White Christmas

The "Great Blizzard of 2009" was not so great. At least, not in Bella Vista, AR. There is enough snow that my poor snow-deprived children can have fun. But there is not so much that we are trapped in my mother's house. NOT that I don't enjoy being here. It's been wonderful. But I suspect that she would get tired of us after a few days. My crew is a little rowdier than the ladies are used to. Then again, it might be fun. Snow angels. Hot chocolate. The new Star Trek movie on her gigantic screen tv.

We aren't quite 24 hours into our visit. It is too early for any disasters. It's been quite nice. Sloppy Joes last night. Turkey, ham, pea salad, 2 kinds of dressing, veggies, rolls and countless sweets tonight. Sometime today there is going to be pictures. We got some good pics last year of my siblings and I. I hope we can get my husband and kids to cooperate for a good Monzingo family picture.

Yes. So far, it's been just about a perfect Christmas.

Is Dad on Drugs?

The weather outside is crazy! We are celebrating Christmas in Arkansas with my mom, sister and Lindy. It is snowing. I suppose that is appropriate for Christmas Eve. However, I've become quite acclimated to Texas weather. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 inches of snow are predicted for this area. That is more snow than I've seen combined in my 16 years in the Dallas area.

The plan was to leave Oklahoma early. We were trying to miss the snow. We didn't leave as early as planned, but we still missed the snow. The rain never stopped the entire trip.

Kermit was feeling fun. He had his tooth pulled last Saturday. He's been on painkillers since then. Oh yeah. He was feeling fun. About an hour into our trip, Hannah started to notice that Dad was acting silly.

"Mom. Is Dad on drugs?" she shouts from the back seat.

"Yes, Hannah. Yes, Dad is on drugs."

The Fly

I sense a theme here. A spider in the shower and now a fly in my vehicle. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they met?

There is a fly in my truck. Everytime I get in the truck there is this one stupid fly divebombing my head. Cellphone distraction has nothing on this little guy. I've tried the nice approach. I open my windows in hopes that he'll decide that it is a good time to escape. Just when I think he's gone I hear that pesky buzzing. Now if that fly would stay in the back, I wouldn't care as much. But for some unfathomable reason the fly likes my head.

Stupid fly.

My Bathroom is Sparkly and There Was a Spider in My Shower.

These two things are not related, except that they happened in the same bathroom.

My bathroom shimmers with the residue of gold glitter hairspray. Gold glitter hairspray is a 'necessity' if you are dressing as a rockstar or fairy princess for Halloween. It also comes in handy if you are a witch, but is not essential.

We also had purple hairspray. Red, white, blue, green, and black tubes of creme make-up littered the countertop. Make-up sticks in a rainbow of colours and vampire teeth. Vampire teeth that came in four different, brilliant colours, because white is so last year. All these items plus a few things from the costume boxes produced a villian complete with pencil mustache and black cape, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Count Dracula, a rock-star, a fairy princess and a little pig. I donned on black clothes and slathered the green make-up over my face and neck. The reactions to my face surprised me. I frightened small children, except for one who thought I was funny. I've never received such attention from a costume. I still think it would have been better if I'd had spider jewelry.

Perhaps I could've used the spider from my shower. However, he was alive and I didn't think accessory would have been a fitting end. I like spiders. I read a book when I was a kid titled "Be Nice to Spiders". I loved that book. I still get excited when I see it in the library. Maybe because of that book I tend to let spiders alone. I will quickly and without any qualm end the life of any spider that might be dangerous (i.e. brown recluse, black widow). Those are few and far between. The rest I'm happy to let them go to eat all bugs that venture into my home. Given my appreciation of arachnids, it still disturbs me to be in a small enclosed space while exposed with a creature that might bite me. I considered snuffing it's life out, but I didn't want to touch it. So, I spent my shower warily watching the poor thing trying to escape. He didn't want to be there. He kept climbing up and slipping down. The conditions were, after all, wet and slick. I stayed on my side, washed and exited quickly. I'm sure he finally found a way out. I haven't seen the little spider since.

Small Child + Small Object + Small Nose

What is it about small objects that makes a small child want to put it into his small nose?

Mom tells me that when I was too little to talk, I put a curler sponge in my nose. She didn't see me do this. She didn't know anything was wrong until I started to stink. Gramma knew, because my Uncle Gene had stuck a bean up his nose when he was little.

