a.rose

While my sister was here visiting we went to the Lincoln Children's Zoo.  We all had fun. It was so much fun.

I wrote this post at the end of last summer, and am finally publishing it now. We had several 14+ hour car drives this summer, and on one of them, in a fit of boredom, I began absolutely pestering Devin with questions.  I took notes on his answers, and because I am not ashamed for you to know how truly nerdlike I am, I typed them up for you.  Maybe you'll learn something too?  (These are not direct quotes from Dr. Rose.  I did my best to stay accurate, but I am just paraphrasing here.) So what kinds of sugar are there? There are naturally occurring sugars, added sugars, and digestible carbohydrates that are broken down in the body and become sugar. Naturally occurring sugars are found in what foods? They are found in fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes (i.e. plant based foods) and milk.  So, just about everything but meat. Are naturally occurring sugars good, or should they be avoided? They provide calories just like added sugars, but they bring with ...

Dear Sister: I know you like to come in March best, but April turned out pretty well too, didn't it? Especially there at the end when Hanna was being MUCH nicer to Daniel.  See, now if you hadn't stayed so long she might have been a bully the whole time.  You should always stay ten days.  Apparently that's how long it takes for some of my kids go from bully to best friend.

a child photographer - and when I say that, I certainly mean that I am not a professional photographer of children, but I also mean that I try to avoid taking any pictures of children.  You've probably noticed that they are sort of few and far between on this blog. I could give you a lengthy explanation about why I don't like to take pictures of kids, but perhaps it would be best if I just showed you.  I mean, how do you get them to look at the camera?  And IF you ever manage that, how do you get them to smile?  I don't even want to talk about posing.  It seems that once I step behind a camera I lose any authority I might have as a mother.  There's just no respect. Now and then a few extras wander in.   And sometimes, my subjects just wander off. Don't worry, I won't quit my day job.

I can see him sitting comfortably in a folding chair in the shade of my newly leafed tree.  His dignified white hair distinctive from my view out the sliding glass doors.  Looking at him is like looking down the bright path of my memory, into the happiest scenes of my childhood. I can see her running across the grass toward him, her wild and carefree hair a delightful mess of peanut butter, sand, and good Nebraska wind and sunshine.  Her shirt is a hand me down from cousin Jill, her pants from a family at church, her socks a gift from Grandma last Christmas.  Looking at her is like looking onto the bright path of my future, into what will be the happiest scenes of being a parent. She smiles up at him, asking a question.  He pats his knee, extending the invitation.  She steps closer, accepting.  He holds out his hands, she reaches up her arms.  One swift motion and she is sitting close, snug and cozy and in that microcosm, every single thing i...

I found a piece of paper tucked neatly into a book that I hadn't opened in, easily, 10 or 15 years. The writing on the paper is not in my handwriting, and I do not recognize it as belonging to anyone I know. It is a list of words, with a few scribbled out mistakes. I cannot for the life of me figure out: a. what the list means b. who wrote it c. why it was in my book And so, I present to you a challenge.  Can you figure out a connection that ties the words together? I dare you, I defy you. Go ahead, try it.  Your brain will melt or something, maybe, but just try anyway.  If you DO come up with something, I will a. ask you if you got a 1600 on your SAT b. send a referral with your name on it to MENSA c. ask you to home school my children. And now, without further ado, prepare yourself - I present the list: a companion things to build with a bible suntan lotion edible things a boat those little fireworks matches a cow material Seriously....

Sometimes I leave the camera lying around where the girls can find it, and worst of all, reach it.  When this happens they always come running (please don't fall!) and bring it to me, begging me to take their picture.  They pose in front of me, smiling so sweetly, and then just as I am about to click for the picture, they move yelling, "May I see it please?" and I am left with this on the screen: But really, it isn't that big of a deal because even when they do hold still long enough, my photos are hardly noteworthy. I must say though, a really cute smile makes up for so much that the camera and photographer lack, doesn't it?

My last post got me all thinking about that summer, it was undeniably a pretty good summer. So, I took a trip down memory lane. Indulge me?  This is a picture of the barn we lived in.  It had no heat, and floors that sloped so you walked downhill to your bedroom and uphill to the bathroom.  This is where we worked, a landscaping company.  We went to the beach whenever we could.  When we first moved in in May it was very cold still in Maine so we pushed all our beds together on one wall like this, and in the mornings sometimes we'd all snuggle close before braving the blast. Did I tell you the barn had no heat?  If you've never had a summer in Maine, I must ask: What are you waiting for?  The island we lived on had no fast food restaurants, one night we drove some distance to get some. We might have gone a little... overboard.  When my beautiful sister and I were young.  Thank goodness we're still beautiful, at ...

We hadn't lived here very long before I figured out something important.  Most of my friends are women I meet at church.  Most of them live here because their husbands are going to graduate school at the University.  Most of them will only be here for two, three, and when I'm lucky four years.  Most of them I will eventually have to say goodbye to. Saying goodbye isn't really something new for me.  It has been my experience in life that people come, and people go - but most often it is me and my family that do the going.  When I made the realization that almost all of the friends I made here would be leaving, it felt strange to me that I would be the one remaining, while they went off to find their new adventures. We have lived here for two years now, and I have already had to say a few goodbyes.  And it seems I just keep hearing about this friend and that friend whose husband just got a job there, and off they go too.  I tell you people, I a...

One of my favorite songs from the Phantom of the Opera has always been "Think of Me". Think of me Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye Remember me Once in a while Please promise me you'll try The other day Heather played with a toy for the first time.  I gently uncurled her little fingers which she always has clenched tight in a fist.  I took advantage of that inclination newborns have, and while her fingers were uncurled I placed the toy right on her palm, so easy for her tiny fingers to wrap back around and hold on tight.  And when she shook it for the first time, such delight!  Then she smiled, and while it was not her first smile, it was her first smile caused by a toy.  I paused for a moment, and thought of someone else. It reminded me of another little baby, one who loved rattles, and loved smiling.  I still think of you sweet baby Tabitha.

Hallie's favorite cereal has long been a topic of discussion in our house. Is it Raisin Bran? Rice Krispies? or Honey Bunches of Oats? This morning, Devin declared once and for all Honey Bunches of Oats the clear winner, and I couldn't help but agree - the evidence was clear. In the event that you have also been wondering about the favorite cereal of someone in your life, I give you the process you can use to discover the truth for yourself. How You Can Tell: 1. They eat four plus bowls of it every morning (every morning that it is available, that is). 2. The squeal in undeniable delight when it is placed in the cart at the grocery store. 3. This squeal must be of the surprise-trip-to-Disneyland-where-you-meet-Justin-Bieber variety of squeal. 4.The person in question kisses the box of cereal whenever the opportunity arises. As Devin and I discussed the now undisputed favorite cereal, I wondered longingly, is there anything in my life that I love so much?  And as I...