Just jumping back in...

So.... can we pretend that I just sort of entered a time warp from the last post and have only just arrived in the present?

Wow.  So, summer.  Has it really been 3 months?  What have we been doing anyway?  Well... we're sort of doing year-round school, since we took so many "days off" during the school year because Mommy was worn out from moving and would rather play on the internet than work we were adjusting to life in the new house.  By now the girls are still doing Math and Geography and maybe a little history, but aside from Math it's all reading picture books so it's not WORK work.  And even getting them to do that much has been a struggle since everyone is on a Lego kick lately.

Exhibit A -- this is actually less messy than usual

Exhibit B

We recently rented The Lego Movie and I think that started the fad.  Daniel's favorite song for the last month has been -- what else? -- "Everything is awesome.... everything is cool when you're part of a team..." rinse, repeat.  That's all of the song that he knows.

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What else?  Jam.  Jam.  And more jam.  If I make two batches of apple butter, we will have enough jars of spreadin's to last us until the Apocalypse.  (We still have a few jars left over from LAST summer!  And it's still good!)

 
Current stock includes strawberry, blueberry, and peach.  Come November, I will be taking orders. :)

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Okay, weather!  I have to talk about the weather.  It's been unreal.  I've really, really been liking Virginia this year.  It's insane.  Usually this time of year I hate Virginia and everyone in it because I feel like I'm living in an oven.  But it's been lovely!!  We almost pulled out the down comforters the other night.  The only disadvantage I can see is that our pool membership went totally to waste this year -- the couple times I took the kids to the pool they were shivering after half an hour b/c they were so chilly. #firstworldproblems

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The Little Boys (Daniel and Andrew, to be distinguished from The Middles -- Katie, Joseph and Daniel -- and The Bookends -- Miriam and Andrew) have been extra cute lately.  Daniel has been saying the most hilarious things.  I really need to keep paper and a pencil in my pocket.  The other day when I was helping him get dressed, he put his face close to my head and breathed deeply.
Daniel: "Mmmm, Mommy, your hair smells weally GOOD."
me: "Really, what does it smell like?"
Daniel: *sniff*  "Fwuit snacks!"

And then another day as we were out shopping he informed me that when he grew up he wanted to be a "wock'n'woll bander."   A few weeks later he told me he wanted to be something else when he gwew up -- I think a wace car dwiver -- and when I reminded him that he had told me he wanted to be a rock'n'roll bander he snorted and said, "Psh, what's dat?  Dat's weiwd."

Andy has been trying reeeeeally hard to talk lately.  I will be SO happy when he can finally talk to his brothers and TELL them to knock it off instead of shrieking at them.  It got to the point the other day that I had to put him in his bed a few times to impress upon him the undesirability of such a noise in the house.  If that doesn't work I'm buying earplugs.

Of course, the way boys typically communicate, I don't know if they will actually be capable of speaking to each other in a rational conversation, instead of punching each other or knocking each other down, until they're in their late 20s.  Dave?  Joe?  Any insights?

Andy's favorite word is "dutch."  For the uninitiated in Andrewese, that means "wheeled vehicle."  It encompasses cars, trucks, buses, and trains.  He is also fascinated by electronic tools.  He will imitate anything that makes noise.

He especially loves our hand-held blender.  We're trying to get a video of him watching it -- he will work so hard to make a proper motor noise that his face turns red from the effort.

Andy is all about grouping similar items into one category, for simplicity.  In addition to the "truck" category mentioned, there is also "beboo" which refers to blueberries, grapes, raisins, and strawberries; and "appo" for apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines.  Another favorite is "O's" which refers to any cereal.  I will repeat the proper name to him whenever I give him something, and he will give me a look which couldn't say more plainly, "Yes, I know exactly what you are saying, but my way is much more efficient."

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So, speaking of food, Mr. Pickles and I are back on the Fat Flush Plan.  Our fridge is full of rabbit food.  We're in week 2 now, and we've both already lost a few pounds.   It's been very good curbing the thoughtless eating habits I'd gained over the past year -- plus it's also good having energy again.  As I get older I realize that I'm really going to have to keep my grain intake in check.  Mr. Pickles has been feeling better too -- something he was eating had been bothering him constantly -- we suspect dairy, even in the small amounts he was consuming. (and no, it's not a lactose intolerance -- it's more annoyingly subtle and mysterious)

It will be nice to fit back into all those clothes that are gathering dust in the bottom of my closet...

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So... that's a little gossip about us.  I recently discovered TWO unpublished drafts which I will get up post-haste.  Plus there are oodles of pictures from the summer.  Brace yourselves!