YEP...

Well ... I'm back ... made your day right? Yep I know I'm amazing like that. Anyways - I've been gone a while - I didn't realize that my last post was almost 3 months ago. I think that maybe I just didn't feel I had anything interesting to offer you. No broken animals or glass or anything exciting like that...but now I realize that this post is for me too - right? It's for me and to share with you all - my 3 devoted readers.

Anyways - it was a fast summer - incredibly wet - but fast. Never got to all the things that I wanted to do. But do we ever? I go by the philosophy that the more projects one accumulates - the longer one has to live - right? I mean one can't die if you have all these cool little projects to complete. Or perhaps I must just admit that I have a little problem - I don't think there's a 12 stepper program for obsessive collecting - yeah it's a problem. My stuff (note not junk) is taking over the house. It's getting hard to hide.

So - Em is off to third grade. How did that happen? Again this time flying thing - I'm not sure I like it. Third grade was my absolute favorite grade. If I hadn't been talked out of getting my teaching degree 4 or 5 times by disgruntled teacher relatives - 3rd grade would have been my grade. Even in this advanced age of learning (sure) I think that the 3rd grader knows enough to be a curious student but not enough to be bored out of their mind or just completely lost. I liked it - still do. I can't wait to go on this journey with her...it's going to be her year...I'm sure of it.

And little E - he's a hoot. The other day we were driving some back roads and the car windows were actually down (it was one of the few lovely days of summer that we managed to eek out of the season) - and a small object came flying in the window at him (I have to admit I was suspicious that perhaps it was the elder E that may have flung it at her little brother - I keep telling her he's going to be bigger than her someday - so she better beware of her actions today).

What was that we wanted to know - "A gunk threw a corn at me". Hmmm...often little E's words are open to interpretation. A gunk? A corn? Oh...an acorn. Yes that's what I said he said. A gunk - oh...a skunk? Yes that's what I said he said. So a skunk threw an acorn at you? Yes I think maybe he was mad at me. And why would he be made at you? He was hungry. Oh - and he threw it from the road? No the tree. Hmmm...maybe it was a squirrel because I don't think that skunks climb trees - pretty sure. Yes - he said - that's what I said.

Sure enough - upon exiting the car we found a 1/2 eaten acorn beside E's feet - window side. Coincidence or maybe the little guy really was trying to tell us something - stranger things....

Orange...the new tan?

So - really - it takes me FOREVER to try anything new. In general I'm a worrier (I've always said I worry enough to cover those who don't - some may say I make mountains out of mole hills - but...well that's the way it is...they are entitled to their opinions)...anyways...

For example: in college I tried Sun-in...supposedly it would turn my hair to some brilliant shade of auburn - uh uh...try orange. So all right - it clashed a bit with my baby oil burn...but that subsided after a bit and the orange - eventually it grew out. But - it took me nearly another 20 years to experiment with my hair color. I worried that I'd end up with some hideous purply/pink thing on my head and as a youngish mother I didn't think that would be too cool. Not the time for embaressing my little girl ... yet.

Yet another experiment with color changing my God given tones was with a product promising a "real" looking golden tan - yep - sure - real. Um...no. Actually I looked like I had a very severe case of hives - orange hives. Here I was trying to be a responsible young adult by using a "healthy" alternative for that sun kissed look and I end up looking like a leper.

Years have passed since that little experiment - like I said I'm a worrier. If it doesn't go right the first time - what are the chances it will go right with a second attempt? And that orange hivey thing - it took a long time to go away.

This weekend I was down visiting Dad and we took the usual trip to THE Christmas Tree Shop. There's always some fun junk to spend hard earned money on...

First stop - sunblock-not because we necessarily needed any at that moment it was just the first isle we came too.

Dad's trying to cut down on sun time following his recent facial peel and is looking very pale for beach boy. He's wearing the big floppy hat and the long sleeves and 100 uvb/uva or whatever...
There - settled among the various options - a brand name company with a self tanner - promising a natural golden glow. We're going to try it - really? are you sure? let's think about this a little more...remember 10 years ago? Surely - technology has advanced enough in the last decade that the promised glow will at least resemble time spent with the real sun?

Nope....nope, nope, nope....

People - this stuff is orange!!!! Okay yes the sun is orange - kind of - but I'm thinking sun kissed maybe refers to a brownish coloring? My foot looks like it has been dipped in rust colored stain - I'm pretty sure I match the wood trim on my windows quite nicely. But you are really kidding yourself if you think this sun stands up to a "real" tan. Not even close...uh uh. If you like the orange look - eat more carrots. Then at least you are really doing something good for yourself.

My luck - their promise of 7 full days of beautiful bronzed skin -will hold true. Thank goodness I only sprayed my foot - I think.... :)

WHY? really ... this is enough!

Apparently there is some higher being that has it out for me this week...or maybe...I'm being sent some other-worldly message ... "Sit in one spot and don't TOUCH anything!". I'm beginning to think that maybe I have a type of MIDAS syndrome - except instead of turning everything to gold, I'm creating havoc and breaking everything -living or non.

