we are home and most of the plants have meagerly survived; I am sure we need a battery/alternator/starter in the Yukon; Click click click

who else has been so far behind on laundry that the boys (kids) ran out of socks and underwear?

Ok, Tuesday for planning and housekeeping so by the end of the day we will know dates...

53 degrees

Rosie is at the playground w/ a friend and brothers; I can hear Tommy say his ABC song...

Tomorrow Rosie and I leave for a 3 day trip to see Mt. Rushmore, cave of the winds, and devil's tower...

I like the naivete of the "Last Unicorn" because of the paradox: an immortal creature with no sense of the world around her.

Tatya's rash is receding, boys are still asleep, DH is tdy in Minot, and I have 5 loads of clean laundry to put away...

after getting home just yesterday, DH is TDY again in the early morning. The kids are all wound up and I am worn out.

Picture day for Rosa...flattened her hair and it is 95% humidity WHY pick on the natural curls? We try so hard for neat...

"Bertie, look out. Save yourself Bertie; there comes Doom Mountain!" Mikey to the wooden trains...

The arborist is out there again. The man in the bucket with the chainsaw has a helmet with a gold horn on each side and a beard like Santa.

Strep takes down victim three: Rosi, who wept openly at the doctor when he suggested steroids for the swelling. "NO those are bad!"

To Parents: do Max and Ruby have a guardian?

Today I will try bread with all bread flour; yesterday's was 1/2 and 1/2 whole wheat. I over proofed a little (altitude...).

having power issues with my MacBook...when i PLAY GAMES with the ac plugged in, it still draws down the battery...time wasters bad...

snowplow is speeding

We got buckets shaped like animals and sifters, rakes and shovels; somewhere on the garage is a giant dump truck. We'll follow after lunch.

"Tommy, you only have to wash your hands when Mommy's in there with you." Mikey's advice to Tommy who is potty training...

Rosie and Mikey are outside roaming the neighborhood: from our window you can see seven children abandoned the playground for a mountain of dirty snow in the church parking lot.

The small triumphs of child rearing:
Watching Tommy get up and go potty.
Mikey asking, "do big and pig rhyme?"
Tatya finally asking for milk

Tatya: MILK!
She did not say nanas, boobies, nor did she rub my shirt with her face. Nope. She said MILK and pointed to her cup! YAY!

Four year old joke:
Mommy, why does a french fry only have one eye?
Why?
French frEYE. Get it?

uhoh! Mike fell asleep during story time and the boys were playing "wild animals" until 10, all babies awake, crying everywhere, what????

super martian robot giiiiiirl!

"Ponty, don't fight on cool trick. My cool trick is splashing water. Mom, look. This is my cool trick..."

you have to wait your turn; we have to wait our turn; you have to wait in line; I have to wait in line; it's only fair to wait my turn...

What do you mean? Jasmine and Barack Obama are brown like me...I'm light light light brown, see? Mikey 4ish

Yes it is morning; R. is grouchy because nobody knew she was sleeping in the guest room and not already up and at 'em. Oops.

"Those are grownups and the wiggles are grownups, they're just crazy, Mom; I mean, they are wild." Mikey age 4ish

Medium then goodnight

Tatya is wiping Foopa and putting a brown hair tie around her face, just as I did to Tatya moments ago (except I have better aim).

I want Martha's linen closet http://ping.fm/pUCkI but instead I am installing various user styles to pretty up craigslist, facebook, stumbler, etc. userstylse.org

saturday morning struggle not to be the parent who dresses, changes and feeds the 3 babies for umpteenth day running...everyone needs rest

Watermelon for snack, still snowing and Mikey says,"Mom, little melons aren't as good as big ones, so I would like a big one next. OK?"

Snow is falling, "and it's getting bigger," says Mikey. We are still enchanted with snow. Once a Texan...

goodnight

they love to play and jump and ... oops. gotto go; the fall too

Food shopping is way better when dad stays home with the babies. I was so happy I picked up the swimsuit issue of SI, & went $50 over bdgt.

Deleting every image on my hd provided a fresh start at organization, web design, photographic inspiration with the kids, and want for a better scanner.

I mistakenly deleted ALL 14,000 images from my hd instead of just duplicates. B/U has 12,000ish, flkr 5500, so I probably have not lost much.

What enthusiasm some muster for the education and well being of their children. Colleen is a good well rounded individual.

am I blue

Good night and I agree with Colleen about lady GAGA...she looks like all that effort would make her itchy...so much glitter and makeup...

I wonder how the poets like Neruda could tolerate life with such intensity of emotion. Feeling so vividly and being able to express it takes energy that we do not all have the capacity to facilitate for such an abstract purpose, or even something as concrete as daily necessity for that matter. Is that perhaps the trade? Or, for the truly talented does no part of ones self have to suffer to enable the success of another?

Toddler disclaimer: potty training is not a question. Do not say, "wanna go, now?" Say, "okay, let's go now."

feeling a little blue today

I love picassa face recognition suggesting a caterpillar toy for Auntie Val and a curve in the stairwell as an unknow face. It is slow, too.

Every time I watch Grandma Sophie and Calcifer cook eggs and bacon for Howl and family, I want some too.

well well, the kids had sprinkles for snack thanks to their big sister Rosie. sprinkles.

"sorry i spit-laughed your computer, but u just told me that you dont know how to read music." another spit-laugh.

rosie

I stay up to watch Medium at 10:30, brother Jes says that time slot am or pm is reserved for really bad shows...

Finish up ews computer mommy-Tommy

with that I will go

Mom, get Tatya's giwel toys for me. I want to play with hers giwel toys. Tommy

giwel=girl

A course kids dubbadip, Mom. That's how we get more. -Mikey

"you can't reach it tatya," tommy (2 1/2) says to his sister (15 mo) after changing the channel and hiding the remote.

10:20 pm Mikey: I wanna watch Ohgabagaba, he's on demand....

I think everyone is in bed except for Mikey again. I hear him calling daddy, daddy...

Mikey: skinny, active, awake and naked. Everyone else is in bed.

Re: work and not accidentally preposting

Again, Courtney, in memory order:
Last night beginning Jan. 16 I awoke with Tatya at 2:00 to nurse her back to sleep, awoke b/w 4-5 to nurse again and noticed DH had left the bed...

Night beginning Jan. 15 awoke only at 2am to nurse Tatya.

Night beginning Jan. 14 awoke at 2, 3-4, 5:30 for nursing Tatya, asking DH to get Tommy something to drink and also Mikey b/c we woke him with the noise, and changing Mikey's PJ's because he had an accident in the hall on the way to pee after the middle of the night drink. Note: nobody awoke in his or her own bed except DH who had a guest: Tommy.

Re: work and not accidentally preposting

it doesn't was not supposed to turn everything dark

Uncle Jes got Mikey the same talking motorcycle two years in a row per M.'s request. He broke the first one, but it is still his favorite toy

"Mom what happens if I let go of Tommy's baloon?" -Mikey
"I take the Ninja away," Mom.

It is much colder than I though when I suggested playing on the playground (which can be seen a few yards from the living room window).

House cleaning day is boring to anyone...3 babies "under foot" makes it a challenge at best, impossible most days. I will mop, I will.

go horns

another busy weekday: back to school back to work and all the babies awake by 7:30...Tatya has a class and I trade in the cable remote...