Handstands galore....

Erin and Makenna took tumbling classes with friends at the YMCA throughout October, and even a month before that and continuing to the present day they spend every idle second doing handstand after handstand after handstand.

We are very pleased by the girls' progress--by the end of the month they were doing 'back bends' (where you lean backwards until your hands touch the floor behind you).

And Cameron, realizing that it is a competition of sorts and that he is behind the curve, has even joined the daily fray.



And,as a parent, it goes without saying how irritating it has now become.
Imagine this going on every second they have a little space--in the frontroom, in the kitchen, in the hallways.
Further imagine that they are doing this within a second after you tell them to hustle their little booties to get their homework done--or eat dinner, clean up, take a bath, put on pajamas, get ready for family prayers, get ready for school, etc., etc., etc.

And worst of all, it is rubbing off on Allyson!



She's not scoring perfect 10's on her somersaults...,yet.

Day at the Columbus Zoo II

We went in early October--the weather was fine and the kids were out of schools, so we all went to the Columbus Zoo, and a merry time was had by all. Allyson loved to get down and run free. I would imagine that the tigers and leopards would have looked upon this little frolicking morsel with keen interest—if only they had bothered to wake up.

Somewhat sadly, the kids enjoyed playing on the various statues around the zoo as much as viewing the monster snake, the elephants, and the other live attractions.

A day at the Columbus Zoo I

A picture says it all....



...but answer these questions three, and the wiser you will be.

1. Who do you think was the instigator?
2. Who do you think was the instigatee?
3. Who do you think was the disinterested bystander?

Losing a stalwart family friend....

Although well over a month has now passed, we still keenly feel the loss of what was a fixture in our homes since we got married. However, we have now dealt with the grief and feel comfortable about sharing our loss.

Let me begin with an appropriate poetic eulogy.

Kindling and particle-board,
Formed into a hutch,
You were missing your top,
But were too proud to blush.

Purchased a block away from Cindy's parents' home at a yard sale in 1995, the bottom half of a hutch accompanied us to Tennessee and Ohio. Being overly sentimental, we lovingly referred to it as 'Ten-Dollar Thing' (as in, 'Hey Cindy, where's the dutch oven cookbook?' 'Look in the Ten-Dollar Thing!) It was the receptacle of choice for cookbooks, platters, and tablecloths.
However, we put it out to pasture (specifically, the front curb with a big 'FREE' sign) in September during the great decluttering that preceded putting our house up for sale. It was accompanied on the curb by 'Rickety Old Chair' and 'Cheap Particle-Board Shelving.'

Sadly, after two days no one had hauled it away to a new life, and we assume that it is now finally resting in piece[s] somewhere in the Montgomery County landfill.

Always prone to maudlin sentimentality, you can see Cindy spending a few final moments with it. (If you look closely, you can even see it waving a door at the camera. Strike that--that was the door with the bad hinges that I had to hammer back straight every year or so.)



Oh 'Ten-Dollar Thing,' may you never be replaced by '$3000 Amish Thing.'

Now that would really make me cry!

Wishful thinking

On Halloween night we joined Denna's (my sister) family at the airport to welcome home their son Josh from his 2-year mission.

In the great Bowcut tradition, as Josh came into view down the airport security hallway Cindy began yahoo-ing and cheering at the top of her lungs. The rest of us were a bit more stoic.

Anyway, as we were going towards the baggage pickup area, Denna was talking to Erin and said something to the effect of 'Just think. In 10 or so years you could be coming to see Cameron off on his mission.'

Erin immediately--actually instantaneously and simultaneously--got this shining ray of hope in her eyes, smiled hugely, raised her hands and crossed both of her fingers, and began a little dance.

I guess she'd miss having the little feller away for two years.

NOT!

Basic math

(2 hours of trick-or-treating + 1 trunk-or-treat event) x 4 kids = Approx. 22 pounds (10 kg) of candy (not counting what they have already eaten).



