There is a good explanation for this,

...but I'll just let you guess.

I know it's been a while, but we've been busy. I'm in seminary again. Just for checking in, here's a treat. If you use Google Chrome, paste the following text in to the address bar and press enter, then press start and right click to destroy the web page with a katamari snowball. One of the perks of beintg a computer teacher is learning from my students. One of them showed me this trick.

javascript:var i,s,ss=['http://kathack.com/js/kh.js','http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.5.1/jquery.min.js'];
for(i=0;i!=ss.length;i++){s=document.createElement('script');s.src=ss[i];document.body.appendChild(s);}void(0);

Finished!

As You May Have Heard...

We got some snow here. A lot of snow. In our attempt to be both frugal and stay with the church here in NY through Christmas (as it turns out, almost everyone in the church went "home" for Christmas) we booked a December 28 flight to Tennessee which was cancelled following this week's blizzard.

Ezra offered to clear the runway at LGA with his snow plow (a plastic tub) so that our plane could take off. I informed him that I had no snow clearing device (we just have the one plastic tub) and he told me that was okay, I could just use my hands. After some convincing, he finally accepted the fact that he and I would not be able to clear the runways ourselves. His back-up plan was to walk to Tennessee. We could just put him in the backpack carrier. He could wear his sunglasses so that the snow wouldn't blow into his eyes and he'd wear his snow pants and we could just start walking. He really, really wanted to see his grandparents.

Here are some of the sights from Long Island City:





I took a video from our window, but will have to try again later to upload it. In the meantime, enjoy this time lapse video of the snowfall by Mike Black:

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Today, Corey completed plans for the boys' bunk beds in Google Sketchup. The plan is for toddler sized mattresses and the top bed is only 44" from the ground. We plan to hang room darkening curtains from the top rail. Ezra had been sleeping in a Kidco Peapod Plus, which we loved until it broke. (We got a lot of wear out of it and will likely buy another someday.) Elias is in a Pack-N-Play, but we'd like to have real beds for them, so this is our plan:



There WILL be a rail on that bottom bed and we may put an extra rail up top. I'll post some pictures when we get it finished.

Ezra and I went out to the playground this morning and started work on an igloo. We plan to close in the roof tomorrow and post some pictures. Stay tuned. We got our place cleaned up and are working on a video tour for you.

We're pretty bummed about not being able to see friends and family for Christmas and New Year's celebrations, but it has been nice to have some downtime together.

L

While You Were (Supposed to Be) Sleeping

I came home from a late night grocery run to discover Ezra, rather than sleeping, had been doing a little work in TuxPaint. Computer on mute so as not to be discovered by Corey. Apparently he had also been shopping for a new iPod, browsing Photo Booth pics, and adjusting the settings on my laptop.

*GASP!* There's Blood EVERYWHERE!

So today things were going fairly well. Then Ezra decided to use our apple peeler/corer/slicer to prepare himself a snack. Not to be outdone, little e. raced to get in on the action.

(DISCLAIMER: this story gets disgusting. If you are squeamish, you should stop reading now.)

Minor altercation in the kitchen.

Boys were separated and returned to a (relatively) safe position.

Ezra's world ends. Not only have I taken his hope of a snack, but I have also kept him from beating his brother in what otherwise would have been a fair fight.

Flailing ensues.

Flailing continues.

Flailing and mourning make a tour of the living room/dining room/bedroom.

The disturbed elder child ends his raging after taking a flying leap into his brother's bed. When I feel he has calmed down enough to hear what's going to happen next, I approach. (Side note: I do not condone the throwing of fits. It prompts in me such distaste that I have found it best lately to remain calm and not engage in emotional warfare with my 2-year-old.)

I stop. Blood. Everywhere. Something incoherent about boogers.

I figure he has a bloody nose, but how? It's all over his face, hands, and neck. It's almost as disgusting as the time a couple of months back that the little guy drew on the walls... I'll stop. Suffice it to say that they have now each had a "Carrie" moment.

So the elder is not injured. He's still mumbling about boogers and his apple slicer as I race off to find the younger who must surely have collapsed by now.

Little guy is clean. Back to Ezra. I managed to find the tiniest cut on the tip of his small finger. Apparently he had cut it on the slicer, but the cut was so minor he either didn't realize or didn't care. I calm down and take a look around and that's when I notice...

THERE. IS. BLOOD. EVERYWHERE.

Everything he rolled around on and stomped across. Books. Carpet, (yay, washable FLOR tiles!) pillows, rugs, couch cushions, blankets...I could go on, but I'm sure that's more than enough for you. Call it a late Halloween story. ...or Reformation Day story, whichever you prefer because believe me, there will be a reformation in the life of my elder child. (How 'bout them apples, big E.?) I sincerely hope we are nearing the end of our "fireside chats" on the topic of tantrums.

Time With Boys and Fun at Maker Faire

Couple of pictures taken recently;

the boys driving around inside Home Depot, and Ezra at the cafe for man-time. The pictures say enough about themselves

What great boys!

Trying to upload video from the make magazine world maker faire, which Leann presented at, making paper with her partner Grace. I sneaked away and watched this cool demonstration of the coke zero and Mentos trick.