Ashby Girls Heart Mark Porter.

From Carrie:

Because- just look at him.

Because I grew up at his house.

Because once he threw up and I cleaned it up and I just knew we were bonded for life after that.

Because Mark once spent an entire summer trying to teach me to play 'Legend of Zelda'.  Do you know how hard it is to watch someone ELSE lose a video game over and over and not take the controls away from them?

Because Mark is comforting.  Even now,  I frequently feel the urge to lean my head on Mark's shoulder.

Because Mark once spent 20 minutes parked with me behind a grocery store while I breastfed baby Lucy and didn't act all weird about it.

Because of that almost wistful look he gets when he's trying to sell you some dubious information.

Because Mark is funny.  Just ask him.

Because of this:

From Claire:

Because every time I watch that home video from Christmas 1988 when the Porters were over hanging out, we're all so obnoxious (Mark especially), and awkward that it makes me feel like I'm watching myself with my brother.

Because every time I watch the Vampire movie, I remember the pure glee on director Mark's face as he made Amy, Vivian, and me walk toward the camera (over and over again), then let down, and slowly shake, our long hair.

Because he was the first person to ever flirt with me. And even though he flirts with everyone, including my mother, it still made me feel special.

Because I gave up a long time ago trying to figure out which of his utterances were lies, and which were truth, because most fell somewhere in between.

Because he calls me Kitten.

From V

Because I spent many many a summer night with Mark scheming up some kind of trouble including a super secret club, mud pit wrestling, armor-all trampoline, "wild" uno rules, who's line is it anyway, I could keep going...
Because he can dance like strawberry shortcake
Because his eyebrows go up when he's lying, or at least I'm pretty sure...
Because he helped to bless my baby girl
Because he burned granola at mom's birthday party.  He's understands that level of inside jokes.
Because we once spent 3 hours driving around Berkeley looking for our pizza

from beth:

cuz he is really nice to me. and i am curiously drawn to people who think i am awesome.

cuz he is one of the only friends that can crash thanksgiving or christmas and i don't mind a bit. 

cuz he is really good at initiating conversation when i am feeling shy.

cuz he is SO good with babies and kids.

cuz he's SO DANG FUNNY! can i get an amen!?

cuz he gets almost as excited as i do about stuff. really excited.  

From Sarah:

Because he was my first boyfriend

Because no matter how long it is between seeing each other we're still good friends

Because he can tell a good story. "I've seen better."

Because let's just face it- who could not like Mark?

what's in a nose?

this is a post about my nose.  for some reason, i was thinking today about how much i use my nose in life, especially in parenting.  last night, about 3am, i woke up and the room was filled with smoke.  not just the smell of smoke, like what was on eric when he and tim came home from camping.  i mean thick- make my throat sting- smoke.  i hopped up and looked everywhere, trying to figure out where it was coming from.  because i was tired and it was dark, i just ended up using my nose, walking all over the house, smelling.   i followed it to a window and figured out that the smoke from  my neighbor's chimney was being sucked straight in our open window.

what do you use your nose for?

  sometimes it is yucky.  i walk into my kitchen.. there is a funny smell.  if it smells like wine, check the fruit basket.  if it smells like death, check the mouse trap or the potato bin.  by smell, you can tell if a kid has a dirty diaper, if they brushed their teeth, and after some practice, sometimes you can even tell if one is about to throw up.  you can smell if your engine is not right, or if you used your brakes too much coming down the hill.  trash that needs to be taken out.  you smell a washcloth or a towel to see if it needs to be washed.  or the classic- i have just burned the garlic bread... again.   i found a propane leak at my friends house.   i have even found a dead chicken in the grass with my nose.

but it is not just nasty things:  you can smell the seasons, or if it is going to rain.  the smell of bread or cookies reminds you they are in the oven, or if the stew needs pepper.  the light bleachy smell of white laundry.  you can tell if a kid shampooed their hair or just rinsed and got out.  i am constantly smelling and testing the air for signs that i should pay attention to.  i also cannot have smelly candles (unless it is christmas or something special) or other chemical scents in the air.  i don't like my clothes smelling like anything other than clean.

am i the only one?  what do you smell?  do you import other smells into your house?

"i seem to smell the stench of appeasement in the air."  margaret thatcher

Who Wore it better?

 

Sometimes on the red carpet two or more people are caught wearing the same thing (gasp!). Inevitably the discussion quickly turns to "who wore it better?"

This question came up recently when Gwen found a new hat, and we need your help.

So who wore it better? 

 

Tell us in the comments.

Talladega Afternoons

Chris heard tattoos make you look tougher.

 

Would you rather go to Talladega or Eastaboga? Us too!

 

Blending in with the crowd.

 

Even Sarah went a little crazy.

 

 Lucy protested the whole activity by bringing along "The History of the World" and refusing to look up even once.

It was so, so loud.

 

Hey there, tiger.

 

Lucy's 9th birthday was pretty epic.  We had 10 girls, all running around in Rachel's supercool handcrafted t-shirts, performing feats of strength and having in-depth discussions about some of the finer points of Greek mythology.  The premise of the Percy Jackson books, for those of you who don't know, is that the gods still occasionally have children with mortals, just like they used to do back when.  Those kids don't fit in so well in public school and end up at Camp Half Blood.  I have to say that our Camp Half Blood was pretty heroic, especially the mallet vs. sword capture-the-flag showdown.  Some of my favorite quotes from the girls:

"Nectar rocks!"

Hana: I want to be a daughter of Hestia.
Lucy: Are you crazy?  Hestia didn't have children! (That's true- I googled it.)

"Who is Demeter's father again?"  "Umm....I think it was Cronos."  (Also true.)

Me: Lucy! Isabelle!  Stop hitting each other so hard with those cardboard swords!
Isabelle:  Sorry, we're both daughters of Athena...I'll just leave it at that!

We had a great trip to Charleston, thanks to Rachel.  Here are a few photos to prove it...

ViV

Happy Birthday !