Thursday, July 09, 2009
Anniversary Dinner
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Anniversary
Monday, July 06, 2009
Swim Meet Monday
So tonight was another swim meet. It was tough. Neither Tim nor Morrigan was swimming the 100 meter medley so we were there for only two events. Morrigan swam the 25 meter free and Tim the 50 meter free. Morrigan took 13 seconds off her time but failed to place. But she took it well especially since she beat her friend from the opposing team. And while she might not be the fastest swimmer, doesn't she look happy and relaxed?




Poor Tim had another goggle malfunction. Everything started off great.
But then he ended up like this, taking of large amounts of water.
But he finished and added two points to the team score. Go team McK!
I think we had a breakthrough with Maggie Pie tonight. As she watched the 6 and under division, she commented to me, "These girls are really slow." No sh*t Maggie! They are your competition. This is why I have been pushing you to be on swim team all year! And then there was the massive meltdown about not getting to go out for celebratory donuts with Daddy. We may have reached the proper ratio of carrot and stick here people.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Sunday at the Lake
Happy 4th of July!
After the pool, we went to Elmwood Park for Tea Party protest. Eion carried his sign and politely told passers by "No Cap and Trade!" When he heard the speakers talk about it, he got all excited and held up his sign.
There was one little boy who suffered a small cut on the head. Maggie came urgently to get Tim, letting him know it was very important. Tim ended up using dermabond on his head. While it wasn't a major crisis, the girls were duly impressed with their father, the hero.
Cocktails on Friday
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Kick Ass!
We found out that Eion got into the city preschool program which means, among other things, that we will be saving $2,200 a year in tuition and he will be at the same school as Maggie, saving me the horror of having three kids at three different schools. And his friend John Paul got in too. Today is an awesome day!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A Well Dressed Protest
While cleaning up this afternoon, Morrigan found this dress in the closet, which I had bought in duplicate for the girls. She said, "I bet this is for the 4th of July!" and wondered aloud what our plans were.

Naturally, I told them, the picnic at the Club comes first. Then we are headed to Elmwood Park for a gathering of the Roanoke Valley Tea Party from 5-7pm. They were psyched. The girls immediately started planning their protest signs. But the best was yet to come....we were going to a party AT NIGHT to watch the fireworks! "You know what this means don't you?" Maggie asked Morrigan. "There will be teenagers there!" Ah picnics and protests and teenagers, oh my!
For my in town readers, we would love for you to join us at the protest on July 4th. Not to get all political on you, but I will, both the Cap and Trade and Healthcare legislation is alarming. Did you know that Cap and Trade includes language that would prevent you from selling your home unless it met as of yet undetermined environmental government standards? Or that Cap and Trade has provisions to give ongoing monthly payments, via direct deposit, to low income homes to make up for the increased energy costs the bill itself will cause? And as for nationalized healthcare, the disasters that are Britain and Canada's state run systems should be incentive enough to fight against such a travesty in the United States. Let your voice be heard before it is too late!
It's Not Bernard, It's Ethan
Bittersweet
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday Morning
Actually it does appear that it is almost Sunday afternoon but in all honesty people, I am struggling today, a fact not at all aided by my son's incessant ray gun firing or my daughter's rendition of a Brittany Spears song on the kazoo. Or by my darling husband rolling his eyes when I told the kids to eat because we aren't getting lunch at the pool. Just because I didn't mention that dinner there was a certainty.....
Friday we played poker which was not at all a repeat of last month's success. We lasted about as many minutes as I have pictures. Fun anyway and on the bright side, we were in bed nice and early!


Saturday morning we went to pick up Morrigan at camp. As anticipated, she had a great time and was planning on returning next summer for a longer stay.

Friday we played poker which was not at all a repeat of last month's success. We lasted about as many minutes as I have pictures. Fun anyway and on the bright side, we were in bed nice and early!

Maybe between now and then we can work on the use of a hairbrush. Hers appears to have taken the entire week off.

That night we had our Cocktail Club which directly led to my diminished capacity today. It was a great party and had lots of people I don't see nearly enough in attendance. And I was feeling it as is clearly evidenced by my mile wide smile.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Letters From Camp
Dear Mom & Dad, I am having a great time. I made some new friends. Please write back. Love your daughter forever, Morrigan
Great close, I think. The longest arrived yesterday and had the most info:
Dear Mom & Dad, I got your letters. My mates are Lia, Madison and Leanne. Archery was full but I got to go to arts and crafts instead. I have been swimming and I miss Midnight, Jack, Maggie, Eion, Daddy, and you. I am looking forward to seeing you. Love, Morrigan
I think it is terrific that I rank behind the entire family, including the cats.
The Luckiest Girl Ever
And by luckiest girl ever, I mean me. Any regular reader would laugh if I were to use the word "perfect" but I, by the grace of Tim, do lead a fairly charmed existence. While the Best Husband Ever is working 50+ hours this week dealing with The Public, a group I like to avoid at all costs, I got to take Maggie & Eion to the pool, where I was freed from cooking lunch (and dinner and lunch again today,) and where I read more of Atlas Shrugged. [Excellent book by the way.] And when I mentioned that our Club bill was likely to be heroic this month, he just said to do whatever makes my life easier. Thank you Timmy.


