Sunset Snow

We had the most amazing sunset snowstorm a few days ago.

The sun shone through the dusky clouds, heavy with snow.  It was beautifully eerie, a glowing orb dripping gold.  The whole atmosphere was still and waiting.

Then the snow flew and the clouds broke up.  The sunset showed all it's splendor even while the snow continued to swirl down.

Even gray, cold February has it's bright spots.

Snuggles

In my kitchen there is a stuffed, towel-holding, decorative snowman that someone gave me.  He's a cute little winter decoration, if not very practical.  I mean, he holds little kitchen towels, except that he doesn't, because the towels are always scattered around the kitchen by little munchkins.

A few minutes ago, I saw Evan pick up the snowman from his perch and cuddle him in his arms.  Evan started to croon to the snowman in the sweetest little voice as he walked into the living room: "Hi, Sowman!  C'mere, nice Sowman.  Awwww... Come sit on couch.  Ah suggoh [snuggle] ah me..."

...and he climbed up onto the couch and found a pillow and blanket...

...and snuggled up with his new little friend.

Evan LOVES to snuggle, and asks for  "suggoh couch" repeatedly every day.  I guess when Mommy's busy, he can always find someone else...


Andrew likes his snuggles, too.  He has chosen the only baby doll in our house --an ugly, naked little thing-- to be his baby.

I say, "Find your baby, Andrew!" and he searches for her, snuggles her in his neck, gives her some big sloppy smooches...

...and chucks her back in the toy box.

At least she seems to take her parental neglect with good humor.

So We Vacated. And Then We Came Back.

After so much work and worry to get ready to go to Oregon, I really was glad to just "vacate" as much of real life as was possible while still being The Mom.  The time flew by (that was two weeks?) but I really do think I savored every minute.  Yes, I still had to keep dealing with the sickness we've been experiencing, and the 24 hour mommy-ing, and waaaay too much crying on the part of my little guys, but that was fine. I do that at home anyway, right?  And it was nice that Nathan was there the whole time to tag-team with me.  In fact, he worked pretty hard to make sure I was rested and cheerful (he really is a gem, ya'll).  I actually slept better than I have in a long time, and had almost no obligations to attend to, and lots of loved ones to catch up with and it was... really fun.

The plane rides were really not fun (takeoffs and landings were thus: Evan crying loudly about being so scared and Andrew needing forceful bodily restraint while howling his protest at having to stay in one place.  SO glad Nathan was flying with us.) but we survived and so did all the other passengers (who may have contemplated compromising the survival of my children, and I can't really blame them).  Yes, once again, we were that family.

And now we're back, trying hard to settle back into real life, with probably more than a few tears shed.  Jonah has been repeating that he really just wants to move to Oregon and live at Grandma's house.

To get back into the swing of things and get some things checked of my endless list, I made a resolution for the month of February--  to tackle one cleaning/organizing task myself, and give one to Jonah, each morning before schooltime. That does not include the daily usual work, rather, this involves things like washing walls, sorting through boxes, or cleaning a cupboard, drawer or shelf.  When I think of one, I write it in my planner as part of a particular day's to-do list, so that it doesn't just languish on the endless "someday" list.  One thing per day.

Today, I chose to declutter some surfaces that have gotten piled with this-n-that during all our busy-ness, while Jonah dusted the cobwebs from the ceiling corners.  I didn't get all the surfaces done, unfortunately, but I made some good headway/  I was very absorbed in my task and was just getting to a stopping point when Andrew stumbled into the kitchen whining in distress.  When I looked at him, his pants were just covered with... something... orangish... wet.... gooey... no, not that, as it wasn't coming from in his pants... what the heck is that stuff?  His socks... he was tracking it all through the house... what on earth.... I asked Jonah where Andrew had been and he pointed to the mudroom.  I opened the door and there was Evan saying "Eh-dew! Zhe boke it! A MESS, Eh-dew.  Mess, Mommy!  Oh, no!"  He continued to blame Andrew (Eh-dew) and I guess I believe him since, while they were obviously together, Andrew was covered and Evan didn't have a spot on him.  Either Evan was telling the truth, or he's very, very clever.

Anyway, it was tomato sauce.  A whole quart, the jar broken on the concrete floor, and tomato sauce covering all the shoes, boots, hats, and gloves littered nearby (because no, of course those things weren't put away, arg).  Andrew had slipped in it, so it was streaked across the floor, and I thanked the Lord that he still had on the thick socks I had put on him (he prefers to be barefoot, and usually makes sure to take his socks off).  He did not get any cuts from the broken glass mixed with all the sauce.   Also, I was thankful that my pretty, new, clearance-rack boots (one pair in my color and size and cheap!), though sitting right next to the mess, were behind the open cabinet door and thus shielded from the horrible tomato massacre.

