Alright, the photo man has done his stuff but he wasn't around here for these stories.

 

I try to meditate a little each day - nothing mystical - just to calm myself down to a normal-person pace.  Well, I keep falling asleep when I meditate in the afternoon.  Doug said, "Why don't you try in the morning?" 

"Sure, good idea, " I said.  Well, this morning Aaron was off to school, Christopher was ready for the day and playing, and Shannon was still in bed.  (This is typical.)  So I go in my room for my peaceful time.  Wouldn't you know it, I ended up back in bed!  Shannon comes knocking on my door and says in a plaintive voice, "Mommy, can you get me breakfast?"  Of course I hop right out with a big smile, right?  No!  I say, "Shannon, you can get yourself cereal or a bagel, OK?"  Very obediently and cluelessly she went away. (She has never gotten herself breakfast before.)  I come down to find her eating a toasted bagel with butter.  I was impressed.  She said, "I decided on a bagel when Christopher agreed to take it out of the toaster for $2.  Don't worry Mom, right after I eat I will pay him."  Big grins from both.  So who really needs a mom anyway?

 

Later, I was cutting down some dry ornamental grasses in the front yard when I noticed a bunch of feathers.  Looking closer, I discovered a clutch of beautiful eggs!  Christopher and I were amazed.  There was one shy of a dozen.  I remembered a couple of ducks that wouldn't leave our yard the other day, so I guessed they belonged to them.  Well, we had fun cracking one.  I was a little scared - I didn't know if I would find a gooey egg or a half-developed embryo staring at me.  It looked like a regular unfertilized gooey egg.  So what do you think I did?  That's right, I had Christopher wash them and put them in our fridge.  I looked duck eggs up on the internet (What did we do before the net?) and found that ours were indeed duck eggs.  And you can eat them, the same as chicken eggs.  (You can also eat them if they are pre-hatched chicks - it's supposedly an Asian delicacy full of protein.  Sounds like a bunch of down and bones to me. Yuck.)  Well, we are going to eat them tomorrow.  Wish us luck!