Shameless Substitution of Pictures for Actual Posting

I'd like to say I haven't been posting because school is keeping me busy, but let's be honest - I'm always a slacker. So here, in lieu of really dull updates about my school, the kids' school, my recent alarming weight gain, my exhaustion, the increasingly shrill and incredulous voice in my head every time I see or think of either McCain or (especially) Palin, are two brief stories told in pictures.

Story 1 - Seven-year-old gets glasses (poor kid needs not only glasses but bifocals, but mercifully is too young to feel the dorkiness):

He wanted these:

But fortunately, the bifocal lenses didn't fit those frames, so he got these instead:

Isn't he cute?

Story 2 - A day at the zoo with the twins

Twins brushing a goat:

Pretending to be baby birds:

Girly in awe of swimming polar bear (it really was kind of awesome, was playing and swimming and by the way absolutely freaking enormous and also isn't this just a great pic? Can't believe I got a picture of her face and the bear, I suck at photography):

Boy twin was also fascinated - although the bear was off-camera at this point, can't you just feel the enthusiasm?

That is all, I'm sure I'll post again sometime in 2008.