Two more eggs today… white … we’re thinking it’s the same hen. Our worms (for vermicomposting) arrived yesterday and in all the excitement about the eggs got put aside until this evening.  We (Sister & I) pulled out the bin I had previously prepared.  A medium size rubbermaid container with a lid into which I drilled holes down each side and placed a simple spout in one end near the bottom.  The holes are so the worms can breath and the spout is so we can collect the “worm tea” that accumulates at the bottom (and to keep the worms from drowning… apparently).   To the bin we added strips of newsprint torn into strips and dunked in water.  We squeezed out as much water as possible and fluffed the strips a bit before putting them in.  Then we added the worms.  Sister was a bit hesitant at first but then she really got into it.  “Are we going to name them?”  “Let me think… 500 red wrigglers with names….  Umm, no.”  Brother ended up being the squeamish one.  “Do you want to hold a worm, Brother?”  “Oh, no tanks.”  On top of all of this we placed a full sheet of newsprint which Sister sprayed down with a simple water spritzer.  We will keep this sheet moist and place our food scraps (no meat) under it.  So now we wait… and hope that Papa who recently had a renewed interest in fishing doesn’t think we are simply breeding bait. Also this evening I whipped up a batch of homemade insect repellent.  I can’t stand to put Deet on the kids (or myself) any longer.  Tried a bottle of Buzz Away (main ingredient: citronella) because it got such rave reviews from Good Housekeeping amoung others but the smell was so bad it kept away more than just mosquitos.  The new recipe is almost oderless and comes from the book Healing with Herbs by Penelope Ody though I got it via ParentHacks.  Will wore it on his run tonight and didn’t get a single bug bite so I’d say it works. Basic recipe: In a bottle, mix 4 drops of eucalyptus, 4 drops of lavender, 4 drops of rosemary, 4 drops of tea tree essential oils with 1 teaspoon of witch hazel and 4 teaspoons of water. Shake the mixture and apply directly to skin.Bug spray variation: Add the same mixture of oils to 2 teaspoons of witch hazel and 8 oz of water. Put this in a spray bottle and shake. Spray this directly on the skin.

Oil rub down variation: Add the same mixture of oils to 5 teaspoons of olive oil. Rub the mixture into your skin.