Do *you* look like this at your first blush?

Hi. I'm Mary Tessa. I woke up really early because my brother had to get going for school at the crack of dawn. When my mom plopped me down in my chair to go finish readying Simon, my Dad and sister liked my look.



Are you this pleasant when you first get up?

Oh, and I've started foods: a bit of rice cereal, some pureed veg, and ~half piece of paper a day.

we don't have a cat yet . . . we're still practicing

We have to get ready to entertain such a feline when the day comes.

So, Mary Tessa is still cute and we have fun.

They're all cute really--I hit the kid jackpot.

Hope we have such luck with the cat.

i'm letting the baby cry in order to post this.

Mark took the three on a Saturday walk to the bayou. I am nowhere to be seen. I drove the other way. I went shopping in sweet silence. I worried about no one getting run over in the parking lot.

But I will not relish these concepts too long.

I like the sounds of kids and having them dangling near my every limb, most of the time.

Now, you may be one of the many that tells me that Tess looks just like Allianna. I'm the mom, so I have to think they're quite different. Nevertheless, I offer for you the above comparison. Alli's wearing the same suit in the portrait (at 9 months) behind Mary Tessa. The Mares is 6 months in this shot and I didn't torture her Hair into any 'do.

We're just all love and joy and gladness around here.

*Not pictured: the moments shortly after when the joy and gladness disappeared. Well, actually, I think they were still amused but it was nothing I could photograph. Stuff that brings out that ranting nag-mom voice . . .

***no babies were harmed in the drafting of this post. she's yanking on my hair and swiping my desk off for me.

an angler fish, Cinderella, and a duck

coming soon to a doorstep near you.

. . . we're off to find glass slipper(s).

“… the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm …” (Nahum 1:3)

Mark is our featured guest blogger. Enjoy:

Okay, I promised all those who are interested that I would make a small blog post about things I would have collected or done to have been even more prepared for hurricane Ike. I say “even” more prepared because Emily and I had the basics; you know, the things that the prophets and pamphlets generally tell you to have. But through the course of Ike’s aftermath I realized that some other things would have augmented our peace of mind and in some cases would have made living through a natural disaster a bit easier. Some of this stuff may only be applicable to those living in regions of “predictable” natural disasters; however, perhaps if one had all of this stuff it would help in any unforeseeable event as well.

What we had (have) before the storm:
- A 72 hour kit for each family member (even little Mary Tessa); each kit also includes hygiene stuff and a change of clothes; all kits are in an easily transportable bag of some sort
- Water for at least three days
- Three flashlights (one was the shake-and-recharge kind, and one was a headlamp)
- Batteries for flashlights and radio
- Radio
- Two large candles and candle holders
- ¾ full tank of gas (we always try to keep it full for hurricane season)
- About 2.5 gallons of extra gas in gas can

What I would have done differently or in addition to the list above:
- Whatever water you think you need for each family member for three days – double it. Triple it if possible. The reason: What I did not foresee is that when the city’s water is declared unusable one has to use bottled water for brushing teeth, combing hair, washing faces, and even taking sponge baths. Now, one could argue that mildly contaminated/untreated water should not do any harm to the body if it is just used for bathing. But after a disaster, when you’re tired and out of your element, do you really want to take a chance? Especially with kids? Moreover, it was such a blessing to feel like we had extra water in those first few days after the storm because Alli got sick and we needed to keep her hydrated, and also I was doing a lot of yard and street clean-up. I was thirsty! I think I would have compromised my health if I would have worked that hard but felt like I had to drink as little water as possible. Also, it is good to have a larger container of stored tap water; we have a 5 gallon container. This can be used to flush and fill the toilet if necessary. Yes, if you know the disaster is coming you can fill you tub, but it may simply drain out (even if the drain is closed) or evaporate after several days.

- Even if you don’t have babies in the family it might be wise to have a stash of baby wipes. When we couldn’t give the kids a bath we gave them baby wipe baths every night. It was definitely better than nothing. Remember, sweaty kids stink!

- I learned that I prefer headlamps to flashlights. My one headlamp saved us on many occasions! I mean, when you have to change diapers, wash kids, and do dishes you need both your hands. The sun goes down a lot earlier than you think—2/3 of a parent’s work is done after dark. Also, I learned that I did not like the shake-and-recharge flashlight very much for a disaster. It is annoying to stop every two minutes and shake the flashlight! Conventional flashlights, with strong beams, that use batteries, are the best, I think. But I am going to purchase one more headlamp to add to our preparation kit – they are just handier. Make sure, and then make sure again, that you have a surplus of needed battery types. Again, peace of mind goes a long way in the few days after a disaster.

- Midway through our 15 days without power (yes, 15 days!) we purchased a lantern. Ours is a Coleman battery-powered lantern, but really any lantern should be okay. Our kind neighbor (Gary) had loaned us a propane lantern before we purchased our own. He said propane burns a little cleaner than kerosene and is therefore better for little kids. Always keep propane and kerosene lanterns near ventilated areas! Anyway, you learn quickly that a flashlight just doesn’t do the trick when you’re trying to do the dishes or have a family conversation. A flashlight’s single beam lights up only one person! As a family we just felt a lot happier with a lantern that could light op a whole room. We got ours at Target for $20. Careful though, it takes eight D batteries; but it is the safest kind for kids.

