Hooray for Aunt Mary!

One day recently we had a neighbor boy over to play. When I came inside after talking to his mom, he and the kids were at the table playing Uno with Bill. I said, "Hey, your Aunt Mary just showed up if you want to go say 'hi'." He didn't budge, but every one of our kids jumped from their seats with shouts of "Aunt Mary!"

I said, "Not your Aunt Mary. His Aunt Mary." which was received with a squeal of glee from him and groans of disappointment from our kids.

Bill and I looked at each other for a second and then said to them:

"You don't have an Aunt Mary!"

DC Trip--by Thomas

Thomas and Anthony went to Washington DC for a weekend with their Boy Scout Troop.  They toured the monuments, museums and Congress.  

This picture is an orb. When you look through it, it shows you things upside down.

A group photo of our "team".

Anthony and I.

Here we are in the Old Post Office.

The lake in the sculpture garden is amazing. Don't you think?

The National Zoo.

Snake,

snake,

more snake.

Scouty Stuff

I must get a little caught up since we've had two birthdays already and are about to have two more.  But first I have to share:

Charles came in second at the Pinewood Derby!
He went to regionals but didn't place.

Also, 3 kids and I went "camping" with scouts this past weekend.  Unfortunately we left our house at 6:30 am Sat and were home again by 11:30 pm because of a thunderstorm.  However, we pitched a tent and then unpitched it in the dark and rain, went to Mass, ate s'mores, and had a lot of fun.  What more does sleeping in the tent add, right?

At the Catholic Camporee--Boy Scouts taught fire building, and that's what our kids did all day.

The girls loved it too!  I was in charge of helping kids make tye-dyed t-shirts so I didn't know what they were up to.   Good parental supervision, right?

Our AHG friends loaned us poles and bait so we could fish. 

That is one happy camper!

Don't I look like a star bellied sneech?

Purpose-driven mom

 My friends and I are reading and discussing the book Mother's Rule of Life which has started some good thoughts on priorities and organization.  One thing that I realized is that I need an office.  Not one of these:

which is wonderful...but highly trafficked by other family members.

I need a space where I can have my own desk--not one with a tempting time-suck computer--but instead a place to keep my grading, calendar, sewing machine and whatever else I deem office-worthy.  Also, I need to let Bill have his own desk which he can organize in his own way without the rest of us cluttering it up.  In this house we have the perfect spaces for both of us.  Bill's desk is in a room with the piano and some books.  Right now there is no overhead light and nowhere to read, so it isn't a temptation for us to mess around in there.  Our first order of business is to get him a good light so he can see what he's doing as he designs his personal space.  Next will be a real desk.

My office full of sunlight, it's central to everything else but still separate; there is room to organize!

My office is really the breakfast nook

My plans include lots of indoor plants including a lemon tree and some herbs.  I see you are laughing because I am not a gardener, but I can learn, right?

Bill gave up his old desk (the old dining room table) so I could have one  :)

I'm going to make a sewing machine cover so it can sit on my desk without being ugly.  I'm also having fun trying to imagine what piece of art to put on the wall.  If we're still here in 5 years, maybe I'll put something up.  In the meantime, a blank wall is very restful.

More sunshine on my back while I work

I recognize that sometimes I will have to share my desk.  In fact, part of the design is that the two smaller knuckleheads will sit there to do their written work so the bigger kids can have some quiet at the other table.  But yesterday I realized that I will also need to be fiercely protective of my space.  A certain artsy-craftsy child chose my desk as the prefect location to work on a puppet, and then at grading time I had open glue, snippets of paper, and markers in my work space.  Grrrr!

And it is in this office that I plan to do some of the most important work of all--give birth to our new baby.  (See how much space there is for a birthing tub?) I know that that project will involve mess and sharing, but I'm looking forward to it.   

We bought an axe!

Bill and I are so excited to be homeowners, and every time I walk around our house or yard I feel like we have so much more than we deserve.  But we are grateful!  The first several times we brought the kids to look at the house, their most pressing interest was in the axe that the previous owners left in the backyard.  When we decided to buy, they all asked if the axe came with the house.  Yes, indeed it did, and we are now the proud owners it...plus the accessory house and yard combo that comes along with it.  Here is a little tour:

The axe

Anthony was more excited about the hermitage than anyone else.  No, that brown shed is in the neighbor's yard/farm.  The hermitage is what you or I might call a dog kennel.

Someone enjoyed decorating and we enjoy some of what they did, but really, cream carpet in the dining room? 

This is after 2 weeks of putting things away

my office

Joseph likes the covered patio, but the swing is going on a backyard tree this afternoon

Because everyone needs a fly-fishing themed bathroom

Father-Daughter Sock Hop

4pm and the dance is at 6:30

Maria helped a lot with making the poodle skirts.

Her dog's leash says "AHG"

I was less fancy and just did a "C" for Cecilia.

On their way to dinner and a night of fun with Dad.

Peeking inside the gift

This fuzzy profile is our baby at about 26 1/2 weeks.  :)