for Omie and Opa

The boys talk all the time about when Omie and Opa are coming for their birthday. This year we're going to have a real birthday party for them at our favorite Nature Center. They'll each get to invite a few friends, and a naturalist will take the kids on some games and such, and then there'll be cake. We're having a "Book Party" where, if they want to, people can bring a book for the boys, and also a copy of the same book for the Re*ach Out And Re*ad program at the hospital where I work, which gives a free book to every child at every well-child visit. For many of the kids that receive books, it will be the only books they have in their home. Toys and presents are lovely, of course, but we've just gotten rid of a ton of clutter, and hope to keep it that way for a while, with less sets of tiny parts mixing up everywhere and requiring constant sorting. And, while these toys don't always get the biggest "wow factor" when the presents are opened, what they actually play with for the most part is this: books, blocks, trains, puzzles and games, art supplies, Legos, and stuffed animals. And those things by themselves take up a fair bit of space and organization. Even the boys have remarked that it's easier to clean up since the "purge".



Our bathroom is finally done -this won't be interesting to all of you, I am sure, but here are a couple of pictures.



We bartered for the labor on the tile, and St*ve did the plumbing and electrical. The bathroom has gone from being an unpleasant little room with moldy plastic tile to the nicest room in the house.



I took No*ah to the Minnea*polis Inst*itute of Ar*ts on Friday, and we had a great time. We did set off one alarm when No*ah touched the plexiglass over a decorative object, but after that he was extremely careful! We had a great discussion about what exactly makes something "art", and he was particularly interested in the period rooms. (Omie, the interior decorator and antiques dealer, would be proud!) He said, "A long time ago, everything was much lovelier." I did point out that the lovely rooms we were viewing belonged to very wealthy people, and that not everyone had such well-appointed parlors.


When we got home, No*ah and the boys wanted to make a "museum" in the house, and while I vetoed using the kitchen for this purpose any more than we already do, I helped them put their art in the upstairs hallway. They made "tickets" for Grandma and Grandma, and here they are showing Grandpa the "exhibit". There is talk of sending Opa and O*mie some advanced tickets in the mail.