April 30, 1913 vs April 30, 2013

Dora:
Made garden A.M.
Went to Mendon PM in auto

Note: She doesn't record any financial expenditures on the 30th, but for the 29th she lists:
Corset $2.75
Muslin $0.15
Paint $0.25
Stockings $ 0.10
Cord & elastic $0.12

Ray:
40-70 Fair
Drawed 11 loads of manure in am
Dragged rest of day.

Cayla:
Took Maurice to pre-school.
Came home to meet up with the men who are laying our new floor. They were running late so I left for an appointment with Ada. Came back, met with them, and then went to get Maurice. We went to McDonalds for lunch (so we could stay out of their hair) and then to a friend's house to jump on their trampauline (to stay out of their hair longer). Came home, the noise level was amzaing, but both kids were quiet in their beds. I was able to actually do some worrk I needed to do.
It was a gorgeous day. Once everyone was up we headed outside and played with bikes. Ada is a trooper.  When she falls off her tricycle, she cries, and climbs back on crying with a look of fierce determination on her little face.

April 29, 1913 vs April 29, 2013

Dora:
Finished my room.
Tried to mow lawn.
Ironed some, etc.

(We mowed for the first time two days ago. Wonder why she 'tried' to mow the lawn. Maybe the lawn mower--push type-- needed some servicing?)

Ray:
40-60 Fair
Dragged most of the day
went to town for salt

Cayla:
Returned several business phone calls in the am. Started several loads of laundry. Tidied up in general. Played outside with the kids after nap time. Both are loving their Christmas bikes although Maurice seems to like Ada's tricycle a bit better than his Strider bike.
Did some yard work after dinner, and the kids happily dug in the dirt while Tarek and I did what we needed to do.
Both kids needed a bath tonight.
Ada has developed a little post-bath/pre-bed routine. After getting in her pajamas and getting her teeth and hair brushed, she sprints into Maurice's room, throws herself giggling onto the little rug in his room.  Once thoroughly sprawled out she proceeds to joyfully convulse every muscle in her body while laughing hysterically.
Oh, the joys of being two!

Monday, April 28, 1913 vs Sunday, April 28, 2013

Dora:
Washed and done up some curtains.
Sam Holmes came in the morning for the first.

(Rather cryptic mention of Sam Holmes again. She just mentioned him 3 days ago "...and watercolored a room for Sam Holmes.")

Ray:
40-52 Fair
Went to town in am
Clipped Frank
Brot [sp] new drag home
Dragged in pm.

(Now we know the names of Ray's two work horses: Bill and Frank)

Cayla:
Went to church with the kids. Since Ada turned two years old she's been in the same room with Maurice. So, today when she saw she was going in the big kids room, she just started giggling happily. 
Came home and ate left overs from last night.
Everyone except Tarek took naps.
We got groceries after dinner.

Sunday, April 27, 1913 vs Saturday, April 27, 2013

Dora:
Got ready for Grandma and Uncle Ammon but they didn't come.
Went to church P.M.
Wrote letters at night.

Ray:
40-48 Rain
at home in am
church in pm

(Maybe Grandma and Uncle Ammon didn't come because they would have likely gotten wet during the ride over.)

Cayla:
Tarek took Maurice in the morning to run a few errands. I started working on dinner things early.  Did some yard work out with the kids. Ada played with her tricycle and Maurice dug in the dirt and rode his bike while I dug up dandelions.
Started cooking in earnest around 2 pm. Pierre and Anita came a bit early, and Anita brought one of her lovely tablecloths over and fixed the table nicely for me.
The Naders came and we had a lovely dinner.  We had: assorted Lebanese pickles (turnips and wild cucumber), cashews and pumpkin seeds as nibblers.  Then fatousch, which Randa brought, and kibbe with labneh, rice with chicken, asparagus, potatoes, hummus, bread, arak, and spinach pies.  Then the pudding for dessert with tea.  The kids behaved really quite well and went to bed without any fuss.

April 26, 1913 vs April 26, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned up around for over Sunday.
picked out a cup of nuts.

