Almost Farch

Thank goodness there is an extra day in February this year. 
We've named it Farch. 
We'll need it to recover. 
The last of the dance showcases have happened and we've had a lovely week of rest. 
Unfortunately, last week we were shocked to find out that the child of a family friend passed away at the Naval Academy.  Shock and sadness still are the prevailing emotions.  The town got together at the GVAA football stadium in David's honor on Sunday.  The news reported a hundred people there.  I counted 300.  Many folks from St Tim's and from the Academy.  We didn't all know each other, but were able to take comfort from our ever expanding shetle. 
There is no other place I would rather be than right here, right now. 

Jim is nearing the end of his school quarter.  It's all about papers and tests and articles'.  To keep him (as) sane (as possible), I try to get us all out of here so he can have peace to work. 
The kids all finished a book about John Wesley Powell.  Powell lost an arm in the battle of Shiloh and led an expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. 
After searching for a good hour, we found his grave in Arlington Cemetery. 
The boys paid him homage by sitting on his grave and reading their favorite chapter from the book aloud. 
I was worried that we would get reprimanded for sitting in the middle of the graves, but it seemed like a fitting tribute. 

Caroline recently finished watching (over and over and over again) Bobby Kennedy for President. 
She made sure we stopped by all the Kennedy graves.
"Humble" was the word that kept popping into my brain. 

We also accidentally happened upon the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.    I can't remember a time when I've seen Nate stand still for so long as when he was watching. 

Getting through school this week.  Some things are going well.  Some things we need to improve on. 
It's a process. 

First Day of School (in February)

Happy start of  Grade 2 to Benjamin. 
It took us a full year with a cross country move to get him through first grade. 
Now he's ready to kick butt in Grade 2. 
His resolution for the new school year was to "listen to more Led Zeppelin". 
Because that's how this kid rolls. 
Help.  Us.  All. 

I'm learning now that when someone says "We have a problem", it really means I have a problem. 
It was announced while the kids were cleaning bathrooms.   
I came upstairs to find this. 

The good news is that the rim of the toilet seat is quite clean.  Even the areas near where the screws attach to the commode. 
The other good news was that I did not yell or cuss. 
My only replies were an audible sigh and to tell him to put the seat back, even if it's not attached - NONE of us are prepared for the wrath of Caroline that would erupt if she were to take an unexpected dip around midnight if the seat wasn't there. 

 We are getting through some interesting things in school.  Caroline loves art.  Loves looking at it, analyzing it, thinking about it and making it.  The closest to an art class I've ever taken is 10th grade French when we covered Impressionist painters.  I don't do art. I don't get it like she does. 
She learned about the catacomb art in the Tomb of Priscilla and she did made some examples with cards explaining the included symbolism.  Caroline is also coordinating an "art show" that we will put on, under her expert eye, later on in the school year. 
She's psyched.  I'm hoping this gives me the impetus to keep challenging her. 

I'm also trying to "incentive bundle" to get me to blog more.  The West Wing is on in the background  - the episodes with Lord John Marbury are first up. 

Recovery Mode

We've been trudging through the past couple weeks. 
Everyone has been sick with some kind of fever, achy, snotty, tired and grumpy type virus. 
Not enough to knock a person down and out, just enough to make each day an exhausting slog. 
I thought we had all kicked it and were on the mend.  I was mad that we cancelled an Adventure to Nashville, but after finding Benjamin curled up like this after his dance class tonight, I know we made the right call. 

Yup. 
He's toasty. 
Good call on staying around town. 
Poor kid. 
He's getting so big.  I just love seeing his toothless grin and know I'll have a good cry once those front teeth grow back in.  It has been since 2012 that we've been in various levels of the the missing-front-teeth-stage. 
I love where we're at now.  I love watching the kids grow and cannot wait to see the grown humans they turn into.  HOWEVER.  I love gappy grins.  When my Baby gets his teeth back, it will mark the end of the Little Kid Era. 

The Big Kid Era is proving to require more trips to Wegmans. 
No freaking joke...Nate at 3/4 of a box of shredded wheat today. 
Just him. 

Also. 
Ummmm...Maryland? 
Oklahoma called. 
She wants her tornadoes back. 
Because 5 tornadoes at 7:30 on a Friday morning in February are simply uncalled for. 
Poor Form, Maryland.  Poor form. 

Time to round up urchins and get them to bed.