Snow and More Snow

The two inches of snow predicted to fall today somehow evolved into a winter storm warning. I don't know how much we are supposed to get once this storm passes, but it is quite beautiful and pleasant to watch while sitting inside the house in front of the fire. 

The scene inside the house, however, is not nearly as tranquil. With screams of "Lung Shot!" and "Right in the Spine!", the sounds of gun shots are resonating through the house. Wes's birthday present arrived in the mail yesterday, and since we are snowed in, the boys have spent the day playing Cabella's Big Game Hunt on the Wii.

The boys' infatuation with guns, the woods, and wild animals has not diminished since our return from Texas. If anything it has intensified. If it weren't snowing so hard, I would escape all of this testosterone. But I'm stuck so I will sit back and enjoy it all; even the slaps on the back with each big kill. 

Master Skip Counter

Keagan earned his first academic certificate today. I am especially proud that it is in the field of mathematics; today he was able to county by 5s. Because I had no idea that this would be assessed today, I was a little surprised to find the award in his take home folder. I was even more surprised to learn that a junior kindergarten program would even assess such a skill. The teacher is after my own heart for sure!

Then I worried that Keagan might have been the kid that had finally gotten it today when everyone else had moved on to M&M graphs. The horror of this realization was, for me anyway, greater than any harm that an oral math test might be for a five year old. I was relieved to know that today was the first "test", and when I asked Keagan about it, he said, "My teacher likes me the best because I am so smart!"

So it appears we have mastered skip counting AND we have more than enough self-confidence.

New Purchase

For a couple of years now I have desired a Dyson vacuum. When my vacuum of ten years broke two years ago, I couldn't bring myself to buy one, though, and I settled for a cheaper model that cost me $99. In the past year I have taken this thing to the repairman no fewer than six times, and I promised myself that if it broke again, I would purchase the prized Dyson. On Sunday afternoon I squealed with delight when the belt broke again and the smell of burned rubber wafted down the hall. I immediately hit the web to decide which Dyson model I should purchase: DC 24 or DC 25. My 20% off coupon arrived in the mail yesterday, and I can't wait to push the models across the store's floor.

If marriage, a full time job, and two kids didn't mark the entrance to adulthood, then definitely the delight in purchasing a vacuum must.

Jeopardy: Installment Number 4

Here is another installation of the humorous things my boys have said lately in the form of the popular game show Jeopardy.

1. When a football team kicks the ball down field to the opposing team.

What is to pump the ball?


2. When the football team moves the football a total of ten yards on the third attempt.

What is a third down conversation?


3. In February the final NFL game of the season that determines the best team of the year.

What is the Super Bolt?


There is a theme here. Since last July, Evan has been all about football. Keagan has now joined him, and if they aren't playing Madden 10 on the Wii, playing a game of football in the den, punting the ball in the backyard, or playing quick hit on the web, then the boys are probably asleep.

Spring football season can't begin quickly enough because I am certain something will be broken soon enough if the play continues in my home.

The Great Debate

This week Keagan was faced with one big decision; he had to choose the t-ball team he would play for this spring. A friend of mine at school will be coaching the Marlins, and because he has coached baseball for years, I thought it was the perfect fit for Keagan. However, Keagan had also been asked by his friend Cody to join his team.

Although we encouraged Keagan to take some time to think on it and refrain from signing any letters of intent too early, he took it upon himself to declare his team without much debate. After all, it was only polite that he go with the team that recruited him first. So because cookies are way cooler than big fish, Keagan will not play for the Marline but for the "Oreos." Keagan is certain that this means that the team colors are black and white and that cookies will be served after every game. I didn't have the heart to tell him that "Oreos" is really Orioles and his mascot is not the best tastin' cookie but an orange and black bird!

He will find out soon enough. I better bring a sleeve of Oreo cookies to the first practice to help him with the disappointment.

So, You Think You've Got Talent?

Evan's school is holding its annual talent show this month. I asked Evan if he would like to participate while fully knowing he would quickly rebuff any suggestion of performing in front of a crowd. Instead, he asked the meaning for talent. I responded with a list of various talents: juggling, singing, dancing, twirling a baton...

He said, "I can't do any of that, but I can hold my breath for so long my face turns red. You wanna see it?"

Now that's a talent that would make any mama real proud!

Update 2014: As it turns out, Evan claimed to have the talent of speed. So he arranged to carry a football with the plan of scoring a touchdown while two defenders were hot on his tail. To his dismay, while he was running, he tripped and fell on his face. Both defenders were on him within in seconds, and he wasn't able to score a touchdown. 

Evan says the memory still haunts him to this day.

