baby chicks

Introducing the baby chicks!

Force #2, Jayhawks Finally Final 4!

We had a busy weekend of soccer playing and basketball watching. Will's team hosted a tournament here in Lawrence and his team the Kaw Valley Force made it to the finals. Will scored 3 goals over the weekend and also had a couple of assists. They worked hard all weekend and came in second yesterday afternoon. We are very proud of all the boys and they enjoyed playing a tourney at home. At the same time the Jayhawks were battling it out with Davidson for a chance to go to the Final 4. They came through in the end and it seemed all of Lawrence went downtown to Mass street to join in the celebration. It was a riotous gathering of happy people and a small band formed playing KU fight songs on the corner of 8th and Mass to a crowd of appreciative listeners. We sure have had fun cheering them on this year and this makes it sweeter still.

Go Hawks!

Kansas Jayhawks basketball! We love em!
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The Bearer of Bad news

Why as a parent do I always have to be the bearer of bad news? "No, you can't have any more cookies, it's time to get off the wii, come inside from your glorious game, turn off the computer, come home from the friend's house, brush your teeth and go to sleep!" When I bring the news I am often greeted by disappointment and sometimes disgust and contempt for the messenger. I am always trying to wreck their fun, "Clean up! Get dressed! No, we can't have any more chips, juice, cereal,cake, ice cream, chocolate........ I want to be the one who brings the good news. "Hey everyone it's time to play naked soccer in the family room! and have root beer floats and play in the mud for 6 hours and not have to clean up before we go in to play more games and eat as much as we want and never bathe or wash the dishes!" Just call me Peter Pan okay?

Waiting

I am waiting for Spring Fever to hit me. I haven't felt too much like digging in the dirt yet and the dull grayness of the days is getting to me. I enjoyed having the kids home for Spring Break.We did some fun projects and watched a lot of college basketball. I guess it's a bit quiet now that they are back to school.I promised each of them I would make a lunch bag to carry to school as the ones they have now are falling to pieces. I'll post pictures when I finish. Here's a little pick me up, crocuses bursting forth.

just shoot it!

I took this photo into the sun on a walk with a bunch of kids and a dog. I like it.

Happy Easter!

We dyed a few eggs and made some cool felt ones. So easy peasy and cool looking. I'll post a pic later, I forgot to take one before I downloaded the camera. In the meantime here is a bunch of the old fashioned hard boiled kind!

A 5 minute poem

The moon shines brightly,
glowing yellow against the newly fallen snow.
A sight that only owls may see. written by Sophie Happy Spring!

Wet St. Patty's Day

We went down to the St. Patrick's Day parade on Massachusetts St. with some friends and it was super sloshy and wet! The parade crowd was definitely thinner than on a nicer day but the kids braved it out and came home with quite a bit of parade loot, including candy, fake tattoos and a good share of mardi gras beads. We came home to a warm house, dry clothes and steamy mugs of hot chocolate.

self portrait

Love Thursday

Water, precious water.

Saturday morning a city trucked stopped by our house to inform us that our water line had ruptured and they would be shutting it off. Pete called his friend Kenny the plumber who came over to survey the situation. He might be able to get someone here to dig by Monday. Okay, I guess we can make do for two days w/o the luxury of bathing. We purchased some drinking water and filled up buckets from the neighbors hose in order to flush the toilet.We informed the kids "No flushing unless absolutely necessary" you know the rhyme "if it's yellow let it mellow............" Monday came and went and they weren't able to get here until Wednesday....afternoon! Sophie and I finally went to our dear friends Kellie and Greg's to bathe, and I bought some baby wipes for cleaning up hands and faces etc. This means no washing dishes, no laundry, brushing teeth is a lesson in conservation and hauling a 5 gallon bucket over every time you want to flush. By Wednesday we were pretty cranky. Pete kept the 5 gallons filled most of the time and the boys could have cared less abut bathing, they thought it was great not to have to wash regularly. We were almost out of clothes and patience when before dark on Wednesday evening, the water began to flow in our house again! Rejoice! Water, glorious water, may I never take you for granted.

Proud moment

Here is Sophie and her partner setting up their display for the district competition for National History Day. The theme was "Conflict and Compromise" and their topic was Brown vs Board of Education the conflict within the black community They came in 1st in the Junior division and now are headed to the state competition. It has been a really good experience for the girls with lots of research and hard work. Check out the NHD website for more information. http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/

thrifty dress

Here's a dress I found on my latest trip to the Goodwill store. You have to love a purple dress with ruffles just the right size!

friends

When my children were small I regularly got together with friends at the park or at our homes to chat and have coffee while our children played. Now, not so much. I miss seeing those people but everyone's schedule has changed, my kids are in school and we don't spend much time hanging out at the park. Last week I made a pot of coffee and a batch of scones and had two friends over for a visit. It was a good reminder that I need to connect with people and not just randomly, but on purpose. Lively conversation+strong coffee+a delicious bite to eat=happy afternoon.

Love Thursdays

old friends

I got the chance to talk with a very dear friend of mine last night. I have known her since 7th grade and she just had a baby in January. I love how I can talk to her as if we talked last week when it has been ages. I wish I could reach through the airwaves and give her a big hug and hold her little baby for awhile. Having a baby is so beautiful and such a special time but while talking with her I also remembered how vulnerable it makes you feel. It leaves you completely bare and open and raw and tender. The metamorphosis is gradual through pregnancy but as soon as you hold that precious new life, something inside opens up and you burst out of the chrysalis a brand new being, a Mother. It truly is bittersweet loveliness and nothing is the same again, ever.

my sweet boys

I can see clearly now!

It is sunny with blue skies and the forecast is for 60 degrees here today! It is such a great relief. Happy Saturday!