Cindy did the only sensible thing and took half of the kids' booty for other purposes (gingerbread houses, etc). Heck, the kids had so much they didn't even mind!

Missing in action.....

Cindy called me at work yesterday.
She was in a dither because she couldn't find her purse.
As we talked through where she had been the night before (a sultry, even passionate shopping trip to WalMart--sultry because she was pretty heated at 9:30 PM, and passionate because she kept muttering 'Stupid cupcake paper cups! with great emotion).
The other end of the phone suddenly got quiet.
'Oh,' I ventured, 'Did you find it? Where was it.'
'I don't want to tell you.'
But she did, and at my urging she even took a picture 'for the blog.'
She probably thought I wouldn't write about it.

And yes, it is camouflaged pretty well.

And even Cameron couldn't find it.



And yes, it is at least 3 feet from where it was supposed to be.


And yes, I'd better stop before I really get into trouble!

Due to popular demand......

Here is 'Pirate Daddy' and a close-up of Ally and Erin.

Daylight Savings Trick-or-Treating in Ohio

We started at six, and by 7:15 it was finally getting dark.
But the weather was fine, and a fun time was had by all.
Erin: Rock star
Makenna: Fairy princess
Cameron: Explorer
Allyson: The Great Pumpkin (Made by Cindy while we lived in TN, it has now been used by all 4 kids)
Cindy: Indian maiden (Erin's homemade costume from 2 years ago)
Louis: A pirate (Erin's costume from last year)

Sometimes it makes me nervous

Allyson is sure a gregarious sweetie. She loves to say 'Bye-bye' to everyone as she leaves or they leave, and even tries to give kisses to complete strangers (like the furnace repair man). Even tonight as we went trick-or-treating she was gaily waving and saying 'Bye-bye.'

However, she does need to work on her pronunciation, because her pronunciation is much closer to 'Die-die' than 'Bye-bye.' It is especially ominous-sounding when she truncates it down to a simple 'Die!'

I especially get nervous when she says this to the more elderly types, all-the-while sporting a huge smile and waving amiably at them.

For the time being we will assume it is just a phase and not a preference.

Out with the old (we hope) and in with the new!

Our home of 9 years is now up for sale.



And here is the future site of our new home.
(Including all the trees in the background and another 20 feet or so.)

Gutted and Filleted....

First comes the gutting....



And then comes the filleting results....




And of course we brined and roasted some of the seeds.

Good eatin'!

18 months and counting....

Allyson hit 18 months yesterday, so I thought it would be appropriate to list all of her many accomplishments.

However, Cindy preferred that I do so in the negative rather than the positive.

1. She has said 'Dad-die' for 6 stinkin' months, but has not yet said 'MaMa.'
2. She can make the sounds of a pig, a horse, and cow, and a cat, but cannot get around to saying 'MaMa' yet.
3. She can clearly enunciate the name of the girl up the street who often comes to play at our house (Josie), but nary an 'M' word crosses her cute little mouth.
4. She can say 'Fishie,' but cannot find it in her heart to refer to the mother who gave her birth by being cut open in a roomful of people.
5. She can do somersaults, but can't wax poetic about her darling mother.
6. She loves to wave and say bye-bye and give kisses and hugs, but Cindy might as well be invisible.
7. She can say 'cheese' and loves to eat it, but any little girl that can't call her mommy by name is just a little curd!
8. The other day, it sounded like she called Cindy 'Cindy,' and Cindy was too ecstatic to try to correct her ill manners.



Did I mention she says 'Dad-die' a lot?

Gender Confusion....

For dinner tonight Cindy made some chicken enchiladas, and, surprisingly, all the kids gobbled it up!

Even Makenna--our finicky eater (we should refer to her as 'Morris'?)--gushed about how good it was, exclaiming, 'This enchilada is so GOOD! If it wore a dress I would marry it!'

We were gratified to learn shortly thereafter that she was quoting a boy on some Disney Channel show.

