Smith Dance Party

2009-09-03T06:51:00.000-05:00

USAF Thunderbirds at Scott AFB on Saturday

2008-09-26T14:01:00.001-05:00

F-18 at Scott Air Show last weekend

2008-09-26T13:56:00.000-05:00

Catching up.....

2008-09-26T10:39:00.002-05:00

Well, my last post was the first day of school. That should be some indication that I've had the "deer in the headlights" look for the past five weeks.....the boys are now in a routine and I'm teaching twelve credit hours, so the time for posting random goodies on the blog is very limited.

I'll attempt to do some catching up with some photos and video from our trip last Saturday to the Air Show at Scott Air Force Base! Here's Ian and his buddy Sam, piloting a helicopter.

First Day of School (Alternate Title:" Where Did the Time Go?")

2008-08-20T15:56:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of school and everyone had a great day. There are two separate photos this year, because Ian's bus comes as 6:42am (yes, you read that correctly. Six. Forty. Two.) and the grade school bus arrives at 8:00am.

Just another example of Mimi's famous quote: the years fly by, but the days are loooooooong. Where does the time go?

Dara Torres & Sportsmanship

2008-08-16T19:27:00.002-05:00

So last night I'm watching the Olympics and I got to see Dara Torres in her qualifying race. When she came out of the holding area, she went immediately to one of the judges and started talking. The judge nodded.

The commentators were going crazy, wondering what Dara had told the judge. "No one just walks over to one of the judges!" they kept saying.

Then Dara walked over to the other swimmers and started talking. Again, the commentators were buzzing. "No one ever talks before a race!"

Dara was using her hands, palms down and pressing them up and down as she spoke to the younger swimmers. This was more drama than the commentators could handle and they had NO idea what to say.

Turns out that the swimmer from Sweden had ripped her swimming suit right before she came out and was changing into a new one. Dara was telling the judge and the other swimmers that they were all going to wait for the Swede.

That sent the commentators into a full-blown tizzy, gushing about Dara's sportsmanship. What a display of sportsmanship! The true meaning of the Olympic games!

Well I think the commentators got it all wrong. It wasn't sportsmanship. Well, it might have been partially, but that's not the word for it. The word for it is MOTHERHOOD.

Dara Torres is a mother. By definition that means she takes care of people. Especially younger people. Especially a 16-year-old girl from Sweden who just ripped her suit. No other swimmer would have approached the judge or told the other swimmers they were all going to wait. But Mothers don't care. Mothers make things happen.

Mothers know that sometimes - to get something done - they must be bossy and pushy and bark orders. And when done correctly, people (even Olympic judges) listen.

So the little Swedish girl got to swim in the race and Dara Torres beat her anyway. But I'll bet Dara patted her on the back afterward and asked her about her suit.

Sean Meets a Stranger.....Unexpectedly

2008-08-15T17:25:00.001-05:00

Sean accidentally met a stranger yesterday at the City Museum....thankfully the guy was a good sport. Here's the clip:

Fun at the City Museum

2008-08-15T12:07:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we went to the City Museum, which is hard to describe. Ian says it is "a big pile of junk that you wouldn't normally get to climb on." I say it's an art place built for climbing. At any rate, it was very fun yesterday seeing Sean swing over the ball pit and having Ian, Gavin, Josie, Jack and Pete use him for ball target practice. Good times.

Making Friends

2008-08-14T08:13:00.002-05:00

Jack and I chatted with a goat for a long time yesterday....we assume his name was Billy but we're not sure. And Ian took on an iguana for a staring contest and swears that the iguana blinked.

More Tiger Cubs

2008-08-14T08:09:00.002-05:00

There are three girl and two boy cubs and they are adorable....on display in Big Cat Country every day until noon. We weren't sure we'd get to see them so we were thrilled.

Tiger Cubs at the Zoo

2008-08-14T08:07:00.000-05:00

"This Place is a Zoo"

2008-08-13T18:51:00.003-05:00

Our field trip today was to the zoo and it was wonderful. Not too crowded, not too hot. We ended out trip at the site of Ian's first public tantrum when he was about 13 months old: the zoo train. Ten years ago, I had to use all my weight to pull that boy off the train while he was screaming his head off, holding on to the hand rails. Where did the time go?

HI Grandma!

