My Daughter on a Mission

A guest post from my daughter who went with her Middle School group last week on a church missions trip (with my questions to get her writing juices flowing):

Where did you go?
I went multiple places. First we moved some things in our church. Then, we went to a nearby nursing home. The next destination was Camp Womposet, a camp for innercity kids. Next was a waterpark, then an outdoor soup kitchen. Lastly, we went to a hotel.

What was the purpose of the trip?
To serve people other than ourselves. This was a chance to get out and show God's love to others.

What are some things you did?
I first went to a nursing home and painted a birdhouse with an elderly lady named Mary.
Then I went to a camp, there we did jobs like painting and clearing wreckage of an old building. While there, we did various activites like swimming, and hiking as well.
On Saturday, we went to an old water quarry converted into a waterpark. Afterwards, we went to Isaih 58, and outdoor soup kitchen and served people there water and pudding. We also set up a little carnival. Later, we enjoyed a Chinese buffet.
The next day we went home.

What is the best thing that happened to you on this trip?
Well, there were a few different things. The worship was great, as well as the chapel services. I really felt close to God.
A moment I will probably always remember took place at the soup kitchen. I asked an eldery lady how her day was going. She responded by saying 'it was amazing, I got everything I need.' She was carrying a plastic bag full of apples. I asked her if I could pray for her and she agreed. So I did, and I noticed that she had tears in her eyes after.
Also, we stayed in a hotel on the last night, and I took two showers. There were no showers at the camp and after three days of work in the eighty degree weather it was great.

The worst?
I'm going to have to be honest and say the sleeping conditions and the bathrooms at the camp. I slept with the other 7th grade girls (there are around twelve of us plus three leaders) in a room that reminded me of an attic. There were bugs everywhere, and dirt. It was also severly hot. I don't think I need to go into the bathrooms.

What is one thing you learned on this trip?
To step out of your comfort zone and live your life for God. That's your life purpose! A life not wasted is a life lived exalting God (I will probably always remember that, as I wrote it on a dozen water bottles for the soup kitchen).

What are some of the fun things you did?
This list could probably go on and on.
I found painting the buidlings fun even though I got it all over my hands, hair, clothes, and shoes.
On Saturday, the water park that we went to was tons of fun. They had ziplines, a water slide, and all other types of inflatables. Me and two of my friends raced on one of the ziplines. I lost everytime, and kept demanding re-matches.
There were some tetherball poles at the camp. My friends and I enjoyed playing during our free time. I was pretty good at it actually.
We went to a Christian camp across the lake. There we used the actual  bathrooms and played in their game room.
On Saturday night, in the hotel, there was an indoor pool. Even though it was crowded (I was waiting for the hotel manager to come in and bust us for ignoring the maximum occupancy) we played water volley ball. It really wasn't my week for winning things, as my team got crushed.

Holiday Spirit

I have to admit. I wasn't feeling an ounce of holiday spirit when Thanksgiving day dawned this year. This is the first Thanksgiving we have celebrated with just the six of us. I started the day with the thought that if I don't have 30 people sitting down to share our meal, it is not Thanksgiving. But, you know what? It turned out OK, and I would venture to say the day turned on the holiday spirit more than any other Thanksgiving past.

We started our day in a relaxed sort of way. I didn't have to worry about cleaning the bathrooms or vacuuming the floors. We weren't rushing around trying to get turkeys basted and casseroles heated on a timetable. In fact, we didn't even have turkey. The kids helped us make our family menu, and they chose chicken over turkey. Mark threw in a pork roast too, just to spice things up a bit.

We had a lovely dinner together after which we settled down to watch our first Christmas movie of the season. It started to feel a whole lot like Christmas! Watching Charlie Brown sit down to a dinner of toast and jelly beans added to the festive feeling in the air.

And of course nothing says holidays better than Black Friday. Ever since we got married, Mark and I have made Black Friday an almost-all-night date night. Our move to the Arctic kind of threw a wrench in that tradition since we do not have family to spend the night with the kids. Last year the tradition was saved by a friend who graciously agreed to be just crazy enough to attack the huge New York mall with me. She couldn't make it this year, though. I was bummed. Then on a whim, I asked my oldest if she wanted to go. Of course she did! Sometimes I forget she isn't five anymore.

