The passing of a Legend

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Charlton Heston, big screen hero of so many movies I grew up watching in reruns on TV. I know for many people his work in "The Ten Commandments" is likely the most memorable, but I'm more of a "Planet of the Apes" kind of gal. "Planet of the Apes" and it's sequels are among my very favorite childhood movies, and my primary exposure to this fabulous actor. Although he leaves behind a huge body of work, I think I will remember him for his quirkier movies like "Planet of the Apes","Omega Man" and "Soylent Green". They just don't make movies like that or men like him any more.

Good News! (well maybe)

For anyone who doesn't know, Paul was laid off back in early February. It wasn't really a surprise, that often happens when a big construction job is winding down. We figured he might be off for awhile since February is a slow time for construction. We weren't really worried though, he had been working A TON of overtime and we had been able to put quite a bit of money in savings. We were actually really excited about having him home more, we had really been missing him. Well, today he went back to work, which I know is a good thing. I couldn't help missing him though. His time off has been wonderful. We got to go for lots of walks together and actually talk during the day while all the boys were in school. We got to plan meals and cook together. It was great! Especially when we dropped all the kids off at school and then took ourselves out for breakfast, and then home to play Dance Dance Revolution until it was time to pick Rowan up. Today was kind of lonely. I really liked having my best friend around all day. Plus he's a big help around the house. I kind of got used to him getting up and fixing all the kids breakfast, making their lunches and driving them to school. That was nice! But I guess a regular paycheck will be nice too.

Musical beds

Ever have one of those nights where you wake up more tired than when you went to bed? Last night was one such night. Fuller came home around 7:30 from a birthday party, bragging that he had eaten 6 pieces of pizza plus cake and ice cream. Given Fuller's history we were pretty certain that barfing was on the schedule for the evening. Fuller has a loft bed, so we had him sleep on the floor so he could get to the bathroom quicker. Fortunately we were wrong, and Fuller was the one who got the most sleep. Rowan came downstairs about 10:30 complaining of a bad dream, so I went back upstairs with him and laid with him until he went back to sleep. But, the bad dreams weren't gone for the night, and he came and got into bed with us around 12:30. After a few fitful hours of sleep, with Rowan kneeing and elbowing me in the ribs, I was about ready to carry him back upstairs. Then I realized Grayson was crawling into our bed as well. He apparently also had bad dreams. In retrospect maybe they weren't ready to watch the "Princess Bride". Clearly there wasn't room for all four of us in our bed. Someone had to go. That someone ended up being me. I took my pillow and headed for Rowan's room, where I got a little more sleep before I started hearing kids up playing and watching tv. At this point I grabbed my pillow and headed back to my own room, desperate for a little more rest. I went back to sleep for a while, but really felt like I hadn't slept at all. Sigh. We really should have invested in a king size bed, or a sound proof door with good locks.

Opening Day

The Little League Pledge

I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect it's laws
I will play fair
And strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best.

Things that make you go hmmm...

Did I just totally date myself, or is anyone else old enough to remember the Arsenio Hall Show? As the only woman in a house full of boys it's seems I am frequently faced with things I just can't comprehend. A few recent examples:
- Waking up to find an athletic cup sitting on my kitchen counter.
- So much pee on the bathroom floor that I wonder why I even bothered to potty train them in the first place. Diapers were a hassle, but my bathrooms smelled so much better!
- And why do children who will complain about having to change out of their dirty/stained clothing, then throw a fit if a little water gets on them?
-Dirty, mismatched socks all over the house. Are their feet really so freakishly hot and sweaty that they have to remove them and throw them behind the nearest piece of furniture before they get burned by them?
- And why oh why do they insist on taking pictures like these when they get a hold of my camera?


HELP!

"What a disappointment"

Yup, that's what I heard when I was booed off the stage. Dance Dance Revolution has now proved beyond a reasonable doubt the cold hard truth, I've got no rhythm. I've always known I couldn't sing, and that doesn't really bother me. I come from a family of people who openly admit,"we can't sing". But dancing? Now that's a different story. There are people in my family who are quite good dancers, most notably my father who is an excellent dancer. The most illuminating thing about this game is the fact that Paul can REALLY dance. I had no idea. I guess I've been holding him back all these years. Good thing he loves me anyway, despite the fact that I have absolutely no future in any form of show business!

"Rowan's big day out" or "Everything poops"

I can't decide which title I like better

Today Rowan reaped the benefits of being young, and not having to be stuck in school all day. While Fuller and Grayson were toiling away, Rowan was out enjoying a day at the zoo with his cousins. It isn't often that Rowan gets his own adventures, and this was extra special because he had the attention of his older cousins, his mom and his aunt all to himself. He was pretty bouncy all day! We even bought lunch at the zoo, something I never do when I take all of the kids. Many of the animals were sleeping (as usual) and Rowan kept telling them to wake up, and then would say "enough sleeping animals, lets go!" It seemed like the few animals that weren't sleeping were busy pooping. So we have talked A LOT about this today. I don't know what it is about boys and bodily functions. I personally have just never found them all that interesting. Rowan thinks it would be cool to be a bird, they just poop whenever and where ever they want, and don't even have to look down. I'm not sure if this should worry me or not.