Today is "the goodest day"

It's not even 9:00 am and Seth has already dubbed today as "the goodest day". It started by having him come into our room at 6:45 am and DAD was still in bed!!! What is going on? It's not a Saturday...what a treat to be able to cuddle with Dad in the morning. Dad helped get him ready for the day and got him breakfast. Life just couldn't be better in Seth's eyes.

We then took James' car in to have a brake job done, hence the reason for him going in to work late. When we got home, I was all about cleaning out the garbage in the van...and the kids and James discovered the hundreds of raspberries growing in the woods on the side of our driveway. Isn't that always how it is? I busy myself with tasks while James takes advantage of the time he has home. (Sounds like a Martha and Mary to me...)

We had a great time picking off a few cups of berries and that's when Seth declared that this was "the goodest day". It doesn't take much...just a morning with Dad and a few minutes exploring in the woods.

Are these normal?

As I've said, we've received a lot of rain over the past week. As a result, our garden has grown OUT OF CONTROL. We've had some periods of sun over the last 2 days, and it seems like the weeds have just taken over. I don't even want to look at the damage to our bark and flowers out front. So, I'm not. I'm weathering the nice weather inside. ;)

Have you ever grown any zucchini? We have for a few years, but we've NEVER seen anything like these. (chapstick left for scale comparison) They have just not darkened, and so I've just let them grow. Now they're HUGE! Last night I cut one open just to see what it looked like inside. They're just not quite right. Did they not see enough sun? They're not as dark as I remember them getting in our garden in the past...

Got any good zucchini recipes?

Our latest morning routine

Over the weekend I downloaded a song off of itunes that has been stuck in my head. We've probably played it a dozen or more times since, and each morning the kids want to dance to it until we're all sick of it!

If this video isn't reason enough to look into a new digital camera, I don't know what is! That's old technology for you...at least it'll give you the idea of the kids and their latest thing. (Be sure your bass is turned way down, I'm not sure why it has a tendency to blast.)

It feels more like Seattle...

It has been POURING here since Saturday night and it doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon. Our little dry creekbed that separates property out here looked like a river yesterday. Normally about a foot wide, it spread to between 3 and 15 feet (probably more like 20 at the widest part). CRAZY!

The rain makes me feel right at home, but Seattle weather is not what the kids signed up for on summer vacation. Eliza keeps reminding me that we're supposed to go and practice riding bikes at the park for the 4th of July parade...it's just not happening. I was hoping to paint my wood adirondack chair too this week. :(

Well, at least I'm getting a lot of de-junking done! We've gone through all of Seth's toys, the family room, and we're off to tackle the walk-in closet that is just beckoning me.

Good thing James was able to mow the lawn! It'll be a swamp for a week, even after the rain stops.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to mow he goes

Here's James mowing the front lawn. Note the farmer's tan he's showing off.

We've had a few suggestions to include more pictures of James and I in our blog. Can't promise that we'll get me on there, but I'll do my best to keep James documented. As I write, James is out on the tractor, trying to cut down our clover and weed. We like to refer to the green stuff as "native grasses".

I had just about forgotten what manucured lawns and decorative rock looked like until my short trip to Colorado. Here, we feel good about our lawn if it's cut. No sprinkler system. No edging. Just cutting. Works for me!

Headshot

Well, I can't resist posting this picture. While we were in Colorado, Eliza had her face painted by a talented artist. It's actually a good picture of one of my kids...is it possible that I even took this???

Finally a post on Eliza!

Eliza started swim team practice at the end of May and is really loving it! She has practices every day at 5:30, which can be a little much for the other two kids, but so far we think it's been worth the effort! Check out her backstroke (and sorry for the poor film quality...I can't figure out why we're getting all those changes in coloring).

A very blond moment

This was the first trip we've flown Southwest Airlines since I think my college days. I was completely unprepared for the experience. All I remembered was that they didn't assign seats...

I managed to check-in online 24 hours ahead of flight time, which was about the only thing I did do right! When we got to our gate at the airport, I noticed the A, B, C lines. Figuring those were the seat lines (A=aisle, B=middle, C=window), I went over to the B and C lines and had Eliza sit in one of them and me in the other. We wanted a window seat and the one next to it, so I thought we were set.

