zombies and cows

So I haven't slept well (and by that I mean I've HARDLY slept) in about a week and I feel like a zombie. I think it's caught up to me too because I woke up in the middle of the night last night and my stomach just hurt. I must have a little bug and it's put me out of commission. So if you come to my house and it's a mess, that's why. Or it's just because I'm messy. But we'll stick with the first excuse. Um, speaking of zombies and messy, I'm reading a book called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach and it's making me uncomfortable...yet I can't stop reading it. It's about cadavers, obviously, and their uses today and throughout the history of the world. I have no idea what compelled me to read this book, and I can't figure out my opinion of it either. I think I like it, and I think it's gross. But the author has a dry sense of humor that appeals to me. I will say that it's definitely not for the faint of heart, or the weak of stomach.

So this weekend we took some friends out on the Rhino and had a lot of fun. We may have indirectly injured a cow in the process, but we aren't sure. I certainly hope not, but there's no accounting for a cows behavior when you pass them on a road in a really noisy machine. We didn't take a lot of pictures, but here's one my friend Dorothy took of her kids while I was driving. They are probably some of the cutest kids ever, after mine of course.
I think they liked it.

Then yesterday my parents came over for dessert and we took turns practicing all sorts of acrobatics. My dad can do a headstand, so I figured it wouldn't be that hard to do. But as sad as it is, my dad is in way better shape than me, despite the fact that he's twice my age. He kept telling me to use my stomach muscles more. The problem was that they vanished, along with my brain, after having kids, which is why my headstands were more like fancy somersaults.
Here's Alexis being the helper she is, helping Tyler do a headstand. And he's kicking her in the eye.

Then my dad would put the kids on his feet and throw them up in the air and catch them. I really like this picture because of Alexis' hair. I would brush her hair all day if she'd let me because I think it is so beautiful.

Then Alexis got hold of the camera and took pictures. Here's one she took of me, a little blurry but otherwise good. It shows my more excited side.
And here's her self-portrait. I love it when she takes these because it gives her a double chin.
Also on Saturday Alexis and I put up strips of paper all over the house labeling things in an effort to move her in the direction of reading. She'll tell me the letters and then what she thinks it spells. It's good practice for her to learn to go left to right when reading, and to make sure she gets her lowercase b's and d's right, and her n's and h's. She seems to like it, and she'll even take pieces of paper and write down the words she sees. I patted myself on the back for that idea. I've got to do something right every few months and it had been awhile, so I figured I was due.

And finally the saddest news of the weekend. They drained the pool late Saturday night! After putting the kids to bed I sat on our bed looking out the window at the pool being drained. I must have had a very sad look on my face because Jeremy came in and pointed out what a dork I am. He just doesn't understand because he's not spoiled like me and has to spend all his days at work. Hopefully I'll make it through these next 8 1/2 months until they open the pool again. Man, that's a long time.

Did anyone do anything fun this weekend??