Unfortunately, despite the addition of a new partner in crime, this year may have marked the end of my 17 year run on Black Friday. I'm sure the retailers are kicking themselves for not coming up with the brilliant idea of opening the stores late Thursday instead of in the wee hours of Friday. Staying up late instead of dragging oneself out of bed? Much easier on this night owl. And apparently much easier on, like, 10 million of my closest shopping buddies.

You know I despise crowds. So we only made it to two stores. BUT I had an awesome time with my girl. Great time with someone you love...that's what makes an experience worthwhile, so it certainly was worth the hassle to venture out last night.

With all this holiday spirit coursing through my veins, I'd say it's time to corral the family and get out the door to find a Christmas tree.

Random Ramblings

It has not been the most stellar of weeks. I managed to escape illness the entire winter...which is saying a lot because I generally fight a cold the entire length of the winter. Of course I'm used to much shorter winters, but maybe there is something in the air here--or absent in the air here--which has made me healthier. Or maybe it's all of the vitamins I have been taking since my doc in GA told me he thought I have fibromyalgia and might feel better with a lot of vitamins in my system. At any rate, the crud did hit me this week, albeit not as powerfully as is typical, but I've still felt pretty lousy.

So that means there has been no glitz, glamour, fun, or creativity in school. The kids have done a fabulous job completing their assignments almost entirely independently, but there have been no "extras" thrown in there, so I know it's been boring for them.


*******************************

Any of you catch the new TLC show, Extreme Couponing? While I found those highlighted on the show to be, well, extreme, I was motivated again to start couponing. I was a pretty avid couponer in GA, and I kept my supply of coupons stocked mostly by buying the 2-for-1 AJC Sunday paper. Unfortunately, I haven't found that the Hartford paper offers that deal. That kinda took the fun out of it for me; it's impossible to effectively coupon without at least 2 of each coupon. But through this show I came to realize that more and more is done on the web now. In fact, I discovered Shop at Home, which offers a lot of printable coupons, and then there is also Coupons and Things by Dede, which is a coupon clipping service. When I heard them mention this type of service on the show last night, I thought it was ridiculous, but through investigating this site, I see that I can purchase from Dede the same flyers I would get in the AJC and pay her just about the same price as I paid for 2 AJCs. And I don't even have to rush to Super Wal-Mart to get one before they're gone; she'll send it right to me. Haven't given it a try yet, but it looks promising. Of course I do not have time to be an extreme couponer--and I was a bit disgusted with some of the couponer's greedy stockpiles--but it sure doesn't hurt to save a little money!


*******************************

Though I never put it in blog writing to do so, at the beginning of the year when I decided to become a better photographer, I vowed to myself that I would not create a post on here without a photo to go along with it. Well, because of my crud, I haven't picked up my camera in a few days. It just so happens, though, that my kids went for a walk this afternoon, and my oldest took her camera. I think she did a great job:

*******************************
Alex has been so helpful this week - taking care of me, preparing meals.
She's growing up too fast. Last weekend we went to the Revolve Tour together - a Christian conference-type thing for teenage girls. She fit right in...right down to all the dancing around to the very loud music (do I sound like I'm almost 40??).


*******************************

Guess where I'm going this weekend? To the Christian Book Distributor's warehouse sale in MA! If you know me well, you know I will be in heaven! I'm knocking out most of my 2011-12 Curriculum Shopping List. I'll hit the homeschool discount table. And all the other discount tables. AND I'll enjoy a kid-free day with a friend!

Here is that list of curriculum I'm whittling down: H.E.A.R.T.S. Homeschool Curriculum.




Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Homeschool Highlights...In Which We Order from a Menu and Go to a Play

We Order from a Menu
A few weeks ago, Michelle from Eagle Eye Academy introduced The Writing Menu. It looked interesting, promising, so I ordered my copy from Amazon, and once I received it, spent a bit of time reading it over and planning. I was finally ready this past week to implement my plans. It went really well!

The whole premise of the strategy is to present your students with a menu of choices for writing assignments. The assignments fall into 3 classifications: Appetizers, which are simple exercises that require the student to write one or two sentences or to make a list. Main Meals is the meat of the program (pun intended) and requires the most writing. Dessert is the "fun" kinesthetic activity that is more artistic than the other activities.

This was our Writing Menu this week:

MENU

3/28 – 4/1/11

Appetizers (minimum of 2 choices)
Nachos – Copy Psalm 121 in your neatest handwriting. (2 pts.)

