You are what you eat?

The other day Kate ate bird poop. Not once, but twice. Yep! India runs frantically to me, out of breath, exclaiming "Mommy, Katie ate some bird poop! [disbelieving expression] I am serious!"! Kate looks on, sour-guilty. We had a big talk about how disgusting that was, yet she turns around and DOES IT AGAIN the next day! It was the purple stuff; must have looked good to her, I don't know. Anyway....

Yesterday the girls had to stand on tiptoe in a doctor's office to see a woman talking to them. Both rested their lips on the rim of her counter. The woman and I explained with gusto to India and Kate about all the germs on the counter and I (ever out for the laugh) felt compelled to share with this woman that Kate puts everything in her mouth, including the infamous bird poop. Katie, my little fury, clenches her fists and yells at the top of her lungs "I DON' EAT BIRD POOP ANY MO!!!!!!!!!!"

Not to be outdone in the humor department, India announces to Tracy this morning "Daddy, your hair is almost off. It's nekkid, too." Poor Tracy, with the ebb tide of male hair, has just gotten an extra short haircut.

Having a little problem getting the camera and the computer to share...hopefully can come back and add some photos soon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARE!

My sister taught me everything I really need to know, and she was only in sixth grade at the time. ~Linda Sunshine

P.S.- Check out my groovy coat and rust-colored cords. Aahh, I miss the 70's.

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

A hint of autumn is in the air on the Eastern Shore. Nothing I could put my finger on, maybe a drop in the humidity, but the air is different. Bluer skies, cooler mornings, and the running of the woolly caterpillars. My second-favorite season...my favorite being autumn's sister-twin, spring. This transitional season is too, too brief and the Turmanators are soaking in every bit of outdoors time we can.

Friday I took the girls to Assateague Beach, which is off Chincoteague Island and about 40 minutes away. Not my first choice of beaches here, but some friends chose to go and invited us along. Assateague is on the seaside and is considerably rougher than the bayside, so I haven't been up there since I was pregnant with India. The girls didn't do much swimming because the waves were just too gnarly for the short people, but they had a great time playing with friends, digging holes and chasing seagulls.

The first photo is of Tom's Cove, a great little cove for canoeing and kayaking, as you can see, or for crabbing and bird watching. You might even see the occasional Chincoteague pony if it is low tide. To the right (out of range of the picture) is the famous Assateague lighthouse. BC (Before Kids) we did a lot of kayaking up here.

The seagulls on Assateague are evil, nasty vultures in disguise. The instant they spy folk eating they spread the word and, suddenly you are surrounded by every beach pigeon on the Delmarva Peninsula. The kids took to throwing sand balls at them after they took a cracker right out of Henry's hand. Yuck! This brazen behavior is shaped by obnoxious tourists to Chincoteague who love to feed them and go home to leave the rest of us to live with the insufferable birds. Poor Ellie was dive-bombed here like Tippi Hedren in "The Birds". One can only imagine the bird-poop; I won't go into details here.

Friday night we held a camping dress rehearsal. We chose a wonderful locale as near as possible to the relative safety of beds, nightlights, and familiar surroundings...the backyard. Luckily we have a big one with no visible neighbors. My girls (whose first words were both "side" for "outside" LOVED it. Loved it, that is, until 10pm when these 8pm bedtimers still weren't able to sleep and requested that we take them back into their home for the remainder of the night. Too bad, Tracy and I had a great view of the stars and were lucky enough to witness a couple of shooting ones. The fire kept the mosquitos from carrying us away but I will say we're all covered in Benadryl creme this morning. Oh, well. We'll try again next year. "Til then, maybe we'll just stick with making s'mores.

Honest...this was the fortune inside a cookie shared by India and Kate. How cool! And, at least for the moment, they seem to be living it. India helps Kate take off her shoes and helps me tuck her in for naps with sweet kisses and hugs. Sometimes they hold hands. Kate refuses to say India's name any other way than "Hinya" even though she knows how...it's her way of being affectionate. That's not to say that they don't whallop the crap out of each other for major infractions like one touching each other's My Little Pony, putting their feet on each other or refusing to play "picnic" with the other. Who could blame them; hell, doesn't that make you mad, too?


I've been tagged and I know all my friends are sick of me forwarding these things to them, so I won't. I'm just posting my answers here and anyone who wants to can play along.

