A quick camera cord update

So we got home from our Yellowstone trip tonight and Eric was looking at the pictures we took on our trip. He was sitting at the computer less than an hour after we walked in the door and asked, "Hey, Kari - have you found the cord to the camera yet?" I paused for dramatic effect- pretending like I really had to think about whether I had found it or not- then responded disappointedly, "Oh no- not yet." He just nodded his head, but I'm pretty sure a seed has been planted in fertile soil. We just have to wait and see what I can reap. Do I know my husband or what!?!

Summertime Dinner Conversation

I know I haven't blogged in awhile and its not because we haven't done anything. Its because I can't find the cord that hooks my camera up to my computer and it just isn't as fun to read about our summertime festivities without the accompanying photos. I figure this problem will be remedied when one of two things happens- either I randomly find the cord in a place like the meat and cheese drawer in my fridge where most likely Suzie has put it- OR- I can somehow make this Eric's problem so he will see the urgency of the situation. When I presented my dilemma to him his response was, "Well, it has to be there somewhere." Besides stating the obvious he hasn't been too helpful. But when we get home from our Yellowstone trip next week and he wants to download the pictures he took of elk and moose, he may just have a bit more motivation to help me. It has taken me 12 years, but I am slowly but surely learning how to "turn my head." (See "My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding" where the mom says, "The man is the head of the household, but the woman is the neck and she can turn the head any way she wants.")
Anyway in the meantime I thought I would give you a little slice of the type of dinner conversation we have at our house. Tonight I made breakfast for dinner. I made up a plate for Suzie with a waffle, eggs and a little curled up piece of bacon.
Annie looked at it and said, "Look, Suzie's bacon is in a spiral."
To which Finn responded, "Annie, you don't have to use those brainy words. It's summer you know."
Man, it is so annoying when you are trying to dumb down your brain for the summer and someone keeps trying to make you think by using big, brainy words like "spiral."

A Boring Sunday Afternoon

On Sundays I try to not let my kids watch TV. I do this because I like Sunday to have a different feel than any other day during the week. I'm not a sabbath-day nazi or anything- but I just like a day without having the noise and distraction of TV. Consequently Sundays are the days my kids are the most creative. They make forts or pull each other around on blankets all over our wood floor or play board games. This past Sunday I was downstairs wrapping a present for a family birthday party when Annie came down and said, "We are playing hide n' seek and Finn wants you to come find him." So after I finished the present I went upstairs. I immediately noticed that all the appliances and bread were taken out of my "appliance hutch" or "bread box." In case you don't know what that is- here is a picture of it on my counter. I wondered why everything was taken out, so I opened it to find this:

Yes, that is my 80 lb ,nearing 5'2" son scrunched inside the bread box with his church clothes still on. I asked him what made him decide to get inside it. He said he was getting out some bread to make a sandwich and got curious about what was inside so he pulled it all out. Then when he saw it empty he wondered if he could fit inside. And low and behold he could. Finn has a very sublime goal of not sleeping in his bed the whole summer. So far he has slept on the floor, on the couch, in the guest bed, outside in our playhouse and at his cousin's house. I told him if he runs out of places to sleep, now the bread box can be a choice. Or maybe we can use it as a form of punishment like the "chokey" in Matilda. Either way once my other kids saw Finn do this, they all wanted a turn getting in the bread box.

I even gave it a try, but because I have the flexibility of a tree branch I couldn't quite get my legs in with my body. Finn took a picture but because of the angle he took it from it looks a little like I'm giving birth so I decided against sharing it with everyone.

But oh the joys of Sunday afternoons. Maybe next week we'll see if we can fit in the dryer!

Maryland is very lucky.

This is my friend Amber. Most people would probably be upset at me for posting a picture like this of them on their public blog. But not Amber, because that is the type of person and friend she is. We all have different friends and acquaintances that we have varying levels of comfort with. In just three short years Amber has become one of my closest and most comfortable friends. And since she is moving all the way to Maryland in less than 3 days, I wanted to proclaim to the world the kind of friend she is:

She's the kind of friend who...

*I can pick my wedgie out in front of.

*knows my daily/weekly schedule, so she knows when she can call to chat or to babysit!:)

*knows all my secrets and loves me not only in spite of them but maybe because of them too.

*knows exactly how much she can tease or make fun of me.

