Go Ask Your Father: Hummingbirds, Potter, Recorder, and Clouds

Happy Friday!

The boys are off to Nanny’s for a sleepover. We’re off to our date night. Too bad it’s raining. Oh well, at least I’m not getting sunburned. I swear, if this rain keeps up I’m expecting the vampires to take up residence here. Please, dear Lord, don’t them be the sparkly kind!

How do hummingbirds drink?

Hummingbirds eat insects and and insect eggs. Over easy. Sometimes scrambled. Apparently their favorite is spider. So all you arachnophobes, the hummingbird is your best friend. However, they also feed from flowers. They will feed from your hummingbird feeder, too. I remember when we lived in Virginia we would have a dozen or more trying to feed from one feeder. It was amazing. (hint: to make your own hummingbird food boil 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar) Scientist once thought that they used their tongues as a wick. Recently, thanks to high speed footage, scientists have witnessed hummers using their tongues as a pump. Liquid is gathered on the end of their tongue. Then it contracts and the liquid is forced up their tongue into their mouth. Think of how you squeeze the last of the toothpaste out of the tube, it’s much the same motion. Except it’s their tongue, not a toothpaste tube.

Can I read Harry Potter?

Merlin’s beard! Of course you can. That would have been my answer had it been Crash who asked. However, Bang is only 5, and not quite ready for something that intense. We are Potterheads here. Bang will get his turn and I can’t wait. But I will. I started reading Harry to Crash when he was in 2nd grade. The first 3 books are basically an introduction. Things pick up and get scarier in book 4 The Goblet of Fire. We typically read a book then watch the movie and talk about the differences. I have read each book to him. He is now reading The Philosopher’s Stone on his own and I’m quite pleased. Pleased that he can read something that difficult on his own and pleased that he chose to on his own. He’d be Gryffindor for sure!

Can we make a recorder video?

Thank you music class. Never have I wanted smash an instrument as much as I’d like to smash that recorder. He has learned to play Hot Cross Buns. The iconic first song learned on any instrument. Wonder what AC/DC would sound like playing Hot Cross Buns? Over and over and over again he plays it. Mom, Dad, I’m sorry for that you had hear while I was learning to play the trumpet. Karma sucks ass. Anyway, I’m not musically gifted, but having learned the trumpet, I understand it a bit. So I taught Crash how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Now he has two songs he plays on repeat. While no one was home, I learned Ode to Joy. One of these days, yes, we will make a video of us playing a duet. It’ll best be listened to with your speakers turned off.

Are the clouds in space?

My mom used to calls me a space cadet, not because go to space but because I space out. Bang was a bit confused. He sees the clouds up there, the sun up there, the moon up there, the stars up there, isn’t that all space? Nope. By Earth law, the Kármán line- where space officially begins- is at 100 km (62 miles) straight up. There is no definitive line between Earth and outer space. Just like there’s no definitive line between paying attention and spacing out. While the space station is 250 miles above the Earth, clouds can range anywhere from 0 feet (fog) and 53 miles (Noctilucent, or night clouds). That’s 9 miles shy of where space begins. Pretty much where I go when I space out. 

bonus:

Q: Where do astronauts go for a drink?
A: To the space bar!

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