1st Overnighter w/ Asst. Zookeeper

The Asst. Zookeeper has been taking the Heathens camping since before they could walk.  But it was something special when he and Heathen #1 went on their first overnighter with the Scouts.  I wasn't sure who was more excited that evening as they set off into the woods together.

This past weekend, it was Heathen #2's turn for that first trip into the woods with just the Asst. Zookeeper.  Since he was old enough, that meant he needed a new external frame pack and a zero-degree sleeping bag.  Here he is all geared-up:

At this point, Heathen #2 was impatiently waiting for the Asst. Zookeeper to finish getting ready (he'd just come running in the door from work!)

When they were finally both ready, they humored me:

I said: "Pretend you are hiking"
Heathen #2: "Really?"
Asst. Zookeeper: "The faster you play
along with your mother, the faster we leave."

I said: "Look like you are having fun!"

I said:  "Pose and look manly!"

Asst. Zookeeper said: "Now point at something and look interested!"

They came home the following morning, tired, smelling of campfire, and thoroughly content.  Heathen #2 had a million stories to tell me - including how they made omelets in a bag!

The Asst. Zookeeper had a very tired, but satisfied look on his face.  His only comment was, "He had a good time."

Heathen in the News!

Last Saturday morning, the oldest Heathen fell victim to my "You should DO this!" mentality.  I'll admit, I have a problem.  I am a sucker for event flyers.  If it is on a flyer and handed to me, I feel compelled to go.  Here's what happens in my brain:

"Wow - they actually made a flyer.  It must be important!  We're absolutely MUST go!"

This is how my Zoo has ended up at bizarre places and doing bizarre things.  Probably the best to date would have been BatFest in the fall of 2010.  My Heathens and friends still make comments about white-nose syndrome and the Heathens want to buy bat houses for the new house!

So Saturday morning started out with a flyer advertising a "badge in a day" program.  Anyone who is involved with the scouts KNOWS that completing a badge in a day is difficult.  Once the boys move into a troop, the badges can be very involved and require very specific materials or equipment. 

I checked Heathen #1's schedule and he was AVAILABLE - so I informed him he was going.  He said okay - but I never told him what time it started in the morning.  Oops.

Since I was already driving Heathen #1 to this, I decided to round up some other Scouts from the Troop to take as well.  We ended up with a group of 8 - all in my Suburban.  It was at this point that I started to question my wisdom.

The boys did finish their badges all in one day.  And were all wound up like puppies when I picked them up in the afternoon since they had been indoors and sitting all day.  It was an interesting ride home, to say the least!

This photo appeared in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat the following day:

The following day at church, I was swamped with "church ladies" telling me that "your oldest, Tristan" was in the newspaper "in his uniform" and that did I want them to save me a copy of their newspaper.

DNA Surfaces

Every grandparent looks at a grandchild and says, " He looks just like..." or "She looks SO much like...."  It is natural.  It is the only immortality that humans have - what they can pass on to their children. 

I've spent just shy of fourteen YEARS looking at my three Heathens and seeing the Asst. Zookeeper in them as clear as day.  Heathen #1 not only looks like him, but he shares the same passion for the outdoors.  Heathen #2 shares his passion of music and theatre, as well as having the same bone structure and build.  Heathen #3 looks more like him than the other two (if possible) and shares the same social outgoing nature that allows him to make friends without any effort.

While it bothers some mothers to not find themselves in their children, it has never bothered me.  When I can see their father in them, it reminds me of his qualities that drew me to him in the first place.  They are all qualities that I'm glad my children share.

And enough of the mushy stuff!  I finely caught a photo of one of my Heathens that proves he shares my DNA.

In my family, my mother always started a lot of sentences with, "I need someone to..."  This was always followed by a chorus of, "Not It!" from my siblings and I.  When we were little, it many times devolved into a yelling match over who did it last time, whose turn it was this time, and how it was never fair!

As we "matured" (and I use that term VERY lightly), the "Not It!" evolved into this:

The last person to put their finger on their nose was "It" and had to do whatever my mother had asked.  Even as adults, we continue to do this at her house when we are all home.

I don't even remember what I was asking for someone to do last weekend while we were outside.  But I started the sentence just like my mother, "I need someone to..."  I didn't hear any response from the Heathens and assumed that none of them had heard me since they were playing outside.