2008-08-07T09:33:00.002-05:00

Word on the street is that Mary has been haunting the internet.......WELCOME TO THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY GRANDMA!

What the St Louis Symphony Will Be Doing September 19th & 20th; and hopefully we'll be there!

2008-08-04T17:36:00.001-05:00

Thank you, Major Summers!

2008-08-04T07:36:00.004-05:00

On the way to Dauphin Island, we stopped in Memphis to visit Thad and he gave us the royal treatment. We all took turns landing the C-5 in the simulator and then got to climb around a real C-5. It was very fun to see Thad saluted (giggling suppressed....when did we all become grownups?) and have my boys spend some time with such an old friend. Thanks, Thad! It was a blast!

The Bride with My Groom

2008-08-02T10:55:00.004-05:00

Amazing that Marcia got married last night....how can she be old enough to get married?? Isn't she still my advisee at Notre Dame who comes to sit at my desk and talk about Spanish class? When did she turn into this gorgeous young woman?

A beautiful, wonderful, warm and touching wedding last night with a fun and lively reception featuring delicious food. And it was so great to see so many people I hadn't gotten to see in a really long time. Those Godefroids can sure throw a wedding!

Shout out to Cindy and Maria, who have been known to haunt Smith Dance Party! xxxoooo

Purina Farms

2008-08-02T10:46:00.002-05:00

Thursday's Field Trip was to Purina Farms, which was fun for two reasons:

1) Normally, chickens don't want to sit on your lap.

2) We got to see the 2007 Frisbee Dog International Champion, Raccoon Jack. We could have watched him ALL day long.

Angela's Birthday!

2008-08-02T10:41:00.002-05:00

Angela's birthday was so much fun.....The Alarm, The Fixx and the English Beat in concert. It was like a three hour aerobics class with beer. So much fun!! And kudos to hard-rocker Johnna for suffering through another concert of 80s music that didn't involve Poison, Ratt or Whitesnake. ;-)

Fun at the Beach

2008-07-28T10:47:00.004-05:00

Dauphin Island is so great. I'll post more pictures here shortly.

We Love Jordan

2008-07-17T08:50:00.002-05:00

Having Jordan this week has been so much fun. The most entertaining part has been watching Jordan howl along with Ian while Ian practices his trumpet. (Video here.)

We've also enjoyed just looking at how cute he is, and Sean has enjoyed having Jordan lay on him.

Keeping Watch

2008-07-17T08:43:00.004-05:00

We've LOVED having the puppy Jordan this week while his family is in Florida. And Jordan has taken on some of Sophie's habits: like keeping watch out the front window.

Thank you, Jeff!!

2008-07-11T08:19:00.003-05:00

Special thanks to Jeff for showing us around on Wednesday afternoon. And especially for putting us right in the middle of a Saturday Night Live skit for supper. What a riot!

Jeff was such a good sport about hanging out with middle-aged housewives all afternoon....

Our Evening with George

2008-07-11T08:10:00.002-05:00

George put on a wonderful concert Wed night. He sounded fabulous and sang all his great songs (except, of course, the one song Johnna wanted to hear). ;-) It was such a fun evening, still can't believe we fit so much into one day!!

"Johnna, meet Chicago. Chicago, this is Johnna."

2008-07-11T07:56:00.002-05:00

Kudos to my buddy Johnna who spontaneously took a quick trip to Chicago with me on Wednesday for the George Michael concert. And since she'd never been there before, there were some places that she definitely had to visit. Navy Pier. The water taxi. Michigan Avenue. The Bean. Buckingham Fountain. The Lego Store. The Hancock Tower. The Billy Goat.

We did everything possible in seven hours and THEN got to see George Michael! Great fun.

Thank you, John Adams

2008-07-06T17:56:00.002-05:00

In a letter to Abigail, he wrote:

"The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding genereations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

Amazing that he already saw America stretching across the continent. As my old friend Vivian, the history teacher from Notre Dame, once said: "We should be forever grateful that our nation was founded by statesmen and not politicians."

Amen!

Band Concert

2008-07-06T17:52:00.002-05:00

I will not attempt to keep track of the band concerts that we attend as parents over the next few years. I will, however, mention that THIS one was the first, and I was so proud I nearly popped my buttons. (Wait! Was that pride? Or the fudge from Jack's birthday??)

