Did you know?

Tonight we had, as William said, "boom stuffs and flashlights" (aka, thunder and lightening) with a RAIN STORM!

Whoo-hoo!!

We're getting there, slowly but surely . . . 

DID YOU ALSO KNOW?

We've basically been in the 20's since then!!!

And will be through mid-next week!!

Hmphh!

Wednesday Words with Harrison

Time: 7:35p.m.

Place:  Kitchen (where else)

Atmosphere:  One of Concern

Harrison:  Mom, I think these two teeth on the bottom are growing higher than the others and these two teeth on the top are growing longer than the others.

Mom:  Oh...well, I don't think that matters because they're baby teeth and they'll fall out.

Harrison: Uh, yeah...but, I think I'm turning into a vampire...

and with that, he turned on  his heal and exited!

You know, by year #10 of parenting . . .

More and more just rolls off the ol' shoulders.

Here's one of them:

Passed by this dandy after putting William down for his nap.  I looked at it, said "uh...nice!" and considered how much worse it could have been had there been a banana in that peel, smashed under the door.  Now, I do consider the source (it's not like this was a move by our 10 yr old) and if it's happening often (it's not), but if it's a one time move like this I'll shrug the shoulders and move on to the next event.

I mean when you have to say things like, "please don't scratch your back with that" (a pancake flipper) while making pancakes with the bare-backed seven year old one morning...you really do have to organize your priorities on what's going to stress you out, or you'll end up in the loony bin!

(-:

On Our Winter Break . . .

We went to an island with 70 degree temperatures!

And...we left at 10:30a.m. and were home by 1:25p.m.  Curiosity tweaked? (-:  On our second of two days off for "winter break" we headed to the grand, Belle Isle...in Detroit!  A february trip to their Conservatory really can't be beat (and it's free), although, I'm quite certain I would have had a much more languid pace without the "high energy" trio.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

We had time for sniffin' . . . 

a brief moment for contemplatin' . . . 

a quick sec to humor mom and force out some smiles . . . 

And then we were outta there!  I really think our entire visit lasted about 23 minutes.  I drove the long away around the entire island...since we speant 50 minutes getting downtown...and had a couple of neat discoveries:

First:  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo - No pics but a fun stop (and free too)

Second:  This . . . 

Yep, right on Belle Isle

I learned that the city (with time and money on their hands evidently), built a tripod of old telephone poles and laid dead trees over them.  Then it sent a pipe up through the center to spew water out all winter long.  This is the result (it's huge!).  

Wall Vent

Had a little chuckle this afternoon as I passed my pile of "waiting to be washed darks" with two wet mitts on top.  You see, behind that pile o' "darks" is the wall vent that dries our soggy, wet mitts and someone evidently thought they'd get a proper drying even atop a great pile of laundry blocking the vent! 

Our favorite "snowy day" visitor

Uncle Dan
(and his snowmobile!)

"Hmmm, I'm not really so sure about that helmet after all."

At least once each winter we'll get a mysterious knock on the front door after a big snow and Uncle Dan will be standing out on the stoop. The kids will whoop and holler around the house till they get their snow gear on and head out to sit on that grand machine (or as William called it, "the wheelbarrow"). We don't have gear for them to take a ride (as Uncle Dan insisted we have...of course...before he took off without his helmet (-:), but we might have to check into that.

100th Day of School

The 100th day actually happened last week or so, but this picture just came my way.  I Love it, but when asked if he had a good hundredth day of school Harrison said, "we had to wear these goofy glasses and a silly crown."  I'm not going to show him this post. (-:

Now that is just pure laziness!!

Getting the kitchen in order this afternoon and my too-long hair was bothering me.  Didn't have it in me to walk all the way across the house to get a clip.  So . . . 

And . . . 

BAH!!! )-:

Today's outdoor temp, with a "real feel" of around 4 degrees with the wind.

Yuck!

I just lost a chess game to a five year old (o.k., almost six)!

After weeks of helping him learn pawn breakthroughs, discovered attacks and double checks ( and pulling my hair out because I couldn't understand half of it) for his chess homework, he had to go and checkmate me tonight.

That's the thanks I get!

Tuesday Talk with Harrison . . .

Time: 12:41p.m.

Place: Kitchen

Atmosphere:  Despondent

Harrison:  Mom, what's Hollywood?

Mom:  Why, what do you think it is?

Harrison:  Everyone in my class knows what Hollywood is and I don't...

Harrison:  Adin, Matthew, Zach, Hannah, Truly, Grace...they all know what Hollywood is...

Harrison:  And I don't!!

Mom:  Well, let's look it up on the computer.  O.K., there it is...it's a city.

Harrison:  OH...what's the big deal?

Mom:  They make movies and t.v. shows there.

Harrison:  Oh . . . (exit Harrison) . . . 

I never go to work!

This is seriously William's favorite song.  He requested it five times this morning.  Ohhhh, is he in for a rude awakening in a few years.

(-:

This isn't on Playlist anywhere so this was the only way to share it.

