The BoneBlog

I'm not an overly cautious parent. I realize my kids are going to get bumps and bruises and cuts. Right now, Ethan is sporting several leg bruises, a shin scrape, and a brand spankin' new blister on the pad of his middle finger where he figured it would be a good idea to touch the coffee pot...

Overly Cautious Parenting. →

Here's a watercolor painting Laurel did yesterda y. Bear in mind that she gets this talent from my side of the family, but this must be a trait that skips a generation, because I'm not much of an artist. Click the painting to see a larger version!...

Laurel's Leaning Lighthouse. →

Here's hoping everyone spoils you today.  Have a great one!!!

Love,

Greg, Michelle, Laurel, & Ethan

Well, really her next-to-last day. The BoneBlog has been on hiatus the past few days while switching back to XP and enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. I finally found all the photos of her Maypole / Awards Ceremony, so I get to share them now. Here are photos of the maypole, dedicated to Pappy, who always...

Last Day Photos, as promised! →

Today is Laurel's last day of 2nd grade. It is her last day at Sherwood Elementary. It is her last day to see many of the kids she has come to know and love over the last three years. I know the sadness will hit her in about 45 minutes (if it hasn't already) when I go to pick her up from Sherwood...

Her Last. →

Well, I finally got tired of Vista. Its just not quite ready yet. I'll check it out again when service pack 1 comes out and more software and hardware works correctly with it. So, the BoneBlog was down last night while I reloaded. Back to XP for now, and since I'm a Dee Dee Dee , and unplugged...

Back to XP, Might be slow for a bit.. →

Friends, we've got neighbor trouble. It's not bad neighbor trouble. Not the kind of neighbor trouble the Hatfields and McCoys had. We just have some stupid, hoosier-ific neighbors. The ones who swim in a stock tank in the back yard. The other day Greg glanced out the back window to see Neighbor...

Laurel the Enforcer. →

Mistake #1: Putting Ethan down for a nap in just a shirt and diaper. Mistake #2: Hoping that, as he awoke earlier than usual, he might go back to sleep if I left him to his own devices for a few minutes. Here is what greeted me when I opened his door yesterday afternoon -- and I assure you it is not...

Mommy's Mistakes. →

I would like to take a moment to thank Ethan, who screamed like he was being abused for the duration of our first stroller aerobics class this morning. It was a great way to make a first impression on the other moms. Son, when you do something, you go all the way. No half-assing it for you! Way to overachieve...

And a Big Shout-Out to Ethan. →

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Wishful Thinking. →

Me: "Laurel, go clean your room." Laurel: [doing everything but what I told her to do] Me: "Laurel. Go. Clean your room. Now." Laurel: [moves toward the laundry room] Me: " Where are you going? I told you to go clean your room." Laurel: "There's a fly buzzing around...

She's Punny That Way. →

(Note to readers: Be sure to hold your mouse over the photos for captions) JEFFERSON COUNTY, MO -- Michelle, 31, discovered a broken desk while vacuuming at her home this morning in unincorporated Jefferson County. Though she has no firm evidence, having failed to catch the perpetrator in the act, she...

Woman Discovers Broken Desk, Terrorism Suspected. →

Go figure. Juggling motherhood, household duties, and part-time work wasn't enough for me. So I'm going back to school. For a number of reasons, I'm not using the Bachelor's degree I earned from Mizzou, but I want to expand my skills in my current line of work, so I'm going to pursue...

You May Be Right. I May Be Crazy. →

Vinnie doesn't get much respect around here, primarily due to his favorite hobby: Misbehavior and General Annoyance. But he just redeemed himself with a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses. As they came to the porch, Vinnie (who was still inside) lunged for the door, ferociously barking. He clearly...

Vinnie's Redemption. →

To the people in front of us who talked throughout the show: Shut the hell up. These are performances , for crying out loud, and I assure you that you have nothing to say that cannot wait 5 minutes. My daughter even told me between performances that she wished you would stop whispering. You may have...

Variety Show Memos. →

Here is a picture of an assignment she completed in her gifted class. Click to see it full-size. I don't even know what to say....

Why Laurel Gets Into Trouble. →

Ethan is one big chunk of toddler. That's why our big Cadillac stroller, the Graco Quattro Tour , was becoming unwieldy. I could no longer maneuver the thing between aisles of clothing, etc. We have big air travel plans this summer. It was time to downsize to a sportier model. The trouble is, most...

MacDaddy Maclaren. →

This year, Laurel had some problems in school. She had trouble with acting out whenever she was bored, which was often. I got report after report of bad behavior, which we couldn't understand because a) we didn't have those problems here at home, and b) Greg and I didn't get in trouble often...

Congratulations, Laurel! →

I didn't realize at the time that what I was doing was cruel. Really! I didn't! Now and then, Greg and I catch Kim Komando on the radio. Not on purpose -- we just happen upon her show while driving around on Saturdays or whenever she's on. Greg is way smarter than Kim Komando and it's...

Just What He Needed, I'm Sure. →

Lookie here! We had been casually watching for one of these for awhile, but hadn't really done any serious looking. We found this one in De Soto. It looked like it needed a home. We obliged. We're not that big into gaming systems. I haven't owned one since the Nintendo64. Greg hasn't...

Whee! We Got Wii. →

Okay, so we painted the dining room this weekend. It's purple, though Greg insists on only referring to it by its fancy name, 'Legendary Plum. I had lots of help prepping the room on Thursday: Laurel celebrated Cinco de Mayo in her own way: And here we have the final result. It was difficult...

Purple. It's the New Antique White. →

Happy Cinco de Mayo, one day late. We're running a day behind due to the Dining Room Paint Extravaganza. Stand by for more on that, including PHOTOS! Speedy Gonzales in toddler form:...

Hola, Amigos! →

The toddler has been a whirling dervish today. He learned to climb atop the dining room table: He did this repeatedly. All day. That's fabulous. This was his ultimate goal:...

B.A.S.E. Climber in Training. →

I have always loved the song 'Flowers on the Wall.' Here's Ethan's version: Leavin' hand prints on the wall, that don't bother me at all. Swabbin' rain-soaked decks with mops, long before the raindrops stop. Flippin' light switches and watching The Backyardigans, Now don't...

Flowers on the Wall, Toddler Style. →

Laurel and Evan have had an on-again, off-again relationship for more than a year now. They've been in the same class since Kindergarten. Laurel had a crush on Evan, and vice-versa, but he picks on her (as boys are wont to do when they like a girl). At one point, they were sitting next to each other...

Young Love. →

BoneBlog Correspondent: So, Ernest, what kind of fish are you? Ernest: A Siamese Fighting Fish. Also known as a betta. BBC: Can you tell us a little about your living conditions? Ernest: Well, right now I'm being held captive in this little bowl with a light on it. My captors include That Girl, That...

An Interview With Ernest. →

My friend James has become a nomad. After several years of uninterrupted hell working for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, James is following his dream by backpacking the wild, untamed west. James was an early friend to me when, as a single mother, I packed up my 21-month-old daughter and...

My Nomadic Friend. →