me and my odd profile looking all inspired and inspiring

Hey peeps -

No sooner had I gotten back my own personal blogging rhythm than my (kind of borrowed unethically from an unknowing wireless neighbor) internet connections ceased to exist. Plus, we're supposed to be moving in about 2 weeks. And we don't know where we are moving to. Plus, also, there are holidays this time of year in case you didn't realize it. So, I've been kind of busy.

But, because I know you miss me and also a little bit want to be just like me, I'd like you to know that I'm doing an ab challenge thing I read about on mormon in manhattan. And since you know me so well and love me so much, you already know I'm a sucker for anyone and anything that involves singing and dancing and pretty much my dream would be to be a star on Broadway. That's just explaining to you the reason I would do a challenge like this at a time like this - because it brings me that much closer to my dream. It really does.

So, if you want to be a pretend Broadway star like me, do -

100 crunches and 10 pushups / day for week 1

200 crunches and 20 pushups / day for week 2

3oo crunches and 30 pushups / day for week 3

350 crunches and 35 pushups / day for week 4

400 crunches and 40 pushups / day for week 5

450 crunches and 45 pushups / day for week 6

500 crunches and 50 pushups / day for week 7

And, also, maybe throw in some jazz hands because that always makes people look, you know, better.

Comment to let me know if you are joining me in this challenge, and I'll write you back with really encouraging and personal words like, "Go, you!" or "You rock!"

littlehousebignews edition 2 volume 2 fall 2008

Sources say a rumor began circulating last week that Tyler ______, beloved husband, father of three, and former commissioned officer with _____________ Department had agreed to resume his post with afore mentioned department. This morning that rumor has been confirmed. We are pleased to report that he will once again work to rid the world of evil and injustice beginning Nov. 29th, 2008. His location at that time is yet to be determined. His family looks forward to learning just where it is they will be living in a few short weeks' time.

And in related news, onlookers were amazed as two children were found to be able to contort their faces, their bodies, and the very laws of physics as they celebrated their parents' very great reduction in stress.

My cute daughter, the artist, may be a little confused. Today she painted a still life. A bowl of fruit. Made up out of her pretty little head, and not from an actual bowl of fruit. And she painted it while she was sitting outside. En plein aire. Basically, she painted a plein aire still life.

Mademoiselle bought this fancy watercolor set with her own hard-scavenged money.

She likes to patrol the couch cushions, the shelves... our pockets.

Poor girl can't get anything done without interruption.

I don't know what that feels like.

But look how patiently and gently she keeps Benefactors hand out of the way.

The apple of my eye, in an apple shirt, painting apples.

I just love the amount of concentration she gives her projects.

She gets totally absorbed in them.

In fact, she still hasn't noticed me photographing her!

"Hey, Mads!"

"Huhwuhhuh?"

Did I mention I love it when she concentrates so hard?

I do. I love it.

Some random pictures-

THE Cooper's Hawn for Trogonpete, my baby brother.

The kids playing with fire. It's fun.

And me being pretty much adorable, while holding a napping Benefactor.

P.S (I told Tyler to take a picture of us because it was SO funny that we were matchy-matchy and I just had to document it. But none of the pictures show his navy blue shorts, so the point was kind of lost.)

P.P.S. (Note the bullet hole in the window, and the pealing tinting. What? Your home windows aren't tinted? I'm shocked. And also note the stack of S.A.M.'s laundry that mysteriously is still NOT in his drawers even though it's been 19 hours since I first told him to put it away.)

P.P.P.S. I'm needy. Tell me my kids are cute. See below.

Pajama / Park

Happy / Was Here

High / Low

Hello? / Hello!

Brothers / Bars

Sweet / Silly

Run / Down

Pajama / Home

We've been going for early morning walks, all bundled up on top of the PJ's. Today we made one little stop before going home. It made me think that playing in the park in pajamas is much more fun than a mid-morning or mid-afternoon play session. Every single moment was met with a happy smile and a laugh, a wild run and a jump, a beloved brother and a sister.

I think we need to do this again.

beauty

The thought that is beautiful is the thought to cherish. The word that is beautiful is worthy to endure. The act that is beautiful is eternally and always true and right. Only beware that your appreciation of beauty is just and true; and to that end, I urge you to live intimately with beauty of the highest type, until it has become a part of you, until you have within you that fineness, that order, that calm, which puts you in tune with the finest things of the universe, and which links you with that spirit that is the enduring life of the world.

-Bertha Bailey

About an hour after I posted yesterday, something caught my eye as being not quite right.

Can you tell what it is?
How about we take another look.

Do you see the problem?
That's right.

Benefactor is inside the hen house, and the hens? The hens are not.

My poor little criminal, doing time for his crime.




Look at those hens - free as birds while he's stuck in The Yard.

These are the ladies of the hen house.

Tyler hadn't been employed at his current job but a moment before he announced that we were heading to the feed store to pick out some hens. I guess 6 months without any farm animals to care for was just too long. We each picked out one and came home and build a coop and yard. We could have built the coop and yard first, and then got the chickens, but that just wouldn't have made sense.

Mine is the gold one in the front. Her name is Goldie Hawn. She's a Buff Orpington. I remember reading a catalog description of Buffs once that said best are the color of a gold wristwatch. Yes, they have chicken catalogs. Lots of them.

Mademoiselle's hen is the black and white Barred Rock. Her name is Lacey. She's the ring leader, the boss, the big cahuna. She's bold, daring, and unafraid, at least compared to the other hens. One day we brought home a jar of enormous grasshoppers for our girls. They were biblical. More like the size of a mouse than a bug. Lacey was the first one to venture a peck.

Tylers is the gold and white one. I don't know what kind of hen she is, and I don't think she even has a name, and she has no real defining characteristic.

The next two are S.A.M. and Benefactor's. Their names are Chicken Little and That One. They are Aracauna's. I think. Or Americauna's. Or those are the same things. I get confused. Anyway, they lay green and blue eggs. Green or blue colored eggs taste better. It's true!

Look! Lacey is leading the others away from some source of danger. Only one thing could make her so afraid. It's not Lucy, our dog, who had a history of being a chicken lover, but not in a cuddly way.

And it's not this very friendly neighborhood hawk who likes to stop in for a visit every once in awhile.

It's Benefactor. He just loves to run over to the chicken yard with a handful of feed. But I think the part that gets the ladies all upset is when he yells, "CheeeeEEEEE!" while throwing the feed through the chicken wire right at them.

It's enough to make a little lady want to run for cover.

A year ago I posted this. I crack myself up.

Tyler had just gotten back from his hunt, and last week he had this years hunt. (Didn't you wonder where I was?)

And can I just say, I miss him like crazy when he's gone? Like crazy, crazy, crazy. And it's not just that taking care of the kids solo makes me crazy (it kinda does), but that I just love spending all the many little seconds I can with this impulsive, energetic, surprising, intense, wonderful man. I love him.

And when he comes home from work, from trips, from anywhere, I wrap my arms as tightly around him as I can and kiss his neck and smell him. And then I evaporate.

Check this out. It's amazing.

See how well that works?