Out With the Old, In With the New

If it isn't the smell of starch and the steam of an iron wafting down the halls. If it isn't the talk of confessions and crime scenes. If it isn't having to share the bed with Wes for four days IN A ROW for the first time in almost five years. If none of these clues were proof that Wes has indeed returned to his old job of criminal investigator, then it is his late afternoon call home to state he has an initial report to complete on a dead body and he won't be home any time soon. My bets were on February for the first phone call. Who would have known it would take only four days? Thanks, CID, for welcoming us back with such heart-warming events. And we have how many more years of this?

For those that don't know, Wes left his job working for the Secretary in mid-November, and after he was called back a couple of days later to take a trip to West Point, he officially left PSU again on December 21. Wes has now returned to his original assignment in the Army...criminal investigator.

And because crime always occurs during regular working hours (this includes no weekends and no holidays), and because I am such a flexible person, this new assignment works really well for me. (Please read the sarcasm in that last statement.) I am wishing for our original assignment in Italy even harder than usual today.

Christmas Postcards and Cows

A good friend of mine from college sent a Christmas postcard last week. Although she has blond hair, that is the only characteristic that she shares with my sister.

The day before we left for Great Wolf I asked Evan to check the mailbox for mail. I knew there was mail because I had just heard the mail truck drive by. He returned empty handed and I asked if there was any mail.

Instead he asked me, "Mom, did Aunt Vikki marry another guy?"

"What??? No, of course not!", I said. "Now go back to the mailbox, take the mail out of the box and bring it to the house."

Evan told me he didn't think he could bring the mail in the house because in the mailbox there was a picture of Aunt Vikki with another man AND she had other kids with her in the picture. He said, "I don't think we need that in our house!"

At this point I am confused, really confused! I ask Evan (for the third time now) to bring the mail to me.

When he returns, he brings the Christmas postcard of our college friends April and Tate and their two children John and Rory Cate! I asked Evan why he thought April was Aunt Vikki and he said, "She has blond hair!"

Evan never ceases to intrigue me because he thinks and processes information in a very different way. How can he be so very smart and not be able to identify his aunt in a Christmas card? Sometimes I worry, really worry, and then he redeems himself with thought provoking questions like, "Why don't cows have different eye colors like people?" And then I know that confusing his aunt with a stranger is nothing compared to the real world problems that can be solved with the knowledge associated with the eye colors of cows!

A Week of Firsts

Besides celebrating the first of the new year, we have for the past week experienced several family firsts.

For the first time, I shot a gun. It was just a BB gun, but it was a dangerous looking BB gun. I put my glass of wine down long enough to give it a try, and although I wasn't very accurate in the beginning, I took a cue from my older son and squinted my eyes so that I could align the gun better. It worked, and I shot the target. The target: an ornament on my mother-in-law's Christmas tree. Before anyone becomes alarmed, I must disclose that it was an outdoor Christmas tree.

I don't think you can expect to find me as a regular at the range anytime soon.

For the first time, the boys went deer hunting. On day one Evan and Wes shot a doe. On day two Keagan and Wes shot a buck. Before I say any more, I must admit that I NEVER, ever thought my kids would ever go hunting. And last month when Wes entertained the idea of taking the boys to a deer lease I never actually believed they would see an animal much less kill one. I am not willing to go myself, but I am also not willing to give up eating any meat products. As a result, I refrain from saying much about those that do hunt for their own food. We have a shipment of venison jerkey and summer sausage on its way.

Unfortunately, the hunting experience was so successful, I think this will become a tradition in our holiday schedule.

For the first time in a long while, we spent the entire Christmas holiday together as a family. Wes had two full weeks off for leave while transitioning from his old job to his new temporary job. I don't know that our assignment in Georgia will allow us the opportunity to spend so much time together so we tried to make the most of it.

Here's to another great year full of family firsts!

The Preacher that Married the Farragh Girls

Last Sunday we attended services at my home church. The preacher there, Brother Jim, has pastored the church for years. Among other things, he presided over the marriage ceremonies of my sister and me.

When we entered the foyer of the building, Brother Jim greeted us and attempted a conversation with Evan. As usual, Evan had nothing to say to the strange adult because he is "shy" (or that is what Evan would like for us to believe). Jim made the off-hand remark that he married me and Wes a long time ago, patted Evan's head, and moved on to the next set of visitors.

Evan appeared really confused and began to ask questions. We tried to remind him that Brother Jim is the same man that married Aunt Vikki just a few years ago. Didn't he remember?

With eyes as big as saucers, he asked, "You mean that guy is married to mom AND Aunt Vikki?"