Amusing Ourselves to Death

Have you read the book with the same title?
Me neither, it's on my shelf and I hope to get to it soon.
But, sometimes I quote the title because it fits some things so perfectly. Too perfectly.
Like yesterday when I came home to have Calder excitedly show me his pictures.
It started innocently enough.

The night before had been such a perfect, balmy night that we had gone out on the picnic table to eat. We must not have cleaned up well because he found them licking up leftovers.

However, they scared too easily for Calder's photo shoot, so he decided to try and absorb their attention a little more with syrup. One by one, it worked.

It worked well.

So well, that he (Calder) decided they really wouldn't mind where the syrup was placed, and wouldn't it be cool if.....

... if he dipped his finger in?

The tickle of their feet quite amused him. And if one finger was good....

Wouldn't the whole hand be better?
According to him, "It was for the first thirty minutes, but who knew they were so slow??"
Yelling at a whisper doesn't get much notice from people on the other side of the house.
Which is why he was found statue like a few hours later, with not many pictures beyond the finger stage.
Apparently it's a little difficult to take photos when your whole hand, and much of your body, are covered in a swarm of winter hungry foragers.
It's also not easy to convince your sister to take your camera out of your infested jacket pocket and snap a quick one.
-I think I'm a little relieved that image is left only to my imagination.

Speaking of amusing and death...
I came home the next night, after leaving Pal to babysit Hydn, while I dropped the kids off at an activity.
I came home to a dark, silent house.
Nobody in sight.
I checked every nook and cranny.
I called "Ollie, Ollie, Oxen Free" and still no sign.
Just as Justin and I were about to call the police, Justin yelled that he'd found them.
He carried two shivering, befuddled, and wet boys in from outside.
They'd taken out a blanket (no socks, no shoes, no jackets, and no brains) and fallen sound asleep at five in the afternoon.
Little boys don't quite 'get' time; other than knowing dark= sleep, day= play.
Or, at least little boys who are trying so very hard to please their mom- by being a good babysitter, and getting their baby brother to bed on time.
Little boys that find the only way to subdue an active 3 year old so early in the day, is to take them outside and wait for hypothermia to set in.
I won't mention the wet clothes and how they came to be, it might embarrass them.
With a warm bath, some hot chocolate, and Justin tucking them in tight, they seem to have come out no worse for the wear.
But, I guess babysitting is out.

The good news is, that not all my surprises when I come home are as startling.
These sidewalk chalk drawings have been perfectly placed for my feet to step on, as I have exited the car for the successive last three days.
(Thus the reason nobody could hear Calder's whispered yelps for help; they were too engrossed in their own experiments.)

And the rest?
They're not such deathly entertainments either, but I do find them rather amusing.

I found this image while downloading the bees.
It was explained in this way:
"We were playing FBI. When we got caught, we were booked, and put on the computer file. If we could escape, then find and get rid of all the evidence before the agent came back, we were free. Then it was our turn to be agent."
Obviously Hy wasn't very successful at deleting evidence.
I'm glad.
I would never have known their games had technically advanced so far.

I don't know...
Your guess is as good as mine.

This looks to be some sort of shop, but the owner was away, and I couldn't quite figure it out on my own.
But I was informed that this was the blacksmith shop. (Bold letters to help you say it the way it was presented to me.)

And here is the blacksmith, complete with dust.

And here we have the bakery. Which, of course, is appropriate on colder days.

"May I take your odor?" Ha. ha. ha.

Prep cooks.

I personally enjoyed the pickles floating in pickle juice.
Alright, guess that's about it.
"Order Up!"

Is it just me....

- or does this woman,
bear a remarkable resemblance to this woman?
It's kind of like the Old Spice commercial. You know, the part where he says, "Look at me. Now look at your man. Now back to me." "Look at your Senior Undersecretary to the Minister For Magic"
"Now look at your House Minority Leader"
"Back to the Undersecretary"
"Now back to the Minority Leader."

Yup.
I thought so too.

Vicksburg - The Final Chapter

The final stop.

Some people love to cook, some people love to shop, some people love to make things; I love American History.  And while my desire to visit each and every historical site is annoying to some, I have met my match with Bert.  It also seems that it's somewhat genetic (it appears there're only 2 illegitimates.)
Vicksburg, and a portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway were the icing of our trip. Although we spent more than enough time there for now, Bert and I didn't quite get our fill. Laugh if you will, but we plan on renting this someday, so that we can do it as slow and as thorough as we like:

And I will make it look good....
Until then we will make do with what we got.

Vicksburg is second only in architecture and sculpture to the Gettysburg battlefield.



But if history isn't your thing, and it wasn't necessarily your history teachers either, let me refresh your memory.
Vicksburg (no matter what others may say) was the turning point in the Civil War.  It insured Federal control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two.  It is the battle and seige that made General Grant, Lincoln's new and final leader. Vicksburg was the beginning of the end.
Control of this particular bend insured the Union victory.

We're trying to figure out where the river runs now and where it used to run.

And lest you not think I was serious about our seriousness, I present Hydn Ulysses Ellsworth with his namesake. 


The main features that mark Vicksburg are the sap's, parapets, and redoubts.  They're still very visible, very cool, very steep, and very fun.






 

And the cherry on top?  The resurrected 'Cairo.'  Not many original ironclads just laying around.  SO NEAT! 







Give the younger kids the camera and they'll hang in there with you until the bitter end.



'Old Abe,' the original screaming eagle.

 17,000 Federal soldiers.  Only 4,000 of the soldiers are identified.  Upright gravestones are used to designate the former, while the small blocks of stone indicate the unknown.

 The surrender interview site between J.C. Pemberton and Grant.  Pemberton almost made as high marks in my esteem as Grant.  But Grant's name is cooler..

Our one and only night in a motel, and it was n.i.c.e., because we were worn out.

But never so worn out that we won't be back.   

It was an awesome trip!
We feel so lucky, and can't wait for an excuse to go back.
It was almost worth loosing the oldest child for. :)