March 2012 Miscellaneous Pictures

Okay, this is getting a bit ridiculous. I uploaded these pictures 18 days ago, but haven't managed the writing portion of this post since then?  I have been busy, just with life and housework and small kids and minor obsessions and the usual things, but I probably could have managed the half hour to knock this out before then.  I am now ignoring the mountains of work piled around me and am going to finish this post.

Even if this post wasn't untimely, it's still a bit of a mess.  It's all pictures from March-- the leftover pictures from when we weren't sugaring or visiting.  Our at-home time.

My African Violet is on one of its "up" mood swings.  I think it's bi-polar-- it's either sitting there lifeless and dull, pouting, or it's blooming extravagantly.  I love how the petals look like they're coated in sugar crystals.

Little boy in in his Carrhart coat.

Taking a walk, one weekend when the Vaughans were down.

Livie had my camera, and Mom and I were strolling along behind the bouncy kids.

Cheyenne will actually smile for someone who isn't her mother.  I love this picture of my messy red-head.

Rilla running back to check on us.

The kids ahead of us.

Running girl.

I think a dog had been spotted, or else Elliott was just taking advantage of Tori's obliging nature, by climbing up in her arms.

This was one of those crazy warm March days, and we even saw flowers!

And a purse in the middle of the road.  It turned out to be our neighbor's purse.

Rilla, getting maximum mileage out of birthday presents by wearing her barrette and drawing with the things from The Box. 

Two months later, The Box is still popular.  I am always having to say, "Rilla, go put Your Box on your bureau!"

Elliott likes Daddy relaxing by playing a computer game.

Lincoln has to put an apron on anytime anyone else does.

Cheyenne, the chef.  She's getting pretty competent in the kitchen.  I'll have to get her on meal duty soon.

Skype-ing with Grandma and Grandpa White.  The kids love when they hear the computer make the little doodle-e-doo noise that means someone is calling them on Skype.

In the throes of March Madness here in Syracuse.  I finally caved and bought them shirts.

Cheyenne wanted to take a picture.  I'm in my post-shower, yet pre-contacts and hairdo phase.  Lincoln is unsure of what's going on.

Yup, Tintin is still huge around here.

Elliott is a very careful colorer.

Sweet little Rilla feet, one hot afternoon nap.

Like most naps, books sprawled all over the bed.

Completely lovely.

One night we walked up the road to retrieve Cheyenne from her friends' house.

Little power walker/runner in her skirt and sneakers!

And a little boy who likes to walk backwards.

I love this little stroller boy.

And his curls.

It was one of those beautiful evenings, and then Elliott noticed how the light was making the airplane trail pretty next to the flag.

Some spring flowers, just because.  I bought them when Evan was in RI for a couple of days for a builder's show.  8 days AFTER he came home, he noticed the flowers, which had been sitting on the dining room table the whole time.

Evan getting an involuntary back massage from Lincoln.

Silly little kids.

We got a free bunkbed from a customer of Evan's.  The kids are over the moon about it, so I had to overcome my dislike of bunk beds (safety, difficulty in changing sheets, etc.) and put it up.  Cheyenne sleeps on the top bunk, and spends most of her spare time up there, reading.  Since then, Evan has made a railing and a ladder for it, but at this time they just stepped from the bottom bunk to Elliott's bureau to the top bunk.  It's kind of funny that three of the kids now sleep in the smallest bedroom (about 7'x9').

See?  I even changed to the "Spring" decorations on the first day of spring.  Mostly because I was sick of the "Autumn" decorations taunting me that I'd never managed to get the winter ones up.

Lincoln's crib, with the indispensable green blankie.

One of the great things about the bunk bed is that we now have a twin bed again, so Cheyenne can use the quilt Grandma Marilyn made for her.

One of the NOT great things about the bunk bed.  When Rilla was "helping" Lincoln get down one day, they both fell to the floor, and Lincoln broke/sprained the pointer finger on his left hand.  This picture doesn't do it justice-- it was a violently awful color, and swollen to at least twice it's normal size.  It was quite the evening when it happened-- I was calmly making supper when I heard an awful thump and knew something horrible had happened.  I was in the bedroom before they were able to catch their breath to cry.  I took Lincoln downstairs to cuddle him.  Rilla, who survived the fall relatively unscathed, ran back up the stairs to get Lincoln's blanket, to make him happier.  She tripped coming down the stairs, and got an enormous goose egg right beside her eye.  Evan, hearing all the crying, came running in the house from outside, with Elliott hot on his heels.  Elliott misjudged the door closing and mashed three of his fingers in the outside door.  So, in the space of about 3 minutes, all three kids received painful injuries.  The dangers of suburbia!

Since I'm such a Scrooge about limiting the kids' computer time, they have to resort to being excited about the play computer.

Rilla, "getting married" by putting the white tiara on her head.  Elliott is not respecting the sanctity of the union-- he's busy running into her bike.

Phew!  I still have pictures from April to put up, as well as lots of May pictures!  Maybe I'll do better about posting if I drop the pretense that I'll be able to do it after the kids go to bed, and start doing it in the morning.  Once the evening rolls around, if I have energy left enough to read someone else's blog, I'm doing good.  Doing it in the morning or afternoon, though, requires successfully fending off lap urchins while ignoring screaming piles of wash and toys and bills and spilled cereal.

Not that I would trade with anyone and their sparkling, quiet office.  I like lap urchins.