And then I turned around to find Heathen #1 looking at me with a very smug little smirk on his face.  And his finger was on his nose...  I was so proud!

He really IS my child!

Zoo Visitor

Late last night (after midnight) I was working at the computer in the dining room.  The computer desk sits right beside one of the windows.  With it dark outside, I wasn't really looking out the window much... until a movement caught my eye...


And this is what I found:

He was just hanging on the outside of the window.  And despite the multiple camera flashes, he was very cooperative and held perfectly still!  Here are the rest of the photos I took of my visitor!  I love the reflections that I got in the next two shots.

The little guy hung around for another hour or so, before I noticed that he had disappeared.  I'll be checking the windows at night to see if he visits again!  Did I mention that I LOVE the new house!?!?!

$5 Puppies & Dirt Bikes

Two of my three Heathens have birthdays in the next two weeks (March 28, April 2).  So the Asst. Zookeeper and I have been brainstorming about this year's presents.

Since we now live in the country and have ground - and a neighbor that allows Heathens on his land - we decided the Heathens should have dirt bikes or quads.  The decision was the easy part, locating affordable ones was a different story.  But the Asst. Zookeeper did some looking around and found what we needed.

At this point, I need to mention that over the years, I have managed to take us to some weird and creepy places when I've looked for puppies.  Granted, I never paid more than $50 for a pure bred and $5 for a mutt, but they were located in some backwoods, creepy places.  And the Asst. Zookeeper has constantly mentioned it ever since it occurred the first time.  Now, as we drive, if we pass a place that looks creepy or rundown, he will turn and look at me, smile, and then comment, "I bet they have $5 puppies!"

This time, the tables turned.

Last Saturday afternoon, while Heathen #1 was out of town, we put the younger two Heathens in the truck and told them we were going for a road trip to "look at equipment."  Grandma had told them they would like the trip, and they were certain she would be right.  According to Heathen #2, "Grandma said the gob cake was good, so she'll be right again."  Nothing like Heathen logic to make you go, "Huh?"

According to the owner, the bikes were near Brookville, not far from DuBois - a little over two hours from the Zoo.  When we passed Brookville High School, we still hadn't found the road we needed.  After a second phone call, we discovered that this guy lived practically in GROVE CITY - which we had taken the long way to get to because of his weird directions!

The directions included a lot of dirt roads with no visible road signs.  And what he told us was no more than 10 miles was much closer to 25!  After seeing where the man lived and the secluded area, I was surprised that he even had a cell phone. 

As we pulled into the man's "lane" Heathen #2 warned his father not to hit the man's motorcycles - not realizing yet why we we there.  As the Heathens go out of the truck, Heathen #3 asked if we had brought them to ride the dirt bikes - they only realized we were there to BUY them after another 15 minutes or so.

At one point, the man mentioned that he had been keeping the bikes in his house.  I struggled not to snort as Heathen #2 stared at the man strangely, turned to look at the man's detached garage, and then turned back to stare at the man as if to say, "What are you? Nuts?  You have a GARAGE!"  When the man went into his HOUSE to get a new spark plug, Heathen #2 leaned over to me and whispered, "CREEEEEEEPY!"

At no point in this entire interaction at this man's house did he ever speak to me.  Even when I spoke directly to him, he just looked at me.  CREEEEEPY!

After loading the bikes into the back of the truck, we followed the man to the closest notary in the town of Seneca.  When Sheetz is the biggest this in town, it should probably be downgraded to a "little town," just one or two steps above "village."

At this point, the Heathens needed to use the bathroom and the notary did not have one.  The man told the Asst. Zookeeper that there was one just down the street at the gas station that the boys could use.  Then he looked at my husband and asked (I kid you NOT!) "Does she DRIVE?"

He then proceeded to follow me out the door and warn me about the heavy traffic on the road and give me directions three times how to turn LEFT and go to the gas station.  I must have been drooling on myself that day without being aware of it.  Does she DRIVE?  Really?  And the heavy traffic he was warning me about was maybe two cars on the road - I wouldn't even count it as "traffic" much less "heavy traffic."

The Asst. Zookeeper and I laughed with the Heathens about our trip while we were eating dinner in Grove City that night.  Since we had made the unexpected trip there, we were able to pick up the new whitewater boat for Heathen #3 on the same day instead of having to make a second trip the following day - SCORE!

Heathen #2 is on the red bike Heathen #1 is on
the purple quad.

