A Pocket for Peonies

It's been quite the blogging moratorium for me. Havne't been too inspired to share much. My cousin, Miranda, posted a list of her summer happenings, and BAM - inspiration! So here we go...

 I detest the pine tree in my front yard. Jon swears that it shades the house, but it's so frigging U.G.L.Y. I've tried to edge around the bottom of the mound and keep the ground surface around the tree bare. Doesn't work. When some of our neighbors redid their side yard, they had lots of large rocks that they shared. I plunked (ok - no plunking - that thing is one heavy sun of a gun) one of them down next to my tree to take up some space. It became just the thing my wild-man-G needed to launch his tree escalations. I'm sure he'll hurt himself, but I love watching him climb that thing...

The rock's been there for a couple of years. I've tried planting things next to it, but either the pine tree is killing them off, they get pulled when the boys "weed", or they get trampled by eager climbers.



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We had a long, wet, spring this year, and for some reason I was yearning for peony blooms. Does your mom have peonies? I think they're too droopy for my mom. But I loved my grandma's. (I promise this is connected to the previous paragraph - I just couldn't find the seque I needed)  I love how tight their buds seem and how they burst into such full flowers.

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At my grandma's house the peonies are just beyond the clothesline. They stand as sentries to the pasture fence, and they always seem enormous. Grandma told me they grew well there because there was lots of air circulation, and the ants could get to them without grandkids disturbing ant piles. I don't know if those two factors really help peonies. Do you? Hmmm something to research...

Anyway I planted a peony this year. Right smack in the center of my yard under my ugly pine tree. I was so excited! (Even though I knew they wouldn't be blooming this year). I think the one I bought is light pink, but there wasn't a photo, so I could be wrong. There's plenty of air flow, and I'm sure the ants will find her just fine. I can not say that the ants will be undisturbed.





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Last night I was enjoying a lovely summer evening in the front yard with Jon and G. G was showing Jon that he knew what the plant on the side of the mound nearest the house was called. It's Jupiter's Beard. And then he walked/vaulted over the rock and stopped short by my peony. He instantly looked at me with a heartbroken expression.

Mom? She's broken!

That's right folks. My beloved peony who's only been in the ground for 2 weeks had two strong divisions, and one of them has been injured. It's not actually broken, but it's bent. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

I know peonies will bloom better if they're planted in the fall, so perhaps we'll see what happens and add a friend later this year.

Spring a Ding

I've been off of my blogging mojo lately, but I want to show you where I've been splurging.

Last week I hosted book club. We read The Help. If you haven't read this yet, go get it. Seriously. I think it's that good.

Anyway - I really stressed over the menu and decor for this lunch. This should not surprise anyone. I finally settled on a Caribbean chicken salad with honey-lime dressing, home-made rolls, and deviled eggs. For dessert I made individual raspberry cobblers, which did not turn out as good as PWs. But they sure tasted good!

The decor is something that was completely unnecessary, but something I absolutely wanted to do. I wanted to use my every day plates. They're Pfaltzgraff's Trousseau pattern. I'm completely cursing myself by saying this, but Jon and I have been married nearly 18 years, and we still have all 12 of the original dinner and salad plates. I've got 11 mugs, and 12 saucers. I'm down to 5 bowls. 

Anyway - see how there's that bit of clustered pink? I wanted to pull that out, and I had found a fun way to make napkin rings using toilet paper rolls and strips of fabric. So - I made these:

I used fabric scraps from the spring quilt top I just finished. I love this stuff. It's fun. It's vibrant. It's fresh. I wanted to also pull these colors into the table decor. So the night before book club I went through my scrap cache and put this little runner together.

I really do think I'm crazy. I don't know what happened to me that night, but I seriously impressed/surprised myself.

I love how my tablescape turned out. My cousin had suggested a green tablecloth, which I happened to have on hand. Then I shopped my house and grabbed my most springy decor items, gathered them together, played with condiment containers under the grass to get it just the right height. I also had a bit of inspiration and pulled out my pink goblets that Jon's sister gave me for a wedding gift. They were perfect!

