Sisters, Cousins, and Turtles on the Duck

Our mini-vacation to Tennessee was delightful.  We spent Sunday afternoon with my sisters, in-laws, outlaws, and cousins.  And my parents, the hosts with the mosts, who of course did not make it into any of the pictures.  What the heck was I thinking?

Here are the cousins.  B-dude, J-dude and Sisi are all 9 going on 10 or 10 going on 11.  Birthdays all within a year.  But you cannot tell by height who is the eldest.  Nope, not at all.

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Nor can you tell the sisters' birth order by height.  Don't we look like trouble?  Bwa-hah-ha!

Sunday the cousins, one mom (me), one outlaw (The Player) and the grandad went for a canoe trip along the Duck River.  Here is what we saw:

Turtles all the way down!

Full steam ahead.  Or full 10-year-old boy power ahead, rather.

It's fun to wear your mom's shoes and your grandad's hat into the river!  Watch out for the leech we found later....ick.

Some of the men-folk skipped stones and some of them ate lunch.  Everyone enjoyed the scenery, the turtles, and the fabuloso weather. 

 

Southbound

The Player, the little people, and I are heading to Tennessee.  We will get to visit with my parents and my sisters and maybe a niece and nephew and in-laws or not-lawfully-in-law-kinda-persons.

One of my sisters is married.  My other sister and I have sworn to never ever ever EVER ever do that again.  So our men are not really in-laws.  Are they outlaws?  Oooh I kinda like that. 

This week I joined the Friends of the Normal Public Library.  I bought a family membership.  Then I put my name, the kids, and The Player's name on the card.  Then I went to the book sale (where I bought Kathleen a copy of our book group book for 50 cents!  Yea book sale!)  At the entrance I was listed as having paid for a Single Membership.  I said, no no look at my card, I paid for a family membership and The Player (I didn't call him that) wants to come later so I need to make sure that you know I bought a family membership.  She looked at the 3 different last names on our card and I said, "tha's me" (I pointed to my name), "them's my chilrens" (I pointed to J-dude and Sisi's names) and "that's my...."  (I paused as I pointed to The Player's name).."my partner."  I felt very politically correct when I said that. 

So Mah Pardner is headed to the book sale now with our fambly membership card to see if we are legally joined in holy bookbuying abilities. 

Won't blog again until we are back from the South.  Have a great weekend Gentle Readers.

It's Two Blogs...two blogs...two blogs in one!

In my previous blog, posted earlier this evening, I forgot to mention that I will also not be dwelling on my hair cut or how the woman who cuts my hair is able to style my hair in a way that makes me weep.  Because of course the blow dryer and round brush are like wooden clubs in my hands instead of artistic instruments like they are in hers.  Here is evidence that she is, in spite of the sign in her salon, not just a beautician but indeed a magician:

I also will not be dwelling today on The Cubs (plenty of time for that after opening day, although I'll mention the General Manager looks like he is 15 years old.)

I might dwell in a future blog about the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close which I read in about 3 days (326 pages).  I used to read that much all the time, before children and true love entered my life.  But I honestly have neglected many duties including children, true love, and some of my work to read this book.  And later I will dwell on it   Probably after I read it again for book group in April.

Protestant Confession

I was going to blog about this falling-down-barn I have driven by for years in my work as a travel-round-the-county physical therapist.  Every time I'd see it slightly more askew I would think "I should take a picture of that barn."  Today I remembered I'd be driving by it on my way to Colfax, Illinois (yes, a real town) and so I took my camera.  Alas this is what was left today:

Not much barn but still a pretty interesting photo I thought.  Here's a closer view:

Just to the west of the site of the former falling-down-barn is a soon-to-be-falling-down-house.  I was amazed that the turquoise trim is still turquoise while the rest of the wood is so worn.

I don't know why I'm fascinated by things (usually barns) that are falling down, but I am. 