- We had a small cooler that I filled with two bags of ice before the storm. Not enough! Half way through the aftermath we bought a medium-to-large cooler that could hold three bags of ice. Thus we had capacity for 5 bags at once. Much better. Even if you don’t know a disaster is coming (i.e. earthquake) if you have a large capacity cooler you can fill it quickly with freezer-stored ice and frozen/refrigerated food.

- Gas! We had a nearly full tank, but we still felt restricted! Half way through the aftermath we drove to Dallas and stayed with friends for 2.5 days (thanks Weeds!). I bought an extra gas can there and brought our family’s total reserve capacity up to 8 gallons. That was enough to fill up a little over half of our car’s gas tank and get us to any city within about a 4 hour radius. Truthfully, I would recommend having more gas stored. At least enough to fill up your car and get it out of the disaster zone with your whole family without any fill-ups along the way. This goes for storm zones as well as earthquake zones. You could just cycle it into your car every 2 months or so. I know that for sure in the future I will have both my gas cans (and maybe I’ll purchase a third) full during hurricane season.

- Candles: they’re old school, but they really can help while doing something that requires two hands. They’re also kind of a weird comfy, safety type thing. Make sure you have a surplus of matches too!

- Propane stove. I kept saying that I wished we had one – with surplus propane gas too! Actually, we were blessed in this regard in that we had a gas stove that lit up just fine with a match. So we ate well. But still, I felt unprepared; what if our stove was damaged or something? I am going to invest in a propane camping stove.

- We wish we had hand fans. Simple? Yes, but it got so hot here and we just wish we had some hand fans to at least cool of the kids. Magazines and books worked, but a pack of cheap hand fans might me nice. (Emily says: Or a battery-powered fan; when Allianna was sick I wished I had more than just Tessa’s swing to try to create air movement.)

- One last thing. This one kind of depends on how “green” you are. Emily and I are trying to be more “green,” but we both agreed that the following items made evenings without lights easier: paper/plastic plates, utensils, and napkins. This allows you to just throw away most of your dishes. It gets a little old cleaning and re-cleaning a kitchen that just doesn’t seem to get clean in the aftermath of a disaster.

I’m done. We are doing great now. We are so grateful for power, prayers, family, and good friends. Merry Christmas! (And no I didn’t forget Halloween and Thanksgiving … I just like to lump them all together. It’s kind of like the duality principle of light – it is both a particle and a wave. Christmas is both a single holiday and three wrapped into one!). Thanks, Mark.

Impromptu girls night

Simon got invited this afternoon to go with friends tonight to ChuckECheese, and Mark's working late. So here we are together, and so help me girls, this has been our best moment:

Did you 'ike your birthday?

When we were a full eight days into Ike-mania, we realized Simon's birthday was fast approaching and that we were unprepared (unless we wanted to give him his 72 hr kit full of slim jims, crackers and instant oatmeal). Bethany and I devised together to give him his birthday while still in Weedhaven. On his birthday three days later in Houston, there was still no prospect of gift-bearing stores being open, or a freezer to keep ice cream, much less functional traffic lights (which is not so important for birthday celebration, you might think, but I vowed to mention it somewhere here in all this post-storm posting!)

I am adorned in Bethany originals, which are delicious, and can be perused here. I know you were wondering, because they look so great in that picture.

Ever since his third b-day when we first moved here, I've always plopped some kind of actual joyous toy on top--a pretty delightful tradition that originated with a Lightning McQueen. Almost forgot this year, but luckily we had gotten him almost an excessive amount of small airplanes that I could embezzle from.

Now here's the sweet Nater, who has participated in some way in every one of Simon's birthdays. Glad it was in person this time--that's a rare gem friendship when you're 5.

Sweaty, half-dressed and bedraggled on the actual birthday in H-town.

Opening Allianna's present, to good results . . .

Happy Birthday to a reformed Chief Chubbamubbas!

Two things we feel good about

I want this shirt.

Mark turned on Christmas music today.

video mania . . . girly on the move!

I just love this girl. You're free to adore her too.

Ike videos . . . for those so inclined.

Hi. The first video is about an hour into Ike--it exists solely to try to capture the sound of the thing from our front porch.

The second and third are taken in the morning. The storm lasted from about 9:30pm-8:30am. (We lost power at 10:30pm and received it 379hours later). Throughout the videos, you must excuse our embarrassingly somber commentary. You've caught us at a rare somber moment. I am excessively quiet on mine, b/c I was a mere 5 feet from a poor darling daughter who was resting from just having thrown up. Poor girl had to experience the absolute WORST day to be sick--hot, vomitous, muggy, dark, no stores for sprite/jello/ice, parents quite distracted, no functional fans or laundry machines. Plus the general mild terror of being among the children who "hunkered down" all night.

