Something in Common

We are at the water park waiting for Kiki to show up.
Oh,wait just a second, here she comes...
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Hmmm, can you see her face?
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Yes, I thought so. What happens when I try to snap a picture of my children smiling?
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Sawyer?
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Let's see if Greyson does it.
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Greyson, do you stick your tongue out for pictures?
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No? Oh, but you've got something else to show us?
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What? What's in your mouth!
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Ah. Water to squirt me with. EW. I remember when I was a kid and did not care about water park germs. EW. Oh, the naive freedom we enjoyed back then.
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It's Summer. I thought this last picture captured that Summer sun so nicely.
I'd like to live in this picture.

Nika Chewed His Leg Off

This dinosaur did not get away.
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But he's none the worse for it because you can do this, and have an intriguing character for the intricate plot unfolding in the backyard....
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Meet "Bob".
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Bob has a secret hideout.
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A.K.A.--- Daddy don't use a weed-whacker. The real life daddy, not to be confused with....
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this dinosaur named "Daddy".
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Sawyer and Kiki are having a dinosaur conversation which gives us some idea of the story going on here:
"Daddy, Daddy, why are you tied up?"
"Because I threw an annoying dinosaur out of Denmark."

(I don't know where they get these things, but I'd like to read that story).
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Meanwhile the kings of the tribe, Scar and Simon, are on vacation.
Oh, what perils await the kingless tribe. What about Bob and his hideout? Who got thrown out of Denmark? Where does Cactus legs come into the story? Stay tuned on that front.
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On other fronts:
"Mom, if we move, can the next house we get have a pool?"
Poor little pool-less children. How ever will they spend the summer?

Life is Last Year

For this post, I offer you our life one year ago today. Although I firmly believe that "life is now", today's life is so soggy that I'm sure you'd rather experience What's Going On Here June 2008.
There you'll find glass lakes, nuns, cranes, fern forests and glee. Here, you'll find:
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Daddy making breakfast in a messy kitchen because mommy is sick.
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Greyson loading mystery cups in the dishwasher because mommy is sick.
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A lady with alien arms and an ice pack around her throat because, (all together now---) mommy is sick.
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And the rest of the family improving their brain cell to brain capacity ratio. Because--
mommy is sick.

Where the Boys Are...

Can you guess where this is?
I heard silence in the garage, which wasn't a good thing-- the boys were supposed to be playing out there.
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What are you DOING?
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You guys have to get out of there, it's dirty and you're going to fall.
(The top-two mom sayings for questionable activities)
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"We do it all the time, Mom. It's our submarine."
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"Let's show her how it works...."
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Besides the fact that you're driving blind and have to keep surfacing...
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And besides the fact that your crew cries mutiny, and calls you a "Big Buffalo", it is a pretty good submarine.



disclaimer: this is a clean, non-tipping recycling bin. Do not try this with a dirty, flimsy one or you'll be really, really, sorry.
name calling: not allowed
whining: not allowed
ignoring: not allowed
nails-on-a-chalkboard voice: not allowed
keeping the film rolling during "teachable" moments: allowed

What's on the Table and Why...

This is what my kitchen table looks like right now.
There is a story behind each of these randomly placed items. Even though it looks like they were placed carefully and with purpose.
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Guns.
Guns on the table, guns on the floor. Guns on the couch cushions, and guns peaking out from under the bed.
I step on guns in the dark.
There used to be a day and age where you could say with impunity that your children were obsessed with weaponry. Boys howdy, times have changed. So, we'll just keep this between us, okay?
I'm not surprised that one of these random items was, a gun.

I am surprised to find gumballs here, they are usually rapidly consumed. The kids found a quarter at the park and treated themselves to 12 cents worth of candy each. In these french neighborhoods you can find a depanneur, or little house-turned-store right smack dab in the middle of your block. Ours caters to kids with sweaty nickles and packages treats just for their trade. You can also find eggs, bread, and all manner of household items you don't want to walk the extra block to the grocery store for.

Blueberries in a cup. I ate berries and cream today, with a little maple syrup drizzled on top. I never knew blueberries were made for maple syrup, but they are. Then I needed the colander to rinse strawberries so I dumped the blueberries in the cup I used to drizzle the maple syrup, thinking I'd eat some more later. And I am, as I type this.
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This does not belong to us. Three boys are visiting and keeping my three boys completely occupied, that is why I can write a post about what is on my kitchen table.
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This is the last one, I promise.
Sawyer never finishes his milk. Whoever clears the table has to leave the Sawyer cup where it sits so he will finish it later, but he never does. So it gets dumped out in the sink. Typing this out is making me realize how foolish this routine has become.
We should just leave the same glass of milk there all the time.

I FORGOT THE WATERMELON.
My fridge is too full to fit it in. Can you say your fridge is too full to fit a watermelon? Aren't we blessed in North America? Throwing milk down the drain and keeping big fat watermelons fridgeless.
so. What's on your kitchen table right now?

Above Shenanigans

Hey, Sawyer...
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Why did you set up a desk in the backyard boat?
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Don't you know it's dangerous back here?
You never know what might stalk up....
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and catch you unaware.
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It certainly couldn't be a big sister.
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Could it?
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Nope, she's too busy being sweet to Daisy.
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Right, Daisy? Hey, uh, your ears there are....
Never mind.
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Like I said, big sister is much too busy to mess with you, she's above that sort of thing.
Isn't that right, Kiki?
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Kiki?

Feed the Birds--Tuppence a Pickle

Oh, the things we take for granted. Our brains store scads of information that we've accumulated over time and with experience. It's just sitting there, in vast storage cabinets, information that we don't even know we have. For instance: The fact that birds do not like pickles. They would not eat them, and we might even be able to say with conviction, that birds would hate pickles. We also take for granted that the only reason Vlasic has a bird (stork) eating a pickle on their pickle jar label is because....
because....
Wait.
Is there a story behind the Vlasic stork and the pickle?
Does anybody out there know?

"Mom, can you open the pickles?"
"Do you want one?"
"No, I want to feed the birds."
"Birds don't like pickles."
"But I just want to see...can you just open it?"
"They don't, they'll hate those pickles."
"Can I just try?"

There's so much to teach them, more than I've ever realized. And there's only a relatively few years left to pour those filing cabinets full of facts into their little brains.
Sigh.
I guess the quickest way to learn is by experience.

This is well hidden from the neighbors view. We are strange enough for them already.

Guys and Dolls

Ah, isn't that sweet, he's playing with his Woody doll.
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Strapping him in good and tight....
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So he won't fall.
Or maybe, so he can't....
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Escape.
Suddenly I'm not so sure this is all for Woody's well-being.
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Poor Woody, indeed.