only a boy.

Only a boy can go to sleep in perfectly good condition...



And wake up with a black eye.



And when you ask how it happened,



Only a boy will say, "I don't know."



I mean, how can you "not know" how you got a black eye.



Further more, what goes on after the lights go out in a room with two boys?



I guess that's an answer that only a boy knows.

Boys.  Only boys.

five on friday

1.  The Olympics are over, but we were thankful to watch many of the events.  Our times were a little off, so we spent a few nights watching crazy things like gun-shooting and archery.  BUT- hands-down, my favorite of the year had to be "Race Walking."  Have you seen this?  I'd describe is as really weird, fast walking, that could possibly be considered running if you weren't trained in the art of "Race Walking."

When I was looking for videos to post of this event, I came across this video from a youth race walking event.  It's pretty dramatic.  Anyways, in your spare time, please google men's race walking.  This 'technique' takes on an entirely different spin when men are participating!

(I have to be honest and say that I tried my hand at race walking.  Jason wouldn't participate in the fun, but my friend, Beth, was happy to join in the competition.  She narrowly beat me in the first race.  And then Jason challenged us to one lap around our neighborhood.  I won.  I'd like to think it was my mad skills, but it was most likely due to her laughing hysterically at my ridiculous technique.  You've gotta try it.  Hopefully you are in better shape than I am!)

2.  Jack Marlin is the proud new owner of a bike.  He wasn't asking for one, but we convinced him he'd love it!  He's ridden all afternoon in the rain, and he already has his first injury... a blister on his HAND!  Go figure!  I think we need to work on loosening his grip just a little! (pictures to come)

3.  Living in India means I miss a lot of American culture and happenings.  Thanks to Facebook and the internet, I can keep up a little.  Shamefully, I couldn't resist seeing who "Honey Boo Boo" was.  I'll spare you any links to her YouTube videos, but all I'll say is "Wow."  Sometimes entertainment hits ROCK BOTTOM!

4.  There's a common misconception that living in a foreign country means you have access to great products for really cheap prices.  I'd say India has some things that are reasonably priced, but maybe not what some people have in mind.  However, I did find a HUGE steal at the market the other day.  For $1.00, India sells Adidas Odidas flip-flops.  What a bargain!



5.  Guess who's coming to India in about 10 days?  MY MOM!  I have two little boys that are going to be VERY excited and spoiled!  Wonder if she'll bring them any surprises from America?  Surely not! :)  If she plays her cards right, I'll send her home with some name-brand "Odidas" flip-flops!

five on friday

1.  Jason has been out of town all week.  Single parenting and days without "daddy" leave us all feeling like this:



I'm counting the minutes until he walks back through our door!

2.  Of course when Jason leaves, it would begin to rain for almost 48 hours straight.  Our city is already known as the "City of Lakes," but two days of rain rest assures we live up to our name.  On Tuesday, we headed out with a teammate to attempt to get to class, but the video below is proof that rain can sometimes be a legitimate reason for calling in.  I considered putting the video to music, but my boys' "serious" commentary adds a little something extra.


New Project 6 from Sarah Marlin on Vimeo.

No worries... after we crossed the Red Sea, we headed back for home and decided class could wait!

3.  So some of you may know that up until a year ago, I can't honestly say that I had read more than a handful of books.  But I grew up and decided I should become a book nerd like the rest of the world.  My biggest dilemma is which book to read next.  I apparently had odd teachers in highschool because I never had to read any books.  So I've made it my goal to read some of the classics that I somehow missed out on.  I tackled Of Mice and Men this week, per Jason's recommendation.  Thanks Jason, for that very uplifting book (NOT!)   So I'm trying to decide what to go with next: The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, The Lord of the Flies, or something else?  I know NOTHING about any of them.  Suggestions?

4.  Last night, I went on a mad hunt at 1:00 AM for our stash of Ambien.  I fully intended to drug Lucy if I found it.  She must have smoked crack cocaine prior to bedtime.  In an hour's time, she hunted and found enough items to fill my nightstand.  When I woke up this morning, I found, six shoes, a bra, a pair of pajama pants, a box of markers, and a razor.



There are two morals to this story:

1. Lucy better not pull a stunt like this again, or she'll find herself living with the likes of "Tumor Dog."
2. And I seriously need to clean our room if she found all of this on our floor!