But I decided not to dwell on that.  I also decided not to dwell on Sisi's rock-playing-skunk t-shirt design though I will show you the picture.  The ISAT is the standardized tests the kids are forced to take every year from 3rd to 5th grade in Illinois.  The school had a Rock The ISAT theme to get the kids fired up so they would not feel left behind.  So the school would remain funded, I mean.  Our school has over 50% of it's kids living below the poverty line and yet so far each year we manage to pass whatever standards are required...so I guess we are Rocking It!

No, what I'm going to dwell on today is how my pastor (at least one of them) gives good confession.  For example, today I was snotty in an email to someone who drives me absolutely crazy and this pastor knows all about it.  I texted her and said "I'm going to hell for sure."  Texts flew back and forth, I confessed to the email which I was clever enough to copy her on so she could see whether I am indeed going to hell for it.  (Ok, do you get it that I don't quite believe in hell yet?  I sure hope so.) 

She read the email and then absolved me with this text back:

Ha!  I don't even have to recite any Hail Marys or Our Fathers.  Good thing since we're Protestants! 

In Which I Go Shopping All By Myself

Yes, on Saturday afternoon with The Player and J-dude firmly ensconsed in front of the television with NCAA Madness Marching through their veins, and Sisi digging in the garden, I went out to College Hills (outdoor) mall and bought things for myself. 

First stop:  Target.  Where I bought myself some PJs.  Here's a picture of the new nightgown I bought:

I realize this looks a little boring and old lady-ish.  I think it looks pretty nice on, though, and it feels really smooth and soft.  It's made of a fabric that I had to look up:  Modal.  Turns out modal is make from beech trees:

Amazing! 

I also shopped at Gordmans (2 t-shirt-y tops) and then I dropped the big bucks at J. Jill.  I had forgotten how it is to have sales women who actually give you good advice, bring you stuff in the dressing room, and know what they are talking about.  I was even shown the new shirts not yet out on the floor, and I bought one!  I spent what felt like a ridiculous amount of money on 2 shirts and 2 pairs of pants.  But it made me really happy!!! That's because here is where I usually buy clothes:

Don't get me wrong, finding a great deal at GW makes me happy too.  But not this happy.

Just to assuage my guilt lurking in the wings, I walked through Von Maur.  One pair of pants I stopped to look at there cost more than all that I bought at J. Jill.  So I felt really really really happy then!  Guilt left by the side door and has not been around since!

While I Was Away

Ok, I wasn't really away but I was away from my usual blogging mode.  It's been kind of a stressful time these past coupla weeks.  There were some minor annoyances in my relationship with my doctor's office, some stress at work,  busy-ness in general with kids schedules, and probably phases of the moon.  I just wasn't feeling the love, you know what I mean? 

Well now I'm back.  Come hear blog followers and give me a big smooch.  There, that's better. 

I have some photos from a bed-assembling project that The Player, the kids, and I worked on over the weekend.  First we cleaned out Sisi's room:

Then we put the pieces of the new bed out and The Player read the instructions.

The Player said the translation of the instructions into English from...whatever...wasn't half bad, which he said would make his chances of turning into a werewolf halfway through the project less than 100%.  Just in case we took a break after about 20 minutes and went for a bike ride.  Usually it's too derned cold to ride a bike in March in central Illinois but this year it's been downright balmy here.  Warmest March in recorded history! or some such thing. 

But I digress!  Here is the finished project:

Sisi loves her new Junior loft.  I love the extra floor space, the ability to actually open the dresser drawers, and (dare I say it?) the apparent cleanliness of her room. 

Back to the weather, yesterday it was 80 and I did not have to work in the afternoon.  So The Player and I went for a hike out at Lake Evergreen.    We saw the most amazing blue heron.  We saw this heron fly east then west over and over and over.  Did I manage to get a photo of the heron?  No, no I did not.  But I did get some photos of less mobile natural beings:

I think this tree is possessed by a mythological critter. 

And what in the tarnation are these things?

Quite possibly tree dingleberries? 

Are you sure you missed me????