conferencing

For General Conference, we set up the children in the living room with a laptop and bingo cards, and let them listen to the great talks. They did a good job, though I'll admit that their attention had waned by the time of the Sunday afternoon session. The theme of abolishing discord in the home is one which struck me strongly, and which I've already been talking with the children (and challenging myself) about.

beyond her years

Jennifer says she loves seeing pictures of Gwendolyn looking like a little girl because she's starting to look so grown up these days. In some ways, she acts like she's in a rush to become an adult, but we also glimpse moments when she's plainly happy to act like a nine year old. (And when I think of going to the mall or the movies in the big city and seeing how little girls act and dress at times, I count my blessings.)

While the children were in Dallas, we got a call from Gwennie asking how we'd spent our day. When Jen rehearsed the chores we'd accomplished around the house, Gwendolyn said, "You should be taking a lot more naps and watching movies with Daddy." Wise beyond her years.

getting out

sweet

We made the mistake of having a family movie night on Friday (watching the new Muppets, which we heartily recommend), which, when coupled with the activity on Saturday, meant that our children had a series of very late nights leading into a church morning. When Jen tried to wake Linus while I was at my meeting, he grudgingly got out of bed before turning to her and shouting, "Can't anybody get any sleep around here? The answer's No! No, they can't!" Quite a change from our retiring, good-natured boy.

Linus borrowed my tripod and set it up in various places while claiming to be filming a movie. Its name? Sweet Babies and Cuddle.

li'l tramps

After having been away from the trampoline for such a long time, the children have been especially excited to get back on it, even though their safety net was a casualty of last summer's heat and this spring's storms.













If the net's tatters fail to keep the children actually on the tramp, they also make photography considerably easier.

bud

Casper shows me a fairly complex tinker toy contraption.
Daddy: What's that for, Casper?
C: It's a sword. It's a gun. It can be any kind of weapon -- but it can't be a golf ball.

Gwennie (squabbling with her brothers over the dregs of candy left in a box): But I wanted the lollipop!
Casper [holding up a Smartie]: But you could have had this! It would have made you smarter.

Casper, seeing that our neighbor's dogs are back in their yard after Spring Break: Dixie's back from Summer Vacation!

Casper, attempting to avoid the result of his continually coming out of his bedroom, which is to have his door closed and temporarily locked: Daddy! Lock it when it's open -- try that!

city bonfire

I don't know how I managed to land the position of Social Director to a group of people, but unlikely as it seems, it is the case. Today, I helped plan a late afternoon bonfire with some comrades. It may have come off a bit better if the weather had been similar to when we began planning (not to mention the time of dusk -- thanks so much, daylight savings).


















But the event -- located on our friends' property, a secluded lot in town -- ended up being great fun, especially for the kidlers. Reports were that the s'mores were excellent.

springtime

Even though the weather is rapidly turning hot -- so much that we're afraid that we may already be tipping into summer -- we got enough rain earlier in the month to have seen some wildflowers around Texas.


















Greta's generally interested, if only for the opportunity it gives her to grasp at bright things, her sport of choice these days.































Even our trees are getting in on the action, though the apple was fairly tentative, and its few blossoms are already gone. The pear was more enthusiastic.

swinging

The children invented this backyard swing, using an old 2x4 and some rope I had hanging around. I'm not entirely sure how they managed to secure it, but it was close enough to the ground that I didn't look all that closely.


















The result was a lot of muddy mess (call it a lawn casualty -- we've got a good-sized bald patch where they've been working), but a fair amount of fun as well.

this may be the best post of all time

Casper walked into the kitchen, looked directly at his Mama, and said, "Behold . . . ME!"

mission accomplished

I'm pleased to announce that this blog is now officially up to date. To any of our many, many readers who have been in withdrawal over the past few months, I would like to note that you can read the January and February posts by clicking the links (under "Moments Past") to the right. We will do our best to keep things a bit more current in the future. Thanks for your patience.

pickup

Yesterday, we drove halfway up to Dallas to pick up the kids from their vacation. We had a really nice time with Grannie and Grandad, who in turn had a grand time with their fourth grandbaby. Thanks for all the fun you provided, and for spoiling the kids over the break, Grannie and Grandad!

pinch hitting

One of the really lamentable things about the schedule of our Spring Break separation is that we missed spending St. Patrick's Day with the kids. I really could have gone for pinching those little thighs of Casper's (he told me, when he called in the morning, that he had forgotten to dress in green). The best part of the day may have occurred a week ago, though, when Casper kept insisting that the day be called "Green Patrick's Day."

free Nougat!