5.  Have I mentioned the celebrity status we've attained since moving to India?  Our kids are frequently photographed.  Sometimes they ask, and other times they try to stand near them and snap a few secret shots.  Jack is quite compliant, but the little boy in the blue below will have no part in pictures!  The paparazzi wouldn't stand a chance with him!

what's it like?- k9 edition

Are you familiar with that sappy Sarah MacLachlan commercial where she is pleading for funds to end animal cruelty?  And can you recall Bob Barker's famous last words: "Help control the pet population.  Have your pets spayed or neutered."  Well, I assure you... no such messages have been played on this side of the ocean!



In truth, poverty is so high among humans that it allows little room to stress over malnourished animals. When you see children half clothed, crawling with lice, and begging for food, it sort of shifts your thinking.  But somewhere deep down, I still have a soft spot for these poor pitiful dogs that inhabit India.



Before we traveled, we all received a vaccination for rabies.  I had no idea how many dogs we would see on a daily basis.  I'd guess that 90% of the dog population in India is homeless.  Many of them live outside of stores, where local workers feed them scraps.  We have a few strays that live in our neighborhood. Many of our neighbors lay out dinner leftovers for them.  Still others just seem to wander from place to place looking for their next meal.



They have all sorts of health problems.  Of course, the obvious is that they are covered in fleas and ticks.  Many of them suffer from mange.  And you'll be hard-pressed to find a dog that has use of all four of its legs.  They are malnourished, sick, and in need of much medical care.  Many of them are sweet and friendly, but I've encountered a few that reminded me why a rabies shot was necessary.

I see so many each day that they all sort of look alike, but this sweet puppy tears me up every time I see him.



I assume he has some sort of tumor or something, but like all of the others, he'll most likely never get treated.  We refer to him as "Tumor Dog"- original, right?

So if you tend to be one of those animal rights' people that wants to save the world and take in all strays, you might want to stay clear of India.  It's mighty tough to see their plight and not want to help in some way.  But the truth is taking in a few strays wouldn't begin to change this situation.  Animal care is a huge problem and it's not going away any time soon.

In the meantime, we are doing what we can by taking care of one puppy.   This sweet girl doesn't have a complaint in the world, and she's getting plenty of love and attention!

Count your blessings, Lucy!  You're a lucky girl...

***********************************************************************

Believe it or not, India does have veterinarians, pet stores, and boarding for pets.  And they are capable of spaying and neutering dogs.  Lucy can attest.  But the process looks a little different from the US.  Lucy went in for surgery at 2:00 one afternoon.  When Jason and Jack picked her up a little more than an hour later, the doctor made sure to show them everything he removed- I assume to prove he completed the surgery.  When she returned home at around 3:45, she was still knocked out from anesthesia, her tongue was hanging out of her mouth, and her wound was seeping something.  It was tragic, less than enjoyable, and I'm not sure I ever want to do that again.  But it can be done!  And once again I am learning that EVERYTHING looks different on this side of the world!

five on friday

1.  I don't have any great pest stories for you this week, but I did hit a dog in the truck this week.  To be fair, the dog hit me, and I'm not actually sure if it went under a wheel or just ran really fast into the side of the truck.  The happy news is that it was walking when I looked in my rear-view mirror.  That's more than I can say about the MAN I hit!

2.  A friend and I started teaching a college English class two weeks ago.  I forgot how much I missed all those eyes on me... even though these eyes are much older than the ones I'm used to!  I've been a little jealous of all the FB post from my fellow teacher friends.  I think August will always tug at my heart.  Enjoy your year, friends!

3.  Our class on 1 just officially started it's summer break!  Jack and I are taking it easy for a few weeks before we get started back.  When we return, Max will be on board for some PreK/ Kindergarten activities.  He's not thrilled, but I'll see what I can do to change that!  He enjoys cutting tiny shreds of paper and drawing on the board.  If you ask him to do anything else, he's "HOT" and finished with school! I foresee some serious sticker charts and motivators in our future.

4.  I did want to share a quick tip for those who have children that need to learn multiplication facts this year.  Things that require memorization tend to give Jack fits, so I knew multiplication was going to KILL us.  Since homeschooling curriculum is sometimes a tad ahead, we faced those terrible times tables last semester in second grade.  BUT Jack loved them thanks to Times Tales.

I'll tell you in advance that I thought it sounded a little crazy at first, but in desperation I tried it.  I knew it worked when Max watched the video with us and starting answering the questions.  It assigns each number a character and tells silly stories about them that have the answers "hidden."  I'd highly recommend it if you dread the memorization process!

5. In other important news, I opened my last pack of Crest Toothpaste this week.  I guess my three tubes I brought aren't going to last me for three years.  I overestimated the lifespan of a tube of toothpaste.  Looks like I'll have to add that to my wishlist.  I can settle on lots of things, but switching to Colgate is NOT an option!