Ellie is 9!

Ellie seemed to have a good birthday. Nine years old! I can hardly believe it. Her fave presents were the ones Marty picked out. Smart little brother!

Marty is Accepted!

It's official! Marty has been accepted to a very rural elementary school in a better district!

Kindergarten Readiness

Marty had his Kindergarten Readiness Assessment today! The evaluator informed me that he is "Gifted, I can identify several budding talents easily." Yay!

Peace & the End of the World

I have realized exactly where I want to be at the end of the world.  When the asteroid is coming and there's nowhere left to run, when the Earth's core is super-heated and there's nothing anyone could do, when the absolute end of everything is here and it is inevitable that we will all die, I want to be holding my kids. I want Marty in my right arm and Ellie in my left with her nose buried in my neck.

When she does that, when she plugs into her safe spot (the place where the left side of my neck joins my shoulder), she melts against me and is as soft as DQ ice cream. In that place with her, everything is still. In that place, there is absolute peace. In that place, that endless moment, nothing else matters, nothing can touch us.

When the end of everything comes, I want to be in that place with my children. We won't notice or care when it all goes away.

Field Museum

So I'm in Chicago with the kids - just me and them, alone.  I took them to the Field Museum and we had a blast!  And I didn't even lose them!

Lord, I Love This Child!

Dear God, thank you for this precious child! I live for her affection. I delight in her laughter. The feel of her, soft in my arms, erases any trials the day may have carried. The sweet scent of her skin revives me. I love her with all that I am. My daughter.

Family Movie Night: Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow

As you can tell by the title, tonight's flick was "Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow". A little steampunk, a lot retro-futurism, a touch of Victorian Adventure, and dirigibles = totally awesome viewing!

Marty had the attention span of a gnat. It might be because he watched "Return of the Jedi" earlier and was movied-out, or because he got bored in the "talking parts." He would get down and play, then come back to the couch when it got exciting again.

Ellie made it through the previews before she ran off the first time. She was in and out a lot, sat down and ate popcorn, and sat down to eat pizza with us when it arrived. The coolest part was when the movie caught her attetion. She had gotten up to leave when the tv made an elephant sound. She stopped in her tracks, turned around, and went to the tv. She was fascinated with the miniature elephant and watched until the chacters left the lab. Pretty cool!

And I got to snuggle my man :) We cuddled on the couch. We haven't done that in ages! This is a benefit I hadn't thought of when we planned Family Movie Night, but it's an awsome addition! I'm really loving this.