spring of '09

So here's a little of what's been happening around the Foster Farm-let lately. Because I am such a self-less, loving husband, I have decided to split my time between working in the basement finishing a winter project (started too late to finish in the winter) and normal springtime outside stuff, even though every fiber of my being cries out to go outside and plant, build, and... whatever, just be somewhere besides the basement when its nice outside. (As a side note, this basement project started out as a voluntary surprise thing for my wife, I was going to finish ONE WALL(!), and now I have finished 5, built a big closest, and built copious amounts of shelving in that closet, moved all of our junk into it from old storage space, (& much of Wife's sisters' stuff) and now am firmly entrenched in building a whole set of cabinets to cover one of the walls I just finished.

During the winter, I often get emails from Gurneys, (who guarantee their trees for "as long as you garden", a very foolish warranty to offer to people with a brown thumb like me; but they have been as good as their word on it so far) offering trees for half off, free shipping etc, all of which is fine, except I have exemplified a total lack of self control when it comes to purchasing fruit trees online. Anyway, I got 11 of them delivered all at once, and had a heck of a time getting them all in the ground soon enough. I've still about 5 yet coming, but don't know when; they just show up whenever. So far, since I have moved here 3+ years ago we have planted about 150+ trees and/or shrubs. Who knew that Kansas has a department of forestry where you can also get great deals on trees?

Recently, I also had the great joy of helping Andrew Hawkinson, (friend and Friendly Neighborhood Traveling Used Forklift Tire Salesman) load up a used forklift tire upon his Mobile Used Forklift Tire Sales Unit. This seems an appropriate place for a picture:

My guess is he just drives around to job-sites and asks "hey buddy, I got a sweet deal on this here Forklift Tire. And I'll give you an even sweeter deal if you let me use your forklift to get it off of my van so that I don't have to pick it up again!" Go, Andrew, go! Times are hard, anything to make a buck, buddy!

Also from Isaiah this weekend; apparently at some point last week the kids and Mama went to the Wichita zoo, because he was showing how big these animals were by stretching out his pudgy little arms as wide as they could go, saying ..."they were even bigger than this, daddy! They were HUMONGO!!" So at this point I wasn't really sure what he was talking about, I asked him what animal it was again: "The turd-asauras, Daddy!" This was met with much tittering from his older sisters, and not a few snickers from myself, so, either he meant the tortoises, or the zoo got a new kind of reptile that I am unfamiliar with.

And lastly, the big new thing around here is the new furniture arrangement in the living room. Furniture rearrangement is something that happens infrequently in our house, by some standards anyway; but still more often than I care for and less often than everyone else cares for. But as this was done after a carpet cleaning where all furniture was moved anyway, and I wasn't involved at all in the decision process, and it was complete when I came home; so I guess its OK. The girls noted it looked quite a lot like royal throne room and instantly granted me "Kingship". The duties of king-ship weighed heavily upon me, mostly as (oddly enough) I spent a great deal of time being told to get on my knees for His Majesty's Royal Crown Fitting. You will note His Majesty's Royal Crown on the red pillow in his throne in picture. You will also notice His Majesty's Royal Socks, His Majesty's Royal Sneaker, and maybe even His Majesty's New Royal Blackberry. As an aside, being in His Majesty's Royal court apparently requires much curtsying, giggling, and thumping of each other and younger brothers for not behaving well in front of His Majesty. Still, it is fun to wear the paper crown, and to be called Sire, and be served tea and newspaper while my wife wearily toils away at supper, or whatever she does in the servant quarters of my castle. Its good to be the king!

The abstract concept of time

Its hard to imagine that Isaiah's fat four year old head could actually get stuck in between the front door and the storm door, but apparently it happened. After walking through the blistering cold all the way to Gran and Grampa's house, only to find that they weren't there, he turned around and came home. I am unsure of all the details, because I was working downstairs in the basement and therefore oblivious to all that happened upstairs. The first I heard of it was after Gracie went upstairs for something, then came back downstairs and told me that when she went upstairs, she could hear Isaiah knocking and yelling. She freed him and he was most grateful, telling her that the wind blew the storm door shut before he got the front door open.
The funny part, though, was when he came downstairs - (he was quite unaffected, if still a little blue from the cold) I asked him if he was there for very long. His response: "I didn't really look at the clock; I cant tell time anyway."