This weekend Reed pulled his first all-nighter. Friday night at 11:00 Dan & I went to bed leaving Reed and his cousin Marshall downstairs to play the WII. We assumed that they would play for a half hour to hour and go to sleep. When Dan got up at 9:00 am on saturday, Reed was still playing the WII and Marshall was asleep on the couch. Reed had a bowl of chocolate chips by him and a glass of grapefruit juice with sugar added because it was too "spicy". At 9:30 I came downstairs to see Reed asleep on the stairs. Evidently he couldn't make it up to his bed. Trying to be "natural consequences" parents, I woke him up at 10:30 for his swimming merit badge class he had been doing book work for all month, today was the swimming part. I said nothing about him stayin up. It was like waking up someone with a hangover. He couldn't walk, his face had a tinge of green in it and he was ready to hurl. I took him in the bathroom and after 20 minutes of moving listlessly on the floor he was able to get his swimsuit on. I handed him his pool bag and got him in the car then at 11:00 dropped him off for his endurance swimming. I told the scout leaders he had about 1 hour of sleep and to prepare for the worst. I told him if he had to throw up, "get your head out of the pool and at least do it on the deck so they don't have to close the pool". I picked him up 3 hours later and to my amazement, he did all of his requirements and got his badge! He stayed up the rest of the day and when I tucked him in that night I asked "Are you going to pull anymore all-nighters?" And he responded "Hell Yeah!" ..... I think the only lesson learned is that he is now invincible......
I have heard Reed play his violin a total of 5 times in the last 2 years. One of those times was last year's performance and one was a forced christmas performance for the family. So... despite the lack of any, and all, practice...I was quite surprised when I heard him play tonight. He wasn't half bad. I wish I had a sound byte to post or the technical knowledge of how to get things off of the video camera onto the internet. I guess you will just have to trust me. Here is a picture of him with his teacher Mrs. Greer... So when he looks back years from now he can say he didn't remember her looking that way.
Out with the old..... 
In with the new....
Well, its been a month and I am happy to say we have not lost any more chickens. I have found replacement chickens at various stores/farms around the southern state, and my flock is doing well. There is only one problem now... I think I have a cock in the group. (Yes, I did enjoy typing that!) One of the chickens is looking like a rooster! If we hear a cock-a-doodle-doo, "he" will have to be taken back to the store along with $15 to find him a good home. I will either do that, or abandon him at Knotts Berry Farm to live a life of amusement. I think I will take "him" to the store. They sleep outside (in their coop) now and I have an electric fence system that comes on at dusk. Ruckus will not go anywhere near the side of the house. I think he learned his lesson with one shock. I also rigged an automatic water bowl to fill up when the sprinklers come on so they are pretty low maintenance now:)
