Snow caves

Don't mind me, but I liked the Hanukkah border best. Since Christ is from the line of David and the six-pointed star also is called the Star of David, it seems fitting to use it in celebration that my Jewish Messiah has come. Therefore, Happy Hanukkah.

If you can believe it...

It was 7 degrees outside at 8:45am. It was 4 degrees at 1:30pm. And it was 2 degrees at 4:00pm. What comes to mind is Groundhog Day, the one radio DJ says, "Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today."
The Second DJ replies, "It's coooold out there every day." Yes, it is.
I think Spring will be a long time in coming.

Choose Your Favorite Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Square Dancing Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Charleston Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Disco Elves

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The Best of the Bad

So I staged some pictures, because I realized I haven't taken as many pictures this year as last. With four wiggly kids, blurry images, crossed-eyes or dirty faces...5 pictures out of the 50 seems an adequate return. If I had been optimistic, I would have been disappointed with one-tenth.



Here is my little tongue girl. If you look closely you can see I removed my fanciful crystal chandelier. It already moved to Texas. Ben and I hung a less exciting but pleasant chandelier.


Fritz wanted to wear my grandfather's bow tie and Alex chose a man's clip-on which explains the length. All men with two arms should know how to tie a tie...clip-ons are for little boys. In case you think I'm jabbing at my husband, I'm not. Ben has only real ties.

For some reason, Emily's eyes are the size of onions. She is expressive.


Clustered together. I love how Jane posed herself. Chubby little hands and elbows.

English plurals

As I teach my kids, I realize irregular plurals are perplexing. I came across this funny poem in Alex's English book.

One fowl is a goose, and two are called geese;
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole nest of mice;
Then why can't the plural of house be hice?
We speak of a brother and also of brethren;
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
So nouns and their plurals, it's easy to see,
Make an interesting study- I think you agree.

-Source unknown

A side note: Today I know the term brethren is antiquated. However, my children need to know that a group of Quakers are not being slandered by calling them Brethren. And when they read the KJV of the Bible they should understand that "brethern" refers to those related in the Lord.

I'm glad I'm a native speaker. Otherwise, I fear I would butcher the oxes and put the sheeps out to graze with the deers.

Thursday Sledding

We had the golf course to ourselves. It made sledding less treacherous. It really was as cold as it looks. The temp was around 20 degrees and my camera hand was in excruciating pain when I got home.




Sparky, who came home with us this week, tried sledding too. However after one ride down Sparky told Fritz he preferred to sit in the car.

Partially Moved

Our new backyard is a reminder that southern Texas has no seasons. We were amazed how hot it was over Thanksgiving. Packing the Uhaul in the snow made us think down south people will be wearing sweatshirts. Haaa. For example, our huge whiskey barrel flowerpot was frozen solid when it went into the truck. When we took it out the soil was loose and moist. Bizarre...where did all that ice go?

8 Things About Me

8 TV shows I love to watch

This list might indicate that I watch more TV than I do, but my favorite shows I do watch on DVD or when we get a chance to watch cable (which we don't have).

1. Divine Design
2. Flip This House
3. This Old House
4. I Dream of Jeannie
5. Ace of Cakes
6. Get Smart
7. Design Star
8. 17 Kids and Counting (I have a fascination with large families...how do they do it?)

8 Favorite Restaurants

Again we rarely eat out, but that doesn't mean I don't have a list. For someome who is not confident in her culinary skills, I appreciate other people cooking.

1. Pappadeaux
2. Hu Dat (Vietnamese)
3. Papa Murphy's Pizza
4. Shawarma King (Lebanese)
5. Sushiya
6. La Madeliene
7. Freebirds
8. Neiman Marcus' Zodiac Room

8 Things that Happened Today

1. I woke up with a hoarse voice
2. Jane woke up sad that her Halloween candy is all gone
3. We began school after eating eggs and carrot cake for breakfast
4. Ben came home in the morning unexpectedly, and then fell asleep
5. I packed 5 more boxes and stacked them
6. I called my sister to wish her happy birthday
7. Ben's mom called to report on our house in Texas
8. The sun came out

8 Things I Look Forward To

1. Finishing packing, and unloading the last item from the moving van
2. A clean, uncluttered house + a sold house
3. Sunday school
4. Time to sew, paint and create
5. Moving into our new house
6. A stimulating book
7. Listening to Rush
8. Having a tan again

8 Things On My Wish List

1. An Orka oven mitt
2. To educate my children to be thinkers, to desire to learn for themselves
3. To know my Bible, but more importantly to love more deeply
4. A trip to Japan, Israel and Spain
5. My own tennis court and a laundry line
6. To write a book
7. To have a quiet, uncomplicated life
8. To buy better groceries...like brie and water crackers

8 People I have tagged
(Don't feel obligated to participate as time is a precious commodity)

1. Jeanine
2. Jen B.
3. Jenny
3. Jessica
4. Lori
5. Margaret
6. Shayna
7. Stephanie
8. And you

To the test taker

Since I did the abbreviated version of formal school, I have a profound respect for my husband. He has taken the lengthy road. Today he sat for his annual 6 hour exam and I can promise you I wouldn't have switched places with him even if the kids had been running around the house smashing dishes. Give me a dust broom and I will clean up the fragments, but ask me to use my ailing intellect for 6 grueling hours and I would burst out into tears or eat a pound of chocolate and then rip the box of evidence to shreds. How amazingly God made my test taker. He is calm and steady...he has endured many a sleepless night, early mornings, weeks without a day off, demanding patients, psychotic attendings and being quizzed at all hours of the day. I am an emotional wreck and my tests only consist of wiping runny noses and being patient with my cute offspring. Aah, what appreciation I have for the test taker. Someday I hope to be more like him.