Ian did a fabulous job with his trumpet playing and now begins a whole new adventure on Tuesday with his special lessons. Way to go, Ian!

"Can You Dig It"

2008-07-06T17:47:00.002-05:00

Jack's birthday requests were simple: burritos, fudge instead of cake, and a long game of "pickle". The weather didn't cooperate with the pickle game, so the kiddos all ended up in our basement watching our new favorite video.

It's called "Can You Dig It" and it shows how to build awesome sand castles. I've seen it three times, and each time it gets me so excited to go to the beach I can hardly stand it.

Like Kaylin said, "The video is fantastic because it makes you want to build. But it's awful because you can't build right now."

Happy Birthday, Jack!

2008-07-06T17:38:00.002-05:00

Wednesday was Jack's 9th birthday. We are finally all ODD! (11, 9 and 7) Of course, there are some who will say that we have always BEEN odd...but you know what I mean. ;-)

Happy Birthday, Jack! You are one in a million!

Date Night

2008-07-01T08:16:00.002-05:00

Ian and I finally got our date night, which was originally scheduled for February but was overruled when he scored Blues tickets for the same night...oh well...boys will be boys, right?

We had fantastic seats for the ball game last night, right by the ESPN cameras. Two hot dogs, one order of nachos, two sodas and one order of Dippin' Dots: $34. An evening with your oldest boy? Priceless.

Baseball weekend

2008-07-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

We had five baseball games in four days this weekend, and with the way our vacation is scheduled, I think that's the end of the baseball seasons for Ian and Sean. Jack, of course, couldn't be happier about this although I'm sure he will miss the pretzels with cheese from the concession stand.

I'm a tourist in my own town!

2008-07-01T08:02:00.002-05:00

I've driven across the Poplar Street Bridge many, many times. And it always amuses me to come across (read: pass) a car with out-of-state plates driving slowly as the driver or passenger takes photos of the Arch. I find it quaint and cute in a very condescending way.....the Arch is ours...we see it every day....we don't need to take pictures. I think that makes us forget how utterly amazing the Arch is.

Anyway, coming back from E'ville on Sunday evening the Arch was more beautiful than I'd ever seen it. I grabbed my camera, rolled down the window.....and found myself doing exactly what I'd made fun of others for doing. Taking a photo of the Arch while crossing the Poplar Street Bridge.

Life with boys

2008-07-01T07:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I saw Sean running through the house with a kitchen towel. This isn't a normal occurrence, so I automatically assumed that something had spilled and he needed to clean it up.

I said "Sean, did you spill something?"

"Nope."

"Well then what's the towel for?"

"Nothing. Just blood."

Oh! That makes me feel much better.

Afternoon at the Art Museum

2008-06-26T18:03:00.004-05:00

Ian and Gavin actually witnessed a marriage proposal today....a couple in a paddleboat in front of the Art Museum. What a great location!
Inside the Art Museum were art students with huge easels doing charcoals of the paintings on the walls...it was really, really neat.
Then we saw the mummies (Josie didn't care for them) and the weapons (what's not to love about weapons from the Middle Ages??) and then rolled down Art Hill. A wonderful afternoon.
Add the fact that we had lunch at the Boathouse, and it was a fun day.

More Optical Illusion Fun

2008-06-26T17:59:00.001-05:00

Ames Room Illusion

2008-06-26T17:54:00.002-05:00

At the Science Center, they have an Ames Room, which can be described here. But the photo sums it up nicely......Josie towering over Ian!

Today's Adventure

2008-06-23T22:02:00.003-05:00

Summer vacation, Day 25. Ian was on his vacation bible school field trip with the St Simon's crew while Jack, Sean and I were back at Sanders Service for some touch-up work on one of Pearl's new tires. Mr Sanders took us for a little spin in his new golf cart. Sean was a little upset that he didn't take them out on Watson Road and then to Interstate 270. Oh well....

A Question that was difficult to answer:

2008-06-23T21:53:00.001-05:00

From Sean: "Mom, where are you going to live when you grow up?"

When Life Gives you Lemons, Go to Krispy Kreme

2008-06-21T10:03:00.004-05:00

Sweet Carol picked us up from our flat-tire fiasco and saved the day by taking us all to Krispy Kreme. Thank you Carol!

