Thursday, May 31, 2012

...to share a moment

...from my son this evening at bedtime.

The scene:

The lights are low.  He he so sweet lying there nearly asleep.

I am sleepy too.  My slightly ruffled hair is down around my shoulders.  I lean over to rub my sweet son's forehead and he says:
Mom.  You know you kinda look like a caveman.

(Image below now permeates my thoughts).


You know...here with the dark.  And your long hair down.

(Perhaps this is his vision)


Let's see.  

Nope.  I don't know.

Perhaps I should work with him next on how to compliment the ladies....




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

...to be thankful for all of our soldiers

...their families, and their sacrifices.


While our Memorial Day weekend was so much fun, we tried to help the kids begin to understand the reason for our holiday weekend.

We took them to pay our respects at the West Point cemetery.  What a peaceful and beautiful place it is.




We celebrated with the cadets at West Point's graduation festivities.


And 

The kids reached the goal of running just over a mile in honor of the soldiers that weren't able to celebrate with their families and friends.

Team Crow-Morrow.

Running for a Run to Remember.




We have so much to be thankful for and continue to pray for our friends who are currently overseas.










Friday, May 25, 2012

...to watch a baseball game

...since FINALLY the weather has become more cooperative!

It is possible that we have a future Detroit Tiger in our family.  Our maybe even a young lady who'll earn herself a scholarship playing softball...

No matter.  For now they are having fun.

Even the little girls loved enjoyed tolerated the event this evening.


 We saw some all-star hitting...



epic fielding...



and classic team spirit.




That's some good baseball.



I LOVE this photo!  (Isabella with good friend Ella)

Go Tigers!  I mean Go Yankees!  

(The Fort Drum kind.)  

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

...to pretend its Friday

...since it was the kids "Friday" before the long weekend.

Amy and I celebrated with our 'free-for-all-Fridays'.

Which in kid terminology translates to...as long as you don't bother us (e.g., incessantly request snacks, whine about someone not sharing, or complain someone hit you) while we drink our glass-o-wine, you can pretty much do what you want.

Will captured the biggest 'gun'

Poor John ended up with a measly spray bottle

Now Luke...He has the most prized water gun!


A pretty fun afternoon...
I am not sure who loves our "Friday's" more...

Amy and I....or...the kids?


...to write down a notable conversation

...with my very wise first-born.

#1:  Mom, we have been studying space.  Did you know they are going to send a space shuttle to another galaxy?

Mom:  No.

#1:  It is going to take 32 years to get there.

Mom:  That is a really long time.  Did you see this in your Time Life for Kids?

#1:  (pause)  They are going to have to find a very young astronaut to fly it....Like someone in their early twenties.  That way they won't be too old when they finally get there; and then really old when they get back.

I love her innocence...and her thoughtfulness.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

...to chase the ice cream truck!

...for the first ice cream of the season.

When I say the kids have been waiting for this day...

They really have been WAITING!

At the slightest jingle of bells they'll run outside.  Hoping it is the nice-icecream-truck-jingle-guy.

And finally, today he was here.

I didn't have the heart to tell them that dinner was almost ready.


Surely this won't spoil dinner will it?


Brr!  Chills run down my spine just looking at this photo of her sinking her teeth into that icee!


Sharing.

I love that Will is trying to 'help' Abbey open her mouth by demonstrating and extra-wide 'ahhh'.

Sharing.



Everyone sharing.


Must be the first time of the season.

...to become a morning blogger

...we'll see how this goes.

As one might be able to tell, I am having a bit of trouble consistently composing my thoughts.

Our routine is well...let's say not to routine yet.  Every day of late has been different.

We have the normal activities, mixed in with my new 'real job' schedule, and then we'll add in Mark's schedule and things have been a little lot chaotic in the Crow household.

Mark has done a really great job shifting his routine of working in the very early hours of the morning.  (As opposed to staying up late)

So I am trying very had to convince my 'night-owlish- tendencies to join him.

It is very peaceful by the fire at o-dark-thirty.  And aside from the first few thirty moments of sleepiness my thoughts are a bit clearer.  And it is nicer to be working next to him in the early morning than working alone late at night.

So...we'll see how it goes.

I will give it a valiant effort anyhow...

Next steps...

...putting my cell phone down before 2300.

Monday, May 21, 2012

...to post a few photos of

...Mark's Nana.  She was laid to rest today.

I am so happy we went home last month to see her.

I think know she really loved spending some time with the children.



Abbey was the first to hop up with Nana.


