comparison

At the hospital where I work there is a bulletin board near the cafeteria where people can submit items for sale or rent. Houses, furniture, animals, practically nearly anything you can name.

Often I see cabins for rent in exotic places. Well, places that are fairly distant to good ole upstate New York, at any rate. Apartments or cottages are often for rent in Florida, Myrtle Beach, lots of sunny locales. At one point, I even saw a four bedroom, two and a half bath house in Daytona, Florida that was for sale for $38,000. Although I bet it was quite a fixer upper!

I have been working lots lots lots this past week, have been walking by the board a few times a day as I have been doing many extended shifts that extend over at least two meals or more, plus snacks. I will try to refrain from discussing at length the cafe options other than: they offer the same meals for lunch and dinner on the weekdays, but change them from one day to the next, but there are identical offerings for all the lunches and dinners for the entire weekend - what gives?! Whoa, anyway, back to the point here...

On another subject that will lead back to the bulletin board, Rael is lacking a bike. Gavin has claimed Rael's bike, as Gavin just has to keep up with his older brothers. So Rael has been trying to keep up with his brothers and their friends on one of those teeny tiny two-wheeled scooters. Honestly, Gavin uses "Rael's" bike because Rael no longer rides it; his knees hurt when he did as it really was a bit too small for him. So...

Whilst passing by the board this last week, I noticed bikes for sale. They were posted with really crappy xeroxed photos, but their descriptions and prices were right. One mountain bike with 24" rims was listed for $25! Another smaller mountian bikewas listed was twenty bucks. It was also a mountain bike, but it was a girl's purple bike. After walking past the board all week and thinking, looking, thinking, I ask Rael what he thought.
The conversation went something like this:
"So, Rael, I saw a picture of a bike at work today. It's for sale and I think it might fit you."
"Really?!" Grin.
"Yes, but the only thing is, is that it is purple..."
"Well, uh... I like purple!" Bigger grin.
"OK, then I will call the person and see if it's still for sale. Alright?"
"Yeah, sure!" And then Rael happily skips outdoors.
Shortly after, Dan comes in.
"Honey, at work there's a bike for sale that I think would fit Rael."
"Yeah...?"
"It's listed for $20, but it's a girl's bike." The look of pure horror that came upon my dear husbands face was amazing!
And then in come Rael for a drink of water as Dan replies with "You can't let Rael have a girl's bike!!!"
And Rael says,"Uh, whoa, whoa, whoa, Mommy... Wait a second! Does it have flowers on it?"
"I'm not sure Rael. But if it does, we could easily spray paint over them."
A moment of thoughtful silence is followed by "Oh. Okay then!!" as he goes again out the front door.
Dan says, amazed, "Wow. I guess that's the difference of public school and home school..."

I thought it was really funny! :)

Florida in July?!!

What could possible compel me to visit a locale that is hot and humid, that is often wet with large and strange insects and many small lizards, that gets even more so in the summer? Me, a person who loves the kind of weather that if it never reached higher than 80 degrees F would be quite content? A person who had just returned from a visit there less than three months ago? What could possibly make a die hard northern latitude gal visit one of the most southern states of the eastern coast in the hottest part of summer? Oh well how glad I am that you asked! :)

Looky here:

My sister Kathleen had a bouncing baby boy! I already love him beyond description! And, by golly, I am so glad I decided to withstand the summer heat of Florida to visit her and her new arrival and family!

He is just so beautiful. I might just be a tad bit biased (ok, a lot so) -- he is gorgeous, so easy going, and vocal. He successfully tries to hold his head up already, not mising a beat with wide open eyes. His name is Soren, and it is pronounced SORE-un. It is a Norwegian (or similar) god of clouds and storms, I think - basically the equivalent of Thor, god of thunder! :)

Above is a self shot of me and both of my youngest nephews. Sharon is such a great big brother and not very jealous for a three year old. He loves to caress Soren's cheeks and tell stories of what "Fogut" will do when with him when he's just a bit bigger.

Doesn't Katleen look great below? she's merely three weeks postpartum. Here we are at Sharon's morning swim lesson. Sharon wants so badly to go on the big water slides, but first he needs to actually learn to swim. He sure loves the water like my Gavin. I am certain that it will be no time at all before he's swimming like a fish.

Below is another of Sharon and me. He had just woke up from a three hour nap with his mom and baby brother. He is amazing, so quiet and calm upon awakening. He had gone right over to the book shelf and retrieved several books to the single living room rug. After asking me for a cookie and me recommending he have an apple or banana, he returns from the kitchen with an apple on a plate. This also goes on the living room rug where he commences an hour of bites and page turning. He sits and looks at the books whilst eating a bite of the apple every so often, resting it on the plate between bites. I am not certain if this is a regular routine for him, but he did it with such quiet confidence and enjoyment, even refusing my offer to read him a story on the couch. What a little man, I just had to take a picture with him :)


Below is Sharon at the BEST frozen custard place I have been in a LOOONG time! Rita's in St. Augustine that is right on the A1A(?) strip. I am *so* very glad that I do not live near it, otherwise my love of good ice cream would make me gain about twenty pounds in two weeks.
Here, Sharon's concentration is quite absorbed with his own vanilla cone.

Kathleen was awesome. A bit stressed and tired. I hope our late night chats didn't make her even more tired! But it was great to connect again and wish we could do it more than we have the chance to.
Looks like a very happy family below: a proud mommy and her boys, eh?

She has every right to be. I really can't wait to see them again! I'm off to peruse flights for Sharon's February b-day, or if I reserve another RV now, would it be cheaper...? :)

Give your kids (if you have them) hugs for me right now!