what we've been up to, etc.

Playing Cootie with Grandpa, a game I used to play at my grandparents' house.


I've been negligent of the blog lately for many reasons- probably the number one and two being lack of goings-on and lack of time to post any goings on worth posting.

Last week, Mike's grandmother passed away. She will be greatly missed by all of us, but especially Mike, as she helped in raising him from infancy. He has so many funny stories to share of her- my favorite being that she brought a sack of potatoes with her in her suitcase when she first moved to their house.

We broke up the drive to Wisconsin over last Wednesday and Thursday and were able to spend some time with Mike's family until we had to leave On Sunday (we made that trip all in one shot- yippie! (groan)). Gail managed to pull an all-nighter that night (at least from 11 until after 2) and still woke up at the normal time. Thus, the kids were in stellar moods on Monday morning. They've been easing back into normality, but I don't blame them. It's rough travelling that much in such a short time frame and sleeping in unfamiliar places. But the kids did enjoy the trip, regardless of any sleep deprivation. One morning, Mike was giving Jack kisses at breakfast, and Jack declared, "I love Willie!" when Willie was nowhere in sight. I guess he told Mike.

Jack does love his uncles (and aunt), so we were excited when Tay came to visit us two weeks ago. I failed to get a picture including Tay, but here's Jack with one of the cool Lego cars he built. Neat, right? What's neater is that Tay's moving back to Pittsburgh next month, and we'll get to see him whenever we please- basically.


This chair has become a car, in which Jack drives us to the store because "we don't have any food," to "playgroup," to Mimi and PopPops' and Grandma and Grandpa's, and to the doctor's for shots.


Showing us how she can point to and name various body parts.