I started talking to our other line-mates and realized that there was more to these lines than just the seating position...you got on the plane in the order of the lines. So, having figured this out, I had Eliza and I move to line B. (I didn't want to mess with all of the feisty people in line A that just had to be first.) Then it started to puzzle me...why would anyone choose to sit in the C line and be last on the plane? I sat there for another minute and mustered up my gall. Then I leaned over and asked the person at the head of line C, "With a choice in lines, can I ask you why you'd choose to board the plane in line C?" The girl just about laughed in my face! She pointed to her boarding pass and informed me that "that big letter right here is the line you board in."

I looked at my ticket. Yep...a big A. Embarrassed, we now went over to the longest line formed to this point. Now in our correct boarding line, we were able to witness the intensity of line A firsthand. People were putting bags in front of others while they were away. One woman snapped at another for having her bag touching her. You get the picture...Baltimore airport skirmishes.

Of course the outcome was fine. Eliza indeed got a window seat, and I sat next to her. On our flight home, I was much more schooled in the ways of flying Southwest. ;)

I'm back...

Okay, okay...I've been feeling a bit guilty that I've been unable to blog! After seeing Brett's poll on whether the blog trend will last, I've decided to kick mine up a notch. Really, life has just finally slowed down for us for me to catch my breath and reflect.

School got out last Wednesday, so Eliza and I flew off that afternoon to visit friends in Colorado. Well...I should say we flew out there and were able to spend 2 days and visit only a handful of the people we wish we could've seen. (Sorry if we missed you!)

We had a great visit. It's so fun to laugh with friends so hard that you cry! It was great to actually view mountains (I've started to forget that they're so big). I love the simplicity of the Denver airport...I felt so at home there. What surprised me is how I felt leaving...

I felt like Denver will always hold a VERY special place in my heart, but that I didn't belong there anymore. While there it felt like I had never left, but when we got back into Baltimore, the huge trees and yes, even humidity, welcomed me back "home". I didn't expect to feel that way after only living here for 10 months. I realized that I can keep very dear friendships with those living many, many miles away, but that I feel most at home with James and the family that we've created. (I did miss Seth and Rachel...and James a ton and found myself CONSTANTLY talking about them during the visit. It's funny that when you leave to take a break, your thoughts are always with those you've left.)

Anyway, I guess this means Virginia is my home for now. Even as I raced into town late on Saturday night (I'd forgotten one ingredient for our Father's Day Veal Parmesan) the little shops and people with familiar twang put me at peace.

If you ever get the chance to make a big move and experience a totally new culture...do it. It's amazing that even in less than a year I can see how my life has been enriched.

What a busy week

We had quite the week last week! Rachel had her first (and possibly last!) dance recital. She decided after the second number that she didn't want to participate in the rest of her dances. I tried and tried to convince her, so she went on stage and played with her costume for an entire number. She loves to dance, just doesn't like to be told when and where she "has" to dance.

Seth finished up his soccer season. This was his first try at it and he LOVED every practice. Okay...so some of them did get a little long and he was overly tired, but towards the end he was really getting into it! Seth loved the games best, especially "Sharks and Minnows" and yesterday decided it really is cool to be the last minnow. (Previous games he just liked the coach to get him first so that he could be the coach's buddy and steal the ball from the other kids.)

We had an interesting doctor's appointment for Seth. He's had some hearing problems and went to a new pediatrician. This one removed the wax (largest the nurse had ever seen in a child's ear) and we left it out for the Ear Wax Fairy. If that doesn't gross you out, just be grateful I didn't take a picture of it!

Throw in a doctor's appointment for me, Eliza's last Girl Scout award ceremony, kindergarten orientation and daily swim team practices for Eliza...WHAT A WEEK!!! (I'll try and get a picture of Eliza to post some time this week. It's her last week of school...yay!)

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...another GIRL!!!

As usual, I go into the ultrasound thinking we'll see boy parts, and leave blown away!!! Why do I do this to myself???

With Rachel, they couldn't see gender, so I went as far as showing up at the hospital to deliver with boy clothes in hand. Surprise! After sending James off to the mall to find something besides blue to bring her home in, we scrambled for a name.

This time we'll be a step ahead. ;)

Telling Seth the news was a little heartbreaking. He has been so involved in this pregnancy so far, watching what I eat to make sure the baby would like it, talking about the baby constantly! We were all so sure that he'd get his wish for a brother. He took the news well...just a little rejected and said that "now there are going to be 4 girls and still 2 boys in our family". No tears...no screaming. And none from James either...these poor out-numbered Peterson boys!