Unplanned Adventure

2008-06-20T15:36:00.003-05:00

We headed to the Arch today to see the flooding....for some reason today I wanted the boys to see the river up close as it rushes up the steps of the Arch. Plus, I thought it would be good for them to run around and burn up some energy.

On 55, I heard a "whoop whoop whoop"ing sound that usually accompanies a blowout..I even said to Sam "That sounds like somebody had a blowout." Well, as I looked at my tire sensors, I realized it was ME!!!

We pulled Pearl onto a ramp right away, and by the time we turned left over the highway, we were definitely sure that Pearl had a flat.

Oh well! Thank God everyone was okay and the only negative thing was the hassle that surrounds a flat tire. Nothing like a little adventure!

Thank you, Pearl, for being heavy and protecting my babies (and the babies of others!)

Digging up the past at Cahokia Mounds

2008-06-18T16:46:00.002-05:00

Near Monk's Mound we saw some tents with some people working. We decided to go and check it out. Sure enough, it was an archaelogical group doing a dig. They showed us what they'd dug up today and let us help sift some dirt. We saw pieces of bones and pottery; it was awesome.

And not ONE of them looked like Indiana Jones!

Today's Field Trip: Cahokia Mounds

2008-06-18T16:23:00.003-05:00

Cahokia Mounds is such a neat place. The big mound, Monk's Mound, has 149 steps to the top. It also has a great view of St Louis! From the top you can also see several other mounds scattered around the big one.

Today we learned that in the year 1200, Cahokia had a bigger population than London. So what happened to them? Well, if you ask Gavin, they "sold everything in exchange for casinos".

My Gardener

2008-06-18T10:06:00.003-05:00

This morning when I got out of the shower, my gardener was already out on the deck tending to the flowers.

Today's Field Trip

2008-06-16T21:08:00.005-05:00

We went to the brewery tour today, might be the last time we visit AB when it is a St Louis-based company. I know the takeover is good for the stockholders, but it's a matter of civic pride. Anyway, the trip was fun. There was a huge clydesdale rear-end named "Thomas" , which of course warranted a photo.

AB is a pretty classy company, which is why I was so thrilled to see that cheesy "photo op" sign. It was just too cheesy to resist.

They came the farthest!

2008-06-16T20:54:00.002-05:00

Kudos to Mom, Mimi and Katie for making it over on Saturday. It just wouldn't have been the same without them!!

Tonight We're Gonna Party Like it's 1989

2008-06-16T20:45:00.003-05:00

Well, I hope everyone has recovered from the little get-together I had to celebrate turning 40 on Saturday night. Special shout-out to Tree, for being the person there who's had to put up with me the longest (besides Mimi and Mom); Mimi and Katie for coming from such a long way; Sue for coming all the way from Bethalto and Carla - just because it's so fun to scream when you see someone you haven't seen in a really, really long time.

A Flock of Julies

2008-06-15T15:27:00.003-05:00

Last night was my Ladies-Only 80's Karaoke party to celebrate my 40th birthday. Every single woman I love in the world was there, including THE JULIES. Julie Korenak. Julie Lange. Julie Hoevelmann. Julie Smith. Julie Knost. Julie Heuer. Julie Dibble.

My Friends are So Talented!

2008-06-13T13:21:00.002-05:00

Look at Diane and Julie~! They are so talented!!

Birthday Boy!

2008-06-13T13:17:00.000-05:00

Limbo Champion

2008-06-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

That boy can limbo.

The Crab Walk

2008-06-13T13:01:00.003-05:00

The cutest thing the whole night was watching everyone warm up for the "Crab Race". Our backyard suddenly looked like a beach with all sorts of crabs crawling around.

Sunflower Seed Spitting Contest - Event #4

2008-06-13T09:54:00.004-05:00

Jonathan was the big winner of this event, shooting one fourteen feet. Very impressive!

22 Playing Pickle

2008-06-13T09:42:00.003-05:00

Event #2 at the Smith Olympics on Wednesday night was "pickle". There were several collisions but only one major injury, the birthday boy. Amazingly enough, he healed in time for 'capture the flag'.

Day 12 of Summer Va-Cay

2008-06-10T17:39:00.003-05:00

Today we headed to the pool with our buddies Sam and Alexander. It was a great day at the pool. Very hot and not a cloud in the sky!

Young Indiana Jones - Times Two

2008-06-10T11:24:00.003-05:00

Here are Pete and Sean demonstrating their Indiana Jones talents last evening.

