Ugly, cruddy, muddy mess!

Thank you rain, for turning what was an icy dangerous mess

into a slushy, dirty, nasty eyesore. It looks like this everywhere. Spring, what? Grass, huh?

How to Suck at Facebook

The Oatmeal. It's funny-you should follow. It has temporarily replaced The Onion for me as my stupid time filler.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/facebook_suck

Finished the quilt, now I just need the baby.

Notice: If you are an occassional weekend quilter, continue. If you are a "Quilter", please look away...

When "everything" went down in October, I was in the middle of working on a quilt for the baby. I wanted to start working on it again, but tried and just couldn't pull it out. So I started a new one. New quilt for a new baby.

Awhile ago Jack had purchased some great fabric for me from IKEA on one of his trips without me (yes, they do sell fabric). The print had these adorable little characters that sort of reminded me of Beatrix Potter in a modern sort of way. I decided to bust it out, and this is what I came up with:

I told Jack my goal was to make it look "just fine" and I think I did. I actually did the binding myself, which is a first for me. Ususally I cheat by using blanket binding or having someone else do it. The sides are wavy, corners are a mess, but I think it looks "just fine."

Now I just need a baby to stain it.

I hate character clothing!

I hate clothes with cartoons, logos, brand advertisements, and most especially licensed characters on them. You will be hard pressed to find a picture of G wearing any of that gear as a small child. Even harder pressed to find one of F. But, in some foriegn language, "third child" must translate to "caved" because I have. He begs in that cute, somewhat lispy voice with those blue eyes and homeless looking blonde straggly hair and I cave. Out shopping with me one morning, S conned me into getting the Legos Star Wars shirts for the 2 little boys. I bought a third in a larger size for a birthday party we are headed to next week. I decided I'd give them the shirts on the 14th as a Valentine's day token and give F the faux leather jacket I had bought for him. Turns out, the jacket looked "too cool" for F. Guess I am going out to get a new birthday gift for the party and return to jacket. And never swear "I will never let my kids..." again.

Is it Bigger than a Breadbox?

Jaime and I just got back from an awesome night out to celebrate Valentine's Day. Our friends, Ann and Tyler babysat the boys while we went out to dinner at the River Company. They even took the boys bowling at RU while we were gone. How amazing is that? Tomorrow night their kids are coming over while they go out. I love the babysitting swap...so liberating.


Anyway, we exchanged our gifts to each other after dinner. She always seems to outgift me. My favorite was a little message on a card that she wrote to me. Obviously I have always loved Jaime but when your wife hovers at the brink of death and survives, you seem to feel closer than ever before. This is not perhaps the most appropriate forum to say this, but I love you babe.


Here is the breakdown of the booty Jaime gave me;)




It's an actual breadbox and I love it. I have been pining away for a breadbox for over a year now and she got this one for me.

Oh how I love Trivial Pursuit and you can actually eat this chocolate version of the game.

She also had this awesome print done with a quote from one of our favorite songs. Go Avett Brothers!

Heres to many happy years ahead.

Snowpocalypse or Snowmageddon, you choose.

All my friends who are drowning in it in DC are using both. I personally like Snowmageddon, but then, we've only had 45 some inches so we have no claim to the title just yet. Yesterday, the sun was out long enough for the boys to go to school (briefly), the roads to clear up (sort of), and a me to make a quick trip to the library to re-stock the shelf. But, then night came.
Our neighbors buried car.

The tree in our backyard.

The neighborhood, after having the roads cleared for a good portion of the day, turned white again as the new storm arrived.

If it's the end of the world, bring it, I'm ready. If it's not...ENOUGH ALREADY! I like the snow, I like the winter, but only the mild versions-which is supposedly why we live in Virginia. Any birthmothers in AZ or FL or CA looking to place a baby, like, now?

The Great Escape

This was happening outside. But for a couple of hours, we didn't care, because this was happening inside...

Afterwards, we donned our snow gear once again (over our pjs) and crossed our fingers we'd see the sun when we woke up.

Oh yeah-Thank you VDOT, for scraping the roads nearly perfect so we could get out and drive on pristine roads!

Talkin' up the Provo "Scene"

Last night one of my Institute students asked me come to his bands' debut at the RU Battle of the Bands and help cheer on them to the $300 victory prize and chance to play at parents weekend.

Wondering if we would be the oldest people there, we were thrilled when the sound system was being operated by an "established" professer, securing that title for himself.

(totally unrelated college-era pic)

As we drove home we reminisced about the music scene in Provo while were at BYU. While it wasn't NY or Athens or Portland or wherever else EW would dub as having a "college music scence," we had a pretty rockin' time. Here were some of our favorite locales:

-Mama's Cafe (saw Dar Williams there once before I knew she was cool)
-Pier 39 (on University)
-That place off 9th East neither of us can remember the name of
-The Edge (how lame was that but somehow we thought not?)
-and my all time personal fave: the basement of Arby's in Orem (yes, you heard me...a ton of ska bands in the "Rev. Horton's Heat" vein played there)

I'd post more pictures, but like I was responsible enough to own a camera in college!

Well, I can still call him a baby!

S turned 4 today. Many of you might think that he is too old to call him the baby. You think wrong. As does he, who isn't thrilled when it slips out of my mouth on occassion. My friend Chris delivered him and I remember on the day he was born well. The second he was delivered Chris called his wife Carol, who was in F's class reading to the students, to announce the arrival of the newest brother. I also remember feeling the best after his birth than any of the others. I had such horrible deliveries round one and two, we scheduled a c-section for this one and it was night a day difference not recovering from a c-section after laboring hard for 24 hrs!I also remember Chris coming into my room at one point asking me if he wanted me to shoo "the circus" out. We had pizza, friends, neighbors, the works, and honestly, I loved having "the circus" around. I finally felt good enough after a birth to have people around instead sleeping the pain away. I also loved having a great doctor who was looking out for me, while everyone else looked out for the baby. What a wonderful final birthing experience. And what a wonderful boy. Even though his favorite word is "toilet."

Do you think the school might consider adding a lift?

The best hill for sledding is about 5 blocks away, at the little boys' school. And yes, it is as far down as it looks. (see tiny F)

Doesn't it look I am birthing a 4 year old in the snow?

It was great having all 3 boys pretty self-sufficient on their sleds. Someone the previous day had built a ramp near the bottom and G caught some big air (I just couldn't get a pic of him midair).

Sorry you had to work Jack, but thanks!