extraordinary in the midwest

 Some folks think it's strange to go off and live in Japan & Bulgaria.  I love the discovery of it all.  Each time I'm somewhere new I see things with a fresh eye; the common becoms uncommen when you're coming from a different place.  This is a neighborhood house that is COVERED in cats, cats in the yard, in the trees, on the sidewalk, on the trashcans.  There is no sign of humans living here- though I hear tell of an owner...I've only seen cats.  It's fascinating!

Also, it's fun to watch the Olympics and to buy lemonade from a girl wearing a Justin Bieber shirt!  How cool is that?! It's so Americanne!

Expectations increase for Cort

 Cort turned FIVE.  Which is a big and dignified age.  And I'm a bit embarrassed to say it aloud.  Because when people know that you're five they sort of expect you to behave...at least a little.  Cort behaves...at least a little...once in while.

 He's old enough to be trusted with a baby in a stroller...though Sameson seems a little unsure how they're going to get down the front steps.

 And he's reached the legal age for candy cigs in North Carolina.  Cort, you're a wild man with painted nails and I'm just crazy about you.  ...also crazy because of you.

Hooping as a family

 Hooping in the front yard...a typical morning on the farm.

Cort gets a ride the 'rasberry ball'.














Sloane is good on a two wheeler now.




















Cousins teach cousins how to fish!

And there's littles

 Are the littles even in this picture?!  My kids are in a show and this is what you've got?  This?!  Seriously.


It's kinda lonely with the bigs at camp.  But I keep myself entertained...turmeric and all.  Today we made banana bread and Bill face times us.  He is making tacos in the kitchen with his shirt off, while the kids talk to him and make banana bread.  That's how we roll. 

 

 Sloane lost ANOTHER tooth, on Cort's bday.  Which was fun, but then she really LOST it...so we couldn't put it under her pillow, until Cort found it the next day.

 

life in Minonk

 Today we needed Onion powder, which is pretty much common.  Right?  So, you just rotate the rotating-double-layer-spice-rack-thingy with your handy backscratcher.  While I take pictures and convulse into giggles on the floor watching you struggle with rotation using a BACKSCRATCHER.

Then we can complain about Bob and his excessive spice collection while he yells out "If you would look closely they are in alphabetical order!" from the cushy chair in the cow themed living room.  Then we can't hear what else he's saying because I start crying I'm laughing so hard.  And that's when Mom pulls a container of Turmeric down, it seems the back scratcher is not really all that good at gripping and lifting. 

Then she tries to clean it up with a  spoon.  A SPOON I tell you!!!  I help out by continuing to guffaw and take photos.  And then we're down to one possible spice can...is it onion powder?  Alas, no...it's Mace, from 1977.  Such is life in Minonk.

 

i'm a complainer

 One thing you may not know is that I'm SUCH a complainer.  Mostly to my mom, about the things she does.  It's pretty much constant when we're together.  She let the kids watch Shrek 2, bought twelve mini cakes for 5 people- twelve, I say!  AND she still uses dryer sheets...dryer sheets I tell you!!!!   There's aerosol cans for everything- hairspray, butter, cleaning products.  Do not even get me started on the non-stick cookware.  The house is like a cloud of carcinogens.  Plus...there's her issue with using the camera.  Take note: one should not ever hand this woman a camera.
 The concert I missed at Vacation Bible School apparently involved pews, perms and lots of random children smooshed together in total darkness...
 The worst part is that she's really NICE, she's actually incredbily sweet and kind ALL THE TIME.  And, technically I know this- but in reality I can not stop complaining about every thing she does...because well, it's all wrong.

Happy campers only

We have two very excited campers this year.  I miss them but it's nice that I get a two week break from talking about what I learned at camp/other kids at camp/skills at camp/free swim at camp/breakfast at camp/tribal council/sock war/my counselor said...
We talk about camp EVERY DAY when the kids are not at camp.  Camp has kinda taken over our lives and become the reason we spend 6 weeks apart (Bill is still in Bulgaria) and spend the nights in sketchy hotels and spend 11 hour days driving, etc.  It's a little insane.  But the kids will tell you it's worth it.

Happy 10th, Jackson!

 Jackson turned 10 and we went to a water park on our very last day in Bulgaria!

Goodbye, Bulgaria

We have just landed in Minonk and Bulgaria is in the headlines here.  Tragic and awful for these people on vacation, away from home and having fun.  I feel a connection to Bulgaria and love it dearly like an akward and innocently offensive cousin.  We made so many friends, from so many countries in Bulgaria.  And I truly loved being surprised every time we went out...for two years...there was always something to goggle over.  Bulgaria is so quirky and people can be so friendly, warm and so unabashedly rude that you never know what you're going to run into.
Driving around on our big highways and having to stay focused on my will in an effort not to buy everything in sight for it's discounted price tag seems to be what I notice today in midwest strip malls.
Coming home is so cozy and comfortable...but going out is a little sad and I might even miss Sofia three days after I left, potholes and all.

lemonade stand- drink at your own risk

 Yesterday Billie had a friend over and the kids made up a lemonade stand.  But we live on an insanely busy cobblestone road- people drive up the mtn like the tasmanian devil and it's NOT appropriate for a lemonade stand.  So, it was for the 6 of us.  I don't know what was risky about the lemonade and I know, Billie has an issue with spelling- what the heck is her teacher getting paid for?!  I swear!

Jackson contributed the comics where a guy is exhausted climbing the mountain and then relieved to find lemonade.  His word bubbles are NEVER big enough to fit his verbals but his spelling rocks the planet; he must have a fantastic teacher!

 

 

perfect morning

 Today Jackson wrote the best newspaper ever (see below) and Cort (I mean Iron Speed- Iron man mask with Flash costume = Iron Speed) is having breakfast WITH HOME MADE rice milk!! being intimidating while cuddling a stuffed animal, Sloane is mothering an animal all wrapped up in a cradle in her game with Cort and Billie is listening to book 2 of the Kane chronicles on the I-pod after waiting weeks for it while it was on hold at the library.  Sometimes our mornings are just wonderful when we have nothing to do.  I'm blogging in the yard- because I need to keep my hair in the sun...you may have heard, I washed it today.

 

 

 

Ninja News

 Jackson made up a family newspaper.  Complete with reading page with small, sound-it-out words for the littles.  How awesome is that?  And, the headline is: Mom washed her hair.  Which made it in BEFORE Brodie's birthday and therefore makes it sound like very important news, but I swear- I do wash my hair sorta regularly.  Pretty much.

Holy and sights on the drive there

Here's Jackson all ready for First Communion.  He's taller than Billie and wearing his best friend's suit, borrowed.  He has a broken wrist but we didn't know that in this picture.  On the drive to church we pass lots of billboards.  Bulgaria has a lot of billboards.  This one is for a bowling alley/arcade thing- lots of kids hang out there, because it's called PLAYGROUND and girls wear camo paint on their legs, apparently.  It's just there on the street, right at eye level on the broken up sidewalk.  Anyhow- that's Sofia. And we're so proud of Jackson.  He totally knows the 10  Commandments, has a short/churchgoer haircut and even considers doing the right thing sometimes....