Falling Leaves

Last night I looked outside to see if it was raining. There was no rain, just lightning. A few yellow leaves had fallen onto the deck. This is the first sign that summer is coming to an end. As much as I look forward to cooler weather, I will miss the bushy trees in the backyard that cover the deck. It is the only place that one can hide outside. I will watch for more leaves to fall. After they are all gone I will be able to see the houses around me without having to move around the branches that lean themselves onto the deck. This only means that everyone can see me too. For now I will hide on the deck among what green leaves I have left.

Master of Disguise

Leah often changes her clothes several times a day. Today she has gone thru many 'outfits'.

*blue jean shorts-spongebob pirate shirt-tennis shoes -before 8AM

*blue jean capris-orange shirt-water shoes...then Crocs at school-before 8:30AM

*Cinderella pajamas with a Scooby Doo shirt underneath-no shoes

*after bath she wore a pair of purple plastic shoes and a magic wand--that's all.

*after bath she is wearing a green and pink, sleeveless gown with high heel turquoise shoes- size 6 /women's

no wonder i have so much laundry!!!!

Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are!!!

Elizabeth got up early to help the neighbor with a yard sale. Up in the morning she called and asked for $20 so she could buy their parakeet. "We really do not need another animal!" I told her. That wasn't the answer she wanted so she begged and pleaded. I told her I would talk to Michael and to call back in a few minutes. She called ten minutes later and thought telling me the cage and stand were included in the price would help her case. Eventually, we agreed to the bird living with us, 5 cats, a king snake, and a sand crab.

Elizabeth fed the bird and played with it so it would feel at home. She moved things around in her room so the HUGE cage would fit. After and appointment and flat tire in Lexington that same day I returned home. Leah told me the bird wasn't in the cage. She said, "I'm serious!" so I thought I should go look. She was correct. No bird. The cage had been knocked over and the little sliding doors were open. We waited for two days and no sign of the bird. We looked all over the house. Elizabeth left little Hansel and Gretel trails of birdseed ALL OVER the house. I didn't have the heart to tell her to quit.

Kristin and Danielle returned here from a weekend of football games and fun. The girls were straightening Kristin's room. I heard bloody screams from the basement bedroom. Then I heard, "I found the bird!" I could hear the girls jumping two steps at a time. They were torn between laughter and panic. Kristin had found the bird but not in the condition we had hoped for. There on her closet floor was a head, two little feet, and a few feathers.

Elizabeth failed to see the humor when asked if she wanted to make a necklace out of the feet.

Tomorrow Elizabeth is going to the pet store to get a new bird. Tonite we will wire the sliding doors closed. I am sure that at least one of our cats went to bed happy that night.

I'll Think About It Tomorrow!

I walk into the house and find clothes strewn over the back of the couch, toys in the floor, and laundry piled to what seems the ceiling. This is not unusual in my house but today it seems worse. The truth is...I don't really care! Not today anyway. I want it to be clean, I just don't want to be the one who cleans it. I'll think about it tomorrow!

I will pick up so that there is a path to walk. Only touch what I HAVE to. But first I will start reading a book. If the spirit strikes me to clean then I will clean. But it's not looking good. I brought three books home today. I am deciding which to read first. I think about starting one worrying that I should have picked another. "What if the other is better?", I ask myself. Two of the books are by the same author. I choose the one published first. I'll see what happens. Maybe I will read both at the same time. Then one won't feel left out.

Libraries and Fingernail Polish

We all went to the libray today. We went to check out a couple of movies but came back with four. Two of our selections were from the Jurassic Park series. These were picked out by Leah. No Magic School Bus or Disney Princesses for her. We returned with everyone happy. We had been in the house for about three minutes when Leah came running up the hall saying her hands were sticky. This is nothing new so I told her to go and wash them. Water did not do the trick since we came to learn that her hands were covered in clear, glittery fingernail polish. She would lay the palms of her hands together and wait for them to stick. Michael knew better than to wait too long or she would have to go to daycare in the morning with praying hands. She rinsed and washed and rinsed some more. I do believe that she still has some between her fingers. She doesn't seem to care as it was all in fun.