Storytime with the Lamb Chops

Lately, I've been letting each of the Lamb Chops choose an activity for us all to do in the evening. Last night, it was Young and Agile LC's turn, so she decided she wanted us all to read a story, and she would read it aloud.

Hmm. Interesting choice. I thought it was a bit ambitious of Young and Agile LC to get the others to pay attention, but they all gathered around quietly to listen.

"Is not silence more painful than death?"

"Well, I know I'm in pain from being silent!"

I forgot to mention. Original LC was peeved that we didn't get to do her choice of activity, so she had some major 'tude.

Football LC thought it was funny, but the other Lamb Chops comforted poor Young and Agile LC. I gave her back the book that fell on the floor, and she started again.

Football LC was trying not to laugh.

Young and Agile LC continued, "Her beauty was like a gift of poetry."

"Haha! So was her beauty fictional? Or was it long and boring? Oh, I know! I bet it rhymed! Yeah! Up top, Football Lamb Chop!"

Uh oh. This time, Mommy LC started to get the giggles. Things weren't looking good, but Young and Agile LC persevered.

"But poets are unhappy people, for, no matter how high their spirits reach, they will still be enclosed in an envelope of tears." She paused for dramatic effect.

Which was lost on the Lamb Chops. Even kind-hearted Christmas LC couldn't help but crack a smile. They all laughed and laughed and laughed. Young and Agile LC was not amused.

So, she stormed away. "This is why we can't be cultured in this house!"
I felt it was necessary to scold the Lamb Chops, since they had ruined Young and Agile LC's special activity night. They were all ashamed.

Except Original LC. The 'tude remained. "Big deal! It's not my fault she picked a stupid activity!"

"Hey! What gives?"

I put Original LC in the corner for time-out and told her that she wouldn't get to have her own activity night until she apologized.
She wouldn't.
I explained to her that everyone likes doing different things, and part of being a family is being supportive of everyone's various interests.
She said, "Oh yeah? What if someone's interest was drinking out of the toilet? Huh?"
I paused.

Then I said, "I see what you're trying to say. Well, Original LC, I support your decision to drink out of the toilet, and I'm sure all of the other Lamb Chops will support you once I tell them."
"What? Hey! No! I don't--that's not--don't tell them that! I'll apologize! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Can I come out of the corner now?"
I said I wouldn't tell the other Lamb Chops but that she needed to stay in the corner a little longer and think about how she had treated Young and Agile LC.
There may be hope for this rascal! She's learning!

Lamb Chops Welcome Home

Where have the Lamb Chops been? Things go by quickly now that we're home again. They've been spending most of their time up on the dresser, but they've been making some plans to do things. Also, they've been getting excited for Susanna's return from Korea!

The Lamb Chops haven't seen Susanna in over a year now, since they didn't get to come visit her in Korea in December. But they've been very excited, so I shouldn't have been surprised when we got back from the airport and saw them all waiting eagerly to say hello.

Coming in the door...and look who's here!

Football LC waves hello, Original LC holds some kind of sign, Mommy LC rests on poor Young and Agile LC's head, Christmas LC waits patiently. Baby LC: "I could take it or leave it."

She was excited to see Susanna, but she was just tired.
What's the sign say?

"I made it myself!"
I probably should have overseen the sign making.

Susanna is happy to see the Lamb Chops again!
And we were all happy, too. We went out to dinner together and spent the whole evening as a family.

Then in the morning, I woke up and came downstairs.

Oh, Lamb Chops! I forgot about you on the table in all the excitement! Oh, and poor Original LC had to sleep while hanging from the chair. I'll take you all back up to the dresser now, okay? And we'll do something really fun soon!

Lamb Chops host a foreign exchange student

Ever since returning from their adventures abroad, the Lamb Chops haven't been quite satisfied with normal life back at home on the dresser. They have been wanting adventures and new friends to meet! So, I agreed that they could host a foreign exchange student, as long as they helped out with everything. We met a couch-hopping monkey from Ghana who needed a place to stay for the night. I had personal interests in mind as well, since I sadly never got to see a monkey while I was in Ghana. I hoped he would tell us about his life in the forest!

We spent the afternoon getting a bed ready for our new friend. When he arrived in the evening, all the Lamb Chops gathered around to say hello.

Football LC acted as the representative of the group, offering to take the suitcase. She even donned her football uniform to provide a truly patriotic welcome. America! Our new friend wore kente cloth and brought flowers for the hosts. Baby LC and Young and Agile LC shyly look on.

Original LC: "Ta daaaaah!"

Also, the most embarrassing part of this picture is my choice of summer reading seen next to my bed.

Stuffed animals come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but they are all bonded in stuffedanimalhood.

"Well hey! What can we do ya for?"

Oh dear.

Oh, it's okay, little monkey. The Lamb Chops are a great bunch.

See? Aren't they dear? Who wouldn't want to stay with them?

...
Well, your bed is far from the dresser.
Now, everyone get your pajamas on, cuz I've got a fun-filled night planned! We'll have hot chocolate and popcorn, and then we'll build a fort in the living room, and then we'll stay up in our fort and watch The Orphanage!

No one slept that night. My fault.

A wish granted

On the last day at the kibbutz, people were leaving out all their leftover food for anyone to take. I took Mommy Lamb Chop over to the food table to see if there were any snacks the Lamb Chops or I would want for the plane.