How on earth does one go about cleaning up a mess of tomato sauce, glass, footwear and toddler?  This is one of the things that mystifies me about motherhood.  How do those kind of messes get cleaned up, anyway?

So horrified was I by the sight of all this, that I completely forgot my Mom's rule of "camera first, clean-up after".  Somehow I managed to get it all taken care of and no one got cut, while Evan continuously proclaimed Andrew's sole guilt in the whole matter.

Sigh.  As I said, back to real life.

So how about I end this with some photos of our trip?  We were having so much fun that I honestly didn't take many pictures myself, but I made sure to get others' photos on a thumb drive before we left. (Besides that, my camera is really starting to limp.)

Evan got lots of attention, and never missed an opportunity to have someone read him a book (unless of course, someone else felt brave enough to lend him an iPhone.  iPhone trumps books, I'm afraid).

And there was plenty of cousin-love to go around.

We spent an awful lot of time messing up Mom's kitchen-- food is always necessary.  We also observed that our best conversations seem to happen there.

Oh, and the late-night speed tournaments came only after a wholesome game of Pinochle.  But Pinocle was too much to think about at 2 o'clock in the morning, and speed can be played with any amount of whiskey in your bloodstream.

 (Also:  staying up until 3:30am?  Is for 20 year olds.  I?  Am not.)

Andrew got his first hair cut!  He looks so handsome....

...but I admit that I miss his cute little "ear wings". 

More cousin-love, but a different sort for the bigger ones.

Oh!  And I was thrilled to meet my brother's lovely fiance!  We even had a bridal shower for her!

...and had a girls' day out at a local tea room!  Such fun!

Nairplane

We rode on a "nairplane".  Or two.  And we survived.  Mostly.

 ("A nairplane", get it?  Say it outloud.  I love two-year-olds.)

We've been looking forward to this trip to visit family in Oregon for months now.  With a great deal on tickets, we thought everything was just great.  But the proverbial "fly in the ointment" always seems to turn into a big, giant, backstrocking beetle when kids are involved.  The kids have been sick and we very nearly canceled or postponed our trip.  But after a doctor consult and hundreds of dollars of supplements and intesnsive treatment, we decided to go for it. 

And it's been mostly fine, just a little more stressful. Or a lot more stressful.  I woke up hours earlier than necessary on the day we were leaving, took care of the coughing kids, and could not, not, NOT go back to sleep.  My brain and all it's anxiety kicked into overdrive and that was it.  I've been wishing lately that I had an "off" button.  Or, maybe just "standby".  I have so much trouble with sleep, and sickness, anxiety, and stress make it so much worse.   Sigh...

And what is it with the showtunes?  Seriously, that's what goes through my head when I'm anxious.  I lay there in bed for two hours with parts of Annie, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma  and Camelot going through my head.  You would think that says something about my focus and obsessions, but it's been years since I've heard most of those songs.  I mean, I hear hymns waaaaay more than showtunes, and yet, what does my brain go to when I'm stressed?  Earworms. 

Anyway.

But we're here, enjoying family time, trying to catch up on sleep, and dealing with the remnants of sickness.  It's good to get away and have a change of scenery, and my stress will undoubtedly recede.

Short Stories from Today

I've had little energy for blogging lately.  I've had little energy for much of anything "extra" it seems.  I don't think I've taken a single photo since Christmas.  I'm tired.  And stretched a little thin.  Evan and Andrew have been sick with a miserable and horrible cough that goes on forever and necessitates a lot of night-time attention from Nathan and I.  (Don't be alarmed!  We know what it is and it's very much under control and they're fine.  Starting to get better, in fact.)  It's been exhausting.  I'm so glad Nathan takes turns with me or I wouldn't make it.  And we're getting ready for a trip to Oregon to visit family and I'm so excited to be there, but first I have to get there and before that I have to get ready.  And I'm tired.

So that is my litany of excuses and complaints.  Now I will write some little anecdotes from today.

~~~

Jonah and I read about Suleiman, the Ottoman emperor, in Story of the World today.  The book says he was named after Solomon, "the wisest ruler of the ancients".  When I read that part, Jonah said, "Well. Maybe the wisest."

"What?  Why 'maybe'?" I asked.

"He wasn't very wise.  He had a lot of wives."  Jonah answered.

I smiled.  "Well...  He made some foolish choices.  He was a sinner.  But that doesn't mean he didn't have wisdom.  Do you remember what he asked for when God told him to ask for whatever he wanted?"

Jonah thought briefly and replied, "More wives."