Imagine our amazement when, while shifting around some of our food storage in the pantry closet, Jennifer turned up a pair of ratty-looking old tube socks. Well, all right, that doesn't suggest anything worth noting, much less amazement. But somehow (due to nine years' acquaintance with child-logic), she knew that she had found our equivalent of the Mask of Agamemnon or some other great lost archaeological treasure. She called me in and forced me to pull apart the crusty socks, revealing Linus's lost lovey, Nougat, who had been missing for some two years.


















Of course, we called Linus immediately to relay the news of our discovery. We still haven't determined whether Nougat was cached there by Linus himself, or was hidden by some other sibling. We're just happy to have him back among us.


















The face of joy.

wild encounter

We were sitting with Margaret on the trampoline when, as soon as Jennifer took a phone call, Spats (also known as "Brats" or "Spaz") jumped up and essentially mauled her for love.

journalistic integrity

The bit of Casper's sword (Biter) in the frame of this picture proves that it was taken before the children departed for their Spring Break. Even better proof is Jennifer's scoldy-face (she's probably saying something along the lines of, "We don't point knives at people unless we're willing to cut them.")

departure

With Spring Break (and its accompanying spring cleaning) on its way, Jennifer thought that it might be a good time for the older three children to spend a little quality time with their Grannie and Grandad. Everyone was excited about the impromptu plan (though I'm sure that Greta missed the attention), and Jen drove halfway up to deliver the children. If we accomplish as much housework as they do fun and games, it will be a good week. (Incidentally, this is the rare picture of Margaret upset. These incidents are usually brief and easily resolved -- she's a very pleasant baby -- unless she's strapped into her car seat. But we didn't want to misrepresent reality and show her happy all the time.)

jollity

E L E V E N

Today was our 11-year anniversary! I am so grateful for my marriage. We don't have a lot, but we do have a pretty great marriage, and for that, I am thankful beyond words.

What a joy to be married to my best friend, to wake each morning next to the person who brings out the best in me, supports me in all I do, keeps me grounded and loves me so unconditionally. Todd is so wonderful. A patient, loving, gentle husband and father. He's faithful and sincere. He's devoted and hard working. He's funny, deeply spiritual, incredibly kind, generous and nurturing. He's one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and overflows with creativity. Todd makes me a better person, and after all these years, I continue to grow more and more in love with him each day. Also, what a hottie! I'm thankful that we have this life and the next to continue grow and play together.

If you read this blog, sing his praises, because for the past 2.5 years, it has been ALL HIM.

the less said . . .

Linus, to Pudge as he stalked toward the pile of still-warm clothes Jennifer was folding in the living room: "You flea-bitten garment!"

mineral rights

I can't imagine that I would have found anything more thrilling, when I was nine years old, than being able to dig around in my backyard and find petrified wood (unless it was some kind of elaborate crystal formation I was discovering).

divine adjustion

For whatever reason, Casper has been feeling rather insecure lately when he prays. In the past, he's had no hesitation in praying for the family (as it puts him squarely in the center of attention), but over the past couple of weeks, he's been seeking assistance -- or "adjustions" (that would be roughly equivalent to "suggestions") -- from parents or siblings.

three-quarterstaff

It always amazes us how little the children need to create an engaging, afternoon-spanning game. (Conversely, it also amazes us how little is needed to create conflict and jealousy, but that's another post.)

woes

work in progress

Even though it looks as though we'd abandoned this blog, that's not really the case. Instead, we've been dealing with a run of bad luck, including the implosion of our computer (used for, among other things, the storage of our photos). Fortunately, after much labor and anxiety, we can announce that we haven't lost any pictures or any other data. Now that we have a new internal hard drive and have reinstalled much of our software, we'll be back in the business of getting pictures of the kids posted. (We've also kept a running list of nutty things they've been saying, so we'll be able to incorporate them as we move backward through February and January).

Greta update

Margaret, now five months old, remains a center of familial attention. Though she's had a few bouts of respiratory sickness recently, she's an incredibly patient and happy soul. Jen says (at least eight times a day) that she's completely in love with her, and that she'd prefer to spend all her time cuddled up with Greta. Wouldn't we all?

Casper update

Casper remains our resident imp, constantly causing and resolving trouble. He loves to be in the middle of things, and is happy to no longer be the littlest in the house. His misunderstandings and neologisms -- sometimes happy accidents, but just as often presented, with a lopsided grin, for our entertainment -- are the primary source of hilarity in my life.

Linus update

Just about every day, Jen and I look at each other and marvel at how grown-up Linus is looking. While I wouldn't exactly call him the most social of the children (he excels at one-on-one interactions), he is the most capable of the children at getting along with each of his siblings. And his love of Margaret remains one of the joys of our lives -- every morning, as soon as she wakes and he sneaks in to coo at her, we're reminded of how special their relationship is.