It's a good excuse...

We have been experiencing major laptop drama, which started with a busted power cord (we're on cord number 5 or 6, I forget which) and ending with a dodgy laptop power cord and a supplier who's unwilling to exchange it.  What a pain in the backside!

That being said, I have very little to blog about.  Life is good--moving along at a rather plodding pace with a few manic days sandwiched in for good measure.  Dylan is still loving school, Edith is still sweet and struggling to speak, Martin still works obscenely long hours, and I still just take care of everybody.

So what has happened in the last two weeks?  Well, Dylan had tonsillitis.  Now Edith has some sort of infection.  I had a bad week--only went to the gym one time last week--but am back on track with the exercise.  We've booked a mini-holiday for the Easter break from school (Dylan's off for nearly a month!) and will be spending two nights and three days near Windermere in the Lake District.  We're also going to go to the temple.  Oh, and Christine's coming with us.  Should be fun.

Got the news that Dad (the Cook one, not the Bowcutt one) is going to stop by on his way home from Kiev.  We're all looking forward to that.  I'm going to put him to work in my garden and on a gas appliance that needs removing.  And I'll have company in the evenings!

We had some family photos taken.  Some of them turned out pretty nice, and I'll be posting a few when I get a chance.  The kids look fab in them.

Edith has learned how to saw "very hot."

I got some more gardening done.

It's a thrilling life I lead.

I've had some strange dreams and even stranger thoughts as a result of those dreams, but I am still trying to sort those thoughts out. 

You're wrong...

Ok, so I know that some of you moms out there think you have the cutest children in the world.  Well, sorry to break it to you but you are wrong.  MINE are the cutest.  Check out a few of the pictures from our walk in Twigmoor Woods last weekend.

Dylan is just male perfection, with his sturdy little body and long, lean frame.  And those eyes--he's a heartbreaker in the making.

Edith, well, she is my flawless Victorian English rose.  Her tiny little body and those pixie fetures of hers!  Those big grey-green eyes and her beautiful red hair.  Oh my, she's going to break a few hearts of her own.

The best part is, not only are they physically beautiful, but they are lovely on the inside as well.  One of my chief joys in life is watching their personalities develop.  They are both so unique and wonderful in their own way, and they both add so much to our little family.

Dylan was playing with a friend for most of the day today, so it was just me and Edith.  We had a great time together, but we were certainly happy to have him back.  Our family just wouldn't be complete without both of them around.  The two of them make me happier than anybody else in this whole world.

A Walk in Twigmoor Woods...

Ummm...

I SO had something to post about earlier, but it's gone now.

They say you lose brain cells with each child you have (I totally support this theory). It's a good job Martin has refused to have any more kids, or I would have no brain cells left!

Dylan is going on an outing with school on Friday.  They're taking his class to St. Mary's church and they are going to "christen" a doll.  It should be pretty fun for him.  AND he has been invited to go to the Fun Forest with his friend Kai on Saturday.  My little baby boy is growing up so fast.  School trips, outings with friends, he'll be dating before I know it.

Edith is talking a little bit better every day.  Last weekend she mastered "wait," and she is absolutely brilliant with "up" and "hey."  We were out in the garden this morning, and what really amazed me was how perceptive she is.  That girl notices seriously everything.  Birds flying so high in the sky that I can hardly see them, dogs barking a few streets over, EVERYTHING!

I'll get some pictures up soon of our walk in Twigmoor Wood.  We had such a good time.  I decided that we would do something fun every weekend.  We just have to do it without Martin.  I can manage both kids on my own a lot easier now, so there is no reason not to.  And if he starts to feel left out, well, maybe he'll start taking the occasional Saturday off.

I'm not holding my breath.

A productive lunch hour...

So yesterday was a tough day, physically speaking, especially.

In the morning I did a gruelling workout.  While I was at the gym, Martin took the kids on a manure hunt.  We needed some "bulky organic material" for our borders in the back garden, and I had heard a rumor that a lady near Barton gave it away for free.  The poop hunt was on.

Result!

So while Dylan was at school and Edith was napping, I dug some horse manure into the flower beds, fertilized them with fish, blood and bone, and re-seeded the grass.

My body really hurts right now.

But man, you should see how beautiful the soil in my borders looks.  We just need one more bag of manure so I can finish the long border off.  Then I can sow some peas directly into the soil.  Dylan and I already planted tomatoes and pumpkins and marigolds in pots, which are sitting on the windowsill in the kitchen, just waiting for warmer weather.

I've got big plans for the garden this year.  Last year was just all about getting it decent.  This year is all about making it look beautiful.

I remember all the work we did at my parents' house in Nephi to get that garden beautiful and productive.  My favorite tasks by far were picking up rocks (used as a punishment for "naughty" behavior) and shovelling the yearly trailer full of turkey manure onto the soil.  At least dad had the tiller so we didn't have to dig all that in by hand.  It's kind of a back-breaking job, and that is a big ol' garden.

It's funny, because I used to hate yard work.  Now, it's a welcome break from housework.  And there's something soothing about taming nature and making it work for you.  I guess it appeals to the control freak in me.  And there's something very satisfying about planting some seeds and watching them grow.  The only thing better is planting those seeds and then later eating the fruits of the harvest.

I think I could totally dig being a farmer. 

We're having a tough week with the kids.  Edith is getting teeth (the last ones before her molars) and she is really ratty.  She wants pretty much constant cuddles, and it's a bit tiresome.  Dylan is just doing that normal toddler thing and testing all his boundaries, limits and rules this week.  Plus, he is being really insolent to his dad.  He doesn't speak that way to me, but Martin is a bit of a soft touch.  He may or may not get his mouth washed out with soap before the week is over.  I really don't like disciplining my children, but it's better to do it now and have them be decent people when they get to be teenagers, right?

Martin had to work on Sunday so he has today off instead.  Hooray!  I need to go wake him up.  Time to get another giant bag of poop...

Anger...

I don't lose my temper often.

No, really.  I don't!

I used to be angry a lot--mostly before I had kids.  My two little angels have really mellowed me out, because I was mostly angry about not being able to have children.

But boy, when I do get angry I don't do it by half.

I don't shout.  I don't throw things.  I don't swear at people.  I don't hit my kids.

I do work very efficiently.  I DO get very quiet.

I learned a long time ago that it is best for me to keep my anger inside.  When I am truly angry, I don't have a reliable social filter.  I say truly horrible things.  Things that are horribly true.  Some people say that you shouldn't bottle it all inside.  But I know that my temper burns white-hot for a very short time.  Grudges don't happen when I get angry.  Grudges happen when I say things in anger to other people.

It's been very quiet at my house lately, and I'm totally caught up on the ironing.

But today was full of fun and laughter, and dancing with my babies.  And I have a feeling that the housework is going to suffer for a little while.