Friday, April 27, 2012

last weekend's project

Leia, remember the fabric you sent us, oh, about 2 years ago?  I finally made something from it!


(here's a game for any young fans like P-roc or Eloise: spot the missing cousin in the photo)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

TWD promotions

a yellow belt...


a second-degree white belt...



...and a very impressed fan!


Friday, April 20, 2012

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

beware of...

We were discussing the purpose of movie ratings. 

Me: "You know, so parents can know which movies are good for kids to watch and which ones aren't."
Them: "Why?"
Me: "Because some movies are too scary, or too violent, or too..."
BR: "Pirate-y!  Some movies are way too piratey for us."

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

a poem

Who?   (by L.)

Who did this?  Hole after hole-
A meerkat?  A mouse?  A muskrat?
                          A mole?
Who is behind all this fog?
A rabbit?  A louse?  A heron?
                          A dog?
Nobody, not a Harry or a Jess
can guess this awful mess.
                          But can you?
             (I'll give you a clue:
               the mess is on a mountain.)
              (Another clue: one giant hole.)

Monday, April 9, 2012

how to empty a plate, in 5 seconds or less

At the dinner table the other night: "Those green beans really want to go to your tummy, BR.  There's a party in your tummy going on and they want to get in there and dance!"

The girls looked over at me, with looks of utter disdain.  Okay, so maybe he was too old for that one, but it was worth a try anyway. 

L.: "They want to fight, you mean.  BR, they want to get into your tummy and then fight."

The mama is so out of touch.

Friday, April 6, 2012

no one wants to see this

oh no, not again.


More clear blue skies and more rock formations and more historical sites that are older than Beowolf? And all of it within a ten minute to two-hour drive, you say?  


so obnoxious.


no one wants to see that.

or this...



or this.


(bo-ring)

or the hills of embedded fossilized seashells we trotted over last week:


or even the crystals we found along the way

  
(we took home handfuls and handfuls of these)

But here is the thing.  We do have photos of the Other Stuff.  It's just that...well... it might be something you really don't want to see.
Tell you what: you be the judge.  Once you're familiar with the options.


Option #1:  all of the above


Option #2...

...Jeremy trying to screw the engine parts back on (again) after they were jostled loose (again) while rumbling on down a dirt road (again):


...the schizophrenic weather fluctuations and the resulting wardrobe improvisations*:

"I wish I weared shorts, Mommy"

...glimpses of the road: 

...the lengths we'll go to in order to reach the best hiking spots:

(we are helping to fill in part of a washed out "road")
the single shot I dared to take because I was too afraid to let go of the
kids or the side of truck

...Jeremy, rigging up a system to keep the spark plugs hooked on and impervious to jostling:


(guess the rear-view mirror will need some rigging too)


...photo shoots to pass the time while rigging is going on:




...treasures we find at the tops of mountains:

it's a washer and dryer and sink. go figure. 

And there's more.  Lots more. 

It's an adventure in its own right to try to photograph from the bed of a pickup, and there's plenty of squealing involved:


Which brings us to my personal faves: the panorama shots.


and then the least faves: experiments with wind and drool.


Seriously, kid, no one wants to see that.


*not pictured: improvisations in the wild made necessary by other unanticipated, um, fluctuations...

Monday, April 2, 2012

by L.