Ode to Wheat

Wheat the wonderful, wheat the divine,
Wheat upon whom the happy multitudes dine.
Wheat, I left my praise for you unsaid
until I tasted gluten-free bread.

Spring and Summer Pics

Jake all muddy after mountain biking. My neighbor goes mountain biking with her husband all the time. I wish I had it in me to do that, but it's more than my legs can handle going uphill, and too scary going down.

Anne likes to dress herself for church. Sometimes that means we have to negotiate: she takes off the sparkly Tinker Bell shirt, and I put mascara and lipstick on her. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure mascara and lipstick on a 3-year-old is less gaudy than a Tinker Bell shirt in the chapel. Anyhow, sometimes it means we let her go to church in black shoes, brown tights, and her dress on backwards.

Five ponytails are better than one.

Damon the Architect

Arches National Park.

Jake, your hat brim isn't wide enough. The sun is touching your face--run for cover! That arch should do.

Claire's birthday party and the gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, taste-free cake. Just kidding. The frosting was good.

Damon and Anne with Claire's pinata.

Claire avoiding the pinata she specifically asked for. She refused to to take a single swing. Maybe the violence got to her.

No picture of Damon on his first day of second grade!!! Sign me up for worst mother of the year.

Damon holding his newest cousin, Baby Max. Can you believe that hair? Some babies (not mine) have all the luck.

Claire after the first day of kindergarten, 8-24-10, with a face to make any mother seriously consider homeschooling.

Anne looking chic in Knifty Knitters, 8-30-10.

recent quotes

Damon:

"What if there was a hotel floating through outer space?"

"What if the wind blew so hard it carried people away?"

"What if we jumped off the roof and started to fly around?"

"What if [fill in the blank]?" x1000

"What if I ask so many 'what if' questions my mom goes insane and has to be institutionalized?" is the only 'what if' he hasn't asked.

Claire:

"If we're not having meat for dinner, I'm running away from home!"

When Anne wouldn't give her a toy she wanted: "Anne, you look like a toilet!" I was going to wash her mouth out with soap for that one, but I had food poisoning (never drink almond milk that's been on the counter in a hot house all day) and only had the strength to give her a time-out.

Anne has had plenty to say, too, but "Can I got to Bekah's house?" is the only phrase that comes to mind, because I hear it almost as much as "Can I go to Grandma's house?"