Ash Wednesday

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday - at home...H & H are still contagious, so I'll spare our parish the germs...We're creating "Ash Wednesday Keepsake Boxes" today, and alms jars - H & H each want to create their own jar, Hazel has decided to donate her alms to the Humane Society, and Harry will give his to the Greater Chicagoland Food Depository.
As a family, we are giving up fast food. Last year we abstained from fast food AND television, but H&H are feeling less ambitious this year, so we'll have TV in the evenings only (no morning cartoons while mom's getting her act together over coffee -eek!) and avoid the temptation of drive-thrus!
I am going to give up sugar, which is always a challenge, particularly with Valentine's Day & Hazel's birthday right around the corner...
Will post photos of our boxes & alms jars when we've completed them...

Build A Drum Workshop

Back in late fall/early winter - we hosted a build-a-drum workshop!







...here is Hazel sanding her drum...


and here she is painting her drum...
Harry pondering the design ideas...
Almost painted masterpiece!



This workshop was an amazing experience! Check out Stan the Drum Man's website & set up a workshop in your area!
http://buildadrum.com/
ps(we're hoping to host an adult drum-making workshop in Illinois some time in the not-so-distant-future)

Hazel and Harry with the finished products!

Hacking and Wheezing and Rashes - OH MY!

Pneumonia in the house!!! Harry was diagnosed last week, and Hazel had been coughing, too...I guess we could've seen the writing on the wall, eh? Hazel's cough worsened on Friday evening (very little sleep was had) so I called the pediatrician to get her in to be seen on Saturday...After much lung-listening & a couple of breathing treatments at the office, the doc. asked Hazel "So...how do you feel about checking into the hospital tonight?" Poor kid had a momentary look of terror in her eyes, but as soon as Dr. K. started talking about the room service, it seemed more like an adventure/hotel stay & the little girl was fine. Luckily, Harry was home with the grandparents (thank goodness they were in town!)...SO...we drove across the street to Rush Copley Hospital, and were admitted...
SO...the main reason for the hospital stay, was to get the antibiotics into Hazel before the pneumonia had a chance to progress...Her oxygen levels were right on the line between ok & not ok... The antibiotics were administered - two different types - and about an hour later, Hazel developed this LOVELY rash, which soon began morphing into full-on hives!!! Benadryl to the rescue!




Here's a gnarly close-up of the legs!
And a little bit developing on the pretty face :(







Hazel is going to post in her own words later on...so you can get the report straight from the source! Life learning lessons for the weekend:
Pneumonia is no fun; Hazel is allergic to antibiotics; Benadryl is a quick acting miracle-drug; Rush Copley is a fine facility; pneumonic lungs sound like rice crispies when listened to through a stethoscope; hospital beds are comfortable, hospital cots (where mom slept) are not; kids always get really sick when one parent is out of town; hospital room service is FUN...
more later...

Candlemas and Puxatawney Phil...

Today the eastern groundhog proclaimed we've got six more weeks of winter...and since we haven't left the house (save for doctors appointments ) in a week due to our bronchial ailments, I guess that's ok...

We got a gorgeous 9 inches of snow a couple of days ago, and we are frequently finding ourselves looking out the windows wistfully wishing for sleds & snowboards...but the cough keeps us in...Hopefully it will not all melt before we are healthy - if the g-hog is right we should get a chance to play in it yet!

I found an interesting site explaining Candlemas from both pagan and Christian angles...although the tone of the article is decidedly pagan, it was still an interesting reference point to start with http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html

Since we're stuck in, I think we will talk a bit about spring-renewal stuff...I feel like since we've been holed up I've given up on some of my good intentions for the new year - haven't been for a run in almost two weeks - so Candlemas may help us get back on track!

Also found a Catholic link regarding Candlemas - www.newadvent.org/cathen/03245b.htm I am frequently amazed that my 12 years of Catholic school left out so much! I honestly had never heard of Candlemas until we started exploring Waldorf ideas for our homeschooling...

Hazel showing her Gingerbread Creation

Our latest Watercolor Paintings

These watercolors were done using the "wet on wet" technique (painting on wet paper) We added kosher salt to play with color & expirament with the chemical reaction of the paint & the salt...

Our Art Display Door

This is our "Peace Wreath" which we made in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The hands have some of Dr. King's quotes on them (the children selected their favorites - and Hazel wrote two of her own).