1. I would like to point out this wonderful post that Anne did a few days ago about easy ways to be "greener." I can't believe I never thought of using my cloth napkins for everyday! They were always for "special occasions." So today, I put my paper ones away for when we have a load of people over--total switch of thought! I had just recently decided to try to avoid the paper towels whenever possible, so I had no new ideas for her. Oh, well. She's got lots for me and and you!

2. Jude got his first "real" bike on Saturday, with training wheels and everything. We've had a very tiny two-wheeler for a couple of summers now with the training wheels broken off and too small for Jude when we got it. The boys would sit on the seat and walk around with their feet on the ground, pretending they were riding a bike. However, using some gift money from Jason's mom, Jason went out and bought this bike for the kids, put the training wheels on, and started giving Jude lessons on how to ride. He is so. excited! He is always out there trying to ride it, and I just saw him and Noah out in the back yard, Noah "helping" by pushing on the back of the seat. Too cute!

3. This morning, while I was cutting Jude's hair, he was holding a party favour in his hands to distract him, a relic from Dawson's 5th birthday celebration on Sunday. It's one of those rolled-up paper tubes that unfurls and squeals oh-so-appealingly when you blow into it, with the added perks of a duck-call sound-alike feature in the mouthpiece, and a star-shaped cardboard character that slides onto the plastic part of the tube. To find out whose favours got left behind, I'm sure, Serena had had the presence of mind to actually write each child's name on the back of the star. As Jude inspected it this morning, he noticed his name.

Now, Jude is fully able to recognize his own name. "J-U-D-E," he spelled. "That spells, 'Really loud noise!"

"Does it," I said, a statement more than a question. Ain't that the truth? I thought to myself.

A second later, "E-U-J-D. That spells 'Really, really loud noise!'"

What a goof. Little does he know that 'Really, really loud noise!" is actually spelled "B-O-Y."

4. Today and yesterday were our "Big Switch" days from winter to summer gear. All the mittens and scarves are in the wash while we speak. Today I went through the closet and pulled out sandals and shoes the next size up for all the boys, putting away the ones that were outgrown, throwing out the ones that were worn out. Immediately, there were two tow-headed boys in sandals, happily playing with Tonka trucks in our back yard. Sandals=summer fun, I'm sure of it. (That's probably why I feel the obsessive need to buy a new pair of sandals every year, for the season that lasts only three months, while I have only three pairs of winter footwear which I use daily for nine. Go figure.)