Labor Day Weekend Part I (alternately titled "Burnt Beans")

There is a new saying in the Wert household especially for Labor Day. It goes something like this: "Come to us all you who labor and are heavy laden, and we will give you... burnt beans".
We went into the three day weekend giddy with anticipation of a leisurely, revitalizing time. Our only finite plans were to get the girls 3, 2, and 1 year pictures done. We have been planning this for weeks, and a three day weekend seemed the perfect time to attempt it. So, accordingly, bright and somewhat early on Saturday morning we set out to find the perfect little white dress for Ingrid to wear in her pictures. Being the economical and efficient woman that I am, I put a pot of chick peas on to boil as we were preparing to leave the house, with the intention of turning them down to simmer while we were gone, thus having lunch half made by our return.
We spent two hours exhausting every children's store at the nearby outlet mall with no luck, since retailers have this deluded belief that people only want to buy brown corduroy jumpers, orange sweaters, and striped tights in September, regardless of the 97 degree temps that are likely to stick around for another two months. But, I digress. We decided to head home and put the girls down to nap while I made a run to our trusty flea market where a used children's clothing booth never fails to please (why didn't I think of that in the first place??!).
On the way home I suddenly drew my breath in with a gasp that caused Jessie to tap the brakes and frantically scan the traffic ahead since such a sound (he surmised) could only be caused by one who was witnessing a catastrophic accident unfolding before her eyes. But, the catastrophic accident was only unfolding in my mind's eye, as I suddenly remembered the beans.
I told Jessie about my cause for alarm, and hoped while I was speaking that perhaps he had seen the boiling beans and had thought to turn them down before we left. He informed me that he had seen the beans boiling, but had not turned them down. He had cocked the lid and yelled to inform me that they were boiling, so I could do with them whatever women do with boiling beans. I of course never heard this, so we then both walked out of the house with the knowledge tucked back somewhere in the cobwebby abysses of our brains that there was a boiling pot on the stove.
By now we were really worried. We scanned the horizon for billowing clouds of smoke. We were relieved to see our house looking quite ordinary from the outside when we pulled onto our street, but I could see the hazy gray through the window in the doorway as I was coming up the front walk.
The entire house was filled with smoke. Every closet, nook, and cranny. Jessie and I ran around opening windows and turning fans on. Jessie removed the accursed pot of beans, which by now was nothing but a pile of nearly disintegrated glowing black embers, and we high-tailed it out of there. After eating lunch out and visiting the flea market together (although we realized that pictures were absolutely out of the question by now) we headed back to our house. We were greeted by a powerful wave of eye-watering stench when we opened the door.
We put the girls down for a nap but quickly realized that we could not stay there. I was developing a headache and was feeling quite nauseous from the smell. Fortunately for us, Luke and Lesley's family are in New Mexico right now and they had given us permission to use their house while they were gone. I packed up enough food and clothing for a few days while Jessie ran out to buy some odor-eating stuff.
I'll skip to the end for now. We came home Tuesday night to find that our house does not seem to be a biohazard threat, and no longer smells like all the chimney sweeps in Mary Poppins had held a bean-bake here. It now only smells like several chain smokers might live here. But, we have hopes that the smell will be gone entirely before too long, since we are systematically cleaning everything that can be cleaned and spraying Febreeze pet formula on everything else (that stuff really works).
I do have more to say about our weekend (notice that this post is titled Part 1) but I will save it for later. I just might go and do another load of smoky wash right now.

Part 2: http://jessie-james-gang.blogspot.com/2009/09/labor-day-weekend-part-ii-alternately.html

Sunset is...

Sunset is

our favorite time to

go to the beach.

When the view

up the sand

is mostly unbroken

by the sight of

umbrellas

and

throngs of

sunbathers.

When the waves lapping the sand

are gentle enough for

little people to

play

without fear

of being knocked over.

When the horizon shows off every shade in God's majestic palette over the space of only two hours. And with the

sun

as a backdrop

you can be sure

to catch

some breathtaking images

with

very little effort.

One Year of Ingrid

1 day old

Still can't believe she's so small

5 weeks old and as pleasant as can be

1st picture with both her sisters

Such a tender, kissable face Spent her first Halloween asleep on Daddy's chest Showing off those million dollar dimples Moving to Florida from Michigan

Sleeping by an open window in January

So many pictures with Daddy to choose from- she's a Daddy's girl. Her first feel of the ocean 7 months Letting Mama know she can't nap in her bassinet anymore *sniff*

This girl LOVES water

She is such a joy to watch when

she's really delighted.

Growing up too fast

But we're loving every minute

Wordless Wednesday Thursday

When Eliza isn't....

When Eliza isn't hiding our only set

of van keys in her pink cowboy boots,

or dropping Mama's glass mixing bowls

on the tile floor,

or knocking pictures off the wall while standing on the roof of her playhouse, or throwing all her toys in the trash, or sitting in the toilet (yes, in the toilet), or yelling everything at the top of her lungs instead of just saying it, or injuring herself in any number of countless ways, or spreading joyful frivolity and the contents of her diaper throughout the house, she can usually be found doing this:

(Hopefully not) Overheard in the Dressing Room

Theia: "Why are you taking your close' off?" "Do you have your panties on?" "Do you have panties like my panties?" "Are you taking that dress?" "Are you gonna put yer close' back on now?" (peeking under the wall) "She's puttin' a dress on too!"

Conversation Between Theia and the Clerk at the 1-hour Photo Counter

Clerk: "Well, aren't you a cutie! What's your name? Theia: "My name is Ariel" Clerk: "Well, isn't that pretty!" Me: (interjecting) "That isn't really her name..." Clerk: (laughing) "Oh, that's great!" (pointing to Eliza) "What's her name?" Theia: "That's Aurora. We live in a castle." Clerk: (doubling over and slapping the counter) "She is just too much!" (pointing to Ingrid) "Well then what's her name?" Theia: "She's just Ingrid. She's just a baby." Poor Ingrid.