Turkeys lurkin'

No one would be surprised if I said there was a family of turkeys at the Precht house. But today we had the real thing -- complete with feathers! We've had a steady stream of visitors this summer -- deer, turkeys, a fox, a bobcat, a family of bunnies and, of course, a squirrel or two.

The goatherders are coming!

Chris and Rainie are in town this week! We haven't seen them in ages. We're looking forward to a fun family gathering that will begin in Warrensburg Wednesday morning and end at Nicholas' baseball game in Shawnee.

Você fala português?

Our mission team (Joy, Carol and me) met today to discuss more logistics for our July 31 trip and learn a little bit of Portuguese. Our fourth team member (Yvonne) was unable to join us, as she's on a mission trip to Mexico.

Our workbook, "Portuguese in 10 minutes a day" doesn't mention how many days of 10 minutes we'll need to prepare for our trip to Brazil. Ten? Fifty? Two years?

From the dugout

I downloaded the photos from Nicholas' camera this afternoon and found this interesting shot he took of a teammate preparing to bat. My shortstop has caught the "shutter bug!"

Baseball Bulletin

The Crawdads take on their next opponent tonight at 8:30 -- providing we don't get rained out. Nicholas said the coaches worked them really hard last night at practice, so he thinks they're ready for a win.

UPDATE: The Crawdads won tonight, 12-2! Go Crawdads!!!! Our next game is Sunday evening.

Determined Crawdads

Last night we cheered on the Crawdads while they gave it their all in 90-degree heat.

Nicholas got walked to first base twice in the game ... and he scored one run. Here, he prepares to steal second base. He succeded, but we accumulated three outs before he made it home.

The Crawdads play really well as a team, but they've had some tough breaks this season. We're hoping for a win Friday night.

Doe, a deer, a female deer ... and a bunny

This evening we marveled at a graceful doe in our backyard. She wandered around for 20-30 minutes before heading back into the woods. Meanwhile, a bunny hung out near the slide. I wonder what he was thinking ...

At home with Tristan

Mom, Nicholas and I visited Amber, Jon and Tristan today. The main reason for the journey was to deliver Mickey ... but we certainly didn't rush out the door after doing so!

Amber said that last night was a long one ... Tristan would cry ... and then Daisy would cry ... and they continued to go back and forth through the night. She laughed about it, but I suspect she wasn't laughing when she was trying to get some much-needed rest.

Tristan was pretty laid back for the length of our visit. He made a few noises, but he always went right back to sleep.

He is the sweetest baby in the world -- and you can quote me on that!

Project Mickey: Complete

• Maybe we should call this a "life" blanket instead of a baby blanket! It's certainly large enough to cover Tristan for many years to come! Maybe he'll even take it to college with him. :)
  
  I started crocheting the first row May 4 with a completion goal of May 31. On Memorial Day, I completed the crochet stage and began cross-stitching Mickey ... On May 31, I had his shoes, legs, tail and half his shorts complete. Last night, I finished the last stitch at 11:05 p.m. (see Tristan's birth time below!). Mike "cut the cord," declaring Mickey officially complete.

Pacifier for the pooch

During our visit with Amber, Jon and Tristan today, Daisy enjoyed a popsicle. Obviously she's not being completely neglected as a result of Tristan's arrival.

Amber's big day

Beneath a full moon, Amber and Jon welcomed Tristan Michael Martin into the world at 11:05 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, in Warrensburg, Mo. He weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 20". We are so excited to have another new member in our family!!! His aunt and uncle (Michaela and Nicholas) and his grandparents (Mike and me) are all cruising on cloud nine. Mom, Dad and Tristan are doing fine. Daisy is still "adjusting" to sharing Amber, Jon and all their attention.

The Silly Factor

It's been quiet without Nicholas and Michaela around this week (they're staying with their grandparents in Warrensburg while they attend VBS). I miss their energy, their laughter, our dinner conversations and yes, even the chaos of our daily morning routine. The house feels so empty when I get up and it's just Bingley and me. Without them, our home's overall Silly Factor is down to a 2. Michaela (left) and her classmates were feeling especially silly last month when I accompanied them on a field trip to Martin City Melodrama.

Mel on the Metro

I've been hearing so much at work and through the media about how we should be living green and reducing our carbon footprint ....

So, today I rode the bus to work. I planned it for a couple weeks, knowing the kids would be out of town for vacation bible school, and it would be easier to get to the bus stop on time (7:14 a.m.).

The Web site for The Jo listed IHOP as the bus stop ... but I wasn't really sure if it was actually at IHOP or somewhere in the vicinity of the Target shopping center ... Naturally, I left extra early to allow time to figure it all out. As I approached IHOP, a woman pulled into a parking space just ahead of me and immediately began to place a sun visor-thingy in her windshield, signaling that she was planning to be gone for a while ... so I nonchalantly pulled in the parking space next to her and casually gathered up my stuff, checked my lipstick, had a few sips of coffee ... which bought me just enough time to see her get out of her car and go stand on the curb. It would have been much easier if they simply posted a sign, right? Oh well, I was totally cool about it.

In the next few minutes, a small crowd gathered, and soon the bus was there -- right on time. I was surprised to find that there weren't quite enough seats for everyone ... so there were a few people standing. The bus driver was a friendly woman who got off the bus momentarily to remove a plastic bucket that had become lodged under the bus as it pulled into the parking lot and reportedly made quite a racket. She mentioned that the community of riders on this particular route had recently tripled -- no doubt due to the skyrocketing gas prices.

I settled in for the ride, and in no time at all, we were downtown. At Crown Center, I got off the bus and waited for the Max, which would take me down Main Street and let me off right at the front door of my building. It was a snap -- and it cost me a mere three bucks for the trip. :)

I had a little bit of anxiety about catching the bus at the end of the day. After all, there's only one bus from Crown Center to Shawnee. If I missed my connection, I'd be stranded. So I left work at 4:45, caught the Max to Crown Center and had about 15 minutes to spare before The Jo arrived. Next time, I could leave 5 or 10 minutes later and still make it.

Bottom line: I left the house 30 minutes earlier, got home 30 minutes later ... and spent 30 minutes (total) additional time on the road ... but, I also relaxed all the way there and home ... and I saved gas money, as well as wear and tear on my car. And it was good for the environment, too! Guess what, Mom. I'm a "city girl!"

A mouse in the house

Recognize this mouse? It's my work in progress ... a blanket for Amber's baby boy and my grandson -- Tristan Michael Martin. My goal was to have it ready for a shower I attended this weekend. Obviously, I didn't quite make it. With any luck, it will be ready before he arrives. His due date is June 24, but the dr. predicts he'll be a couple weeks early.