I didn't get a good photo of the entire table because I didn't have the napkins in the rings until my friends had arrived, and by then I was too excited to get the party started. Please believe me when I say it was so pretty!

Apartment 3

First of all I must apologize for all of the background changes going on here at CMM. I just can't find one that I'm in <3 with. Ya know? I do like the books so perhaps that will stick for a while. Anyway. Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Yesterday I met up with three of the best roommates that a girl could ever have. In this lot there's a mechanical engineer, environmental engineer, AP English teacher, and nurse. There are 3 marriages and 9 children between us. See that knockout on the end? She's single. Know any successful, confident, attractive, desirable, single men near 40? Talk to me, and let's see what we can do...

When I've given roommate advice to my college-age nieces, the year I draw on the most is the year I lived with Lisa (pink), Karen (purple), and Julie (white). Apartment 3 was full of emotion. Two of us were engaged, so imagine 2 very tolerant fiancees, hectic school and study schedules, and the hormones associated with starting birth control. You know what? The 4 of us had an unforgettable time together.

At some point we found these 84321 (which was our zip code - think 90210 folks) t-shirts, and we wore them a lot. This photo was taken before one of our volley ball games. I'm not sure who we talked into taking the photo. I'm also not sure how they did it with a straight face...

84321 Angels

I learned a lot from these three:

• They had my back
• They wanted what was best for me and wanted me to do my best
• Visiting teaching is completely enjoyable when done the first week of the month
• Being motivated to go after what you want is a very good thing
• Intelligent women can be powerful and female at the same time - and sometimes that includes nail polish, hair bows, and short skirts
• Most times you need to shave before being seen in your swimsuit
• Decorating is delightful
• Sharing food prep, dinner, and cleanup multiple times each week strengthens relationships and makes home a place you love to be

Lunch was fabulous. And the company was even better. I miss you girls and can't wait until we get together next time.

Do You Know Someone on this Ship?

I do!

Our friends, the Tiptons, left Sunday to enjoy a week on board a Mexican Cruise. I have a feeling that they are not enjoying themselves very much right now.

Mr. Mouse - I will take you any day over being stranded at sea with thousands of strangers, 3 cooped up-uncomfortable children, and a stressed out spouse...

Wishing there was a window into the wall...

Dear little mouse that I can hear scratching inside the wall in front of me - please just go away until Jon can get you some delightful Decon. You can eat all you want and then you won't have to tunnel through the walls to find a warm spot. You'll get to be warm all the time. And I can get some work done without feeling like I'm going to kick a whole in the wall.

Because while it really bothers me to hear you, it would bother me even more to see you.

Oh - and please stay out of the dog food in the garage. It really freaks Evan out when he has to feed the dogs.

Fair Fare

When I was growing up, my mom always made a big deal about being in Burley for Fair Weekend. We'd go into town to watch my cousin, Miranda, primp her 4H steer (with glitter on the tail folks! Have you seen what cows do with their tales?! I have! And let me tell you that sparkled tails don't look any prettier than a regular tail does when it's got poop on it), and then walk it through the ring at the auction.

We'd also get to watch the rodeo. I seem to remember watching all sorts of injuries, but those just didn't happen this year. Dang lucky cowboys!

We spent this year's fair weekend in Burley with my grandpa. I always worry about what the boys are going to do to his house, but I think they were OK this time.

It really was a great weekend. We left Friday afternoon and got to stop at Maddox on our way north. If you haven't tried Maddox's fried chicken, I suggest you take a drive and enjoy some of the stuff. That is some good eatin!

Friday night we got to Grandpa's and ran around outside for a while. My boys marvelled at the size of the horse chestnut tree, and I missed the maple. Then we headed over to my Aunt & Uncle's house to let the boys jump on the trampoline and run through the feedlot. What? You've never done that either? Well - that's not necessarily something I'd suggest jumping in your car to go do. There's an odor problem. And sometimes you carry it home with you. Seriously - it seeps into your clothes, and  you're treated to wisps of eau de bovine...

Saturday morning we got up, ate porridge (AKA germade) that Grandpa so kindly makes for us each time we visit (it's one of the things my boys look forward to - I make it at home, but there's just something about Grandpa's porridge...), and we went back to my Aunt & Uncle's house to stress out my cousin Miranda while she prepared for a brunch she was hosting.

