Edouard came calling this afternoon. It’s finally raining. Aggieland hasn’t seen any measurable precipitation since the beginning of May. Our poor lawn is on life support. I guess I should be more careful what I pray for. I prayed for rain, and God sent a tropical storm. All in all, it was a quite an enjoyable afternoon. I love to listen to it rain. Growing up in Oregon, the land of perpetual water falling from the sky, I never appreciated it much. It was just a nuisance. But after living in Southern California, where it rains once or twice a year, and now in Texas where months can go by without rain, I really love rain. There’s something really relaxing about listening to the rain patter on the roof and drip off the eaves of the house. So here’s of list of some things I like to do on a rainy afternoon.

1. Take a nap. Well, I tried to, but A was having a very noisy, “quiet time” in her room.

2. Read. Right now I’m reading Shadowplay by Tad Williams and The Shack by William P. Young.

3. Bake. I made yummy cinnamon, apple bran muffins.

4. Do laundry. 2 loads done.

5. Drink an iced mocha

6. Watch baseball on TV. Astros 7, Cubs 11

7. Blog about my rainy afternoon.

The Oatmeal Water tower

No not the cereal… the community of Oatmeal, TX is where the annual Denmark/Knox reunion took place this past weekend. J’s family gets together every year for games, food, fellowship, and a Sunday morning worship service. We were able to spend Saturday with the family this year. Here are a few pics.

An intense game of Blokus

A trailer becomes a boat for the cousins

The younger crew of cousins

Showing off the captured grasshoppers

I asked A today what she wanted to be when she grew up. She immediately reported that she wanted to be a fairy. Hmm… I wonder where you go to school to become a fairy. Do you have to earn your wings? What are the long-term health effects of fairy dust? Maybe I shouldn’t have let her watch the episode of What Not to Wear with the hippy, dippy girl who saw fairy wings as valid way to accessorize to her wardrobe. I really was quite surprised at her answer. She’s wanted to be a pirate since last Fall. I asked her if she still likes pirates. Her response – she doesn’t like pirates any more. “Only girl pirates, Mom.”

I was hoping A would say geologist. She’s had a fascination with volcanoes since last Fall also. She loves them. She’ll talk your ear off about them. She loves to tell anyone who will listen about all the things that come out of a volcano. Grandma bought her a little plastic volcano that you can fill up with baking soda and pour vinegar in to make it erupt. Almost every evening she asks to see her volcano erupt. I’ve been trying for months to figure out exactly how this thing with volcanoes started. Some of my theories involve the Discovery Channel and Dora the Explorer. I remember watching a show on Discovery about volcanoes with A. She was glued to the TV. Dora has been known to inspire my girls. I’m pretty sure L’s interest in soccer was due to watching Dora play. Maybe it was the Dora episode with the ooey-gooey volcano?

I finally found out this morning the reason for A’s interest in volcanoes. After she found a book about volcanoes at the public library I asked her why she started liking volcanoes. She told me that she had seen them in the movie Fantasia. Well, if it’s not Dora it’s Disney. Maybe that also explains the whole fairy thing?

A wants to see some pictures of herself on the computer. So here they are…

After Sonshine School Graduation – A is going to kindergarten!

soccer fan

A and Grandma

Graduating Girl

Several weeks ago L attended Prairie Adventure Camp in McKinney. The camp was a Xmas gift from her grandparents. She spent 3 days living like a kid in the 19th century. They dressed in costume, went barefoot, learned to weave, made butter and apple pie and played games like kids in the 19th century would have. L learned how to play marbles, jacks, and use a thaumatrope. I admit I had to look that last one up in the dictionary. Turns out a thaumatrope is a card with a picture on both sides. When it is spun the picture appears to move.

Grandma found an article about the camp in a local section of the Dallas paper. Check out this link to see picture of the campers before and after de-modernizing. L is in the center.

L had her first art show this morning.  She went to two art classes earlier this month at the local art center.  All the students work were displayed in a gallery for everyone to see.  L really enjoyed painting and making sculptures out of clay.

Welcome to the adventures of 6 skinny feet and 2 average ones.  I hope to regularly keep you updated on what’s going on with our family as well as other random thoughts that come to me.

The state of the feet this month is J – size 10.5 M, S – size 9 AAAA, L – size 2.5 Narrow and A – size 10 Slim.