new me

i decided i needed a new look. a new change for the new year. do you like it? i hope so. hey, and i also finally figured out how to edit my links--so now, my dear friends, you are only a click away! i am sooo proud of myself for figuring it all out.

pop quiz

is this:

a) a moondust rock that landed in our little plot of land and i discovered with a fine-tooth comb the other day as i groomed our grass

b) a dinosaur fossil one collected from an outdoor adventurous field trip to find arrowheads and other such saved-in-the-earth prizes

or

c) a nicely decayed and broken molar from a pretty little six year old's obviously rotten mouth

if you guessed a, i would like to say you are right, although i imagine a moondust rock to be pink and sparkley. i would even be happy for b. however, the correct and ugly truth is c. and i am sad to say the pictures don't quite do the real thing justice--it is just plain ol' nasty. plus, it cost about $120. merry christmas, my dear child.

p.s. do you think the tooth fairy should bring money for a tooth like this?

retakes, please

so i decided to try to take christmas card photos. here are a few of the results:














camera is over here, look!













anna, your eyes. please, normal!















anna, open. mikey, smile...it's not that bad.













hold still. mikey, don't be a camera hog.



anna, the eyes. it's not funny anymore.

i would like to say that depression comes at odd times but really it is always just lurking about waiting to strike at any precise moment. i am trying to stave it off but i am afraid i will fail. tis the season i suppose. tis always the season.

just in case santa came early

mikey checked under the tree this morning first thing.
"dust in dase" he said.

brilliant child of mine

we started trimming the tree today. i love my red glass bulbs. soo pretty. and so far, i have used them every year--even after the year my shall-renameless friend's 18 month old tried to eat one like an apple (she survived with no injuries--just a nice emergency bill--sorry friend).
however, this year due to a few more casualties (of the red bulbs, not children) than on other years, and as to the request of shawn (he kept walking by the tree and knocking them off causing the casualties), i decided to remove the ones we had already put on and put them away for a season (much to my dislike). anna helped me.
we had almost all of them put away when anna found a tear drop ornament that was red and shiny. it was plastic. i told her to put it back on "it is plastic". due to her nature she questioned me, "are you sure?" "yes anna" i replied. well, apparently she doubted me. she proceeded to huck the ornament to the nice hard tile. it bounced a bit. "yep, mom, you are right." i guess it is a good thing i was right. little stinker.

compliment of the day

anna talking to shawn while making gingerbread houses:
"daddy, you are soooo fabulous!" then she turned and saw me and said:
"oh, your good too mom."
that's so good to know, anna. thank you. and how do i get a "fabulous" compliment?