My Backyard

I am not a fan of my backyard.

Oh, there are good things about it.

1.) It exists.

2.) I don't have to mow any lawn.

3.) ..... hmmmm......

Mostly, my backyard is ugly.

In the summer I tried to help it out by planting flowers. But, as the entire space is covered by bricks and concrete... this proved difficult. I even tried pulling up a few bricks. Did I find dirt underneath? No. Just more concrete.

I planted seeds on the edges of the yard where the fence posts go down into dirt. Not such a fan of the weeds that grew from those seeds. Especially since they didn't flower until early OCTOBER, when I had stopped watering them in disgust.

My backyard is also crooked.

And this means that all the rainwater, dirt, sludge, and sundry sharp items (which M loves to find, of course) from all of our neighbors gutters comes to rest in the corner of my backyard. On particularly lovely days we have to jump over a pond to get to our garage. If the door's locked to the garage we have to jump and hang precariously on the lip of the door while unlocking it. They should have an event for that in the Olympics.

But today my friends, oh wonderful moment indeed, my backyard is beautiful.

I have been waiting for this day.

I pulled out all the weeds/plants and put them in the garbage.

I gathered up all the bikes and deflated balls and put them in the garage.

And then I waited.

This morning I looked out, and what did appear?

Snow!!!

White, clean, unbroken snow.

And while it's cold, and Justin has to shovel, and the roads are no fun at all....

My backyard is finally beautiful.

Thank goodness.

Christmas Fun

Caroling at Daddy's school with the rest of the MBA children.

M obviously wanted her picture taken.

Watching the live nativity downtown. If you look close you'll see GQ... he's in his sling, under Mom's coat.

They even had a petting zoo outside. This is a picture of a camel... and two very bundled girls.

GQ Grows... Some More

GQ gets one to two bottles a day now, which means big sister E can help. She really likes getting involved.

Having some cereal. M was never much of a fan, but GQ swallows it quick as a wink. Apparently he's hungry.

GQ loves bouncing in his chair, which makes for difficult eating, and he loves to see his Daddy.

7:00

My children wake up at 7:00.

On the dot.

Even GQ has joined the 7:00 am club.... although he's more like 6:58.....

This lovely Saturday morning, the crew infiltrated our room and began yelling like banshees as soon as possible. Or something like that.

Justin and I dove deeper under the covers, trying to pretend our way to a cruise ship. A cruise ship minus three children and plus lots of all you can eat buffets.

In the midst of our pretending, Justin heard a sinister sound.

A snap.

****

brief flashback

****

It was his last eye appointment before seven years of trashy insurance and negative income. He looked at the eyeglasses and chose a pair noted for it's strength. Titanium. The eye doctor bent the frames back and forth to show how difficult it would be to break them. TITANIUM, people.

Well, I'll tell you something, friends, Titanium has met its match:

****M****E****G*****

As of this morning Justin no longer owns a pair of Titanium eyeglasses.

At least not a whole pair.

That'll teach you to try to sleep past 7:00.

Miss Nelson is Missing

Remember that book?

I remember that book. It is a book I associate with my Aunt Becky's house.

Speaking of Aunt Becky's house... E went there last night with my cousin Laura. They were going on a date night to see "Molly Mouse's Sugarplum Debut." I think that's what it's called. Never mind the show is put on by the dance studio I work at. Oh well. I've never seen it myself. I man the classes back home while they pull off all that performing stuff. Moving on...

Speaking of Aunt Becky's house... E went there last night with my cousin Laura. Up for discussion? The fact that Mom (i.e. me) will not take out the Christmas toys.

Mean Mother!!!

E proceeded to explain - in full detail - that this was because she and M fight over the three Christmas toys I did get out ALL DAY LONG. And, additionally, that "It take two to make a fight."

I don't know if I like all my craziness being quoted during date night. It makes me feel like whoever replaced Miss Nelson went she went missing.

Crazy Mom!!! Won't get out the Christmas toys!!! Let's get a new mother !

(Actually there was a brief period when E insisted she wanted to go live at her Cousins A's house because I was M*E*A*N. I consoled myself with the memory of Isaac yelling "I hate mothers" at Libbi because she made him wear a seatbelt. Where's the love? Honestly.)

Anyway, feeling repentant I decided that I might ruin the next month of my life, for the heck of it, and get out the Christmas toys. As I pondered this idea E squirreled herself onto the top step and began yelling at M:

E: It's my doll. I had it FIIIIIRRRRSSSSTTTTT.

M replied with great creativity:

M: I FIIIIRRRSSSSTTTT.

Why try to dam a flooding stream?

Deepest Apologies...

... to everyone I infected with the plague.

Apparently we were not better, though I thought we were.

I am sorry.

Questions

Does anyone know why my Blog List is not refreshing regularly anymore?

Because it is really annoying.

Especially to Libbi :)

Fixed Video