"That Means Hello in Spanish"

My son has used the above line on me a few times this week. Most recently I thought I heard him say "Piss." Not wanting to make it a big deal I asked him to repeat it so I could be sure. Yep, that is what he said. So I probed further, "Honey what does that mean?" He smiled slyly, averted my gaze and said, "That means Hello in Spanish."

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This morning I asked him if he had seen my glasses. First he told me no. As I searched with my nearsighted vision I asked him again. With bright eyes and an awkward smile he told me, "I broke them and threw them in the trash." I thought he was kidding. Nope, there they were in two pieces sitting atop the rubbish. He didn't really brake them, the bridge has been snapping out of place lately and I just cram it back in. With the exception of "Hello in Spanish", I'm glad he tells the truth.

Incarcerated

They finally crossed the line. We prefer they stay within the fenced area. For a few months their adventures haven't taken them beyond the back yard. This morning the pair were jumping and playing in the road. Not cool.

Mae Is Two

I wonder what she is thinking here.

It is clear what Murdoch is thinking here.

Baby Elmo is a hit.

We had a lovely and intimate Dewey & Cain family dinner. We wore party hats, enjoyed homemade pizza and cupcakes.

Mouse Patrol

As we live in a barn, we realize occasional mouse sightings will happen. One of the most memorable comments on mice came from Sam. A mouse had sneaked up from behind the oven and was nibbling at something on the side of a pan. I brought Sam over to see it and told him I was going to get that mouse. He responded, "Mommy don't get that mouse, he's eating."

Today Dave revealed his most effective mouse deterrent, pepper spray. Wherever he has used it on a mouse hole, we have seen no evidence of their return. Leave it to a police officer.

Can I Get 30 Minutes Please?

After a horrific altercation with our fraidy cat Sarah, I have cellulitis my right wrist. I've had two emergency room visits, a healthy dose of IV antibiotics and a recommendation for 30 minute soaks 3-4 times a day. This morning after the dogs had been out and my kids were fed, I sat with my tea and a bowl of warm water. 5 minutes into it, Murdoch started barking because Jack and Tazor were playing. Dave was sleeping so I quieted things down by putting Tazor in his kennel. While I was up I decided to check on Mae. I found her in the bathroom playing in a toilet bowl full of her brother's pee. I stripped her down and went upstairs for clean clothes. I returned with clothes to see Sam had unplugged the power strip our television is plugged into. Unfortunately when reconnected it required tweaking, that had to wait. I lifted Mae into the sink, washed her hands and feet then got her dressed. Sam wanted more cereal, "Ok honey, let's get you dressed first". As I helped him with his shirt I heard water spilling. Mae was standing on the couch dumping my big bowl of soaking water onto the floor. I was ready to cry. This all happened over the course of 20 minutes. Thankfully, Dave took pity on me and came downstairs.

Grammy is Ninety Years Young Today

Lighting 90 candles. By the way, that is a wet spot on my shirt, not a nip on.

This is what 90 lit birthday candles look like.

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After blowing out 90 birthday candles, this is the smoke.

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Here is my favorite picture of Grammy as she begins her 90th year.

Blueberry Milkshakes for Dinner

I've made some lovely things with recepies from a cookbook called The Sneaky Chef. Blueberry juice certainly is yummy, full of vitamins and anti-oxidents. Blueberry juice also stains. It was worse in jello than in milkshakes. I will wait until they are not such messy eaters before introducing this ingredient again.

The Forty Dollar Nap

We took the kids to see a show yesterday. Mae fell asleep near the end of Act I, slept through intermission and thankfully woke up a few minutes into Act II. When she fell asleep I thought we'd paid $40. for her ticket to have her nap through the show. She enjoyed what she saw, and was precious as she slept in my arms.

The price for Sam's ticket was worth every penny. He posed with his buddy Lucas, wearing their baby jaguar masks. We loved seeing his huge eyes wide with wonder. He sang, danced and smiled through the entire performance. I think the experience was far better than seeing the Ice Capades my family brought me to when I was a kid.

When Horned Beasts Are Close, He's Got My Back

He came to us with the name White Cat. We have since added El Diablo Blanco to his a.k.a. Several years back Dave was reading from the free section of the paper, "Will kill mice and rats for room and board." Of course we were interested, our best mouser had been hit by a car and we do live in a barn. We phoned for more information and learned he had chewed himself out of a trap. His mangled back legs were healing and he had passed an 8 inch piece of barbed wire from his gut. Whatever his deal was, the guy needed a break. He's definately Post Traumatic Stress, so sweet and then will turn on you without warning. When the kids came along, El Diablo demonstrated his displeasure by shitting on my lap while I nursed my 3 month old first born. He's lived outside ever since and thankfully, is content to do so.

Tonight, I heard goats outside the barn door as I headed out with grain and water, my apprehension was eased when White Cat appeared. For such a little guy, I've never seen him back down. He'll take on cats, dogs, goats, llamas, and minivans that drive along our road minding their own business. We know our children aren't safe alone with him, but he's our favorite. After all he's been through we will always make a safe place for him in our world. In return, he goes above and beyond to make our world safe.

6 Second Video Clip-Sound Is A Must To Fully Appreciate

I know the image isn't that great, but it's still pretty funny.

They Really Do Make Me Laugh

I smile when I see her so intensely creating her art. She'll do this for over an hour.

This one makes me laugh every day. I enjoy hearing him express his thoughts more clearly to us. It's also fun to watch his imagination and creativity go wild. Wild, yes, he's that too.

Goat Wrestling and Irony

Damn goat! I do not mean that affectionately either. Both of them charged into the barn as I opened the door while carrying an armload of hay. They headed for the grain bowls. I haven't had a problem wrestling one at a time by grabbing hold of a horn. This time I had two. I didn't have a good hold on the one with curly horns as he twisted his head with my wrist attached. There is an ice pack on it now as I write. Damn it. I've got plenty to do without nursing an injured limb to slow me down.
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Ironic how Mae was captivated by an episode of one of her favorite shows featuring the importance of sleep. Sleep? She's lucky to be cute and easy to deal with during the day. This morning for example, awake at 4am until 6am. If I let her cry it out at that hour she wakes up her brother, leaving no hope of catching any more winks. Rotten nights happen more frequently than smooth ones. Every time I wake up during the night I cringe, look at the clock and hold my breath before falling back into a wrestless sleep as I wait for her fussing to start. As I said, good thing she's cute. I do cherish them at this age, and I also dream of a day when I might sleep again.

Goddess

Today I used my gift certificate for a Goddess package at Athena's Day Spa. My family bestowed this wonderful gift on Mother's Day 2007. While enjoying aroma steam therapy (after a whole body exfoliation and prior to a one hour massage), I felt beautiful just the way I am. Being a mother of two young children and four months away from a 40th birthday, my focus is caregiving and catching up on sleep. For just two hours today I allowed myself to appreciate me for the earth mother goddess I have become and I feel beautiful.

Uncle Buster-Cool Like Fonzi

From the archive, Thanksgiving 1983.

This is us in 1970, probably my cousin Candee's birthday, notice the bow atop her head. I think Buster is helping her open a gift. He certainly wouldn't be feeding her with that cigarette between his lips. On February 17th we'll all celebrate Grammy's 90th birthday. I'm sure Dave will take good photos to post. Like Fonzi, Buster has spent time on the wild side. At the end of the day he is a good son, brother, uncle, spouse, father and grandfather who fights to do the right thing. I enjoyed watching my kids gang up on him Christmas Day, as he allowed Grammy and I to enjoy our meal in peace. I love watching cool dudes who are great with little kids.