Randomness: Coping

We have been taking a lot of meals here lately. They'll eat; they'll stay quiet; I just act as the waitress.

You were the cutest ones in the Halloween parade--no doubt about it.

Happy Veteran's Day

I'm sorry you have to work.

Here Alida is making a "castle."

Sometimes I just give up and figure toys are really more expensive than a box of Kleenex or a box of wipes, so why do I care if they want to play with them now and again.

Last night Nicholas told me all about the garden of corn he was going to plant in the backyard--down to how it had to be put in rows in a garden, not just all over the yard.

I still have tomatoes on the vine I haven't gotten around to harvesting; now I guess I need to get a combine too.

I love this little house at the Botanical Gardens. It is loud and fun and they love it. And they are banging on things not in my house.

The weather has been beautiful, and I've been leaving the door open for you all to come and go outside. Benjamin came out and made a castle, and then I joined him and we made a moat and he put in the bridge. And then he asked for a flag. Easy enough. I found a couple of flag stickers and put them on top of a straw, and he was tickled.

The problem. The second that Ben got a flag from me, the other three immediately stopped doing what they were doing and attacked me for their flags. Then someone broke their flag; and two of them fought over their flags; and then Nicholas didn't like the way I made the flag; and in the end someone knocked down the castle. It is so hard to have simple moments.

Dora and Diego.

I love you.

Please come live at my house.

Alida was apparently not having anyone climb on her house.

(That's the neighbor kid--he's an awesome distraction. We encourage him to come over anytime, even if he tries to teach them to climb on top of the playhouse.)