Ray:
40-60 Cloudy
Clipped Bill in am
Plowed som [e]
Dragged in pm

Cayla:
Worked in sleep lab in the morning. Came home and then realized I forgot to pick up some things from the accountant for Tarek.  So, I ran in to town and did that.
Maurice did not nap. Ada napped until almost 5 pm.
We met Tarek out for dinner and then went to the International Grocery store to get some things for our little dinner party tomorrow.
Stopped at Target on the way home to pick up a few more things.
After the kids were in bed I made Mhalabeya (like an orange blossom cream pudding for those who don't know) for tomorrow's dessert.

April 25, 1913 vs April 25, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned Hall and watercolored a room for Sam Holmes put down the carpet and settled it.
moved the seperator to shanty

Note: I can only assume that Sam Holmes asked Dora to paint a room of his house because she did it in a nice way.  I wonder what she meant by 'watercoloring' a room.
Also, I think every house needs a shanty.  I will now refer to our garden shed as our shanty.

Ray:
52- Rain
Drawed clover chaff & plowing.

Cayla:
Worked out at the neuro office today. It was extremely hectic, to say the least. 
But when I got home, I was greeted by joy. 
Ada came pitter-pattering to me, eager to show me something.
And Maurice...my boy who I've been trying to get to tell me things like what he did at pre-school that day, suddenly volunteered a vast amount of information. Then as I was hugging him, he said, "Awww... Mama's proud of me!"  He told me he made a red lady bug, a pink butterfly, and something about rockets.  He then told me he ate pancake cookies at pre-school.  My mama-heart did a little dance!

April 24, 1913 vs April 24, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned pantry and Bath Room

(I actually like cleaning and re-organizing the pantry, but I wonder how different Dora's pantry would be from mine.  I'm guessing she didn't have any mac n' cheese in her pantry.  Also, I am assuming they had a real bathroom, meaning no out house and running water.  Mom? Kerry? Confirm or deny.)


Ray:
38-80 Fair
Drawed 8 loads of manure in am
Plowed in pm

(Pretty warm temperatures for a Michigan April...)

Cayla:
Worked in the sleep lab today for most of the day. I did get home earlier than I thought I would, so that was good. A few patients that had to be re-scheduled from last week asked about the flooding, which was nice of them.
Interestingly, the blog is getting to me.  Every single time I started dictating today I said, "This is Cayla Burke dictating on Patient X on April 24, 1913...ooops...I mean April 24, 2013." 
Yeah.
Pretty sure the transciber will be annoyed with me.
Kids were in good moods and Ada is now telling us when she is doing #2.  We really might be potty training again in the near future!

April 23, 1913 vs April 23, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned parlor and bedroom

Ray:
50-78 Fair
Plowed in am
Dragged in pm

Cayla:
Took Maurice to pre-school. Made a quick run to Target with Ada. Came home and finished putting away laundry while Ada monkeyed around.
Kids took naps after lunch. We had a slow afternoon and it started raining again. Hoping the ground isn't too saturated for my drive to work tomorrow. I'm working a full day tomorrow to make up for having to re-schedule patients last Friday due to flood waters.

April 22, 1913 vs April 22, 2013

Dora:
Painted the kitchen the last coat
Ma cleaned her bedroom

Ray:
50-75 Fair
Plowed all day

Cayla:
Did all of our laundry today, cleaned and tidied up. Popped by our nanny's house, picked up some dry cleaning, and then took the car (and kids) through the car wash. Maurice had a look of joy on his face the entire time.  For Ada, it was more of a jaw-dropping experience, only made tolerable by her tight grasp on a sticky Dum-Dum the ladies at the dry cleaners gave her.  On the way home from the car wash, she held up her sucker and said, "I like it."  I said, "Oh, you like your lollipop?"  She nodded very solemnly.
Glorious afternoon:  Wagon ride with the kids, chatted with neighbors, and kids played on the porch while I fixed dinner.

April 20 & 21, 1913 vs April 20 & 21, 2013

Sunday the 20th

Dora:

Read A.M.

Went to church & S.S P.M. and when we came home had my first auto ride around the square

Mrs Shelly Preached or rather held the meeting.

