The Polls Are Now Open

I'm trying out some new software for work and thought that it might be fun to try it out here.

The question is "What would you like to know about me?"

All you need to do is text to 22333 and then in the message type the number 111589 and then your question. I'll keep up the poll for a couple of days and see what you would like to know--unless a bunch of nasty crap goes up then I'll have to take it down. You can also click on the links and go directly to the website and vote from there as well (using the same numbers).

Yeah, for fun technology.

Last Night

I didn't get home from work until 6PM. The kids were outside riding bikes with Skye in the driveway. Lately our neighborhood has been filled with children from 4-8PM every night. They go from house to house and visit, ride bikes, hunt for caterpillars, wrestle. The kids love it. They choke down their dinner so that they can get out with their friends.

Well, when I got home I left the garage door open so that I could hear them in the driveway. About 15 minutes later I was chopping through a zucchini, when I realized that I couldn't hear them anymore. I could see that Jack's push tractor had been ditched across the street and he was no where to be seen. I called, and called, and called...nothing. So I went across the street and started to hunt him down. I found him over on the neighbor's trampoline. I told him that he needed to come home because he didn't ask permission to cross the street and that he was in a bit of trouble because he knows that he needs to ask before leaving our yard.

Blah, blah, blah....that's what he was hearing. I proceeded to tell him that it is "scary for mommies when they don't know where their kids are--or when kids cross the street without help." He just stood there looking at me, trying to tell me that he "was just with his friends, that he loves his friends".

I finally raised my voice and said, "don't do it again! Ask permission!"

He started to bawl. Big fat tears. He was standing right next to the couch. I want to remember that moment because he was only as tall as the top of it. He was filthy dirty--sidewalk chalk on his hands, grape juice ring around his mouth, dried snot under his nose, shirt covered with whatever he ate for lunch.

Through all of those tears, he looked at me and said, "but I'm only trying to learn. I'm learning to be a big kid friend." His voice cracked a little with the sincerity of the moment.

And it really felt like the world just stopped for a minute.

Because I forget that he is just learning. Learning things for the first time. Discovering independence. Exploring his boundaries.

We are learning together.

He is a great teacher.

Easy Rider

Last night Lachlan learned to ride a bike without her training wheels and Jeff learned that he can run a 5K in his jeans and hiking boots. Video coming soon....

The Lion King

I've always enjoyed movies and theatre, but there isn't anything like going with your children. When you see it through their eyes and their excitement--it's so much better. Jack sat on the edge of his chair the whole time. He ate a bag of chocolate-covered raisins by the handful at intermission and then proceeded to eat the rest of my mixed nuts. Lachlan loved it until the steam jets shot out of the stage and the fake thunder and strobe lights threatened to overtake the audience--then she immediately declared that she did not like the Lion King and wished to leave. The whole way home she kept asking if the animals were real...maybe a little too real?

I loved it. The creativity of such a production astounds me. Wow.

JCM

"Seriously, I'm trying to watch Scooby Doo."

An Attempt

Our Family. September 11, 2010.

The date seems significant now that I type it, but it wasn't intended to be...I just wanted to document us growing older together.

Jack, aged three point five

Lachlan, aged five (this Sunday)

Labor-Free Picnic

This summer marked the seventh year that we have lived in our home. I distinctly remember buying that home and telling Jeff, "five years, tops," and then proceeding to make a list of all the things that HAD to change if I were to reside there for any length of time. I'll save you the details of that list, but it will suffice to say that I only fixed about half of them.

A sense of place is important to me. In fact, I honestly believe that it is critically important to most people if they would simply take the time to acknowledge or discover what that even means. I still don't love everything about the house (bathroom cabinets and shelves, I'm looking at you) and sometimes it can be difficult to keep your mouth shut when it comes to your neighbors (don't deny it) BUT overall, I feel connected to this place.

This place is where we belong, as a family...and I'm absolutely sure of that.

On Labor Day we had a picnic with our "extended family" at the Seamon's house. A sense of place gives you a feeling of wholeness and that is exactly how I felt--it was wonderful. I hope Jack and Lachlan grow up with an understanding that finding out who you are can be a great reflection of who and what you have known. These are some of the people who have made me a better person. I hope that you will recognize their influence in your life as well.

Hannah and Kenzie
Hubba, although, most of the work is done by her amazing foster family!
Shari...and her big cup.
How can you not love this child?
Angie, who is my canning partner-in-crime. I'd take a bullet for her just for the simple fact that she loves to experiment with bottled foods...and Travis because he eats it (most of the time).
E & E--I can't get enough of them. They are social heroin.
Our hostess and my new tennis partner!

Okay, so I didn't get pictures of everyone...but they were there and I will remember it.

Postscript: Jack ate four-FOUR cob-on-the-corns (that's what he calls it) at the party. The kid loves corn. The End.

Two Horses and a Liar

I remember the first time I watched the "Black Stallion". Oh, how I loved Alec--and even more than that, how much he loved that horse. Hey, it will never be said that I wasn't a sucker for animal stories. This past week I read the "Black Stallion" by Walter Farley. It is an amazing book. It's not a Newbery winner or honor, but I needed some horse reference books for work and I hadn't ever read the book. Honestly, I'm surprised that it isn't in the Newbery family. I would absolutely recommend this book as a family read-aloud. I can't wait to read it to my kids. They are still a bit young to understand, but I think that they will both love it. In the meantime, I may go check out the movie from the library. I could use a little Mickey Rooney this week.

In complete contrast to "The Black," is "Black Beauty". Anna Sewell quite possibly may be the first animal rights author. Hey, I'm no fan of animal abuse, but this book almost killed me to finish. I reached the three-quarter mark and I really had to make a tough call about whether or not I had the endurance to even finish the book. I put my head down and powered through, but it was not a pleasant experience. As a general rule, the anthropomorphism of animals doesn't get to me, but this book was written entirely from "Beauty's" perspective and I just couldn't engage with the lifeless accounting. I will also mention that Sewell was a MAJOR proponent of prohibition at the time of her writing and so basically if you even smell liquor you will begin to "beat a horse swiftly about the head"-- makes me tired just thinking about this book.

And last, but not least, Lily's Crossing. I am a huge fan of the author. This is probably my least favorite of her works, but it is a Newbery winner and therefore, is obviously well-written. This book has a great moral of the story type of feel to it. It's also a good read for kids who struggle with honesty or who have a hard time seeing the effects of their seemingly innocent actions.