Geeking Out!

I'm totally geeking out! Here is Vladimir Horowitz (maybe not spelled right) playing Rachmaninoff piano concerto 3. The whole thing is about a half an hour long, so I'm only putting a couple of highlights. I love Rachmaninoff! Once a few years ago, I was flicking through the channels and just happened along as they were announcing that Andre Watts was about to play Rach 2. I hurried up and threw in a tape, then I literally ran around the room whooping and hollering like a maniac. One of my nerdier moments. I call it the greatness tape, and every now and then, I pull it out and bore the pants off of whoever happens to be around. I love it though, and I'll have to get it transferred to dvd before I can watch it again. Sadly, I think it's dieing. Anyway, here are a couple of clips of Horowitz playing #3. If it totally bores you, at least watch the 30 second one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNJg-gicPTQ&feature=related 4 min. the last 15 seconds is really cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IydArFYvvak&feature=related 31 seconds

Here is Andre Watts on Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers is geeking out too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq_ea5RgvOI&feature=related

I lost my link list when I changed formats. I'll have to start a whole new one.

Recovering

Well, the bronchitis is seeing its last I think; my ribs are much better, and I think that we are seeing the end of the stomach flu at our house (keeping my fingers crossed, Lydia & Bruce haven't gotten it yet, but somehow the dog did). I've even done my stairs workout a couple of times and my ribs only complained a little. I think I'm going to try running again next week. Yay! There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can't believe how big I am getting with this pregnancy already. I just barely hit three months along yesterday (Hooray for second trimester! Although pregnancy wise the first trimester was a breeze. I'm getting good at this pregnancy thing I guess.) Anyway, as I was saying, I just barely hit three months along and I'm already in maternity clothes, and not much else. Almost none of my regular clothes fit me anymore. I seriously hope that it's because this is #5, and not because I'm just getting fat. Well, enough about that. Sufficed to say that I'm feeling much better. I only hope that I didn't annoy anyone too much with my pitiful complaints. Sorry!

Okay, So I Guess I Am In A Bad Way

It is so hard to know the difference, or where to draw the line between laziness and needing to rest because you are injured. I abhor sitting around doing nothing! When I'm sitting very still and not breathing deeply, I don't feel too bad. So, I feel lazy, I feel like I should get up and work. But as soon as I try, boom back down I go. I guess I really do need to be an invalid for a while. It hurts to do everything, pretty much. I walk up the stairs and I'm out of breath. Me! What the heck! What is that about? Anyway, I have wonderful people who don't believe me when I say I'm okay, and help me anyhow. I actually asked my mom to take my laundry and do some of it. I've had 4 babies and two miscarriages, and I've never let her take my laundry before. What does that tell you? Anyway, I guess I'd better be good, so I can get back to normal soon. I hate sitting around. I feel so lazy.

I must say that it is amazing how the Lord takes care of us though. I guess I shouldn't be too embarrassed to admit how poor we are (especially since most of my friends already know that). Yes, I have to count pennies like crazy. I went to the grocery store on Friday and I only got the essentials. I spent $35, because I knew our checking account couldn't take anymore than that. I'm used to being poor. It's not fun, but there are worse things. Anyway, apparently we are poor enough that the bishopric noticed and brought us several large boxes of groceries. More food than I would buy in two normal grocery trips (I usually spend way more than $35, as you can imagine). They even brought us diapers and laundry detergent. Well, this turned out to be timely and much appreciated because not only does it help out monetarily, but I won't have to grocery shop for a couple of weeks. That's something that I'm pretty sure I'm not up to physically at the moment. I also have a wonderful neighbor friend that made dinner for my family last night. I really do have a lot to be thankful for!

It's Funny How Often I Mistake These Two

Last night one of my middle two boys got in bed with me and stayed there. I thought it was Ross this whole time, until I just saw Ross coming out of his own bedroom. Then I realized that the snuggler was wearing different PJs. It was Mark all along. Funny. I mistake them like this all the time in the dark, when I'm half asleep.