FOUR JOBS I WISH I HAD THE ABILITY TO DO:
1. physician
2. artist
3. singer
4. FBI profiler or forensic psychiatrist

FOUR NAMES I WISH I HAD OTHER THAN MY OWN:
1. Was almost named India...that would have been nice
2. Jaqueline
3.
4. Couldn't think of any more. Both are family names; Jaqueline was my grandmother's name.

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE ACTORS/ACRESSES:
1. Kevin Spacey
2. Meryl Streep
3. Robin Williams
4. Ed Norton

FOUR SONGS I COULD LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER
(this changes often...I get bored musically)
1. RESPECT by Aretha
2. the whole first side of the"It's a Beautiful Day" album by It's a Beautiful Day
3. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve
4. Round and Round by Neil Young

FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH
1. The Daily Show
2. CSI (the original)
3. the Food Network
4.

FOUR PLACES I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON VACATION
1. Galapagos Islands on an ecotour
2. Belize
3. Italy
4. Spain

FOUR FAVORITE CUISINES
1. Italian
2. Japanese/Chinese
3. Mexican/Spanish
4. learning to like Indian

FOUR PLACES I WISH I WERE RIGHT NOW
1. having a massage
2. any of the above-listed vacation spots
3. on the beach by myself reading a book
4. San Diego with Tracy

Who ever thought a little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?

--The Wicked Witch of the West

Ever wonder what made this chick so mean...and green? The tell all "biography" of the Wicked Witch of the West, entitled Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is filling me in. I'm not quite halfway through the book, and I am enchanted (pun intended). Thus far I have learned the history of the early years of Elphaba (WWotW) her sister Nessarose (WWotE and the one who is crushed by Dorothy's house), and the good witch Glinda as they grow up during a time of political unrest in Oz. I am getting the feeling that the witches are not as evil as they were potrayed in the original; they become involved with resisting grassroots and political movements to eliminate a perceived lower class; these movements are tied to the ruler's religious and enviromental beliefs (any of this sounding familiar?). I wonder about the social and political symbolism...it is reminescent of similar themes in Alice in Wonderland. Who'd have thought that the Wicked Witches were really social justice pioneers in disguise? Anyone else out there read this book? I'd love to chat about it.

Now onto my little witches. Ever so slowly it becomes real to me that there are no more babies in the house...and if I should forget Kate reminds me by yelling "TATE NOT A BABY!!!!!!!!"

I feel a tinge of wistfulness about this every so often, but mostly I am thrilled. We are slowly but surely removing the babyproofing paraphernalia, Kate is well on her way to potty training, and last night we converted Kate's crib to a toddler bed and moved her into India's room. She is so proud of herself, affirming "I do it myself" when it's time to get out of bed. They are thrilled to share a room and Tracy is on his way upstairs right now to tell them to stop talking and GO TO SLEEP.

We are glad to have our guest room back (as will be many of you) but it a little sad saying goodbye to the nursery that we decorated with such care and anticipation when I was pregnant with India. Down went the baby quilt wall hanging, the changing table, and the memo board filled with baby hospital bracelets and other mementos. And it was a little strange last night to walk past that room with it's door open wide...no need to avoid the creaking board outside the room anymore. Anyone want to visit? We have extra room!

Myrtle Beach Days...We'll Have Some Fun in the Waves....
-- the Fantastic ShakersBoth Short and Tall Turmans had a great week in Myrtle Beach. Mind you, it took some getting used to. Tracy and I are humbugs when it comes to traffic and crowds; we like our vacations filled with solitude and quiet and Myrtle Beach is not exactly the embodiment of either. But our girls love all the flash and sparkle and how do you say no to those two faces?

Our little "baysiders" also had some adjusting to do; they are used to the warm, rocking waters of the Chesapeake and were initially frightened by the cooler, frothy, and sometimes intimidating crashing waves of South Carolina. It didn't help that there was a full moon and the tide was at it's highest of the summer. But as you can see from the above photo India, at least, adjusted well to a real surf.
We spent most of our time divided between the beach and the pool but did venture out to some tourist destinations. Tracy's parents took the girls to a "Build a Bear" workshop, which was surely a highlight of their trip. The girls continue to sleep with their new lovies, Twinkles and Cookie, and were thrilled to help create a new friend. They truly enjoyed the entire Broadway at the Beach scene, complete with a dragon, volcano, ducks, fish, and a tequila-spouting hurricane at the Margaritaville restaurant.

