Gloomy Days

It's a gloomy day today...cloudy, cool, and rainy. It makes me want to just lie on the couch and read or even just veg out in front of the T.V. I certainly don't want to pack up all the kids and go anywhere, and we can't go outside. I should really be more adventurous, I know. They'd love to go bowling or to the movies....both not so easy with a 1-year-old in tow. In a few more months those things will be easier...her mobility (or lack thereof right now) is a big factor in what we do. Once Emma is able and wants to sit to watch a movie we'll all be able to go...not that we do it very often anyway because it's $100 for our family once we gets snacks and all! And once she can walk and actually roll a bowling ball, we can take her bowling fairly easily. I'm willing to go now, but not without Karl. And so far we just haven't slowed down to do it yet....maybe soon. We're hoping to get to the beach before long...the kids have been asking a lot lately. So far we've just basked in the sun a bit in our backyard....on sunny days that is, not today.

While I am blogging, the boys are playing upstairs....maximizing their time because I don't allow them up there when Emma is napping. Since she takes two naps a day...well...their time is limited. Right now, she is in the front room playing with Hailey. Thankfully, not crying, but happy. It was a rough morning....crying, no matter what I did. She's getting 2 molars so it's no surprise she's cranky. She's also tired...but of course taking a 1.5 hour nap didn't work, only 40 minutes. I tried to get her to go back to sleep b/c she was just crying anyway and could not be appeased, to no avail. I finally got her up, fed her, and now she's playing happily. I don't know if she was just hungry or wanted the attention....at least it's peaceful now. She's typically a very happy baby, but this morning was quite an ordeal....hoping she'll actually sleep her 2 hours this afternoon.

I had planned to make pea soup for dinner last night but we ended up having leftover BBQ chicken sandwiches. Tonight I will serve the pea soup and it's a better day for it anyway since it's gloomy....did I say gloomy yet? ;)

I have to come back and post some more pictures soon...I never finished my Memories in Picture series. I'll try to do that within the next two days, maybe tonight's a good night to work on it...

The kids and I started reading White Fang yesterday. I read it as a kid but don't remember much except that I enjoyed it. When I began the first chapter I thought to myself, "Wow, this is really good, descriptive writing!" I wondered if the kids would think it tedious and hard to understand. Upon finishing the chapter Logan piped up and said, "That first chapter sure was descriptive, especially at the very beginning." We've been learning about 'good' writing this year and what makes it good. Most of the older books are like that. I think we need to start reading more 'classics'. Hailey and Corbin didn't really say anything then, but Hailey did ask me today if we were "gonna read that book again". She smiled when I said yes, so that tells me she likes it. She apparently saw the movie at Nana's and some of the first chapter is "just like the movie" she says. So, that's good. Much of the time movie-makers take a LOT of license and the product ends up way different than the book. I'll have to ask her throughout the reading if it is still like the movie. Now I'm not sure if Corbin liked it...we'll find out this afternoon.

Well, I'm gonna end here. I have to clean up my lunch 'stuff' and go relieve Hailey from baby duty.