I think just about everyone of my children has put something up their little noses. We've had a bit of carrot, Cheerios, a butterfly bead (more than once the same child put the same bead up her nose.) and now a popcorn kernel. We've managed to rescue the noses (or the small objects depending upon your point of view). Only once did we have to go to the hospital. The carrot will live in infamy.

You Haven't Changed a Bit

I missed the Theatre @ Southeastern reunion this weekend. I was a bit disappointed. I did want to be there. However, there was a part of me a bit anxious.

"You haven't changed a bit." That is the standard line. That's what you say to convey that the other person looks great. It's nice to see you. It's a compliment. Except that I want to have changed. I sincerely hope that I am not as self-centered, reckless and stupid as I was in my early 20s. I hope that I have gained some wisdom, some self-control. But these are changes from the inside. There is that small part that would like to think that I still look good. If not, oh well. It's all vanity anyway.

It's Raining Again, But I Still Feel Good

It has been raining, again. It's been raining for weeks. I can't quite remember the last time I saw the sun in a clear blue sky. I don't mind the rain. We need it. I don't mind the slightly cooler temperatures. It is appropriate for the time of year. I do miss the sun. No, I miss the sky. I miss that big, blue Texas sky. The sky that stretches forever. That sky that feels like possibilities.

My eyes miss that sky, but after today I feel that I have a bit of it inside. Today, my oldest son shared his testimony in sacrament meeting. Speaking in front of a crowd, even a friendly one, can be daunting for one of any age. He handled himself so well. He spoke clearly. His testimony was short and simple. Perfect. For just a moment, I was able to imagine that he actually did listen to me from time to time.

I love my family. My children can be so frustrating one moment and then completely delightful the next. They are lovely, lively little people. I always want to do my best for them. I often fall short. I will keep trying and I will keep hoping. Eventually, I will have it all figured out.

Goodies

I believe Sarah is becoming reconciled to the fact that someday we are going to eat the chickens. She named one of them Goodies. She even said that it might be OK the eat Goodies or even Watermelon. She cried the first time I told her that we were going to eat Watermelon. So, the named chickens are: Watermelon, Sunflower and Goodies. I still can't tell them apart, but Sarah seems to know who is who.

Sunshine (one of the cats) caught a mouse last night.

"Ew! Ew! Sunshine caught a mouse!" squealed Hannah. Sure enough, a very pleased kitty cat was batting around a small, expired mouse.

"Is she going to eat it?" Hannah asked.

"Probably." I reply. And she did. Mostly. There was half a mouse on the porch this morning. It seemed to be the right size.

Ahoy There Mateys

Step. Thunk. Step. Thunk. Step. Thunk. This is the sound Jacob makes as he walks in his bright orange straight leg walking cast. Stepthunkstepthunkstepthunk. This is the sound he makes when he tries to run in his bright orange straight leg walking cast. Yesterday, when I was listening to the slow walk across the kitchen floor, I kept wondering if this is what a pirate with a wooden leg sounds like. Thinking of pirates, I next remembered meeting my future brother-in-law for the first time.

Kermit took me to meet his sister, Tara, and her husband, Cash. We had a nice dinner. We were engaged in conversation, when out of the blue Cash says, "So, I hear you're a pirate."

We were all a little surprised. I wondered if there was some family joke that I didn't know yet. The looks on Kermit's and Tara's faces told me that they didn't know what was going on either. I stammered some sort of reply.

What we had failed to appreciate was Cash's inner conversation. The comment made perfect sense to him. He had noticed that I had a tattoo. He started pondering tattoos and who would typically have a tattoo. I'm glad he passed over biker babe and sailor before he landed on pirate.

Today, I am listening to Jacob step-thunk his way across the kitchen floor. Maybe we are part pirate.

One Little Monkey Jumpin on the Bed...

Jacob and the little girls were jumping on the bed Friday. The girls leapt off the bed into a pile of pillows. Jacob tried to follow. He didn't quite make it. His little leg got caught in between the mattress and the foot of the bed. His leg broke. Nice clean fracture of the tibia. We were at Children's Hospital ER until 4 am. Seven hours with a little boy who was tired and hurt. It was not an episode that I'd like to repeat.

He was quite grumpy yesterday. I'm sure the leg was hurting more. And his entire right leg is in a cast. He can't move around like he wants. We had a devil of a time keeping him happy and still. Nineteen month old boys do NOT want to be still.