Having learned a valuable lesson, she mentally regrouped and then exclaimed, 'If it wore a bowtie I would marry it!'

$350 later.....

After 4.5 seasons (at approx. $70/season, not counting cleats, shin guards, gas, balls, team treats, and final parties) Cameron finally scored a goal in a soccer game late in the 3rd quarter!

According to Cindy, he had a huge grin the rest of the game and was playing 'on point.' (Allyson and I were watching Kenner's game.)

This also meant we had to get ice cream--Cameron selected 1/2-gallons of Moose Tracks and Cookies and Cream.

By the way, the outcome of the two games was approximately the same--1-6 or so. Their respective losing streaks are still going strong!

Tit for tat? Or was that tits for Taps?

I was waiting for the kids to get themselves ready for bed last night, and I was somewhat surprised when all three of them (Ally was already asleep) marched into the room with huge grins on their faces and huge.....tracts of land.....on their fronts.

Each one of the kids had put something (or multiple somethings) under their shirts in an attempt to show some cleavage.

Erin called out, 'Drum roll, please!' puffed out her lightly augmented chest, and began beating on them like tom-tom drums. TAPTAPTAPTAPTAP. (She obviously used something somewhat hard.)

Then Makenna--with a coy southern drawl--belted out, 'Jest look at mah big boo-bies!' (The effect was somewhat dampened when the tube of kid toothpaste she was utilizing fell out.)

Cameron finished up by pointing at the major jutting mass under his shirt and excitedly exclaiming, 'Look at me! I have a 'Cyclops' boobie!'

Really, I don't know where they get this.....

A budding scientist....

After going put to bed tonight, Cameron called out and I arose to answer the call.

He was hot and wanted me to turn his ceiling fan on. (He even kindly pointed out where he was already sweating--behind his knees, etc.)

I smelled something musty in his room, and, crinkling my nose, commented, 'Something kinda stinks in here.'

Cameron replied in an off-hand,matter-of-fact tone, 'That would be my butt.' Then, ever ready with alternative hypotheses, he continued in the same way, 'Or, it could be your butt.'

Yes, he is also a budding conversationalist.

Gossamer Duds

We have related previously that Allyson loves to hold onto anything silky, be it undergarments, blankets, or even clothes that are currently being worn.

It is great fun to watch. As soon as she touches something soft and silky--even if it is just a tag on a shirt), she immediately pops her right index and middle fingers into her mouth and rubs the silky softness with her left hand. If she happens to touch it with her right hand first, she does a 'border shift' (gunslinger lingo), letting go to put her fingers in her mouth while simultaneously grabbing it with her left hand.

One recent morning, both Cameron and Makenna purposefully put on silky clothes to see who could win Allyson's affection. I don't know who won, but they seemed to have a lot of fun with it!



In this photo, you even get to see how sleepy it makes her!

TV--The Great American Wasteland

Another Erin anecdote....

She and some of the other kids were watching TV just before bedtime, and when Cindy came in to tell them to turn it off, there was a small rebellion.

Being the perfect mother, Cindy sweetly--yet stressing every syllable--told them, 'Turn off that dumb TV! I don't want my kids to be spending all of their summer vacation with their eyes glued to the boob-tube!'

Erin quickly piped up, 'But I LIKE boobs!'

The Meanest Mother in the World

Cindy was taking the kids swimming at the "Y" today, and while driving Erin started a sentence with, "When I'm a Mom..."

Cindy quickly cut in, "You'll be perfect! You will let them have whatever they want , whenever they want. They will be able to eat candy and treats all day, watch movies and play computer as much as they want, stay up as late as they want and have sleepovers every night. You will buy them anything they ask for when you go to the store and they will get Happy Meals every day, and never have to do any chores. Is that what you were going to say?"

"That's right!" Erin pertly replied.

"Yeah," Cindy thought to herself, "I probably won't want to visit those grandkids much....spoiled!"