Um. -- Revised once again

We're all doing just fine around here. Promise.







In other news, I was racking my brain for a post as I watched the days rack up since my last one. To quote an old roommate: "What HAVE happened?!"
OOOOOOoooooh, yeah, a boy turned six, a boy lost his front tooth after two months of dangling, and I started working out for the first time in motherhood (I decided walking and occasional biking are sooo last season). I'm having fun!

Aimee and Lindsay--I was just dabbling in some world news this morning and heard about the latest hijinks of Libya's famed leader. And I'm smiling game-ly about the way his name is spelled.
As I was rushing to add this this morning I forgot to say that his name is Arabic and has to be transliterated, so I've seen it spelled with a G, a Q, and a Kh--gotta love those gutterals! We all win!

The Development

Ten years ago, when Mark and I were dating, we talked about what we dreamed of for our future. One topic kept coming back up. It was really important to both of us.






About 2 years ago, we talked about the time being right to add to our little group.

So we asked the landlord if it would be okay.

And here she is!

Meet Nimbus!!!!!

Mark and I are thrilled to own a cat together--we are a pair of cat lovers! Simon is thrilled also and so ready; the week before we got her Simon was spending 2+ hours a day monitoring his snails' activities, habits, and needs. Now he delights to have her wake him up for school--what a smile every morning when she rubs her cheek on his head. Allianna wins the prize for most attempts to carry and snuggle the cat. Mary Tessa is happy to finally have some seniority around here; she relishes telling Nimbus "No no no!" when she's breaking some family rule (or even when she's not). Nimbus got quite a lecture when she climbed onto the dishwasher door--even though her hypocritical accuser had been doing the same thing the week before. :)

And, in answer to your questions:

Nimbus--the name. Mark thought she had markings like a clouded leopard. But she's not a white cloud, she's dark, so that leads us to Nimbus. For nicknames she's already acquired Nims and Nimbecile (when she repeatedly moved to follow the chicken into the oven).

She's about 7 months old, litter-box trained, all vaccinated and spayed and all that good stuff. So we just get to enjoy her playfulness and avoid all that grief.

Grandma's Birthday for All

The kids were entertaining themselves well at Grandpa and Grandma's last month:

making fairy wings,

and making sushi (according to Zazel).

But when Allianna found out that Zazel had a birthday in Brooklyn and she couldn't go, we found a way to solve the dilemma. Hold a birthday party for Zazel once she got to Grandma's! And make it Allianna's birthday too! (Bet you can't guess who's idea that was?!) Make it a birthday party for all of the grandkids, since they never get to have their birthday at Grandpa and Grandma's (and they were all going to be there together for the first time)!

So we baked a cake:

pinned some tails:

got fancy with hula hoops:

while Amy and Abigaelle cheered us on.

All in all, it was a splendid celebration of Abigaelle, Mary Tessa, Zazel, Allianna, and Simon. We celebrated Jack too--we just didn't know what color candle to put for him or when his big debut would soon be!

I'd rather be in Idaho than any other place I know

. . . I'm tired of eating grits and I'm sick of stewed tomatoes,
I'd rather be in Idaho eatin baked potatoes!!!
Soooooooooooo
if I had my fare today I'd pack my bags, be on my way, to
Ida-ida-HO! IDA-IDA-HO!

***taught that little ditty to my kids as we landed in Boise. After 7 hours of flying (~4 sacrament meetings), it was so good to be there!

And I'd rather make folk music with my dad and hike Castle Rock than do almost anything else.

I've hiked to Castle Rock dozens of times, but it was Simon who found crystals there on his first visit. Hey Houstonians, how ideal is it to be able to go hiking within 4 blocks of your house? That's what we had in Boise. Fresh air, land that goes UP, and space without buildings everywhere (for now . . . ).

One more Idaho installment to come, and then it's on to the the present.

Oh, boy, do we have an exciting development!

Learnin to fly!

The gang checking out my dad's Aeronca before Simon went on his FIRST FLIGHT.

If I were to set this to music, I'd probably go for:
"It's always fun for everyone when Grandpa comes. "

or the crowd favorite:

"I'd rather be in Idaho than any other place I know."

And speaking of grandpas and their skills, how cool is it to have a great-grandpa who builds wooden boats and takes you down the river while you focus solely on trailing a duck decoy?!

Ask Simon.