A pinch of David, a dash of Susan . . .

If you haven't already heard, Susan is pregnant with our umpteenth child. She is due sometime in the latter half of June. The picture is how we look now, before Artaxerxes is born in June. Susan does not like the name Artaxerxes.

Whenever Susan and I cook up another child you can tell we only have two molds: boy and girl. But, I still think the recipe produces some fine children.

Unsavory spices

I should mention some brief news that happened to us on Saturday that spiced up our life. Our sewer backed up. Tree roots apparently disrupted the flow from our house to the main sewer line, a problem common to older homes.

We were extremely fortunate, though, to have two alert boys who quickly noticed what was wrong. They were playing Stratego in their room when they heard gurgling sounds and decided to check it out. They opened the furnace room door and saw sewage coming up through the drain, and immediately came and told me about it. We made sure no more water drained until Roto Rooter came and took care of the clog. It stained some of the floor in the boys' room and in the bathroom, which is about a thousand times--and a thousand dollars--better than 2 inches of sewage everywhere. Isaac and Gideon averted a disaster.

We had a carpet cleaner come to clean and disinfect in the afternoon, and Susan and I were able to go to the Nielson Christmas party by the evening. I hope we have many bland days to come.