Someone Pitty Me Please!! Just Kidding!!!

So I'm pregnant, I've got bronchitis, and I coughed so hard I cracked a rib. It hurts to talk too loud, it hurts if I move just wrong, it hurts to laugh or breath deeply, and coughing is murder. These are all perfectly true statements. (Boy, could I get some free meals out of my relief society sisters or what, if I chose to milk it)!

However, I promise you that it sounds about 100 times more pathetic than it actually is!! My bronchitis (yes a doctor finally named what I've had for the past month and a half) seems to be clearing up a bit. The pregnancy it totally good. Other than feeling chubby, I don't feel pregnant at all. I haven't even been all that tired this time, and I'll hit my second trimester officially sometime next week.

As for the cracked rib, it was little more than an annoyance until I went to choir practice over the weekend and tried to sing for a couple of hours. Apparently singing with a cracked rib is a very bad idea! All that expanding of the rib cage with the diaphragm and all of that... I REALLY made if worse. However, I think it is slowly going back to the "little more than an annoyance" stage. It hurts, but I'm managing. The only bad thing is that I have to lay off of the running for a while. URGH! I actually woke up at 4:30 this morning with no alarm clock. (Today is one of my usual days to meet the group to run when I get up at 4:30). Stupidly, I came down here and started farting around on the computer. -okay add sneezing to the list of things that hurt- It's now almost time for me to be getting the kids up for school. So, I'll be tired for no good reason today.

Anyway, I promise, I really am not as bad off as it sounds. Maybe I should just delete this whole stupid post. This is NOT NOT NOT a cry for pitty! I'm really alright. Mostly.

Justice Strikes Yet Again

My refrigerator got an impromptu cleaning on Thursday, after Justice emptied the contents into a toy box that he had emptied and dragged upstairs. Luckily he only spilled one jar of salsa. It could have been a lot worse, considering that he was throwing the jars into the toy box. It was really not such a bad deal after all, because my fridge was rather overdue for a cleaning.
Here he is this morning having some pancakes with syrup. (Note the empty syrup bottle and the syrup all over him, the table, chair & floor).

The Generous Giver

So, I've been sickly for about a month or maybe even longer, I don't know. Nothing pregnancy wise, it's just my stupid sinuses. They won't clear and my body's been trying to reject my lungs with all the coughing I've been doing. Anyway, I was on the couch all weekend, and missed the Shell (the company my father-in-law retired from) family Christmas Party. This is a BIG deal with Bruce's family. Everyone goes every year and we have a great time. After the party, Ross came up to me, on the couch, and very sweetly gives me an ornament that he got at the party. "Here Mom, this is for you because I love you." Every so sweetly and lovingly. About 10 minutes later he says "Mom, there's another reason that I gave you that ornament. I didn't want it."

John Has Been At It Again

I just got a L.L. Bean (I think that was the name) catalog addressed to "Hardy Dumper."
For a background on this refer to the following:
http://johnandrenae.blogspot.com/2007/03/johns-mail-to-fake-people.html

That's My Man

Bruce has been feeling rather slighted because the children make my blog so much, and he doesn't. So, here's one all about "The Moose:"

This about sums him up! ;)

Here he is boiling the head of a deer that he killed. You'd be hard pressed to find a manlier man anywhere. Not a girly bone in his body. He's never known a stranger. He will talk for hours on any subject, to any person. He's friendly and big hearted. I've never known him to back down from any challenge. A true jack of all trades. There is not anything under the sun that he at least thinks he couldn't do reasonably well to amazingly astonishing, given the chance. Most of the time, he's right. He's a good father & husband, so I'll keep him. He puts up with me, and can usually overlook it when I get cranky, weepy or unreasonable, as I do tend to get (especially in my current condition) from time to time.Here he is with my brother, John the summer we were married. (He's the one on the right)Doesn't he look so little!? He looks about 12 years old. So cute. You know, if it weren't for him, I'd probably never talk to anyone. I used to be quite shy, and still tend that way. But, I've come a long way since being around him. It used to really freak me out how he would talk to perfect strangers in the grocery store. I'm actually prone to doing that myself now. Who'd a thunk it?
And here he is with his cool friend Devon. The two black belts with their matching uniforms and cars. This picture cracks me up! They are so cool! He has recently started back with his Tae Kwon Do. He takes the three older kids to classes and stays to teach. He also enjoys going on the grown up fight night, or whatever that is. He thoroughly enjoys beating each others' heads in with his buddies.