Today he is in better spirits. I'm glad of it. I'm slightly worried about how he will cope. However, little children seem to adapt so well to a variety of circumstance. I probably shouldn't worry too much. This will be a bit of a burden on the other kids. We had to miss the library summer reading swim party. I suspect swimming is over for the summer. I'll have to find some way to make it up to them.

I am grateful that it wasn't worse. If the fracture had been higher up or in his knee, he would've had to have had surgery. As it is, he only needs a cast for 4-6 weeks. Toddler in a cast for 6 weeks. awesome.

Joseph's Birthday Water Slide

Happy Birthday Joseph

Today was not Joseph's birthday. That occurred the 28th of July. But today is the day we celebrated. Since Joseph turned 8, we had a big, and I mean BIG, birthday party.

I rented an inflatable water slide. We invited friends and neighbors. Oh. Can't forget the monster eyeball cake. Red velvet. So, that when you slice the cake, it somewhat resembles monster innards. Most important of all, the baptism.

There were a few storms predicted for that day. And it the rain was pouring and the wind blowing when the party began. But it was a very short storm. The waterslide was a hit. The kids loved it. I loved it. I went down a few times with Jacob. Once with Sarah. Once was all Sarah wanted. I think it was a bit scary for her. The platform was about 14 feet high. You climb up the back and then go careening down into a small pool. It is not a slow, easy slide. You pick up more speed than you expect at the end. There is no control. It was fabulous.

About the time they were ready for a break, we had a treasure hunt. Daniel helped me set up two paths to the treasure. We took close-ups of different things on the property and used those as clues. Things like a big planter that was on the front porch, a stack of wood, a balloon, a chicken. The treasure was a rather generous amount of candy.

Then it was time for presents and monster eyeball cake. We made it through presents and blowing the candles out when the kids decided that it was time to slide again. I'm thinking that I need to rent another water slide for our 4th of July bash next year.

I'm so thankful for everyone that came. Especially, our friends in Forney. It is not a real quick drive. I know that it meant a lot to Joseph to have his friends.

The baptism was very nice. Catie White and Joseph were both baptized. There is something extra special about having more than one baptism take place. My sister and I were baptized at the same time. I don't remember every detail, but remember how I felt. Soaking, dripping wet in heavy wet baptism clothes, but feeling light as a feather. So, happy. So, joyful. I think about that feeling everytime I'm at a baptism. I think Joseph was happy. He was a little bit giggly in the font. But Joe has always been amused with life.

We came home in another rain shower. By the time it cleared up, there was a rainbow. Two rainbows. The inside one was brilliant. It was a lovely close to a lovely day.

Watermelon

Food should not have names. Since our first chick, I have avoided naming the chickens. Yes, they are primarily for eggs, but that doesn't disqualify them from becoming dumplings. We didn't allow the kids to name the chickens. Try telling that (or anything) to Sarah. She has dubbed one of the chickens "Watermelon". Watermelon distinguishes herself from the rest of the flock by her liking of dry cat food. Sarah does not approve of this habit. I overheard her telling Hannah that "Watermelon came on her teeny tiny toes to eat the kitty food. I told her no, no, no, but she just said bawk, bawk, bawk all around and then she went to play with her chicky friends."

Good-bye Hank the Chicken Dog

Hank, our not-so-little puppy, was hit by a car yesterday. We aren't even sure when it happened. He often crawls under my bed to nap with Annie. It wasn't until evening that I realized that he was missing. I found him on the other side of the road. He had been dead for some time. Hannah and Joe were particularly upset over the news. I felt especially bad that he died alone. Annie was outside looking for him last night. I could hear her barking for him.

Hank came to us when he was seven weeks old. Little Anne was in need of dog company and so we embarked on a great puppy hunt. Friends of mine had a German Shepherd that had puppies. He was so timid and as all puppies are, extremely cute. When we brought him home, he wanted Anne. She wasn't too impressed with him. The kids loved Hank. Hank wasn't too sure about the kids.

Hank did not stay small or timid. He got used to us and Anne decided that he was OK. He learned quickly. It didn't take long at all to house-break him. That didn't stop the occasional accident. After all, he was still a puppy. On my birthday, he left a "present" in my closet. We think he ate something that didn't agree with him. And then last Friday he took a nice long drink out of the toilet and peed in the floor.

