Gotcha!

This is for everyone who knows about the opossum we received from Meridith last Christmas at our family White Elephant gift exchange. Finally after over a year of scheming, a perfect opportunity to re-gift presented itself. Saturday the extended family had a surprise baby shower for her. I wrapped it up in the bag with some baby wash on top and attached a note that said I just wanted the baby to have something soft to snuggle with right away. She had no idea. I wish I could have captured what followed. She shrieked loudly and flung it across the table as the aunts looked on in horror. I wish I would have thought to take a video. Luckily Jeff's aunt caught this expression right before it went flying. Thanks, Aunt Kim! Love you, MerMer!

White Bread and Puberty

Other things I never expected to hear my children say:

• Julia, crying: "But mommmmmm, I don't like white bread!"

(Not so very long ago, it was a great struggle to get white bread out of the house and off our food pyramid. I thought it would seem like a treat to make her egg salad sandwich on seeded Italian when our neighbor gave us a loaf this week, but not so much!)

• Andrew asking: "How old were you when you went through puberty? I am only asking because it is my homework assignment, not because I really want to know."

Inquiring Minds

I was unprepared for the barrage of questions that erupted from the backseat on the way home from the Salvation Army store today. I don't know why. As David snoozed, Kathryn asked me the following questions in rapid succession, in this order. After the first two I grabbed a pen from my visor and wrote them down on a napkin as I drove so I wouldn't forget.

• Can opossums do anything? When Grant and Ella came over, Ella actually said they can do ANYTHING!
  
• You hate mud, right?
• Do you think Indians are scary? Julia does.
• What colors do you hate?
• Do you hate to wear white or just to look at it?
• Were you brave when you were a little girl?
• I wonder how they made this seat, do you know how they made this seat? Mom, do you?

This all on the heels of "Judas was NOT Jesus' friend, was he?"

Who ever said motherhood was a mindless pursuit was smoking crack!

Trimmings

Yeah, I need to learn how to make compressed little slideshows or at least put the pictures next to each other or something. If any of my tech savvy friends want to come to my aid, I certainly wouldn't decline your assistance.

Today David got his first haircut from Aunt Robyn. He did very well. He patiently waited for nearly an hour while Kathryn got her 'do snipped and then took his turn. He was a squirmy, moving target from the git-go, but he didn't cry at all. When the water bottle failed to properly distract him, I resorted to allowing him to have his first sucker which saved the day.

BEFORE

DURING

STILL DURING...

ALMOST DONE...

AND TAAAA DAAA!

Day One: Demolition

We officially began "finishing" our basement yesterday which unfortunately will involve first "unfinishing" the handiwork of the nincompoop who lived here before us. Some people have no business TOUCHING a hammer. EVER! Each sheet of drywall has on average 70 nails holding it in place. 70 nails, not to be confused with drywall screws, which may or may not have even made contact with any targeted stud behind the drywall. Some of the seams actually fall between studs and none of the exterior walls are insulated. Sweet. Fortunately, however, he didn't think to glue any of it in place so it has made it slightly easier to take down. We let the kids have one piece of wall to play "Flip That House" with before commencing the tedious process of "cat clawing" the bazillions of nails out. One Saturday down, 17 to go...

Simple Things

BEFORE

I have written elsewhere about the new objection of my affection: my pantry/coat closet. And my husband, the builder of all things solid, level, and square. Important qualities for both closets AND men. =) In addition to having a respectable place to storehouse my non-perishable consumables, I also have a place for my vacuum and broom AND a low bar so the children can hang up their own coats. We have reduced the number of shoes in the closet from 11 to 6 and my paper towels are no longer stored in the garage. I even have one empty shelf on top that I plan to leave empty for now because it makes me feel RICH. My quality of living has skyrocketed.

AFTER...

MoonSand

I wonder what Jesus thinks of this....

Snow Day

Hooray for snow days!

Fatty McButterpants

10 1/2 Months Old

David busies himself as he waits to get scooped up and out the door to take the "big kids" to school this morning. Aunt MerMer, the giver of all lasting nicknames, lovingly calls him "Fatty McButterpants".