Lament For Hot Cocoa!

Alas, my tub of hot cocoa mix is empty,

and the last mug from the set that we got when we were married is broken!

I had 14 at first. The bowls all died long ago, and I only have a few plates left.

Worry not though, I can make more cocoa mix, and there are other mugs in the world.

Possibly Bad Parenting

I'm a little hesitant about posting this. The kids were having so much fun! Laughter and shreaks of delight and thump, thump, thumps coming from the other room. I used to do this when I was a kid too. So, I filmed it and then I told them that I'm not so sure it was the greatest idea. Not sure if I will allow it again. Such a shame though, they were having such a good time!

8, 16, and 32

I have to admit that these pictures aren't exactly 8, 16, and 32, but as I don't want to spend forever digging out pictures (I've already spent more time on this than I should have), these will have to be close enough. I added the caption to the youngest picture because it cracks me up. I don't know who wrote it, my Grandma maybe, but I don't think she meant it to end up in my hands. Yes, I'm the one pulling the face.

My cousin Heather asked in her blog: What were you like at 8, 16, and now. Hey, as I will be turning 32 very soon (I am controlling my impulse to gasp or shudder at being 32. You know it's funny how a lot of people start to think they are "old" at about 18-then meaning almost grown up- and keep on being more and more shocked the older they get. For me to say "oh my gosh, I am sooo old, will seem verry silly in about 10 years or so, so I will refrain). Anyway, I am again doubling that figure. Hence, I am responding to the inquiries:

What you wanted to be/ are now:

age 8: I wanted to play in "the symphony."

age 16: Please don't laugh, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I wanted to be a model. Ick! okay, you can laugh if you want to.

age 32: I am a full time mom. My ambitions are to someday be good at mothering, to be really good at the piano, and to someday run marathons. Once my children are all in school, I'm wanting to go back to school and finish my music education degree, and when it fits into my life, I'd like to be a music teacher.

Favorite Toy:

age 8: My small stuffed bear named Scoocher

age 16: I don't know, probably my headphones. I used to love to go for 10 mile walks and listen to Andrew Lloyd Weber on my headphones.

age 32: my piano

Favorite Game:

age 8: I hated most games, especially chess, checkers and stratego. My brother John beat the ruddy pants off of me so badly every time that we played, that I really hated games in general.

age 16: Still scarred from all of the poundings I took as a youngster, I was very much opposed to most games.

age 32: I don't know, I enjoy get together type games with large groups of friends. I like spades.

Favorite Color:

age 8: pink

age 16: yellow

age 32: I don't know. I always say purple because Lydia was the seller of purple in the bible.

Favorite Movie:

age 8: The Star Wars trilogy!!

age 16: ? Bill and Ted

age 32: Probably The Fellowship of the Rings, with an honorable mention to X-men, Galaxy Quest, Mystery Men, Princess Bride, oh and you can't leave out Monty Python's Holy Grail!

Favorite Thing To Do:

age 8: Act like an odd-ball with my brother John

age 16: Flirt, closely followed by acting like an odd-ball with my brother John and Amy (though she is loath to admit that she once partook -was a full participant in- the odd-ballness.

age 32: Apparently clean the kitchen over and over and over again. Argh! Go anywhere without my children -which usually produces giddiness which often translates into being and odd-ball. Play my piano.

That Was Disgusting!

Don't read this if you are easily sickened.

Justice has recently discovered that nakedness is his favorite state of being. (This seems to be an epidemic in the men in Bruce's family. It is rumored that his uncle has answered the door in his underwear to get rid of those pesky Mormon missionaries -Bruce's family is not LDS.) He just took off all of his cloths, and went upstairs and pooped on the floor. Chloe, the dog, came along and ate it.

