In Other News...

My Dad took the boys (minus Peter) fishing all day on Saturday.  Sadly, they had no luck catching fish-- except for one that Cannon caught but had to be thrown back in because of it's size.  I'm sorry for their sakes that their was no success with the fish, but I'm pleased with the day because Grandpa's boat didn't capsize, no one fell overboard, and there were no stinky fish to clean and cook.  All of the adventure and none of the mess.

Abe is "Headache Man!"  Bethany got this beauty mask as a little gift from girls camp.  It is a plastic mask with little gel- like beads. The idea is to chill it and then put it over your eyes to reduce puffiness or swelling.  But Abe got one look at it and bought it off of Bethany to be used as a headache treatment-- as opposed to just a cool wet rag on his forehead. 

We started school last week-- I know it may seem a little crazy with the new baby, but to have everyone busy working on school work is easier to manage than no focused activities.  Cannon and Faith were so excited for Friday because that was the day to get out their Lego Story Starter Kit they got for their technology class.  There is software to go along with it to publish stories of their creations.

Ninja Cannon is a fierce fighter. 

Here is something fun.  Faith's latest gymnastics achievement-- her round-off back-tuck.  She's been working on this for many months, but it hasn't involved the bodily trauma learning her aerial did.

Yee-haw!  Giddy-up horsies! (Cannon and Faith are the horsies).

Not such a clear picture, but I had to post it.  Abe took Elinor and Faith with him to work today at Soldier Hollow for a Sheep Dog Championship.  I had a pretty good night's sleep, so I was feeling adventurous myself.  I took Clark Bethany, Cannon, George, and Peter to Thanksgiving Point to the Dinosaur Museum.  I figured if things got rough with Peter, Clark and Bethany would be able to handle the little boys. 

  I'm not sure why this made me so happy, but I loved watching Clark and Bethany enjoying themselves with the same exhibits that entertained them so much as little kids.  They worked together to build a magnetized dinosaur skeleton puzzle and they had fun working at the water erosion table building a dam. 

  Clark looked at the exhibits he hadn't been to for a few years and said, "Everything is smaller than I remember it."  Yes, well, you are quite a bit bigger than you were then. 

 I suppose it was just nice to have a little flash back in my mind to yesteryear when I was more capable of meeting all of their needs.  These teenagers--they've done gone and grown up on me! I suppose having another baby won't keep anybody else from growing up.

Oh, curse you, postpartum emotions!!!!!! Can anybody hand me a tissue?

Okay, onto something that could make me cry, but for a different reason.  Elinor called me from the Sheep Dog show she was at with Abe and Faith.  And I quote, "Mom, um, they have dogs here you can adopt and... no, don't say anything yet... and they are already fixed, so they can't have puppies."

My response:  Elinor, is this a real phone call?  Are you actually asking me for a dog?  Where is Dad?  Is he there?  Did he tell you to call me?  Let me talk to Dad.

Me:  Abe, did you tell Elinor to call me and ask for a dog?  Why would you do that?  You don't want a dog!  Why must I be the one to say no.  Please go inform her that there will be no dog, because you said so.

Later that day, Bethany says to me, "Mom, I don't want this to happen and it would be super sad, but if you died, I know we could get Dad to agree to let us get a dog."

Yes, Bethany, you probably could. 

I'm telling you, this mothering thing takes some pretty thick skin. 

When the boys were fishing on Saturday, Bethany worked a farmer's market with Abe, so I was left with these two beauties.  I took them to my new favorite place to eat-- Pizzeria Limone.  I don't know that they were very impressed, but after three weeks of being pretty home bound I was ready for a change of scenery.  

And speaking of three weeks-- Look who is three weeks old today!! We are enjoying him so much, but we do have a wee little problem.  He hates his car seat-- sad, sad, heart-breaking, lip-quivering crying.  What are we to do?