Heathen #3 on his red dirt bike.

Birthday Presents 2012 = Happy Heathens!

 As though in proof of how happy the Heathens were riding around the farm behind us on their birthday presents, this rainbow popped up and was visible for quite a while!

And their birthdays get better still.  Grandma and Pappy decided to get them one big present to share instead of individual gifts.  And here is what showed up at the Zoo:

Thank you Grandma and Pappy!



As the Asst. Zookeeper put, "God help the first one of them that tells me he is bored and there is NOTHING to do this summer!"

Racing Writing Utensils

Since we are a Scouting family, we have spent the past 8 years participating in our Pack's annual Pinewood Derby.  Every year is it a mixture of fun, anguish, pride, frustration, and excitement.  And, every year, when the races are finished, the Heathens begin talking about "next year."

Heathen #1 is now too old for the races as he bridged to the Troop several years ago.  Usually he makes a car to race in the adult category, but this year he was out of town for the big event.

That left us with Heathens #2 and #3 to build cars.  For seven years, the Asst. Zookeeper and the Heathens have built cars that actually looked like race cars - that was what they wanted to build.  This year it went a bit differently.

While the Asst. Zookeeper was at work one evening, I asked the younger two Heathens to draw a picture of what they wanted their car to look like so that their father would have a plan to look at as he and the Heathens built the car.  Receiving a blank look from both Heathens as to what they wanted their car to look like, I sent them to the Internet for ideas.  Here is the result of the Heathens' Internet search for car ideas:

Heathen #2 built a #2 Pencil (which was very appropriate!)

And the Pencil WINS!!!

Heathen #2 (tan shirt on the right)
racing the Pencil (left lane)

Heathen #2 and his #2 Pencil

Heathen #3 (on the left) racing his Hot Pink Crayon (right lane)

Heathen #3 took FIRST PLACE in
his den races!  That was a really
FAST crayon!

Heathen #3 lining up his crayon for
another race.

Heathen #3 and his
Hot Pink Crayon

The Hot Pink Crayon and the #2 Pencil

Both Heathens had a great time racing their cars.  And I was so proud of them both.  After last year when his car didn't win a single race, Heathen #2 was ecstatic that he won a few races this year.  And even though Heathen #3 won in the den races, he only took fourth place in the Pack races.  But he came away with a huge grin on his face.  Both Heathens went home to the Zoo happy and with pride in what they had accomplished.  What more could I have asked for?

The Bane of Spring

While Summer is my favorite season (hands-down!), Spring runs a close second place.  As I look out the windows in my dining room, I can watch the sun come up over the hill behind me and I can see the little birds returning to the fields and trees.  It truly is happening...  Spring is coming!

I love watching the birds return and the flowers start to peak through the ground.  I find myself watching the trees when I travel, looking for the tinge of red on the branches that tell me that the buds are growing.  And I will cheer aloud when the leaves pop out and are bright green for the first time, banishing the brown of Winter.

There is a downside to Spring.  It haunts me year after year.  And "the Evil" has a name and is even marked on most calendars that you purchase.  I am not the only one to groan when I hear the date is arriving.

"The Evil" is called Daylight Savings Time and just occurred this past weekend.  I am still struggling with the effects.

I HATE Daylight Savings Time

I don't remember struggling with it when I was a child - although, I'm sure my mother dreaded it.  The week heading into "The Evil," all I head mothers discussing is how it effects their children.  Don't get me wrong, it does effect them.  But I think the effect is worse because of its effect on ME. 

I've never popped out of bed like a daisy (despite the Asst. Zookeeper's claim that I'm a morning person, that's only in comparison to him).  Yet it is Wednesday morning, and I could barely drag myself out of bed.  Yesterday, the Heathens all missed their bus because in my exhausted delirium, I didn't understand why the alarm was blaring in the middle of the night and simply turned it off.  (oops!)

And the last three days, despite keeping up with my normal schedule (read "normal schedule" as "crazy, insane, hectic!") I laid awake in bed until after midnight!  SOOOOOO wrong!  All I manage to do is list things in my head that need done the next day and continually pop out of bed to do "just one more thing."  SOOOOOO wrong!

For those that live near me, please be forgiving for the next week or so.  I feel as though I have oatmeal between my ears and thinking may be difficult.  But it's okay, because I know the Heathens will slow down and take it easy on me....