Note: I'm sort of surprised it took them this long to actually have a ride in the new car.  Her father had brought the new car home on the 7th of April.  Either they were just busy with getting started plowing, or maybe they just admired the car a while before trying to figure out how to drive it.  Either way, today marks the beginning of an era in the Schneider family and it's descendants...

I am also familiar with this "square" as my cousin Jason and I would ride our bikes around the block (as we called it).  Today, this consists of a happy downhill ride, a turn left onto a dirt road, which was pure agony, then another left turn to an even more agonizing upward climb.  This takes you to the top of a very large, two-part hill, which was exhilarating (and dangerous-one never wanted to wipe out on this hill).  Then on to another left turn and a slow upward climb, only made tolerable by the memory of the most recent exhilaration.  Turn one last left and then the last hill.  That last hill would let you glide nicely home.

So, I can imagine a ride in a Model T around those same curves, probably only different in the fact that none of the roads were paved at that time.

Another point:  Mrs. Shelly preached?  Her husband must have been the preacher and not available.  Interesting that her first point is that she preached, meaning that she led the meeting in a very similar way that her husband would have, but then Dora remembered that women don't preach.  So, she backed off.

Ray:

27-50 Fair

at home in am

church in pm

went down to Grandmas at night

Saturday the 20th

Cayla:

We ran errands in the am. I took Maurice for a hair cut.  The cable guy came and fixed some things in the afternoon.  Tarek and I went out and celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary.  We went to the Melting Pot, which is where he proposed to me eight years ago.  What a sweet guy! We got home late and I forgot to post until we were half asleep...

Monday the 21st

Dora:

Washed and cleaned church yard.

Ray:

40-60 Fair

Plowed and dragged all day.

Sunday the 21st

Cayla:

Went to church.

Everyone (except Ada) took naps. She blabbed happily and may have slept for a bit, but certainly didn't take her usual 2-3 hour nap. Maurice slept for three hours, which is highly unusual.

We made a quick trip to a store to look at a couch we are interested in once everyone was up.  Maurice is cracking us up with the things he is saying these days.  At the store, he saw something (I don't know what it was) and he said, "Oh, that's strange!"  He said it with such force, it was hilarious.

And as we were reading to him tonight before bed he started reading the book with us and using the vocal inflections that we usually use and then he gave me a really proud look.

April 19, 1913 vs April 19, 2013

Dora:
Baked bread
Cleaned up house and Raked the church yard.
Retired at 8:30.

Ray: 40-55 Fair
Plowed all day
town at night.

(He makes no note that he spent any money in town)

Cayla:
After driving home yesterday and seeing how close the water was to the road, I figured there would be major flooding today.  And yes, there was major flooding.  The roads were pretty much blocked off, covered in water and there was a county-wide order to stay home and keep the roads free for emergency vehicles.  And our nanny was totally surrounded by water and the people a block down from her were being evacuated.  So, Tarek and I stayed put with the kids.
Ada is having major two-year-old tantrums.  She seemed to improve, though, after a three hour nap.
Tarek was able to do some work from home and I spent time jabbing my now-infected-biopsy-site with a somewhat sterile scalpel blade (I didn't poke at it until it was already infected).  The bad side is the right...and you know how it's always hard to paint your right fingernails (if you are right handed)?  It's equally hard to do minor surgery with your left hand, in case anyone was wondering...

April 18, 1913 vs April 18, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned 3 rooms upstairs
Ambrose Goodacre's, L.B. Hecklemans, J.W. Miller & wife called in the eve
Was invited to Birthday party at Langs but did not go.

Note: I'm unclear if she didn't go to the Birthday party because guests showed up or if she just ended up not going because she didn't want to.  But this is the 2nd time in recent history that she was invited somewhere to a social event and did not go.

Ray:
40-71 Fair
Dragged all day/
(his letters are very elongated and the sentence is stretched way out. I suspect he was bone tired.)

Cayla:
Worked alone out at the neuro office.  On the way home I could have done with a hovercraft or a speed boat. It was pouring cats and dogs and I noticed that the water was right up to the road. Sure enough the news tells me tonight that this road is covered in water now.

