So much Science

Its been a bit since I posted. I did some community service at work and helped to judge a science fair with my friend Kelsey. My work pays for 8 hours of community service per year and this was half of my 8 hours.

The kids were so smart and so earnest and enthusiastic. I wish that all scientist were like that.

We've had some high winds and storms as we do in the spring and a branch went through the fence. We had the truck fortunately and got a few split rails to fix it.

While doing yard work we saw the neighbors dog was out and decided to give Pax a treat. She went out and jumped and ran with her best buddy for a bout two hours. Boy was she happy!

Meanwhile Kiernan and Nana and I put in the rest of the root garden (we did the ponions and carrots earlier.

This garden is basically just mulch but the potatoes seem quite happy in there.

After yard work we had our first cook out of the year.

Something happened to David and that tiredness and soreness that laid him flat last year is at him again. 

A half day of yard work had him out for about a week.

I hate illness but particularly in those I love.

The hosta started coming up and I was so pleased to see them. I did a big divide near the end of last summer and I was not sure everyone would come back as they looked none-to-healthy last fall. So far everyone looks good and the new placements should keep them from taking over the front walk this year.

Its been a year since we brought the turtle home and the nights are warm now so she spent a week out on the deck in a fish tank 

 and then we set her free.

I had this whole plan to do it gently and slowly but she made a dive bomb for the water and never looked back. We put her in the pond that she should have been headed to when I found her. I have been going down there a lot to check if there is a best place for turtles and this is it.

Lots of logs and lots of other turtles.

We dumped all the turtle food in there with her to give her a good head start.

Goodbye Kuri.

The next week David felt better generally.

Kiernan got a field trip to the Air and Space museum. 

Then on the weekend we went down town to the Jefferson again.

We went down for the warm weather and the cherry blossoms.

It was warm and crowded but pretty good.

We had a picnic.

I got a headache that stayed for a few days. It was so bad I actually left work early and laid on the hammock with Megs.

We inched through a week with a lot of head congestion and some coughing.

On the weekend we did a little Easter prep.

We dyed eggs.

They turned out so well this year.

Megan was pretty sick.

Kiernan helped me week and put in some more lithodora.

We got in our fancy Easter clothes.

We went to Scearce's and hunted up some Easter eggs with cousin Kaleb.

It was cool but not cold. The eggs were medium easy to find.

We had good company.

Some of our good company made great food and brought a ton of candy.

It got warmer and the kids jumped in the creek.

We hung out with Aunt Ruthie. That was a great surprise.

We had so much fun int he water we left Scearces and went to Uncle Chris and Aunt Pammys for even more water.

Easter was a hit.

Megan had a fever but it went away with ibuprofen.

The next day I found a new baby turtle.

A boy this time.

He went nearly straight into water.

Our leaves came out in earnest.

Megan went to the doctor. Megan had tonsillitis and strep throat and an ear infection.

Poor Megan.

She is now on antibiotics.

I spent the week at work really anxious because I have a flight coming up.

I am so afraid of flying that I am having a really hard time sleeping. Fortunately the lab is having a big rearrange and I am putting a great deal of physical effort into it and that has helped.

I am really glad for the timing. I can move fridges and put casters on lab benches and blow off so much steam.

I am going to Denmark. I want to go and I really don't want to fly to get there.

Its so cool that I am getting this chance. I am very lucky.

This weekend was Earth Day and March for Science day.

I wanted the kids to go to the march. I wanted them to see protest up close and I think the current political movements against science are sad and damaging.

It was free parking if we went down early enough. Early enough makes the amount of time to kill tricky. It was chilly and raining but the Smithsonian is amazing and we availed ourselves of it.

We went to the National museum of Natural History and to the National Gallery of Art.

They are my two favorites.

I don't know how I can convey to you how much I love these places.

It is very much

At the first the kids got to feel whale baleen and skull castings from early hominids and at the 2nd I got to see a Della Robbia that I have been trying to find all over the internet and in books and then there it was right in front of me.

This one ties into my particular love of sacred art and my love of Dorothy Dunnett.

I am so so pleased to have seen it.

We ate a lot of snacks to kill time.

Megan was very pleased.

Whem the time for the march rolled around we headed out.

The rain had mostly stopped.

We joined the march mid-flow so the kids wouldn't get too tired.

They were not overwhelmed. 

It helped I think that science marchers are pretty quite and well mannered.

Then wed headed home with wet feet and brains full of stimuli.

My Earth Day message to everyone is to get you to please consider getting a bidet.

"It’s Earth Day. Please consider getting a bidet. If you have a septic system like I do it will thank you. If you don’t the trees you’ll save on tp will thank you. If you have young kids the cleaner butts will thank you. This one was 25 bucks from Amazon." 

The  hair dyeing has started up again.

I am psyching myself up for boldness in my upcoming travels.

I have bleached but am not yet the blue I will be.

Megan is blue and purple and responding well to her antibiotics.

Today was the annual Cub Scout Pack 1191 Cubmobile races day.

I was happy to still have the truck as they needed one to move all the carts

Kiernan raced with the confidence of a veteran (last year stuck with him apparently)

Megan strapped herself to daddy and zoomed away with a yell.