Snow Slide & Soup Day

Isn't that cool?

Our courtyard has a slight grade (correct term?) to the center where a drain runs water to the backyard.  It also slants just enough to let the snow slowly slide off this table.

One more angle (hey...it's a slow day...)

SOUP'S ON

Cannellini Bean Chowder

I Put 2 lbs of beans to soak overnight and some chicken stock to cookin' in the slow cooker (which I started late and needed to turn off around 2a.m....my body woke me up at 2:37a.m. without an alarm and I got the job done...I'm actually programed to have William popping into the room around then...anyway...).  After church I cooked up some Italian sausage, onion and garlic, added  some stewed tomatoes, my stock, carrots, spinach, zucchini and those glorious cannellini beans.   And, voila...I have lunch for the next week and the children will look forward to eating bread tonight I'm sure.

It's Valentine Party Day!

This year Lara pulled together some pre-fab bees, made envelopes for them and taped suckers to the front, whew!  The boys and I copied from another FamilyFun idea.  Ben was able to address his and write the "We're two of a kind" message (for 26 cards!) and Harrison was able to address his (he had 11 cards to make...over three days! (-:).

O.K., enough is enough...

I've decided that winter "eating" is over and I need to get back on the "eating sensibly" bandwagon to get a few of these baby #4 pounds off.  I found that a breakfast of oats and raisins along with not snacking at night and finding time to swim three Xs/week worked pretty well after baby #3 (well, in truth, after baby #3 was just about 3 years old!!).  So, this morning I brought out the oats...we'll see how it goes...

AND

The 53 is the OUTDOOR TEMP!!  Whoo-hoo!!

I loved our full day of RAIN today.

It took 'em a while . . .

but they finally found it!

Harrison and I made that heart-shaped bird feeder weeks ago and it's been hanging there, untouched, (does a comma go here?) ever since.  Well, today was the day.  Had about five birds altogether feasting with us during lunch.

Boy, I like this picture!

SP came home with these pics on the camera after and afternoon out with the big 3.  I really like that perspective of Lara.  They were going to do a quick stop by the Ford Library at U/M for some Abe Lincoln birthday cake and to hear a little Dodworth Saxhorn Band then off to probably (HOPEFULLY) a last quick sledding trip of the season (pretty brazen of me, eh? (-:).

   However, upon arriving at a standing room only situation in the library, the children were escorted to a seating area for kids ON STAGE (of all places), separated from SP and had to stay for an almost TWO HOUR presentation!!!  The report is that they kept it together quite well for 45 minutes of saxhorn playing and then a costumed Abe and Mary presentation of their life!  Not sure I could have even done that!

After all that, they still headed to a favorite hill to check out the sledding conditions.  They determined the snow was way to sloppy to sled and proceeded to chuck wet snowballs at each other.  Sorry to have missed that. 

(-:

Unbeknownst to William . . .

Today I was playing "let's pretend we're at White Sands National Monument."

In my February hallucinatory state, the snow reminded me of the

'white sands" I visited many years ago.

Then I blogged hopped for a few minutes during nap time and found this dream of a quiz for us winter doldrum folks:

Your Ideal Island Vacation is Fiji

On an island vacation, you prefer to get the full beach experience. And for you, that means staying somewhere with few people and lots of beach. With over 300 islands, you can find your own private spot in Fiji. Relax by the crystal clear water, or venture off to find a waterfall.

What's Your Ideal Island Vacation?

p.s. We're in for a "big thaw" this weekend.  Should be getting into the 40's.  Shorts weather anyone?

(-:

Long Range Goals

It's nice to have long range goals to keep one motivated, to have something to look forward to.  I think my latest long range goal will be to make time this summer to find enough quiet, still time to hand feed our local hummingbirds as Abagail of Pine, Louisiana has done.  Anyone willing to make a wager on my success?

p.s. Abagail's pics and info are being sent throughout the vast network of forwarded emails (thanks Jeff) saying to pass it on to a friend if one wants.  Just so you know I didn't pull her pics from her site or something. (-:

Sorry kids, Tuesday isn't "taco night"

Au contraire my petit ones,
this Tuesday it's "Thick as Fog Split Pea Soup" night!
Shall we see how well that went over?

Post script:
On a night like this (or this, or this (-:), I do balance my self-indulgent foodie moments by offering something the kids will eat. Tonight's accompanying dishes were chicken patties, corn bread and sliced apples (quite a combo, eh?). But, I don't pull any punches. I hauled out some left over cake from the freezer for anyone that had at least a spoonful. I'll have you know, one of the children didn't even make gagging noises or shove chicken patty quickly in his mouth after his spoonful!! Success!! (baby steps here folks)
(-:

The Path

DISCLAIMER:
By clicking on this video you will be transported, for 2 min and 36 sec, down the path of a mid-western mom who is evidently anxious for a big thaw!




Not related:
Added to the playlist what I think is the perfect, early February, cold, late-night, floaty song to sit back and mellow out to.
Thanks to Enya and the photographer in Alaska on who's blog I found the song.