We realized that we didn't have jackets for Saturday night's rodeo, so we drove into town to remedy the situation, drove in the face of danger by ignoring road construction signs and turning where we weren't supposed to turn, picked up a couple of hoodies, and shopped the clearance racks and propane supplies at CAL Ranch. Boy were we having a grand time.  No really.

Evan asked if we could go see my grandma's headstone - it was something I wanted to do, but he asked if we could go before I'd even brought it up. I love that kid! So I got to demonstrate my Burley geographical prowess and navigate my guys through Heyburn and across the other bridge across the Snake River (which Carson still doesn't believe is the same Snake River he whitewatered on last summer in Jackson Hole). Spent time looking at headstones and leaving our mark in the cemetery - I want it on record that I disagreed with Jon doing it, but I am curious to see what happens...

Went swimming at the Burley pool where Griff surprised us all by passing the swim test (swimming across the pool and back without touching the bottom and raising your arms out of the water) so that he could jump off the diving board. Go G!

I went back to Grandpa's to shower and visit, and Jon took the boys to ride 4-wheelers at the feed lot. I don't know what happened, but Evan says he'll never ride a 4-wheeler with Carson again. It can't be as bad as watching my brother crash our uncle's 3-wheeler into one of the apple trees in the pasture 20+ years ago...


Finally - took my guys into the fair for dinner and the rodeo. The boys got Falls Brand foot-long hotdogs and Dutch oven ribs. I thought I'd try some taco salad, and was COMPLETELY disappointed. Here's my food tip: if you're at the fair, go with dutch oven or with a burger from one of the church-worked booths. I promise. My poor taco salad was from a lemonade trailer and was basically tossed salad dumped on top of round tortilla chips. Just not what I was looking for.

My boys are not at all familiar with rodeo events, so Miranda's husband, Nate, filled Carson in on the goings on. Griffin worried about the calves during team roping and especially bulldogging (although I've caught him pretending to bulldog since we got back. Scares me a bit).

Sunday morning my Aunt Connie came to visit, and then we drove through the smoke-filled air to our lovely metropolis.

One of those weekends that felt much longer than it really was. Wonderful!

Here's to You

Today is Memorial Day 2010, and in about an hour I need to leave to attend a BBQ at my brother's house. I'm looking forward to this because I'm particularly aware of mortality this year.

Without being overly sentimental, I would like to thank each of my loved ones who have passed - whether they served their country or not. I like to think that I possess a part of each of them and that I am a better whole because of these parts.

So whether my boys have your name or you taught me to appreciate my babies, played a mean game of Rummy, encouraged me to be a better daughter, helped my husband become the man he is, or encouraged respect through cleaning headstones on past Memorial Days, Thank you.

I also want to thank my Grandpa - thankfully he is still here. I don't think I tell him often enough how honored I am that he served his country, that he had the courage required to face a foreign foe in a strange place and that he came home, married my grandmother, and fathered my mom.

There are many others who currently serve our great country who also deserve my thanks. Davids Tipton and McIllece and Victor Ditingo - this one's for you.

Epic Failure

On May 16, 2008 we bought a brand new Maytag Epic Z Washer and Dryer. Coming up on the 2-yr anniversary of front loading ownership.

This was monumental for my sweet Jonathan. He's not a big ticket item purchaser. To make this happen, I researched brands, prices, vendors, and rebates. Our laundry duo was purchased at a home store for about $200 less than I could find them elsewhere. Throw in the manufacturer, store, and energy rebates, and I had found a deal that was too good to pass up. Well, you know what happens when things are too good to be true? Uh-huh...

The first day that I used the washing machine, it locked up on me. This resulted in VERY STANKY LAUNDRY, which was fixed as described here.

Ever since the locking event, I've been wary of this washing machine. This is not a good thing when you do as many loads of laundry as are done in my house. Every. Single. Day. This past weekend I realized that if there were more than one pair of jeans (eventually even one pair of jeans - or one t-shirt!) in the tumbler there was no tumbling going on. It was like a wet blanket party - whole lotta noise, but not a whole lotta action.