Table for 12, please

2008-06-10T11:13:00.004-05:00

Birthday dinner. Margaritas. Cheese. And Sam. And the Korenaks. Followed by cake comas at our house. What more could a girl want?

Day 11: Best. Day. Ever.

2008-06-10T11:09:00.003-05:00

Well, I spent my 40th birthday getting ready for Ian's big party tomorrow night (the Smith Summer Olympics), going putt-putt golfing and seeing the movie "Ironman" again. Yes, it sounds like my day was planned by a bunch of grade school boys. And it was! As Mimi said, "what better way to spend your 40th birthday than with your kids."

It was a wonderful, fabulous day and I'm hoping to be graced with at least 40 more years on this beautiful Earth.

Special shout-out to Tom for making me cry with his sweet email. But you'll always be my dorky brother, no matter how cute you turn out. ;-)

Day 10 - Scoring a birthday dinner

2008-06-08T21:27:00.004-05:00

Wow, Mom and Dad fixed a wonderful birthday dinner for me tonight!! Grilled burgers with a fabulous "happy hour" beforehand. Very, very excited about my birthday tomorrow! And the boys were excited about the chocolate cake that Grandma made.

Day 8 in Edwardsville

2008-06-08T21:22:00.002-05:00

On Friday we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house to meet their new tenants, a family of birds who has just had babies. Sean painted this birdhouse for them three years ago, and each summer they have had a bird family take it over. Very sweet.

Day 7 in the strawberry patch

2008-06-05T13:48:00.005-05:00

We had some guests on our "field trip" today: Pete, Jonathan and Baby Justin, whom we are calling "J Dog". He is the best baby and didn't even complain when he ended up having lunch in the middle of the strawberry patch.

I think the highlight for Justin was the ride home, when Pete pretended to be singing karaoke right in front of him, and Justin just giggled and giggled.

Jack was the most particular about the strawberries today and only ended up collecting about 20 of them. Sean and Pete were like migrant workers and Jonathan and Ian (I think) surprised themselves by having fun.

It was really, really fun out there today!! I love all these boys!!

Day 6 - in a pickle

2008-06-04T19:50:00.002-05:00

Growing up, we always called it "pickle", you know.....getting caught in between two bases? Well in St Louis, it's called "hotbox". And we are constantly reminded that there is no "pickle" west of the Mississippi River. (That is the apparent boundary between "pickle" and "hotbox".) This is worse than a blue-state, red-state rivalry.

Anyway, our buddy Jonathan today became an honorary Smith because right before dinner, he said "We should play pickle." I couldn't believe it! Jonathan is a Missouri boy and he actually called it by the right name. So, he gets a photo posted.

We won't be going to the pool tomorrow....."mother of the year" did a terrible job sunscreening Jack and he'll be paying the price for a few days. His skin is so different from his brothers...you'd think after nine summers with the boy I would remember this. Sorry, Jack!

Summer Vacation - Day Five

2008-06-03T18:34:00.003-05:00

Day Five saw us drive to Cape Girardeau to have Uncle Alan check our eyes. Sean and Jack both emerged with new specs, and Sean looked SO much like Jack tonight at his baseball practice that I had to take a picture.

Jack is counting down the years until he can have Lasik surgery, and Sean is thrilled to have glasses. On the way home from Cape, he said "Mom! The trees have leaves!"

You Might Be a Redneck If....

2008-06-03T08:56:00.003-05:00

you take a photo of the dessert cart as it gets wheeled in.

Overheard yesterday

2008-06-03T08:53:00.003-05:00

"I really don't think you should throw that into the ceiling fan."

"Mom wouldn't make a very good pirate."

"Ian, you only want to be a Marine so you can get a Purple Heart license plate and park close to grocery stores."

Summer Va-Cay, Day 4

2008-06-03T08:39:00.003-05:00

Well, one rule of the Smith Household is that if Nichole ever calls around 5:30pm on a game night, you run to the phone. Last night was no exception, as Nichole offered us five tickets to an open luxury suite right behind home plate. All it took was the phrase "all you can eat" to Jack and even HE was willing to leave the house. Add in the open bar and dessert cart and needless to say we all had a blast.

I think the Cards lost, but really......that wasn't the point of the evening now, was it???