Hot Wings – Make a timeline using the following events: Jamestown, French and Indian War, Christopher Columbus, Plymouth, Roanoke. Make sure the events are in order. List the correct date for each event on your timeline. (2 pts.)

Eggrolls – List 5 elements from the Periodic Table. List one fact for each element. (2 pts.)

Shrimp Cocktail – Write a sentence about a specific way we use math to help us at home. Be sure to include who, what, when, where, why, and how. (2 pts. per sentence)

Main Course (minimum of 1 choice)
Fried Chicken – Pretend you rode on the Mayflower on its first passage to the New World. Create a diary/journal by writing 10 entries from 10 different days on the ship. Give your reader an idea of daily activities you are doing, how you are feeling both physically and emotionally. What is going on around you? (20 pts.)

Filet Mignon – Write a story about how you think one of the 50 states earned its nickname. (15 pts.)

Pizza – You are a chemist, and you have just discovered a new element. What would you name it? (Remember, many element names are made up of a person’s name with “-ium” added to the end.) Where is it found? How common is it? Is it dangerous to handle? What can it be used for? (10 pts.)

Spaghetti – Pretend you were present at the first Thanksgiving. Write a story about that day. How did you feel seeing all the Indians? What did you do that day? What was there to eat? (15 pts.)

Dessert (minimum of 1 choice)
Triple Chocolate Cake – Using a shoebox, create a diorama of a colonial house. (10 pts.)

Apple Pie – You are a colonist in the New World. Write a message on a note that you will put in a bottle. You hope that someone back home will see it, and you wish to share with them how you feel about life in the New World. (5 pts.)

Banana Split – Create a brochure about 1 of the 50 states. (10 pts.)

Chocolate Chip Cookies – Draw a picture of a president. Write 3 facts below your picture…clues to see if everyone else can guess who it is. (5 pts.)

You'll notice there are point values assigned to each item on the menu. What you do with the points is up to you. The points can determine a percentage/letter grade; they can buy things at a school store; or in our case, they can add up to some cold, hard cash. Before you get all judgmental, I don't always incentivize my children with the green stuff, but we have a Disney trip coming up, and I want them to earn some spending money rather than just having it handed to them.

So anyway, as you can see, the kids are required to select 1 or 2 options from each category. Any number of points they earn under this requirement will result in no spending money for Disney. Above what is required earns them the cash: more/extra points = more money.

They've worked really hard this week on this project, and I'm really proud of them. Even Audrey, who has a revised menu to suit her age and abilities, has gotten very into it and has put her all into her projects.

The only downside of this program is the work and effort it takes to come up with the assignments. There are many suggestions throughout the book, but I like to make sure they are geared towards my kids and our studies.

If you are interested in a way for your student(s) to share his/her/their writing, please see this post.


We Go to a Play
For the past couple of months, Alex has been attending a homeschool drama group. They studied various literary works, and last night put on their performance. The performance included scenes from 3 different well-known works: The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The theater company is a new group, so costumes were simple and mainly just made up of whatever could be rustled up at home.






The capri jeans weren't really a part of Alex's Dorothy costume, but there wasn't any time for her to change from her Dorothy costume into her Peter Pan pirate costume in between scenes.







Alex did great with a ton of lines as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, was a lot of fun as a pirate, and she finished up playing the role of a wolf in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.




We were very proud of how well she kept her composure in all of her scenes.



bribe

Joy of Love - {3}, {4}, {5}, {6}, {7}

{Day 3}
then & now

Our sweet lil' Audrey. She was quite a surprise, and we can't imagine even a single moment without her in our lives. She is sweet and bubbly, imaginative and funny.

{Day 4}
what they wear

We gave the boys these matching robes two Christmases ago, and I'm glad they still fit. They are so cute in them on these chilly mornings. And, really, you never know who might show up...some mornings it may even be Darth Vader.

{Day 5}
things you love to hate

Oh, my children can be such absolute slobs!! And we do get them to clean their rooms on a regular basis, but even just minutes after they are cleaned, they are...not. I try to remind myself constantly that I was a total slob when I was their age.

{Day 6}
who they love

Spoiled rotten, she is...this cat. Alex is especially fond of her, and Cara reciprocates that fondness. She follows Alex around like a puppy dog.