~~~

I have often heard of raw onion being used as a sickness and cough remedy.  A friend of mine pins a baggie of chopped onion into her children's jammies at night when they have coughs.  I've read about onions supposedly absorbing toxins from the air, or about the "fumes" from them being healing.  Maybe it's an old wives tale, but I'm actually doing everything I can think of for this sickness, so why not try the onion thing?  (Don't laugh at me.   I said I'm really tired.)

So I chunked up a very potent onion and put halves into two dishes to go in the kids bedrooms while they sleep.  Evan saw the dish that I wanted to put in his and Jonah's room and thought I was carrying a snack.  So he asked for it.  I said, "It's not for eating." and handed it to him to see.  He insisted on holding it and settling onto the couch for our evening "snuggle".  He wouldn't put the bowl down, so I finally offered him a taste, so he would see it wasn't a snack.  To my surprise, he crunched down a big bite, then another and several more.  He smiled when we laughed at him, and never acted uncomfortable.

If that doesn't cure his cough, I don't know what will.  Either that, or he'll be up all night with heartburn and burning thirst.

This is the child who won't eat the (very delicious, if I do say so myself) soup I made for supper, but he will eat a large piece of raw onion, as well as globs of bread dough (huuurk) and a big bite of sidewalk chalk.

~~~

Tonight while I was getting the soup ready, Andrew followed me around, crying and carrying on.  I figured he just wanted my attention, and tried to engage him in getting supper ready.  When I opened the dishwasher, he took out the bowl and plastic spoon he had used earlier when he ate some yogurt (and fed it to himself, I might add!  It was messy, but he did it!).  He followed me around with this bowl and spoon, fussing and jabbering away.  When I was putting supper on the table, he put the bowl and spoon on his high-chair tray, then went back to the dishwasher to find a plate.

"Oh, Andrew, that's dirty!  I'll give you a clean bowl of soup."  and I put the dishes back in the dishwasher and went back to getting supper on.

Cue screaming.  Next thing I knew, the exact same dishes were back on his tray and he was fussing to be lifted up.  It was time to eat, so I left the dishes, put him in his chair with his soup nearby, and we started supper.

Andrew steadfastly refused to eat.  After all that fussing for food, we couldn't figure out what his problem was.  Finally, Nathan had the bright idea to let him use his bowl and spoon, yogurt residue notwithstanding, and he happily ate up all his soup.

~~~

And those are the stories I have to tell today.  Now for some sleep, perhaps.

Happy St. Stephen's Day

...also known as "Collapse in a Heap Day".  The snow is finally hitting us-- it's snowing and blowing hard, and we're staying put. I'm sitting here with a largish cup of tea and an Amish cinnamon roll that surely contains enough sugar to put a reindeer into a diabetic coma.  Good time to edit Christmas photos and put up a few before my Mom calls me and threatens to cut me out of her will (ha!) (as if she would do that to her favorite child, *snicker*) because I don't share these handsome boys enough.

...ahhh and aren't they handsome?

...dashing... debonair... with crooked ties...

...they slay me!


Swoon.

And we even got one all together, dressed up and sort of smiling.  (Excuse the blur... we'll call it "soft focus".  When you hand off the camera, you never know what you're going to get.)

Merry Christmas!

Oh... Christmas Tree

We finally got around to putting up our Christmas tree.  We've been so busy we weren't even sure when we'd fit it in.  I admit that I suggested skipping it, but... no way.

We have fun traditions around this that include music, food, and Mommy feeding Daddy bites of sausage and crackers while he tries to figure out why half the light-string is dead.

The more kids involved, the more fun, in my opinion.

Andrew was a little hesitant, at first.

But he watched Evan doggedly decorating the same two branches and then he just had to join in.

He mostly stayed close to the table and inhaled slices of sausage (yeah, you don't even want to know what his diaper was like this morning), but then he demonstrated his enthusiasm by kissing a snowman.






We all agreed that this might be among our strangest-looking tree yet, but I think that's getting to be a tradition as well.  When the trees come from our own yard with no grooming whatsoever, what you get is... what you get.  I don't think we would know what to do with a "perfect" tree.

But when the 7-year old is exclaiming repeatedly about how beauuuuuutiful our Christmas tree is, perfection hardly matters.

And speaking of "perfection":  I do not redistribute the ornaments after the kids go to bed.  However they put them on is how they stay.  They get moved around over and over everyday anyway!  Nathan and I just couldn't stop chuckling over Evan's "favorite branch" decorating style.

 There is just no way I'm changing that.