Opinions Please

So my mother's day gift from my wonderful MIL was new bar stools. We inherited their old ones when they moved, but they are too tall for our counters, and we live in fear that our children are going to chip our counters with them.
So... I have a few selections to choose from, but there are too many for me to say "yes, that's the one". So I'm asking for a little guidance. Please let me know whatcha think. My home is modern-traditional (or isn't it?) I have dark, hand-scraped wood floor, a red kitchen, and my counter tops are muddled brown-black-grey-amber-white. I'd take a picture, by my house is filthy. So too bad for you.

Augusta


Cathedral

Georgia

Salina

Sumatra

We made it one year

This week was our one year anniversary at my office. It was a very successful celebration, with lots of give aways and well-wishes from patients and fellow clinics.
We topped it off Friday with a little "open house". Something about cracking a beer at work makes the day a little more bright.
Congratulations Spencer. Even though you make me want to scream 90% of the time, I love you anyway, and you are a very talented doc. And my kids and husband love you too.


(Note the artwork in the background... Carly's husband Jim created that for me as a gift to Spencer when we opened up. You can check out his mid-century art at www.jimwardmorris.com)

Opening Night

The boys taking a moment at the edge of the field before the girl-chase resumes.

The Belles got walloped last night, not that I really saw any of the game. I don't think the boys stopped once to notice that there was an organized activity going on. They were busy being chased by girls. And Natalie was busy making 3 little boys follow her wherever she went. Bending them to her will.
I can't believe that this my life already. My kids are running around with their friends (as far away from me as possible) while I sit on the blanket with an afghan on my legs. Toss me a knitting project and put the final nail in.
There were fireworks after the game (that's why Erin and I agreed to take the kids) and then after that they let all the kids on the field to run the bases. At 10pm. And hundreds of kids were out there, I couldn't believe they still had energy to do that. Our kids must have done 4 or 5 laps around the bases before they chased everyone out. And Brady had to stand on the pitchers mound for a moment or two.
So I put my kids to bed in the clothes they wore to the game, along with their filthy little feet. Looks like there will be baths and laundry to do this morning!



Watching the fireworks (note there isn't any snuggling of the mommies here? It was c-o-l-d too!)

Hippie Camp is over.

Today was Natalie's final "Little Entertainers" class at the YMCA. It was taught by 2 very enthusiastic hippie-imagination girls. They were very sweet, and the girls had fun, but there was nothing "Entertainer" about it. They pranced and lept and kind of went where the little girls led them. I was hoping for something that would support Natalie's outgoing personality and love for performance. Nope.
And the whole hippie-imagination thing. I call them hippies because they are the all-to-common Bellinghamster girls. Hairy and in mis-match, mis-season (winter clothes in summer, etc), full of hole clothing. And they are telling the girls to imagine how a rainbow would dance. And to go crawl in this cave and think of magical thoughts and you can carry those thoughts around privately in your head. Basically they are teaching our girls the stuff they thought up while pondering the world while waiting their turn for the doobie to come back by.
But very sweet girls, nonetheless.
And Natalie liked to check herself out in the mirror while she practiced her moves and she had lots of room to run and spin and do donkey kicks. So I suppose in the long run, it was worth $25 for 5 weeks of play.

"I want a Hee-hawk"

I usually give the kids several hairstyles when I shampoo their hair, and of course the most popular is the Mohawk.
But Natalie just can't seem to call it by it's proper name.
N: I want hee hawk.
H: You want a MO-hawk?
N: yea, a hee-hawk.
H: Say Mo.
N: MO.
H: Say Hawk.
N: Hawk.
H: Now say Mo-hawk.
N: Mo. Hawk.
N: I want a Ho-hawk now.
H: A Mo-hawk.
N: (chanting) Hee-Hawk. Hee-Hawk. Hee-Hawk.

I gave her the damn Hee-Hawk.

Summer Camp roundup

Brady finished his first daycamp this summer. He had Natalie's teacher for the week (not cool, according to Natalie). He baked bread, made a sailboat, birdhouse, and a sandcastle; and had a terrific time. And Mrs. Thompson commented more than once on what a sweet, nice boy he is. I was grinning like a ninny. I am thankful that although he may be hell on wheels for me, that I am doing right by him somehow, and the world is a better place with him in it.

Now I've been searching the web for more (affordable) day camps to get him (and hopefully Natalie too) into. If the weather doesn't improve here soon, it's going to be one long summer.

The Fat Lady has Sung

With a heavy heart, Larry just left to go pick up our final meal from Stanello's. It's been a Fairhaven institution for over 30 years, and Stan is done.
Larry won't eat there anymore now that we have children. I think he believes the food tasted better when it was served in the bar. So he's picking up take out. Our final pizzas are: Pepperoni (for the kids), Venus Royal (for Larry), and The Seafood (for me). And some garlic bread for good measure.
Bon Voyage, Stan!
Click on the title if you want to view the menu one last time.