Creek State Park, which not only has gorgeous hiking trails and parks, but also has a kick ass summer concert series.  You may remember that Mooch met David Stone, who portrays Johnny Cash in The Johnny Cash Experience, last year - and got to get up on stage and got his guitar pick.  Last night we saw the show again - gorgeous weather, awesome show, and a secretive bottle of wine that we snuck in.  Heck yes.
They opened the show by saying "Hello, we love Johnny Cash"

Butterbean and my youngest sister, Anna

 Pensive Butterbean with chocolate face

Girlies dancing and playing

The park is FILLED every time they play.

Reunited!  She got all shy when she went to say hi and wanted Daddy to hold her.
Are any of you all on Pinterest?  It is my new obsession.  Find me on there - I am under Mamas Thyme.  Come join the obsession!

Some More Vaca Pics and a Serious Question.

Hello lovers, it's been a while.
Sometimes, because I'm a great big stupid head, I agree to do 8000 things at once and promise to much to everyone and then end up running to and fro and stressing, not sleeping, etc.  This is kind of happening right now.  My sister is getting married in 11 days, and I'm helping get my parents' house ready for her ceremony and reception, making little belts for my other sister and I to wear (we are dual maids-of-honor, although we both like to point out to her her honor is long gone), and exercising like crazy to look the part of stone cold fox.  Then, a good friend was telling me about her and her long time boyfriend getting married, the day after my sister.  She showed me a picture of the bouquet she wanted and I heard myself say, "I could totally make that for you!"  WHAT?!?!??  So now I am also making her a seashell bouquet and 3 matching boutonierres.  <-I don't know how to spell that.  See, I can't even spell them and I will be making them.  Insanity I tell you.

Anyway, the rest of the vaca pics.  This is Fort Sewell, a Revolutionary War fort.  During the summer there are all kinds of goings-on here, like the Festival of Arts Champagne Reception, which I have very selflessly donated to several times. ;-)

 Excuse my beauty in my stunning beach cover up.  It will be featured in next month's Vogue.

 You can see the front of the fort to the right of the 'Bean's head.

 And what was Bean most impressed with?  Dandelions!  OMG, it's not like we have zillions of these at home! 

 

Nana helping Bean up the back of the fort.

And now, for the question.  I have to ask this in vague terms, forgive me.  It's just a touchy situation right now.

If you have an extended family member who you have been close to for most of your life, but who is now making poor decisions that effect other family, how do you nicely but firmly let them know you can't be involved with them for now?  And, is it ever ok to put up a boundary like that within your family?  And if this person is a parent, how do you allow your children to have a relationship? 

Ship Me Up To Boston

Hey hey hey!
3 weeks ago we went up to my hometown, a little north of Boston, to visit the Mister's parents and friends.  Stupidly when we got home I downloaded all 150+ pictures onto my home computer, which operates by a hamster running around a little wheel, and deleted all the pics off my camera.  I was all excited to do one big long post about our trip with all our pictures - I had forgotten that Blogger and my computer hate each other.  So I have just not got around to emailing myself these and FINALLY posting them.  
Dark Mother will slap me for this, but my in-laws live in Salem MA, and I love it there.  I should point out that I grew up in the next town over, so I know what to see when we go.  And it's fun to do the tourist-y things that you don't do when you live around there.

My mother in law went with us to Salem Commons.  It is a gorgeous park with a playground at the back of it.  After leaving home in 90+ degree temps and horrific humidity, the weather in MA was 70's to low 80's and gorgeous.  After that we walked through the downtown area and peeked in a few shops, including Laurie Cabot's.  
*slight rant* She's not exactly my cup of tea.  If you are trying to educate people and reach out and improve understanding of your beliefs, maybe don't bend people over quiiiiiiiite so far with your prices.  Mooch saw a pretty little amethyst that she wanted - $35.  It was slightly bigger than a quarter.  GIT over yourself.


We walked past the Peabody Essex Museum, which was calling my name, but the minions would have rebelled so we couldn't go in.  There were a lot of people milling around in puritan-esque dress, and we though they were just shilling for the museum.  Then this happened:

The town crier started loudly accusing a woman of witchcraft

The lady in the red and yellow dress had walked up to us earlier and asked Mooch if she was enjoying the town.  She said yes and the lady said, "There are a bunch of fools here!"  We were like, uh - ok. 

She's wearing red - what a giveaway!  Tramp!!

She was arrested for witchcraft and dragged away.  All the dressed-up people and a whole lot of others followed, and we were all, sure why not.

Mooch and Daddy

It was for a play/mock trial called "Cry Innocent" and is about a woman named Bridget Bishop accused of witchcraft in 1692.  You could go in and sit on the jury and here the testimonies.  Would have loved to have stayed, and Mooch was dying to go in, but Butterbean was wiped out.
If you're visiting and are interested, link is here 
Quick stop for some energy

Mmmm.  Green Monster ice cream - mint with brownie and chocolate sauce in it.
We stopped by the Salem Fire Station

Walked up a side street to look in a few more shops

Everything along here was closed!  Booo!!!

This is the one place I insisted we go.  It is a memorial square for the victims of the witch trials, inscribed with their dying words.  It's heartbreaking but beautiful.

Ignore the random visor and soda fucking up my picture.  Ugh.

 

"I am innocent, I am wronged"

 "God knows I am wholly innocent of such wickedness"

Right next to it is a graveyard with stones from the 1700's and 1800's.  For some reason newer cemetaries freak me out, but I love looking around old ones like this.  The descriptions on the stones, the names, the carvings.

 

 Mooch was fascinated, she wanted me to read every one to her.  I also did a horrible, evil, wicked Mommy trick and when she was peering through a crack in the side of a crypt, I grabbed her real quick from behind and she screamed.  Heheheheheeee...

The next day she was finally talking to me again, and we went tidepooling.  This is my absolute favorite beach in MA, called Fort Beach - right next to a Revolutionary War fort, Fort Sewell.  This beach has perfect tidepools at low tide and is nice and deep at high tide.

This is the first trip back to MA since we've been down here where I haven't gone swimming at a New England beach.  The water is like ice water, your ankles ache after a few minutes of standing in it, but I have to do it.  It is the water of my childhood.

 Butterbean was perplexed.  "Mommy, dere is shells ebrywhere!"  Yes, periwinkle shells as far as the eye could see. I wanted to fill a bucket with them but the girls collected their own stuff, so I just filled the Mister's pockets :-)  They are so pretty when they're wet.

 "I got one!"

The girls were excited to find hermit crabs - then Mooch, the child who catches snakes by herself and puts them in her pool, decided the crabs were going to pinch and she didn't want to hold them.  She finally came around.

 

 At the far left of the picture is the restaurant we had lunch at, The Barnacle.  Hands down the best seafood chowder I've ever tasted, and it's got a deck with a beautiful view.  

More pics tomorrow (curse you slow computer!)