I have some fabulous neighbors who washed, dried, AND FOLDED!!! an entire load of jeans for me. While the jeans were next door I got online to research the Epic problem. I found the part that seemed to be the culprit, and on Saturday afternoon Griffin and I took a drive to The Appliance Store to buy said part. Jon and his dad could tackle the part replacing - right? The helpful gentleman behind the counter said it was not a job for amateurs and figured that it was going to be around $400 to fix my washer.

SO. NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN.

I came home. Went to KSL Classifieds and found a 2-yr-old top loading Maytag for $75! That's right $75! Not that I wanted to spend $75 on a "new" washing machine, but it's a good feeling to have something that works and can't keep me away from my clothes.

Monday night for FHE, Jon, the boys, and I sorted our mountains (and that's absolutely accurate - ask my mom or my neighbor Gary) of clean clothes and got them all to the owner's rooms. Notice that I did not say that they are all put away. Griffin's laundry is done, and I have an entire 33 gal size garbage bag full of too-small items to prove it. Carson & Evan's room on the other hand? I'm scared of what lurks in there!

It is so nice to walk into my laundry room and see an empty counter. Almost enough to make it stay that way.

But that would mean that I'd have to fold and put away laundry.

SO. NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN.

Tell me - which is it that's an EPIC laundry failure? Me? Or that piece of crap that's sitting in my garage?

Grandpa's Ford

Tonight I read this blog post about Annie's grandpa's truck and was reminded of my own grandpa's white 1967 Ford.

The bench seat had more springs than - well - this and had been reupholstered with something very scratchy (although I'm sure it was the most durable stuff available).

It took FOREVER to roll down the windows. I'm sure I rode in the truck during colder weather, but in my mind the windows are open and those seats are scratching the back of my bare legs.

The sound of the engine as it revved toward the next gear still has a soothing effect. The clutch was tight, so gear grinding was a fairly standard event. But even that sound doesn't startle me out of pacificity.

At the bottom of the gear shift column was something that resembled a stack of pancakes. Similar to this - except all the pancakes were the same size.

My OCD tendencies were in full force even then. I would stick each finger into a fold of that shift boot. Never mind that my fingers could get pinched during gear changes and that Grandpa would get upset that my hand was where he had no reason to expect it.

You know how Bella loves her 53 Chevy? Well I'd be the same way if I had Grandpa's 67 Ford.

What did your grandpa drive?

Thank You, Rush Limbaugh

This morning I finished an incredible book: Winter Garden. This one is going on my top-10 list... My tears had subsided, but emotions were near the surface when I got a much needed call from my mother-in-law.

In December Jon's sister and her family got to have dinner with a famous talk show host. He and my brother-in-law had become friends during my BIL's tenure with the US Air Force. Here is what my BIL had to say about that evening.

We had the opportunity to spend an evening with Rush at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. We had a blast sitting around the dinner table talking and telling stories. The pictures were taken in front of the flag several of us flew for him during the Operation Iraqi Freedom air campaign. He comissioned a sculptor to create the bronze life-size Bald Eagle in front of the flag. It weighs 700 pounds!

Anyway - my MIL called to tell me that this generous host is sending his private jet to take Valerie, Ryan, and Jeff to Houston for Jeff's upcoming treatment. How cool is that?! Rush, thank you for providing excitement to a family that needs some positive vibe. You've brought me more tears on this sleety March morning.

My nephew, John, had surgery this morning to straighten his arm, and things went well with that. Hooray!

The oldest nephew in this family, Ryan, got his mission call yesterday. He's going to the Washington Everett, spanish speaking mission. Leaves at the end of May.

So good to have something happy to think about today!

P. 383 from my new dearest book contains the following:

And maybe that was how it was supposed to be, how life unfolded when you lived it long enough. Joy and sadness were part of the package; the trick, perhaps, was to let yourself feel all of it, but to hold on to the joy just a little more tightly because you never knew when a strong heart could just give out.