I'm about halfway through my Ike-an posting series--bear with me--I'm just trying to get it all up so we can move on to current newly normal life!

Welcome to our backyard, Ike. Part two.

some big limbs on the shed roof

Care for some soup by headlamp???

I was doing this in the complete dark--the flash ruined the shot!

By the way Ike, you ain't got nothing on hurricane Mark! ;)

demonstrating his hurricane-force winds

Mark spent two days clearing trees and sawing off half broken limbs; when he finished he took advantage of the opportunity to expand his driveway basketball court--that one branch's "D" had been blocking way too many 3's--when's he going to be back up there with a saw again, anyway?!

He's a nice yard monkey.

Okay, here's our Ike-ing. Part one.

This is our driveway the morning the hurricane finished; it had been "done" for about 2 hours. Compare it to the earlier post where Mark and Mary Tessa are standing--it's the same spot.

Emerging from our long night's blast, feeling a bit like Punxatawny Phil, but not so well-rested. What's going to be out there? Thousands of bits of shredded leaves were everywhere; it was like green snow all over the ground and walls. Tree limbs were snapped everywhere too.

Our back yard neighbors' tree.

Mark clearing the street so all the water can start to drain down the street.

Simon clearing footlong twigs.

And on the 15th day, there was light . . .

. . . and the Noltes came home from the zoo, and saw it, and it was good.

We were shocked. ha ha--electricity joke.

Joy waves are rippling through the household.

I like my microwave.

Much more to come later.

We've become quite adapted to this . . .

When a body's been without power for 12 days you do what you have to do. Typing this off of our kind neighbors' generator. Accepting communication via Pony Express.

We are chocking up memories, sweating through our clothes, and learning we have a lot of really nice friends (with power).

thanks to Mark's brother Matt for accurately sketching our current state.



if you don't get it, google up angler fish and other bioluminescent creatures. ;)

'Ikes!

Hello? How do use this type-y thingy??? This is Laura Ingalls reporting from the little house on the bayou.

Well, actually, I'll be located back there tomorrow. For now, I'm reporting from the Dallas, where we've spent a few days:

• not using the bathroom in the dark
• praising and stroking the dishwasher
• proving I can still use a debit card, single-handedly keeping the Target here afloat with Simon's birthday items, since there are no opportunities for leasurely consumerism in H-town
• brushing our teeth with sink water
• washing laundry from the Vomitous Day One post-Ike
• mostly REALLY REALLY enjoying these Weed people. God bless them every one.

Back home, I'll look forward to . . . um . . . okay, well:

Having a relationship with ALL of my neighbors. Because of the first 5 post-Ike days, I now know 6 new households; we are on first name basis, we have shared things back and forth several times, and when we get back, we'll still have time to talk. Thursday is when power might return and hopefully we won't slunk back into our isolated lives too much. It's been nice standing in our driveway together and dragging tree limbs about and just slowing down and thinking, hmm, how can I be helpful? We have really nice neighbors.
You know, I'm out of practice at this writing thing. Ma' brain's getting all muddled. But I'm glad to be back in the blogisphere briefly. This hurricane has been a neat add-to-the-CV experience.

Enjoy your cyberspace while I'm scrubbing laundry in my tub--I'm actually hoping I get to!

While we still have power . . .

Mark and Mary Tessa gauging this afternoon's wind with their hair.
Sunset sky, waiting for what lurks beyond . . .
Alli's calm, cool and collected . . .
. . . with her brother in the hallway, safe from any windows.

We put them there after they were asleep, we're not as fun as the Mangums.

Aiwa!!! A petrol queue!

Today's a day for remembering 2001.

Besides the obvious remembrance associated with today's date, I'm reminded of my summer that year in Zimbabwe. I often would see huge lines of cars queueing up at the petrol stations--after following tankers through town to see where they would stop. I saw that today three blocks from my house! It wasn't really scary, more just a live flashback.

We've been ordered not to evacuate. If we end up losing power for a while, we can go then. I prefer to not join our 5 to the throngs on the freeway--I prefer a memorable adventure here. We already had our 72 hour kit ready, but as I walked through the grocery store today to get some more water the phrase "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" kept coming to me.

I don't think I'm making this up, but as we ate dinner tonight, it seemed eerily calm. I thought, is this it, is this The CALM Before the Storm?? It was kind of neat.

Well, it feels like kind of an adventure. Hopefully we don't spend too many hours with all five of us watching portable dvds in our bathtub. Chances are we'll be totally fine.

This is stream-of-thought post, so I'm ending with a note of longing for Zimbabwe. Things are not well there. Makadii? Hakuna wakaita sa Jesu.

Get along lil dogies

Here we are showing off some of our equestrian skills while reunioning in NM.

Some of our skills, I say, because you won't see me riding in flipflops (I did) or galloping to near-death (like I did on our honeymoon).

Really, Tess is the most impressive horsewoman among us.

Speaking of blue skies and "geeettin along," it looks like we'll be getting some pretty dark skies around here this weekend, but we're likely staying put.

"It's your misfortune and none a' myoooown!!"

Hopefully.

IKE