(With totally random pictures, for Julie.)
ARGH. Em's come down with something (probably Fifth Disease). She's rashy. splotchy. cranky. Her skin, where the rash is, feels hot to the touch, but she says it doesn't itch or hurt or, well, actually, she just gets very angry when we discuss it at all. She stomps her little foot and says, "
I am NOT sick! I am jus' a sweet little Em'lee!"
This generally cracks up the boys, which causes
Sweet Little Em'lee to fly into a stellar performance of Lady MacBeth. Health concerns aside, I'll be glad when this rash is gone, if only to cut down on the psych-damage that's happening to all of us. Anyway, as long as we don't mention her face, she's in good spirits and a good humor. If she must get an illness, this seems like a good one to have.
We plunked down
way too much money today for a wood stove. Actually, it'll pay for itself by Februrary, and we'll be more comfortable in the meantime than we've been in four winters. So, there's that. It's just more painful to cough it up in one lump than to spread it out over four months. We found *
the stove* to buy last year, but it was $1300 (which would *not* have paid for itself in four months), so we planned to save for it and purchase it this year. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Who knew things would tank (don't answer that), and the same stove
this year would run $2300? Damn. Back to the drawing board. We found a decent deal on another stove and picked it up today. Yay for Tractor Supply Co.!
Honestly, we are excited about this one. It's functional, SMALL, well-built, SMALL, and also fairly attractive. And did I mention it's not going to hog out 2/3 of the living space? Gotta love that. The top is large enough to hold a teapot, a stew pot, and perhaps to finagle a way to make bread. Hmmm, perhaps I should redefine "small". The old wood stove (anybody remember that one?) was a little over 3'x4', and vented out the back - so it had to stand, oh, in the middle of the room. This one is only 33"x28", and vents out the top, with a rear wall clearance of 7". We could probably mount it behind the original one. Very good. Zorak and I are excited about this in a way that totally bypasses the kids. They just don't get it. But they were very supportive (read: well-behaved) while we touched, fondled, fiddled, and kicked every wood stove in two counties today. We'll keep that in mind while we're Christmas shopping, ya know. Good stuff.
The boys have been putting in extra time working on their Scout badges. That is so much fun to watch. It's surprising how many of the requirements they find they've already accomplished, just due to the lifestyle we live. They find that somewhat exciting. (It's... almost as if they're learning skills or something, just being home!)
Tomorrow, we re-arrange! Weee!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
12 comments:
What a great day! Wood heat will be so nice this summer!
Braden had a weird disease this week as well. Fever for 3 days, then he woke up with a rash. 36 hours later the rash was gone, and the fever stopped and he was weak for 2 more days. Today he's back to normal.
When the rash broke out, we walked to the doctor. Poor feverish boy walked 2.5 miles (round trip) to the doctor's office, only to learn that he could have:
a. strep
b. mono
c. scarlet fever
d. mito#%@&#( ?? (some bacterial lung thing)
e. just a virus
After 1 week, 2 blood tests, and 1 chest X-ray, the diagnosis was (you guessed it!): E.
Hopefully sweet little Em'lee's rash disappears quickly and uneventfully! :)
Oh, thanks Dy! Thank you soooo much, it just made my day!
Jase is just precious in that picture. Smidge just doesn't look so little anymore, does he? And the 2 olders, well they are just big!
Cute pics! Thanks more than you know!
~sdWTMer
Yes, Scouting leads to a robust life, but some families are already living a robust life. If they end up earning more bits than other Scouts do, hold firm and don't apologize. Sometimes, all it takes is for a parent to actually read the Scout handbook.
How I love that sweet lil' Emlee! Great photos of the kids, too. It sounds like you got a wood stove about the size of ours, but as usual, your plans for it are much more ambitious than mine:o)
Oh, Hillary - {{{hugs}}} What a week! I have to admit that I tend to assume it's viral, unless there's something to indicate otherwise. Mainly, although I adore our pediatrician, I swear he must grow diseases in the potted plants in his waiting room. So, we go in for a rash and come out w/ strep. Uh... well, that sucked. Then, of course, you have to go back in for the strep, and I'm always certain we'll come back out with malaria or flesh-eating bacteria. *shudder* I hope Braden's back to 100% soon!
Julie, you're welcome. Thank you for making me smile! (Oh, and that picture of Jase - he crinkles his nose, now, when he's happy. It makes us laugh so hard. I love the little crinkly nose.)
Heidi, thank you. I have a feeling I'll need to remember that in the future. :-)
Jenni, you so totally can't say I'm more ambitious than you are. You got that one wall finished, didn't you? Yeah, I'm going to have to spot-finish behind the stove now, so I can get pictures w/o having to rely on the "retouch" feature in Picasa! ;-) Is yours from the US Stove Co.?
Love the pictures! I hope Sweet Lil' Emlee makes a rapid recovery.
The wood stove sounds great. My parents (who live in Maine) have one, and it does heat beautifully!
I'd love to see a picture of that stove - not that the kids aren't totally cute!
I really want to go to a fireplace insert, but Steve insists the open fire must remain - more esthetically appealing. However, everyone squawks when the temperature drops, so I'm thinking functional warmth over pretty warmth.
The only heat we had growing up was a wood stove and it is really hard to get used to this cold blowing heat pump. When our basement is finished that will be my first purchase, a wood stove. You can't beat it. I lvoed the pictures they were absolutely adorable.
Hi, Momanna of homeschooling in Illinois wants to know what is the name of the wood stove. This is her mom(Abiga) asking for her. She has been debating whether to get one and how to install it since we are on propane and the former owners of the old farmhouse said the bill for the year of propane was very hig, forget exactly how much now. Blessings.
Man! Smidge looks so much like you Dy! The more I look at his picture, the more that he looks like you.
Poor kid.
:-P
~sdWTMer
Dy, I have followed your blog for several years (and at least 2 new kids) with great pleasure and enjoyment! Therefore, I am sending you the Uber Amazing Blog Award. Details here: http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/blog/2008/11/uber-amazing-blog-award.html
And Kiss Those Babies for me!
Carolyn, you are so sweet. Thank you!
Julie, he does look like me - or, more accurately, my Dad. I always thought I'd have made a much better looking guy than I did a woman, though, so I think he'll be okay. ;-)
Bridget, I *loathe* a heat pump. That's all we had in MD, and I froze my ever-lovin' fanny off in the winter. It was yucky.
Laura, I'll get a shot of the fire burning - it's really quite lovely w/ the large window - and the heat output is significantly better than w/ a fireplace (even one w/ a blower).
Abiga, I'll go post and let her know. She could save a BUNDLE over gas heat w/ this thing.
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