Strange Happenings

Eliza and Norah like frozen peas and corn. They request it for snack and object if I try to warm it up. Maybe I should try it; I like to freeze my grapes...

Norah is the only one of my children with an outie belly button. (If you don't count Derek, who had one when he was a baby and cried really hard. When it would stick out it looked like a pencil eraser.) Her belly button is quite prominent. (I hope this isn't embarrassing you, future Norah.) My grandma said that they used to tape a quarter to babies tummies to get them to go down. If there is any truth to that method of correction, Norah doesn't have a chance because she loves to pinch her belly button as she walks around.

Derek goes to bed with Michael every night. Mike is such a sweet big brother and tells him stories to get him to go to sleep. Then Mike will move to the top bunk to have more room. (Michael reports that Derek likes to spread out and snuggle when he sleeps.) Sometime during the night Derek wakes up and notices Michael is missing so he moves to the top bunk too!

It is summer time again and I couldn't be happier. The best part about being a mom is going to the park, pool, movies, chilling in an air conditioned house, reading books with the kids, and more. I feel guilty that I get to enjoy this and Nate has to go to work. Will we do all the summer school stuff we planned? I'm starting to lose my resolve. I'm wondering if it would be more important to enjoy each other not in a school setting and have a fresh start in the fall. But if I keep it fun...maybe we'll just start after our camping trip to Rainier.

Norah loves going places, but especially to church. She laughs when I start to put her dress on and holds up her feet for her shoes. She sings during the songs. One Sunday I wasn't feeling well and decided not to go after we had already gotten ready. She cried when everyone left without her and me.

When I pick up Merian from school she runs from her classroom and almost knocks me over with her hug. I love to see her smile. When I used to pick up Emma I recognized her by the bounce in her step and I loved how she would tell me all about her day. Picking up the kids from school is the best part of my day.

You Will Obey Me

One day Norah decided to raise her arms in the air. To be good sports, we followed her. That game lasted for more than half an hour and has continued sporadically for more than a month. A few Sundays ago after we sat down at church she looked at the rows behind us an expectantly threw up her arms. Sorry babe, it's not going to happen.

Momisms

When I was little my mom told me that her dad liked to say, "Don't be a jerk; get to work," or, "Don't be a fool; get to school." I've come up with a few of my own and every time I use them I think of my Grandpa Harris.

• Don't be a slob; finish the job.
• You're not a snail; don't leave a trail.
• Get the work done so you have time for fun.
• I'll have to add more as I remember them. My kids tell me I have too many slogans.

I also have some that don't rhyme:

• Don't follow the leader if the leader's going the wrong way.
• Do the right thing, at the right time, in the place, in the right way.
• Work hard, play hard.
• I can do hard things.
• I'll have to add more here later. Gotta go help Derek get his shoes out of Ahpa.

Yesterday when I was in the school room with the older kids Eliza rushed in.

"Mom! Our house is, is, is (searching for the right word) a dump."

It turns out Derek was destroying Styrofoam packaging and making a huge mess - one of Nate's less favorite things. Recently I've been asking Derek and Eliza if they want to live in a palace or a dump to motivate them to pick up after themselves. I guess it is working and it was so cute to hear her say.

Just in case anyone out there reads this blog I want to do my part to spread the word. Nate, Philip, Michael and Chris Baugh made a rifftrax to this movie. It's like MST3k.

So if you're interested in a cheap, at-home date night: pop some popcorn, grab a pack of root beer, and settle down with Ominous Project's version of "10,000 BC."

Info: In ages past the world was a hostile place where mankind eked out an existence in constant fear of giant birds and monstrous shag-carpet elephants. But among these troglodytes arose a man whose destiny would lead him to unite the various tribes, tame the hordes of furry beasts, and establish a new way of life among his people. That man was Jim Henson, and this unfortunately is not his story. Instead, Ominous Projects invites you to join us for a commentary that makes watching 10,000 BC marginally less painful.

I copied this from Carrie's blog (thanks Care!)