You reading this, be gratified!

Patient readers:

Your perseverance will be rewarded.  Later today you will find in this space not one but several long-awaited updates, including photographs.  

Do not yield to your frustrations.  Your longsuffering is almost ended.

Until then, may this succor you:

After listening to Elizabeth's alarm clock shake the walls for five minutes, I ventured into her room to rouse her.  She was still in bed with the covers pulled up protectively over her ears.  Then this conversation took place:

Me: Honey, I think we need to get you a louder alarm clock.

Elizabeth: Like a rooster?

Story time

Elizabeth, yesterday morning, while helping Angela put on her socks:

"Once upon a time, there was a sock that was looking for a home on a little foot."

How can you sleep through this??

While I'm downstairs updating this blog, the kids' alarm clock goes off. It's set for 7:30 am.

It's now 7:37 and the alarm is still going.

I checked on the girls, and they're both curled up with the covers over their heads. The alarm is blaring.

7:38 and counting.

ETA: I went upstairs, turned off the alarm and said, "Time to get up, sweeties!" Both of them groaned and protested. Then Elizabeth fell back asleep (probably thinking, "Finally! It's quiet enough to sleep!") but Angela stood up, stretched out her arms, and said, "I haven't had any loves today."

Elizabeth's Great Success!

Yesterday marked an amazing accomplishment:

Elizabeth hiked to the Upper Emerald Pool in Zion!
It's three miles, round trip, and quite rigorous, especially the last .6 miles to the Upper Pool (in the picture).

I was certain we would make it just to the Lower Pool before the little ones started complaining about aching and tired feet, but both climbed up to the Middle Pool unassisted, dragging sticks to mark the path for the rest of us to follow.

Angela turned back at the Middle Pool, and Elizabeth, full of energy, kept on the steep, rocky trail to the Upper Pool.

This was also my first time to the top, since the kids have never before wanted to hike that far and I don't hike by myself.

I didn't bring my camera, so the above picture isn't mine. What we saw looked a lot like that, just with less snow and less water. Spring hasn't reached Zion yet.

I'll go back when it has.




The wonderful website www.zionnational-park.com describes the trails like this:

The Lower Emerald Pool is a favorite of families with kids. The path also leads to two more unique pools which are more difficult than Weeping Rock or Riverside Walk, but it is still an acceptable hike for older children.

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Post-spring-break doldrums

After a wonderful wedding and a weekend of spending time with family, the kids and I went to California for spring break.

I'm still tired.

I'm procrastinating even more heavily now than I was before the festivities.

I don't feel like blogging. Not today.

Maybe tomorrow.

Dr. Seuss week

This week Elizabeth's school has been celebrating Dr. Seuss.  Today was Dress Up day, and working through my sleep-deprived fog and total lack of preparedness, I managed to whomp up the following:

Looped braids and homemade antennae.  Not a great Cindy Lou Who, but certainly a passable one, and she sure looked cute (except, in this picture, she is both flinching from the flash and getting pressured to get out the door to school).  Every time I looked at her, I thought she was just adorable.  

Angela has antennae also, but since only one girl in our household had her hair combed or done at ALL today, no photographic evidence exists of hers.  Not yet.

And besides, the little one informs me that she is a butterfly, not a Who.

Still, I'm fully in the Seuss spirit.  Here is a snippet from my very favorite Seuss book:

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

So, with our heads full of brains and our shoes full of feet, I say...

Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

The little dears...

Moving is stressful, even if it's just down the block.  Fortunately, we have enjoyed a few laughs.

On one particularly stressful afternoon, with Angela jumping around me, constantly demanding my attention ("Watch me, Mama!"  "Watch me do THIS!" "Now watch me do it sideways!"), I finally lost my nerve:

Angela: Mama!

Me: WHAAAAAT?!?!

Angela, after a short, dignified pause: I'm only talking to you so much because I love you.

And then, a few days ago, was this little exchange:

Robert: If we gave out trophies for helpfulness, I think it would go to Mama.

Angela: Um, do you mean me?