Slim pickin's. There were three jars of peanut butter and some unopened fig spread, along with rice cakes. So, I guess you could have a peanut butter and fig rice cake sandwich. I asked Mommy LC if she wanted one, but she didn't respond. I took it as a no.

But wait! What's this behind the half-empty bag of stale chips?

MMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNN!!!
Can I please, please have it? It's chok-a-lit chip!
Ok, Mommy LC. Here, I'll open up the package for you, and you can have...

...Lamb Chop, don't bite into it yet! It still has the paper on it!

"Oops." she said.

There we go, that's better. More muffiny, less papery.
It's just you and me, muffin! Together forever!

10 seconds later: lickin' the crumbs.

Mourning all that is left of an old friend. Well Lamb Chop, I guess you've learned that you can't have your muffin and eat it, too. Maybe next time you'll eat it a little more slowly and appreciate it...
No? You're just going to eat all the crumbs now? Mmokay.
So, I guess all Lamb Chop learned is that if you eat something, you should not make friends with it.

Being that the contrapositive is logically equivalent, I never have and never will eat lamb.

Lamb Chops at sea!

On the kibbutz, right on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, there is an old fishing boat. I call it the pirate ship, even though it's highly doubtful that pirates ever existed on the Sea of Galilee. But whatever. The other day, I took the Lamb Chops out to play Ship.

Though it's difficult to see, all of the Lamb Chops are in this picture!

As soon as we got on the ship, Mommy LC ran out and planted herself up on the bow. No matter how hard I tried to persuade her, she wouldn't come down the whole time we were out there. Oh well. I guess she's our figurehead!

Football LC naturally took on the role of captain, especially since it meant she got the costume.
You there! Scrub the poop deck!

HAHAHAHAHAHA! POOP DECK! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Captain Football LC is not amused and glares from her perch at Original LC.

You dare laugh at Captain Football Lamb Chop, you scrub the poop deck!

Grumble grumble. Original LC thought the poop deck was much funnier when she didn't have to scrub it. She plots mutiny as she works!

Meanwhile, Christmas LC and Baby LC play on the boat and enjoy the breeze, which was very strong that day.

And where's Young and Agile LC? She found herself a little cubby where she could sit and look out at the sea and avoid the orders of the scurvy Captain Football Lamb Chop.

So, all of the Lamb Chops enjoyed their field trip out of the room. Their time here is almost up!

Lamb Chop on the dig

Last Friday, on my day off (since we're in Israel, the weekend is Friday and Saturday. Shabbat.), I hiked all the way up the mountain to explore the dig site. You know, because hiking partway up the mountain every morning at 5 AM and digging for seven hours for the previous five days wasn't enough. We left early in the morning to beat the heat, however much that is possible in Israel. Because my roommates were all still asleep, I got dressed and grabbed my backpack in the dark.

The beautiful view of the Golan on the hike up.

I really shouldn't have been surprised, being that the Lamb Chops have been stowaways before, but I didn't really think any of them would want to leave the nice air conditioned room and see the dusty dig site. However, once I got to the site at the top of the hill, I heard some coughing from inside my backpack. So, I opened it up.

Gasp! There's no air in that backpack!
Oh, Baby LC! I told you to stay in the room! Do you know how dirty you could get up here? I'll have to give you a bath! And...

Awwwwwwww...alright, it's okay, Baby LC. You must really want to see what digging is like, huh? I'll show you around, how does that sound? We'll be careful not to get too dirty.

Here is Lamb Chop outside of the excavated church area. We are currently digging behind the apse (the semicircle at the front of the church). Smile!

Yes, Lamb Chop. It's very hot up here. Do you want to use a hat for some shade?

Hmm. Maybe not.

Wheeee! Lamb Chop gets a ride in the sifter, which we use to search for treasure around floor level.

You see this square, Lamb Chop? I dug it out in the first two weeks with my bare hands. And some tools.

At the door to the excavated room. Knock knock! Who's there? Lamb Chop! Lamb Chop who? Lamb Chop, your friend!
That's not...awwwwwwww. Oh well. It's cute.

Lamb Chop looks at the hole where we found a complete pottery jar, three glass bottles, a bronze decanter, a ring, a scarab, and a carved dancing figure.
Lamb Chop, look! There's another treasure here in this corner!
...
You!
Awwwwwww. I love you too.

Lambchop looks at the square I am working on in the last two weeks of the dig. She is baffled by the strange pipe and fixture in the corner! What did I find? It's a mystery!

Look what we dug up!
But you know what we do with buckets, right Lamb Chop?
Empty them off over the cliff!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Oh, Lamb Chop, it's okay, I was just kidding. I wasn't going to...awwwww. I'm sorry. Here, let's get you out of the bucket and...

...Awwwwwwwwwww. I'll hold you and not let go, okay?

Lamb Chop had to go to the bathroom, so I brought her to it.
What's that? Where? That's it.
...You know, through the thorns and rocks and by the wall. Be careful, though, because there can be snakes, scorpions, and bugs hiding in the rocks.
What? You don't want to go anymore?
Oh. You don't need to go anymore.
It's okay, Lamb Chop. I'll change you when we get back.

We went back to the site, where Lamb Chop crawled into this cistern head tipped on its side and fell asleep. She needed a cozy spot to rest after such a thrilling day!
Sleep tight, Lamb Chop. I'll be sure not to wake you on the hike down the mountain.