Yes, we ate lunch at Margaritaville. I truly loathe Jimmy Buffet (no hate mail, please) and there is a whole group of women who still curse me for making them leave a Jimmy Buffett fraternity party freshman year (I told them I would go, but that if "Cheeseburger in Paradise " was playing we would all have to leave immediately, and what song began the minute we walked in the door...but a deal is a deal). Not my idea of good music but the scene was festive and the "hurricane" that showered tequila was very cool.

The girls also enjoyed putting on a show at the pier bar. It was too early for the band, but the Turman girls took over the stage as Kiss' "I Wanna Rock 'N Roll" played on the stereo. I'm not sure how Dex and Judy felt, but Tracy and I were mighty proud. Next year we're getting them tattoos and a cropped, airbrushed tee-shirt. Look out, Myrtle Beach 2007!

TURMAN’S LAW (tur’menz lo): N. The rule or principle by which one or more members of the Turman family become ill during or just prior to an important or exciting event.

Yes, there is illness in the Turman house. Yes, we are leaving tomorrow for Myrtle Beach. Turman's Law is in effect.

Kate and I have colds. India has a cold and an ear infection. India is 4 years old and has NEVER had an ear infection...until now. Why, oh why does this always happen to us? Thank goodness for antibiotics and let's just keep our fingers crossed that Kate and I don't develop the same problem while 2 states away from our doctors.

Today's photos are from a healthier time last week when we were playing with our brand new bubble machine, bought on major sale at CVS. Best 5 bucks I've spent in quite some time; everyone loves the thing except the cat, as you can see.

I'm throwing things in bags left and right and looking forward to a week of rest, relaxation, and two doting grandparents who love the short people. Everyone, please send healthy vibes our way, and I'll see you in a week!

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
Its a pink moon
~~Nick Drake

A little fuzzy (darn, cheap camera) but the moon was so incredible last night that I couldn't resist the shot. Interesting to see this in August because I always think of a "pink moon" as a spring thing, but given the Nick Drake lyrics I wonder if pink moons have a more mystical meaning. Anybody out there know?

The three Turman girls spent the morning at a local pool with a friend. There are no photos because I spent the entire time in the pool with them preventing Kate from drowning. Kate insists on copying everything India does...including trying to swim underwater. KATE CANNOT SWIM UNDERWATER. SHE THINKS SHE CAN, BUT SHE CAN'T. It was a lot of fun, and made me think about joining next year. By then, maybe Kate can manage to keep her face out of the water long enough for me to take a picture!

NOT EXACTLY R&R, BUT A WONDERFUL WEEKEND...

The Arthurs came this weekend, bringing with them, as always, a great time, and cooler temperatures, too. Aaaahhhh.

Thanks to all who have checked on Tracy; he is much better after a day in bed and a lot of muscle relaxers. And all the little people are healthy again, so we were primed for a fun weekend with friends.

India and Kate were lit up like Christmas trees starting the day before Joe and Gus arrived, were chomping at the bit at 6am Friday morning, and just about to jump out of their skin by the time the Arthurs arrived. They ran out to greet them and practically bowled the poor boys over, but Joe and Gus adjusted to the Turman ebullience quickly, being old hats at it. It always amazes me how quickly Joe, Gus, India and Kate jump right into playing as if they had just seen each other day before yesterday. As you can see by the photos, Joe and India really love each other, but sometimes Kate and Gus' relationship can be characterized as "love/hate".

Friday the grownups stayed up WAY too late talking, listening to music, drinking beer and (some of us) cigar smoking. So much fun, but it made getting up with the girls at 5:45 Saturday morning a little difficult. Off to Cape Charles beach for the morning, with lunch on the beach and then home for much-needed naps for everyone. Of course, a great opportunity to collect more sea glass and Pat is always just as eager as I to search for treasures.

Saturday night we had babysitters for the young foursome while we went for a "crawl" of Onancock before our friend's party. It was fun for us to have time together without having to wipe, scold or diaper anyone, and nice for Pat and Janice to visit some old haunts. Then we were off to our friend Mary's "Cinco de Agosto" themed 40th birthday celebration. Great party! It was so much fun that I'm glad I only took the couple of photos I have here.... But that much fun inevitably leads to another late night with an early morning wake up call from the short people. I'm too old for all this.

