The Hazard Chronicles

I'm getting behind, and when that happens then the quality of my posts goes down. Instead, I thought I'd give you a glimpse of our day-to-day life through text messages that Rachel has sent to me over the last month or so.

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Your Durango has the get-up-and-go of a camel

There was an ant in my kitchen. This means war. Don't. Mess. With. Me. I brought out the big guns (picture of her holding a can of Raid that is probably as long as her arm).

"Mom, you want some time to type? Perfect! I will just pull out a full roll of tape, color on the counter, dump your full mug of coffee on the couch, find the scissors to cut up any paper I can find, and touch the keyboard whenever I have the chance." -Your favorite daughter, Lindsey

Instead of earning my normal gold star it was more of a rusty square kind of day.

"Mom, Life is play!" -Adalie

I did not think people really said "oomph," but I just saw/heard Ev tumble down the stairs in full snow attire and it came out clear as day.

I really love our kids right now

I just had a fantastic idea! Create an energy plant that runs off people on treadmills and cardio machines. Have a lottery or use people on government assistance to run the machines. This would provide low-skilled labor, health benefits to combat obesity, and clean energy. Bam!

Picture of kids reading: Love this! The kids are reading about an octopus together.

...3 minutes later: Do you like you I avoided using the plural of octopus because I think it's weird?

I just got in the car and my hair is completely frozen into stiff icicles

I can feel my mind slowly slipping into a dark abyss. Do you have any idea where Maren and Lindsey's coats are? It's been a missing read-at-home-books, vanished gloves, two disappeared coats, MIA Christmas present that was due last week, give my son a bloody nose on accident, mud on the seats of the van, two children late for school, forgot my grocery list kind of day.

I need a secret formula for this morning. The kids have been downstairs for two hours playing their game. They have incorporated cleaning the house and getting ready for the day into their game, and now they are saying they want to just keep playing (happily) at home instead of going to the Children's museum. There have only been two upset moments and they have solved both of them by themselves. In the meantime I have listened to a news podcast and a sports podcast uninterrupted, and have gotten a lot of cleaning and laundry done!

Can human beings see the world as it actually is? If so, is it the same world for all of us? I fear if it isn't then we have no chance at reconciliation. But if it is the same, then what role do emotional or intellectual process play other than to distort? Why is a process necessary at all between perception and action? -Questions from a class I am taking

I think Joseph Martin did not realize what he was getting himself into with this musical score. About halfway through, it's like he got sick of writing flower language and just added a bunch of glorias and hallelujahs. (About some music she was interpreting)

Advice for the day: do not go downstairs or open any doors. See- the house is clean!

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As far as activities go, things have been pretty normal lately. The three oldest kids are going to be in a Winnie-the-Pooh play and will find out their parts later this evening. I somehow hurt my back, and now Lindsey thinks the funniest thing in the world is to mimic me gimping around the house. Rachel is getting ready to audition for her debut as a Broadway interpreter (She's doing Phantom of the Opera). Work is picking up for me quite a bit, as it normally does around this time of year. The kids had a few snow-days and we took full advantage by going out to breakfast and sledding as a family.

Last week, Rachel and the kids went down to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Rexburg. From what it sounds like, they all had a good time. I stayed home and had to work one of the days, but took advantage of the weekend to watch a lot of football and explore some of the back-country on skis.

Here are some pictures.

These first two are from the Rexbure visit. The kids love playing at the school where Grandma teaches (kindergarten).

Here's some of the skiing I did. I found this little hut with no tracks going to or from it- it was open and had a wood stove, so I started a fire and took a nice warm lunch break with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. It was nice.

Evelyn planned a party for our family. It was actually a lot of fun. Here are some of our activities. Jackson made the octopus with all the swords. It's a ninja.

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Have a good week!