Norm Would Be Proud

2008-06-01T16:16:00.002-05:00

Doesn't he always say that we should take time in life to smell the roses? Well, here Pete heeds his advice at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Friday.

Thanks, Coach Andy!

2008-06-01T15:23:00.003-05:00

Here's a photo of Ian's flag football team, courtesy of my pal Diane. Aren't these boys all so cute? They had a great season and lots of fun. And our coach, Andy, was just a peach. Now they're all off to tackle something new......tackle football!

Strike a Pose, there's nothing to it: VOGUE

2008-06-01T15:19:00.003-05:00

Here are the boys, striking a pose outside the Art Museum.....Day Three of Summer Va-Cay.

Summer Vacation - Day Three

2008-06-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

Well, we hit the art museum today. I always like looking at the statue of Saint Louis, because I forget that he was a man and not just a place. A real person. Like Scott said, "and he was never ever here."

Ian is in an archeology phase right now, so he really got into all the artifacts. And of course, we loved the mummies. What's not to love about mummies?

Last time we were at the Art Museum, we set off the alarms twice. This year, we made it through without attracting the attention of security. Does that mean we're all growing up?

Summer vacation - DAY 1

2008-05-30T18:07:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are at the Botanical Garden (or, "mechanical garden" as we like to call it.) It was a perfect day today, not too hot with a nice breeze. Pete joined us!

Hail of a Storm

2008-05-30T17:55:00.003-05:00

One Thursday morning it was so LOUD here....turns out we had a wicked hail storm around 7:15am. Ian had a great time collecting some for posterity, and eating several of them.

Pete and Sean's Birthday - 2008

2008-05-30T17:51:00.002-05:00

Well, here are the buddies as they turn 7. This time, Julie and I chose a pizza place instead of a park, which turned out great because it rained the whole day. But their spirits were high as they downed pitchers and pitchers of Sprite and ate lots of pizza.

Wrestling with Strangers

2008-02-22T10:34:00.003-06:00

Well, I've taken quite a haitus from this little project I started. I'd like to say that it's because I have cleaned out all the closets. Or done two semesters worth of work. Or scrubbed all of the floors. Or filled the freezer with casseroles. None of these has happened.

Instead I've ended up teaching two classes at two different schools which is great fun and I've spent almost every daytime minute getting ready. Then in the evenings, when my real job starts, I've been driving kids around.

Ian started wrestling and he ended up absolutely loving it. I've seen Ian "wrestle" his whole life. But it was very, very uncomfortable watching Ian wrestle strangers. The season is over now but I couldn't resist posting a photo or two, courtesy of my friend Johnna and her fabulous camera.

2008 New Year's Resolutions

2007-12-03T08:08:00.000-06:00

#1) Put the Christmas lights away in a fashion that will not have me using really, really bad language next December when I try to put up our lights.

Waiting

2007-12-02T17:00:00.000-06:00

I had an interesting moment at my "happy place" - the fabric store - on Thursday. There was only one poor woman working when I was there, and the line at the checkout had about 15 women in it.
You'd think with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays that we would have been stressed out about waiting.
But it was strange. We all chatted about what projects we were working on and what the fabrics were for....one woman was working on a quilt for a grandson and another was decorating the room of her mother's at a nursing home. I think I was actually in line for about twenty minutes but it sure didn't seem that long. We women were building community there in that line.....business cards were exchanged along with sewing tips and craft ideas. Someone mentioned how different it would be if it was a long line of men at Home Depot. The result would have probably been very different. Maybe not. Who knows.

As I left the store I thought to myself "that sure was neat." The Jesuit John Foley writes about waiting this week, in celebration of advent starting. "We project our minds forward to the many things we have on our list besides wasting time doing nothing standing in line. but is ther really nothing interesting to interest us as we wait in mundane situations? In the present moment, hundreds of real and God-filled objects are all around you. If you stay in the present you will find subtle and obvious beauty all around you."

Like fabric!!

Lego Nativity Scene

2007-12-02T16:51:00.000-06:00

Jack and I worked very hard today building a Lego Nativity Scene. We had several nativity sets displayed in the basement, but it just didn't seem logical that there were no Legos. This is the Smith house afterall, so there needed to be Legos.
Jack worked very hard on the crib and the sheep. I insisted that Mary wear blue. And Jack thought of the perfect final touch - the shepherd's staff. Do you think anyone will notice that Joseph is wearing part of a Jedi knight robe?