Seriously - it's a gorgeous day today - so I decide to haul my lazy self outside and get some things done in preparation for summer. I'm going to put together our new patio table (why I purchased a new table when we can't eat outside without being attacked by irritating little flying bugs - I don't know - but I did...). Very carefully I open all the packaging and lay out everything I need. I'm not a good direction follower in the first place - I generally like to do it my own way (because it's better right?)...but today I follow the instructions to the last period. Tim would be very proud - well at least up until this point. I've got the glass (do you see where this is going?) table top on a soft surface and well away from any heavy flying/tumbling objects.

Next come the legs - very gently - no screws yet - I place them in their designated spots. Next the brace that holds the 4 legs together...then a sound not unlike cracking ice...what? The table top has cracked and is now breaking into millions of little pieces. WELL...this certainly put a damper on my morning activities. It's now apparent to me that I should have opted to watch a movie with E instead.

Now what? Well thankfully the kind people at Lowe's will take it back - don't bring the glass please - and exchange for a new one. They tell me that there are 14 of this type of table left and that there is no need to put one on hold, they definintely won't sell out...I should have told them about the mouse...

Better today - I think...

After a good nights sleep - E actually touched MaxandRubyBellaRainbow this morning - still there was no love happening. So...after dropping the boy at school...I headed out to more local pet stores to see what I could find. I am determined that I am going to find some small being for this kid to love. No matter that I'm using a weeks worth of gas to find this little soul who may or may not (at this point I'm thinking probably not) appease my little boy. Oh well...

Store 1...nothing...not even a fish. Alrighty then.

Store 2...some fish, gerbils (ick!), and some cute little bunnies. No mice. Maybe I should just go next door and check out the Pandora beads.

Store 3...I enter with trepidation...my luck has NOT been good thus far. Why should it change here. BUT...I hit the mouse jackpot. Not only were there hundreds of little white mice - the wrong kind apparently, but there little dark eyed ones as well. Nothing like Bella - but that was a good thing. Right? If I got one just like her - E might think that she'd risen from the dead. There were mice ranging in age from jellybean size to full grown (they're not very big to begin with so there's not a huge jump from jellybean to grownup here) and expecting. So...in went the hand and on climbed (that's right I didn't have to chase it down) the most adorable baby mouse. OMG! Now I was in love...I didn't care if E didn't like her/him (hard to tell at this point it's so young - I'm a little uncomfortable poking around this poor little guys hind end) I wanted it. "You may have to feed her/him from a dropper for a bit." I don't care - this little soul is coming with me.

Well - I am SuperMom again (pretty much)...I picked my little guy up from school with new friend in hand. His smile said it all...he's in love...again.

He even lets me pick it up...I guess I've been forgiven.

I broke little man's pet!

In my world - there are no "ordinary" days. Each is it's own adventure. Today for expample...began with disaster with a capital "D". This story really starts yesterday - I thought that maybe Little E was ready for his own pet...the ideal candidate turned out to be a sweet (yes I said sweet) little mouse. She was (notice past tense) tawny and white with dark gentle eyes. Not your run of the mill pink eyed albino mouse. Nope this one was real special and E knew it. She was his from moment one. So the purchase was made - we rounded up all the necessary supplies to keep her safe from our 2 cats and headed home. E immediately took her out of the cage on his own - which in itself is amazing because he never picks up anything that might be consider icky. It was love for sure. Her name? Bella. Perfect!

First thing this a.m. he was up to introduce Dad to the newest member of the family. Little hands proudly scooped her up for Dad to see. Quick little thing - she slipped from his (E's) hands - in a moment of panic and fearing for her life (cats watching intently from NOT very far away) - I swooped in to save the day. Problem is - I swooped with a little too much enthusiasm and ... I broke her. Yes - broke her.

I'm pretty sure that at this point I have gone from Super Mom to Worst Mom Ever. I wasn't really ready for the "where do dead things go" or "why can't she just wake up" or "I just want you to make her come back" talks. Sigh...this wasn't going to be a good day.

We put her in a box with some nice smelling bedding and a small doll bouquet to remind her of E wherever her little spirit was off too. For most of the morning E sang to her - we said goodbye hundreds of times.

In an effort to redeem my "Super Mom" status - I convince Little E to leave Bella and head to the pet store for a replacement. "It'll look just the same - right?" - harder than you think. Albino with pink eyes - no problem. An abundance. Just like Bella - not happening.

We settled on a baby (yes - all white with pink eyes - but very cute and curious) and decided on the name Ruby Bella (actually MaxandRubyBellaRainbow). I should have realized there was a problem when E would not (refused) to carry the animal box provided by the pet store - out of the mall. He didn't want to look at her. Hmmm..."Red eyes are gross". Uh oh...

Okay - deep breaths - BIG DEEP BREATHS.

Home - won't look at her - won't touch her - wants nothing to do with MaxandRubyBellaRainbow...I'm in trouble.

Big sis gets home and is thrilled with her - thinks she is a suitable replacement for our loss. Little E says she can have her then. Okay..."Should I return her to the store then?" "I don't care - yes...". Just great.

I've decided maybe he needs some time - maybe he's afraid Mommy will break this one too and he doesn't want to get attached. E shuts down when we try and talk to him about it...so, he's asleep now...

Maybe tomorrow will be better...please!