April 17, 1913 vs April 17, 2013

Dora:
Painted old upstairs bedroom. baked pies.
P.M. Went to town bought outfit for finishing pictures and carrying case  8.90

Ray:
40-65 Fair
Rolled & dragged & sowed oats.

Cayla:
Worked in the sleep lab today. It was a little hectic since the girl who worked out front moved on to bigger and better pastures.
Came home, Ada was napping after having a bit of a fever in the morning.
Trying to finish up the laundry tonight.
Tarek takes his exam tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 16, 1913 vs Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Dora:
Painted my dresser A.M.
Baked and went down to the cemetry [sp] and to Uncle Daves.

Ray:
40-60 Fair
Plowed in am
Started to sow oats in pm.

Cayla:
It was pouring down rain in the morning. Took Maurice to pre-school. Moped around and watched the news about Boston.  Picked Maurice up from pre-school and Crystal was waiting for us when we got home. She got the kids lunch while I changed quickly for work.
Worked a very busy afternoon at the sleep clinic. Tarek beat me home from work as traffic was pretty jumbled from all the rain.
Had a sweet time with Maurice, reading before bed. I'm continually amazed at how good his memory is and I'm beginning to wonder if he's able to read a few words already....

Tuesday, April 15, 1913 vs Monday, Arpil 15, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned house in A.M.
Went to Mrs. Fishers to missionary meeting P.M.
Mrs. Shelly stayed all night.

Ray:
30-58 Fair
Plowed & rolled all day.

Cayla:
Went to the Dermatologist first thing this morning to have a biopsy taken. Now I have both hands pretty much incapacitated.  Can take the sutures out in a week to 10 days.  In the mean time I need to keep my hands dry.  Easier said than done!
Didn't do much today since my fingers were numb for most of the day. Should have done laundry, but I didn't even feel up to that.
Heard the news about Boston via a text message from our nanny.
I did go to a drug dinner in the evening and Tarek put the kids to bed and then continued studying.

Monday, April 14, 1913 vs Sunday, April 14, 2013

Dora:
Painted in the forenoon and planted seeds in boxes.

Ray:
32-50 Fair
Plowed & rolled all day.

Cayla:
Went to church. After church, Maurice and I went to a birthday party for a boy in Maurice's pre-school.  He had a total blast. The party was at a bounce house/arcade. He pretty much ran around with a huge smile on his face the entire time.
Everyone took naps except Dadddy (he is still studying like mad).
We went to a walk, pulling the kids in the wagon, stopped to socialize with a neighbor and their dog, only to have the dog steal Ada's Mickey Mouse who was along for the ride. Took forever to get it back. Ada, who was laughing madly at the dog, didn't seem to mind. I think she may have been happy to share the love with that dog...
Enjoyed the lovely weather outside after dinner. Inspected our apple trees, which have leaves poking out.

Sunday, April 13, 1913 vs Saturday, April 13, 2013

Dora:
Read and played A.M.
Driesbach, Laura and Florence Shelly and Ralph were here to supper and stayed until 9:30

Ray:
40-55 Fair
at home in am
Church in P.M.
Robert Driesbach, Ralph Miller & Laura & Forence came after church and said for supper.

Cayla:
Tarek tried to study most of the day for his Internal Medicine boards. I took Maurice to Target with me while Ada was still napping. We had fun and he really enjoyed having all of my attention to himself.
We went out for dinner at night.

Saturday, April 12, 1913 vs Friday, April 12, 2013

Dora:
Cloudy
Baked bread pie and cake, etc.
Made a Jello for Foster's shower.

I did not go.

Ray:
40-60 Fair
Plowed all day
went to Shower & belling at Fosters

Note: For those of you who don't know (me being one of them) a 'belling' is/was a regional word for a shivaree.  Don't know what a shivaree is? Clearly you haven't read enough historical romance novels...  But I will save you the google search:

shiv•a•ree (ˌʃɪv əˈri)
n., v. -reed, -ree•ing. n.

