whatever

and they are gone.
3 of kids went home with nana last night from burn’s.
the other 2 went home with grandma this morning.

we are all alone until monday afternoon.
no kids.
no fighting or whining or crying or potty training or hannah montana.
wooo-hooooo!
we will enjoy every second.
and they will too.
have fun grandmas.
put them to work or spoil them rotten…i don’t care.
thank you so much for the break.
we love you.

last night we met craig’s mom at burns cafe for dinner.
this is burns, kansas.

did you miss it?
here is a picture facing the other way.

burns, kansas
population: 268
this cafe is only open friday and saturday nights? i think maybe sunday noon too.
whatever it is…it’s very little.
they make a certain amount of food and when it’s gone it’s gone.
it’s just like the sign says “good country cookin'”
there is “country ambiance” too.

usually we are the youngest people there.
last night there were some college students with their parents.
it’s packed everytime.
it’s 25 minutes from our house…in the middle of nowhere.
the prettiest country drive to get there.

(the kids took all the inside pictures…it kept them entertained)
annie was like a monkey during this meal…climbing all over me.
our food was delicious…as always.
all the stuff that takes alot of work to make…done for you.
for $6.25.

i think this is my most favorite meal…not just at burns.
and then the pie….oh my.
if you get there early you get a choice of many many kinds.
again we are the youngest people there and we get there at normal dinner hours…the old folks are eating at 5:00…and they take whole pies home with them too…so our choices are always limited at 6:30.
but my butterscotch meringue was perfect.
annie’s chocolate pie….also perfect.
when it came she said loudly “OHHHHHH PIIIIIIIE!”

the 2 big kids were rebels and ordered floats instead of pie.
how dare they?

there is nothing fancy about burns (obviously)
but when we first moved back to kansas…
it was just everything that we’d missed.
small town (very) with big old homes…
community feel…
friendly…
the countryside…
and very good food…

the locals…we bought cinnamon rolls from their bake sale.

there is a tiny little hair salon next door and once after dinner craig got a haircut while we let the kids play on a dirt pile outside..that doesn’t sound hick does it?
ha ha ha
if you are local…you must go.
and call us to meet you there.

i don’t want the warm weather to end.
annie was completely entertaining herself…
soaking in the sun…
laughing like crazy.
i think she may like this quiet house more than i thought.

so far….
these girls are enjoying their time with mommy.
and i am too.
the house is pretty quiet in the mornings now.
i spend time on the computer…
do some laundry…
clean up a little (very little).
they watch the shows they want without being bugged by the boys.
play dress up…and babies
and right now talby is drawing on the bathroom wall.

this project is about half done.
i am still filling in their drawings…a few a day.
i will have to paint a few in to cover annie’s “contributions”.
talby wrote the abc’s today.
a few letters are backwards and i am going to leave it that way.
i made a mosaic mirror that is not grouted yet to hang in here.
i need a fun rug…towel hooks that are low enough for the kids…
and i want to paint the cabinet that is in there.
not too much right?
i’ll show pictures when i am finished (of course).

a self portrait at our park picnic outing yesterday.
so sunny and warm.
annie only ate the marshmallow pie and not any of the healthy things i packed.

i am frustrated.
yesterday sean’s new bike was stolen from the school bike rack.
last week…scott’s bike was stolen from our house.
this past christmas…my bike was stolen from our house.
this “small town” is very quickly losing its charm.
we did not have any of them locked up at the time.
that is stupidity on our part.
i take responsiblity for not forcing the lock thing.
i just never think it’s going to happen…
who does that?
yesterday when sean was just standing there where his bike was…
i thought “am i on candid camera? am i being punked?”
how could this be happening again!
so frustrating.
the police officer said “there’s just always going to be people who take.”
so true…
our bikes will now be in maximum security lock down at all times.
(and watch one more get stolen before we make it to the store to buy locks)

so a few happy things after that yucky stuff.

2 butterflies in the jar that talby caught and observed.

morning glories…all a mess.

my little white rabbit in the garden guarding this bike from being stolen.

my favorite window in the house as i peek through the zinnias

now…go lock up all your bikes!

preschool open house was last night.
the whole family went to make it special for annie.
she was so happy and ready to be there.
she didn’t want to go when it was over.
we stayed outside at the park an extra half hour.

*talby drew the design that is now the logo for new creation preschool!*
(more to come on another post)

their room is so colorful.
this preschool is such a loving environment.
it’s fun, energetic, creative, kind, safe, happy, full of life…
i love this place.

she is going to have a great year!
no doubt about it.

this is what potty training looks like at our house.
i don’t know how other people do it
(nor do i care how others do it)
i just let them be naked as much as possible.
it’s what works for me…5 times over.

we had a laid back weekend.
cleaned the house on saturday…
cleaned out my dresser and closet…
baked a cake…
craig got the groceries (less time for me in a grocery store is always good)
we invited some neighbors over for dinner…
very last minute.
talby and sophie are buddies.
i can see them having lots of fun growing up together.
they can be quite silly.

it was pure summer to eat dinner outside
talking with friends
listening to the cicadas
surrounded by flowers
eating watermelon and corn on the cob
swatting at mosquitos…..

this is the yummiest cake!
it was the cover of country living magazine 3 or 4 years ago.
pumpkin cake with pumpkin cream cheese frosting…yum.
it was gone in a day.
craig requested another one…maybe i will post the recipe.

then today there was more neighborhood fun
one of our neighbors has this!

usually the big kids are on here
but today the little kids were loving it!
talby was so sweet and helpful to annie.
annie was scared but talby convinced her to climb up and slide down together.
it was darling.

thanks thomas’ for sharing this with us.
it made for a great sunday afternoon.

and they were all in bed before 8:00.
they needed it…very cranky kiddos.

annie is nearly potty trained.
i hesitate even writing that.
i don’t want to jinx it.

i took her to the store yesterday to pick a toy for her great efforts she’s made.
it was just the 2 of us.
she wanted me right beside her.
she slowly looked at all the toys….pushed the buttons…touched each one.
we looked at each baby doll.
i was sure she’d pick a baby.
she kept walking.
she passed the bubbles…the books…the noisy toys
and then a squeal of delight….this tin box of marbles.

she was so excited.
she was clapping and jumping up and down.
we brought them home and peeled off the wrapper.
when i opened the lid she made this little gasp…
“ohhhhh pretty mama”
she was right.
there were all sizes…

‘the biddest huuuuuge one”
(biggest huge always means very big)
i love this picture…she’s holding it so gently.
her hands are shaped like a heart.

“bid and wittel!!” (big and little)
can you see my reflection?

“the tiny babies”
they were so little in her hand.
she lined them up and played a song for them from her mcDonald’s american idol toy.
“music for the babies.”
seriously.

then they had to be dumped.
and then sorted and rolled and dropped.
each one was touched at least once.

can’t you just feel that on your hands?
cold glass rolling under your fingers?
and can you hear it?
all the glass clicking together..
i love annie’s choice…
even though i will be cleaning up marbles for the next year and half.

i call this one…’Marbles in the Sun.’
ha ha