Charleston Reprieve

I am back-blogging here now. But in February, Mark and I took a few days off and went to Charelston SC to visit my brother Jarom and his wife Liina who are in residencies back there. The bonus was that Kathryn and Kristine and their families came over from GA to visit for a day. So we got to see the east-coast half of the family and experience a part of the country we have never seen. Jarom and Liina really like Charleston and we can see why. It was a quaint little city with lots of history and charm. In Charleston they have a city ordinance in which no structure that is older than 70 years can be altered in any way on the outside. I am sure this can be at times annoying to the people living there, but it makes it fun for tourists!

We spent one day touring Fort Sumpter and visiting the beach. Then when the Georgia girls came, we spent the day in CharlestonWe miss seeing the "little kids" - that is what we called Kath, Kris and Jarom growing up. I can't believe they are all living so close to each other 2 thousand miles away! And that Jarom is reviving patients in a hospital (perhaps growing up the youngest in a family with five sisters prepared him for the trauma of the hospital!)

We had such a nice time staying with Jarom and Liina and to have them all to ourselves. We get the best family visits one on one! We haven't ever been around them like that since they were married. We also loved having everyone together on Saturday. We walked around the outdoor market in Charleston and then stood in line for an hour outside of one of the best known cafes in Charleston called Jestines Kitchen. I wasn't sure if it was really going to be worth the wait outside in the rain -- but it was AMAZING food. Seriously good. Totally authentic Southern cousine. The Crosby and Ellsworth kids wowed us with their patience as we waited outside. They were good little troopers! (Jarom and Hannele)

Down the Toilet and in the Bathtub

There are a couple of places in every household where you can find the most action. They can at times be places of accomplishment and utility, and for those in the younger set of people living in this house, they are places of mischief and adventure. At the Jensen's, the bathroom and the kitchen are often the center of the most controversy when it comes to Ben and Sophia. A few weeks ago, Ben gave new meaning to the phrase "going down the toilet" when he decided it looked like a fun place to hang out. My first reaction was complete horror, because with four other children in the house who manage to flush only 30% of the time, odds were pretty good he was sitting on a little more than just the Tidy Bowl Man! However, you can imagine my relief when I realized my boy-genious had stuffed the toilet full with his blanket before he lit into the bowl. It was so nice and comfy in there, he surely could have played in the toilet all afternoon! Then there's Sophia. She has been our own little live-in tornado since the day she started to walk. She is up on Ben by 2 and a half years in experience with at-home exploration techniques. I am always thinking she will be moving on to a new stage at any moment! But so far, no. This may be an actual personality trait rather than a symptom of age. She has an uncanny ability to breeze through my bathroom in a matter of seconds and unscrew, empty out, try on, roll out any substance she can get her hands on. I am sure I am part-owner of several cosmetic companies due to my frequent replacement of lipgloss and eye shadow. Sophia can define a mean eyebrow with my lipstick. She is a sheer genious when it comes to application technique. Her second favorite passed-time is swimming in the tub.