Ring that new year

Our latest science project involves a well-sealed cage of stinging red harvester ants in the school room.  They rush around building tunnels in the dirt and hoarding up crumbs of food.


I've repeatedly warned my own children, as well as every adult and child who has slept over on our school room futon, not to bump the ant cage, lest they escape and bite us all.  Caleb in particular has had *multiple* admonishments to stay back.  They will bite you and it will hurt!  Don't touch!


After weeks of self-control from guest and resident children, guess who knocked over the ant cage?


{Hint:  Jason's dad said this person would have been his 5th guess.}


Mercifully, I was wearing long pants and shoes at the time of this unfortunate incident.  Much screaming and yelling and frantic lethal stomping occurred.  Brave Jeddy--who was not wearing long pants or shoes--ran in to help.


At the end of the incident, Jeddy had sustained a bite on his knee and our ant population was reduced by half--but the surviving ants were safely resealed and my new Apple watch registered 2 minutes of physical exercise, as measured by elevated heart rate.


Caleb was quite upset with me.  He tearfully told me, "That wasn't a good idea."


He also crawled trembling into my arms and whimpered, "If you do that again I'll spank you."

It happened something like this, but not quite.

Making thank-you cards

After this we gathered, shaken but safe, around the table.  Halfway through lunch, Caleb noticed a dead fly floating in the milk jug that everyone was drinking from.


!!!


More yelling and running ensued.  The milk was dumped, Caleb was praised, and the lid of the new milk jug came off only for merest seconds before being emphatically replaced.

Such ended our 2015:  a banner year.


In January last year our house was only half-built, and we observed our first annual Halfway Day.


I spent last February toilet shopping and making endless trips to Lowe's.


In March we started packing to move.


Jeddy began his Little League career in April, and we moved.


In May I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and started daily hospital treatments.


In June I regained the ability to walk and we went to the beach.


We started a new school year in August:  5th grade, 2nd grade, pre-K and preschool.


In October I completed a 31-day blogging challenge.

May your New Year bring robust health, joyous family time, and a distinct lack of disease-carrying, biting little critters.