A Week has passed and I am tired

Actually, I am tired after recounting with PJ at dinner tonight all the things we did on our trip. The day we arrived PJ hit the driving range. The next day the fellas golfed and that night the family came for dinner. Then on Friday I met Jason for lunch and then we saw Brendan for dinner. Saturday was Tucson then Artis and Elaine came for dinner. Sunday was church, then out to Maricopa to visit the Gleash family (and back again later that night because we. left. Steve. there!!!) and went to Organ Stop Pizza for dinner. Monday I met Kath for a while before the fellas went back out for their second round of golf (where PJ shot a 78!!!!!), and then met Brendan and Kath for a nightcap and another round of Big Game Hunter (Kath's first time out!). Tuesday was a big zoo day and Wednesday we left super bright and early. Is everyone else exhausted? Goodness!
I have just finished sorting through the 152 photos left after my first purge. I purged more (mostly zoo animals and a couple of focus issues) but promise to post soon the fruits of our camera. In the meantime, I leave you with a sneak peak of the cuteness to come!
(yes I know the picture isn't right, it was one with focus issues and the kids were all so cute I couldn't bear to delete so I gave it a little pop art effect).
Also up soon is a list from Vocabularypallooza- James' exploding wordiness! It's pretty awesome, and the ones I will note are not the repeaters (where he repeats me then doesn't repeat it again). My favorite one now is "rock" which is first request when I come into his room in the morning or after stories at night. I would rock him till the cows came home. If only they made a chair like we have in Ava's room that rocked. Now then I could rock with him all night long...

Home

We are home. The trip was so great. It almost felt strange to call Fort Wayne home when we returned. But home is where the heart is, home is where you hang your apron, and as it turns out home is where you nurture sick chickens and find snow on the ground and 20* temperatures. It is nice to be home nonetheless. There will be AZ Blogging, and photos galore. I have gone through and narrowed the plethora down to 152. But there are a few zoo pics in there too, so will end up with fewer. First I have to organize, name and edit. So keep your pants on people! Did I mention sick chickens? Also it's been a 2 day Laundrypalooza around here. Speaking of which, I have to go before Daddy's pants wrinkle. I broke up with the iron a while ago and I don't want to have to go crawling back to him.
p.s. for those of you who know we are on the fence about one more chicken the latest is that we are not preggers. My friend L says that if you are not actively preventing pregnancy then you are trying, so I guess there is the possibility of a big family yet. Keep good thoughts for the kids well being in your hearts and we'll be in touch...

Out of Town

Wednesday we are on our way to Phx. It is in the mid to high 70's there. And the kids have no clothes! So I am off tonight to the consignment shop first then Steve and Barry's and maybe Old Navy for a couple of things to keep us going thru the week. Wish us a Bon Voyage and we'll see you back here in a week or so for some pictures- Debbie has a full schedule planned with super fun things like the ZOO! And the Train Park! (I had forgotten about that and it was across the street from my office of one hundred years!) and Organ Stop Pizza~ sure to be the highlight for a certain little bird who was having a hard time this afternoon wrapping her head around the organ. inside.the.restaurant!!!!!

When it is not so good to have a handy Daddy

Or, Heard at the lunch table this afternoon:
"Mom, I do not have scurvy and I am not a pirate. And besides, we don't even have a plank. And don't even think about asking Dad to make one!"

Snow Indeed

There was about 45 minutes of bundling up (that is only a SLIGHT exaggeration!) that included about 20 minutes of trying to get/keep Master J's mittens on. We marched out back and played with Fred, and then decided to go for a little walk to assess the situation. We marched down the street to the secret sidewalk where it got ICY (James had already eaten it a couple of times and Miss Ava had "ice skated" in front of the house 2 doors down) and turned back to return to Fred who was wimpering and whining loudly at our disappearance. While we were gone he managed to scare a squirrel up the chimney who seemed to be hanging on for dear life. Not sure what took him so long to go up to the roof but he got there eventually. Also in the meantime a scratch appeared on our Ava's face where he had jumped on her in his excitement to finally have someone to play with. It's not too bad. I put some Windex on it. (Can you spot the movie?) Anyway, reshoveled a bit and salted the rear sidewalk, took some tupperware out to use to build something, and Ava got the dumptruck and garden trowel out of the garage and got to work. She also helped me sweep the walk with the broom that is her size. James had been working with the one we keep indoors earlier in the day. We were out for a little over and hour, and James and I came in first. His mittens were not staying on, at least not with his little thumb in the thumbholder, and he was having a hard time without that opposable digit. I put my gloves on him (no fingers of course) but he would not have that either. So Ava opted to come in. She played on for about another 15 minutes by herself, then got tired and/or hungry and so came in for the half hour disrobing/hanging/footwear on rack process that occurs when a group comes in from playing in the snow. It was pretty fun. It wasn't really that cold-just about 30* I think- and the only bummer was the mitten thing for J. Not much to be done about that though, it's a rough time for a little one to have to wear mittens. It will improve with age. "They" have backed off the original extra 4-8" for today and now are at maybe another inch or two tonight. I have a haircut booked for the morning and I don't care if I have to cross country ski down there I will go because I am beginning to resemble Carrot Top! I am still undecided about whether to let it grow or cut it back into the style of the Christmas card. I asked PJ, and he said to let it grow, which made me want to cut it. Geez! Have you seen that phone commercial where the girl asks her boyfriend several times out of two choices which one he likes, and when he answers her she picks the other one? That is me! Just hope I end up with a cut I like as I am taking it to the Valley of the Sun in a couple of short weeks.
Am off to continue the laundry adventure and make some bread. Ava helped herself to some apple juice this morning which equals a sticky floor that needs to be addressed as well. A woman's work...

Snow

Four inches last night and they are saying another 4-8" today. Poor PJ was a total champion shoveling and snowthrowing during the sleet and freezing rain that came after last night's snow and before the new snow this morning. He took the car today and said the roads were worked. All schools (almost) were canceled, and a couple of community things like the FW Museum of Art.
We are having upstairs playtime right now, gathering laundry and blogging, and James is brushing my hair. It's quite sweet, even if I will end up really bushy!
More for today includes playing in the snow (the kids hope, mom is not so sure), laundry, putting Ava's camera software and photos on the computer so it can be ready for the trip, and basement playtime. That usually occurs when Sesame Street is on. Which is soon. So that is all from us for now.