Sunday, June 02, 2019

In the Jungle




The kids are outside, finally!

And in the two weeks we've been gone, things turned into a jungle out there.

I've been meaning to make paths and landscape for the two summers we've been here...

Maybe this year :)!




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Saturday, June 01, 2019

Surprise!




Wildflower bouquets from Nu are are my favorite!

My edgiest child has a super soft spot for me--the other day, she picked me a dandelion when she hopped out of the car to collect the mail.

[heart eyes]





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Friday, May 31, 2019

4F (Fun Friday Film Fest)


That thing that LB and Nu named where we hang out with friends of all ages and eat pizza and popcorn and candy (partly inspired by Sarah, but I don't have enough kids, so I borrow around) is back for the summer. We're finished up the Miyazaki boxed set... there may have been some dancing.



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Thursday, May 30, 2019

Some Books

MIL's book (illustrations by her, words by SIL when she was six) is out in print. I love it and we ordered a bunch to give to friends with kids. LMK, if you'd like a copy!











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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

A Big Day for the Babies

Nu had the Math M-Step to make up today since she postponed hers because of the trip. AND I mean SHE postponed it. We got back Thursday and the test was on Friday--she walked up to the counsellor's office and requested a postponement. "Were you upset?" I asked. "No, I just thought it would be better." I love that she is advocating for herself.

At had to be dropped off at the courthouse at 7 am, since he received a summons for jury duty. A big fan of Twelve Angry Men, he is super excited. He thinks it might be the big case about another sex abuse scandal at MSU. All the details check out. He spent the rest of his time there reading about how Twelve Angry Men is a good movie but bad jury behavior. Nerd.

I managed to juggle both important morning drop-offs. L had offered to take one of them when she and T came to dinner last night. I can do it, I said. And I did. I even jumpstarted the car myself to do so.

Big Whoop
Stonehenge 5/15/2019
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Monday, May 27, 2019

It's a Nice Day to... Start Again

I should have grades done soon, and that will be goodbye to a satisfying four weeks of Spring Term.  My first assay at a travel term, The Empire Writes Back: Cosmopolitan England threw a bunch of non-majors into cultural theory and they took to it in a most satisfying way: looking at The British Museum critically; hypothesizing about Britain's Roman connections; seeing empire in Victorian fiction, reciting poetry at all the landmarks; talking to Sunny Singh and Robert JC Young... I love all those moments and I love all those kids.

It was terrifying too--in all the ways that being responsible for 15 young people can be. But we're all safely back. My secret weapon was taking Nu with me, so that was a little piece of home always with me.


And now... it is summer and time to work on all the projects that didn't get done over the sabbatical.

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never a dull moment

I had looked forward to today--on the family calendar as a college orientation day for Nu. But when we got to orientation, kids and families...