The shortest fall ever.

Well, I never thought I'd be talking about the weather on a blog, but I just can't resist. The weather here has been freaky. I woke up yesterday morning, stepped outside and did a doubletake. My entire yard was bright green. No, not grass. Leaves. We'd had an early freeze and the temp had dropped to 19 degrees. My maple tree had lost it's leaves a few weeks ago, but the pecan tree was still full and bushy. But the sudden freeze made it drop all of it's still green leaves. That was yesterday. Tonight it started snowing. And right now there's half an inch of snow on the ground. So Fall lasted exactly 36 hours.

Return of the Prodigal Blogger

OK. I'm guilty. I totally blew this off for way too long. Seems like we've just been overwhelmed by everything lately. With the beginning of school there should have been more time. More time during the day when 3 kids were in school and the fourth was napping. More time in the evening because the kids all need to get in bed at a reasonable hour. But I totally forgot to factor in the other mores. More colds, viruses, and germs for Zoe because this is her first year in school and she doesn't have immunity to all the germs yet. More colds, viruses, and germs for me because the colds I got immune to when Zaven and Caly were little are not the colds going around now. And more exhaustion leaving me ready for bed long before I get around to thinking of something fun, smart, and witty to say.

But (cross your fingers) I think things may be settling down. Scott is still sick... but that's it. The rest of us seem to be well. And frankly, I missed this. I missed taking a moment to share with another adult the quirky little thoughts running through my head. So I'm hoping to do this again on a regular basis.

Now, you may be wondering what great thought and ideas I had while beseiged by germs.... I'm wondering that, too. It seems that if I don't write them down on a regular basis they evaporate. I know I thought a lot about politics. I was so torn up this year by the elections. I really, really admire John McCain the individual. I read about what he's done for his countrymen and am so inspired. But I didn't think John McCain the politician was the right person for the job this time around. I worried about the Republicans being so extreme in recent years, and I worried about how a uber-conservative supreme court could affect the nation. So I ended up voting for Barrack Obama but not feeling happy about that. It's not that I don't like him. I do. But I'm always wary of a good show. Too many times in my life I've realized that a good show was JUST a show, and didn't have substance. I hope, hope, hope that is not the case with Obama. Because if he CAN do all he says, then he'll be an amazing president. I just worry. I take all this very seriously.

The Food of the Gods

It's not chocolate. It's bananas.

Why we do what we do.

I volunteer. A lot. I can't help myself. I agree to do things because I know they need done and I worry that no one else will do it. And Scott is the same way. He was the cub scout pack leader for a year after Zaven was out of scouts just because no one else would do it and he didn't want it to fall apart. But we have a reason. We do what we do because it's the right thing.

This summer, Scott worked for Upward Bound, just as he does every summer. And just like every other year, he and I both put our hearts into trying to make this a wonderful experience for his students. And one of the things we got to do was invite some of the kids over for a cookout. when they got here, Zoe immediately told them it was time to play in the sandbox. So all of them went to the sandbox and played with her.

It's funny, I know. But it also breaks my heart a little. Some of the kids in this program are not appreciated by their families. A few are not really even wanted. They come from broken homes, poverty, or worse. And we, the big we, not just our family, or the program, or the donors, but all of us, everyone who cares and tries and gives of themselves... We try to make the world a little better for them. Because despite the fact that they are three times as tall as Zoe, they are just kids. Kids playing in a sandbox.

Getting worse by the moment

Today, as we sat on the porch and tried to pretend there weren't hundreds of things we should be doing, needed to do, and really did not want to do, Zoe looked up at her dad, smiled lovingly, and enthusiastically declared, "You rock!" Then she added, "You are a rock. I don't like you. I hate you."

M-16, The Eagle Nebula

This is the M-16, the eagle nebula. It is a beautiful thing. I have a hard time thinking the universe was made by accident when I look at these pictures. When I look at these, I feel the same way I feel when I look at my kids, or really, any kids. I feel it was made with the utmost care and thought.

And this is a small part of it. Small being a relative term since they are light years tall. And if you're wondering how big that is, the earth is 8 light minutes from the sun. It's called the Pillars of Creation. Stars are born here. Or rather, they were. They were destroyed by a supernova about 7, 000 years ago. But we won't be able to see the blast for another thousand years.

And this bit is the Stellar Spire. Somehow it looks like it's moving to me. Spinning and dancing like a little girl. Maybe it is. You never know.

The Great Escape

I normally try to write something for this blog every few days. But as you may have noticed, that hasn't been the case lately. I've been doing good if I get something written every few weeks. I thought I should explain what's up, since some of you may wonder if I'm even alive. It's all pretty simple: Zoe figured out how to open the baby gate and the front door.

Sometimes, she leaves them wide open and she and Quinn simply start exploring the house, i.e. dumping everything in the floor and getting into dangerous situations. Sometimes she remembers to close the gate behind her and Quinn stands at it screaming and throwing his things over it. And sometimes, she heads outside and plays with the kittens, i.e. carries them by the tail and tries to teach them how to go down slides and ride on swings by themselves. Outside isn't as bad as it could be because I live a fair distance from the road. But it's not great because there are all kinds of trouble they can get into right next to the house.

So my days are now spend chasing and corraling and picking up the messes left behind. But pre-school starts in the fall. And Zoe will be gone for a few hours each day. And somehow, even though I look forward to a few hours of time alone with Quinn, I hate to see her grow up. She is finally out of the terrible twos, and though she's still a difficult child at times (especially when she's sleepy), she can be such a joy. She is vibrantly alive, playing and laughing and coloring and thinking all day long. She will be four on Friday, and she's so excited. She wants a huge party like Caly had for her birthday.

And Quinn will be turning two in September. He loves to run, to sing, to play music on every toy he can find, all at the same time. He's gone through all of Zoe's old toys and searched out each one that plays a song. His goal seems to be to have them all going at once and then run back and forth and jump up and down to the music. I have never seen a baby love music so much. He sings more than he talks.