He was on his way to being a good dog. He dug up just about everything I planted, whether in the ground or in a pot. He ate out of the trash can. And he chased the chickens. But he did leave me a few flowers. He learned to get things out of the trash without knocking the whole can over. And he never made a serious attempt to catch the chickens, he just liked to see them scatter.

Today our house is a little quieter.

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty

Poor Hank. He is a little concerned about the cat. He won't voluntarily go outside if she is by the door. I've had to push him out the door, past AC/DC. I wish that he would give my flowers as much space as he gives the cat.

Hannah's 1st Piano Recital

Hannah's very 1st piano recital was tonight. She was nervous. First thing this morning she told me that she didn't feel so good. She didn't want to do the recital. Nerves. She was all nerves. I told her that she was perfectly normal. It was OK to be nervous. Gramma Monzingo and Aunt Michelle were there. Hannah was especially nervous, because she was first. She did just fine.

The Value of a Dime

This morning Elizabeth came to me very excited.

"Mom. Mom. Sarah gave me TWO pennies for my ONE dime. TWO PENNIES. How much cents do I have now?"

I think Elizabeth got scammed by her little sister. I think this week will be money lessons.

Discover Oklahoma!...or something like that.

The kids and I were able to spend most of last week in Oklahoma. It was nice. Christmas was the last time we were there. May is too long to wait to see family. The original plan was to stay through the weekend. We made it until Friday. Not that he would say anything, but I could tell that Kermit needed help. Add to that, the kids spent just about all of Thursday grumping at each other. It was time to be home.

On the first night at Gramma's I had the most terrible dream. We were still travelling, the kids and I. I drove off an impossibly high cliff. As the truck went hurtling toward the earth, everyone fell out. The truck landed upside down, the children were scattered like dropped toys. If I could find everyone and scoop them up, they would be OK. I couldn't find Jacob. I had everyone else, but not Jacob. I was frantic. There were two emergency personnel standing by, but they were not helping. They just stood, smiled and did a parade wave. Completely useless. And I was completely helpless.

Monday evening, shortly after we arrived, we went to see Jim Bohannan. The kids, particularly Daniel and Hannah, are seriously questioning how we are all related.

Daniel: "Is Grandpa Bo your REAL dad? Hannah says that he is your real dad."

Mom: "What do you mean by REAL dad?"

Daniel: "Is he your biological father?"

Mom: "Yes. But Grandad adopted Aunt Jada and I when I was your age. He's my dad."

Joe: "WHAT!? You're adopted? Is Franny your real mom?"

It was so much easier when they were younger. They just kind of accepted that everyone in Oklahoma was named grandma and grandpa. Now they are older. They are trying to make sense of the world. I am trying to answer their questions honestly and simply without too much emotional baggage.

I sometimes wonder how my life would be different if the first divorce hadn't happened. Or the second. Or the third. Would I be any happier? The family tree would be less complicated, but that doesn't guarantee felicity.

My 'original' set of parents married much too young. In my adult years, I learned that the relationship was abusive. I understand why that divorce happened. It needed to happen. But the second one...I remember when my mother told me. She was sitting on her bed. I was standing next to the closet in her room. She used his name when she told me. Not 'Dad'. She used his name, like she was trying to erase some of the pain. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to react. I couldn't even cry. I was hurt, but I didn't know it yet.

So, I sometimes wonder how my life would be different, but I don't regret my life. All the experiences, good and bad, have shaped who I am today. I feel the inconvenience, the frustration, the chaos, the complexity, the hurt of being a child of divorce. However, it doesn't weigh me down.

I've spent too much time trying to suppress or push away the negative emotions. It is only when I have allowed myself to feel them and embrace them that I found some measure of peace. It's OK to feel bad. It's OK to feel angry or hurt or depressed or whatever. My reactions to the feelings are more important than the feelings themselves. Besides, it's not all bad. I have the most awesome stepmom ever! I can't say enough good about her.

Well. This has been lengthy and rather personal. In order to lighten the mood a bit, I'll close with a 'Sarah' quote.

Says Sarah (my delightful 3 year old) to her Great-Grandma Ellene (equally delightful) about Grandma's new puppy: "If he is bad, we can take him to Texas and my daddy will shoot him with his BB gun."

BLESSED ART THOU MOTHER

Got this gem for Mother's Day yesterday. Thank you, Monty and Agnes.


BLESSED ART THOU MOTHER

Blessed art thou woman,
For thou shalt be called Mother.
Yea, and thy chores and thy tasks
Shall follow thee all the days
Of thy life.