Nana still had spunk...I think she was getting ready to say something smart to the photographer!  These photos were taking a while as you can imagine.


In her eyes, Will is a little version of Mark.  Isn't it sweet how she is looking at him?


This is one of my all-time favorite photos.  Abbey is so small yet so sweet and loving toward her great-Nana.


May she R.I.P.



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

...to attend the spring concert

...at the kids school.

It was another great opportunity to wear their Easter best.  Except we didn't make Will wear his suit.

Still he looks pretty cute with his little sisters.


Here are the stars of the one hour and twenty minute singing, band, baton twirling, and recorder show.  

(Yes, really.  I can't make this stuff up.  We really did get to see all these acts in one show!)



At least in our eyes...they are the stars.

You'll be happy I don't have any video from this evening.  

Er...I mean...it is a bummer that I forgot to video this event.

However, we wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

...to celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day

...because who doesn't love those yummy things!

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/05/15/national-chocolate-chip-day/

Mark especially loves my peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.  And he especially loves them warm.

Thus, I have taken to making my usual double batch...and freezing them as cookie dough balls.


Yes.  There are two missing.  Apparently we have mice that invade our freezer.  They love frozen cookie dough!

After a half hour or so I put them all in a baggie.  To be cooked in an emergency!



Then when the chocolate urge hits, he I just bake a few in the toaster oven for him.

The benefit to this:

The cookies last much longer because of eating say three or four at a time (because they are so good and we have no impulse control) we can take the spontaneity out of the equation and bake only as many as we should eat.


Monday, May 14, 2012

...to watch a soccer game!

...and the weather was finally a little bit warmer too.

The kids sporting season is really beginning to get started.

#'s 1, 2, & 3 are all playing soccer and each of them had games this evening.

Remarkably the coordination of their schedules could not be any better.  The fields they play on are very close AND they play at the same time.  Mark and I could not have asked for the timing to work out any better.

Here are a few snapshots from the evening:

Group hug before the games...

 Ready to play!


Another group hug!  Katie is a GREAT cheerleader!


and a really good Audrey entertainer!



Though Audrey LOVES soccer.

maybe only a little bit.

Action!

Moving the ball down the field...


Bring it on!


Great games by all...


Disclaimer:  There are many time gaps in these photos as the camera lady can be a bit gabby at times and may not have captured all of the possible Kodak moments.  She does do her best...




Sunday, May 13, 2012

...to celebrate my weekend

...with my whole family together.

I call it my weekend...because Friday was my birthday and Sunday was Mother's Day.

It was a great weekend for eating out, working in the flowers, and playing games with the kids.

On Saturday we did a lot of yard work.  It is hard to get started on it, but it looks sooo much better!

These are the 'after' shots of our front garden.  I wish I had taken 'before' shots.

But, like many of my projects, it wasn't really planned.  I saw one big weed, that led to me taking out another, and in a flash I had my big clippers in hand and got to chopping those bushes.

Before I started...It looked like one long bush in the front and one long one in the back.  Now if only the landscapers would work on our grass a bit!


Much better!

On Sunday I was surprised with breakfast in bed!  The kids were very excited to come wake me up with all of their gifts in hand and my breakfast on the tray.


No one needs to see the actual photos of the surprise...this is one mamma that looks r-o-u-g-h in the morning!



The kids were SO proud of all of their gifts for me!
and we went to the ball field to play baseball with the kids.  Abbey looks as if she may have a future as a slugger (she has one solid hit anyway)!

Note: The videographer has a very loud voice.  She is very sorry for this quality.



I can't think of a better way to have spent our time together.

It was a great birthday and Mother's Day weekend.


Thursday, May 10, 2012

...to do some planting

...well really, it was yesterday that I felt I had a green thumb

However, I haven't been blogging very consistently....

I digress.

This week is teacher appreciation week at the kids' school.  And today's task was for the kids to bring their teachers a flower.

Since I went in and out of Walmart yesterday and forgot to buy the flowers, I took the opportunity to visit a local greenhouse that has caught my eye.

I was in love with all of the flowers and plants and herbs and vegetables (for the garden I would love to plant).  (Sigh.  There are so many things I would love to do and no place to do them.)

So I bought a few.  Well maybe more than a few.

And added them here and there around the house.

Pretty viney plant

Ivy 
Hens and Chicks
This lovely lil' lemon tree came in the mail just this evening!  

Thank you Kyle and Taylor!
Mark says I am becoming 'crazy plant lady'.

Maybe I am.  

I like to think of it as a new hobby.

My goals aren't lofty.  Just to keep them all alive.