am I hiding?

No, just lazy. Someday I'll have the energy to blog, just not today.

But speaking of hiding; here is where Keith was hiding this morning...




Until next blog,
Jen

I know, I know, I need a new post

Sorry to all my loyal blog fans...its been semi-hectic and I've been semi-lazy these past few weeks. So, heres a very very short blog to tide you over until I can post on both Brooke and Keiths birthday and other Billmeier happenings.

Just to let anyone whose interested know...I have lots of Marsh Milkweed seeds ready to be delivered to anyone who wants them. I have LOTS, so if you want some let me know (I can even mail it to those of you who don't live near me!). If you live in the midwest, you would plant these seeds in November and they will sprout up in the spring...just in time to create a fine Monarch habitat for your yards. Just email me if you want some.

(for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about...this plant was featured in my August 15th blog titled "got milkweed?")

Until next blog,
Jen

Addy starts preschool

Its official..my first born has grown up way too fast. Addison went to her first day of school today. Given her shy nature, I was expecting a breakdown of tears when it was time for her to leave me. While we were waiting in line to get her name tag, a little girl in front of us started to do that very thing and I thought "Oh dear, please don't let Addy see this or she'll start up too!" Well, she did see her, but remained calm and collected. She walked right in the classroom and never looked back. Perhaps it was the promise of Starbucks pumpkin bread that I bribed her with. At any rate, she had a fun time and said she wants to go back next week!!


Addison in her new "school uniform" outfit



Addison with Daddy and Keith outside the school



Addison with Mommy and Keith outside of school



Waiting in line for her name tag. The little girl in the blue shirt is just starting to break into tears!



Heading into the classroom



A picture of Addy in her classroom through a 1-way mirror...she doesn't see us but we see her!



Until next blog,
Jen

Got Milkweed?

WARNING: FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE NO INTEREST IN INSECTS, THIS POST MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS. FOR THESE PERSONS, PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY WHILE READING THIS BLOG POST.

Some of you may think differently of me after I come clean with this information but, I admit it, I LOVE insects. I'm a bug freak. I think my most favorite insects are praying mantises, ladybugs, bees, and butterflies/caterpillars. If you look through my family photo albums you will find it a challenge to find a summer-time photo of me as a child WITHOUT some sort of bug in my hand (usually a caterpillar, like the one in this picture of my brother and me at the farm)



My latest endeavor to prove my bug-nerdiness was to get my yard officially certified as a Monarch Waystation. Currently, when you come to visit me, you will be greeted with this fantastic sign:



You see, while most of you are living in your pretty, newly built houses, you probably weren't aware that you are completely destroying the homes/habitats of Monarchs everywhere. (I live in a 100-year old home, so I'm free of guilt! But I'm sure some day we'll build a new home, so I won't be guilt-free forever.) Don't feel bad, you're not the only ones destroying the Monarchs. As our population continues to grow, the farmers have to clear more and more natural Monarch habitats in order to grow food for all of us.

By now you may be thinking "Gee, Jen, I feel so bad for these beautiful creatures. What can I do??" Well, obviously I wouldn't recommend destroying all the new homes just to get back all the open land once growing wild milkweed everywhere (FYI, the milkweed plant is what the monarch caterpillar solely eats). I also know that new houses will continue to be built. And as far as our fast population growth...well, since babies are very cute, I wouldn't recommend the complete cessation of childbearing nationwide to resolve this issue. Heres what you can do...Just like me, you too can build a monarch waystation and once again provide them with everything they need to continue to populate our world. Don't worry, you don't have to be as nerdy as me and get it officially certified. Its easy and fun and, even if you don't have a green thumb, its no problem because milkweed is nearly impossible to kill. For more information on how to do this please visit www.monarchwatch.org

For those of you that are interested, here is a sampling of the monarch life that has been a part of our front yard since about 1 month ago. Feel free to come by and visit them (and us) if you want to see them in real life. For better detail of any picture, just click on it to make it bigger.

Here is a female monarch laying an egg on a marsh milkweed plant:


And here is a close-up photo of a monarch egg. The egg is only about 1.5 mm in size:


Here are two caterpillars in the 1st instar stage, right after they have hatched from the egg. NERD FACTS: The caterpillar's first meal is to devour the eggshell in which it grew. They then begin the full-time job of eating milkweed and growing rapidly. As they grow, they shed their skin. Monarch caterpillars will shed their skin a total of five times. The intervals between sheddings are called instars (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th instar). The last shedding of the skin occurs simultaneously with the pupation (the making of the chrysalis).


Caterpillar in the 2nd instar stage. Note my desparate need for a manicure


Here's a cool photo of a 2nd instar caterpillar next to a young praying mantis. Don't worry, praying mantises don't eat monarch caterpillars! Also, the milkweed plant that the caterpillar is on is a very common weed in Indiana yards, called a Honeyvine milkweed.


A photo of a 3rd instar caterpillar next to a 4th instar caterpillar.


