Oh, it's one of those....

Wanna know what kind of a week it's been already?

Tonight I had cookies for dinner.

At 11:20 pm.

Spring Broke

We just had our "Spring Break." It was 6 extra days of having my beloved wild animals home from the blessed structure of school. They missed their friends, I missed the silence. They got sick of each other on the first day. By the 2nd day I was frantically setting up as many playdates as I could put together from the small group of friends that were still in town. Somehow I managed to keep them from bodily harming each other for the full 10 days of family togetherness. I think my ears are still ringing from the screeching and howling.

To this happy Spring mix we added a teenager who has come to live with us. Shake gently.

Nearly a week and a half later I seem to have caught my breath enough to have a thought other than, "aaaargggghhhh!"

What, you ask, did I do with my first break in two weeks?

I went back to bed.

Hoppy Easter!

I love Easter.

I love the bright colors after a dull winter.

I love the food:

chocolate bunnies, Reece's peanut butter eggs, jelly beans,

little smokies for breakfast, and ham and funeral potatoes for dinner.

I love dyeing Easter eggs.

I usually spend more time messing around with the pots of color

and a white crayon than my kids do.

This year sort of crept up on me, though. Took me by surprise almost.

The Easter Bunny still found us.

Thank goodness, I've been craving a good peanut butter egg...

A little catty

This is my cat, Buster

His Royal Highness knows exactly how gorgeous he is.

The other day I found him waiting patiently in the sink.

He wanted a drink.

Fresh from the faucet.

He's a little spoiled.

"Enough pictures, Woman."

I hear him sigh.

"Can I please have my drink now?"

I'm sorry, buddy. Just can't resist one more.

Check out that look of patient suffering.

He's such a martyr.

Don't be fooled. He got his drink. He always does. Right before I brush my teeth every night he jumps up and hogs the sink with his furry behind while I patiently wait for him to drink his fill. Then he hurries and hops on the bed to spread out and hog as much of the foot space as possible before we get there. Yep, it's good to be King.

A little Sunshine...

My how time flies. It's been many moons since I posted, and it's been 6 years since a little ray of sunshine landed in our lives. I won't say all the cliche things I want to say, but just know they are in my heart today as my baby girl turned 6 years old.

"Mom, last night I said 'goodbye' to 5!"

It's one of those laugh with tears in your eyes kinda moments.

I think I've known from Day One that this child was a force of Nature. Just as sunshine can be warm and cheerful it can also burn you with it's flaming heat. She's fire and light, warmth and energy. We're lucky to have her. Happy Birthday, Sunshine!

Love,

Momma

Is it a sign?

So, these were our fortunes from tonight's Chinese dinner:

Big Sis:

"The current year will bring you happiness."

Awesome. Can't wait!

Little Sis:

"You have a unique personality."

Smirk. You got that right!

Me:

"Be willing to admit that you may be wrong, you're only human."

Stupid Chinese food.

It's the small things...

Tiny, isn't it? You'd think that something so small and seemingly insignificant would not cause anything more than a little excitement and monetary greed, right?

Wrongo Bongo!

This tiny little speck of a tooth has been hanging around in one 7 year old mouth for about two weeks now. Getting wiggly and more snaggly looking every day. Lately it's gotten so bad it almost looked like it was sticking out sideways. I could barely get a finger on it to test wiggle it before the 7 year old mouth would start whimpering and pull away.

Finally today I could take it no more. I decreed it was time to Get. It. Out. I promised a TV show and lovies to snuggle for the ordeal. I promised cake when it was all over. Half giggling, half whimpering she agreed.

First we had to get set up. Lovies, check. Blanket, check. TV show on and started at the right spot, check. Mouth open, whimper. I finally was allowed to get a grip on it with a dish cloth and did a few test wiggles. Squawk went the mouth. A little push. More squawking. Squirming. Resettling. Squirming. The thing was so loose I was surprised it was still hanging there. I gave a tug. Screaming. Crying. Mouth wide open crying.

That's when I saw the tooth sitting on her tongue.

I plucked it off and started whooping and cheering and she cried even harder. Wait. What?! It's out! Time to celebrate! "What's wrong?" I finally asked her.

"I don't kn--oooo--ooww!"

I'd like to say here that I was a kind, understanding mom who didn't laugh at her daughter's dismay. I can't. I laughed. Then I hugged her tight and just let her cry. All that bottled up fear and anxiety about that tiny little bit of nothing, suddenly released, like a balloon that pops too loudly and unexpectedly.

Once she finally calmed down, she was excited and raced off to look at the gory hole in her mouth. Little Sis raced off to get the tooth box for the Tooth Fairy. She's one to keep her eye on the prize.

Best of all? She got a big fat piece of cake. Before dinner.

Proving it really is the small things in life...