I'm ready for the sombrero

We're going to Mexico in a little over a week, and we're all excited. Also a bit nervous....Guyan and Owen are worried that they only have a week to learn Spanish, Sean is not looking forward to flying, and I am worried about.....um.....well....I can't think of anything. I just can't wait.

Guyan has been reading a lot of Calvin and Hobbes to us lately, and he pointed this one out to us. We thought it fit the situation.

Maybe I should be worried about wearing sombreros.

It's Like the Weather Channel

So the weather around here has been entertaining us again. The snow has been melting in 40 and 50 degree weather, and the rains have been here for a few days or more (not sure how long--I must be a true Northwesterner if I don't notice how long it's been raining). The flooding in Whatcom County has forced the closing of the Bellingham schools yesterday and today, and the Ferndale schools today. Luckily, we live up on the hill part of Ferndale, so we can watch the floods without worrying too much about our personal safety or belongings. It must be an incredibly stressful time for people living in the lowlands.

Today, the boys, their friend Henry, and I all stopped to look at the Nooksack River (remember how it froze a few weeks ago? what would we do without the River?). The traffic was crazy, and there were all sorts of people out taking pictures and watching the river with awe.

To start, I've included a comparison picture of non-flooding, non-freezing times for reference--you can't even SEE the river in this picture!

And today...it looks like this:

There were actually people climbing up on the railroad trestle to take pictures (I'm sure it would've been a great view). I shudder to think what Henry's mom would have done if this picture had the boys on the trestle (don't worry Michelle--no pictures like that, and I made sure they understood the trestle was OUT OF THE QUESTION).

It's somewhat hard to see in this picture, but just behind the yellow sign, there's a sand burm keeping water out of the local businesses. The water is covering the small road that goes under the trestle.Of course a picture of our boys by the river is necessary...And finally, the crowds accumulating on the bridge. There were even more on the trestle, and on the other side of the bridge at the Riverwalk Park. Hopefully it won't need to be renamed Riverswim Park!

The Boys' Opinions on Moms

There's an email that's been circulating around about moms. It's called "Why God Made Moms," and lists second graders' answers to a series of questions about moms. It's quite cute, and a friend of mine asked her own second grader the same questions. Again, cute answers. I figured I'd try with our kids. Of course you know the outcome...

Why did God make mothers?
Owen: Because He makes people.
Guyan: He needed someone to boss the kids around, so they wouldn't go crazy.

How did God make mothers?
Owen: By doing it.
Guyan: By using Mother Nature...huhuh. Get it, "Mother"?

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
Owen: Skin, nails, fingers...
Guyan: Sugar. No actually, pepper and hot sauce.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
Owen: He forgot the others.
Guyan: He likes us with her.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
Owen: Brownish-blond hair.
Guyan: Nice, good girl.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
Owen: Thinkin' if she actually did want to marry him.
Guyan: That he would have less hair eventually, and he would be strong and big...but not fat big.

Why did your mom marry your dad?
Owen: Because she liked him.
Guyan: She thought he was cute and handsome.

Who's the boss at your house?
Owen: Dad and Mom (together).
Guyan: Mom then Dad; Mom always wins on the fights.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
Owen: One's a girl and one's a boy.
Guyan: Dads have less hair than moms, and dads aren't afraid of heights.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
Owen: Plays
Guyan: Cleans the house and yells at us sometimes, and cooks dinner and works at the college.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
Owen: If she was always happy.
Guyan: Give us $1,000 a day.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
Owen: Make her be nice always.
Guyan: I would make her rich (so she has money and gives some to us).

What would Mom change about you:
Owen: (silence)
Guyan: Make us listen to her always.

And that's the end of the questions. I think they're catching on pretty well....