1. a mock serenade with noisemakers given for a newly married couple; charivari.

2. an elaborate, noisy celebration.

v.t.

3. to serenade with a shivaree.

I was always under the impression a shivaree was a bit more than a serenade though. I always thought it was a bunch of well-wishers/trouble makers causing a hullabaloo while the newly married could was trying to complete the transaction, so to speak (this is a G rated blog).  Maybe I've read too many historical romance novels....anyway, the fact is that Ray went and Dora did not.  Maybe Dora was feeling too old maid-ish to go and Ray wanted to go whoop and holler a bit.

More power to him.

Any of my blog readers ever participate or witness a shivaree?  If so, please inform us ignorant and overly sophisticated readers about the joys and perils of a shivaree.

Also, Dora would have had flavored, powdered gelatin available to her, but it really would have been quite a novelty at this time.

Cayla:

Worked in the sleep lab.

Ada had her 2 year old check up today. She is 75th percentile for height, 50th for weight, which is pretty much what she's been all along.

We got groceries after the appointment which means I have nowhere I absolutely MUST go to for tomorrow, which is a nice thought.

Friday, April 11, 1913 vs Thursday, April 11, 2013

Dora:
Rain
Swept and scrubbed kitchen A.M.
Went over to Shellys at night.

Ray:
43- Cloudy
Went to Centerville to the mill, cut wood & pitched hay
Dora & I went over to Shellys at night.

Cayla:
Worked in the Neuro office today.  Got home early since Tarek had to work late today. We had to call someone out to check out our sump pump as the alarm kept going off. We think the main pump has failed and want to avoid a flooded basement.

I drive almost an hour west to the Neuro office and the patients we see there are largely farmers, paper mill workers, and other blue collar type workers.  Really, a pleasant group of people to work with-pleasant to me, perhaps, since this is the type of community in which I grew up.
But as I drive out there, on a road similar to M-60, I drive past fields and fields. Old farm houses. Little towns no longer thriving. Fields of cattle, sheep, and a few llamas.  Sometimes I have to slow way down for a tractor changing fields.
The pastures today were a brilliant emerald green. We've had some heavy rain and warm weather in the past week and everything is beginning to glow in that brilliant spring-time green.
Anyway, today as I was admiring those emerald green fields I started thinking about Ray, as I often do on my morning drive out west.
Now I know the fields that my grandfather had were not these huge monster fields that we have today.  But the fields that he did have at that time equaled 199 acres.  It struck me today what a job it would have been to just simply plow a field with a team of horses.  Up and down, over and over, one pass at a time until the field was done.  I wonder what it sounded like: the plow turning up the soil, kicking up rocks and in Ray's case, arrowheads.  I wonder what it felt like: bone breaking work, sweaty work, work that required balance, stamina, and brute strength. 
It was a solitary job, like most farming is today. But instead of a GPS-guided tractor rumbling beneath you, there would be two live animals in front of you. You'd hear them breathing, They'd be used to your handling.  Maybe they'd just respond to your voice.  Maybe you'd talk to them if you were bored.  Maybe they'd begin to feel more like companions than just work horses.  You'd hear them breathing, snorting, nickering. You'd hear and feel their tails swishing.  You'd have to consider if they needed water or not on a particularly hot day.  You'd smell their sweat.  And when you finished for the day, you'd take them back to the barn, brush them down, and feed them before you fed yourself.
I don't want to romanticize how hard farming was back then, or how it is today.  Next time you look at a field though, think about Ray, 20 years old, with his harness he'd been proudly polishing for four days straight, guiding his horses up and down that field....

Thursday, April 10, 1913 vs Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Dora:
Finish putting holes A.M.
Tied out comforter P.M.
Went up to Andrews at night.

Ray:
40-56 Rain
at home all day
Dora & I went up to E. Andrews at night.

