Only in the Flaming Household

So I am at work, when someone hands me the phone: "I think it's for you."

I pick up the phone, "Hello?"

"Mom, it's Caleb. (sniff,sniff). I have diarrhea. (sniff,cry, sniff)."

"Ok, Sweetie. I'll come get you and take you home, Honey."

"Ok. But, Mom, I AM at home."

"What?!?"

"I walked home (cry, sniff, sniff)."

"You WALKED home??? Does anybody know this at school?"

"No."

"Ok, stay there. I'll be there in a few minutes."

From that moment my mind began racing, wondering how in the world he managed to leave the school grounds without anybody seeing him!! What were his teacher and the secretaries thinking? Was there a search party going already? Did the nurse just send him walking?!? Surely not!

I called the school, and NO, they did NOT know he was gone! Good grief! I got home as soon as I could, and he was on the couch, opposite Anna Mary, who is home with a cold.

When I began to question him (gently, mind you because I know better than to force ANYTHING out of this kid), he told me some cockamamie story about how he went to the nurse but he couldn't remember what she said...

I just could not imagine him walking out the front door and no one seeing him. I called the school back, and was able to talk to the principal, who told me what seems to have really happened up until Caleb went AWOL. I told him Caleb was still crying and I needed to let him calm down before I got the whole story from him. Everyone was just glad that he was home safely.

Sooo, I called Caleb to my room once again, and calmly and lovingly got the real story: his class was next door watching a math video. His tummy hurt so he asked to go to the bathroom. His teacher gave him a bathroom pass, which he went and put on HIS desk, went potty, then because he had the big "D", he went back to his room, got his jacket and backpack and quietly went out the back door of his classroom and walked home! There WAS no nurse involved. All I could do was hold him and tell him that everyone was just so glad he was ok, and all the typical things you have to tell your kid about WHY we stay at school, etc., and that the police are on their way to take him to juvie. (JK) :)

The principal did tell me that he wants to talk with Caleb tomorrow. It's all good. This man is a great Christian guy who is FOR our kids.

Why me, Lord?

One of My Favorite Signs at Work

One of those days

I am so incredibly homesick today I could scream!! Here are some of the things I miss (in no particular order) :

*The Sandia mountains

*Green Chili

*The Desert

*Jefferson St. by my sister's house. It's a tree-lined drive that is so comforting.

*the Rio Grande

*Spanish

*My sister and her sweet family

*My parents coming down from Santa Fe to spend the night.

*My Grandparents and their house (also comforting)

*Old Town

*Blake's Lotaburger

*The drive down Paseo del Norte (never thought THAT was possible!)

*Going to lunch with my sis

*teaching piano

*the dry warm days and cool nights

*Green Chili Cheeseburgers

*Posole with pork and red chili

*New Mexican food in general

*The Fruit Basket (a tiny Mexican Fruit/Veg stand)

*Adobe homes

* Pretty much everything.

♫ "Spring, Spring, Spring" ♫

If you've ever seen the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" you hopefully remember that song.

The chicks really like Anna Mary. She carries them around all the time.

Here at the Flaming backyard we've been watching our little chicks grow for a month now. They are actually about 6-7 wks. old, and are changing so quickly. Scroll down for pics of the younger days. :)

It's amazing what you can build with scrap wood!

Jarrod and I have been working on the coop as often as we can, but the crazy Kansas weather has slowed us down- April has brought us 3 snowstorms!! yuck. But, we'll keep posting more pics as we make progress. The coop will eventually be painted red with white trim, and may even have a cute little flower box under the window.