(This was not taken today, but if you only knew how often she kisses him like this! Eww!)

I Must Really Be Pregnant

Hmm, I just finished off (all by myself, no wait, Mark had one) a jar of Kosher Dill Pickle Spears that I bought Sat. evening. I'm sitting here sipping the juice, and you know it's not too bad. BTW, I heard the heartbeat today. This is for Liz: incase you were upset with me for not spilling the beans on your last trip here, I didn't know at that point either.

Help Please

Okay people, I am terribly indecisive, and a notoriously bad visionary when it comes to decorating. I'll pick something out that I think will be great, only to find out that it was a big mistake. Anyway, a wonderful relative of ours has generously offered to buy me a new rug for my living room. The problem is that I can't pick. So, I'm putting it to a vote. Here are a few that I like. (I think). So, if you love me, please please vote. Oh, by the way all of these are made of wool which, from the information I've gleaned, is the most durable kind of material in rugs.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7(just kidding!)

Dreams And Undiscovered Rooms

Some of you may think I'm being a little corny for sharing this one, but I don't care. As long as I can remember, I've had a recurring dream. I'll have this dream every month or so. It's never exactly the same twice, but the essentials are always there. I'm exploring my house (whatever house I've lived in at the time) -when I was a child, it was often my bedroom- and I'll discover a door or two or three that I had never noticed before. I'll open these doors and find all kinds of rooms that I never knew were there before. Often these rooms would lead to other undiscovered rooms. These are always really cool rooms too. My house is seemingly endless.

I've always found these dreams to be neat, but until recently, I hadn't given them much thought. After I had one of these dreams, about a month ago, I wondered to myself if my subconscious, or maybe even the Lord, is trying to tell me something. What could these rooms mean? Here is my interpretation: I think the rooms are facets of myself, personality traits, undiscovered talents, or characteristics that I haven't developed yet. I think it means that my potential is very far from reached at this point, heck endless. I also think that this could apply to anyone, not just me. We are God's children, and as such, our potential is limitless. So, I started wondering what I need to do to open these rooms. How can I become the person I was created to become?

Well, strangely enough, or maybe not so strangely, I had the dream again, only for the first time in my life, it was a bit different. When I opened the doors to my undiscovered rooms, (I don't know if it means anything but Amy might get a kick out of it, Amy and Sister Faust were there and they helped me open the initial door -this one was hard to open-) anyway the rooms were each occupied by some sort of bum - vagrants in each one of my rooms. I had to ask them to leave, kick them out before I could use my rooms. They were not too nice of bums either. They were not happy to leave, and I had some trouble getting rid of them. I remember explaining to one of them that I was having a new baby and I needed the extra room for my growing family.

So, what does this twist mean? I think it means that I have flaws that I need to get rid of, bad habits, meannesses, unChristlike qualities that are standing in the way of me reaching my true potential. How interesting that this twist had never occurred until I started wondering about the meaning of my dreams and I started to ask myself how to access these "rooms."

Utter hogwash? Maybe, but I think it does make for something interesting to think about. Actually it is true that we all have unimaginable potential. Every one of us. So no, I don't think it is hogwash. What do you think. Please, I am interested in your opinions.

I Am SOOO Tired Of Being Sick!!!

Okay, so I didn't get strep throat. Yay! I had about 2 days of feeling okay (sprinkled with pregnancy pukies) and now I have a stupid sinus infection. I feel like crud! -Again!- What the heck! I was sick most of last week with the flu or something. I'm getting really tired of the couch. I'm supposed to be getting ready for a 10 mile race, but instead I haven't run in about a week and a half. Argh!

Okay, I won't complain anymore. I am going to be thankful that I am not one of those hyper-emisis pregnant women. In general, I do pregnancy fairly easily. And what a blessing that is. I think I'd go insane otherwise. No more complaints. "I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful."

