Cute Cousins!

Because I've figured out how to upload images now...

Aren't they the cutest?

A couple of funnies

Since Smallest Cubkid is the best for funnies-

On the way home from Maine, we stayed at a hotel in PA. Since he's the smallest, his bed consisted of 2 armchairs, a pillow, and a blanket. In the morning, he popped his head over the side of the arm, and looks at me, and in a plaintive voice says, "Mommy, this bed is no good. It keeps hatching!". And indeed it did- the chairs kept separating in the middle, and he was in danger of dropping out.

And the other one was just this week, in the midst of plowing through the weekly grind of schoolwork, he was muddling through his phonics book, and sadly looks at me and says, "Mommy, I can't do this any more. My brain is falling apart!" Poor guy- the room erupted in gales of laughter at his expense!



A picture of him, hard at work, holding his brain together!

Freezing to death!

Brrr! In the last few days, the temps have plummeted, and the snow has fallen, and we finally hit double digits for the temperature this morning. And we have about a foot of snow. Unfortunately for my kidlets, it's just tooooo cooooold to sled for very long. We concluded this morning that it takes longer to get dressed in all the gear than they can stand to be out. On the flip side, our Christmas tree has never looked better.


Where, oh where, is my warm beach?

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

Watching the tide roll away...

My apologies to Otis Redding, and we're not sitting on a dock, but a deck, in the Outer Banks. The kids and I came down last week and hung out in Duck, NC for the nor'easter that blew through. It was really cool to see it- lots of wind and rain, storm overwash on the roads, and the roads completely covered with sea water in spots. It was particularly bad in Kitty Hawk.

This week, we're back on Avon, our little town we like so well. We have a different house this time, since ours wasn't available the week we wanted to come down. It's a couple of streets over, has direct beach access, and we can also swim in the pool. I'm here with a friend and her 3 kids, so we're definitely a crowd. I also wrangled a deal, and she's doing the cooking all week, so I'm free as a bird. Nothing to do but contemplate the sand and sea, and look for the next photo op.

The disparity between this life and my real one is quite a shock to the system!

Mi Vida Loca

My wild and crazy life! We've taken an interesting turn. My mom had booked herself on a cruise some time ago, and was having trouble finding someone to go with her. A couple of weeks ago, she made an offhand comment to me that it was too bad I couldn't go, since we travel so well together. Well, I talked to The Lion King, and the upshot is I'm in London, heading for Dover, and then the Baltic Sea. The cruise covers the Baltic capitals. We've only ever been to Copenhagen, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the other sites, particularly Tallinn and St. Petersburg. How cool with that be? I am also going to particularly enjoy not having to distill the information I'm learning and reteach it. This is an information-for-me-only trip! I'm hoping to also go home with a good plan for the next schoolyear. I have no idea how this is going to go, not having ever been on a cruise before.

Shamelessly borrowed from a friend's blog

You know you're from Ohio if...

1. You don't think of Florida first when someone mentions Miami.
   
2. You snicker when someone's from Tiffin, because you think of the State Hospital.
   
3. You think Pro football teams are supposed to wear orange!
   
4. Schools close for the state basketball tournament. Deer season, too.
   
5. You're proud of your state fair, but would rather go to Cedar Point.
   
6. You know all the 4 seasons: Winter, Still Winter, Almost Winter, and Construction.
   
7. You live less than 30 miles from some college or university.
   
8. You know what a buckeye really is, and have a recipe for candy ones.
   
9. "Toward the lake" means "north" and "toward the river" means "south."
   
10. You know if other Ohioians are from southern or northern Ohio as soon as they open their mouths.
    
11. You root for a college team though you've never taken a class there.
    
12. You can spell words like Cuyahoga, Olentangy, Bellefontaine, Tuscarawas, Wapakoneta and you know which letter is doubled in "Cincinnati."
    
13. You always visit more than two amusement parks in one summer.
    
14. You know that Serpent Mounds were not made by snakes.
    
15. You know what game they're playing when the Mud Hens take on the Clippers.
    
16. "Vacation" means spending a day at Cedar Point or King's Island.
    
17. You measure distance in minutes.
    
18. Down south to you means Kentucky.
    
19. Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
    
20. Your school classes were canceled because of heat.
    
21. You've ridden the school bus for an hour each way.
    
22. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
    
23. You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
    
24. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
    
25. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
    
26. You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
    
27. You carry jumper cables in your car.
    
28. You know what pop is.
    
29. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
    
30. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
    
31. You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightie.
    
32. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page but requires 6 pages for sports.
    
33. You think that deer season is a national holiday.
    
34. You thought that the Phil Dirt and the Dozers was the most popular band in the country.
    
35. You actually understand these jokes then forward 'em to all your OH friends!!

I'm thankful for...

Joy is found in the small things today.

Nothing on the schedule to get up for- we needed this slow time in the morning today. Time to sit on the sofa, children gathered 'round, reading about Flower Fairies.

An oldest child, hard at work on an essay, preparing for college, plans in place.

An older child playing hymns on her flute.

An older brother reading 'Brambly Hedge' to two transfixed younger siblings.

A middle child curled up in a chair, lost in stories.

4 cubic yards of soil being delivered, so we can start our gardens. Boxes already waiting to be filled with good dirt.

Band tonight, with a concert tomorrow. A fun, creative, productive time, and a reward for hard work this spring.

I think I can breathe again...