John Takes Us All to Rossy

It's the only zoo any of us have ever been to, except for my cultured husband, who thinks it's funny that we even call this a zoo.


But it has coyotes...and crows...and goats!  All creatures that we can see at home and at our neighbor's! What's a zoo if not a place to see familiar animals?

We forgot someone's sunglasses, which was causing consternation (e.g. FIGHTING) over the one pair we did remember, so John stopped at the dollar store and made me buy 11 pairs of sunglasses, one for each family member, even though he doesn't wear sunglasses himself. This is a typical John move.

Millie was a stubborn old coot and refused to wear hers, so I made her take this (accidentally overexposed) picture of the rest of us looking fiiiiine with our designer sunglasses.

 Stubborn, old, helpful, wonderful coot of a Mildred.

The peacocks were insufferable show-offs, which delighted us.

Cute, little penguins, just like the ones in our backyard!

The otters are always my favorite, and they were especially jolly that day. Skylark was transfixed.

Wearing goofy sunglasses transformed my brilliant, bookish Heart into a rock star. I couldn't believe it and was startled every time I glanced at him.

The most handsome man with his happy girl...

After the zoo, he drove us around to some of the free carousels, where we discovered that Cadence has lost her fear of them. Celebrate!

Skylark's joy was sober, but it was still joy.

I know it's been a good day when children fall asleep in the van instantly. 

Little Fire Growing Bigger

Everything I've ever written about Aidan probably still holds true. He is delightful, and he is exhausting; he is a fiery, explosive, winsome little ball of affection. And he is FIVE now! Five is such a nice age. He's still small enough in body to carry up to bed and still small enough in spirit to be disappointed if I don't.

Oh, how we love him.




Birthday breakfast wish...






He wanted a car cake with fire coming out of it. I succeeded slightly better than last year. Hey, at least the cake didn't fall over before we even cut into it!  Lesson learned.






I made him slide up his shades for this picture, and he obliged.

Poof! Another year and another wish.

Aidan Raphael-- our little Fire. Our little Arrow. May our Father temper your strength and guide you true. We love you, my boy.

A Sweet Second Son

(...for Rundy and Deborah. We already had our sweet second son.)

Welcome, Peregrine Luke!

We love you enough to post terrible snapshots because YOU are in them.

Closet Bedroom, Redux, Phase One

So it all started when I pulled out the paint for the girls' room that I bought last summer but never made the time to use and started talking about minor changes I hoped would make the room look larger and lovelier.

Later that week, Annika and I were standing in our catch-all closet (since turning the other closet into Millie's bedroom, our house has a six-foot pole closet in mine and John's bedroom and a walk-in closet for EVERYTHING crammed floor to ceiling in the landing). While in this catch-all closet for EVERYTHING, she mused, "Do you know what would be my biggest wish and the most amazing thing ever, even though I know it can't ever happen?" I knew she was headed into the fabled "my own room" land before she even got there. 

My brain turned traitor, and, while thinking it might be a terrible idea, I got out a measuring tape to see if a mattress would fit in the closet. Sure enough, it would.  It was all downhill from there. First, we ripped out the shelving and piled everything into the landing. That's when our upstairs turned into a trash mound for three straight months. The closet looked heaps better, though!

Leftovers

We had to keep John Wayne tied up while Olivia was in her first heat cycle. He was CRAZY. Look at that lovable oaf, so desperate for a glimpse of the lovely little dog in the backyard that he kept climbing up on the junk car, perched like a clumsy bird just to keep an eye on her.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. In May, I made a short-lived and semi-valiant attempt to lose the 12 pounds I gained over the winter-- the 12 pounds, which, bafflingly enough, given my exemplary eating habits, have since been joined by a couple more.

Anyway, after wheezing and slogging for a while, I came inside for stretches, and Skylark was bothered by my prostrate position. She kept trying to lift my head up because, clearly, something was wrong.

Then she joined in. 

Long story, bad pictures, cute baby.

This belongs on a future Frugal Fancy-pants. I had to borrow a hammer drill to fit the large drill bit size needed to make a homemade chicken waterer. I thought it was super-cool.

Plus, the pristine setting around me is just crying out to be preserved.

Someday.

August Begins with an "A"

Guess what other month begins with an "A?"
That's right-- APRIL.

Millie made Americanized Kung Pao for the first time, and she, Susannah, and I fell in love. Who cares about the rest of the family?!

One of my children thinks it's strange that I take pictures of the dead birds they find. It's my small memorial, though, so here.

(Why, don't mind if I do!)

I looked out the window one rainy day to see Zeke's clever love for John Wayne.

Here we go loopty loo; here we go loopty li.  Happy April, everyone!