Water Works

I've had another delightfully busy week focused on maintaining my home, my body and my relationships.

I've been having a lot of fun going to a Zumba-type class. It's right up my alley---filled to the brim with highly 'inappropriate' hip-shaking (man, I love to dance).

Stevie's been counting down the days until summer vacation. Every morning when I wake him up he greets me with an ear-splitting groan. He's ready to sleep in. (Me too, kid).

David is ready to have his brother at home (though he'd never admit it). I will say that I've enjoyed the mid-day snuggles I usually get from him. After lunch, we'll cuddle up on the couch and watch an episode of "The Fantastic Four" or "Danny Phantom" together while Jakie is napping. It's lovely and I'll miss it next year when he's at school.

Hotter weather means the kiddos have been begging me every single day to play in the water. Some days (when I'm feeling environmentally righteous) I'll lecture them on water conservation. But then some days I remember how much I loved that water hose as a kid, and I let them have their fun.

i thank You God

for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any-lifted from the no
of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

-e.e. cummings

What I'm Up To (Just Me, Me, Me)

Nothing terribly exciting, I guess.

But it was a good week. After wallowing a few weeks in self-pity and self-indulgence, I finally got off my rear and accomplished a few things. Things that need doing but aren't necessarily noteworthy. Like cleaning my house thoroughly. Doing ALL the laundry at once. Doing a serious weekly grocery shopping excursion (ugh, how I hate them). Spending a little time with friends. Getting my hair cut (and loving it). Getting my car inpsected. Exercising with a little more purpose and eating better. Trying a yoga class. Things like that.

And it felt really good. What a relief to be a working cog in our family again. It's also nice to enjoy friendships and socializing with a little more ease and enjoyment than before. It's funny how I always fantasize about how I'd love to spend every day just sitting in a chair and reading. But in truth, I'm usually much more content being productively busy.

Makes sense, I guess. Even though it never looks right on paper, Working Hard = Being Happy.

Father/Son Campout

Last weekend the boys went on their very first Father/Son campout with their dad.



Stevie had fun playing baseball with some of the boys


The dads loaded the boys up on this trailer and pulled them around for fun. The boys loved it (of course).


The fellas had a great time playing with Brother Haddock's soda bottle rocket launcher.



But eventually the bottle got stuck in a tree...


Jakie stayed home with Mom and watched "Mamma Mia." (Well, he didn't---but I really enjoyed it!)

Steve's Mad Sewing Skills

Youth Conference was a huge production this year. It was an actual Book of Mormon reinactment, and the leaders and youth were required to make their own costumes. Steven really surprised me in his handiness with a sewing machine. Apparently, he's a quick learner. He made his own tunic, belt and sash.

Here he is feeling pretty good about himself:


Here is his "Woe unto ye sinners!" pose. David doesn't look terribly worried.


Anyway, not a huge deal, but I was impressed! It was more than I could do. When will this man stop knowing how to do everything?

Jacob's First Haircut

May 7th, 2011---Jacob's first haircut recorded for posterity.



Why is it always a little traumatic to cut your little one's hair for the first time? But he definitely looks like a happy little boy, now. No question about it.

Greek Festival

Last weekend we decided to take a little family jaunt to the Clear Lake Greek Festival hosted by the local Greek Orthodox church. We're a big fan of festivals---the cornier the better---and this one was outstanding. We ate souvlaki, enjoyed some excellent Greek folk dancing, rode some rides and shouted "Opa!!" at various random intervals. Absolutely fabulous.

I bought a hip scarf (seen here on my head). I couldn't resist it's jingly wonder. Now I suppose I'm required to attend a Zumba class.


Stevie especially enjoyed the souvlaki. That child is a serious carnivore.


Okay, what you can't really see in this picture is that this dude is dancing around, lifting a little girl sitting on a table using just his MOUTH! I was definitely not familiar with this Greek tradition. It it was kind of creepy and oddly captivating to watch.


The boys were outraged that I made them watch the Greek dancing. All they really wanted to do was ride rides.


We'll definitely attend next year. Maybe we'll even take part in the Toga Fun Run 7K. We'll see.

Stevie's Music Program

Just darling.

A bunch of 6 year olds, perched precariously on risers, dancing and singing their little hearts out to songs like "Do, Re, Mi," "Soap and Water" (which was a parody of the song "All the Single Ladies," except it was about washing your hands--High-larious!), and a song about dances from the sixties (the monkey, the mashed potato, etc.). Stevie, of course, was fabulous. We're expecting his Tony award any day now.




Stevie's original artwork was on display as well (it's a self-portrait).

Sleepy Time

Babies are unnaturally limber.

Jacob fell asleep like this the other night, in the midst of one of his I'm-throwing-myself-down-to-show-you-my-pain theatrical moments.

The boys thought this was hilarious, and so they both tried out various unusual sleeping poses. (All fake, of course).

Hard Week

Today the doctor let us know that the little baby we were expecting to join our family in December won't be coming after all. We're heartbroken, of course, but not hopeless.

I want to remember to, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." and that "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

I want to remember that. But today I'm just sad and full of regret. Tomorrow I can figure out what to do next.