Abdominal Update

This morning my brother wised up and drove himself to the ER. Yesterday they ruled out pancreatitis, but last night he couldn't keep anything down - even water. He's lost about 35 pounds thus far, and his color is off (not yellow, not pale, not green. Just off). Today he gets to have another colonoscopy and an endoscopy. They don't think the kidney stone went away after it was blasted. They'll also be looking for other sorts of blockage. Ain't that a kick in the pants? I'm hoping that he gets to sleep through it all or be medicated enough to not mind it all so much.

Thanks for your words of comfort. I'll keep soaking them up.

Abominable Abdominal Arms

I have to apologize up front for this post. I typically try to be upbeat, somewhat humourous, positive, and a little quirky. Today you get nothing of the sort. Today you get maladies of the human body.

A couple of months ago I had an appendicitis attack. On a pain scale of 1-10, I'd rank it an 8. Woke me up at 4 am and didn't back off. Couldn't move most of the day and finally went to the doc on day 2. He sent me to the ER where I had a somewhat incompetent phlebotomist (I think that's what the guy was anyway) who started an IV so that I could have the contrast injected prior to my CT scan. 2 months later my elbow is still sore where he put that dang needle in. Findings? Slightly enlarge appendix (not enough to definitively declare appendicitis, but enough that it couldn't be ruled out either) but no elevated white cell count or other accompanying symptoms. Few weeks of bracing myself every single time I drove over our neighborhood's speed bumps, the pain disappeared.

Around this same time my brother started having painful abdominal occurrences. These were the result of multiple causes: Krohn's Disease, epididimitis, kidney stone, pancreatitis, etc. He hasn't been a comfortable fellow. Luckily (?), this week his test results came back normal. Same diagnosis: We have no idea what is wrong with you...

One of my favorite nephews was snowboarding last week, and he broke both arms. That's right folks, BOTH ARMS! This boy has already broken one of those arms twice. This was the first time he'd gone snowboarding since he broke his arm last year while snowboarding at Sundance. That Sundance trip had been his first snowboarding trip since he'd broken his arm at a board park in Albuquerque. The boy travels!

The older brother of the arm-broken boy is another of my favorite nephews, Jeffrey. Jeff is 16, has osteosarcoma, and lost his arm to this black monster a few months ago. Yesterday we got news that he has another growth/tumor in his arm pit - the lymph node - as well as spots on his lungs and heart. Don't know whether the lung and heart spots are related at this point, but another attack regime is starting immediately.  My brother-in-law described the lymph node as a train station. I imagine it sending out locomotives of rot on tracks to various unsuspecting destinations.

Oh the questions I have and the words are not falling in line to allow me to ask them. Pathetically, I'm going to end on that note.

January Funk

Somewhere in my mind is an amazingly well written post about the doldrums of January. But - it's just not happening. Kind of like the storm that was supposed to clear the gunk out of the Salt Lake Valley air...

Last night I got to talk to my dear friend, April, for almost an hour. Our boys were doing their things in the background, and we still talked for 56 bittersweet minutes.

Today I read about my cousin cleaning out her closet (something that really needs to be done at my house).

Two of my boys are at school. Carson and Jon are playing Rock Band until Carson leaves for school.

All I want to do is quilt, read with Griff, perhaps take a trip to Hobby Lobby or a quilt shop, do a puzzle, build a Lego Milennium Falcon with Evan, conjure up some choc chip cookies, talk to Carson after school, and go on a date with my hubby.

Sounds like a good day huh? It's 9:11 am. Think I can make it happen?

It's a Love/Hate Thing

Last night I was cooking dinner. The menu included Colosimo's sausage and mashed potatoes for most of us and something reminiscent of school lunch for two of the boys. Tell me if you ever had this - I used to love it!

It's a hotdog cut down the middle length-wise. Topped with two scoops of mashed potats and a slice or two of cheddar cheese. Stick it a hot oven to melt the cheese, drizzle that baby with ketchup, and there you have some kid-pleasing goodness. I was thrilled to watch these things disappear - especially into my most picky's pie hole...

