...with a husband and 5 sons, I am truly outnumbered....stories and thoughts on life from a mom in a houseful of little men!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

So it begins.

Today was the day--we woke up to our first official snowfall. Like a good friend (You know who you are!) recently did, we mostly blew off school and went out to play. It was a very happy birthday surprise for Eaglet, who turned 4 today! Like his older bros, Spunky Cub was right at home in the white stuff. It's a good thing--we're looking at about six months.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Something's Missing!

The first tooth came out today! After much scrounging, chair-moving, carpet-feeling, etc., it is safely tucked inside the little helicopter. Miss Stephanie, our hygienist, gave this to Bobcat last Spring. Finally, he got to pull it out and use it today.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

A Memorable Ride For A Certain 3-Year-Old


Eaglet went off to Grandmom and Grandpa's last evening for his "special time." (The boys take turns going over for an evening of serious grandparental spoiling each week--lucky boys!) Grandpa took Eaglet for a ride on the Rubicon down to the river. The moment they returned from the ride, Li'l E wanted to know if there was time to draw. He ran into the house and produced this artwork. Notice the BIG smiles on both the faces. We are still hearing about his memorable ride...

Jodi's Challenge

Here it is--my version of Jodi's "Have You Ever" list. Laugh, enjoy, and don't forget to check out the add-ons.
01.
Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain Many! It’s great to live in AK!
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards) Yah, but the worst “crush” had to have been Billy Graham in the Metrodome
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby’s diaper Way too many, thank you!
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment Mr. Scott’s history class…oooo did I get in trouble.
27. Had a food fight

28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster Six Flags Texas—woohoo!

35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking Always. Oh, and I do remember one instance which included both pregnancy and “walkin’ like an Egyptian”
02. 37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales This has to be one of my favorite things—ever.
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip The Al-Can!
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow Well I am from Wisconsin!
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke Those who were present are still traumatized…
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children - still raising!
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane For like, 2 seconds….does that count?!
109. Touched a stingray Come on Jodi…you did too, didn’t you? SeaWorld band trip?
110. Broken someone’s heart

111. Helped an animal give birth Well I’ve assisted many puppy c-sections…I guess that’s helping to give birth, though not in the pure sense…
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours A few months ago with Strep Throat. 123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents I wish.
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi It wasn’t too bad, but I can do without it.
128. Had your picture in the newspaper

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read Working on The Well-Educated Mind

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating no thanks; I’ll just eat it.
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life - I used to be a lifeguard.

And, here's a few Alaskan add-ons:
151. Had a close encounter with a Grizzly Bear
152. Drove a dogsled
153. Got drug behind a dogsled
154. Pet a moose
155. Administered shots to a Reindeer herd
156. Endured 40-below-zero for several days in a row
157. Touched the Alaska Pipeline
158. Panned for gold
159. Lived for a week in a remote cabin with no running water or electricity (Outhouses don't smell so bad after you've used one for several days--the nose goes numb.)
160. Seen/heard a tidewater glacier calve
161. Eaten just hours-old Alaskan King Crab legs (mmm mmm mmm.)
And just for fun...an add-on from Wisconsin:
162. Been chased by a Woodchuck. (He must've been at least 10 pounds--haaaaa!)



Silent Flight

I had a cool experience last night. I went for a 2-miler at dusk, and was captivated by the idyllic, Fall evening--crisp air, breeze in my face, leaves dancing across the dirt road ahead of me. On my last 1/2 mile, I heard a whoosh! just to my right. As I looked, I saw a huge shape gliding gracefully and silently beside me, and then cut across diagonally and upward in front of me--a Great Horned Owl! It landed high in a Spruce just a few yards ahead of me. I slowed my pace, and ran up to the base of the tree. We sat there, just staring into each others' eyes for a long moment (about a full minute.) Then with one whoosh! it took off silently through the trees and into the night. What an amazing sight. Interestingly, the boys and I had had another encounter with such a raptor earlier in the day. We'd gone to our local library's "StoryTime", and the subject today was "Owls." Instead of a story, Ms. Peggy had invited a volunteer for the Alaska Raptor Center to visit us. It was amazing to see one of these gorgeous creatures so up-close-and-personal. We learned a couple of interesting facts: Owls are the only birds who fly silently, and, they are very quiet all year long until Fall, when they begin hooting. They are very plentiful, and so, I encourage each of you to step outside some evening this Fall and listen carefully!