{Day 7}
generations

How I wish we could get a live Generations shot with the kids' grandparents, but since we can't right at this moment, pictures have to suffice.

To join in the fun, visit Willette Photography.

Joy of Love - {1} {2}

I'm excited to be joining Willette Photography on their February journey called Joy of Love. This is a free class, and it is not too late to join.

Each day of February, we are to photograph our loved ones. It can be the same person throughout the month or different people each day. Even pets can be in the spotlight. Every day, Willette Photography gives us an assignment and then offers several options for sharing our snapshots with others.

Definitely, my photography strengths do not lie in capturing people well, so I hope this month will really help me become better at shooting portraits.

Here are my Day 1 and Day 2 shots:

{Day 1}
what they do

One thing I love about homeschooling is that there is no morning rush. There are no lunches to be packed, no rushing around looking for something to wear...In fact, though I do have my children get dressed for the day, we do have occasions where we might school in our pajamas. This day was one of those days: it was snowing outside, and PJs just seemed the appropriate attire for school. It seemed the least I could do since the public school system enjoyed a snow day and we did not.

My two boys here are not only doing school in their PJs, but they are also enjoying another perk of homeschooling: They do not have to sit at a desk all day long. I do make them do some things at a table if glue is involved, or if the assignment demands extra careful attention, but often you'll find them on the couch, on the floor...or in a tent. They built this tent about a week ago and have enjoyed sleeping in it, playing in it...and completing their assignments in it.

{Day 2}
how they look

This is my beautiful Alex. Of course, I am a biased parent. But she really is beautiful, isn't she? She is almost as tall as me and still has a good 4-5 years of growing left. Her feet are bigger than mine. So much for sharing shoes (though she does still steal my socks!). She is smart, compassionate, fun, silly, sweet.

She loves this hat. It has been a winter staple.

To join in the fun, visit Willette Photography.

New Experiences

If you follow me on Facebook, you have already heard me tell about the warm welcome we have gotten here in Connecticut...in fact, just this morning some snowfall record was broken in our honor.

Needless to say, it's been a little chilly around here. This week, I experienced negative temperatures for the first time ever in my life. Chalk today up as another new experience day too because I drove in the snow and mess for the first time ever.

For the last couple of weeks it seems any plans penciled into our calendar have been canceled due to the snow. Last week, Alex was supposed to begin a drama class with a local theater group. But the opening class? Closed because of last week's blizzard. In spite of the snow this morning, however, the class was scheduled to go on.

I knew I couldn't hole up in the house again and have her miss her first class just because I'm a little scared to drive in these conditions. On the other hand, as I willed the mini-van to make a left turn smoothly and quickly enough to miss oncoming traffic, I wondered aloud if risking the children's and my life was worth a drama class.

We made it without incident, albeit a bit tardy, but even her teacher was not yet there when we arrived. All total, our 25 minute commute there took us about 50 minutes. And then I had to turn around and take the same route back home. Another 40-50 minutes. Which didn't leave a whole lot of time for school for the boys and Audrey, but we squeezed it in.

And during that time, the snow stopped, the sun came out, and the salt started melting the snow off the streets. I'll say one thing for these Connecticutans Connecticutians Connecticutters people who live in Connecticut: they know how to clear a road fast. I allowed for 45 minutes for the trip back to the theater to pick Alex up.

It took 25 minutes.

So we waited in the car. The kids enjoyed a few moments to play their video games, and I enjoyed a few moments with my camera:







Have I mentioned that I don't grow tired of New England architecture?

Good to Wow: Good Night Edition, SOOC

"Ma-Mee! Ma-Mee!"

"I'm right here, Baby," I said reassuringly.

"No. Ma-Mee!" She looked up at me, tears welling up in her big, blue eyes. My heart was gripped by that helpless feeling any mother hates to encounter.

I picked her up and tried to cuddle her, but she just kept crying, "Ma-Mee!" Finally, it occurred to me that as of late, Alex had been quite attached to the cloth diapers I used as burp cloths for her baby brother. I put her down momentarily and went to fetch one. As she saw me enter the room with it, her tears dried up, her eyes lit up, and a smile of delight spread across her face.

"Ma-Mee!" she cried happily, taking it from me.

