funny dog

It was her birthday. She's two.  She's entirely confused by the occasion, but doing her best.

Oh my goodness.

xo Pay-pay.  Happy Birthday, you fine girl.  love, Grandma

st. patrick's day, 2013

Last night we went downtown with friends to have dinner and  listen to a friend who plays jazz, and we had an interesting time.   We didn't anticipate the crowd or the rowdiness.

It was entertaining. Then we came home and found James and Tim engaged in a Yu-Gi-O battle.

Okay then.

Also we found Heidi still at our house, and p.j.   They'd come over during the evening to play and the child refused to leave, so Heidi just stayed.  We have futons downstairs and it was all good. We watched a movie last night, and Jay made a cabin breakfast this morning--fried egg sandwiches with cheese, sausage, pancakes.

It was great.

Then late this morning, the leprechauns came.  They found a mess in Tim's room, threw candy, and left their usual terrible note.   There's the candy right there.

Okay, this is a weird story.  This Sponge Bob car air freshener apparently was hanging from the ceiling light in Tim's room and was accidentally knocked down by the leprechauns, little as they may be.

Tim found it among the candy and said, "Oh good."

I asked why good? What did he even need it for?

(Okay, are you sitting down? Are you ready for this?)

 He said, "Yeah, I need it.  I rub it on my head when I don't want to wash my hair."

 I  -  - I don't even know what to say.

He's actually a fairly nice person.  I've worked a lot the last few days and at one point he found me sprawled on my bed watching the news and spontaneously kissed me, "I didn't know you were home. I  haven't even seen you for like two days!"

That was sweet.   I didn't notice any weird smell about him.

Oh and here's the note.

Inside it said something evil about hearing a fart and see you next year.

That's real nice.

More snow tonight, but you know what?

March, you foolish devil, you don't scare me much.  April is going to be here in two weeks so Nah-nah-nah-nah-boo-boo. Stick your head in doo-doo.

Okay good night.   love, Val

friday in mid-march

We got your ice right here.  I drove home (only car on the side roads) late tonight, and it was all thin ice. Driving was slow--gingerly rounding the corners, taking a long look at green lights for cross traffic who might be unable to stop.

Okay, this is a picture I took as evidence.  THAT is a helicopter stuck in the light fixture.

I've warned them to stay clear of this since the day it was hung.  It's an antique I bought on ebay, and no I can't get parts for it if they smash any of it, and YOU HAVE  BEEN INFORMED OF THESE FACTS.

It's not particularly valuable, but I like it, and leave it alone.

Dan turned it and waited for me to get photograph the evidence.

The guilty party:

 I scolded a little, but we soon moved on from that problem.  He was sorry.

Yes, be sorry, and stay that way.

And this was on my camera tonight.   I believe their names are Phineas and Ferb.

Okay then. 

Dan and Alicia came with the kids today and brought lunch and we had a really good time.  p.j. and b.g. were so happy to see each other.  As soon as he was in the door, there she was unzipping his coat, un-velcro-ing his shoes, and he's patient enough to let her.  All in all, it was a pretty great Friday, even including the sleet tonight.

It's now officially Saturday, so onward.   Happy Saturday.

love, Val

party on saturday night

 We had a party.

This little boy is so pretty sometimes it almost hurts my eyes.

Squirrel-fest!   Actually they are fighting so much less these days, and it's kind of nice.

 That guy in the Angry Birds hat turned seven this week.

 Jimmy turned sixteen.  Heather created and painted that beautiful gift.

 She turned two.   This is taken through the mesh on top of the princess tent Little Jay gave her.

 Another hyper kid in the tent.  (I love him.)

 And this sweet guy is crawling all over.

 These boxing gloves were gifts and there was a huge smashing scene in the living room where I was worried things were going to get broken.  Nothing did, and Heather and James didn't hurt each other.  (Heather!  Who knew she was willing to box a guy that big?)

Later Dan found the leg of the coffee table on the floor next to it though. 

