To make up for someone's lost time

I am not sure where the days went this week. Dean's stepfather lost his fight with life, and we are heading North to celebrate his days and be with family. I never knew him well enough, since he had such a tremendous impact on the man I love to watch raise our children.

Thank you for all the things you taught the people in our lives, Robert! Godspeed.

Alan Jackson's Song For The Life

Cook, cook, cook for your father

OK, technically, it was more cutting and arranging that cooking, but it was a first of sorts since Jack took on most of the prep. He probably had more fun acting as Dean's waiter, but it is good practice for his future husband-dom, right?? Harry stepped in to help with the finishing touches...we ended up with a football feast - thank you, boyos!

Rolling Stones' Cook Cook Blues

I feel like letting my freak flag fly

Thursday was Crazy Hair Day - they thought it was hilarious to use a hair dryer for the first time, but I think we're safe...neither dug the mouse, even tho we pretended it was whipped cream and both of them had pretty much combed it back to normal by the time they got home.

Cuts are on the agenda for this week ;-)

Crosby, Stills and Nash's Almost Cut My Hair

Interjections! (Well!) Show excitement (Oh!) or emotion (Hey!)

We've found a whole treasure trove of videos that were in storage, and we broke out the School House Rock today. Much to Jack's annoyance, but then he listened and decided he LOVED it! They can't wait to see the other episodes, so thankyouthankyouthankyou, Miss Heidi for a much-loved gift!

I've decided that Harry's latest title should be Mr. Interjection. He's all about spicing up the verbage and has been reading enthusiastically to his class recently. Makes me wish I could have deciphered all those extended unintelligible chats he had when he was a teeny ;-)

According to Dictionary.com:
4. Grammar.
a. any member of a class of words expressing emotion, distinguished in most languages by their use in grammatical isolation, as Hey! Oh! Ouch! Ugh!
b. any other word or expression so used, as Good grief! Indeed!

School House Rock's Interjections

The pride of both THEIR parents WERE the wild colonial boyS

The boys returned to Colonial Day at school - they were a little bit excited to dress up and learn about colonial times, and it seems like they even remembered some of it, judging by their conversation with Dean tonite.

Posing

Their version of American Gothic?
Just throwing this one in to prove I can get them both to look at the camera on occasion ;-)

Off to school.....

They even wrote with old fashioned quills - we'll see how modern cleaners work on old-fashioned ink LOL. Maybe this is how Ben Franklin started, eh?

It's Spirit Weeek, and tomorrow's Twin Day - I think we have that one covered ;-)

The Clancy Brothers' Wild Colonial Boy

When I'm FORTY-four

My friend Colleen sent this me-me a while back and I thought I'd keep it until the 4's were upon me in full force; I cut the list to four. It's actually not so bad turning double-4's :-)

1. Four places I shop: Target, Kroger, TJMaxx, Barnes & Noble

2. Four places I'd rather be:
With Dean

Ocracoke

Sleeping

At the movies

3. Four people I depend on: Dean, Jackie, Nicole, Christina

4. Four TV shows I watch: The Good Wife, American Idol, Chelsea Lately, Raising The Bar

And this is how sweet boys learn to celebrate the people they love - thank you, Dean!

I woke to find a trail of sweet heart candy leading me downstairs to the gifts and cards, shared birthday cake for breakfast, took Harry to the gym for my class where sweet friends were full of kind wishes, came home to beautiful flowers and more thoughtful wishes than I've had a chance to read on FB, went to see a cute movie with my favorite guys who then took me to a late lunch. We chilled out and enjoyed the entire day, so the mid-40's are looking great - thank you for our life :wub:

The Beatles' When I'm Sixty-four

Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?

It was lego sort of Christmas and the boys have been stuffing their playroom of late, but they still love an afternoon at the library. Harry's reading a really long chapter book and Jack's working thru a stack of puzzles.
Harry bought this Playmobil bathroom (surprise!) set yesterday and practiced his plumbing skills today. One of his latest favorite things to do with Daddy is ask him what all the bathrooms he visited on his business trips looked like - the comparison of color handles, brands of toilets, sinks, etc. are an endless source of entertainment recently.

He put the instructions to good use (and I caught some wild sun rays with the camera - yes, Virginia, there IS a sun)

and checked himself out in the tiny mirror ;-)

Jack decided the sponge made a great brain and did a little neurosurgery on the poor guy who probably just signed on for a shower or other mundane experience

He put him back, so I'm guessing we don't have a budding Sid (ala Toy Story) on our hands...whew!