Sunday Tracy and Pat went fishing for a few hours while Janice and I nursed our hangovers by sitting in the mercifully cool shade while the kids played together. If I didn't think too hard I could pretend that when the guys returned the Arthurs would get in their car, drive 10 miles home and I would see Janice and the boys at the "Y" in the morning. If I concentrated I could imagine they still lived down the road. If I didn't pay attention, I wouldn't notice how sad and withdrawn India and Joe were becoming as time to say goodbye drew near.

Watching the Arthurs drive away to North Carolina, Kate and India cried. And so did I, a little. We had a FANTASTIC weekend, and we miss you guys already! When's the next visit, ya'll?

Forty-five minutes, 36 seconds 'til bedtime. Yep, I'm counting.

As I type the phone is ringing (home equity line offers out the wazoo), the children are hanging on me (Kate is repeating "I wonna nuggle wif' you, Mommy" incessantly; India saying "sit by ME, Mommy" over and over) and Tracy is upstairs on his back, legs in the air (picture dead beetle). Yes, Janice, there is a BIG glass of red wine right by my left hand.

Tracy threw his back out about an hour ago. He was walking down the stairs and I was handing him the phone...suddenly he seemed completely paralyzed! I had to manouver the children past him to safety, tell the home equity loan specialist (the 14th one who called today) that we had an emergency, and help Tracy balance on our narrow old staircase until he could crawl back upstairs. Scared me pretty good...he couldn't catch his breath from the spasms. I called our friend Tom, who is also Tracy's doc, and Tom has called in a scrip for muscle relaxers. I'll be picking those up as soon as I get the kids to bed (did I mention that bedtime is now 44 minutes away?).

Kate's cold is better, but now India has it and she coughed and cried until she threw up at nap time. ALL OVER HER BED. ALL OVER HER "BEST LOVEY". ALL OVER HER BLANKET AND DRESS. ALL OVER.

What a day. That's all I can say. Long Day With Short (and tall) People. Good thing I love them all!

How do you fill an afternoon with short people when it is 100+ degrees outside, one of your children (Kate) has a cold, and you have a raging headache? FINGER PAINT, of course! I have also found that it is never to early to begin preparing the girls for future careers. Today India practiced her flair for fashion design...check out the footwear.


Perhaps not. Maybe the heat is getting to us. Time to get out of the house? Oh, yeah.

Its been a weekend of nonstop shopping around here. And those of you who know me best know how I feel about shopping (somewhere just before "toenail extraction"on the pain scale). Especially when I was shopping for a ball gown and kitchen countertops...not at the same store, mind you.

Friday my friend Susan and I drove south to Va Beach sans kids. As an aside, for the second time in 2 weeks I was able to leave the girls with a babysitter and NO ONE CRIED. Shore Health Services, Tracy's employer, holds a black tie fundraising event every fall and it is time to begin shopping for a gown. Susan and I tortured ourselves by squeezing into too tight, too sequined, too EXPENSIVE, too orange, too fluffy, and just too...something. Everything was horrible, size 2, or breathtakingly beautiful with a matching breathtaking price tag. We had a great time, though, and enjoyed a sane lunch in civilization without dealing with fussy little people. The lady eating next to us had her toddler in tow, and we looked on with pity as she repeatedly wiped his silverware clean after he threw it to the ground.
Saturday Tracy and I hauled the girls north to Salisbury, MD to look at kitchen countertops. Our house is falling apart: we need a new roof, new windows, chimneys need repointing, a new faucet in our bathroom, new countertops...I could go on but it might sent the blog company into overload. SOOOOO we have decided to take out a home equity loan to accomplish the most important of these items. We're getting bids from roofers and repairmen, and are now trying to select counter tops. This is not easy with girls in tow, believe me. The conversation with the saleswoman at Lowes went something like this: "Can you tell me the basic difference between Silestone and...Kate, get out of there!...and granite? India, stop pulling your sister's arm. I'm sorry, what were you saying about porous...Kate, no running please...porousness? What about...India, I can't take you to the potty this minute...about maintenance...could you excuse me for a second?" Would you believe India went to the bathroom 4 TIMES in a half hour in Lowes?