Kids Having Fun

I was having a bit of a pitty party for myself. I'm having a not-so-good week. I started off Monday with the flu and have felt bad all week. Finally today, I was feeling better. Mark was home from school, though with a sore throat. After looking into his throat, I was suspicious of strep. I took him in, and sure enough, he has strep throat. I had the doctor look in all of the other kids' mouths and mine. Everyone was fine except me. I've got it too.

Anyway, I threw this together and it cheered me up.

A Few Of My Favorite Stories

I was thinking that I wanted to record some of my favorite stories. This seems like a good place to do it. As some of them aren't really John or I, they won't fit in our John & Renae blog, so here are a few for starters. (I can't possibly put them all down at once, so I'll do it more later).

Mommy Tooted:

When Lydia was about 1 1/2 - 2 years old (she had the most amazing vocabulary really early on) I was shopping at Walmart with her. I was pregnant with Ross, and as pregnant women tend to get, I was ... well a bit gassy. Okay, there I said it. Yes, I passed gas in a crowded aisle in Walmart, but I really couldn't help it. Go ahead, say I'm disgusting and you never want to be around me again. I'm sorry! Anyway, apparently Lydia noticed. She started yelling at the top of her lungs "MOMMY TOOTED! MOMMY TOOTED!" over and over and over again. I was rather embarrassed.

Lydia Nearly Ruins The Ward Christmas Party For Someone:

Fast forward to when Lydia was about 2 1/2. She was mostly potty trained. All but an occasional accident. I took Lydia and Ross with me to homemaking meeting at church. As the next night was the ward Christmas party, we just left the up the tables that we had used in the gym. When I got home, I was getting the children ready for bed and I noticed that Lydia had poop marks in her panties. After some prying, I got it out of her that she had crawled under one of the tables is the gym, done her business, and then emptied the contents onto the floor under the table. Eeuw gross! I was picturing someone putting their unexpectant foot into it the next night at the Christmas party. Lucky for me (not so much for Mom) my mother is the janitor at the ward building, and she usually cleans on Fridays. I called her and asked her to check under the tables the next day. Sure enough, grandma got to clean up the mess.

One more:

I was pregnant (boy, I do spend a lot of my time that way!) with Lydia. We were at a family gathering at Bruce's grandparents' house. His whole family was rather crammed into a smallish area. Grandma Imogene (really a wonderful, but alas, sometimes a bit tactless woman- I do really think she's great!) comes up to me. She lifts my arms and examines my chest. "My, your breasts are getting bigger!" Yelling across the room- "Hey Marilou, aren't her breasts getting bigger!" Thank you grandma, I needed that. I makes a good story though.

Ah Hah!! So You're The One?!

I got onto Ross and Mark for this one. My house was set at 84 degrees yesterday. I honestly didn't think he could reach that. He's standing on two buckets stacked on top of each other.

Take Five

You know they say the surest way to get pregnant is to get rid of all of you baby cloths.

Waging War

Okay, I've been slightly embarrassed to post this, but it's soooo all consuming, and I need to vent. One of my lovely children brought home head lice from school and infected us all. It's the most horrible thing! I've spent probably about $150 on head lice products (and I still have to retreat everyone in a few days). We've done more laundry than I've done in the whole of my married life. Well, I'm sure that's an exaggeration. I've been rewashing everyone's bedding every single day. I'm going through everyone's closets and drawers and removing everything. Some things I seal up in a bag for a month, everything else I wash, then I spray out their drawers with cootie spray. I've been treating everyone's mattresses over and over, we'll probably all have cancer when we're done with this. I've been spraying and respraying the couch and carpets. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. I've spent hours upon hours upon hours picking through everyone's hair for nits and having my hair picked through. I spent 5 hours the other day just getting my hair picked through, and yet there were still nits in there! The first couple of nights, I spent about 5 hours going through my families hair. Mark alone took 2 hours. We've given all of the male members of the household short haircuts, this helps. I'm seriously tempted to cut my hair off chin length and just let someone professional fix it when all this is over. The kids and Bruce have been clean for a few days, except for an occasional nit that I had missed before, but my stupid long hair keeps turning them up. I've treated my head three times in the past four days with different kinds of products. I'm pretty sure that there is nothing alive in there anymore, it's just a matter of finding all of those nits. It only takes one to hatch and then you start all over. Bruce has gone to the laundromat twice because we can do a bunch of loads at once. We've spent about $60 at the laundromat, not including detergent. Then of course, I haven't had time to cook, so we've spent money buying food. I haven't been to the grocery store in forever, so we have nothing to eat. And I still have so much work to do to rid this house of the pests, that I don't know when I'll ever get it done. Then when that's all done, I'll have to fold all of that laundry. It makes all of my other laundry mountains look like a cinch. Oh my heavens, NEVER EVER get head lice. It's a bloody nightmare!

