super hero

It's on...

Sweet isn't he?  I used to think so.  Ever since we moved here I have been at war with a gang of rabbits that have taken up residence under our shed.  These are not your run of the mill bunnies.  These are rabbits.  I believe the spawn of rabid opossums and some sort of super breed cottontail.  Which explains why they never sleep.  Even in the dead of winter the snow was covered with rabbit tracks.  And now that spring is upon us, they tirelessly roam my flower beds sniffing out any fresh green thing poking it's little head up.  When I walk outside, 3 or 4 of them dart off, my crocus stems in their hot frothy little muzzles.  Wait, do rabbit's have muzzles?  Maybe not but you get the picture.  Chris thinks I am obsessed.  Not sure why.  Maybe it's because I have spent the past 6 weeks researching how to make them leave and never come back.  Oh, before you say "just put up a fence"...I don't want an ugly wire fence around my flower beds.  Is that so unreasonable?  So I picked up this little beauty

 

It emits an ultrasonic signal that is supposed to repel them.  I have been adjusting the frequency and then throwing a little bunny salad on the ground beside it to see what they do.  It sort of works, but unfortunately is battery powered and the batteries only last about a week.  And it makes the neighbor's dog bark.  Luckily my neighbor has no idea why, but I feel a little guilty about it.  The sprays seem to work but then it rains.  Last year it was after such a rain that I walked out to find all of my coneflower chewed down to an 4 inch stem.  Well, regardless, I am the human.  I have the frontal lobe.  And I will win.  To be continued...  

funnies

Just a couple new ones...

Our pipes froze during the last really cold spell a few weeks ago.  We all got ready that morning without water.  Meagan was brushing her teeth with a bottle of water and wearing her too-small-winter-coat (fit her fine before she grew six inches this year but now the sleeves only come down to mid wrist)  She said all dramatic like, "Mom!  Look at me!  Now I know what it feels like to be a poor child!"

Ethan has become very interested in babies and how they get into tummies.  The other day he said, "Mom remember when I grew in your tummy?"  I said, "No, because you grew in another ladies tummy" (we have had this discussion before).  He said, "Oh.  Aunt Laura's tummy?"

NiNi's pyramid business scheme

NiNi has a wad of about $56 saved up from her birthday and she loves it....counts it, smells it, caresses it.  Don't mention spending it.  She did break down and spend some of it at Build-a Bear but it was very painful for her.  Then I found this while doing my once a month cleaning of her room.  The girl's got plans!

"Things we need for the kids spying club...
Get with Kat and Logie for a meeting talk.  We need better stuff and new programs.  Get us on the newspaper.  Moms and dads will say, Wow!  Then get more money, go shopping for new stuff and toys.  Get so much toys we sell some in a groge (garage) sale.  More moms will see how much money we have and send their kid to us.  We will make them pay 50 cents for one hour.  Get so much spy stuff the kids moms will have a baby and send them to us to teach them.  Then we will have partys.  Give us $20 tips.  Will will get to keep the money get some snacks.  Get the kids to eat them.  We will say we are the best!  Give us more money.  Sell to us all the toys dameage (damaged) and make them a awesome toy."

Thankful

 A little over a year ago I started my list of 1000 things I'm grateful for.  Not there yet but I recently passed the 500 mark which is a pretty significant accomplishment for this gal.  I seriously think it's helped me to become a more joyful person.  Anyway, feeling very lucky today for so many special relationships.  Many people feel fortunate for that rare close friend. The one who rearranges not only their schedule for you but also sacrifices time, energy, money.  Not really sure how it happened (except that God led us to a church that really takes care of us!)  but I have several of these "got your back" relationships and I feel like it's a little bit of heaven on earth.  People who make a bee line to talk to NiNi or give her a hug because they understand how hard these interactions are for her.  People who have brought us meals, flowers and cards to share in both our grief and joy over the years.  People who have cleaned our toilet, moved our furniture in 90 degree heat, and driven across town to spend time with us.  Friends who know me, I mean really know me...the good, the bad and the ugly...and amazingly still love me.  Next week Chris and I are taking our first real vacation without kids.  There are 5 different people (moms included) willing to use up precious PTO or their day off to hang out with our kids and taxi them around to their various activities.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself.  And it's so neat to watch our kids experience this.  Watch them literally grow up with their best friends. An entire community of people loving them, investing in their spiritual development, and giving us invaulable feedback on our parenting.  The kids may never really understand how rare all of this is, but I certainly do.



Here is Meagan and Claire when they were about 6 years old, and a recent shot of the whole crew at a church conference last month.

 

This may have been one of the first times we brought NiNi to Bible class and that is Emma with her.  They have another little friend that is blonde and the 3 of them together is like Charlie's Angels!

Funnies

This is how Ethan's room looks on a regular basis.  Notice that the bed is made.  That's only because he never sleeps in it.  His new thing is to dump every toy out of it's bin and then pile it all into the center of the room.  On this day I had told him we would need to pick it up.  He said, "How about you clean my room and I watch cartoons."

Ethan was helping to make sack lunches that we deliver to some folks downtown each month.  He wandered away and I found him taking a little break.  Sorta renders the "hygienic gloves" pretty useless.  Not to mention a helpful mental image if your new year's resolution was to eat less at fast food restaurants.

Other funnies...

Ethan was playing with this long stuffed snake when he got a bright idea and said, "Hey snake, you wanna be my rope and I'll be your cowboy?"

Meagan and NiNi were listening to some Bob Dylan song on my ipod and NiNi whispered, "Woah... when was THIS popular?  The 1800's?"

I was trying to tell Ethan something and he couldn't hear me so he said, "Talk louder!  What's wrong, you outta batteries?"

Ethan asked me the other day, "What are hot dogs?"  I said, "Gross meat"  He responded, "I like gross meat!"

We have been talking a lot about feelings lately because Ethan get so messed up by the slightest intensity in our voice.  We have a book that talks about how it's ok even to feel conflicting feelings all at the same time.  Meagan was telling us something and we were distracted and not responding.  She pretended to be hurt and said to Ethan, "They're not listening to me."  Ethan patted her face and said, "Meagan, they're not always gonna listen to you and that makes you feel mad and that's ok" 

Ethan found a prescription medicine bottle in the bathroom and brought it to me.  I tried to sound very serious and said, "What do we do if we find medicine?"  He said, "Ummm...eat it up?"

When Ethan really wants us to pay attention to what he's saying he taps his temple and says, "Listen to my think bubble!" 

After 2 days battle over Valentines candy (knowing it was there but not able to have as much as he wanted)  Ethan finally brought me his sack and said, "Here mom you can have this.  I can't handle it"  Spoken like a true addict.

NiNi's birthday

Part of the girls' birthday presents this year was painting and decorating their rooms.  NiNi wanted pink walls but lucky for me I have had an 8-year-old girl before and seem to recall they stop liking pink by the age of 9.  So we opted for green walls and pink accents.  In one of my craftier moments, I picked up some frames at goodwill and covered them in patterned paper and mod podge to match her room.

 

NiNi's birthday party almost didn't happen. Ethan had been sick all week and by Wednesday morning had passed it on to her. Friday night she still had a fever and I knew there was no way she would be up to it by the next day. Luckily all of the girls were available Sunday so we crossed our fingers. By Sunday morning she was about 75% so we doped her up and strapped on the skates. Birthday parties are a very big deal for her and she starts planning the next one almost immediately after the previous year's. The activities, the type of cake, the theme, the invites, you name it. We don't usually indulge her every whim but she got most of what she asked for this year...right down to the Dairy Queen cake (in January) and the candle in the shape of an "8"

Eating cake is sad business