Somehow we did finally get our questions answered and picked out something we like. Then I left the girls with Tracy while I tried on more ball gowns. And found one. Relief. Now I have to wait for the order to come in and go BACK for it to be fitted. Sometimes I would like to be a guy and just wear the same tuxedo every year. So cheap and easy.

Sunday was much more fun. My friend Louise had a birthday party for her son, Thomas, and today's photos are from his celebration. Louise is from Tasmania and I could listen to her talk all day "...hello luv. This heat has me positively gobsmacked..." She has lived in some interesting places, including Thailand, so everything she does has an eclectic flair. Sushi and ribs on the "barbie"(yes, she said it) were on the menu for the grownups. What a combo, especially with margaritas. The kids had a wonderful time; particularly with this amazing water slide! It was so hot that the grownups were tempted to jump on, too.

We're going to spend this week trying to stay cool; we've had a heat index of over 100 almost every day and some unbelievable storms at night (60 mph wind gusts). Tracy just read the projected temps and this week sounds even worse. We'll just count the days 'til the Galax Fiddler's Convention and some cooler mountain air!

IT'S PONY PENNING TIME!

Most people have never heard of Virginia's Eastern Shore. In fact Shore residents, including myself, love checking maps to see if we are even included; more often than not maps of Virginia leave off our 75 mile long stretch of peninsula. But almost eveyone is familiar with Chincoteague Island(pronounced 'Shinkoteege'), the setting for the famous children's book and movie "Misty of Chincoteague". Chincoteague and it's neighboring island Assateague (yes, ASS...it's a native-American word) are inhabited by wild ponies (lots of interesting theories about how they got here) that each year are herded and auctioned off to ensure proper care and maintenance of the ponies. The proceeds raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. The Pony Penning occurs on the Wednesday of the Chincoteague Carnival (I told you the carnivals are essential to Eastern Shore summers), and involves a spectacular 10 mile swim from Assateague to Chincoteague during the slack tide.

The ponies are herded by "Saltwater Cowboys"; to be named one is a true honor. For more information about Pony Penning visit http://www.chincoteague.com/pony/ponies.html .

I have never attended Pony Penning. It's not that I don't want to; I'm dying to see this incredible, beautiful sight for myself. I have always either been working full-time or, now, I have small children to care for. The other problem is it's crowded. Chincoteague is "full to the gills" during this week every summer; my friend who lives there has regaled me with horror stories about Pony Penning crowds. She says the best way to witness the event is by boat. So unless someone invites me along on their boat trip, we'll save that for when we actually own a boat. Can't wait! Anyone interested in a Pony Penning visit next year...?

Here comes the bride...dum DUM dum dum...
I have been watching the video of our wedding over, and over, and over, and...well, you get the idea.

India has developed a recent interest in the concept of marriage in general and my marriage in particular, so the video of our wedding rehearsal and reception made by a friends' mother is the penultimate entertainment for her. This frequent wedding-watching has prompted some interesting comments and conversations:

I: Kate, who will you marry?
K: Mommy.
I: You can't marry Mommy; she's a girl! You have to marry a boy! (Not entirely true, but I don't think India is ready for that info yet).
K: thinking for a minute I marry Daddy.
I: You can't marry Daddy; he's already married. I'm going to marry William; how about Henry? (William's brother).
K: NO!
I: Well, you have to marry somebody (again, not entirely true).
K: NO!
I: How about...India begins indescriminately naming boys of various ages?
K: NO! NO!

I've also had loads of fun trying to explain who the "princesses" were (bridesmaids). Why were all the "daddies" (groomsmen) dressed alike with "bows around their necks".Why did I throw a bunch of flowers at my friends? Why did Daddy throw my "shoe" (garter) and Uncle B. catch it in his mouth? Why was the cake so big? Why was the car covered in "paper" (aisle cloth from the church) and what are all those other interesting items and balloons (colored condoms look just like little balloons)on the car? She also wants to know where she was during the wedding...how do you explain that one?

India was also thrilled with recognizing various friends and family. Each time someone waves at the camera India yells "Mommy, they waved at me!". Randy, if you are reading this she spotted you right away. She didn't recognize her Auntie Clare because you looked (and you were) so young. She loved seeing all her grandparents and also seeing Makey boogying with our friend John...this is my favorite part of the video too. It was bittersweet hearing her shout joyously "There's Granny!" then quietly stating "Granny died".