Caterpillar in the 4th instar stage on marsh milkweed plant


Here is a 5th instar caterpillar on a beautifully-blooming butterfly weed, another species of milkweed:


Caterpillar poop. If you eat, you have to poop, even if you're a caterpillar!


A 5th instar caterpillar just before pupating, or forming a chrysalis. If you see a caterpillar hanging upside down in this J-shape, it is getting ready to go through metamorphosis.



Here is a long and not-so-clear video of that caterpillar as it finishes making its chrysalis. The black blob on the top of the chrysalis, which eventually will fall off, is the last layer of skin that it sheds while making the chrysalis. Yes, its boring to most, so feel free to fast-forward! Also, if the video is kind of jerky in its playing, let it play through once and completely load, then play it again for smoother video streaming.




The final product, a chrysalis (not a cocoon, only moths make those!)


It takes about 10 days to create a new butterfly. Here is an adult feeding off our milkweed.


If you've gotten this far without falling asleep, you too may be a bug nerd. Or, at least, a butterfly nerd!

Until next blog,
Jen

Up, Up, and Away!

Our whole family got up yesterday morning at 5:00 and drove to the opening event of the State Fair, the hot air balloon race, which set off at dawn. Are we crazy?? Some may say so, but it was quite a display and, despite the early rise and the above ninety temps even before 9 a.m., we had a fun time. The Hubartts fought off the urge to slap the snooze button and joined us. Here's a clip...







We did do a little bit more of the fair, but due to the heat and increasing crankiness of the kids (after my starbucks, I was quite pleasant!!), we didn't see too much. I'm sure we'll be going back a few more times; hopefully next week will be a little cooler. Here is Addy on her pony ride (Keith took one too, but we didn't get a still photo).







And here is a quick clip of Keith with his face in the water-misting fan to cool down:







And, as any of us who have attend the state fair know, a blog about the fair wouldn't be complete without a picture of this:





Until next blog,
Jen

Blogging potpourri

This blog entry is going to have a lot of pictures in it since I have several topics to cover!

Topic 1: THE COUNTY FAIR. I went to the fair every single day except Monday. The kids went several times as well. However, poor Brian only got to go once, and it so happened to be raining that day! This was on Friday evening, the day when they do the livestock auction. In order to get out of the rain at one point, we bought a funnel cake and sat in the livestock arena and watched a little bit of the auction. I had no idea that Addison was even paying attention to what was going on, until we got home. She got out a bunch of little tiny toy pigs, lined them up, and then starting saying "here's a nice pig...lets start the bid at ten dollah, ten dollah, who will give ten dollah...do i hear 20 dollah, 20 dollah, 20 dollah..." and so on. Very funny. Here are some pics of that evening.

Getting ready to head out in the rain


Mmmmm....corn dog!


Addy is wet and cold


Addy is the statue of liberty...


...and so is Keith!


Riding the rides with some random boy


Topic 2: MY BROTHER'S BIRTHDAY. My mom pointed out to me that, in our immediate family, we have 1 birthday every 2 weeks from June 30th to September 2nd!! Now thats a lot of partying! For my brothers birthday we ate at Red Robin and then went to what I like to call the "adult Chuck E. Cheeses" and played putt-putt, arcade games and rode go-carts.

Bucks birthday dinner at Red Robin


Getting sung to by the waitstaff


Addy waits to play putt-putt with my sunglasses on


Brian and Keith, Buck, Brooke driving go carts


Audra, Jen and Addy follow close behind


Keith and Addy try the "dance, dance revolution" game



Topic 3: 'ROUND THE HOUSE. Its been hot, so we've either been inside, or drenching ourselves in some sort of water. Yesterday we went to the Plainfield aquatic center but, since I forgot my camera, I didn't get any pictures. Because of the heat, I've not been "farming" as much as I'd like to be! I did get a chance to pull weeds and do some gardening earlier this week and noticed today that the weeds are already back to being as high as my bean plants. Looks like my corn is doing well so far (it pollenated this year, in case Bill Neal was still wondering!!) and I have lots of green tomatoes but they are getting blossom end rot as they ripen because its been so dry. I think my cucumber, beets, pumpkins and watermelon will be plenty as long as the japanese beetles don't eat too much.

Addy with some daisies in her hair after helping me "dead-head" some plants


Keith and Addy playing with their water table. Keith decided to sit in it!


Keith's bath mohawk


Addy's bath hairdo


Keiths latest "bappy" trick


Keiths hair after my first attempt to cut in myself! No more $15 cookie cutter haircuts for us!!


Here are the kids pretending to be driving their go carts, like they rode in at Uncle Bucks birthday party. Unfortunately, I caught the end of it. Addy started it by jumping in this empty laundry basket and pretending to drive. Of course, Keith has to do everything that Addy does, so then I had to empty out the laundry from another basket so he could drive too.



Until next blog,
Jen

The kids sing for candy

I can only get them to perform if I first promise candy. The only clear word that Keith sings is "moon", at which point he stops singing!



Until next blog,
Jen