July 15, 2011

Cute kids, Wisconsin, all you need.

 There was tubing.

His hair was hilarious, as usual.

 That's our friend, soaking up the sun, and her child, far left above, eating marshmallows, etc.

He handed me the camera, pressed his face to mine and said, "Take a picture of us!"

Okay.  This is the result.

Here we're teaching her, John helping, Jay bringing the boat around again and again.

Okay, she was UP for about five seconds, five miraculous seconds.    She'll get it next time. Her arms and legs were rubbery here, too tired. Next time, though. She's got it now.

Back when John and Dan were little and cuddled in the bow by my knees while I drove the boat, sweet warm smell of cedar and pounding water below,  Jay held onto his notion of them as ski buddies in the future.

Sigh.   That happens to be Daniel in his arm, but you get the idea.

Go, John.

Good night.  July has been so very July-ish so far, and thanks be for that.  love, Val

splash pad

We headed out to this splash pad in a suburb not too far from us.

We'd been there about thirty seconds and Tim moped, "There's nothing to do."

I'm so kind.  I snapped, "Are you kidding me? Get out of here."

Thirty seconds later, I looked up and saw this:

He found something to do.

This little kid was a riot, a real character.

After this we headed over to the little pool to meet b.g. and t.g. and their aunt who watches them these days.  It was a very laid back time at the little pool, overcast and hot.

p.j. swam until her chin shivered, and as I cuddled her on the side of the pool against her resistance, I asked Dan, "Why won't she just let me warm her up?"

He quipped, "Stubborn, just like her parents."    That made me laugh.

Then it was supper and goofing around on the patio, and a beautiful day in July ended with laughing and good food and now I must clean the turtle tank, and do some office work for Jay, and then it's bedtime.

Good night.  love, Val

more of the same

Our days don't vary all that much.   We worked a lot during the weekend, went to church, ate hamburgers.    This morning was the usual Tuesday morning sales meeting at the office, and then we did this:

Here they've flooded the sandbox to make rivers and mountains.

Eventually we went to the pool.

 That kid is actually fine.  He and Tim spent a couple hours chasing each other around the pool with the super soakers.

After that we came home.  I had an appointment with friends to look at a house, and Jay had to go do some plumbing, and I guess Heidi jogged over here for fun and found nothing but kids home.

Tim was mad because it was a Make-Your-Own supper night with both of us working, and he told Heidi I was supposed to make him a sandwich.

Seriously?   I know for a fact he can make sandwiches just fine with his own hands.

Little Jay heard it was Make-Your-Own supper and grumbled to Heidi, "I guess I can just eat cereal again."

Heidi took pity on them and made grilled cheese.  Good grief.  I think we need to cook tomorrow night.

And this:

Yesterday I found a little half-dead house plant all in tatters.  Cut up!  Cut!  Whaaat?

I knew who probably did it, but also knew they'd be thinking under pressure and making up lies.   I called them (and Kari too, though I knew it wasn't her) and said, "I want to know the straight truth right now, first time I ask:   What happened to this plant?"

There were the looks at each other and the ceiling and the shrugging, and why?   Just say what happened!

Finally when I started to yell a little, they said they'd done it, cut it up with a scissors.     I asked, "WHY?

Why would you do this?   I don't care about the plant, but why?"

"It was hot and we were bored."

There you go.   If you're ever hot and bored, just take a scissors and cut up a pothos.   That'll do it.

(Kids are so weird.)

Okay, good night.  Onward to Wednesday, and what a fine looking Wednesday it is.   love, Val

fun

It's Heather, our favorite artist.

love this, and love you, Val

feet in a yard

This is a Monday night picture  of James' long board injuries.  Mostly that night we were concerned about his hand, whether it was broken or not, but by the next day it was clear it wasn't.   Ice helped, and we sponged his wounds with lidocaine from the first aid kit.

Anyway, the kids were telling old homeschool stories, including this one about me helping James with his math and asking him how many feet were in a yard.

(Stories where I act like an idiot are their favorites.)

James answered,  "How many people are in the yard?"

Oh, quit it now.

Bullshit, James.  You know this.

I guess I yelled, "THERE ARE THREE FEET IN A YARD!"

He peered back at me, "That doesn't make any sense.  That's one and a half people."

He finished school on the honor roll, so if he doesn't understand measurements, nobody knows, and I'm not telling them.

Onward.   love you guys, and also so very glad you love me, MOM

july, july, july

How I love you.  

It's over one hundred degrees here today, and that doesn't happen often, and no I don't love that.

It's too hot.  At work tonight, we were trying to count the damned narcotics and all at once I was dizzy and seeing sparkles around the edges and had to bail for a minute and sit by the fan.

"One hundred twenty one vicodin.  Seven ambien. blah, blah, blah."    I gotta sit down.

Later other nurses, MALE nurses, sneaked downstairs and stole our fan.

An orderly I love went up there to spy and see if it was them. 

It was.

The night nurse? She wasted no time, marched straight upstairs and snatched it back after the pm staff left.

What a great fourth of July, eh?    Jay went to a family reunion, and most of the kids are at the cabin.

 I miss my parents. 

I talked to them on the phone.  Usually we spend the fourth with them.

Okay, but enough of that.

Onward!   July you overheated devil--glad you're here.  love, Val