I hadn't watched this video in so long, and it was lots of fun to see. Tracy and I look so young! That BIG change was made more unavoidable recently by a woman referring to me as Kate's grandmother (yes, I think she was a crack user but I did promptly go out and highlight my hair to cover a few of the greys). It was fantastic to see the faces of many old friends. Mike, you were in there dancing your ass off. I think there is something magical about a wedding reception when such a disparate group comes together to celebrate a marriage, and that was fun to remember. To paraphrase Bob Hope, thanks for the memories, India! And I'll answer your tough questions later. Much later.

There is a point every year where I just get sick of the heat, and I have reached it. I know when the damp, frigid winds blow from across the Bay in the dead of winter I will miss warmth, but for now I am just burned out on summer.

It's not summer itself...I love the sunshine, the outdoors, the beach...the ease of it all. It's the high heat and humidity that has me over the top. It just drains me. Afternoons seem to go on forever as I try to create activities that keep India and Kate occupied but don't involve leaving the house. We can't play outside in the shade because the mosquitos are vicious, and one can only go to the library, CVS or the Book Bin so many times in a week! We absolutely love living here, but there are times when a Target or mall would be nice for a cool, easy afternoon with the girls. There was a great article in The Virginian-Pilot yesterday about the days before AC...at least I can camp out in the house with the cold air pumping!

I took a hiatus from the camera this weekend...an unplanned boycott but I realize I have nothing to show you. I had a great Girls' Night Out (GNO) on Friday. My friends Sally, Susan and I try to do this every month or so and do a "crawl" of Onancock...drinks and appetizers one spot, dinner another, and dessert in yet another place. Saturday we hosted dinner for a new Doc and his wife and kids who have just moved here from Richmond (very nice with kids our age so we're excited), and Sunday was a lazy day with little accomplished other than Kate wearing underwear for most of the day (successfully, I might add), naps for everyone and a trip to the grocery store. Woohoo, do we know how to live it up!

Have some fun here (especially Clare and Janice) http://jacksonpollock.org/ and keep cool this week.

INDIA: Mommy, what does a hedgehog sound like?
ME: I don't think they make much of any sound, India.
INDIA: They go "Hedge, Hedge, Hedge". That's what I think.

We have been very busy with not much to show for our efforts over the last couple of days. Each day has been spent going to the "Y" in the mornings, having lunch and naps, then playing outside in the afternoon. Wednesday evening we went out for dinner because our cupboards were bare, then had a stroll around Onancock. To learn more about Onancock check out this website at http://www.onancock.com/; it's a great little scenic harbor town.
Thursday night was our final trip to the carnival for the year. Kate cried as we left the grounds and we drove away to the girls' fornlorn refrain of "Goodbye, ponies; goodbye merry-go-round, goodbye totton tandy, goodbye ferris wheel...". Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Tonight Tracy will brave the grocery store with both girls (he can still put Kate in the backpack...too heavy for me) and then treat the girls to a pizza while I have a girls' night out. What a great guy. Thank you, thank you Tracy!

Trying to keep cool here on the Eastern Shore. It's difficult, believe it or not. We can't make it to the beach every day; even though we are surrounded by water ( 5 mintues from the house to the east and west) true "beaches" are limited and the public ones are 30+ miles away. We did make it today, though, and enjoyed being outside without feeling faint! Monday and Tuesday were pretty miserable and involved quite a bit of ennui on everyone's part.

We hit the beach today with my friend Andrea and 2 of her three children, Nicole and Christopher. In the photo above Nicole informed me as they walked away that she and India were having "girl time". How do you have "girl time" when you are 4 and 5? What were they talking about? Do I want to know? India has seemed so grown up to me lately that this photo seems to foreshadow things to come.

Kate and Christopher are not as covivial as the big girls. There is some serious infighting that goes on there. This was one of their calmer moments. They have quite a system worked out; Christopher is aggressive and in response Kate shrieks until his ears bleed.

I think I hooked Andrea on the sea glass thing. We culled the beach for frosted treasures and this afternoon the girls and I had fun adding to one of our sea glass jars and reviewing our loot.