I honestly have nothing at all to post today. Just random thoughts.
1. Why do the kids have to make wierd noises while eating?
2. They are eating, so for that I should be thankful.
3. I really do love walking barefoot. Really. Everywhere.
4. I have the most wonderful husband ever who paints my toenails.
5. It's better than a pedicure.
6. I actually went to a salon once and had a pedicure. It just isn't the same.
7. Fluffy pillows are the best.
8. Peaches carpet now has a nice run in it, thanks to four legs.
9. I need to get my hair trimmed.
10. this short hair is fun.
11. Not entirly sure, but I think I may like chocolate ice cream.
12. Toppings on the ice cream are nummy, flavored isn't really my thing.
13. I bought a pair of shoes that are too small.
14. Always try on shoes before you buy them.
15. I think I'm done here.
16. Have a great day!

You Only Need a Tuppence

With tuppence for paper and strings, you can have your own set of wings. With your feet on the ground, you're a bird in flight! With your fist holding tight, to the string of your kite! Let's go fly a kite Up to the highest height

Let's go fly a kite And send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go fly a kite! When you send it flying up there, all at once your lighter than air!

You can dance on the breeze, over 'ouses and trees! With your fist 'olding tight, to the string of your kite! Let's go fly a kite Up to the highest height

Let's go fly a kite And send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go fly a kite!

Castles in the Air

Probably the funnest thing (yes I just used a word that isn't really a word at all) to do while at the beach is to build. Build things out of sand. Sand is not very sturdy and can be compared to building castles in the air, they always come tumbling down. But the great fun is in the building. Filling the pail with damp sand. Packing it tight. Choosing the perfect spot upon the sandy frontier. Up-ending the pail of sand. Tapping the plastic sides to be sure of a good separation. And then pulling the pail away to form the first portion of the building. Each building, castle, and town is different. The people building each one is different. Building Castles. Enjoying the feel of the grit between your fingers. Getting down on hands and knees to do the finishing touches just right. Loving the way each piece fits together to make a cool building. Standing back to get the big picture. Then watching the waves come inexorably closer and closer to what you built. Eventually crashing into the weak walls and bringing the sand once more into submission to the great power of the ocean. Only leaving ripples behind. So lets go build another one!

Only Two Wheels

To help Peaches solidify a wonderful thing, we packed up all the bikes and took them with us while we were camping. Peaches is a wonderful little girl. She is quite a lot like her daddy. When she decides on something, she sticks to it. Call it pigheadedness, mulish, or just plain stubborn, she's got it. Well, for the past few months Handsome and I have been trying to convince Peaches that riding a bike without training wheels is totally cool and safe and something that she can do. Well, you know Peaches. She got it into her head that she wasn't going to ride a bike with two wheels. And that was that for a while. She rode her scooter and that was fine by me. So, Handsome decides to get her past this bump of thinking that she couldn't do it. Packing up the bikes he headed over to the park. There, while Mr O rode around in circles proving that it could be done, Handsome got Peaches onto her bike and helped her balance. After a productive forenoon, they all came back for lunch, having successfully gotten Peaches to ride all by herself. So back to loading them up to go camping. At first Peaches was still a little scared about this new thing that she could do. Balancing on Two Wheels. But with cousins and grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parents giving lots of positive reinforcement, she gained confidence. Until finally Peaches was asking to go on bike rides, rather then us convincing her to get on and go. Yay!

Just a Few Steps

The day had been a typical one. Gone to work, got home, talked to the awesomest man on the planet. Who decided to take me out. To a nice place that we'd never been to together. A nice dinner by the window in lovely padded chairs (I want one). I could tell that Handsome was a little nervous about something, but I didn't bug him about it. He obviously wanted to surprise me. Away we drove, in that good old Honda, out to the beach. We parked in a ways, so that the ranger wouldn't lock us in when he closed the gate at dusk. We walked hand in hand. Talking about nothing and everything, like the young people in love that we were (and still are). Arriving at the beach it was nearly sunset. So we sat on a log to watch as the fireball sank inexorably into the depths of the ocean. It was a beautiful sunset, all yellows and oranges and fiery reds. Finally it faded to pinks and purples, slowly letting the color seep away into the greys and black of night. Before the final fade out, my then boyfriend pulled something out of his pocket. An envelope and a small flashlight. Handing them to me, he instructed me to read the letter. So I opened the envelope, and pulled out a single sheet of home-made paper. Written upon the paper, in red ink, was a beautiful poem asking me to be his wife. As I turned to say "yes, Yes, YES!" to the man that I loved, I found him on one knee with a ring in his hand. I never will be able to remember the walk back to the car. I was in such a daze of happiness. As we walked I do remember watching the pinks and purples finally fading into greys. Watching the first stars dot the sky.Just recently we were given an incredible opportunity while vacationing with family. We were able to walk the beach at sunset again. The first time since the night that Handsome proposed. It was a different beach, different sights and sounds, but the beauty and timeless quality was there. I felt as though we had stepped back in time. The ocean's waves seemed to say "welcome back." The incredible happiness that I have known with this wonderful man.

Seriously

There are some things in life that Guys, or Men rather, take very very seriously. Working on cars, for example, is very serious work. There is a lot of concentration on where to put the pieces so that they fit together correctly and then ultimately work together in harmony. Pumping fuel is another very serious job. One must not smile or laugh or make funny faces at children while participating in this ritual. You must lean up against the vehicle that you are in the process of refueling and stare at the numbers as they climb. I nearly forgot, hammocks. Laying in the hammock is also a serious job. You must lay still with a serious look upon your face, even if you have kids crawling all over you. And lastly, cooking marshmallows. One must not smile or crack jokes. One needs to stare at the marshmallow lest it catch fire. One must also be sure to turn the marshmallow at just the right speed so that it browns nicely, but no talking. Or smiling. Or fun of any kind. Smores are very serious work.

Air With Flavor

When waking up in the morning while camping at the beach there was a particular tang to the air. As if the air itself was excited for a new day. Each day brought its own adventures and things to do. Each day was so much fun! Each day brought us that much closer to having to go. We've had a lot of fun. We didn't want to come back, but the lack of clean clothes is something that mommy doesn't do well with.