* Uncle Kyle and Aunt Lori royally spoiled the kids....candy, wii, more candy, more wii, repeat. They also took them to the KS history museum. I wasn't along, but I heard a lot about some incredible dinosaur bones from River and some snakes from Eva.
* The best part about their house is the incredible tub. Buzz and Chachi Band were next to each other, touching each other, for 30 minutes with no fighting. Miracles do happen.
I thought I was taking amazing pictures, but I still don't know how to use this camera right. So I made them "60's" in picnik to ease the pain...
* I took a class through Friends University in Topeka. Oh my word. Its paining me so incredibly that no one I know was there with me. I will never be able to adequately describe how ridiculous it was. It was exactly like an SNL skit of a "motivational seminar". Think stick-on nametags with a personal goal written on them, fist bumping and high fiving strangers, club music, youtube videos of Susan Boyle and someone saving a humpback whale. I could talk for pages about what an insult to the profession it is that this seminar is worth an actual college credit. Also about the hand-outs and personality of the teacher. But suffice it to say, it was a COLOSSAL waste of time. Silver lining: new material for my book.
* Mary is Lori's mom...
She is an amazing woman who lives on a huge plot of land at the top of a hill outside Lawrence. She runs the place all by herself. She invited us out for breakfast, and the kids got to "chore". Well, first they sat in the truck and refused to get out because I used that word. Oh dear. When they discovered that these chores included chickens instead of laundry or room cleaning, they were all in. Maybe if I tossed some eggs and hay and horse manure in their rooms they would be more in the mood to clean them??
*A couple of chickens got loose from the pen...I had told Eva when she was in the van suffering over the fact that we were going to "chore" that she had to be enthusiastic. I said she could do it any way she liked, but she had to show enthusiasm. Not long after, this is what she was doing. I'm finding that she is all about control. If I give her choices and some sense of control, and then let go, she surprises us with unique ways of showing her awesome personality and fun spirit.
* And she is in-loooooooooove with horses. I never knew til yesterday. Oh my goodness. In-love.
* Lori grew up with Tuscon and Feisty. She comes to life around animals too. As one who does not do animals, its inspiring to watch.
* I caught River crouched down by the wheel of the gator, just quietly studying it. He stayed that ways for maybe 5 minutes. Wonder what was ticking through that little head.
Now back to normal life
(yes, normal is relative in this home, I know).
That weekend away was exactly what this family needed.
Exactly.