*can match my wit text for text.

*loves my children.

*will defend me to the end... even to 80 year old VTing supervisors.

*I can talk to about anything.

*will force me to have a Snickers ice cream bar to keep myself from buying a bikini.

*shares her treats with me almost ever time she makes them.

*always has the ingredient I am looking for when I need to borrow one.

*will be goofy/dorky with me and then make fun of me for it.

*will drop everything to have lunch together.

*will let me swear in church and tell me I must be right because I didn't get struck down.

*allow me to become another sister in her family without having to marry any of her brothers.

*makes me laugh when I am crying.

*lets me cry.

*toilet papers my house.

*shares recipes with me.

*lets me rummage through her cupboards looking for treats.

Basically Amber has become like another sister to me and I feel like a little piece of my heart will be broken when she leaves on Monday. But my one saving grace is- like I said before- I feel like I have become a member of her family and when she comes to visit or they go to visit her- I had better be included! I have all the benefits of the family without all the obligation! Its great! I really do love you Amber and am so grateful for all you've done and brought to my life. I truly believe that the Lord moves us in and out of each other's lives just when we need them. And I don't doubt for a minute why you have been part of my life the past three years. The Lord knew I needed you. Now my only question is this: If the Lord feels like you are suppose to be in Maryland, what does that mean for my life?!?:) Because you know it really is all about me and my needs. Seriously, sisters/friends like you are rare to find and I will have a hard time finding someone to fill your shoes. But in case anyone wants to know Julie and I are accepting Sister/BFF applications for anyone who wants to apply.

I love you Amber! Maryland is indeed very lucky.

May Tinkling of the Ivories

For as long as I have been involved with piano, May has always been the month for recitals. And this May was no different, except Finn was one the doing the playing. So here is Finn's stunning rendition of "Willie the Whale." This really is for Grandpa and Grandma in Prague who couldn't come to the recital, but if you ask me, this is the best way to support a recital. Only one song to listen to played by one of your favorite people. Oh and sorry about the shaky camera- work. I must have been having some sort of caffeine- withdrawals or something like that!

The best compliment I've gotten all week

I was outside playing basketball with Finn and my 9 year old nephew, Michael. I wasn't asked to play by any means, but joined their game anyway. After a few minutes of showing them by ball stealing and lay-up skills, I heard Michael ask Finn, "Has your mom played basketball before?"
Finn: "I don't know. Why?"
Michael: "Because it seems like she played in high school or something."
Does playing church-ball for 3 years and scoring a total of 2 points all three years count as "playing" in high school? Either way- thanks for recognizing Michael.

Michael, the one who knows talent when he sees it, is the one on the far left.

Partied like I was having a mid-life crisis!

Yep! That's what I did last night and this is who I did it with:
In case you can't tell who this is- its Eagles-early 70s rock band who each band member went on to have fairly successful solo careers until they reunited in 1994. Thank you Wikipedia.

And I must say there are a few things that surprised me about this whole event. First of all these guys didn't look nearly as cool and suave last night as they do in this picture. They looked like they had just finished a day of working in the yard and then decided they would go put on a concert for thousands of people. They looked seriously old. At one point one guitar player, Joe Walsh, looked extremely confused like he was either low on oxygen or high on something else. But I have learned- again Wikipedia- that he is a teetotaller. Which means he practices the practice and promotion of abstinence from alcohol. And guess what- same-same! I am a teetotaller too. But I didn't realize it had such a cool name and I'm pretty sure Joe Walsh hasn't been one his whole life- like myself. Which is one of the reasons why I could only party like I was having a mid-life crisis as opposed to partying like an early, twenty-something who doesn't know who she is! Anyway- once I got past the fact that they looked like they had current subscriptions to AARP and that they dressed like my Dad- I realized they still put on a good show. Not that I have ever been to their concert before- I mean c'mon I was in diapers during the height of their popularity- but I was amazed at the number of their songs I knew very well. It was interesting to see the range in ages of the people there- people I could have taught in elementary school, people who could be my parents or grandparents and people who teach my daughter in preschool-(That's a little shout-out to Katie's preschool teacher-Ms. Lorie who we saw on the FRONT ROW with her husband! I'm pretty sure she had been to one of their concerts before.) Anyway it was a fun and entertaining concert to attend and thanks to Amber who helped me release my inner fifty year old!