{this moment}: He's so fun to shop with

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. Sponsored by Soulemama.

Seen on the road to Bowling Green...

Proof that Pugsley Addams is now driving age and at large...

(click on the photo to enlarge for detail)

Dealing with ADHD...

...well, how Dominic's older brothers deal with it, anyway...

Eulogy for Bertram Chanticleer

Farewell, Bertram Chanticleer!
Favored fowl, cock'rell most dear;
With crimson comb and feathered charm,
Thou pompous prince of our small farm;
'Tis well that now you should be toasted:
You 'scaped the pot yet still were roasted.

Hey, girl...

I am joining Ginny today in a create-your-own version of the funnies on this site (I've been seeing these on Pinterest and having a good laugh).  If you need a chuckle, check out the originals and the ones ladies are posting on Ginny's link-up.

What in the world...?

For obvious reasons, my kids don't tell me everything.

For obvious reasons, I have learned not to ask too many questions.

Overheard: definition of blueberries

Gabriel, to Gemma:  "Blueberries are little, blue and round, and when you squeeze them, their little purple guts come out."

My boys can work the word "guts" into just about any conversation.

'Til the cows come home...

 Hey, y'all in there?

 Dang, it ain't latched...if only I had hands...

 Stop pointin' that thing at me an' come on over an' open this here door!

Well, if that's how yer gonna be...c'mon, Max, let's go find somethin' to do!

It's not easy being Spider-Boy's mother.

I no longer bother to ask about these things.  I just leave the clean laundry on the dresser.

Must be that time of year again...

Saxon Math is really starting to get on Una's nerves...

Playing "Fatty"

I was looking for Adrian and Dominic.  I could hear them giggling away in their room.  So I go in, and they are both knocking about under Adrian's bed covers.

"What are you two doing there?" I ask.
 Lots of giggles.
"We're playin' "Fatty"!  Adrian squeals and emerges from the covers.  Dominic emerges next, nearly dissolving in laughter.

Curious, are you?   Well, apparently playing "Fatty", consists of diving beneath the covers and shoving as many stuffed animals into your sweat pants as will fit without busting a seam.

Well, I'm off to find some good Montessori-type activities for two little boys...

She blinded me with science...

Una was in the office on the computer, looking up some of the internet-linked science topics in an Usborne book.  I sat on the sofa helping Gabe with math.  Sebastian, relishing a break, jumped around by the office door doing nothing in particular.  Una groaned aloud, relating that an otherwise interesting site was promoting a secular Big Bang theory as dogma.

"Yeah,"  I said, "it's probably for the best if you steer clear of those types of science sites, and those that insist we came from monkeys."

"We came from monkeys?" asked Sebastian with a teasing grin, still dancing about.

Me, exasperated:  "No, we did not."

Una from within the office:  "Just you, Sebastian."

Panis gratia artis

I could really be butchering the Latin there, but "Bread for Art's sake" is what I'm going for. This is what happens when your loaf has delusions of artistic grandeur. Behold the loaf:

You know it's been too long since you cleaned under the furniture...

...when your dust-bunnies look like this:

Fun with Science--the Extinction of Dinosaurs

Okay. So maybe that's not really how it happened...

The Dino-bores...

"So, y'know what a triceratops sits on?"

"No, what?"

"Its tricera-bottom!"

Have you any idea how hard it is to build a post around a neat photo of your kid's plastic dinosaurs? Do you know how hard pressed I am for something interesting to tell you?

Another reason to homeschool your kids (funny!)...

Patrice at Rural Revolution offered this glimpse into why our country is in such bad shape!

You Might Be a Homeschooler If...

Thanks, Jennifer, for emailing this to me!

Nuns with Guns

With many thanks to Patrice Lewis at Rural Revolution for the great image.

Does this kid need prayers, or what?

So read the caption of this photo my sister sent of my nephew, Thomas. Actually, I think he'll be fine in the long haul, as his very best buddy is a priest...