Mt. Zubba Bubba Day 1, or Lions & Tigers & Bears, Oh My

Day 1 on vacation at Mark's folks new home in Tennessee.

In the morning on Mount Zubba Bubba (the name Alexander gave to the mountain his grandparents live on) the fog is thick. Basically, this shot is in the clouds off of the back porch.

Mark stayed at home to work and Papa and Grandma Paula treated us to the Knoxville Zoo.

It was HOT. And I do mean HOT! Ice cream sandwiches and raspberry slushies that stained my mouth blue saved us all.

By the end of the day, I wanted to be carried too.

Visit to the 'loo

RETRO POST:

It was a whirl wind tour of Iowa. We stayed with my baby sis Kate (thanks again) during our time in Waterloo. Days were filled with family, college friends (or in the case of my BFF Darcy - middle schools friends), lots of cook outs, birthday parties and swimming. Good times.

What do Therapies Look Like?

Sophie has Developmental Therapy (DT) at home 1/month. She has Occupational Therapy (OT, for fine motor skills) at home 1/month. Physical Therapy (PT for gross motor skills) is on site 2x/month. Speech Therapy (ST) is 1x/week at home. We're working on; taking items "in and out" of shiny bowls or coffee cans, etc. object permanence, cause and effect, sitting, pivoting, getting into and out of sitting, reaching while sitting or on tummy, CRAWLING (we're ALMOST THERE), kneeling, index finger usage, movements of her tongue, chewing harder and different foods (taste, texture) and plenty of other good stuff. She's doing great and continues to impress her wonderful therapists.

Wordless Wednesday

Birthday, Breakfast, Baubles & B'Art

OK, so it's just art, not b'art...So far my birthday has been a lot of fun, despite the rain. Just the girls were out to breakfast at a greasy diner and back before the boys even woke up.

Yesterday I discovered a new female artist that I LOVE, Erin Smith, and 2 pieces that I couldn't live without. Her work:
"is a collage of acrylic, watercolor, inks, paper, found objects, original paintings, and digital media. The finished product is printed on archival canvas and hand stretched on a hardwood frame. Each canvas is signed by the artist. The prose is original and the meandering lyrics of a day in the life of the artist. and mother. and wife. Some people don't get it. Others can't live without it."

Additional birthday cash made it possible to pick up some shiny new earrings, also handmade by artist Kathleen Plate. A girl's got to have birthday baubles. So here's a big birthday THANK YOU to Grandma Betty, Mom & Dad, Paula & Dale, Liz et al, Grandma Mary, Mark, Alexander & Sophie for such wonderful gifts! I think I'll pick up some tofu pad thai for lunch and a bottle of Cartlidge and Browne cab (my new fav thanks to Mark's discovery) to go with dinner. What a great day and its only half way over!

Check my sidebar for a better look at the new artwork. I watermarked them, but if you click the pictures, it will take you to her website. Since it's hard to read this small, they say, "everything's been fabulous since I realized my life is just like a Norman Rockwell painting." and "I'm sorry I just please need you to shut up for one minute." Love em.

Time for Some Campaigning, (look for me at the end)

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HaHa You're Irish

I've had a love for Ireland for as long as I can remember. I'll get there in the next 10 years, I vow! Even as a kid I felt drawn there and I don't know exactly why. Perhaps its a past life thing? Although my pedigree resembles that of a mutt, I know I do have Irish blood. Mark, on the other hand is indifferent to "things Irish." On St. Paddy's Day when everyone with a few drops of Irish blood proudly announces it (or admits their green envy), he's always been happy to say that he is Not, in fact, at all Irish. He's mainly Swedish and German with a smattering of others. It's not that he has anything against the Irish. Really, how could a man that loves Guinness and potatoes so much have any issue?

At his maternal grandmother's 90th birthday party last week, Mark's self identity became altered. His grandma had brought with her a packet of information on her descendants. What he learned was that Grandma Betty (Dixon), is the great-great-great grand daughter of John Dixon. John and his family of 4 kids hailed from County Tyrone in Ireland before arriving on a boat in New York in 1832.

Information about the Dixons was engrossing and on page 2 were some jarring facts. James (John's son and 1st generation in America) was a Class A Jerk whose wife was able to divorce him in 1880. The list of cruelty and torture of his wife Rhoda of 20some years is long and depressing. I swear their eyes tell a story.

Then there is Mary, (wife to Robert - James' brother) who was listed as "insane" in an 1850 census. Then again, according to the same census, her abusive brother-in-law James was living with them, so maybe she wasn't insane after all. I find it 'funny' how history has a habit of making the women out to be the crazies. Tangent, sorry...

John Julius (James' son) operated a general store in Bluff City and later opened a packet steamboat line in 1905, operating between Peoria and Henry. In 1916 he expanded the packet line to include St. Louis with the steamboat KEYSTONE STATE. Others were successful business men; owning fisheries and homesteads, some were farmers, and Ohio River canal workers.

A cast of characters to be sure, but the main thing is that

THEY WERE IRISH WHO MARRIED OTHER IRISH (AND SCOTS)!

Mark still remains a bit perplexed. I think it's wonderful. Welcome to the Emerald Club.