whatever

just a quick post today.
i dropped talby and annie off with my parents for the weekend.
i stopped in 2 very small town antique stores on the way home.
there was so much cool stuff.
lauren was sick but is feeling better.
sean and craig are at wal-mart getting the oil changed.
then we are off to watch scott’s first basketball game in a few minutes.
i am nervous for him.

this is a picture from the craft room a few months back
i liked how the word create is in a shadow on the counter.
the beaded word is hanging from the shelves above.
my favorite picture of craig in the background…
with many others and drawings and quotes from the kids…
have a fun saturday!

i have decided to change my christmas break uniform…
to my new Thursday uniform.

after taking the big kids to school
and checking in on the blogs i like…
annie and i made pancakes.
blueberry pancakes.
mmmmmm…..

then a bath at noon.

with ponies.

then an impromptu haircut…
while watching backyardigans

with candy.
i love a fresh little girl haircut.
my kids all have straight-as-a-board hair so their haircuts look so…
blunt?
homemade?
cute.
i’m going to go with cute…but i am partial.

and somewhere in between all that…
some scrappin’.

good day today.

i hear often from my friends…
“how do you have time to be on the computer?!!”
putting up with the mess of this game
is one way i can do it while annie is home.
we call it special delivery.
i sit at the computer…she brings me things.

“DE-WIV-A-WEEE!!!”
“de-wiv-a-wee for you mama.”
then i say
“for ME?! oh what could it be?”

she helps me open my package…
wow.
play food…lots of it.
this goes on and on.
it’s a different gift each delivery.
then i say “okay…time for a nap annie”

“one more de-wiv-a-wee mama. just one more.”
okay annie.

so if i am willing to deal with this at my feet…
i get at least an hour of computer time.
and i am wliling.

but now i have been summoned to a pony birthday tea party.
i must go.

annie like to run.

she has a game where she tries to run past you
without you grabbing her…and tickling her.
but she really wants you to tickle her.
(that’s why it’s a game)

tonight she was squealing and laughing trying to get past me.
she ran and ran.

she had to stop because she was out of breath.
suddenly she was grabbed by super dad.
for the torturous wrestling tickle fight with talby.

this could be one of my all time favorite pictures.
i love watching them be crazy like this.
i wish you could hear them too.
so much giggling mixed with screaming.

then they are thrown off.
and they love it.
still they come back for more.

i could watch super dad do this all day….

finally they tackle him.
jumping on his back until he grabs them and tickles them again.
it’s a cycle until they are just too worn out to have fun anymore.
and then we send them off to bed.
exhausted.

over a week ago craig called uncle gary
and invited himself out to their farm to sled.
he wanted to use their new four wheeler to pull the kids.
thank you gary and janet for playing with our kids all afternoon.

tractor tires are way cooler than cheap plastic sleds!
the kids had such a good time.
and everyone loves the farm.
i wasn’t able to go with them but lauren had her new camera.
these are her photos from the day…

the biggest golden retreiver in the world.
and the friendliest.

she made this pig picture into black and white.
i thought that was cute.
i was hoping for some baby pig pictures…
this looks like a mama.

i guess they have cows…i didn’t know that.

and a great shot of craig from lauren’s view in the car.

annie is always a good model for classic photography.
timeless right?

overheard in the dark
on the drive home from a christmas celebration
sean says to his siblings…
“who would win in a slap fight – Harry Potter or the Hulk?”

it caught my attention.
they all laughed and then started in on their own.
they were each shouting
“who would win in a slap fight….”

Billy Ray Cyrus or Elvis?

the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty?

a clown or Dad?

Frodo or Luke Skywalker?

Jamie Lynn Spears or Brittney?

Chicago or Kansas?

Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp?

Fred or Barney?

and my favorite…again from sean…

Salami or Ham?

where do they come up with stuff?
there were at least 20 more but these were my favorite.
silly silly children.

it’s been a wild weekend.
friday night scrabble.
lauren had nothing to do so she played with us.
i only play to be a part of the family…
making a moment…bonding and all that.
i don’t have a scrabble kind of brain.
they play for points.
(it takes forever)
i am lucky if i can make a word let alone put it somewhere worth points.

craig makes killer tapioca pudding.
he has made it for us since we first got married.
it’s one of his specialties.
pancakes is another.
he and i are the only ones who like it it.
which makes it an even better treat.

i taught annie how to play memory.
now we have to play it everyday.

she got a match!
this game was bright and early…
8:00 AM saturday morning i believe.
the sun was just coming up over our neighbor’s house.
she’s getting pretty good.

and even more wild…
we went swimming.

the hot tub was great.
other than everytime i went in it annie would scream and cry
until i’d get back in the pool with her.
i guess if we are going to go swimming close to bedtime on a day without a nap…
that’s what i get.

and wrapped up the weekend
making straw and bead necklaces with my kindergarten sunday school class.
oh yeah…there was also a 10 hour cleaning spree in between games & swimming.

this place is just too exciting.