Understanding Time Zones

Since we have family and friends on different continents, we often talk about time differences. It is afternoon here now, but it is night in The Netherlands. And once it is night here, it will be early morning in The Netherlands.

 

Sylvia and me talked about it for a while and then suddenly she REALLY understood.

 

She excitedly told me 'AH! I get it!'

 

'It goes around and around again! We are trying to catch up, but we are just left in the dust!'

 

Sparrows

Some kind of European sparrow I think, but I did not actually get out my bird book to confirm.

 

I was just thrilled to get a few reasonable pictures of them when they were trespassing in the No Trespassing zone.

 

This was at the dark, satanic mills.

 

But that story is a post for another day.

 

No Trespassing

Funny signs one sees while geocaching.

 

Yeah, we really wanted to go trespassing into the thorny bushes... I bet the sign isn't even visible once the bushes grow their summer leaves.

Dawn in Wonderland

Over the last few months, Dawn spent many many many many hours rehearsing for her school play.

 

The result was well worth it.

 

They performed the play three times and did a super job.

 

Dawn played Alice in Wonderland, one of the many 'princesses' in the play.

 

The Irresistible Draw of Trees in Spring

Finally it is tree climbing weather again!

 

Once in a while we get kids stuck in these trees, leading me to offer said kids to throw him/her a sleeping bag. No one has taken me up on it yet.

 

It is so nice to be able to go out without five layers of clothing!

 

Happy spring!

 

Sleeping Beauties

When I saw this I had to run down and grab my camera.

 

I couldn't resist the cuteness.

 

Now that we have only Darkness left he has gotten more social.

 

As long as those human beings are asleep, he loves to be with them ^^

 

First Robin

Today, Jane saw our very first robin of the year.

 

Which means that we will go out geocaching soon! Bonus points for any one who knows at which geocache these pictures were taken.

 

I can't wait.

 

We'd better find all our working flash lights.

 

Just in case.

The Joys of Sharpies

Some more tattoo pictures from when Dawn found a sharpie around the house.

 

I thought this was only supposed to happen when they were toddlers!

 

At least no one wil accuse me of stifling my kids creativity...

 

And yet again running off to schlep kids. Yay for taxi driving!

 

Tea Eggs and My Birthday

Using my birthday as a good way to share last month's tea egg pictures.

 

I had a wonderful birthday, so many people sharing it with me. It started out with CHOCOLATE! (Thank you, Dawn!) The kids came up with a variety of great gifts (Thank you, thrift store ^^) and a good time was had by all. The festivities included tea eggs and take-out Chinese food.

 

Many things going on in my life, but I am slowly getting on top of them.

 

Or at least taking baby steps to get closer to being on top of them. Through all this I am blessed with an amazing number of good friends and wonderful kids, so the big picture of my life is Very Good indeed!

 

Now I just need to find time to go geocaching and things will be perfect ^^

Snow Ice Cream or What Makes Our Winters Bearable

The good thing about snow storms.

 

Apart from snuggling up in front of a fire...

 

And free exercise shoveling the driveway...

 

Is snow ice cream! Snow, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, how could one possibly not love it?!

 

Giant Left!

After 16 months of being a part of our household, Giant left us to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Training Center.

 

It was a loooooooong drive, and there was much snow in New York, but luckily almost no snow during the drive.

 

Even although we knew this moment would come, it was still hard to say goodbye to him. He really enriched our family as I hope our family enriched his raising. At least he will not freak out about kids when he works.

 

He got tested during a so-called In For Training (IFT) test. We had no idea how he would do. I was comparing dropping him off at the school to dropping off a kid at college, worrying whether he would focus on studying or whether he would get distracted by parties and girls.

Luckily we got the good news that he passed his IFT, and not only that, but that he is being evaluated for breeding. This means that exceptional qualities were identified and Giant will stay at the CDC Breeding kennel for medical screening and further temperament evaluations. We are proud of him! Of course, if he does get chosen for breeding, he will not only be distracted by girls but be able to take them out for all kinds of interesting activities!

 

Yesterday we got a post card from him, telling us that he was having lots of fun at the training center. Here is a link to February's graduating class, to show why it is so important to raise puppies to become guide dogs, even if it is hard to give them up when they are teenagers.