Mt. Nebo

We met our friends the Clarks at a state park in Arkansas for all kinds of fun. (Unless you happen to be pregnant and allergic to the, um, whole cabin.)

If that's the case, then you'll probably have to go back down the mountain to the nearest Wal-Mart to purchase an air mattress. The air mattress will take up the whole tent, which means that your family members can no longer sleep in there. So, they'll have to move either inside the cabin with the dust mites and cave crickets or into your neighbor's tent, which clearly demonstrates the differences in lifestyles of architects with 4 kids vs. teachers with 1.5.

The kids had a BLAST:

We bought slingshots during the same visit to Wal-Mart wherein I purchased the air mattress and John was thrilled to drink nothing but Capri Suns the whole time. We roasted marshmallows, made s'mores, hiked, swam, and stomped cave crickets. Overall, I think even I would've enjoyed it thoroughly had the cabin not been so dusty and had I not been so pregnant. Everyone else, clearly, had a ball, and we hope to make an every-other-year tradition.

For all the photos, click here.

I'm so lazy.

Here's our last two weeks:


Tennis camp! He got a new Sponge Bob racquet just for the occasion. Is that the correct spelling of "racquet" ... racket?



After a five-mile float down the Duck River (no shots of the actual water):

Not in good shape.


Here he is with his jet plane/light "saver."


One night I typed in "princess videos" on Youtube (because Annie was sad about something), and then I discovered that after each one finishes playing, Youtube gives other options, and the kids knew how to just keep clicking on the next most relevant hit. In the end, this turned out badly, but at at the time of this picture, it was all still clean and didn't involve a drag queen applying mascara.

And finally, I'll leave you with a video of Annie and John jumping on "the crouton," which I'm trying to sell on Craigslist. It ends on a sort of stinky note, so I'll go ahead and warn you:

It's another ...

BABY!

I'm 20 weeks and today was the big ultrasound. All looks fine and the between-the-legs pic is in my purse in a sealed envelope awaiting my patience to run out.

In other news ...

The Paces came and went. Here's the one picture I took. It doesn't indicate how much I ate and slept while they were here. I think I get the award for Worst Hostess: We ate out for all except one meal.

So, THANKS y'all for taking care of us as always.

And congratulations to us for making such a creepy-looking 4D baby!

OUS,
k

Bye Big Bud!

Tonight Chris left us again. For some reason I am extra sad this time. Maybe it's just the hormones, but I think also that we just love him a lot and wish he lived closer. Sniff.

Do note the bandaid on the chin. We had a little incident while 3.5 miles and 1,000 feet down in a gorge on Father's Day. It required five stitches, but I'll write more on that later.

When I've stopped being sad.

Bye Big Bud.

Floatin'

Yesterday we floated down an 8-mile stretch of Shoal Creek, which was loverly. There were several rope swings (always an important find) and some decent-sized fish, which no one caught.

I was set up in a Queen-like position on the front of the canoe, where I did about zero paddling. Chris had the kayak and John floated on his tube, which was attached to the back of one of the boats (alternating, according to his whims).

Today, we're recovering.

Click here, here, and here for videos.

Happy Saturday!

This week

Q, J, M
Originally uploaded by Kimmy Crack Corn

It's been a busy week:

FRIENDS!

CARDS GAMES!

&

NEW UNDERWEAR!

Yes, it's hanging on the wall.

He will neither wear them nor take them down.

Tomorrow: An 8-mile canoe float for which I bought a special padded fat-girl seat.

The End.

The Guys

The boys have been having a blast. Friday night soccer game, Saturday night baseball & fireworks, Sunday bike riding and cookie baking, and today they’re tubing down the Elk River after breakfasting at the Waffle House (where a prize Firefighter Jet was left near the condiment rack).

Yes, it fills a dinner plate.

Note the facial expression which denotes the possibility of having eaten too much.

Gone.

Also, John learned how to use the weedwhacker. The real one. No, I was not there. Yes, he nearly eradicated my pepper plants. While Brian cheered him on.

Click here for a video.

Oh well, who really needs nine pepper plants?

Meanwhile … back in the dungeon (formerly known as our bedroom/bathroom) …

I am writhing on the bed. I have somehow contracted the second horrendous virus of my 18-week pregnancy. The first one seemed like a toned-down version of the Swine Flu. This most recent one has been more like CHOLERA. So, while the boys were enjoying themselves immensely at various venues, I have been running back and forth from the bed to the bathroom.

But, it could be worse. Right? Right.

Happy Monday.