Today we went as a family on a mission to hunt geese........to take pictures of them. Jack seems to think that any animal with wings is a goose and goes a bit shy of bonkers when we drive by a local office building that seems to have geese in its lawn almost year round. I'd also like those not familiar with where this building is to know that we pass by it almost anytime we go somewhere and almost every time without fail he yells “Goose! Goose!” while looking for them.

Damion decided he and Anna would go out at 6 am today to take pictures of geese to put in Jack's bedroom. Well they did not get up a 6 am so I revised Damion's plans and we all went to the park. We were there for about 45 minutes. Damion & Anna took two cameras and took some pictures. I did some speed walking while Jack ran around on the trail. I think in the first 15 minutes he ran a half mile but it was over a 100 foot span going back and forth.

I have posted pictures in the gallery so you can see pictures that were taken. The first two were done by Jack & I. Please note that the camera was given to Anna to use since it had some problems and she couldn't make it any worse. Well, she didn't but Jack was running with it and fell on it and well, that is the end of that camera. Sorry Dawn. The next nine were taken by Anna with one of Damion's cameras. The rest were all Damion's expertise. With credit given where it is due, happy picture looking!

This weekend the kids and I spent the weekend with Joe, Lori, Grandma and Grandpa. As a side note this was the first time in over 18 years that I've gone to visit and my sister wasn't there. Weird at a certain level but I made it through. Anyways....

While driving on Friday Anna asked me “Is Grandma making me yummy cookies with yellow and pink frosting?” After slightly giggling at her, I told her I didn't know but would find out. Grandma responded to my email and I told Anna that Grandma would be making yummy cookies (aka cut out cookies). Anna got excited with this new but was greatly concerned about the lack of confirmation on the topic of frosting color. Another email was sent and Grandma responded that they would have pink and yellow frosting. Anna was not excited but decided that she wanted green, yellow and pink frosting. I told her that we should probably pick just two colors to which Anna told me that she wanted three colors because three was her favorite number. What?!?! I told her she'd have to take it up with Grandma. To break up the drive we stopped by Grandma's work. Where the kids went wild, guess 3 hours in the car will do that to you. Well, Anna didn't waste anytime and after she stopped hiding from Grandma's boss, she asked about the cookie situation. Longer story short Grandma made her granddaughter extremely happy Saturday afternoon. And yup there are adorable pictures for all to see.

Once the cookies were all done, Jack was happy because that meant we got to go outside. While outside he ran and ran and ran and ran and....well, I think you get the point. And when he wasn't busy running, he was busy moving rocks around the driveway. Or taking them and throwing them into the creek and giving me that scary feeling that he'd fall down the steep/drop offy bank.

Where was Damion? He was in Michigan with Adam and some friends from Maryland area for a car race which I'll allow him to tell you about should he want. But lets just say that the racing didn't go exactly or likely even remotely closed to as planned.

This morning I took the morning off! I went to Bible study and then shopping with my dear friend Amy. Damion had taken the whole day off and spent the morning at home with the kids. During this time he and Jack where in Jack's room looking out his bedroom window. The screen got opened and Jack pointed down and said “Play! Play!” Damion proceeded to have a brief discussion about how we leave the house and that windows are not the acceptable means of accomplishing that. While we were talking about this over lunch Damion mentioned that Jack expressed no interest in going throught the window. As we talking about Damion's observations this mroning plus asking Anna some questions plus our observations of Jack while playing at the park, we have developed a new theory about what happened the other day.

Damion & I think that Jack opened the screen of of the window in his room, looked out, realized that he wanted to go outside but didn't see this as the best way. So he went downstairs to the living room, climbed onto the end table, opened that window's screen, climbed out, closed the screen and proceeded to play. This explains the lack of major injury and the minor scuffs on his toes. It also explains why he was able to quickly sneak out the second time since he had done it once before. Not only does this theory make a bunch more sense, it is also a whole heck of a lot less scary.

would just understand that he's not supposed to go out through the garage to go play we'd be a whole lot better. AND for the record I'm not opposed to him playing outside, its the way he goes about going out there. AND its not like he's outside play time deprived, we spend at least two hours a day outside.

Boy what a day its been, and that's what I was thinking by 11:30 this morning.

After getting ready for the day I went to the kids' rooms to open their windows for the first time this season. Jack was running around upstairs while I was doing this and he was singing “ba ba ba baaaaa. Ba ba ba baaaaa.” Recognize that tune? It is Beethoven's 5^th Symphony. Anyways, we went downstairs where I proceeded to the office to issue some checks and he proceeded to go play. Or so I thought.

I was almost finished when I realized I couldn't hear Jack. He's not usually loud but I can usually at least tell where he is and that sense was missing. Before we proceed please remember that the following events occur in about 15 seconds. Went to the living room. No Jack, but Anna was there. Went to the other living room. No Jack. While going upstairs I looked and confirmed that the front door and door to the garage where still closed and locked and that the gate to the kitchen was still latched. Phew, that meant he did not get outside. Our bedroom doors were locked when I left them this morning. Went to Anna's room. No Jack. Went to Anna's closet. No Jack! Went to Jack's room. No JACK! (Insert start of worry here). Look in Jack's closet. NO JACK! (Increased concern). Glance at Jack's window and realize the screen in OPEN! (Major freaking out now!) Run to window and Jack is not laying on the ground 10 feet below his window. (Super freaking out now!) Look for Jack in the backyard and he is happily climbing his ladder swinging his hammer. Rush outside. Grab Jack to check him over and all he says is “Play” with a big smile of his face. The miracle of this situation is that looking him over and over and over again I do not see any sign of an injury. I do see sand in his hair, but that's to be expected. He continued playing while I called Damion & Amy to make sure I wasn't missing something. While talking to Damion I catch Jack opening the screen to the living room and utter the phrase “Jack, windows are not acceptable entry or exit points for a house.” Ah, yet another classic mommy phrase.

OH! And the fun doesn't stop there boys and girls!

While making lunch I look downstairs and see Jack standing on the end table playing with the window screen again, this time from the inside of the house. Get him down and tell him several times no to his behavior. Back to work on lunch and realize there is that weird quiet again. Look downstairs and no Jack! And the screen is closed. Given his history I look out the window and see him swinging. I rush outside yelling his whole name and well.....lets just say he was brought back inside and I proceeded to lock all the windows and patio door for a bit while I thought through things. Don't worry though, no Jacks were harmed during this time.

I guess tonight we get to figure out how to lock the screens so this doesn't happen again. The interesting thing about what happened today? What Jack did today has been a concern of ours from the beginning, but its usually been Anna we thought we'd find outside. This worry is why I've been delayed in opening their windows for the spring and hopefully a solution can be found because I'm not to willing to turn on the air conditioning so early in the year.

So????? How was your morning?