WHATCHA GOT?

I could talk about the vermin that has returned to my bathroom and how I am "missing" a mouse trap once again......

I could talk about the fact that I have started First Place and why.....

We could discuss why I am driving MC 2 to school every day this week.....

or how I need to figure out what I am giving up for Lent, like TODAY, and why I observe Lent even though I am of no denomination that does....

I could tell you how our puppy count is down to single digits now.....

OR we could discuss the hot topic of Rob Bell and what I think about all of that business.

We could even go deeper into the whole live and let live attitude in the church and my really strong ideas about that.....

But I don't really want to.

So what do you want to talk about?

Come on...

Whatcha got?

I promise to answer the questions as best I can and to not use all caps in my response (otherwise known as YELLING AT YOU!)

ECHOES...

I have been telling you about our parenting craziness, as I am sure the kids call it, lately.

Last week, MC 1 handed me, backhanded of course, the greatest compliment we could receive in our efforts so far.

While trying not to do what I told him to he said,

YOU ARE SOUNDING JUST LIKE DAD!

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

We are making progress.

WE CHOSE....

13 years ago today to say I DO.

And we have been.

Ups and downs.

Losses and gains.

Fights and make-ups.

Hunting season and the rest of the year.

Choosing every night (we could) to go to bed with the spouse of our youth.

Choosing every day to get up and do life together again.

Thrilling - not usually.

Romantic - occasionally.

Difficult - at times.

Worth it - each and every day.

Love you HH.

** Unrelated, but Bella had 12 or 13 puppies. She won't be still so I can get a good count. All black.....not a yellow one in the batch.

BELLA....OH BELLA

Remember this sweet face....

It's gone.

It has been replaced by a beast I tell you.

A beast I would gladly show you pictures of but since our little underwater excursion with my camera has officially killed it and she won't be still for my phone, I can't.

Bella has gone off and gotten herself in a motherly way.

That's right...she is having babies.

Soon.

If you have ever seen Hooker, she looks about like that.

The proud papa....Buddy.

The entire experience has had me explaining things to the MC's as ambiguously as I could and still be technically correct. They, the MCs, have an entire family dynamic worked out.

Copper is the uncle. Zoey is the grandma. It only gets more complicated the more "relatives" that show up.

I do feel for her.

She is huge.

She can't hardly stand up.

She spends a lot of time broad side.

She is not prepared for this.

She will probably have them on my front porch.

I will most likely be her midwife.

Not a very good one since I was a drug me up and C-section kinda gal.

But we will make it.

And when we do I'll let you know.

Because I know your day would not be complete without it.....

** Puppies arrived on Sunday....we will see....

BARGINING POWER

Tuesday morning finds me up at 3:15am. Actually, that would be up for the second time. The first time started at 2:00am when MC 2 stood over my bed and woke me up with his stare down. And as I am typing this at 3:16am, the cat is now giving me the stare down. I should go back to bed, but I hate to because I have a feeling it won't last and I have to be up in a couple of hours anyway.
Ever since we moved back into our house from The Great Escape of '06, MC 2 has not slept all night for more than 2 or 3 nights in a row. I tried walking him back. He just gets up again. We talked about being a big boy and staying in his own bed. He didn't care. He wanted his mommy. Sunday night, he searched me out on the couch and slept there. The boy is seriously like a bloodhound. Last night HH played the trump card. He told MC 2 that if he got into our bed, he wouldn't be allowed to ride the bus. I had no faith, I'll be honest. I was not surprised to find him standing beside me at 2 this morning. I was surprised when I told him to just get in and he didn't.
Just get in.
I can't.
Why? Just get in.
Dad said I can't.
The kid would not budge. I sent him back to his room, without tears mind you, which worked for about 5 minutes. The end result was me going to get in bed with him, which technically, is not a violation of the bus rule, even though in spirit I am pretty sure it just got shot down. I am not sure what astonishes me more....the fact that our little one could make such a stance at 2 o'clock in the morning or that we never thought of using it before.
I tell you, I am amazed at the power "riding the bus" can wield. I am honestly shocked. I know, I know, enjoy it now because there will come the day when they want me to take them again. When they will be ashamed to be bus riders. I know those days are coming. But for now, we are going to enjoy it and manipulate in every way possible.
Bargaining....it is all about the bargaining power.
UPDATE: HH panicked this afternoon and asked what are we going to do this summer? I had not even gotten that far!

GRAVES OF CRAVING

This needed saying again.

Mainly for me.

OK....

FINE!

All for me.

WE MAY HAVE STUMBLED...

out of the gate this morning. An outburst by MC 1 about a forgotten shirt at Nanny's and a pop off by MC 2 started our day. HH stepped in and declared no bus, so I took them to school. Seems they did not believe us at first.

MC 2 asked

why...

Because of your attitude....

My attitude is FINE.....

Spoken by a true kid with an attitude. They pouted all the way to school. Which was pretty much par for the weekend. HH and MC 1 were to go hunting. That fell through when MC 1 developed some sort of abscess on one of his precious "silver teeth". A trip to the pediatrician and a round of antibiotics we seem to be on the mend. My major accomplishments this weekend included rearranging one half of my living room, painting my toe and fingernails, and watching The Last Song. Also, seems I felt the need to teach Susan Lucci how to defend under the goal during an inbounds play in my intense basketball game dream. I blame the Oscars and watching the Blue Devils and the Aggies both fall this weekend for disturbing my REM with that craziness.

Hope you have a great day!