Relay 2007

This last weekend, John, Bruce, Terry, Todd, Ashley and I all did a relay race as a team. It was a lot of fun. (I can say that now, I didn't think so toward the end of the race). We each took turns running approx. 3.5 miles, three times. It worked out that we each ran about 10-11 miles total. The race was 62.5 miles long.

Here are some of our pics.

Todd Running

We all thought it was funny that this car (the Coroner) was driving around at the race. I think he was one of the race officials.
Here's the flying nun and I waiting to run.
Miss Ashley kicked some major booty. She ran first and put us into second place. It didn't last forever though. (Eventually I had to run -ha ha!)
Bruce says this is a horrible picture. Here we are hanging out in the van while someone else is running.

Before
After. Can you tell who ran the last leg?!

(He's holding the baton, and looking distressed).

Here's John trying to hand off the baton about 2 miles early.
You can't tell it in this picture,

but this is "Killer Hill." He's actually going up it. Steep, and long

Someone wrote this on "Killer Hill." We all had a laugh, and agreed.

That's about what I felt like. (It was my last leg.)

A Tribute To The J-Bird

You have to understand, I'm laughing about this as much (probably more) as anyone else. I don't post these to bemoan my tortured life; I think this is great fun! So, here I am with my tribute to Justice. (This really may seem like favoritism, but it isn't, he just has more photo opps at his age. All these pictures needed a thing to pull them together.)

How Could You Possibly Get Mad At This Face?

This is what I woke up to this morning
Here's my toaster. I think he was trying to make toast.

Our National Anthem, According To Ross

It's amazing to me how a song that the kids hear every single day at school can be learned so horribly wrong. Ross was singing the Star-Spangled Banner (or the Pledge of Allegiance as he called it) on the way to school today. Here's how it went:

Oh say can you see

by the dawn surly line

what so proudly we hail

at the twilight's asking me.

Whose got stripes and bright stars?

through the perilous fight

for the ramparts we watched

were so down and please stream me

And the rocket's pledge where

the bombs bursting in air

gave through be line night

that our flag was still there

Oh say does that star spangled wanner yet pledged

For the land of the free

and the home of the pledged.

Bad Babies

Mark was just singing this song, and Justice started singing along. It's no mastery of video making skills, but it's Justice's first song that he's ever tried to sing. (I think anyway)

Read it and Weep

(This is why I love small races!)

Kindergartener's at the Pumpkin Farm

I got to go on Mark's field trip to the pumpkin farm. I always try to go on field trips if I can, such a good time.

There was a large corn maze there. I let the group of kids that I was with do all of the navigation, so we were the last group out. All of the other kids in the class were at the end waiting for us to come out. They all cheered and ran up the path to greet/hug us when we came out as if they were glad that we were still alive. It was cute.
playing
more playing

