Quote of the day

Drew: "i only kill big ants , I don't kill the little ones anymore"
Me: "Drew! don't kill anything"
Drew:"why?"
Me: "because it hurts them."
Drew: "oh mother earth's gonna be mad at me.."

Sweetie

Our daughter. Nora is nineteen months old and amazes, shocks and interests me on a daily basis. First off , she is a Scorpio and can throw a mean temper tantrum. Just the other day we were at the park and she DID NOT want to get back in the bike trailer. For anything. She screamed and flexed and by the time I got her in, the local camp kids were gathered round. I was sweating. Just can't quite shake that biological panic reaction when she is screaming. She continued to scream the entire way home. Fifteen minutes in the bike trailer. Who knows what people were thinking. When I looked back, I saw quite a picture. Nora was sprawled out horizontally across the trailer in Drew's lap (don't ask me how she did this strapped in). She was crying and screaming and sweating while her brother, pressed to the side meshing of the trailer, was calmly eating every last cat cookie in the baggie. Turns out she was just tired.

They make such a wonderful pair. Their yin and yang personalities really compliment each other.

But Nora is so much more than a screamer. She is also sweet and smart and full of life. She gets it, everything. When it is time to go, she gathers the family shoes and puts them on the rug. When it is time to eat, she gets plates and bowls and cups out of the cabinet, enough for a crowd. And she takes care of her babies by diapering, swaddling and feeding them. She says,"go, no, drew, Daddy, Mommy book doggy, spoon...and really lots of things...she is starting to bust out three word sentences and we have a feeling once she starts talking she won't stop.

My little Nora belle. Growing up too quickly in my opinion. She belongs to the world.

Time to sit back and unwind....

Although we have had a rough couple of months, we still are enjoying summer and the kids! We have had lovely weather and Drew and Nora have been backyard warriors, playing in water, sand and the grass and trees...
Ahhh, summertime.






These are pictures from the lavender festival. Val, Mom, the kids and I took a little day trip to Morseville to this lavender farm. It was a lovely little spot with lavender fields and a really cool house and barn with woods and a stream running out back. They had some musicians playing the flute and sitar which really set the relaxed mood. After the festival we went to a famous Indiana style cafeteria for some good down home cooking. It really was great!


Happy Summer Solstice! Gretchen, Jen and the kids all came over for a sweet little celebration. We sang, did yoga, read about the solstice and made painted suns and ribbon wrapped grape vine wreaths. It was great and I loved celebrating the longest day.


Willow and Joe enjoying a rinse.


Paint the paper Drew and Gabrielle!



This is a picture of Val and Drew at my parents neighborhood pool. We love to swim there and often have the place to ourselves!

RIP Kismet

Kizzy last week.

Kizzy, six years old (2001)

Paw prints in the car, heart worm meds sticker on the calender, blanket in the family room are all reminders that Kizzy is gone. But the hardest part is when we leave or come home...she is just not there.

Kizzy was diagnosed and died so quickly that I am still reeling from it. Yes, she was old, but not 16 like val's coworkers dog. Suffering belongs to everyone, but lately we seem to be holding more than enough.

We are so sad to be without our dog and by the calls and emails pouring in, we know that she was special. Not just to us.

She was my girl. She slept in between my legs for a good portion of her life. She was our family and we miss her.

Aunt Emily's Pics

Happy Ending

Val found a turtle today. He called me earlier this afternoon to tell me he was bringing a turtle home. I was at the pool with Nora screaming her head off so I said, "uh ok" and hung up.

When we got home Val came straight out of the back yard with a smile on his face. He found the little beast in his office parking lot. With no nature in sight Val was thinking it was a gonner. So he grabbed a box and brought it home. At this point Drew and Nora were anxious to see this turtle and there he was in a box in the back yard. He or she was big! Val had some leaves in there and also some flour. Val's mom told him to feed the turtle flour and he did like it. Drew named the turtle Simon (also the name of Toby's baby in his belly).

We walked Simon across the road to the Quaker church's meditation garden. Picture me pushing Nora, holding onto old Kizzy's leash, Val with a big box and Drew running along(very excited). After surveying our spot we decided it wasn't the best place to leave Simon. The dog behind the fence, the bunnies everywhere, the man made water feature and the busy road all led us to this conclusion.

So Drew and Val and Simon piled in the minivan and headed to the duck pond at Ft ben state park. They let simon out about ten feet from the pond. He stood there for a while (as turtles do) and then made a break for the water! He bellied right in... swam around and then popped up his head as if to say, "ahhh paridise!"

Some little kid ran up to Val and indignantly said, "you are just going to let him go?!" Val didn't want to get into the whole captive wild animal thing, after all the kid was fishing.

But Drew sure was happy to see that turtle go. He acted the whole thing out for me, belly on the garage floor. ("he didn't jump in mom, he did this, watch...")

Val, you are my turtle saving hero...

Not so good times

When I first started this blog I intended it to be a good place to post pics of the kids so everyone could see them growing day to day. Of course, it became a little more than that. I have written a bit about being a mom and other topics that don't include the kids at all. Now I wish I would have been more specific on my subject because now I'm not quite sure what to include.

My point being that life is really different now. As all three of you who read this know, Pop has lymphoma. There, I wrote it. That is where my confusion lies. Should I keep blogging on with no mention of this obvious life changing event? Should I run home and spill out every little detail? Should I shut down this blog and start one that just posts kids pics? Or should I just be brave and record what is actually happening. Guess that is what I just did. He was diagnosed a few months ago and is going through rounds of chemo now. We are all holding our breath for september, when he has his last round and will go into remission. We are also looking forward to September because our little nephew will be born...pop chemo/emily prego.

So it has been a hell of a year. And the hits keep on coming. Now Kizzy is at the end of her life, she too has cancer, or at least that is the vets best guess. This has happened very quickly and we are in the struggle right now. Is she suffering? Is she ok? Should we end this life? Should we let it go on? God, its so much harder than I ever guessed it would be. All of it, this life right now. It's hard to tell people about cancer too, partly because it is so "en vogue", everyone knows someone...that makes it no easier. It doesn't change the fact that my dad has it.

But of course this is the reason I did not want to write about this on my blog. It is too much, this is the stuff that is meant for journals or late night talks. Not in a written, public, lasting forum.

But I wanted all three of you to know where I'm at right now. I'm not depressed, not crazy, just changing. Trying to navigate through this simple twist of fate.

and here come the mosquitoes....(somebody cue the violin)