The Door

This is Chloe's door. Notice the beautiful entry rug. It is her very own latch-hook creation. After all, don't rugs go in front of doors? I also especially love the multiple signs and artwork adorning the door. The silk flower on the door knob really gives it that extra something special, don't you think?

The (Secret) Club

Most people might view these transformers that were discreetly placed right next to our property line as an eye sore or an inconvenience. To be honest, it doesn't really bother us...we chose to see the huge field that extends out beyond that, all the trees and the creek behind us instead of all the junction boxes. My brother jokingly refers to this mess of electrical boxes as our 'nuclear power plant'. Perspective is everything, right?!


Well, you would have thought we had gold sitting right outside of our house the way the boys and their neighbor friend see it. This little area has transformed (no pun intended) into "The AT&T
Super Secret Spy Club". You've got to give them points for originality and creativity with the name. And here are its members. They like to take picnic lunches out here, they talk 'strategy' out here and when not in use as a secret club, it moonlights as a Jedi base during those long, arduous light saber battles that drag on all afternoon after school. I've even witnessed them playing a board game or two out here. The pose is just for the picture. They take this club seriously. They are always 'hidden' (as much as you can be out in the open) when in their club. Their favorite way to 'hide' is often to lay down flat on your stomach and blend in with the grass or concrete as much as you can.

As you can see, there is a large field that dips down to a creek where all the spy business is usually carried out. They just convene for meetings and snacks in the "AT&T Super Secret Club". Did you know they even created ID badges? This club is top-notch. However, it is a very bad day indeed when the AT&T guys have to come and actually work at this transformer station. It is at that time when the boys come inside the house and check the spread sheet they created for alternate play activities. What a club!

Medicine For The Soul

I have officially become the fourth victim in this house that has succumb to the dreaded swine flu. Thankfully, we've all lived through it and gotten medicine quickly (thanks to our wonderful pediatrician) which mercifully limits the number of days you're down and out.

I "called in sick" to my job this morning. My alarm normally goes off at 6:30am. But this morning, as I was turning it off, I announced to Chuck that I am officially calling in sick today. There's no way I can get out of bed!

Needless to say, the kids were beside themselves. Mommy is almost never sick - especially not sick enough to not come out and say "good morning" to everyone. They took it upon themselves to make me better no matter what. They just couldn't sit around, they felt the need to DO something. Thus the array of beautiful love notes on all kinds of media:

Bennett marches into my room as soon as he saw the door was opened and immediately tapes this to my headboard. It says: "Thanks for the pillow, it made me feel like you where there with me. Love Bennett". Last night, Bennett also went to bed sick. I gave him one of the decorative pillows on my bed to comfort him. This was only a return gesture for a favor Bennett had previously done for me the last time I was sick. He gave me one of his favorite stuffed animals for me to sleep with. I made him a thank you note telling him how special that was and he taped it on his wall. I guess he wanted to do the same in return.

No sooner had he finished taping that above my head, when in walks Chloe and gently places a little note into my hands and lays next to me and says, "I didn't know where you were?" The note reads: Hi Mommy I hope you feel better soon love Chloe."

I haven't even been awake for 10 minutes and I can feel the love. They want to will me better with acts kindness and love. As I zombie walk out of the bedroom, headed for the kitchen, Bennett tells me to come see what he made for me in the gameroom. He has apparently also written more love notes for me on the whiteboard. It reads: It doesn't matter if you're still in your pajamas or not. I still love you. And: It doesn't matter if you look pretty or not, you always look pretty to me. Okay! How can I not feel instantly healthy after that big boost of love?!

It seemed to work for a while. I had enough energy to paint pictures with them and do a little school with Chloe. But by lunch time I was exhausted again. So Bennett went to work on this little Powerpoint for me:
And as if all this wasn't quite enough. The kids decided that a nice make-over at the end of the day would be an excellent way to finish their effort in the 'Pursuit of Making Mommy Better' day.
It was truly a joint effort...and I have to say, don't I look so much better?!

I should be ready to take on the world tomorrow. My love bucket is overflowing!

Gavin's Experiment

Here's a genius idea: tell your mom you want to do an experiment to see if any of the kids will notice that you're wearing the exact same clothes to school that you wore the day before. This way, you can get away with not putting your clothes away at night or have to wake up and use the massive amount of brain power early in the morning required to pull together a new outfit. There's no way mom would ever think of impeding scientific research. Of course I'm a sucker for a well thought out plan. And its all in the name of 'science'. How could I say no? He knows my weaknesses and he's getting better at using them for his advantage. I just hope his hypothesis yields his desired results. My guess: the girls will notice my son in the exact same clothes as yesterday (although, to his credit, he did put on a fresh change of underwear and socks) = the boys will not. And the teachers, well, I'm not sure they'll appreciate my son's scientific research as much as I do.