Next week is amazingly busy, but this week was also an out-and-about week for us. We went to the Harry Ransom Center with a homeschool group on a trip I organized. It was a lot of fun, and the guides made the photography exhibit very accessible for the kids. If parking in the garage weren't so scary (LOW ceilings! driving on the wrong side! no spots until the roof!), we'd go all the time.

Then, along with all the ordinary book club, Campfire, ballet, piano, and also babysitter night, I toted the kids to the kid's museum (kids in wax! no, not really. that'd be quieter.), hit a park, went to the gym, and raked up the poor, dead backyard. I also started our taxes and did laundry. There should be badges for grownups, I think: Taxes Done On Time. Children Fed Three Nutritious Meals in One Day. Wearing Clean Underpants.

The past three days have all hit 90 degrees. Shhhh, but I may start squirreling cash away to buy a hut in Michigan, or Minnesota, or Montana, or another state that starts with M and isn't 90 flipping degrees in Febu-flipping-ary. The kids had a lot of fun in the sprinkler today, but have no idea how to ice skate. Sad.

After spending a rainy day at home yesterday, hoping a quiet day and good night's sleep would get the kids over their coughing a bit, today we hit the sprinkler park downtown. Because we swooped right through spring and landed on summer today. It's 80 degrees and ver ysunny. We'd still be out, but I hadn't thought to bring sunscreen (because it's FEBRUARY!!!!) and I was afraid of Cotton getting a sunburn. She's got burned twice last summer, which is two more times than the other kids. The poor, neglected smunchie.

Lest you think it's all fun and games here, I'll let you know about a recent Cotton-tastic event. She loves the trash, and for some reason instead of getting a garbage can she can't open I mostly put the can where she can't get it. I forgot to do this one night after supper.

The kids had eaten Valentine's candy for dessert, for once getting the wrappers into the trash can. On top of the styrofoam tray the chicken had come home from the grocery store in. The gross, slimy, wet, drippy styrofoam tray. And Cotton, naturally, found the candy wrappers and half eaten candy, all conveniently located in one germy spot. After a minute or two of hearing a crackly sound I can't place, I go in the kitchen, and sort out what's happened. Cotton spits out a candy heart, and cries when I take all of her wrappers away. The ones she's so carefully extracted from the biohazard disaster of a trash can.

I plunk her on the counter and try to sort out what to do. Can't rinse her with bleach. Baby wipes? Not strong enough. Clorox wipes? Too strong. So I wash her off, and dry her. Chance comes up with the best plan we can think of, which is , "Feed The Baby Garlic". It's an anti-fungal, might be anti-bacterial, and it's pretty much not only the best, but the only, idea we have. So Cotton went from trash-candy to plain white rice mixed with chopped up raw garlic. Which she loved enough to eat a whole bowl of.

This is what passes for parenting around here. Sprinklers in February, and the garlic cure.

The weather here has been all over the place--over 80 one afternoon, then freezing. It's no wonder Rone can't dress appropriately. It doesn't explain his hatred for sleeves, but does clear up why he can't figure out when to wear pants instead of shorts. The last two nights were chilly enough for a fire in the fireplace, which was nice.

Cotton is walking all over, on her too-fat-for-shoes feet. This weekend she bonked her head three times in the same spot, and is rocking a pretty big purple goose egg on her forehead now. Chance could barely watch her toddle around, cringing at the wobbly stride.

Seph had a friend sleepover this weekend, and right now they're playing a very complicated Pokemon game. I can't follow the rules, but at least Cotton can join in as Jigglypuff..

Since we seem to eat out about six times a week, we're making an effort to cut back. The kids interfere with cooking in a variety of ways--Cotton by clinging to my legs, and sneaking up behind me, Rone by running full-tilt through the kitchen, and Seph via her belief that the hours from 5-7pm are 'dramatic pouting power hours'. But I am making an effort to cook. To make it easier, I should plan a week of meals ahead of time. Instead, since planning ahead is an unattainable pleasant daydream, I'm categorizing the week. I arrived at this plan through tv commercials of the late 70s--Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day! So Wednesday is italian night. (My mom might be the only one getting that reference.) Thursday will be leftover night. I'm hoping to have more categories soon.

