graffiti

Someone got let loose with colored sidewalk chalk on the NASA site Monday night. So I came into work Tuesday passing graffiti such as "SMILE!!" and "DANCE ACROSS THE ROAD!!" and "YUM YUM FOOD" (in front of the cafeteria) and "I LOVE NASA" in front of the mail box, all in pastels. As I walked up to my building, I passed up "SMILE, YOU'RE SAVING THE EARTH!!!" and "SCIENCE ROCKS!!"

Very odd. Puzzling. Seriously. Is this a new way of inspiring the work force? I did get a laugh out of it, so I suppose it probably accomplished what it was supposed to.

a saturday morning...

...in which yours truly decides to finally create another blog post because there is an enormous mound (10 yards) of hardwood mulch sitting in the middle of her driveway. This is actually a very poor plan because the temperature is supposed to reach into the 90s later today so the more I put it off, the worse it's going to end up. And yet, here I sit composing.

It's spring, and as much as I love winter, I guess I can say I'm ready for spring. I stepped outside last night at 2 am to look up at the stars and it was slightly warm. It felt lovely. I spent the day yesterday removing leaves from the culvert and mowing and weeding beds (in anticipation of today's mulch) and I actually enjoyed it.

So in honor of spring, here are some spring photos for your enjoyment:


The end of a pretty successful season for Q's school baseball team means that the coach was finally letting some of the 7th graders play for a little bit. Here's Q making an awesome outfield catch yesterday. Just after I snapped this, his hat blew off. His teammates told him he was "doing a Manny." He also had a successful at-bat with a rocket line drive to left field. Sniff. Nothing like a child to turn you into an avid baseball fan. Oh, he's been dubbed Cotton-Schawb by his teammates. This is a combination of cotton swab (from Q-tip) and "stump the schawb" from ESPN. LOL!




Tell me if you recognize this plant. It's so nice, and we have no idea what it is. Here's a closeup of the flowers:





And this one has not much to do with spring (other than it was taken during spring break) but I think it's funny. Genetics, anyone?

virusii

Most of my readers are family members or close friends that I also know in real life, so I don't feel quite as selfishly indulgent when I share children stories as I might if I merited a more diverse readership. (not that my friends and family aren't diverse. You are! You're diverse and wonderful!!!!) You are just unified in your acceptance of my selfish indulgences. And I love you for it!

All this is a lead-up to...... (guess. go ahead and guess.) a post about funny/cute/fantastic things my children do.

We were in Georgia the last several days for a visit to DH's parents. We got a few trips to the Master's golf tourney out of it, some good southern cooking, poker, etc. It was mostly a very good trip, sans the tornadoes that were barrelling down upon me and my family who were trapped in a mobile home that one night. I believe I offended my FIL when he tried to convince me that we would be safe if we got UNDERNEATH the mobile home. I didn't buy it. Not even almost. Sorry. I believe you are unsafe if you are anywhere withing a few MILES of a mobile home during a tornado. I survived by drinking wine and pretending it wasn't happening. Denial Rules at times.

Anyway. Then Q got sick last night. He started throwing up around 9 pm and kept it up hourly for the entire night. At one point (I forget which hour it was), I was blearily leaning against the bathroom door as I checked in on him for the umpteenth time. I got less sleep than he did because I needed to get the obligatory worrying out of the way between the vomiting episodes, you know. He was just pathetic. He was on the floor hugging the toilet, pale little face with dark circles under his eyes looking up at me. He asked in a weak voice "Mommy, is this a virus?"
I assumed this question was along the lines of "is this a virus, or do I have a horrible disease that will render me dead by sunrise?" Or "Is there an alien in my body that is fighting to emerge?"

I wet a washcloth with cool water and swabbed off his neck. "Yes, honey, it's just a virus." I was the June Cleaver of the night. I was sanity and calm and motherly protection.
"OK." he said in all sincerity. "Because that means I will most likely be immune for another year. Of course, it depends on if it's an RNA or a DNA virus. Because, see, smallpox is a DNA virus which is why there are immunizations for it, but the flu is an RNA virus which is why there is a new variant of vaccination every year. See it....." (at which point he launched into a diatribe about virus structures and immunity which I don't dare attempt to replicate because, um, I can't. OMG. Damned gifted students these days. I am out of my league.) I carefully put away the cool washcloth and kissed the top of his head. "You're going to be fine, sweetie."

a new journey

Today was the birth day of my eldest...who is now a teenager.

Teenagers love chocolate. They also love to be goofy.

See? Goofy.


Yep. Like I said. (Trying to get to his new ipod).



Another couple of Wii remotes so we can all play at the same time
(his idea, actually, isn't that sweet?!)



Razors. I am finally admitting that it is not dirt that resides above his lip.


A big hit of a present from mom&dad #2 (Brad and Kathy).
A Barack Obama magnetic doll with various changes of clothing.



"A change of clothing we can believe in."

And thus begins the first steps of my experience as a mom of a teen. I'm buckled in and ready to go.