Celebrating ten years together (from courtship) at our favorite bed and breakfast in Cape Cod. Notice that we're wearing our two favorite colors. :-)

A happy day in Gloucester

So I thought I'd throw y'all a bone the other day with that video of Jack. But now I actually have a couple of minutes to write a quick update!

Our lives are busier and fuller than ever. Homeschooling is going pretty well. Actually, I think teaching a third grader would be a cinch if that's all I had to concentrate on each morning. But added into the mix is a needy 23-month-old with a short attention span and a four- and five-year-old who alternate between loving school and wanting nothing to do with it. It's not a big deal if Tucker doesn't want to do school; I don't push him. But when he wants to, he wants me to drop everything and give him my undivided attention, which is usually right in the middle of explaining a complicated math problem to Jed. And Chloe too often throws little diva fits when I say we're going to do schoolwork. But she's learning her letters and numbers one way or another, so all is not lost.

This summer I took on two more publishers. It has made me happy to see my business finally taking off. At any given time I have two or three projects going, but their deadlines are such that I can stagger them, and I have babysitters two afternoons a week to not only give me time for editing but also a chance to preserve the sanity I'm hanging onto by my fingertips. :-)

Jed's birthday

So, it's been a great summer so far. I've had editing and proofreading work coming out my ears, but I'm enjoying a brief lull between projects. Actually, I do have one going, but for quite awhile I've had three or four so I feel like I'm on vacation. Last night I actually got to read a novel before I went to bed--one that I didn't have to correct!

Things our summer has included so far: Jed's birthday (8th); Jed getting baptized; Jed earning his yellow belt in karate (I'm so proud of him!); Jed finally taking the big step of having his training wheels removed, then falling off the bike a few days later and getting a pebble embedded in his forehead (Mommy thought it was cool to remove it with tweezers. No stitches were needed like I thought, just Derma Bond to help it heal). Let's see, other things. Tucker's birthday (4th); a visit to Friendly Farm (see pictures below) followed by a visit with our dear friends D and R (who recently had their first girl after three boys!); VBS at Chestnut Hill Chapel-- It was great to see old friends there. Hearing that our good friends B and C are expecting a baby after eight years has been another highlight!

Chloe is on the brink of learning to read. All she's waiting for is for Mommy to sit down and teach her. All day long you can hear her announcing, "Cuh! Cuh is for cat!" "Tuh! Tuh is for train!" I'm still in awe because I had to force feed the alphabet to Jed until it finally clicked late in first grade. Kindergarten is going to be a breeze this year in the Jones household!

Jack's listening comprehension is finally taking off. Say "basement" (the playroom) or "outside" or "Daddy" or "bottle" or "nap" or "lunch" and he knows exactly what you're talking about. Our baby is growing up!

Here is a boatload of pictures I know some grandparents have been anticipating (so sorry about the delay, Mom!).

Pig pile!

Jed's favorite birthday present this year was his Indiana Jones costume. We won't let him watch the movie but his imagination is captured by the guy's adventures and he does still love to role play.

Our precious boy turns 4!

Have you ever seen a more adorable bunch of pirates?

Tucker spends hours at a time building things with Legos. He also loves to color in his Spiderman coloring book.

Between pirates and soldiers we don't have to worry about any bad guys coming 'round these here parts. (Note the overturned car in the background. Thank God Jack wasn't in it when he had to notion to push it down the hill!)

Summer!

I have been looking forward to this summer with great anticipation. The other night I was talking about it with Evan, commenting on how it's been a long time since a summer has looked so good. Then we figured out why. These are the reasons:

1. I'm not pregnant or caring for a newborn (summers 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007).

2. I'm not recovering from two miscarriages (2001).

3. I'm not moving into a new house with three little ones in tow (2005).

4. I'm not trying to keep a needy toddler entertained 24/7 while feeling sick (2002).

So pretty much since 1999--which, by the way, was the best summer ever, my first with Evan--summers have held happy things but have been overshadowed by other challenges. This summer looks wonderfully full of playdates with friends, day trips to fun places, the Downeaster campout in Maine, a ladies' retreat this weekend, an AIR-CONDITIONED HOUSE, getting to know our new neighbors, NO SCHOOL . . . you get the picture. :-)

Are you dead, mon?

Nope, just terribly, terribly behind. I apologize, dear friends, for wasting your time every time you have gone onto my blog hoping that maybe FINALLY I had posted something new and you could stop looking at the dumb picture of the snow.

Not much time to write now but I'll include some pictures from the past few months with this promise: never again will I take so long to post!

Pictures and stuff

This is the site that greeted us this morning. My very first birthday snowstorm! At 3:00 this afternoon it has stopped and the driveway is clear, but I'd just like to say that we really didn't need any more of the stuff. We still have yet to see what our yard really looks like. Come on, spring!
Daddy's big helper

She claims she's a bride. :-) Isn't it a good thing little girls' taste changes as they grow? Or don't you wish you could wear a dress like this for your wedding, Kristi?

Jed's latest passion--Star Wars Legos. Isn't he adorable?

All four kids have been terribly sick this week--fever, runny noses, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing. Have I left out anything? Evan had it last weekend. Had to stay home from church and work on Monday, then limped through a long week of work. Miraculously by God's grace and mercy I have managed to stay healthy. Considering how the others' have been affected, it would have been a pretty rough week if Mommy had been sick too. I am so ready for everybody to be well, though! My best birthday present today was seeing the older three run around playing, even if it was for only about 20 minutes before they crashed. They haven't done much more than watch movies, lie on the couch, and sleep all week. Oh, the other best present was the three youngest taking LONG naps today all at the same time!

Be advised that if you repetitively wipe your nose with your sleeve over several days' duration you will wear down the skin on your nose and end up looking like this poor pathetic guy. Yes, that is simply blood from an abrasion on his nose caused by constant rubbing. Anybody got any clever ideas for getting him to stop wiping his nose or how to help his nose heal without actually using a Band-Aid, which lasted about 60 seconds when I tried earlier?

So today I turned 33. It's been one of the quietest birthdays I've ever had. We had grand plans to go to the Yankee Candle Factory in Mass. today but sickness and a snowstorm forced us to postpone. But I determined yesterday that I was going to enjoy this day anyway, and it's been great! I have gotten to spend it with my five most favoritist people in the whole world. I've had a chance to work on my quilt (more about that in another post), we all watched the new Ten Commandments animated movie this morning (excellent flick, by the way!), we're going to order take-out from our favorite Mexican restaurant in town, and to top it all off, Lindsay and I are getting together tonight for some sister time--a perfect end to a happy day. I am blessed.