Cayla:
Worked in the sleep lab today.
Came home and Ada was all in a tizzy and wouldn't nap.  She perked up after some popcorn (which she demanded).  Maurice is really surprising us with his increasing vocabulary and his amazing memory.  And Ada is showing a lot more interest in trying to say new words. Maurice at her age was not speaking nearly as much as she is right now.
Made a quick run to the grocery store to pick up snacks for pre-school tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 9, 1913 vs Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Dora:
Rain
Finished painting kitchen first coat

Ray:
30-42 Rain
Took a load of hogs & 2 calfs to Wasepi in am

Cayla:
Took Maurice to pre-school. Ran errands with Ada. Nobody napped today. We played outside in the afternoon since the weather was so beautiful. Opened all of the windows in the house to get some fresh air.

April 8, 1913 vs April 8, 2013

Dora:
Cleaned and painted kitchen

[what color, Dora??]

Ray:
28-40 Fair
Drawed 5 loads of manure in am
Plowed in pm

Cayla:
Took both kids to my Dermatology appointment in the morning. They behaved well.
Ada needed to nap early. Maurice and I worked on laundry and we planted seeds for the Lebanese Pine Nut tree, or basically seeds for a pine tree that bears pine nuts.  When I told him that those seeds were going to grow into a tree, he got a look of utter amazement on his face.

Monday, April 7, 1913 vs Sunday, April 7, 2013

Dora:
Washed A.M.
Painted cupboards P.M.
Ma and Pa went to town.
Pa brought home the automobile.

Note: I'm not sure which car it was that they bought, but this was their first car ever. I would guess it was a Model T, since in 1913 the Ford Motorcompany developed the first assembly line, making the Model T more affordable to the masses.  In 1913, the Model T cost $550, or $12,898.11 in today's money.

Ray:
28-36 Fair
Drawed 6 loads of manure in am.
Plowed and rolled.

Cayla:
Was just out of the shower and getting ready for church when Matt and Joy Skyped us from Uganda. We hadn't had a chance to talk to them in a long time so we caught up. By the time we ended the conversation, church was almost started and Tarek still hadn't hopped in the shower yet. So we didn't make it to church.
It was a gorgeous day though. We had lunch at Einsteins and then took the kids to the park.  Maurice fell and skinned his knee pretty good, but even that didn't stop him for longer than about 45 seconds.
I wasn't feeling well so I laid down when the kids did for nap time.
I went and got groceries after the kids went to bed.

Sunday, April 6, 1913 vs Saturday, April 6, 2013

Dora:
Studied Missionary lesson etc. A.M.
Got ready and went early to build fire in the church.

Ray:
36 Fair
at home in am
went to church in pm
home at night

Cayla:
I took Maurice to go get Ada's birthday cake.

As soon as he saw the cake he realized what was happening today and he had a hard time for the rest of the day.
Worked on getting dinner on. Made a Lebanese dinner: Kibbe with laban, rice with meat, hummus (regular and with meat), Pierre brought baba ghanoush, and I also had spinach pies and maneesh, salad, fries.
Pierre & Anita, Serge & Vivianne, and Angela & David came. We laughed and laughed and laughed...  Ada had fun too! 

Eating her cake with a fork like a big girl...

Once the gifts started getting opened, then Maurice started having fun too.

Saturday, April 5, 1913 vs Friday, April 5, 2013

Dora:
Baked, cleaned and swept.
Got things in shape at the church.
Went to the Grange at night.

Ray:
40-50 Fair
Started to Plow
went to Grange at night.

Cayla:
Worked in the sleep clinic in the morning.
Was pushing it to get to my Derm appointment right after work.
Appointment didn't take long though, so I had some time to get Ada some birthday gifts before meeting a friend for lunch.
Had lunch with Kerry and we had duck fat fries with some sort of horseradish mayo while we caught up.
As soon as Tarek got home from work, we went and picked up our new kitchen table and chairs, then had dinner at Chick Fil A.  Kids got to play in the play house after.  Maurice did not want to leave and I had to literally climb up the cork screw slide to drag him out. Fun times. 

Friday, April 4, 1913 vs Thursday, April 4, 2013

Dora:
Done up the work
helped take lawn swing to pieces
worked buttonholes in Sunbonnet
Wm. Wise was here to dinner.
Went to Poeths for popcorn at night.

Ray:
60-35 Cloudy Rain
at home all day
went up to Poeths at night.

