wait, what?

I'm sure it can't be November already, so I'm going to assume that it isn't.

We're all doing pretty well, Chris is plugging away, being awesome. The kids had some trouble with the charter school they were in, it was a great school last year but this year the atmosphere turned really toxic and not one day went by without one of the kids saying they had been made fun of, and the day Jimmy came home with two black eyes we said enough is enough and moved them back to the neighborhood school. We toured the school the friday before they started and two girls in Zoe's new class recognized her from 2nd grade and there was a little 9 year old squealing party in the hallway. She had more friends in the new school before she started than she ever had at the charter school! Plus they can wear their own clothes now instead of uniforms and let me tell you something, that is such a relief on the wallet!

We also are taking care of a puppy (2 years old) for the next couple months, her name is Eliza and she's an American Bulldog-I have pictures on facebook, I'll take more and post them here and there eventually. She's huge, 90 pounds of pure muscle and at first glance very fierce and mean looking, but actually the sweetest little thing ever. She thinks she's a little lap dog and if you're not careful she'll just plop her big hind end in your lap (or face). She's very well trained and has somehow cured Jimmy of his paralyzing fear of dogs. Its pretty amazing actually, he used to be so afraid of dogs that once he ran out in traffic to get away from a little dog on a leash, but since we got Eliza he's warmed up to pretty much every dog he's met. Yesterday a 7 month old beagle jumped up on him and licked his face and he just giggled! It's also kind of weird what she's done for us as a family-I've always told the kids they can't have a pet until they can keep the house clean, but since we have her the house is staying cleaner than ever. Plus we're a little bit more active which is always good.

And on a side note...my hair is pink. pictures to follow ^_^

Old pictures

Here are a couple pictures I have laying around on the computer. They're very old, but absolutely adorable.

This is Zoe, around 2 1/2.


This is Jimmy, or as we called him then, The Ferocious Beast.

This is Joel, Zoe, and Jimmy at Yellowstone about 6 years ago, putting them...um...doing math...I guess 8, 2, and 6 months.


Cute no? What's really weird is how much Jimmy looks more and more like Joel every day. Couple of handsome devils.

Hang on, I need to find the camera. And the cord. And figure out how to do this.

Would you believe it's been 2 days since I wrote the title of this post?

I won't bore you with the details of my life the last few weeks, I went to Utah (which is another post) and left my kids with my wonderful parents and Chris and I have been left to our own devices for 18 days. Let me just say that we are very different people without children.

So lets get on to the main attraction, shall we?


This is Christmas morning at Grandma's house, from left to right we have my sister-in-law Erin holding Max, Zoe, Holly, Jimmy, and Sam. They're waiting by the door to the livingroom while Grandpa checks to see if Santa really did come.

Apparently he DID! Those are all ELEVEN stockings, all hand-knitted by my mother and stuffed full of candy and peanuts and fruit and cereal and presents.

This is back in Ohio, the day after we got back in January. Jimmy is wearing his new coat and doing some sort of awesome dance.


Close up on the awesome dance.


He's very good at shoveling unstepped on snow.

Helping Daddy.

I had to put this in-this is a bad picture of my nutcracker collection. I have many different kinds, but my favorite is the one just to the left of center -a Mountie that my parents brought me from Canada.

This is a Zoe's 3rd grade class performing Thriller at the end of the year. I was about to tell you which one she is, but she's the only white girl in the picture ^_^. She's also wearing the best costume...



And has the least rhythm. Notice how everyone else in the picture (especially the girl in the front) is in the middle of some great move and my beautiful daughter is just kind of standing there? Yeah. Funny thing is, she worked really really hard on this dance and practiced all the time so she had everything memorized. I guess you either have it or you don't. It's cute though because Jimmy somehow ended up with it.

Pictures

I've been told I don't post enough (read:any) pictures. Well I'm sorry. If I knew how to use the camera, I would. If you're wondering why I would buy a camera I can't figure out, ask the person who picked it. Which, in case you were wondering, isn't me.

The other part of the problem is, simply, that I am not a picture taking person. I love to take pictures, don't get me wrong. It's just that I never remember to. When I was growing up it was always my dad with the camera. Then my mom got frustrated that there were too many pictures of trees and not enough with people, so he started taking pictures only of people which was better but where was the beautiful scenery we drove so far to see? So she got her own camera and started taking pictures as if the fate of the free world depended on it (which it might, you don't know). They both have taken classes and know wonderful things about picture taking that I will never know, like moving your finger away from the flash and taking the lens cap off.

But now that I am far away from both of these photogs, I really should make more of an effort to remember that when my son is walking like an egyptian in front of the whole school, posterity should know about it.

Plus, if I'm the one taking the pictures, I'm only in them if I want to be, so its better for everyone.

Spring in Ohio

I wanted to blog, because I'm happy today, but now that I've started I don't have much to say. My job is going well, things are seeming to pick up a bit which is nice. I'm still having massive migraines and they're starting to branch out into new symptoms that are not very fun and last week resulted in my coworkers calling 911. ugh. But I still love my job and I LOVE spring here. Everything is so green and there are citywide gardening motifs that all include daffodils which is awesome.

The kids have new schedules at school, Zoe spends half the day in 3rd grade and half the day in 5th, and Jimmy splits his time between kindergarten and 1st. Since this started she's been happier and he's stopped acting up so I think it's a really good thing. They're just too smart for their own good.

Chris is finishing his thesis and getting ready for his defense date in May, and we're all very very excited for him to be done with it and get his Masters. I'm hoping we'll be able to afford graduation announcements before its too late, but if we don't then keep an eye out on facebook.

We (the kids and I at least) are coming to Utah at the end of June, I'll stay about a week and then head home and leave the kids for a while to be spoiled rotten by any and all. I can't stay longer because I'll be starting rehearsals for "Dancing at Lughnasa" with Solstice, and especially if Chris can't come then I don't want to stay too long. But its also my 10 year reunion, and that's going to be awesome (and freaky-that makes me old).

I'm also anxiously awaiting news from my nearest relatives-my cousin Ben and his wife Amanda are at the hospital (having an excellent time I'm sure) having their first baby boy and I'm very excited for them!

Whingeing

Slice of my life at the moment.

I do NOT feel
*optimistic
*creative
*encouraged
*energetic
*hungry
*comfortable
*cold
*patriotic
*argumentative
*sexy
*like chicken tonight

I DO feel
*irritated
*grateful
*grouchy
*nervous
*a breeze
*sentimental
*thirsty
*frustrated
*tired
*blank
*dissatisfied
*mortified
*proud

I see
*clutter
*homework
*laundry
*pictures
*cards
*books

I hear
*a breeze
*motorcycles
*teenagers
*ducks

I smell
*a breeze
*water
*downy

PSA

I would like to take this opportunity to say that I have had a migraine nearly everyday for the past 5 weeks. It's getting really old, and I would appreciate it if it would knock it the heck off. I need my brains at the moment, and having them leak out my ears while I throw up is not my favorite activity.

thank you, that is all.