And thou shalt eat the bread
Of thine own baking and
Thou shalt dwell forever in a
Dirty house if thou doest not choose
To clean it thyself.

Thou shalt arise before the cock
Croweth and thou shalt say unto
Thine self, “Where are the offspring
Which were given me? Yea, and the sun
Has risen high in the sky and the
Hour is getting late; wherefore, I
Have been long at my labors.”

And thou shalt go and find thy
Offspring prostrate on their cot.
And thou shalt say unto them, “Haste,
Arise and shine, for I have many labors for thee
To perform, wherefore, I have
Been many hours already preparing the way.”

And thine offspring shall linger in sleep
And shall say unto thee, “Thou didst
Not watch the late, late, late show
As I did last night and mine eyes are
Heavy and mine bones acheth.”

And thou shalt say unto thy offspring,
“Get thee up from thy cot
Ere I lay hand upon thee
And go ye hither and scrub a
Sparkling tub, for thou has left black rings upon
Its sides.”

And thy offspring shall say unto thee,
“I will go and do thy bidding, ….in a minute.”
And thy rage shall know no end
And thou shalt weep and wail
And gnash thy teeth mightily.

Nevertheless; thou shalt scrub
A sparkling tub thyself and glory
Shall be added unto thee, for thou didst
Not strike the lazy beast.

Thou art blessed above all others
And thy descendants shall call thee
Blessed, for thou prepares a table before them.
Thou cookest meat and all manner of
Tasty vittles, and they shall sit at the
Table with thee and partake with thee.

And they shall add glory to thy crown
For they shall let thee also wash the
Dishes, if thou wilt.
And when the night falleth, thou shalt be pooped.
And thy offspring shall say of thee,
“She is an old woman wherefore
She neither goes dancing, nor does she
Watch the late, late, late show.”

Thy art and thy craft shall make thee
Called on and thou shalt labor at
Many tasks in the kingdom for whosoever
Asketh, thou do his bidding.

Thy back shall acheth with arthritis
Thy cane and thy husband
Shall be thy support.
Thy veins shall be varicose
In thy aching legs but thou shalt
Do thy labor with a smile, neither
Shalt thou gripe for in the day
That thou doest, thy name shall be mud.

Nevertheless, thou art blessed for
Thou art crowned with the angels
On the second Sunday of May on each
And every year.

Wherefore thou shalt be blessed above
All others for thou art Mother
And thou shalt find peace and joy in
Thy offspring forever and ever,
If thou endureth to the end!

Our New Puppy

This is Hank.

Hank is 7 weeks old. The kids named him after Hank the Cow Dog. He is part German Shepherd and part travelling sales dog. He came to live at our house this week. He is a little timid, but also very smart.

Ann is not too sure what to think about her "little brother". Hank certainly likes Ann. He tries so hard to get her to play. She doesn't seem too interested.

The kids like him. Joseph wants Hank to sleep in his bed. Elizabeth likes to play follow the leader with Hank. He will follow her everywhere. Jacob liked the puppy until the puppy started washing his face. Hank was a little sad his first couple of days. Daniel sat with him until he felt more comfortable. Even Dad likes Hank.

Out of the Box

Facebook has a lot of quizzes. They are silly, somewhat fun and embarrassingly addictive. I've taken way too many quizzes. I now know that I am an existential, moderately liberal, pheglmatic hobbit. Who knew?

These personality defining quizzes are interesting. I don't put that much faith in the accuracy of the results. However, I do spend a lot of time trying to figure myself out. There is something comforting in knowing parameters. I know the limits. I know how to work within my little box.

On the other hand, nobody likes to be labeled. Confined to one view. The security of the boundaries sometimes give way. There is freedom. I break free from others expectations. I redefine my edges as I learn more. I learn more about myself, about others, about life.

I Never....

"I will never live in Dallas."
I've lived in Dallas for about 13 years and loved it.

"I will never get married." and/or "I will never get married before 30."
Kermit and I have been married 13 years. It's not a very long time. I just can't imagine where I'd be without him. Oh. I was 26 when I got married.

"I'm a city girl. I'll never live in the country."
Oh boy. Where do I start on that one? Not only do I live in the country and love it, I own chickens.

"I'll never drive a Suburban."
Just bought a charcoal grey Suburban. I am officially a SUV-driving soccer mom.

