books, tomatoes, blankets, and chickens

A few snapshots for you on the home front:

Keona has been writing books for around a year now. She comes into my office, asks for several sheets of paper from the copier, folds them into a book, and sits down at the table to write. Her books are fabulous, filled with pictures and occasional words and lots of heart. Her newest book is titled, "Worshiping God wherever you are." She asked me to "publish around 100 copies to begin with" and has already "sold" 2 copies to Auntie Wawa and 1 to Miss Christie (for an unspecified price :-).

Jonathan walked into the house a few days ago with a smile on his face, a bucket of garden tomatoes in his hands, and this refrain on his lips: "money, money, money, money." His master plan? To sell the tomatoes and put the money in savings. Our 12 year is discovering the connection between work and future dreams.

Dear baby Louie--who calls his blanket a "tuck-you" and the chicken coop a "chickie poop"--is fascinated by our newest addition of 13 baby chicks. I sat reading a book with a watchful eye on Louie while he interacted with the chicks last night. He brought out his sister's cash register and kept pressing one of the buttons as he smiled and leaned into the box. Barry caught on immediately: "That ding-ding sounds just like the bird's cheeps! He's trying to communicate with them." When the chicks didn't recipricate, Louie attempted something else. He went over to the animal bucket and kept trying to introduce them to plastic animals. First a cow, then a sheep, followed by a giraffe...

And now...all of us are about to cuddle on the floor of the living room for our Friday night tradition of movies, pizza, and popcorn. (and alka seltzer...)