The Perfect Portable Stepping Stool

Chloe and Blaine

I have 2 extra boys that I watch both before and after school every week day. Dax is seven, and Blaine is 5. Blaine is mildly autistic, and he rides a different bus to school than the other kids. His bus comes about 20 minutes later than theirs. He likes to walk Lydia, Ross, Mark & Dax down to the bus stop with me. I've taken to bringing Chloe along. This makes it easier to get Blaine back home. He doesn't like that he can't ride the bus with Dax, so he occasionally gets contrary when they leave, and I've had to carry him back to the house kicking and screaming. Chloe solves this problem nicely because he likes to hold her leash, and thus he goes back home nicely. The funny thing is that Chloe doesn't seem to want him to walk her. I don't know why, she lets my children walk her all of the time, and seems to enjoy it. She does okay as long as Blaine stays close to me, but as soon as he starts to get any distance ahead of me at all, she refuses to go until I catch up. She's even started getting ahold of the leash and yanking it out of his hands when he strays too far ahead. I wonder what is going on in her brain. Does she know that he is different and needs to stay with me? Is she afraid that he will steal her? Does she just not like to be walked by him? Or is she just asserting her dominance over him? She clearly sees herself as higher up in the pack than Blaine. I don't know, it is funny though.

New Links

By the way, I discovered a couple of British comedy things that I thought were pretty funny! I've put links to some of my favorites. Check them out, I can't remember the names of them -stupid & sons removal, rocket something or other, world shut your mouth, chimneysweep and some others. The actual shows are "World Shut Your Mouth" and "Trigger Happy TV" Check them out and laugh.

Kcaz Cockroach

Lydia & Ross went to an art class for kids with my mother yesterday. Ross drew a bunch of pictures of animals with names like Miles Mouse, Gabriel Godzilla, Rick the Rabbit, Max the Mammoth, etc. This one made me laugh. "Kcaz Cockroach - They can live for 10 days without their heads!"

Mark & Other Stuff

Mark just learned to ride his bike this week. I guess he got tired of the other kids going on bike rides without him. He got his bike and started trying to ride it down the hill in our backyard. It sounds crazy, but this is actually a good way to learn the balance thing. It's not a very long hill, just about 4 or 5 feet long. But, it's enough to get you going, and it's in the grass. Lydia took up the project, and before long he was riding unassisted. Now Ross, Lydia & Mark are all taking rides around the block together.

This week was also transportation week in Kindergarten. The whole family pitched in (Bruce did most of the work) to make Mark the coolest school bus for his Kindergarten transportation parade.


This is Justice's current favorite book. It's Bearenstain Bear's -however you spell that- "Bears in the Night"(He only has about 3 books that he will sit still and listen to, so we read those 3 a lot!) Every time we get to this page, he says "Chloe!" Can you guess why?

Chloe

We've had trouble with Justice getting into the refrigerator, so I tried the trick we did with Lydia when she was his age. I put a big strip of Velcro across the top of the fridge door. It kept Lydia out for a good long while. It didn't even work for a day with Justice. "Ain't no problem a chair can't fix!" (That's what I imagine he would say if he could talk that well.) For some odd reason, he always goes for the soy sauce. I wonder if he thinks it's chocolate or something. I have visions of coming into a horrid mess one day like Amy's chocolate mess.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellaminnowpeas/202485029/

Oh, here's a funny thing Mark did the other day. He came up to me all distraught and crying. "MOOMM, Ross kicked me in the stomach, and I only punched him!"

Ski Duncking Buger Mongers

I'm Bored!

Later On The Same Day

The J-Bird Strikes Again

I ask you, where was this child's mother when he was off pulling this shenanigan?! Well, I'll tell you. She was in the other room. Yes, I heard the water running, but I assumed he had climbed up there and was getting a drink. He climbs up there all of the time and will get a drink or play in the water, and I'll stop him after a minute or two. It's no big deal, the sink isn't usually plugged. Well, apparently it's fun to plug the sink and then fill it to overflowing, flooding the whole kitchen, making a puddle on the floor that's about 8x4 feet. I don't know if you can tell, but there is standing water covering the whole porcelain area, and then running out onto the floor and onto the counter tops. After I unplugged it, he immediately put the plug back in and was trying to do it again. This was deliberate!

Here is the stream running down my hallway.
Here is the silverware drawer full of water.
This pot was in the basement (next to the clean cloths-now taking turns in the dryer) catching drips. It's full.