Stow Away, and Topics of a Somber Nature

The photo speaks for itself.

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On another topic, having pets who have become seniors is a delicate place to find oneself. We, as well some good friends have companions who are now over 12 years old. Many things can happen in 12 or more years to impact the course of our lives. It is difficult to be unselfish when faced with the mortality of those who unconditionally support us. We admire and draw strength from our friends the Weibs as they respectfully care for Gunny. Our hearts are with the Cains as they care for Prospero. For us, we are reminded of Murdoch's age daily. Dave and I often think of Murdoch when he first appeared in our lives in 1997. He was a handful, although now we realize he was a breeze compared to Sam. Murdoch is now 12. We accept every day as a gift and try to prepare for the strength to do right by him when his time arrives.

"Mommy, those rotten goats are out again!"

It cracks me up that a statement like this is spoken in our household. Sure the goats can be a pain, but I enjoy saying "Damn those goats!". For all the mischief they make, they are so affectionate and Bill E. eats burdocks that would otherwise be tangled in the llama's coats. I do love those rotten goats.

Lighthearted and Heartfelt

Lighthearted: Sam Dewey has used a bottle opener to get Daddy a beer since his third birthday. Now he can squeeze limes for Mamma's margaritas, how lovely!

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Heartfelt: We truely appreciate our friends that are the family we choose. We value those who come to baby welcomings, camping trips and birthday parties. We are thankful for lullabyes written for our children that are woven into the fabric of our life story forever. We are happy people read our blog because they are sincerly interested. Thank you to everyone Sam and Mae know and can count on as family.

First Day of Snow

The serenity of this photo does not reflect the calamity of the moment. I loved hearing my son's first words of the day, "Hey! It's snowing outside!". He spoke with such sincere wonder. When he wanted to play in the snow I was delighted to oblige. It takes forever to bundle all of us up, so I got Sam ready and told him he could play outside (with strict parameters) while Mae and I got dressed. I should have realized Mae needed a practice run. Putting on her winter boots really ticked her off. Mae's gorgeous gold lemay coat is difficult as the lining turns inside out to block her hands from getting through the sleeves. Finally, we were ready with camera. Just then, Sam came in wondering where we were. "Hey Buddy! We're ready, let's go!". He lingered long enough by the door for Jack to express interest in flight. I quickly tried closing the opening to prevent escape. In doing so I whacked Sam's forehead with the door. Here we are, first snow of the season. Mae is screaming. Sam has a fresh whack on his head and is crying. I am ready to pretend this never happened and give up. Once again as my Grammy says, "I hate to tell you Pam, but that's life".

Birth Day

Sam and I a chance to enjoy bedtime routine as a twosome this evening. He lingered in the bath as we talked about when we first met. Though his official birthday is tomorrow, we have been celebrating for two days. I told him we played music in the delivery room and people were dancing. I told how his little bum fit in the palm of my hand. Mostly I remember how he looked knowingly at me with those intense eyes. Before that moment we didn't know what to expect. In that moment everything fell into place. It's funny how much lives can change in just one moment.

Celebration

Sam turns four on Monday, usually we celebrate with a special evening at home with family. Having attended some of his friend's parties we decided this year to reciprocate. After all, he is a little person with friends and an expanding social circle. We had a good day. It was funny watching them transition from delightful, noisy chaos to sitting around the table quietly eating cupcakes and ice cream.

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There was one casualty, thankfully no one was hurt. During the interactive storytelling performance a few of them crowded into the deep window behind the couch. I heard the sound of glass shattering and was gripped with terror. It fell out instead of in, and the storm window was down. That crappy window needed replacing anyway. Again, thankfully no one was hurt.