It's possible that I'd have time to plan ahead if I wasn't blogging/reading other people's blogs/sending people Muppet gifts on Facebook. Possible. I'll add it to my list of things to ponder when I've got some quiet time.

Here we are at the Children's Museum, the Austin Area Homeschoolers' Valentine's Day Party, eating at Doc's, at Kiddie Acres riding the airplanes, and at the Texas Memorial Museum. Whew! The ones that are a bit blurry are from the iPhone--it's hard to hold it very still while I'm carrying a 30lb toddler.

We've got Nanna and Papa visiting, so many fun things have happened. Rone went to Home Depot with Papa and built a box, and Cotton got a very amusing new shirt (pictures to come). Seph played her new piano songs for everyone. We all went to a birthday party and the kids spent a lot of time on the jump-jump. Even Cotton got some trips down the slide, because Nanna loves her and helped her climb up and then got Seph to slide down with her.

Yesterday we all headed out to The Salt Lick for bbq. Nanna got a bunch of good pictures, so I'll be able to put some of those up next to the ones of the wedding. You know, once they're all scanned. I should be about 80 by then.

In case you're wondering, the lows here have been about 60s or so. Visitors from arctic climates are welcomed. You'll be required to eat barbecue.

Facebook has somehow sucked up a lot of my time, lately. Here are some updates.

Cotton can play the harmonica. And we finally got her some shoes that fit her giant fat feet (thanks Kelley!). When we come down in the morning to watch Sesame Street, she'll hit me in the head with them until I put them on her feet.

Rone built a tiny motorcar with Chance today. He loves it, but still doesn't understand that breakable things we love should not be handed to Cotton. Happily, Chance could fix it. He finally made a big jump in reading, and is

Seph had a sleepover this weekend, and has another scheduled for next weekend. She's so big! Last week she learned how to 'borrow' to subtract. I'm supposed to call it 'regrouping', but can't. She's very confused by the plot of The Sound of Music. "Why did Maria leave? What did that lady do? Why is she sad?" Sigh. We watch it in 'singalong' mode, though, so we have a blast singing all the songs.

This week we had a rollerskating party, classes at the Science and Nature Center, got sick, short field trip to the Texas Memorial Museum, and then lots of me resting on the couch. Chance brought me my favorite noodle soup, and now I'm just coughing, so I should be ready to tackle next week.

Breakfast:

Silly Cotton:

School time. Rone is working on Kindergarten, and Seph is working on her 2nd Grade materials:

Cotton isn't much help,

Playtime, while I fix lunch.

Then a trip to the Children's Museum,

Time to get pennies smashed!

Bring Seph to Ballet, then go get her:

Then Seph had a friend over, so Cotton and Rone were playmates for a bit.

Then no pictures of supper/bring friend home/bath, because I was too busy. But here we are at dessert for Cotton:

And Chance playing cards:

And getting movie time sorted out, always a complicated negotiation.

And finally, bed.

Cotton says, Rock On!

Who put me in a crazy outfit, pinned my bus bass to my shirt, filled my thermos with milk, put my Snoopy lunchbox in my hand and sent me off to the school bus stop at age 5. Actually, she walked me. My school had assigned me to the wrong stop, and my babysitters ran halfway around the lake to get me and bring me to the right one. I don't actually remember how it worked out that day, but I went to the right one every day after that.

How many kids can you remember, Mom? We'll see whose # is bigger?

The big kids are eating popcorn and watching Schoolhouse Rock, while Cotton mightily laments that I don't let her tie strings around her neck. I know! I AM HORRID.

We're having a good week here--Seph's working on math and piano pretty consistently, and Rone is coming along with his reading. And I went to the gym twice so far this month (which works out to about $240/visit). Cotton had a doctor appointment during which she was pronounced perfectly healthy, and is sleeping in her crib. She's even got a bedtime, something the other kids didn't have until they were much older. To win points and impress your friends, feel free to make a guess at what time it might be.