And that is how the Security Blanket first entered our home. Three of 4 of the kids have had one. Jacob is the only one who never became attached, though because of his shy nature seemed like the one who would be best suited to cuddling a blankie for comfort.

What's funny is that none of the kids' security blankets were ever called "blankies". At least at first. Alex of course called hers "Ma-Mee", which I've never figured out unless she found her blankie to be some sort of substitution for "Mommy". She was the easiest to provide blankies for because it seemed in those days we had a never-ending supply of cloth diapers (which we used only as burp cloths, not diapers); keeping enough laundered to serve as both burp cloth and security blankets was another story, especially with a colicky baby.

It was a little more difficult to ensure Michael had his "bappy" always on hand. He took to a blue and white flannel blanket that was given to him as a baby gift. At one point we had two. When one was lost, we cut the remaining one in half so we would always have one for the house and one for the car.

Thankfully, Audrey only needs hers in bed. And, yes, I know she is 5 1/2; it is probably high time for her to give up her blankie, but she's just so cute with it. Although she now calls it her blankie, at first she dubbed it her "My". I don't know where that came from, and as I recall, we went through a similar situation as with Alex in discovering a "My" was her blankie.

Audrey's My is actually a blanket Alex received as a baby gift, and unfortunately, though I have searched and searched, I cannot find a duplicate. Because there is only one, her My has become well, well...loved. Almost daily, I cut stray strings from her blankie, and consequently, there is less and less My everyday.



Perhaps because her My is disappearing, Audrey has also become quite attached to Bear. Bear was her first gift in the hospital from her adoring daddy and siblings. Bear is very loved as well, but at least he has all of his limbs.



I know soon my last little baby will move on from blankies and stuffed bears to make-up and boyfriends. I treasure each evening when I tuck her in, feel her sweet little arms around my neck, hear her tell me she loves me, and then kiss her as she clutches her My and Bear to her chest.

Toto, I don't think we're in Georgia anymore!

On account of the crud that invaded our house this week, we had to cancel our plans for the science museum today (Note to self: Do NOT pre-pay for anymore field trips!). Since I had no school planned, the kids lucked out and got a day off.

We had fun anyway. We played Guesstures, a new game I picked up a couple weeks ago.



Although we had fun with the charades, Jacob and Alex, the two who feel 100%, were DYING to go back outside to work on their snow fort.





I would not let them until after lunch for two reasons: First of all, it was still 18 degrees outside; and secondly, I didn't want any nosy neighbors knocking on the door. "Are schools still out because of the snow?"

After lunch it had warmed up to a balmy 21 degrees, so I let the wild things out. And then I ventured out. It's the first time I've been out since it snowed a record 2+ feet. It was a new experience. I sank up to my thighs in the powdery stuff, rendering my new snow boots quite useless since the snow snuck in to the top.







I got a grand tour of the kids' really cool snow fort and then trudged back through it because I had had quite enough of my snow-filled boots.

11 and Counting

I cannot believe my little girl is 11 today! I honestly don't know how it happened so fast.



We spent a couple days in New York just outside the city. We saw the new Chronicles of Narnia movie in 3D,


we had a scrumptious birthday dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, we went to the American Museum of Natural History, and



now her daddy, The Chef, is cooking her a delicious steak dinner.

Point Made

Michael wants to be a Lego designer when he grows up, a career goal that has remained unchanged for at least the last three years. He has already mentally designed thematic Lego sets that center on Sonic the Hedgehog, much like the sets that offer your favorite Star Wars scene.

Any chance Michael gets, he tells me all about the designs for his Lego sets. Usually, he gets my undivided attention when he manages to snag the front passenger seat of the van from his older sister, like today when I left her at home alone for the first time (more about that later).

There have been other occasions when we have been sans big sister when he has talked my ear off. On May 3, I took Alex to American Heritage Girls. After we dropped her off, Michael moved up front and talked non-stop for the 20 minutes back home. The conversation ended abruptly when we got home, but the minute we got back into the car for the 20 minute ride back to the church to pick Alex up, he picked up right where he left off.

So today, over 3 weeks after this last intense conversation about all the workings of the Sonic the Hedgehog Lego set, I got into the car, Michael in the front seat. "Now where was I?" he asked. Somehow I knew exactly what he meant by that. And he dove right back into the important matter of Sonic Lego design.

