Resistance is Futile

If you ever wonder why my children are a little strong willed, (as may be observed in Grace's sense of fashion) I will tell you. They do things like this:



The Lip





The Roly Poly Trolley



And again with The Lip. This lip thing must be innate, because I have definitely never heard Grace coach Scott on technique.

I am unable to resist their wiles, charms, bewitchments, whatever you might call them. So they are strong willed. Poor me.

Notes for Spring

Here are a few things I seem to need to remember from time to time.

* When you start cooking on the propane stove on the back porch because it is too hot for the kitchen, Keep Eyelashes and Eyebrows and Newly Returning Post-Birth Forehead Hair at a Great Distance from the Flame. EVERY TIME. Not just the first time.

* If you plant your garden in nitrogen rich compost, do not pour more nitrogen rich Miracle Grow on them when they start to wither from the burn in the nitrogen rich soil.

* When you ask Alex the baby's name, weight, length, or for any detail relating to a birth, do not expect him to know the answer. He will, however, expect you to know which generation of iPad your sister got when you announce that to him.

* It doesn't matter how many times you deliver your important address on the First Amendment and Freedom of Speech to Alex or the mirror or the timer on the stove. If you read it to the City Council, you will sound like a ninny due to nerves.

* Fresh Salsa. Don't forget fresh salsa in the spring. Mmmmmm. I bet it will be better in the summer if any of my tomato plants survive that long, though. Mmmmmm. Anticipation.

* School getting out is a good thing. Even though it is a Change in Schedule, it is an improvement because you will no longer have to repress your anger at the School District for the absurd way they write their own schedule with no consideration for anyone but themselves. They do not care that it is difficult for you to remember that Fridays are different, that every random once in awhile, Mondays will be different, and oh, throw in that another every once in awhile, your kindergartener will just not go to school. For a week. When it is summer, you can stop composing these angry letters in your mind, and have a peaceful, serene mental landscape.

* There are worse evils than Changes in Schedule.

* In case you forgot, there are far worse evils than Changes in Schedules.

* Flexibility is good. Flexibility is our friend. Flexibility is Not our Mortal Enemy.

* No one wants to serve in the Cub Scouts. Someone has to do it anyway.

* If you buy a garden hose, when you come home, Alex will say, "We have a hose in the shed." This is great, because a couple of weeks later, you can return the hose and buy plants to re-plant the half of the garden you burned to death with Nitrogen.

Mother's Partner's Day

Not to leave Alex out, Grace wrote him a card for Mothers Day with this text:

"You are like a cake.
Did you now
I love you 100 feet (picture of feet)
deap in my heart come to
cake.com"

Because really, what is better than cake? This is a high compliment if you ask me.

Unappreciation Day

I did not want to show any teacher that I appreciated them for Teacher Appreciation day, because I am really a hater of humanity. However, due to several requests I was worn down by attrition and convinced to do the computer lab door. I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed, because I put it up before anyone else had done theirs. Early morning was the only time I could do it. It is a weird place for me to be, emotionally. I mean, comparing myself to other women who are better than I am is like breathing, right? I guess I will just have to be satisfied that I did it, and let it go. Yeah, weird.



Alex is installing a raised garden bed for my own personal delight and use. I think I might actually be able to get some food for us out of this. I did a group garden out by my dad's farm (AKA Farmer John's) last summer, but I decided I wouldn't do that again until I am able to grow food in my own back yard garden first.  That little tree on the right is our cherry tree, planted last fall. Its luxurious crop this year will consist of one cherry. Yes, one. And Grace dibsed it, ruining my vision of our family sitting around a plate and cutting the cherry into five pieces. Humph.




This is our Grape Arbor in the back yard. It is getting so pretty, I just thought I would throw it on here. Hmm, I should have put one of those Pioneer Woman butterflies over the hideous shed. Oh well. The grape arbor was sort of an accident. It started as a grape wall, and then the vines grew so voraciously that Alex randomly decided to add another wall and a top, and it has come to this. It's not very pretty all winter, and it takes a lot of pruning, but I sure love it in the summer. The kids love it, too, except when they pick my baby grapes and feel the heat of my fury and wrath. I would talk about it more, but I'm still too angry. 

No, I Don't Feed Him Anything Else. Why Do You Ask?

This Month is Such a Special One

It is B Day Season around here, with four of the five of us in our household graduating to the next age during these few months. Poor Alex has to celebrate off in August all by himself.



La la la, I am happy with my cake.



What is that cool object you have pointed at me?



I WANT THAT CAMERA!
...
Let's go back a few years: 


Mmmmm, Cake.


And back two more years...



This cake looks delicious. I think I'll skip the hands. Why is that mean grownup shoving my head toward my cake?



Tiny, Fat, Cute.


Special thanks to Grace for her Connex name tags.

Happy Day to all of my Munchkins this season!

Miss Jill: Read Her

If any of you have not been reading long enough to know this, I started this blog around five years ago because my friend Jill quit blogging and it left a huge vacuum of happiness and entertainment in my life. Rowena's Rants was originally a recovery therapy attempt from that loss that grew into regular clinical therapy. That is not the point I am trying to make. The point is that, lucky for us all, Jill once again began blogging some time ago. So if you haven't hit the old side bar in awhile, please check out Miss Jill's latest insightful posts. I enjoyed them immensely.

Muslims: They're Just Like US

Evangelicals: They're Just Like US

In an unrelated note, Alex hackintoshed my computer a few months ago, and the loss of Microsoft keyboard shortcuts has left another hole in my heart. Sadly, this hole will not be big enough to launch a new therapy blog. Only mild resentment.