Avast, ye mayteys!!

The boys are into this thing they call "The War Wagon." They've also got the neighbor boy across the street involved, I'm sure much to the dismay of his parents. They load up the wagon with wiffle ball bats, plastic toy rakes and hoes, a water gun (empty), and start at the top of the driveway. Three are inside the wagon, the fourth, the "pusher" is at the back, pushing them down the driveway and jumps in, sort of like the 4-man bobsled. Only instead of all 4 of them ducking and driving as fast as they can, they all scream, brandishing their weapons, flying across the court until they arrive on the other side. The dogs in our area love this, too, and are chasing along after them, while the boys all yell "Aaarrrrrgghhhh!" waving and shouting. They don't actually fight anything, or each other. They simply repeat the process over and over. It's riot to watch. And, it's funny when a neighbor girl comes out--she is frequently chased away by the masculine screams. I love my boys.

Budget crunchy, over?

Well, I guess not really. But it did seem that after I posted the menu for the week, my week plans got altered. So far, this is what I've got:
1. Chili (never got around to it)
2. Soup/sandwich night (potato soup? Sausage/potato chowder?)
3. Fish tacos
4. Pork tenderloin with roasted veggies
5. I'm thinking......probably chicken parmesan or something like that.
I'll try to actually stick to it this time!

Family fun-for-all

We like to do a lot of things as a family, but probably one of the top 5 is "whole house hide n' seek." There are a few exceptions to the "whole house" thing, such as 1) no bathrooms (biohazard), 2) no laundry/workroom (chemical/mechanical hazard) and 3) no Daddy's office (Daddy hazard). It's a great game for the rainy/too cold days, too. What is funny is that I am really, really good at it. I can also get a little work done while "hiding." I have been known to take laundry to the laundry room--this doesn't break the rule, because I'm not actually hiding there, it's merely a stopoff to the hiding spot. Bear is also getting really good at it, too. He knows to hide and be quiet, while big bro Buzz is into jumping out and shouting "AH!" at the "it" person. My best hiding spot this past Saturday was in my own unmade bed.

Pretty fall day

What a pretty day...we took lots of pictures, Mom got vertigo watching the kids get close to the cliff's edge. (That's why Dad is with the crew--I was desperately holding on to a tree)

I personally don't get it while I'm by the edge, but watching the kids makes me spin!

Yee-ouch!

Does anyone else think the knife is awkwardly placed?

Time change went through, elections are done, school, work and home are still the order of the day. Yet I am still surprised by things on a daily basis. Bear came home in tears because he felt "forced" into voting for a candidate because someone told him the other one would steal our money. Buzz is upset because he stands alone politically among his friends. Beaver voted for Bert in the "Ernie vs. Bert" elections at preschool. I told him, really, Bert is the more responsible of the two, and he made a good choice. He says he's changing his mind.
Here's another thing: I am frequently surprised that friends, good friends, respected professionals, do not share my political/social views. I almost feel deserted--which is dumb, because it's their opinion, not mine. But I still have enough type A in me to want to take them aside and say "Do you really know what you're doing? This is what you're saying, and it's wrong." We all get so emotionally attached to elections. Yes, taxes could change, laws could change, constitutions rewritten, but it's nice to know that in my house, it's still roughly about the business of work, home, school, church for my 3 little guys. Some things are constant and therefore comforting to them.

Beaver's Outlook

Over the summer, we were watching some rabbits out the sliding door to the backyard. I asked Beav if he thought the bunnies were cute. His reply "Yea......I'd like to eat 'em. First, I'd catch him, cut him up, and eat the ears." We were doubled over with laughter at that, because he really is a gentle sort of boy when it comes to animals and smaller creatures. We are also aren't hunters, though we have no problem with hunting.
Well, apparently, that wasn't the end of it. Tonite, my husband asks Beav if he'd like to see "Kung Fu Panda."
From Beaver: "Yea...I'd like to eat him. First I'd cut the legs off...because then he'd stop kicking."
Almost sounding like the beginnings of a serial killer, I know. He really is a good little guy. Really. Now... where are my knives?