What?

Why?

He and Heidi took the table away and brought it back with the leg back on, so it's all good I guess.

They suggested I not weight it down constantly with magazines.

 Cake time!  b.g. loves cake and ice cream SO MUCH. 

See that face while we cheered?   Today at lunch I told her to blow on her carrots, they were hot.   She got a silly little grin and sang, "Hap birf-tey."   So we sang the whole song just for fun and she blew at the carrot and we clapped.

 This guy is an old pro at candles.

 And James, the speedy candle guy?    By the time I took the picture--nothing but a curl of smoke.

It was a lovely long weekend, just about perfect, Saturday warm and rainy.   The days are getting so much longer and daylight savings can only help.

We're now in the middle of a fine Monday, and that's the end of that.    With love for all of you always, Mom, or Val, or that Grandma Person.

years and years of james

Here he is little and tiny.

This is an old James story:  He was born weighing ten pounds--nice sized baby.   But then it took him six full weeks to gain back his birth weight.

I was freaking out.   Already at a week old I took him to our chiropractor and told him how he'd nurse, but then throw himself backward, howling in pain.

Leonard is a reassuring, kind person. He looked at James who was wearing a blue and green striped sweater, sound asleep in my arms and said, "Val, he looks beautiful."

I was exactly one week postpartum and living on a very fragile edge. Struggling for composure I said, "In the night when he cries, he looks skinny."

Leonard tucked his lips in and wisely said nothing, just got to work adjusting James.  After the second adjustment, James nursed without pain, and then slept for four hours.   Things took a better turn.

A few months later when a stranger complimented his fatness, my sister was worried I was offended.

Hell, no!

But here is now, having survived quite nicely:

This was only three years ago.  James, you've been growing like crazy again.

 There are those gopher cheeks the girls and I couldn't stop kissing.

Here he is up in the room with his friends.  That one in the front--they had a sleepover this winter, and I gave permission saying, "I just don't want you guys to get into any trouble."

He found that hilarious.  Trouble? Them?

Interesting idea.

Never going to happen.

"Mom. Have you met us?"

Okay, true.

 I love this one of you and Sam.

 Oh, and some pictures Kirsten took at a basketball game.

 Not a huge fan of water, but being a good sport:

Awwww, oh Jimmy.

And just a couple days ago I was mentioning to you your shaving.

Thank you for everything--for being our kid, for being your own funny, understated self.  Thank you for your patience and good nature, for working hard and being a good sport, for everything except the situation with the towels in that downstairs bathroom.

Sixteen years of loving James?

Lucky us.

Happy Birthday, Buddy.   love Mom and Dad and everybody

and the pops concert

 This was Friday night after we'd been to The Children's Museum.  They were tired, and a bit unenthusiastic.

 Tim asked how long it was.  I told him two hours.  "How long is THAT?"

"Well, like church times two.  Like church twice."

He rolled his eyes and threw himself back in the chair.   But it was okay.   They actually enjoyed it more than they expected, plus we bought popcorn at intermission

 The musicians dressed in costumes and the music was fun.

That's Maria, my beautiful girl, dressed up as the road from the movie Cars.

 And behind that yellow guy is her sweet friend Heather.

 Here's James in the back row.  He's actually to the left of the guy in the checkered shirt.

That was the last piece they played for the night.  The whole concert was postponed from Tuesday night because of the snowstorm, to Friday night.

But I think the Pops Concert is better on a Friday night actually, and I'm going to tell the band director this.   We didn't get home until nearly ten, but on a Friday night, who cares?

It was extra festive and fun, and thanks to the band directors and also to all the kids for working this hard to become musicians this enjoyable to spend an evening with.

Dad and Mom?  Thank you for investing in James and providing him that fine trumpet.

To my mother-in-law and father-in-law?  Thank you for gifting us with a check some seventeen years ago we used to purchase that elegant old oboe for Kirsten.  Now Maria has made much music with it too.

love, Val