Blast From the Past
At the preschool the kids all went to, they ask for a disposable camera every year which they return at the close of the school year, presumably full of darling shots of your child. I've found that mostly, you get pictures that look as though they were taken by the kids: grainy, out of focus and of questionable content. On Eion's this year I got many, many pictures of what looks like a sponge. And experiences like that may explain why I never got around to developing Maggie's camera from the 06-07 school year. But when I took E's in this week, I brought Mag's as well.



I won't lie and say I was close to tears, but I was definitely touched. It is so easy to forget how little they were. When I looked through these, it seems like so long ago and she looks so sweet.
And holy crap does she look like a little Tim in a dress here:
But before I get too misty eyed and nostalgic, I remember that she was three and what most three year olds are is difficult and irrational. I greatly prefer now but I do love the trip down memory lane.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Vacation
So while I realize that in practice it is Morrigan who is on vacation, I can't shake the feeling that I am too. Let me tell you, caring for two kids rather than three is a m-fing vacation. You have enough hands to hold on to all kids rather than just two while entrusting the third not to dart into traffic, which, incidentally, is not a well laid trust. Everything is easier. Not that I don't miss her....
Yesterday I took the kids to see Night at the Museum. I wanted to see Up but was overruled. And as this was about making the non-campers feel special, I didn't fight it. Things were going swimmingly, albeit aided by a healthy dose of popcorn, sprite and skittles, when I looked over and saw Eion sobbing "I don't want this tv anymore!" There was a battle onscreen and it had scared him. After relocating to my lap, he made it through but I was surprised that battle boy was so adversely affected. This is a child who lives for conflict. He constantly is at war with people, real and imagined. He seems no worse for wear today - I hear him "cho-ing the robots" right now.
After the movie, I took E to get his hair trimmed. My hairdresser doesn't really take appointments for little ones, you just call and she tells you when she can fit you in. Every other place we've taken his problematic hair didn't work out - I think we all remember his last haircut - so she is the only one I trust with him. E behaved and chatted up Cyndy the entire time. Mostly about how although he wears pull ups to bed, he is still a big boy. At least now he can see:


When she discovered that Cyndy couldn't fit her in too, Maggie was inconsolable. Maybe it was just that I had such an easy day , maybe I'm just a sucker, but I loaded them up and drove a mile up the road to Cost Cutters where she got a trim too. All this and it was still easier than a normal day.
Of course two haircut locations meant double the treats which was the absolute last thing they needed. When Eion asked to be excused from dinner, I told him, "But all you ate was one piece of broccoli." "No" he said, "I ate two." Better luck for nutrition today.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Off to Camp Alleghany
Morrigan: I wanted to come for three weeks but my parents were afraid.
Hannah (rolling eyes): Parents!
But the emotional response most unexpected was my own and Tim's. We are sure she is going to have an excellent time. She has a great positive attitude and the camp seems awesome. Tim is ready to sign up to go himself! But we had this unexplainable mixture of apprehension, pride, and sadness I can't quite put into words. We'll just comfort ourselves with the knowledge that she seems like she is going to have a damn good time!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Holy Mother of God
So there I am, feeling great about my kids. Morrigan got into Plato, Maggie finally faced her fears and went into the lap lanes portion of the pool, Eion didn't make me want to kill him at all today. And then they became fetish child pornographers. We'll start from the beginning.....




In prep for camp, we went to Target today and I decided to buy a cheap digital camera for Morrigan to take to sleep away camp. It is not terribly expensive and preferable, to me at least, to a disposable camera. So we get home and I show Morrigan how to use the camera. As it is a new toy, she was anxious to try it out. And the kids are happily snapping pics as I cleaned up the kitchen.
When I went to review the pictures, I saw allot of what I expected, this:
When I went to review the pictures, I saw allot of what I expected, this:
Then we arrived at the portion of the photo session which was them taking pictures of one another's bare backsides. I call them all into the kitchen and start fussing them out for doing such a thing and made them view each inappropriate pic as I deleted them. [Rest assured, they are all gone and the memory card has been reformatted.] But then it got worse. First were the pictures of Eion, which when I showed it as an example of what we weren't to do, E yelled out, "Look, it's my crank!" Then more bottoms and underwear. Then the pictures of them using the potty! So my children are not just pornographers but fetish child pornographers.
Needless to say, it was right to bed for the lot of them. And I think my extensive, loud, nay bordering on yelling, lecture was effective as when I went to give the girls a hug and kiss good night, Maggie said in tears, "I don't deserve a hug or kiss." They did get hugs and kisses but I told them their tv was in major peril.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Still Employed
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Best Idea Ever
We tend to be a little bit behind on the tech curve. We're still rocking a 32 inch, non-flat screen tv, no bluray player, and I can barely text. Seriously, when I get a text, I can read it but then I can never find it again. I need a 12 year old to help me out. But back on point, Tim found an app today that makes me want to buy a GPS which is really a tough sell since I go practically nowhere. The Tomtom GPS can speak to you in the voice of Homer Simpson. (Click here to listen.) This might qualify as the Best Idea Ever.
Woohoo!
June this year is the month of waiting for letters from the city. We are still waiting to see if E gets into the city preschool (go catboy go!) but we did get a bit of mail today. Morrigan was chosen for the Plato (gifted) program! So forgive me as I brag just a little shameless bit here. We were very happy and asked her how she wanted to celebrate. She wanted to buy books. I love my girl.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Adding to the Hall of Fame
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Cocktails and Croquet
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