Conversations with Zeke

Zeke is almost 3 months.  I can't believe it.  The time has flown by.  I think because Gwen takes up most of my brain power these days.  She has just recently begun screaming like people in a horror film when she isn't happy.  It's quite stunning I assure you.  She is learning so much all at once I can barely keep up with her.  I keep getting books at the library and she remembers the information!  Right now she's interested in octopuses, bird's nests, snowmen and rabbits and dolphins and whales.  Today we went on a walk and we saw an earth worm.  Ben picked it up and put it on the grass.  Maybe 15-20 minutes later we get back to the same spot we saw the worm and Gwen says "worm, worm" looking for it.  Stuff like that amazes me.  She also has an independence streak a mile wide.  She is not the type of kid to hide behind my skirt.  She is out there in the middle of it all and wanting so badly to be in the mix.  I love that she is so outgoing.
I think everyone who has a near two year old should have an infant to love and cuddle.  It keeps the whole thing in perspective for me.  I can not even describe accurately how adorable this boy is.  He is so easy going and sweet with little smiles all the time.  He loves his food and he has his father's ears.  I'm wondering if he'll be a little   less outgoing.  I think that would be interesting.  Here he is the other day:

  

On other news, I have been listening to a nursery rhyme CD in the car and it has this rhyme to song on it.  I'm one of those that can never ignore music.  I walk into a store, I notice the music... sit in a car, notice the music.  Well, this poem bothers me because I don't know what a runcible spoon is.  Also, what is an owl and a pussycat doing getting married and what kind of animal would result to for mentioned marriage.  AND what is quince?  Answers to follow poem. :)

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are."
Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long we have tarried;
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"
 Said the Piggy, "I will"
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.


*A runcible spoon is a small fork with three prongs, one having a sharp edge, and curved like a spoon. This spoon is used to eat  pickles, etc.  It's essentially a spork.
*I'm not sure about the resulting children of an owl and pussycat.  Still bothers me.
*A quince is a small, deciduous tree, which bears fruit. The fruit is bright yellow when mature (green when immature), and bears a resemblence to a pear. They mature in late autumn with a hard flesh which emits a strong perfume. The flowers have five pink-white petals and are produced in spring.

At Greek weddings, the quince was often presented at weddings, as part of a ritual. The Quince would be used to perfume the bride's kiss before the ceremony, to prevent an unpleasant first greeting. The Romans would stew quince with honey and combine them with leeks.

Quince is often too hard and sour to eat, though it can be softened by frost. They can be peeled, stewed, roasted, baked or used to make jam, jelly or quince pudding. Quince seeds, however, are poisonous and should not be eaten.

Because of its strong perfume, quince is often used as a flavour enhancer for jam and apple pies. Quinces may have been cultivated before apples.

The Spanish eat quince with cheese, using it to make a kind of jelly-like mixture, and quince juice is often made from organic farming in Germany.