Anna had the kids at the play area in the mall and Sam was bending over with his hands over his crotch and a startled look on his face. Anna though he was hurt but then Sam said,

"Ty-ing keep pull up dy, pee coming out." 

Ahh, the joys of toilet training.

I mopped the bathroom floor the other day...but only after I dropped a dark blue towel near the base board and retrieved a dark blue towel with a large gray collection of dust on it. What is the world coming to? 5 years ago I was so focused on keeping the house spotless: I mopped at least weekly (Mr-Janitorial-background, here). Now I seem to have lost my zeal for cleaning. As long as the counters are clear, the dishes are clean, toys are off the floor and the kids are content--things are peaceful. I guess I have found peace in something other than cleanliness (and that must be a good thing).
Posted as a comment on voxpopuli-hannah.blogspot.com and after I typed it I thought it was realization I should post here too.

Little Readers

Having kids that are close in age has some wonderful moments; they just love to do things together. This afternoon I found them in the living room reading our old Tintin comic books.

The other day Joshua authored another book, this one is an "ABC" picture book. He did it almost completely on his own except for the spelling of a few words, including xylophone. Later in the day I found Joshua teaching the other kids (who were completely engrossed) their abc's.

Coolest birthday cake yet

It has become a tradition in our home to make birthday cakes in cool and unusual shapes at the request of the kids. We have had a fish, fire truck, teddy bear, school bus, and most recently a Nautilus and Tiger Shark for Joshua's birthday.

Yeah, it takes a little more effort than a normal cake, but the kids love it, and Anna and I have fun making them together.

Seriously considering a crazy departure from normalcy

In case you didn't know we are planning to build a house on some land we bought with some family & friends. Anna and I kind of Stumbled upon monolithic domes and now we are hooked.

Here is an example of this Beautiful Monolithic Dome from the inside.

Here is a page with the construction process and a floorplan.

Why a monolithic dome?

1. More interior space with less surface area.

2. 1/3 the cost to heat & cool.

3. Disaster proof.

Please comment with your thoughts.