We're Still Here

My kid watches more TV than I like, less than he'd like, and I thank my lucky stars for offerings like Peg Plus Cat. This kid does dig numbers! He's tackling addition and things.

I do boot him out to care for chickens pretty regularly and things like that. We've recently taken up herding the chickens to places. It works best if I block them from going back to the pen and he moves them forward. It works least well if we don't divide the task and just dash around making the chickens all flighty. I figure he's learning patience and self-control -- and I am, too. There's also a certain amount of geometric thinking involved, and I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he does well in the physics of fields and magnetism after working with what's basically a negative-pole-to-negative-pole problem so many times. In short, you want the chickens between where you are and where you want them to go, but if that's not where they are, you have to move yourself to move them. We have invented a dandy brain game that also burns calories.

In the calorie department, I made a lentil stew yesterday, and the kid ate it! And wanted more for before-bed snack! This is exclamation-worthy, as he's been pretty off meat for a while and I'm delighted to find a complete protein source he'll eat.

1 leek
1 sturdy carrot
(Heat in a little oil at bottom of slow cooker before adding the rest)
1 1/2 c lentils
1 c kamut
1/2 c brown rice
Water
black pepper, lemon peel (dried), sea salt, and mineral supplement to taste. Goes well with corn chips or popcorn.