( continues...) sandwich instead.” When I head that, I really split. I came back to the table, apologized to everyone, and we started making our sandwiches.

Dad was holding a sleeping Cooper, and he asked if we’d ever heard the story about my Aunt Eunice’s first big family dinner. We didn’t remember it, so he told the story. Apparently, the turkey was so big, that the oven didn’t close all the way, so it never fully cooked. For the next hour and a half, we all sat at the table while dad told us about his family. Some stories I had never heard before, and more of them I had forgotten bits of. We heard about how Grandma Winters met her birth family, about Grandpa Winters and his brothers, and many other great stories. It may have been a ruined dinner, but it was the best evening we’ve had since we came. All because I ruined the dinner I wasn’t even cooking.

Oh, and the chickens did eventually finish cooking--about the time we were starting to clean up the table. We’ll be eating them on quesadillas today and freezing the rest for Ben and Ashley to have a quick dinner sometime after we leave. Someone deserves a quick dinner out of the chickens that took three and a half hours to roast!

nothing like catching up with 300+ posts about air travel to make me really glad we drove down to DC! ION, I suck at this keyboard (typing on the iPod touchscreen).

taps toe waiting for the dinner that wasn't story

eta: and it worked!

Happy Sparky Birthday!!

Good to not see Sean on the news.

Eeep. I don't envy the travel adventure, Stephanie. No matter what it will be exhausting, so get whatever help you possibly can. MIL traipsed all over the world with DH and his 3 siblings, pregnant, with infants, etc. Every time she tries to tell me she isn't a capable person I remind her just how much she routinely handled.

vw, it sounds like you guys are having so much fun! I'm a bit jealous, but in a good way! I bet your bro and SIL are really apprecaiting having all the family around. I know I would (since it's most of the reason I'm going back to NM for the baby's birth).

Happy Birthday Sparky!

Go use your librarian voice on those who deserve it!

Aimee, I will gladly trade you your whiny three year-old for a cranky 21 month-old AND a whiny 3 1/2 year-old. Liv doesn't want me sitting near Owen and cries and tugs on me when I do. Owen doesn't want me touching Olivia and yells for me to put her down when I try to calm her down.

Deserted island. I'm telling you.

And I want to apologize for actually vocalizing in here that I wanted to twist Em's head off. I realize now that that thought might make people very uncomfortable and probably doesn't paint me in too good a light, either. So, if my head twisting comment upset or offended anyone, I apologize.

But in all seriousness, her not being able to speak but for whining and crying is really starting to send me to the edge.

Here's a visual to go with the story above: [link]

Oh, Aims. I think we all know you well enough to know that was you expressing frustration and not something you would ever consider doing.

think we all know you well enough to know that was you expressing frustration and not something you would ever consider doing.

I hope ya'll do, too, but still. I wanted to at least put it out there that I really wasn't gonna twist her head off. I mean, a) total mess and b) how do you explain *that* to a daycare provider.

(typing on the iPod touchscreen)

Jess, did you get an iPod Touch and not mention it?

I totally understand, Aimee.

Annabel has a 20-month-old cousin on this side of the family, Miriam. Their grandmother and great-grandmother, I think, had hopes that they'd play together in beautiful and photogenic ways. My SIL and I knew better--they're just too different in developmental stage at this point, and they mainly play separately, except when they fight and cry when Miriam tries to rip toys from Annabel's hands!