Mud...

I went for a jog this morning and was piecing together a rather fussy and serious rant about the shallowness of what Americans value and how segregated we are.  I had the first few line all mapped out.  There was hash and vigor.  But then our day started and the routine clicked and the babes pranced and the fuss just leaked right out of me.

We "broke ground" on Laine new garden.  He wants to grow tomatoes, green beans, carrots and lettuce.  I am beyond thrilled and a little intimidated.  We talked about what a garden needs, set our celebrity goats to clearing weeds (more on that later), and dug a little.

Then it rained.  Hard.

So, we did this.  By we I mean they.  And fun was had by all.

And Ollie has taken to doing a bit of preaching.  And Luke blames me!  *snicker* look at that finger!

Tiny Milestone

This is my 200th post!  I would like to take the following people who have made this possible:

1. Al Gore-for obvious reasons.  Clearly, without his ingenuity, I would not be "blogging."
2. My husband for going to divinity school and thereby gifting me with "causes."
3. My children for being funny and silly and "writable."
4. My mom and Jennifer for "reading." (quotations not really necessary here, but I like symmetry)

On equally serious ground, I would like to share a few sound bites from our week:

• Laine: Mama, you are the princess, and me and Daddy are the bad men.  We are going to squirt you with hot shooters (squirt guns). Me: Oh dear, I am going to run away!  Laine: We are baaaaad mans, we will find you and squirt you.
• Annabel: Daddy! Pool! Pants! Off!
• Me: Oliver, don't chew on that cord.
• Laine: Mama, it's hard when you are a beauty. 
• Laine: Mama, can we take my books to the new house?   Me: Yes, honey, we have to take everything.   Laine: can we take my Buzz Lightyear toy?    Me: Yeah.  We can't leave anything.  We aren't allowed.   Laine: Can I take my bed?   Me: Yep.   Laine: Can I take my pillow?   Me: (convulsing on the floor) Yes!  We. Have. To. Pack. Everything.   Laine: How about my flip flops?
• Annabel: PeePee! PeePee! Me: Do you need to go peepee?  Annabel: Yeah!  Me: Ok, let's go!  Annabel: No! You just go! (pointing me out of the bathroom because my 2 year old, 28 lb child can do this)

Also, I found this beautiful book when I was packing my cookbooks.  I would love to endorse it in some way, but I didn't make many of the recipes because Laine and Oliver went straight to table food, and Annabel wouldn't eat anything but yogurt. So, if you or someone you know could use it, make a comment, and I will randomly select a "winner."  

Strawberries!

We had fun.  I made jelly.  I didn't pick 50 lbs.  It was a good day!

Springy things

Little by little.  Minute by minute.  Day by day.  I am healing...those little red blood cells are powering up and I feel a little more alive.  With each baby-holding rocking chair minute I feel more like a person.  Also, spring helps.  Not that we ever had winter, but those little faces peeping out of the grass thrill me.  Hello violet.  You are why I hate lawns.  You are not a weed...you are a friend.

And, oh, the poetry of these flowering beauties.  I wish for a second that God had gifted me with elegant words. 

PEAS!  We will be crunching away on these so soon!

This fresh face makes me happy.  So happy.  That was my dress when I was little.  Awhhh.

Who votes we change the name of this luscious tree?  Crab apple?  No! Gorgeous-spreading-wonder-with-surprisingly-tart-fruit tree

 Wanna know what is fun?  Drawing with ice on a hot day.  Keeps you cool and no awful chalk feel.

Happy allergy season!

Home.

We had a great time with the grandparents this weekend.  There were sleepovers, swimming, playing, visiting, eating cupcakes for breakfast and no sleeping...none...sigh...

So glad to be home.  Tomorrow I hope to break forth with a solution to your laundry problem.  Get excited!  Actually, I don't have a solution, I just have a game to make laundry funner...but I don't want to talk about it right now.

I also don't want to talk about getting up early.  Or how much chocolate I have eaten in the last two days...So night night...

Since I clearly can't face the upcoming week, I will revel in last week: