Kittehs

And so the Teenager Says...

after 2 weeks in high school: "i know just enough german to make up dirty sayings..."

Clearing the Air

Dear Andy Murray,

I was the kid who melted the eraser on the radiator; you were the kid who got in trouble. I've always felt kind of bad about that, but I need you to understand that even though I'm apologizing, I still think you're a jerk.

Facebook

i love reading my kids' status updates...today, little boy # one wrote that he "thinkth hith retainer maketh him thound like a moron..."

Road Trip!!

today was GORGEOUS so i decided to take a road trip to stark brother's nursery in louisiana, mo...i had heard of them years ago, when i was researching a trip through WV...it turned out that the original golden delicious tree was found growing next to a fence in WV & that stark brothers (here in MO) bought the rights to it, insisting that a cage had to be erected around the original to prevent theft...today i learned that they have been in existence for 190 years & were instrumental in marketing/naming both the red & yellow delicious apples...across the road from the nursery is a little log cabin, which was built by the stark family & moved to that location at a different date...it's very picturesque...

it was so much fun walking around, looking at everything...they had all sorts of things that you don't see in a typical nursery...for instance, they had okra, peppermint, and spearmint plants...they had more blueberry/blackberry/raspberry varieties than i could count...they had loganberries, cranberries, lingonberries, and gooseberry bushes...they had pawpaws, hardy kiwis, hickory & hazelnut trees...they had roses & maples & evergreens...they even had honeycrisp apple trees (which are some of the best apples you will ever eat)...there were currants (red, pink, white, and black)...there were jostaberry plants...their inventory was mind-boggling...and it was so much fun walking around, contemplating what i wanted to buy & where it would go in my yard...


i even got to go into the cellar...it had concrete walls & smelled of damp earth...it was the hub of their catalog operation...they had all the dormant plants stored in crates of dirt...you'd go to the cashier & tell her what you wanted from the catalog...you'd pay, then she'd send you downstairs to pick it up...it was so wild...it was a basement full of dormant trees & bushes...row after row of them...it gave me a whole new perspective on getting stuff from a catalog...

ultimately, i had to come home...so after a lot of thought, i passed on the honeycrisp apple tree...it needs a pollinator and i don't have room for 2 addl trees on my land...i purchased 2 lingonberry bushes (which are going to be tiny little things, so think they'll probably fit in the front gardens somewhere)...i purchased a red gooseberry to go with the pixwell that had just arrived...and i couldn't resist 10 VERY PRETTY hot pink geraniums...

this is my wagon full of happiness... : )

Teenager Quotes Of The Week

"this wind is unbearable and it's MESSING UP MY HAIR!!!"

"if internet explorer were a girl, she'd be easy, but she'd also be the one who gives you an infection..."

"mom, are there any jeans in the dishwasher?"

Teenagers Are Amusing

they just don't think like normal humans...for instance, little boy #1 spends 10 minutes a day "sexifying" his hair...but he never remembered to wear deodorant until he set his watch alarm up as a reminder...problem solved...

then there's the underwear situation...for years, i have purchased twice as much underwear as needed, knowing that they will wear my "good" underwear to their dad's house...and when the "evil dad underwear" returns, i throw the ill-fitting things away...it's been a good system...

until this year when little boy #1 decided that he will only wear a specific type of boxers...i purchased said boxers, expecting that my underwear would be depleted over time & that i'd have to replenish the stock...no big deal...except the underwear drawer wasn't being depleted...it was very puzzling...

this week, little boy #1 told me that he wore the same pair of underwear 3 days in a row while at his dad's house, because his dad didn't have the correct kind of underwear...i stood there blinking at him, as he protested that he took a shower each day, so it was okay!!! more blinking on my part, followed by an unintentional "ewwwwww..."

his dad took him out to purchase underwear last night... : P

Cursing & Contacts

little boy #1's fool proof method for cursing at school: 1) make sure there's a lot of background noise; 2) make sure the teacher isn't looking; 3) point at another student when you say the word so that when the teacher looks back, the focus will be on another student...

that kid cracks me up sometimes...

----------------

both little boys got fitted with contacts this afternoon...it was the 2nd attempt for little boy #1, who feared a repeat of last year, but he was very determined perhaps because there is a mysterious "hot cheerleader" in the picture...

after the eye exam, both boys had to insert the contacts themselves, take them out, then reinsert them before they would be allowed to leave...i asked the technician to sit between them so that they wouldn't pummel each other...they worried about how long they would take, but they were reassured they could take as long as they needed...in fact, another patient had been there for 90 minutes...

lickety-split, little boy #2 came charging to the front of the store, VERY PROUD that he had got his contacts in "pop, pop"...then he ran back, took them out & reinserted them...he came running back up, flailing his arms, saying that it was so easy to insert them "pop, pop, pop, pop"...he used words like "ninja" and was incredibly proud that he had beaten his brother...

little boy #1 grew frustrated...the other patient had inserted her contacts & left...little boy #2 was finished, so i drove him to his dad's for a while to prevent him from grating on his brother's nerves...all of which made little boy #1 both frustrated and yet more determined...eventually he got his contacts in with a huge smile on his face...he used words like "awesome" and "so that's what peripheral vision is like"...

the phrase that best summed up their emotional state was "pure joy"...i had no idea it was going to be such a profound life experience...but it was wonderful that i was there to share it with them...

Words You Never Want To Hear Your Child Say

"mom, when i crash your car for the first time..."

Gotta Love Kids

teacher: "what's the difference between empathy & sympathy?"

little boy #2: "the spelling"

And The Conversation Went Like This...

background: little boy #1 was prepping for his first co-ed party

me: did you change your clothes?
little boy #1: yep

me: did you appropriately "sexify" your hair?
little boy #1: yep (as he commences "sexy dance" gyrations in the hallway)

me: are you wearing deodorant?
little boy #1: uh, no

All I Wanted Was To Check The Mail...But Nooooo!!!

i was having a hard day...do you ever get tasked with something so difficult that you lay your head on your desk, wondering how you're going to do THAT???

i decided to get a breath of fresh air...i stepped outside to check the mail, and noticed charlie (my neighbor's cat) in my garden...charlie had obviously just found something, and he took off running with his prize...to me, it looked like a dark lump, and i was afraid he'd found my toad...i caught up with him around the corner on his master's back porch, where he dropped it...

we both stood there looking at it, both a little dumbfounded, when i said outloud, "charlie, that's a SNAKE"...secretly, i was happy charlie found it instead of me, as i'm only terrified of snakes if they sneak up on me (and we all know they are exceptionally good at that)...

i blinked at the snake, trying to figure out if it was poisonous...i decided it was probably a garter snake...i also remembered that non-poisonous snakes are good at biting...i looked at my hands full of mail, shrugged my shoulders, and went back to my computer...where i started having doubts about that being the right course of action...i decided i had to SAVE the snake from charlie...

i pulled out my leather work gloves, went back over to find charlie in the same position, just staring at the snake, occasionally tapping at it with his paws...i picked it up, only to discover that it smelled REALLY BAD...i headed to release it some place away from charlie (because, theoretically, garter snakes are good)...but, being me, i had to identify it first, so it went into a holding container...yep...verified on-line...definite garter snake...i called the boys dad to see if he wanted a garter snake as a pet, to which he responded "garter snakes stink", which i ALREADY KNEW...so i turned the critter loose as planned, but i snapped the picture first...

lots & lots of adrenaline...wheeeew...all i wanted was to check the mail...nice...easy...relaxing...but noooooooo...

Monarch Season Is Winding Down

Have Some Underwear, It's A Gift...

this article cracked me up..."personal items such as undergarments were at times given to trusted staff as a perk"...can you just imagine queen victoria saying: "i like you...you're special...have some underwear...it's a gift...no, really, take it...TAKE it!!!

them brits definitely have a sense of humor, yes they do...

The New Generation of Legos Is Very, VERY Cool!!!

This is an actual Lego crab, assembled by me, with the help of a couple of first-graders...(they were obviously wise beyond their years)...

here's the story: wal-mart decided to do a lego event, with this crab as the project...except little boy #2 (a lego freak) had to attend a mandatory boy scout event...he was very bummed...so i went to wal-mart, thinking i could pick up a cute little bag of individually packaged components...you know, like one bag per kid...grab the bag...walk away...

except they didn't have the kits individually packaged...they had tubs of pieces, with a sign saying how many you needed...the whole event was complete chaos...kids starting the line from both directions...kids stopping in the middle waiting for directions from their parents...parents reaching over...i absolutely KNEW if i didn't put the pieces together that i would have come home to a very disappointed child, missing SOMETHING...

hence my crab adventure...and it was a good thing that i took the time to put it together, because i some how missed 2 tubs, for a total of 16 pieces...

little boy #2 is going to be sad that he couldn't attend the event, but he's going to be sooooo happy to get all these unusual parts...

: )

Teetering Between Adrenaline & Wanting to Cry

oh, that was TERRIFYING!!!! i used a 4 foot stick to try to ensnare the spider for my relocation program, but he started crawling UP THE STICK...in turn, i panicked, dropping the stick & flinging the spider across the sidewalk...it charged back at me, sending me into a shrieking/stomping fit because it was HUGE and obviously ANGRY!!!!

when it was all over, my neighbor asked me if i was okay...and i stood there almost non-verbal, trying to comprehend what had just happened...he asked "really big spider?"...i nodded...he smiled and said "i thought so"...

whewwwwww...adrenaline...

Walla Walla Onions - Mesmerizing!!!

i snapped this postcard-worthy picture at the missouri botanical gardens...

this is a close-up of the walla walla onions by Dale Chihuly...

Gorgeousness

a hollyhock in my garden... : )

Pondering Clover

i can't help but wonder if 5 leaf clovers (upper left) are luckier than 4 leaf clovers (bottom right)...

Mad Poodle Skillz

i was in a goofy mood this morning…little boy #1 was telling me about his dream where he was in an army fighting zombie (he paused and i suggested, rather hopefully, “poodles?”)…

he blinked and said “no, mom” then continued with his story…and for the next 3 minutes, every time he said zombie, i said “poodles?”…he would shake his head and go on with his story until he finally told me that he was killed and he turned into a zombie (“poodle?”) spider with an attack strength of + something and a death bite of something else…i told him that he should consider turning into a zombie poodle next time so that he can have mad poodle skillz…he shook his head in a way that meant “and i have to live with this???”…

i absolutely LOVE having children to torment… : )