Ice

When I was young, this latest storm would have been a whiz-bang of a snowstorm; the kind where everyone (and I mean everyone) would get out their sled or toboggan and head for the local sledding hill, and spend the day going down at lightning speed, back up at a steady plod, and drinking lots of hot chocolate. You knew you weren't going to be in school for a few days, perhaps a week. Slumber parties, popcorn, and rounds of Dark Tower ensued. It was a holiday of epic proportions.

But today, we have a sheet of ice, drizzle, and yuck. The boys are playing Starfall, dinosaurs are on the TV, and the fire won't catch. I am still sick as the proverbial dog. I am thinking about pulling out the popcorn just to cheer everybody up. Maybe I can find some hot chocolate. We can at least have the warm snuggly part of the snowday, right?

Wordless Wednesday: Comic Relief

I still have the flu. So here's some comic relief for you:
I love llamas.

In fond memory

moar funny pictures

My first icanhascheezburger pic. In fond memory of our Puma Girl.

Make My Day

A big thank-you to Maddy for this lovely award. I just gave out an award to the blogging folks I would normally pass this award along to- including Maddy herself- so instead I am going to take a time-out to recognize some not-blogging folks who "make my day" especially when I am down, out, and ready to cry.

First and foremost, I'd like to award this award to my husband, Allan. I don't really talk about Allan much here, because I am mostly focused on the boys and the times when poor Allan is slaving away in the salt mines to keep the roof over our heads, the food in our tummies, and the therapists providing service. But I am one of the luckiest women on earth to have a husband like my Allan. Here is a man who sees his tired wife at the end of the day, and offers to order pizza. This is a man who does laundry and dishes. This is a man who loves to wrestle with his boys. This is a man who thinks nothing of putting his sons to bed, and sitting with Joey until he falls asleep. This is the man who has put off putting Joey back in bed when he creeps into our in the middle of the night, because he won't be little long, and he's so cute! The fact that I married him just proves how clever I really am. ;)

This award also goes to my mom, who loves to take me to lunch (and the boys!), who is always here to remind me how much leeway to give my guys, and what normal looks like. My poor mom got a good dose of my life over the weekend when we went to the chocolate store, and Joey felt the need to push the cart down the aisle at top speed- with his brother in it. Trying to keep those guys contained was nothing less than monumental. After all, they were literally in a candy store! And yet she managed it, so I got two minutes to pick out some chocolate. She gets me through the day.

I also want to pass this along to my friend Christina. Every once in a while I actually get to talk to her. She sometimes shows up at my door with chai. Despite her own challenges, she is always genuinely happy about our little triumphs- and our huge accomplishments. She always tells it like it is. And besides, she has the wonderfully cheerful shade of brilliant red hair (natural!).

This goes to Janine, who has helped Joey through thick and thin, and even let me foam at the mouth (and foamed with me). Thank you for caring about Joey. Thanks for being a great OT. Thanks for being a bright point in our week.

Also to Anne, who shares her sanity every other week. I always look forward to seeing her smiling face, and hearing her gentle voice, and know I'm not the only one out here doing all of this. Also, to her kids; her daughter who shows such patience with Andy, and her son who has become such a great Tuesday Buddy for Joey.

Thanks for making my day.

Addicted

I have the flu. I need to go to sleep. I need to stop checking email from my students and go to bed.

Museum Day

So we went south to the Virginia Discovery Museum. Its a really great find if you have young children and are in Charlottesville. Not such a big deal to drive an hour and forty to specifically visit. If you're headed to Monticello, and the kids look bored, reward them with a stop in.

It has lots to do in a small space. There are train tables, machine to explore, dress-up stages, art rooms, a log cabin, and even a guinea pig. There is a special room just for toddlers with climbing equipment and lots of small exhibits for hands-on exploring. In the back there is an exhibit that changes; right now it is about Native Americans. And all the way back is a rel bee hive, the kind you can look for the queen bee.


It is all really exciting, and noisy, and lots of kids having fun. Everything seemed well-maintained, which is to be expected for $4 a head. The noise was a bit much for the guys, but we found the quiet spots- the loft in the log cabin was a favorite, because there was a window up there, so JOey could get into the light. The back room was quieter, too. Everything was interactive, so kids at several different levels could learn something from everything, without it being boring for parents. The space a bit small, though.

Joey resorted to tracking as he wore out, which was a little disconcerting. trying to talk about Native Americans or native Virginia plants or anything proved fruitless. Once he starts tracking, he's done. Maybe the next time we go for a Kluge day, we'll stop in again and bite off another small piece of learning...