Anyway - while grilling the sausage, I was using my beloved silicone alligator mouth hot pad (not as cute as the one on the left, but you get the idea). I grabbed the lid with my left hand, and that bugger rotated so that the flat part of the handle lined up with the flat part of the hot pad. Obviously this isn't me & my fam, but do you see the lid of the pan in the lower left corner? It's a little different than my 1993 variety pots, but work with me. (BTW - It appears that Calphalon has redesigned their lid handles - my story is an excellent example of why this was necessary!) So - the edge of the rotated lid caught underneath my watch band. I panicked for a bit, let go of the hotpad and ran for the sink. Do you see where this is going? It took me a bit to get my watch off, and I have a feeling that the heat had transferred to my jewelry and continued its damage.

I've now got a quarter-sized white, charred, blistered area on my wrist. I'm allergic to the adhesive on bandages, so I've got it covered with gauze pads and that first aid tape that sticks together without the sticky. It's a lovely wristband look I'll be sporting for the next few days. Perhaps I'll see if I can find some colored tapes... Won't be wearing a watch for a while - that's for sure.

Christmas Letter Wordle

I tried something new this year for my Christmas letter. I created a wordle.
I'm all about tradition so I mailed my fair share of cards, but I also believe in being green.
So - for those of you who live closer to me here's my Christmas letter.

Have a happy holiday season!

A Little Diva This - A Little Diva That

I think I'd rate last night's Diva fit about a 7.3. It wasn't out of control, but it was heated. I don't even remember what it was about.

Jon and Carson were downtown looking at the lights at Temple Square with the other young men & women from our ward. So it was just me, Evan, and Griff. I was sitting here working on my Christmas Cards and Evan and G were standing in the hall. I heard Evan ask, "Is it here yet?"

Footsteps running down the stairs.

The garage door opening.

Griff replying, "Nope!"

Footsteps running back up the stairs.

A few minutes and tirades later, Griff braved my door, walked up behind me, gave me a hug, and said "Here Mom, the DC [that's Diet Coke for those not in the know] truck just dropped this off." He placed a nice, cold can of DC on my desk and walked away.

Then I heard Evan say from his room, "Jeesh. I sure hope that helps!"

Thanksgiving Primer

I am thankful for:

• Free therapy sessions with next door neighbors and far away friends.
• Little boys who get their teeth pulled without being sedated.
• Older boys who ask to play Phase 10 (or "just Phase 3 tonight"). Every. Single. Day.
• Middle boys whose eyes light up while he drools over Star Wars Lego sets in the toy aisle.
• World-stopping hugs from my hubby.
• Friends and family who have or are having babies.
• Surprise visits from my brother.
• Conversations with sisters-in-law.
• Coworkers who laugh at typos in my emails (Go tit = Got it).

And that's just in the last few days.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Dupe or Delight - Prank or Pleasure - Halloween Thesaurus

1:29 pm Halloween afternoon.

Made waffles for breakfast. Cleaned the kitchen. Grandma Norris dropped off sugar cookies, frozen berries, and jam. Spent an hour talking to one of my most favorite women (I love you Mom). Pumpkins are carved. Cleaned the kitchen. Boys are playing Battleship because I can't handle any more TV noise. Grandma's cookies are all gone. Cleaned the kitchen. The boys discovered the glazed doughnut stash. They're all gone. Cleaned the kitchen. See how my day has gone?

Jon's going to the U game tonight with his brother, nephew, and neighbor. I'm staying home to enjoy all of the ghouls and goblins that will knock on our door. I've got about 900 pieces of candy. I really hope I don't have a whole lot left over, but I can't imagine that many kids requesting treats.

I typically make some sort of festive dinner (tonight I'm planning hashbrown headstones, link sausage appendages, and scrambled body parts laced with ketchup streaks. Should be easy - right?)

Things to do pre-haul. Shower. Walgreens - face paint, pumpkin candles, and reading glasses. Candy in bucket. Figure out who is supervising each boy during candy gathering. Thread cross stitch needle. Feed boys. Anxiously wait for door bell ringing to begin. Whew!