Great Times at the City Museum

2007-12-02T16:45:00.000-06:00

We had such a great time at the City Museum with Tom, Tanner, Blake and Drew. Not sure what to call this big climbing contraption outside......maybe the "Make Kids Tired-a-tron" or some sort of "Human Habitrail". It was so nice to see the boys have some cousins to hang out with. That just doesn't happen often enough.

Glad they were old enough to crawl through all the tubes. Tubes in the sky, tubes in the ceiling, tubes in the floor.....it freaked me out just to watch it!

Ian and Grandma

2007-11-13T15:55:00.001-06:00

Last night was the Patriotic Music Concert at the Lindbergh Auditorium and Ian was one of the fifth graders chosen to read a poem about the flag. When he came out in his dressy clothes, I wasn't quite sure who he was! Where was my baby boy? He's been replaced by a young man obsessed with hair gel who wants to wear cologne. God help me.

November in Missouri

2007-11-13T13:27:00.000-06:00

Okay, so Hawaii has jungles and loads of beautiful vegetation and amazing flowers. But even Hawaii doesn't have bright red and orange leaves like this.

Veteran's Day with Grandpa

2007-11-13T13:20:00.000-06:00

Here are the boys with Grandpa at Kennerly's Veteran's Day Assembly on Thursday. Each one took a turn with the microphone and introduced themselves, and then Ian introduced Norm. Needless to say, Sean needed no microphone! Everyone in the gym knew who he was!

We were all very proud!

Fun with David

2007-11-13T13:06:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we babysat for our little buddies David and Evan. Ian didn't give David a moment's peace, and Evan was so busy chasing Jack and Sean that I didn't even get a picture of him! So here's Ian and David (with the remote control!) and then Jack and Ian showing David the joys of the "pots and pans cabinet" for some percussion. It was great fun!

Halloween Frenzy

2007-10-31T20:05:00.001-05:00

There are two rules at the Smith House for Halloween:

#1) Have Fun
#2) Share all Rolos and banana Laffy Taffy with your mother.

Three Little Pumpkins

2007-10-31T09:11:00.000-05:00

Last night was pumpkin carving at the Smith House. They all designed happy, smiling pumpkins which immediately were lit and placed on the fireplace to get them ready for their big night out tonight.
While the boys were digging the seeds out of their pumpkins and I was fixing dinner, the house was filled with chatter and laughter. I had a sudden thought and looked around my home. I am living the dream. When I was little and thought about being an adult, this was the dream I had for myself. A great husband, fun kiddos, cute dog, cozy house. Life is good.

Any contemplative gratitude will be quickly replaced with desperation as I attempt to help with the 5th grade halloween party today at school. Where did I put that Advil??

Carnival of the Pants - Results Show

2007-10-10T19:02:00.000-05:00

It took one hour and twenty minutes. I was sweating by the time we were finished.

This would have been much easier if the boys were all built the same way. Unfortunately there is a large pile of pants that are too small for Ian ("Mr Beefy") but still too big for Jack ("Mr Bone-y"). Now I just have to remember where I put that pile for next year....in case Jack decides to start eating between now and then.

Final tally:
Ian - 6 pair that fit
Jack - 3 pair that fit
Sean - 17 pair that fit.

I think - at least in this case - it's good to be the youngest in the house!

Math Love

2007-10-09T15:55:00.001-05:00

Just look at this handsome Jack working on his math!

The Carnival of the Pants

2007-10-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight at the Smith house it is time for the "Carnival of the Pants". Not be confused with the "Carnival of the Shorts", which takes place in the spring.

Tonight involves each boy trying on every single pair of pants in the house. Then the pants are placed in piles and then washed. There's usually five piles: one for each Smith, a pile for giveaways, and a pile that should never, ever see the light of day again.

It's a different feeling pulling out all the pants, especially when it's still 90 degrees. Pulling out all the dusty jeans gets me thinking about Saturdays, sweatshirts, the smell of leaves and the taste of chili. I've been mourning summer for weeks now....maybe fall won't be so bad after all.

2007-09-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

The end of August/beginning of September was all about getting ready for our Hawaii trip. Now it seems that the end of September is still about recovery. The physical recovery was not a big deal compared to the emotional recovery....I think it's safe to say that I have been in a 'funk' since we got back on the 15th.

