And we have a winner...

Ok, so we leave school early, drive the hour to the doctor's office, and get settled in. Are you picturing this? Good. The doctor comes in, gets the ultrasound ready and starts scanning away. He is pointing out arms and feet, and eyes, and the nose, and femur, and the heart valves, and...well you get the idea. This whole time I am thinking, ok, it HAS to be a girl because we are HAVING a girl. I mean, that is just how it is going to be. Well, he keeps scanning, and finally says, okay, what is it you were hoping to have? A GIRL! Hello, were you not listening (of course I was saying that in my head). Well, I hate to tell you, but this isn't standard equipment on a girl, as he brings up the boy parts on the screen. It was a weird moment for all of us. My daughter (only, daughter apparently) started to cry and my oldest son cheered. (I guess another boy to wrestle with and be crazy with.) I was in shock, this couldn't be right. We were supposed to have a girl. The Chinese baby calendar said so! Dang it! I think my wife thinks/thought I was disappointed. I'm not honey, just still in shock. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A GIRL! Anyways, my daughter informed us last night that we could have a girl with the next baby. We laughed. Sorry sweetheart, this is it. I told my wife that she will get four more daughters when all the boys get married someday, and no one can blame me for not carrying on the Hughes name. So, the long of the short, or the short of the long, or to summarize is to simply say, We are having a boy. YEA! I really am excited about that. And, as a teacher at school pointed out today, I only have to pay for one wedding! See there is a bright spot to all things. So, there you have it! Another exciting day in the Hughes household.

After the doctor, we headed to the dollar store. I have been wanting to do more hands on activities with my students. We are currently studying space and ancient Egypt. I have always wanted to do mummies with the kids and this is the year. You should have seen the looks I got as I chucked 23 baby dolls into my shopping cart. That was great. At Wal-Mart (the store of the Devil!) I found some cheap cloth and asked them to cut it in to 23 half yards. The lady asked me if I was joking. That was great. Oh, sweet revenge. I also bought materials to mummify apples (so they can feel what mummy skin would feel like) and sugar cubes for each student to make a pyramid. On the space side, I bought beads and string to make a model of the constellation Orion (which I am sure the kids will confuse with Orion's arm, of which we are a part). I am very excited to get "messy" with the kids and do all these hands-on activities. The best part is the kids don't know they are getting to do them. They think they have lost the opportunity. But never fear, they shall have "fun". So, SHHHHH, keep these pieces of information a secret!

Anyways, I have a voice student (singing) coming in a few minutes and a sleeping, sick 1 year-old in my lap. So I need to sign off.

Later...