Kids make birthdays better

 Sunday was my birthday and today my grandchildren came over and gifted me with some yardwork.  

I now have a well-swept front patio. (Two tall long- needle pines keep dumping stuff there) Plus they attacked the spider plants that had put out long stems with baby spider plants on the ends looking for a good place to grow. The kids managed to trim every one. (I already have a side bed full of spider plants and really don't need more - so snip, snip and toss)

Things I didn't know -- Fireflies

It's amazing the things I still don't know, despite the length of time I've lived on this earth.

As a child I caught many fireflies, kept them in my room flashing away in a glass mason jar, and letting them go in the morning.  This evening my two granddaughters did the same.  They were all set to sleep in a room lit with fireflies in jars.

BUT

Suddenly they came running into the room, screaming that one firefly was attacking the others -- in each jar.  Sure enough, there was a much larger firefly attacking the others.
Since I was busy handling a condolence call, I suggested they go look it up on the internet.

Sure enough, there are different types of fireflies.  The females are larger and attack the males after sex. (oh my.  I've exposed my grandchildren to insect sex.)
Personally, I knew about spiders doing this, but had no idea that fireflies also did this.

This action grossed them out so much that they decided to let the fireflies go -- this instant!  They ran downstairs onto the back porch and opened the jars where several immediately flew back into the house. YIKES!  Now I had one grandchild running around the hall trying to catch the escapees while the other one stayed on the porch complaining that the rest of them wouldn't get out of the jar.

So much for getting them quietly and quickly to sleep.
They finally settled down -- fireflyless -- after 10:30 pm.  I guess they'll be sleeping in tomorrow morning.                    -wo

Pine Grove El School visit

Friday, I talked to four groups of 4th and 5th graders at Pine Grove Elementary in Maryland about my adventures researching my books. Since it was the last day before spring break, the last group of the day reminded me of the class in High School Musical, waiting for school to get out for summer break. I felt like bursting into that song -- if only I could have remembered the words, I probably would have.

This is the school my oldest grandchild attends, so I didn't charge them my usual fee. It's only a block or two from my home. All of my children have attended school here. But since they had budgeted for my visit, I asked them to donate whatever they had planned to pay me to the school library. As I was setting up for the talks, the school librarian, Mrs. Ambridge, told me that not only had she been given the money, but she'd already spent it!

Good! I'm glad.
This is one of the best schools in Baltimore County, Maryland, (in my opinion) and I'm glad to be able to pay them back in this minor way for all the wonderful advantages they've given all my children. My oldest went on from here to become a pharmacist. The next child was encouraged to develop her artistic talent here, and my 10-year-old grandchild is excelling in music.

Besides, it was fun to see the neighborhood children, who have grown up with the 10-year-old, interacting in a school setting.
Thank you Mrs. Lauren Moore for inviting me to visit Pine Grove.
-wendie old