statues at Allerton

statues, originally uploaded by Jen!!.

By golly, what have I been up to during the past month that I haven't gotten a picture up here? I've taken two trips, sans camera, so no proof except for my memories. I've also been to Allerton a couple of times, including this time with my kids. In the Lost Garden they went through about six different poses pretending to be statues on the bases that remain there. That gives me an idea! Anyone know an artist who makes gargoyles? I'd love to have my kids likenesses that way.

Sweetness

jasper being ever so gentle with his cousin michael, originally uploaded by Jen!!.

Jasper didn't get a chance to hold his baby cousin the first time we met him. At Julia's birthday party, he finally got his chance! He was so tender with him. When Michael started fussing, Jasper didn't quickly ask if someone could take him. (But when I offered to take him, Jasper quickly took me up on it.) Jasper is amazingly good with younger kids (besides his sister). He will do anything to get his other cousins to laugh--especially if it involves silly dances, falling down, or contorting his face.

I should say, just to be fair to him, that J is good with his little sister. But they are siblings after all.

Happy birthday, my darling six year old

Allerton, originally uploaded by Jen!!.

I'm feeling a little blue today (for various reasons, none of which need to be discussed here) so I went looking for pictures that make me happy. This one makes me happy. The little punk is getting into my camera bag and was caught red-handed. I love that grin.

She left me a message this morning and it brought tears to my eyes. It wasn't so much what she said (although that whole "best mom in the whole world" thing was kinda cool) but that she sounded so *old*. So not five anymore. I thought these things were supposed to be gradual. I thought a birthday was supposed to be pretty much like any other day. Clearly, I was wrong. Chalk this one up to "something new every day."

wink wink

wink wink
Originally uploaded by Jen!!

There's some controversy over at Flickr these days. Some folks don't like that short videos are now allowed. I'm not certain that I've yet formed a solid opinion about it, but overall I think it's kind of cool. It means that if I have a video of under 90 seconds that I want to share I'll be able to do it in the same place as where I share my pictures. Makes good sense to me.

Little Hope Cemetery

, originally uploaded by Jen!!.

The first time I saw the sign was while I was driving by and, in between laughing fits, was kind of hoping that I had read it wrong. The next time, I stopped to take a picture, and felt kind of crappy about it since there were people there visiting a loved one.

But I still find it amusing.

Go caving!

cave tour, originally uploaded by Jen!!.

I guess I have been in a cave before--the wide mouth kinds where you can walk in a little bit and poke around. The ones like the cave on Gilligan's island. The one with the HUGE spider. Remember? Anyhow, I'd never been fully underground in a cave until earlier this week when we (me & that wonderful man I'm dating & his new dog--she didn't get to go into the cave) went down to Kentucky to Mammoth Cave National Park. The picture is a small patch of green limestone from part of the tour (over 500 stairs included, no extra charge). I didn't use the flash on the camera and was pleasantly surprised to see that the green coloring actually came through in the picture. I enjoyed the area so much that I want to go back again sometime soon and take my kids.

Fu Dog Garden

Fu Dog Garden, originally uploaded by Jen!!.

I've been a little under the weather (okay, really sick for a few days, then just puny for a few days after that) and now I'm feeling better but haven't been out doing anything while my camera was in tow.

I've said before how much I love the outdoors and how much I love getting outside with the kids. So when I suggested to my kids that we head to Kickapoo, and they countered with "that place with the dog statues," how could I resist? So to Allerton we went two weeks ago. The day was gorgeous. We sloshed through the mud and snow and puddles and had a jolly good outdoorsy time.

I hope to have more posts soon with recent pictures OR maybe in honor of my recent Facebook re-acquaintance with friends from college, I'll dig up old pictures, scan them and post another memory or two here.