No one here gets out alive

I keep meaning to get away from the recap-style post, but here I go again....

In happy news, Three and I hung out with some new friends this week (Stephanie and Ruby and baby Nicholas). We both had fun getting to know our new friends. When we left, Three asked if he could have a sleepover with Ruby sometime. What do you think, Stephanie? :)

I bribed Three to go on a field trip with Two's class today -- promised him a new toy from Woodmans, of all places. We went to a farm that has been providing healthy snacks for all of Two's school all year long. Each Wednesday, local farms provide produce (carrots, kohlrabi, sweet potatoes, spinach, apples, etc) for the school. Farmers from various farms have come to do presentations about their food and farm, and now this field trip cumulated the entire experience. It was a very sweet farm - 13 hoop houses full of veggies and flowers, and many chickens roaming the yard. The kids seemed most intrigued by the chickens and farm doggy and cats. We brought home little plantings of lettuce and tomatoes that the kids all transplanted. Three begged to go home NOW the entire time until lunch time. After that, his mood seriously improved (ahh, hunger, you get me every time!) and he even participated in the duck-duck-goose game.

Speaking of hunger, I'm on this new diet that's working so far. I'm not sure I buy all the "activating the skinny gene" business, but surely there's no harm done by seriously cutting calories every other day. The down days (today, ferinstance) can get a little long, but I chew lots of ice and drink lots and lots of water. So, we'll see... So far, so good.

And then the sad news... Bob's aunt, who is the closest thing he has to a mom and is definitely Grandma to our kids, is dying of pancreatic cancer. Bob is leaving - DRIVING - to visit her one final time in Phoenix this weekend. He and his cousin will go together. We have had lots of family cries over this one. This is a tough loss for us all.

So, the title of the post is definitely inspired by this situation, but it's also a lyric to a song by The Doors. I've been singing Doors songs ever since I saw a documentary on PBS about them a couple of weeks ago. As I was watching the documentary, I realized the my little Three has Jim Morrison's hair - and a bit of his attitude. I kissed his naked little body sleeping next to me and hoped for a better life for him.

Off to get the guys from school!