sicker than a dog...

therefore I have nothing you want to hear about unless you find joy in descriptions of abnormal projections of bodily fluids ... So here are some photos (not of my bodily fluids) and I'll see you next Monday...

CAMP OUT PHOTOS




I'm getting the distinct vibe that ya'll aren't as amused by Lucy's bad baby pictures as I am... so here is the best I have...

Plethora Problem

Ok. So there is definitely sometimes too much of a good thing. Maybe never in any other time or place in history has it been so true as it is in America today… specifically my house. Last week I went through all of our closets because, “we had nothing to wear.” I was hoping to figure out what I needed to buy but instead I found that I just needed to get rid of 67 gallons (trash bag approximation) of clothing of wrong size, season, or that was poorly laundered one too many times (go me). How? Our house is 900 sq. ft with proportionately small closets. And I don’t shop! Where did it all come from? AND HOW ON EARTH CAN WE STILL HAVE FULL CLOSETS??


Then today I went to my garden to deal with something I had been dreading for weeks. The peppers. What, pray tell, is one person to do with this many peppers?
Now I love peppers (obviously… I planted 9 different varieties). But as I was planning my menus of chili rellenos, stuffed bell peppers, and veggie fajitas for this week, Jarod firmly reminded me that he does not like peppers. To which Jude chimed in, “Me neither.” I’m nursing… poor… poor Lucy… My peppers have a high average heat index. And this is a small fraction of what is left in the garden.

Speaking of Lucy. We have this plethora of unattractive pictures from a Friday night photo shoot (that she was SO NOT into).




And I have decided that she is either an ugly baby or really unphotogenic, but I don’t care because she is the SWEETEST baby on earth… and sleeping through the night… and sleep is one thing I don’t think I can get too much of at this point.

All this to say: I think most things are amusing in large quantities (like really large tubs of Mayo… that’s hilarious.. or peppers... or ugly baby pictures... I'm cracking up) … and I hope you have been as amused by my abundance as I have. I’m off to string Thai chilies…. by the mile…

To be expected

If more of life was as predictable as a State Fair I would be in good shape. My parents graciously took and paid for our entire family to go on a 2-day excursion to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson (about a 2 1/2 hr drive). This is something I had done with all of the men a few times before and I knew what to expect. And we got all that we anticipated.

Two fairiswheels, a 1000 ft slipper slide, a magic show, a giant butter sculpture, hundreds of enormous rabbits and chickens, a 648 lb pumpkin, a hypnotist, a train ride, a display of baked goods, canned goods, and quilts that made me wish all over again that I had some kind of domestic capabilities, an amazing petting zoo, a 100 year old water ride that was condemned and then reopened (without any repairs being made) because of public outcry (it’s Kansas –safety comes LAST), pig races (in the rain of course), Lucy blowing out a diaper through three layers of clothes and me not having a change of clothes for her (of course), fried cheese, a frozen banana on a stick dipped in chocolate, funnel cake, fried catfish, fried chicken strips, outrageous prices, and ice cream frozen with liquid nitrogen. Hmmmm, take that back, if life were more like the state fair I wouldn’t be in great shape… I’d way 1000 lbs.

But never mind, because we knew what to expect… because we knew that a state fair with 2 small children (one who ended up naked and one on a 3 day sugar high) and 4 mentally handicapped men (one with a broken arm and one who prefers nothing more than to ride rides and eat until he pukes) was going to be… well - exactly what it was… it was fun.

PIG RACES IN THE RAIN



MONKEY TAIL: FROZEN CHOCOLATE COVERED BANANA ON A STICK



FRIED CHEESE CURDS STRAIGHT FROM WISCONSIN



HEY - WASN'T SHE IN THIS POSE LAST WEEK?

Becoming a woman

So Lucy went on her first women’s retreat this weekend. My mom was there too… three generations of the very strong-willed female persuasion. And I thought a lot about having a little girl.

I don’t know how to do hair… and I will never be capable of it. I hate shopping and it gets more intense each year. How is that gonna work as this little girl grows up? Will she be like me in this regard or will she run to every other woman she knows to get some help with her hair and some good old “mall time”. How do I let her be “her” and respect our differences when I am morally opposed to the woman who is obsessed with her looks over her brain and who shops despite an over abundance at home? And how will she learn to let me be "me" when even my best friends think I am a prime candidate for "What Not to Wear." ?

But even worse than, “what if we are different?” is… “what if we are alike?”

Oh Lord, may she only mirror my good characteristics and may she please sleep through all of her teen years. I am not strong enough to survive otherwise…


The troop



Lucy: after 32 hours with the troop and 10 hours in a car seat... you would make that face too!


Speaking of shopping - someone gave her this little "American Girl" onesie (That was OF COURSE made in THAILAND) and I thought about not letting her wear it, and then I thought... well she is an American girl and so am I... our closets prove it - and the first step to recovery is admittance :).


And speaking of 3 generations... yesterday we took our last lake run so I could ski YEAH!! and it was freezing - but worth it... maybe just so I could take this picture because my body is HATING me for skiing.

The End of summer

Here’s a recap of our summer.

We had a baby......Yep. That’s pretty much it for me.

No seriously, it has been great – if you will notice by these photos.




Jude started skiing on dad’s back (I just haven’t gotten to see it yet.) I lost my tan months ago but our mosquito bites keep increasing as we tend to go out in the morning and evenings when it is cooler and more buggy. Here's some super recent shots of our church potluck yesterday (so much food out of everyone's gardens... I think it was the best ever.)




We don’t live our life based on semesters and school holidays (at least for one more year) but it is starting to feel a little fallish –so let’s call it a season and move on. Here’s what’s on tap for Autumn:

1. Jude is NOT attending school. Much to his chagrin and my mother’s elation: head start was full. With tears in his eyes he said, “Why don’t they want me?”, “I have an idea maybe if we move to a new town they’ll have room for me.” And while something like a move may be in the works for us the beginning of next year – this fall … he’s still all mine. Actually, I’m letting one of the youth group take him to the high school once a week for an hour for a child development class… so much for safety.

2. Our schedule is back to normal.I’ve found the key to getting around with 2 kids is just to put Lucy down for her naps in something movable like a sling or car seat. Is that bad? (And I am healthy and am hoping to get in one ski run before it turns freezing.)

3. Jarod will be back to his motorcycle rebuild after a disastrous Saturday in which all of his previous work was foiled by a leaky gas tank. But it was looking real good there for 10 minutes...So much for family time...

4. Jarod’s brother headed down to Louisiana this morning with the reserves… to help out with Gustav… who knows how long he’ll be gone. And speaking of politics, I am completely boycotting the news during this election year… it’s driving me nuts. (But I did finish Jesus for President and would love to discuss it with someone… anyone… I have no idea who the targeted readership for this book is –unless there are way more new monastics and neo-Amish out there than I thought.)

Ok... and blogger isn't working so I can't upload the awesome footage from our holiday... maybe I'll try later this week.