Ummm... Yes we are still alive.

I find it hard to believe that nearly two months have passed since last posting.  Really?

But yes, it appears to be so.  In that light, hear some of what we've been up to.  (Did you have to read that last sentence twice to realized I didn't goof it up?  Just curious.)

Mary started an aquarium class at the New England Aquarium.  She has had three classes already and loves it!  Each class is two hours long, so the boys and I tromp around (and I do mean around) Boston while she's in there.  As Mary is holding starfish and learning about sharks and reefs, we are trekking across town to find the Boston Common playground.  Or exploring the lovely yarn store, whimsically named Windsor Button.  (How cool is that?  And, admittedly, that wasn't Joseph's favorite outing.)  Another day we went to the Animal Rescue League of Boston to drop off some chew toys the kids had made.  Mary has had a three week hiatus in her classes, but the last three classes start again this Tuesday.  Ready to trek, Mom?

On that note, my Mom is coming.  She'll be here in a week, for a week.  Why is she coming you ask?  (Note:  In light of the nor'easter hitting us tonight, I think she may be asking the same question.)  B/c Mary is turning 8 one week from today.  8!  And you know what that means... yes, she's getting baptized.  (Oh, Mom, you're giving a talk, by the way.)

Okay, where was I?  Sometime between my last entry and now, the kids' school stuff arrived.  (Fear not, it was like two days later.)  Most of it is as awesome as hoped.  Some of it is awesome, too, but much less used.  That's okay.  It all gets used sometimes.  And Lil'Nathan loves his new math program.  Loves it.  Maybe a little too much, b/c now Mary is a bit dissatisfied with hers and wants his.  Life of Fred is way more popular (and, in my opinion, more kid friendly and approachable and effective) than Saxon in this house.  I'm impressed.  The science program is also proving rather popular.  A weekly experiment that isn't a major production is great.  And it requires little research projects that gets the kids into a variety of related stuff.  Now, if only I could find something for history...

Charlie is a climbing, investigating, talking, adorable sweetheart.  His "awwwww, coot" at all animals, babies, and little kids is endearing... and sometimes hilarious.  He's thoughtful and attentive--just yesterday at the library he saved a dancing chicken from falling down the stairs.  (Yes, I know what I just said.)  He pays attention to details--without any word from me, he put his dirty breakfast bowl in the sink.  He returned to the table to retrieve his spoon and also put it in the sink.  He then retrieved the cinnamon shaker and took it to the cabinet and tried to put it away.  This week he learned three new words:  baby, GG, and work (as in where Daddy is.)  He is so much fun!  Though he is starting to make it clear that he is going to be 2 someday.  We'll skip that part, shall we?

One Tuesday a week or so ago, I found out the Yarn Harlot was going to be in Boston signing her new book.  After a very rocky start (Nathan late coming home, unexpected home teachers, two missed trains...), Mary and I finally made it to the reading.  Check this out.  We had a great time!  And a friend of ours gave us a ride home, also buying Mary a little Fizzy Izzy (or something from Starbucks) which gave her a "nose burp" and delighted her.

And in work news... well, there is no news.  There will be, but not now.  We have no idea what is going to happen in the next 6 months.  Will we be settling longer in Boston?  Will we be able to get up to the Upper Valley sooner than hoped for?  Will northern Vermont or mid-New Hampshire be our landing spot?  We don't know yet, but things are happening.  I'm curious... and excited.  I think I'm ready to move.  And I don't think it has too much with my calling, even though I did get rather chewed out in that area today.  Ah, the joys and bummers of being RS President.

We are gearing up for a craft fair in two weeks.  Lil'Nathan has his balloons and has been perfecting some new designs.  Mary decided that she has enough money saved and doesn't really want to worry about having to do anything.  I've got 3 puppy sets, 2 snakes, and 28 little dolls ready to go.  I've also got 14 doll heads waiting for bodies and the pieces of 20 flowers (that's 60 pieces) waiting to be made up.  I'm hoping to get one more snake made, too.

And then I have Christmas crafting to finish.

And then I'm ready to tackle something else.  I've got lots and lots of yarn and lots and lots of ideas of stuff I want to make.

And now I shall leave off.  Nathan is just home from Stake Conference (he went by bus and train, in the freezing rain!).  Hopefully I can find pictures to post for next time, but the kids have plugged the camera with "still movies" of their clay figures.  That doesn't post well in this format.

Oh, by the way, Lil'Nathan has his Kindle now.  He loves it.  We occasionally need to remind him that it is a book reader, not a gaming device, but not too often.  He really does read on it a lot and still continues a lot with books, real books.  Mary is eyeing the newest, keyboard-less Kindle for herself, but wants to wait until after Christmas, hoping the price will drop.  (The price of lil'Nathan's went down $20 three weeks after he got it.)  So far, so good, and I must admit, I rather like the preview feature.  He gets a little irritated that it keeps giving him ads for knitting stuff, b/c that is what is in MY amazon shopping cart.

G'night!