Absolutely the greatest week of my life. Ever. And I think even the boys "got" the magnitude of the trip. Here they are, overlooking Haunama Bay where we went snorkeling the Thursday of our trip. It was difficult to pick ONE photo from the 258 that I took to post here. I'm sure there will be others! Aloha and Mahalo!

Shakes for Sale

2007-08-22T18:29:00.001-05:00

So if I had told them "Boys, I know it's 100 degrees outside, but I want you to move furniture outside and sit in the hot sun on our black asphalt and sell chocolate shakes to people as they drive by", I would be reported to DCFS. I realize this.

But somehow, since it was their idea, they were so excited and working together so well, it was almost cute. They did the signs, Jack took the orders, Sean took the money....and I made the milkshakes. Sean lasted MUCH longer than his brothers (there's that determination again...) but after awhile even he decided it was too hot.

They made four dollars.

First Day of School

2007-08-22T18:25:00.000-05:00

This morning as I was giving them their blessing I actually teared up. Where have the years gone? Will I really be dancing at their wedding receptions before I realize it? (Note to self: start praying that at least ONE of my daughters-in-law will like me. Just. One.)

So here we are, ready for 5th, 3rd and 1st grades. Ian got up at 6:10am, Sean said "This is going to be the greatest day of my life!" and even Jack was pumped. May they always be this enthusiastic about things.

And may my body re-learn....quickly....how to wake up at 6:30.

Puppy Sitting Miss Lucy

2007-08-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

Miss Lucy Dibble is spending the week with us and we are giddy about it. She is a sweet little puppy and Sophie loves to play with her. I realized last night that Lucy would only be with us three more nights and it made me sad! Here are some pics to show how much the boys love Lucy.

Laundry Haze

2007-07-27T11:19:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited that I have photos from our Chicago trip posted. But I'm in such a laundry haze that I posted them in reverse order.....oh well! Special thanks to Mimi and Don for hosting us and to Matt for enduring us. It was a wonderful couple of days!

Climbing on Tanks at Cantigny

2007-07-27T11:16:00.000-05:00

Anything better than climbing on tanks when you're a little boy? Nope. Unless you climb on tanks and then go to Portillo's afterwards to eat. The First Division Museum is SO neat. But I think the boys were only focused on the tanks yesterday.

Wiped Out after a Good Day

2007-07-27T11:13:00.000-05:00

It was suddenly very, very quiet on the trolley back to the train station. Had the traffic stopped? Had the engine stopped? No. Sean had fallen asleep.

94 Floors Up

2007-07-27T11:11:00.000-05:00

The Hancock Tower view was a little hazy on Wednesday but it was still fun to ride the fastest elevator in North America and look at all the pools on the roofs of buildings. And I only lost Sean one time!!

Lego Heaven

2007-07-27T11:08:00.001-05:00

Don't get in the way of a 8-year-old at the Lego store desperate to spend his First Communion money. It's a force to be reckoned with.

Millenium Park

2007-07-27T11:05:00.000-05:00

Officially, it's a sculpture called "Cloud Gate". But it's "THE BEAN". And we love it.

Afternoon with Sue.....

2007-07-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

We met Sue the T-Rex on Wednesday afternoon at the Field Museum of Natural History.

Made it downtown

2007-07-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

Here are the boys on the rail overlooking the Chicago river right as we came up out of Union Station. I should have waited until Jeff got there to include him in the picture!! Maybe I was worried that Gavin would get beaten up for wearing that shirt.....

Not your average commuters

2007-07-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

Here are the boys on the top deck of the Metra train, heading downtown on Wednesday. And Sean only asked us "How many more minutes?" seventeen times. We dig the train.

Kudos to Gavin

2007-07-27T10:29:00.001-05:00

for suggesting that we do something on Tuesday night that we can't do in St. Louis. So that meant that we put off the batting cages and putt-putt in favor of going to IKEA. Is it wrong to say that I had goosebumps as we pulled into the lot? The boys tested every chair, couch and surface in the entire place and decided it was "awesome and cool".

Mr Lincoln's Tomb

2007-07-27T10:26:00.000-05:00

We kept the Lincoln theme on Tuesday and went to his gravesite also, where the boys made sure to rub his nose for good luck.