Some people might wonder what the children and I do at home all day, day in and out, week after week. Well, I'll tell you.


We wrestle.



We play in the woods.


We dance.


We read.

And most important for the intellectual and spiritual development of the children:

We [ahem, They] play in mud.


Muddy Miri


Muddy Micah

The end.

The ice storm of '09 - that's how it will be remembered in the years to come. I was not too surprised to wake up on Wed Jan 28 to find the power out and house growing quite cold. I was surprised to find that the land and cell phones were out, and then to find that the Murray water main had broken with a "boil water" order in effect. Like most folks around here, we were not prepared for this kind of disaster, so we packed the kids and some stuff and took off to check on mom and warm up at my parents' house.



The trees and power lines were encased in ice. It was amazing.




Hard to believe ice can do this:


And this


And this


The clean up efforts are still underway, and some people in the area still do not have power nearly 2 weeks after this storm. According to the local paper, 1902 was the last time an ice storm wiped out power for this whole region. Here's to surviving the storm of the century!

Thankfully we have had a run unseasonably warm weather the past few days (I feel for you John). So we hit the Nashville zoo yesterday. Much fun was had by all.







Miri waves at a giraffe



My little animal

I have been trying for the past few weeks to set Fridays aside as a "just-for-fun" day. Or, at least have some activity on that day that was a little out of our routine and fun. We've been to Wildcat beach, played at the park, watched the marching band after playing at a play-place - you know, fun stuff.

But today, that all went out the window. Today was a "get-things-done-that-have-to-be-done-and-you've-procrastinated-long-enough" day. In the process I learned why I cannot (and should not ever again) attempt to drag my kids to more than 2 (maybe 3, preferrably 1) different places when running errands. I can only say "Miriam, please don't take your shoes off and throw them at other shoppers," or, "Micah, please stay close. Don't run in front of other carts/people/cars/or out of the building," before I lose my mind. Honestly, for the 7 (yes, SEVEN) different places we went, the kids did great. I, however, was a shaking, irritable, nervous, harried pile of goo by the time we got home.

Here's the run-down:
First up, the hospital - my occasional work place. We hit the 3rd floor education section to drop off some mandatory employee testing material, then hit the 1st floor to pick up a continuing education course (on rehabilitation of the hemiplegic patient in case you're curious).

Next, the county clerk's office - to pay those pesky vehicle registration taxes. [I should note that Micah was dressed in his standard knight gear including his green basket helmet, very battered sword, and sporting a new "sheath" (belt from which his sword hangs), and of course his fireman boots. I was a little surprised by the number of comments his outfit generated (usually we just get smiles) - but he handled it like a pro and explained to most inquiries that he was looking for dragons.] While coughing up the required dues, a most unfortunate thing happened. My purse strap snapped. This brought about our next errand.

The Vintage Rose - for a quick replacement (also painful on the pocketbook). "I would have tied the strap together," my astute husband mentioned later. But the thought never crossed my mind. I was on a mission to get these errands completed and a fully functional purse was an absolute necessity.

Then on to the Credit Union - to deposit money and set up some grandparent gift CDs for the kiddos (very much appreciated too). While waiting for the transaction to complete, I couldn't help wondering if our financial system would still be in place in 30 months. The kids ran around the public area; Miri learned how to open the door with the handicap button.

Next Lowe's - because I had an epiphany regarding putting shelves on the walls of Micah's and Miri's room, and I'm a glutton for punishment. It was a relief to go somewhere that carts were available (so Miri could at least ride) in spite of the constant standing up in the cart seat. And, glory or glories!, I inadvertently snagged the bargain of the week. While waiting in line, I spied a Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book on sale for $4.00. Upon checking out and reviewing my receipt, I discovered that the book was on uber-sale and I paid only $1.12 for it.

The post office was next - and this one was not fun. I had to go there to send back a book of the month package. I really did not think that the automatic "send you the featured book selections of the month" feature was a part of the deal when I signed up for the children's book of the month club (books are a weakness, you know). Apparently I was wrong. The lunch crowd was starting to flood the post office, and only one window was open, so we waited, and waited, and waited. Micah danced around with his sword, Miri kicked her boots off and tried to wiggle free of my hip hold. I tried to keep the panic from reaching my voice. Finally we were able to send that unauthorized parcel on its way.

Finally, an easy one. The McDonald's drive thru. I was in need of a major caffeine, sugar, saturated fat, salt, and starch fix.

Ahh, success. All errands completed, sanity maintained (barely), and everyone alive. Perhaps next Friday we will return to our "just-for-fun" schedule. I think today is shot. At least I am.