Sit down. Start next row of cross stitch (I'm using linen that is much smaller than I thought - hence the reading glasses). Open door. Try to name each treater and remember their costume so that I can talk to them about it later. Close the door. Sit back down. Do few more stitches. Open the door....Then the evening will wind down and I'll start getting upset that so many older kids are out without even dressing up (had a bunch last year that showed up wearing backwards hoodies - using their hoods to hold candy. They got mad because I wouldn't let them in to have a drink of water. Not looking forward to that part. But until then...

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!

School is cool...

The past couple of weeks have been very emotional for me. First of all - Carson started Middle School. He's quit talking to me other than in one word spurts when he gets home. Jon can get a whole string of stories out of him, but me? Not so much... A friend at work suggested that I wait a couple of hours to start asking him questions. I've done this the past couple of days, and CJ has taken to seeking me out and asking if something is wrong with me! Love it...

Evan started school the day after Carson, and it's his first time going without his older brother. I should have thought this through and realized that this would be a slight problem. We dealt with it by going out to breakfast before school on the morning of his big day.

Griff was the one I was the most hesitant about. I'll be the first to admit that I amped up the "He's my baby..." this summer. Jon informed me that I had to quit because I was stressing the boy out. Does this looked stressed to you?

This morning was pretty funny. Carson woke Griff up to give him some big brother advice about entering kindergarten. Evan hung back until Carson left. Once that happened, Evan swept into full on defensive big brother mode.  I don't even know why I was here! Griff didn't need anyone else - it was all Evan. Notice the hand at Griff's back guiding him where he's supposed to go? The other hand was on the other shoulder...  Also notice the length of the bus driver's beard. The kids are calling him skinny Santa, but his name is Jim.

I'll leave you with this beautiful image. I'm off to pop open a Diet Coke and bask in solitude on my front porch. I love today.

When a Librarian Says "SHHHHH!!!!!!" You Better Listen

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This afternoon the boys and I ran over to the library to pick up my on-hold books, renew the checkout on Griff's Justice League DVD, and let Carson and Evan check out a book or two. Sounds like a plan, huh?

I'm a pretty lax library mom. We have a deal that Griff and Carson head to the kids DVD section. Evan grabs a book and then relieves Carson. I swing into the hold room and then stop by a computer to see when my next hold is going to show up. Then we all meet at the DVD section and narrow down Griff's selection. A boy's family should only have to put up with so many TMNT, Goosebump, and Sonic videos creating ambient noise you know?

Anyway - shortly after that we stampede to the auto checkouts, and see who can get finished first. While we wait for the others, we get to watch whatever animal happens to reside at our library. We've had chinchillas, sugar gliders, and now it's rats.

WELL, today we were approaching the checkout counter, and I discovered that I'd left my wallet home. This was a problem because not everyone has their library card bar code memorized (what is wrong with Carson, Evan, and Griffin?!) so most of us could not check out our selections.

Never fear - a plan popped into my head. The library has a program that allows you to read away your fines. You get $1 for each 30 minutes of reading done in the library. See that little earlier mention about renewing the checkout on Griff's Justice League DVD... Carson and Evan wanted to sit and read anyway, and Carson said he'd read to Griff. Please note that I was completely apprehensive of leaving Griff without my supervision, but the librarian said that as long as he was reading, he would be all right without me. That's as good as permission! Right??

So home I ran. Then the thought occurred to me that I needed to get the boys' Hunter Education Registration Certificates so that they could start the class tonight. What better time to do that than when I've got no boys with me? I took heed of my friend, Julie's, facebook status.. While I was waiting for the certificates to print, I remembered that I'd thrown my very short grocery list in my purse, AND I WAS OUT OF DIET COKE WITH LIME!!!!!

A mere 30 minutes later (that's 30 minutes after I decided to run through the grocery store) I pulled into the library parking lot. Now - any mom out there will recognize the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I tell you that the librarian was standing outside - WITH GRIFFIN. I parked, walked over to them, and made some comment about how Griff must not have been reading. She replied, "Nope!" with a very strong emphasis on the "p", turned, and walked into the library ahead of me.

Good news is that Carson and Evan completely read away their fines. As for Griff? She gave him fine credit, but I ended up paying for the Justice League DVD because it's been missing for about 5 weeks anyway.

I hope I don't see that librarian for a while.