1. APB for Bob:


Bob is Jerome's baby. Bob has been loved so much that his arm came off. Several times. Jerome first found Bob at a KayBee toy store outlet in Woodburn in 2008. He fell in love right away and wouldn't put Bob down. By last spring, Bob already had his arm in a sling (various glues having been tried and failed). We were in Woodburn again, then, so we thought we'd pick up a replacement Bob. However, the store had closed up a week or two before we got there. We've since tried many other ways of fixing Bob. The last fix didn't last a day.

Jerome loves Bob. Bob is one of the most real toys we have in our house. We have emphasized how God loves people no matter how well or unwell they are and that a parent loves his child no matter what is wrong with him, but it makes it hard for Jerome to play with Bob. He talks to Bob and kisses him and tucks him in and tells him stories, but he can't keep Bob in his room.

So, now we're looking for a Bob that we can use to replace the arm. An organ donor. Sort of. If you have seen a Bob, please let us know and we will buy him, pay for shipping, so we can finally fix Bob so Jerome can have him back.



2. We have had a chance to travel much more frequently since our move. Rich's work has sent him to various meetings and conferences, which means we don't pay much for the travel either, since at least one hotel room, mileage, Rich's meals, etc are paid for already. It's been a nice way to vacation inexpensively. A couple times, Rich and I have been able to go on our own, too, which has been a nice treat for us (and incidentally, is also less expensive, because we only need one room, one extra meal, etc). Most recently, we were able to visit a kitschy vintner's village near us that we've always meant to visit. It is a tourist trap. It is a little collection of winery shops and restaurants. It was a cute place, though, and we had a great dinner and walk. One of the places we looked in had a great restaurant we'd like to try another time that specializes in local foods. Anyway, Rich took a couple pictures of me while we were there that I actually liked. Here is one:



3. Yasmina's has some pretty cute names for her siblings and herself:
Azander, Donick, Elijy, Amiwa, Womy, Mina

4. Our boys are definitely turning country. Aside from the menagerie they are building up by trapping creatures on our property, Jerome announced to us the other day that he wanted a gun rack for his bike. Well, not exactly, but he said he wanted a gun on his bike so he could shoot bad guys and deer. I told him that he could only shoot the deer after he knew how to dress them. Rich said that the pants were particularly difficult.

5. Jerome does not have a firm grasp on how the Eucharist is distributed. We tend to have the children go first, with us accompanying them. Since we've been without a home church, we were limited as to when we could receive until Fr. Michael visited us and left us with a large amount of reserved sacrament, so we could at least distribute it after Morning Prayer or visiting another church on Sunday. A few Sundays ago, we stayed home and did Morning Prayer, and Rich started distributing the Eucharist. He started with Yasmina. Just because he did. Afterward, Jerome was telling her that she received first, because she is the prettiest. To which she responded by grinning and doing a pirhouette and saying "I prettiest!"

6. This is a restaurant we want to visit. They have printed on their menu: The Nanny State of Washington wishes us to remind you that eating food is very dangerous especially if it is raw or undercooked. Please ask your server about any menu items that you may be worried about.

7. Yasmina is also very bossy. One of her first sentences involved her coming into the kitchen holding a book and saying "Read my book!" So, this past week, she has been bossing me around as per usual. One morning, as she was ordering me to come lie down with her, I told her she was a very bossy little girl. She smiled and answered "I know. Daddy told me!"

Labels: Church Year, Family, Humor, Pentecost, Seven Quick Takes