Beach Boys' When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)

But don't touch my hat

A little pride in a job well-done!

The boys got special trips to spend some of their Christmas loot as soon as they earned 5 red days at school -Harry's day was today :-) He refused to take this hat off, and even asked if he can wear it to basketball on Friday. It may not be obvious to the casual observer, but he painstakingly colored the entire hat and all the H-words around the band....our minimalist boy has developed a love of markers and color, to be sure!

Jack wanted to be sure he was in the background showing how proud he was of Harry ('even tho this is my EIGHTH red day'). It was a sweet afternoon - thank you, boys!

And thanx to Aunt Jackie and Fun Em for starting my celebrations off right over yummy eats - you girls ROCK (just like the new one on your finger, Em - congrats!)

Lyle Lovett's Don't Touch My Hat

I am woman, hear me roar (randomly)

Keely does this cool random thing - go on over and check it out!

I *think* it's still Tuesday, and I've been feeling pretty random lately, so here goes:

Global warming? Pshaw! We have snow on the ground, snow on the dirt road to our old house, and our old deck is still covered...they say the end is near, we'll see. I'm still holding onto my Snow Dance shoes for Monday ;-)

I wonder how many secrets are told right out in the open....I was walking thru the gym the other day and learned that this guy's wife doesn't like morning sex.

Random pix

The post song is because this is how our afternoon was spent...playing, decorating and looking forward to Heart Day. The boys finally decorated their valentine mailboxes....I say finally because I bought the stuff either last year or maybe the year before. Great to stretch it out, eh?

Anyway, Jack made hearts of our family....guess who's 'holding us all up' and 'super strong'? Getting back to the gym is a good thing ;-)

This is how long D&I have been married. My friend Carol bought us the first White House ornament the year we got married. I think I'm going to give them their own tree next year because they're beautiful and get lost amid all the old construction paper, yarn and glue. Thanx for over a decade, D!
This is how much Jack loves the SofL - he's had this love for many years, and I really want to get him to NYC asap so he can see the real deal

Harry played mailbox Santa, delivering goodies to our neighbors .... I loved the shadows and how careful he's being

Jack hamming it up before his sleep over last week

See this....

...become this...and all sorts of other designs. Jack was most proud of this one because it wasn't one of the pictures....he's all about the creativity these days.

Harry cheesing it up after writing Jack a sweet note a couple weeks ago

Practicing his Grinchy pout before the big man came to visit

eyebrows and eyelashes galore

...times two

I found these pretty shots of the snow and candles in the window

Happy Tuesday!

Truck on down and dig me Jack

Lots of growing pains lately, but hopefully nothing a little one-on-one time at a great burger joint followed by a lot of laughing can't solve.

I dig him, and he digs me (at least at the moment) and peanuts ;-)

Joe Jackson's Five Guys Named Moe

Might as well jump. Jump!

Basketball season started tonite - so many of the boys' friends play and it's a pretty easy schedule...who knows if they are learning anything other than how fun it can be to be on a team with friends ;-) I seriously need to take a class on photography....sheesh, I can NOT get a good picture in this gym, but it's fun to see how much they've grown since last year! Happy weekend :-)

Van Halen's Jump

Tell me boy, now does that sound like you?

The boys have finally finished all their thank you's, and Jack cracked me up last nite with this one....he said "Mommy, you're all ACTIONED UP" huh? He said I was mad because he punched Harry.....*look* at those eyebrows ;-)

10CC's Action Man In A Motown Suit

What ya got cookin'?

It was a really nice Christmas, the snow forced us inside and sort of slowed the pace. We cooked a lot, played a lot, and were basically holiday slugs :-)

Somehow this cup brings me cooking luck ;-) Thanx for giving it to me about 20 years ago, Karen! Jack was really into showing me how hard it was to make cookies He was COVERED in flour......as was Santa Harry was a lot more precise this year than last We had some friends over for Christmas pizzas and a playdate Joe *really* love pepperoni :-) Sweet boy hands working hard Santa even lost his head a time or two....poor guy and the cold continues, so we're into chili this week

Hope 2010 is treating you great so far!

Hank Williams via JB's Hey Good Lookin'