Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Misc et al

Why hello there! How are you?

We are all fine, good, well, happy, moderately healthy and otherwise peachy.

My employment status seems to be getting the better of me with regards to how much time I have left to socialize online. What does my cryptic "employment status" reference mean? You must e-mail to know grasshopper. Unless you already know in which case PLEASE don't e-mail me. I have nary a spare moment for extraneous e-mail. Not that I don't love you, I REALLY do. But I don't love e-mail right now. Even e-mail that IS relevant.

Why am I here?

Oh yes, mostly to complain about my age. Now I know there are those of you reading this who scoff at my complaints regarding my early 30 something age. However, bare with me if you would be so kind.

I have recently ended nearly every day with a blinding headache and the subsequent popping of much ibuprofen. Not really my favorite way to spend my evenings, I admit.

Jesse, in his husbandly wisdom, suspected the issue might be my vision coupled with the time spent in front of the computer. Actually, I think Rachael is the one to blame for this turn of events. She marched in here on some holiday or birthday or maybe it was super bowl Sunday, I don't recall, and sorrowfully announced her recent prescribing of reading glasses due to eye strain. She then pulled out the most ADORABLE pair of uber chic reading glasses and applied them to her equally darling little face.

mutter grumble

Despite my numerous vocal protests Jesse escorted me to an optometrist who listened to my description of a typical work day, furrowed his eyebrows, which I can only assume rest above his perfectly functional lenses, and informed me that I absolutely need reading glasses.

grumble

Liz has requested a picture and being the cooperative, easy going person I am, I humbly acquiesce.









WHAT? That's really all you need to see, you get the idea.

Since we are the topic, sort of, of age, let's discuss the fact that this past weekend I decided to show my boys how to hang by their knees from the jungle gym.

Oh my dear sweet Almighty God in heaven.

PAIN

That's really all there is to say. I spent probably better than 40% of my waking hours between the age of 6 and 12 hanging upside down from metal bars on playgrounds.

Apparently you can never go back. But, in case you are wondering, you can suffer through two completely sleepless nights in total agony because you TRIED to go back. At least I made an effort, right? RIGHT?

But enough about me!

Nana is at her sewing machine again and Anna will reap the spoils as usual. This dress fit Anna, who has decided to grow 8 inches in the last 10 minutes, for about 32 seconds. But I think it looks ADORABLE with jeans.

























And to cap off a completely random and rambling post, pics of how a really big pad of paper and a few markers can very effectively kill off an afternoon when mommy has TONS of work to do and needs her kids happily engaged in other than crawling all over her.

Love to all!






Thursday, February 21, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSE!!!



















Happy birthday to the planet's most fantastic husband and father!

WE LOVE YOU!!!


Sunday, February 17, 2008

Sunday Morning

I am going to very softly suggest that I MIGHT be starting to feel a bit better. I occasionally still feel awful and end up back in bed, but I am feeling better now more often that I don't. Still, I don't want to jinx it so I am speaking very, very softly.

shhhhhh

Moving on....

In order to neither spread germs nor acquire new germs we opted to stay home this morning. Illness might just be one of those quiet, divine messages to usually work crazy mothers that they should slow down and just play with their kids for a while. Far be it from me to flout advice from the Almighty so this morning I sat down and played with Anna and Nathan while Jesse and Isaac performed some critical scientific research.

I snapped a bunch of fun pictures and I'm just itching to share.

Oh yes. As Mary pointed out I did cut Anna's hair. Only a trim to her bangs, I just couldn't take the scraggly bangs-in-the-eyes look any more. I thoroughly regret it, she looks about 7 years old now. sniffle

Sunday morning candy land with Neenees.













What up?






















Anna's personal style.




















Haute couture for the diaper set.























Brilliant minds at work.




















The inevitable time out.
























Anna has some seriously intense taste in Sunday morning basketball footwear.























SWISH!
















SUCCESS!






















A more appropriate, yet still adorable, choice in footwear.























So much to learn...


















A Sunday morning drive with a bag of sugary cereal. What more can a girl ask for?

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Love is in the Air

As far as I am concerned one of the only drawbacks to schooling at home is the lack of pasty art projects your kids proudly greet you with at the end of a busy day. Obviously we do create quite a few pasty projects at home, but it is not quite the same for the boys or for us when they present us with something that we helped them make.

We can ALWAYS count on NanaBaba (My mom and Tom) though. They, generously, entertained all three of our offspring last Saturday and let Jesse and I do dinner and a movie. When we arrived to pick up Anna, the boys spent the night, we were greeted with these LOVELY Valentine's Day gifts from our boys.
























Jesse spent a nerve wracking week prior to Valentine's Day wondering if I was actually serious when I made him swear not to spend a dime on Valentine's Day themed merchandise. For the record I was VERY serious. Jesse more than excels at letting me now that I am loved and appreciated. In fact I have had multiple requests from fellow wives that he teach classes on how to be thoughtful, considerate and romantic. I simply do not need extra display on one particular day, just because Hallmark says so. Good job honey!

In other news, Anna has graduated to a big girl booster seat. Sniffle. What may well be the last high chairs to grace the S house went out with the trash last week. (Don't get upset that I did not at least freecycle them, they were anything but gently used.) Jesse and I still hold out a lot of hope that our family is not complete, but that is as much as I plan to say about the issue here. I have toyed with the idea of writing more about our thoughts/feelings/plans to adopt but find that it is much too personal a topic to expose to the general public. Here is a picture of Anna in her new big girl seat.






















I am STILL sick and have been informed that I have no choice but to spend the weekend doing anything other than all the things that I think I really should be doing; which means that I have been sent to bed or the couch and get snarked at every time I try to get up and be productive. But at least that means I was able to type a real post, right? I have lost and regained my voice about 13 times through this illness so thank God for blogging! At least this way I can communicate with SOMEONE!

From my perch on the couch, I refuse to be isolated in our room, I snapped the following pictures of Anna and her darling daddy. It is a GORGEOUS Spring-like day...and here I am stuck on the couch unable to take a decent breath, walk up a flight of stairs or even communicate clearly. SIGH








Love to all! The flu is rampant all over the country and apparently the flu shots we insist on every year were developed to protect against viruses that are not causing the majority of the problems this year. Wash your hands a lot and avoid public places. Esther has strep so avoid her too (We love you Esther!).

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Still too tired to blog...




But now I blame the evil virus that has invaded my lungs. Check back next week, I'm sure I'll have another excuse by then.

This week I have selected pics of Anna's fashion and hair choices to entertain you. That and a cute pic of Anna and Isaac having a tea party. Note that the pic of her red shoes is a crop, that's ALL she was wearing at the time. Party on!




Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Too tired to Blog

Apologies, Jan and Feb are utterly kicking my rear.

To keep you amused, here is a picture of Anna taking a bath in the sink. Make sure to note the dirty dishes in the other side of the sink.

Mary, she finally sees Sammy's point of view on this issue.















PS Have not found a Honeycrisp to purchase in over a week. sniffle