The point is, never say never. Wait a minute. I just said "never". Hmmm. not sure how to get around that. Maybe it should be "never say never about the silly things."

Wildflowers

I love this picture of Jacob in the Indian paintbrushes. I love that I have so many beautiful wildflowers growing on our property. I'd like to see even more. This year I'll spread some bluebonnet seed. Jacob did like checking out the flowers. He just likes to be outside. He has learned to open the screendoor on his own. I've caught him outside unsupervised more than once. If Ann is anxious to go outside, I know that a small child is already out.

We spent a lot of time in the yard today. Joseph helped move some trees that got ran over. Hannah stacked wood. Jacob dug in the dirt. Sarah terrorized Jacob. It was a good day.

Life's Too Short For Uncomfortable Shoes

On Easter Sunday, little girls all over put on their lovely new dresses and shiny new shoes. Hair brushed and faces washed they march off to church. This morning Sarah put on her soft pink dress with the smocking and the ribbon roses. Her hair is brushed. Her face is washed. It is time to go and she gets her pink boots. Pink snow boots with a lovely pink Easter dress. I'm not sure if they were the first pair she had. Or maybe she was matching her shoes to her dress. I think they were just comfortable. They are soft and warm and cozy. They are easy to put on. They are water repellant.

I put on high heels. They looked fine with my outfit. They had a chunky not-too-high heel. Nice neutral color. They were not painful to wear. I've owned some shoes that looked fabulous, but were torture to wear. To get back to the point. My shoes were not bad, but neither were they great. I found myself wishing for my fuzzy slippers or bare feet or Sarah's boots.

Shoes are not my favorite thing. I don't like shopping for shoes. I don't like trying to get the right shoe for the right outfit. I don't really like wearing shoes unless I really have to. That is not to say that I hate shoes. I've found some that I love. Once I tried on a pair of knee-high high-heeled red leather boots. Wow. Those were awesome. Unfortunately, the budget did not allow it at that time. I still regret not getting those boots.

Friendly Visit

My friend, my lovely, wonderful, fabulous friend is coming to visit tomorrow. I don't get to see her as often as I like, so her arrival will be greeted with much joy. The kids absolutely adore her. She has been like a Pied Piper to them. There will be a flurry of activity as they each compete to get more of her attention. At some point, if we are fortunate, they will go do their own thing. If they cannot decide to go of their own accord, I will stronly urge them to find a new distraction. And then it will be my turn to try to bring as much joy to my friend as she brings to me. Everyone should have a friend like mine. She is optimistic, generous, loving, and funny. She never makes her bed and her house is just as cluttered as mine. I think she owns a watch. However, it doesn't really coincide with the rest of the world. I always tell her a 30-45 minute earlier start time if I want her to be on time. She listens with all her attention. She is fiercely loyal. Yes. Everyone should have a friend like mine. I consider myself very fortunate to have one such as her.

Hannah Homecoming

After a week of being spoiled rotten in Arkansas, my Hannah is home. She has mixed feelings about being home. She called on the way to the airport to find out if she could stay longer. She thought it would be a great idea if she stayed until Easter. Lindy even called to put in her vote for the idea. I think "no" popped out of my mouth before the mark punctuated the question. I'm glad that Hannah has family and friends that love her and that want her around. Everyone should feel so loved. BUT, we love her, too. It's time to be home. It's time to have my family intact.

It is endlessly fascinating to me how much difference in the dynamics of the family one person can make. Hannah is a lively center of attention. She gets the party started. She is a great help. The little kids love her. But, there is more noise when she is home. That's OK. We love her, as is.

I picked her up from the airport. She had a lot to say about her week. It was good for her. She spent time with her favorite cousin. They watched movies. Went shopping with Franny. Took lots of pictures. Aunt Jada did her hair. Hannah didn't like having to sit for that. She wishes that she had gotten to see Gramma Ellene. Overall, it sounds like a good time.

Now she is home. Jacob was a bit shy of her at first. Sarah was ready for her to be home, as was Elizabeth. The boys I think were glad to have her back, but they would never admit it.

The Laughing Monzingos

Two days after Jacob was born, Dinah (our midwife) made a home visit. During the process of the check-up, Kermit made some joke. We all laughed.

"Ah. The Laughing Monzingos," she said.

It was true. We do laugh a lot. We laugh for fun. We laugh when we are uncomfortable. We laugh because are kids are funny. We laugh to keep from crying.

Finding humour is sometimes our only tether to sanity.