I'm not a huge Lego fan (I know...go figure, since I just started an FLL team!), and I'm even less of a Sonic the Hedgehog fan. I've certainly never wanted to be one of those parents who tunes out their children, but I have to honestly admit that my mind tends to wander during these very-lengthy-he-doesn't-even-take-a-breath descriptions. I try to listen, honest I do. Today, though, I finally suggested, "Michael, why don't you draw pictures of these things you are describing for me because I'm not familiar with these characters so I really have no idea what you're talking about."

Here's where I hang my little homeschooling head in shame. Because he looked up and me and said, "That's how I am when you read all those books to us."

Touché. And ouch.

***********************

As I mentioned, we went out today, the 4 of us without Alex. She has been asking to stay home alone, but I just haven't been able to let go of all of my fears of what could happen to her. But today I did it. And only called her twice in the space of 30 minutes.

While we were gone, she made trail mix and set a place setting complete with a name card for each of her siblings. She poured Kool-Aid for each of them, and they all enjoyed a snack when we got home. In addition, she cleaned the kitchen and the dining room. I think I'll leave her at home alone more often.

Wordless Wednesday - Notice anything different?

Tea for Three

We went to a tea party this weekend. No, not the kind that took place on the lawn of the White House. A tea party with my two favorite girls in the world. Alex's American Heritage Girls troop hosted the tea. We invited our BFFs, and we had a great time together. After we feasted on the various dishes all the moms brought in to share, we had a couple of games. The girls took part in a relay meant to improve their posture: it was a race they completed with a book balanced atop their heads. While they took part in this, we moms wrote down stories from our past, which we thought our daughters would not be familiar with. Later these stories were read, and the girls had to try to match the stories with their moms. Alex guessed mine. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.

My story centered on a nasty wedge of tomato my parents were making me eat. I had passed at least an hour at the lunch table, the red piece of fruit glaring up at me. My parents had long since gone off to take their afternoon siesta as is the custom in Africa, and I was left to my misery, trying to conjure up the courage to stuff the slimy, tart thing in my mouth and gulp it down without gagging. I failed to muster up such courage. I could hear my dad snoring in the other room, and evil finally took over. I quietly pushed my chair back on the cement floor, stealthily opened the screen porch door, and snuck outside. I headed around to the side of the house and tossed the offensive tomato under a bridge that stretched across a ditch. Then I quietly let myself back into the house and cleared my plate like the responsible, helpful daughter I was. For weeks after that day, I would sneak around to the side of the house and cast furtive glances under the bridge. I was terrified a tomato plant would grow under the bridge and give me away.

Substitute Teacher

There are no sick days for us Homeschool Teachers, a.k.a. mommies. No phone number to call in the early morning hours to retain a substitute teacher. No Substitute Plans folder to lay on our desk in case of our absence. Nope, we just make do.

Or have an Alex.

Alex gently awakened me yesterday morning, my breakfast in her hand. She knew from the previous night that I was feeling a little under the weather. I spent most of yesterday in bed, and she freshened my glass of ice water on the hour.

She did all of her school work and then, with the use of her new AHG handbook, made up a motivational game to get the boys to finish theirs. The appendices of her new book are full of silly songs. The boys, silly boys that they are, are drawn to such songs. She made a deal with them. For every certain number of assignments they completed she would read the words to one silly song to them. They finished their work with no complaints.

She offered to make lunch and dinner, but I dragged myself out of bed just to remind everyone I'm still here and to make both meals, such as they were.

She finished all of today's schoolwork last night so that she would be free to help today.

This morning, she once again brought me breakfast in bed. Then I heard, "Come on, Audrey. I'll get you breakfast, and then we can do school, OK?"

Feeling a bit better today, I ventured out to the kitchen to pretend to get something so I could observe my substitute teacher. She sat with Audrey going over the alphabet cards, but not just going over them like I do. Really getting into each one. They reviewed the sounds each letter makes, and Alex discussed each picture on each card. "Look, Audrey! An iguana, just like my Webkinz! You know Jared, don't you?"

So I guess what I'm trying to say is a household does not really need a mommy to run; it just needs an Alex. 'Course this mom is sticking around so she can watch her Alex in action. It is such a precious memory, one I wish I could more effectively imprint on my brain with these words. And I say brain not heart because, well, it's already been captured there.

Wordless Wednesday - In Which Swimming Goggles Meet Snow