Seven Quick Takes on Friday--volume 77

One.

It is the Feast of St. George and Una's 11th birthday!  When she was around three years old, shortly before we moved here from Charlotte, NC, I came across this book.  I love it not only because of the beautiful illustrations, but most of all because the princess is named Una, and it is about my daughter's patron saint.  People have asked me whether I named Una for Edmund Spenser's "faerie queene".  Actually, no--I have always loved the name Oona, but our Dutch last name has a double-O, and I thought that might be too much, so I used an alternate spelling, which happens to be a derivative for St. Winifried.  Really.  I had to show my mom TAN's  Is it a Saint's Name?  before she would believe me.

Two.

One of the things Una has been wanting for her birthday is a blog of her own.  I have agreed to set her up with a private one for her friends and family to view, and as an encouragement for writing, as she does so only reluctantly.  When I tried to give her an account with Google, it refused on the basis of her age.  So I tried to set it up under my own account, and it used my profile.  Anyone have any idea what I need to do here?  I have seen plenty of kids' blogs out there.

Three.

Una is truly growing up.  When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday this year, she did not respond with, "Chocolate frosting with pink roses," or, "pink frosting with white roses."  In fact, there was no mention of roses at all.  She said, "Cheesecake."  Knowing that the girl loves Oreo milkshakes and ice cream, I decided to make this cake. Guess I'll have to practice my frosting roses on Gemma's next ten birthdays...

Four.

Speaking of Gemma, she finally got two tiny bottom teeth.  And she is waving hello and goodbye, swaying to music, shaking her head for "no" and clapping her hands.  She is not crawling--largely due to the fact that she has discovered that she can get wherever she wants to go by rolling across the carpet. 

 Five.

Aren't packing materials the best when you have young children?  It's almost like getting a bonus with whatever it is you ordered.  If it's paper, the kids stretch it out on the floor and pull out the crayons and markers.  If it's bubble-wrap, they pop it.  If it's those inflated little pillow-type things, they jump on them to make a loud BANG!  If it is shredded paper, mommy confiscates it.  But my personal favorite is the biodegradable packing peanut.  If you touch your tongue to one, you can stick it to another and make sculptures.  You know, they actually sell colored ones for kids to play with?  

 

Six.

Shiloh and Max are growing like weeds.  Max is going to be big, if his paws are any indication.  He is finally learning to sit, thanks to the fact that I never walk out of the house without a treat in my pocket.  He still tries to jump all over us when he sees us.  Shiloh is quiet and docile and has been sitting for us since a few days after he came here, it seems.  They are adorable, but the first time they pull my clean laundry off the line, our love affair will be over...

 Max

Shiloh

Seven.

Spring is so busy--plants to set out in the beds, chicks to be picked up this morning, the calf to go through the de-horning process tomorrow morning (much simpler and less bloody/painful at this age than later), spring cleaning to attend to and next year's curriculum to consider.  And I have cinnamon rolls to bake, per the Birthday Girl's request.

I hope everyone has a great Feast of St. George, and a terrific weekend.  Visit Jen's Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes on Friday.