Cayla:
Super busy day in the neuro office today. I did get time with the kids before I left for work.  I got home quite late though. Tarek already had them bathed and in their pajamas, so we got some nice time together before bed.  Maurice was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
We peeled off the tape for my skin testing, which was fabulous because I was ready to claw it off if necessary...

Thursday, April 3, 1913 vs Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Dora:
Did not get up untill 10 o'clock [presumably as a result of last night's ear ache]
Baked cookies and sewed some

Aunt Susie had her operation.

Ray:
30-66 Rain
at home all day
piled lumber

Cayla:
Worked in sleep clinic today. Went to pick up some supplies for Ada's Birthday Party this weekend. Came home and had a super fun afternoon with the kids.
At dinner, Ada slung her arm over the back of her chair, kicked her feet up on the table and made up a little song to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle that pretty much included every member of our little family. It went like this: Maurice-o, Maurice-o, Maurice-o, Maurice-o. Baba, Baba, Baba, Baba. Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama. Ada, Ada, Ada, Ada.  All with a pleasant, happy look mixed with intense concentration. Precious.
At bed time-snuggle time, Maurice informed me that his rocket toes were taking him up to the moon and that his red car hands were going to park in the garage (under the pillows). I asked what his eyes were and he thought about it for a few seconds and told me they were bull dozers that weren't tired.
Ok. Understood. Maybe he can stay up a bit later now.

Wednesday, April 2, 1913 vs Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Dora:
Ironed and sewed
Went to prayer meeting and came home with earache.
(cleaned a little yard)

Ray:
38-44 Rain
at home all day
cleaned oats
Split wood
Went to Childs to prayer meeting at night.

Note: I admit, I had to look up what oats looked like. When I was growing up the nearby fields were mostly corn and beans, with some cucumbers, potatoes, and occasionally winter wheat.  There were fields of hay too, and now that I see this photo, I know I've seen it growing before, but just thought it was hay and not a unique plant.  For those of you like me, here is what oats look like.

Cayla:
Took Maurice to pre-school only to find the parking lot deserted and the doors firmly locked.  Only upon reaching home, hours later did I notice on the schedule of events that it is Spring Break.  So much for being observant.
Anyway, I had a Dermatology appointment that I had planned knowing (funny what we think we know) that I'd only have one child with me on Tuesday morning. But now I had two.
But....drumroll....they were very well-behaved and I just looked at the ceiling while Ada was rolling around on the exam room floor.  I was unable to do anything anyway, the nurses were applying 80 patches on my back for some skin testing to see if my problem is simply a contact dermatitis (that I've have for over 10 years now, steadily worsening) or it is the worst case of eczema ever, or if it is the family plague of psoriasis.  I'm hoping for contact dermatitis.
Kids behaved well for the rest of the errands (post office and cleaners).
Nobody napped for unclear reasons.
After dinner Tarek planted our two new Cedars of Lebanon (which we are totally thrilled about--they are very hard to find).  Kids got thoroughly frozen, but didn't want to come in.

Tuesday, April 1, 1913 vs Monday, April 1, 2013

Dora:
Washed and ironed some.
Cleaned a little yard.
Went to April Fool Surprise on Walter Goodacre.

Ray:
40-26 Fair
Drawed 6 loads of manure in am.
Rolled cornstalks in pm.
Dora & I went to Surprise Party in Walter Goodacre

Note: I am not sure what rolling cornstalks entails.  I'm not sure if he is talking about cornstalks that have been cut down or if he's rolling them down to the ground and then tilling them under. Anyone know?

Cayla:
Met with two people for estimates for some yard work in the am.
Kids were super cranky and in a post-Easter-candy-withdrawal.  They revived after naptime, which was much appreciated by all.
Worked on laundry all day.
After the kids went to bed I started making spinach pies for Ada's upcoming 2nd birthday party. Ran out of spinach so I switched over to maneesh.  Took me about three hours in all.

I really wish I knew what sort of "Surprise" was pulled on dear Walter Goodacre.  I'd like to know what sorts of things would be considered funny or surprising back then... ;-)