Adios, Kitty.

Her time has come to be a ward of the animal shelter.  The tiny kitten that adopted our family is no longer a Franks.  After feeding the cat for a couple of weeks, we determined that a stray kitty is not a good fit for out family.  Everything we had been told led us to believe that a cat would be independent, would prowl, would be curious.  But not this precious one - she was a lap dog with no will to do anything but beg for us to come out and see her.  There was not enough attention for this little kitty, who kept right by the window all day and all night.  And we were sure that this cat would be a domestic nightmare, so inside would not do.  Roxy so desperately wants a dog, and she was the one who wanted us to call the Animal Cops to rescue this kitty, so the delivery was made yesterday.  Roxy returned very emotional, having seen all the dogs at the shelter and being entirely freaked out about the number of large pit bulls there.  Will the dog be a part of her near future?  We'll see.  Scott is going to take Roxy to the pet store today (her tears softened him up quite a bit!)

Mother's Helper

My oldest daughter has had a little adventure in babysitting this week.  Darby is very, very taken with babies and loves to hold them.  Mind you, she did not feel this way when she was three and had an actual baby sister, but I am thrilled for the reversal of opinion.  Yesterday, as a mother's helper, she was the entertaining child care director for some children from church with whom we have spent lots of time.  Darby got to feed the baby, play with the baby, rock the baby, help out the other little kids, and then came The Big Event in the baby's diaper.

Darby's actual experience with diapers is limited, but she has the basics down.  There is no instruction on how to change a colossal load when the baby is very, very squirmy and restless during diaper changing time.  The mother, who was meeting some people in another part of the building at this very moment, could not be there for the Big Event, but boy, she sure heard about it from her other children.

Darby had two child helpers, so she starts to change the baby when all three of them discovered that the baby had numerous tactical maneuvers they had never seen.  Darby hands the baby a toy to occupy him during changing time, which he promptly plunges into his Big Event.  And now the three girls discover that the baby has advanced tactical maneuvers they have never seen before.  Out of the blue, Darby realizes that there is a sink right next to her and gets the baby into the sink where they proceed to wash the Big Event off of all the baby parts and big girls parts and all other parts sacrificed in this mission.  And the mother, having been alerted of the def con 1 level Big Event, comes back to see her baby enjoying his impromptu bath in a foul, malodorous room.

Darby survived the Big Event, no one was hurt in the mission, and she was so excited to collect a payday for the biggest poopy diaper she had never seen before.  Good job, Dar.  You have never really lived until a baby has defeated you, humiliated you, and then made you smile right afterward.  I am glad you had this parenting lesson - thank you Lord for baby wipes!

Lake...Big Lake

We spent the day on the lake and the whole family had a good time.  Darby and Roxy got to go tubing, and it was fun for both of them, although we were going slow enough for old ladies pushing walkers to pass us.  But thankfully, this experience wiped out the previous disastrous experience Darby had with the youth group earlier this summer.  What a relief.

Probably our favorite thing to do was swim in the lake and tour around, checking out all the boats and beaches.  Scott attempted to wake board, but I had to make an executive decision to refrain from posting the photos.  I love you too much, babe.  There is no photo that can truly show the pain and suffering he is feeling today in his back, in his wrist, in his other sore body parts.  Wake boarding is not like riding a bike - you can actually forget how to do it.

For me, it was good to spend the day with family and friends.  That was just what I needed this past weekend.  God is good.

Red, White, and The Blues

I like pretty much everything about the fourth of July.  The colors, the vision of flags and patriotic bunting decorating Marietta Square, the get togethers with family and friends.  But this year is a tough one for me.

No family.

No parade.  And I love a parade.  I love the Marietta parade on the Square, which Scott hates.  I love the Livingston MT parade and the rodeo, but we are missing those as well.

No friends - our friends took off this morning.

No fireworks.  We were so tired after the Braves game last night (which ran into 11 innings) that we came home before the big show.

No Kitchen Aid mixer.  The Pioneer Woman was FINALLY giving away the mixer in MY color, Old Glory Blue, and I didn't get it.  Of course.

No food.  I must be good.  With our friends, we went to Pappasito's, which is fabuloso, and I had my splurge meal last night, so I must be good for the next 4-5 days to make up for the Mexican decadence that I never allow myself.

No energy.  After a week of Camp Hickory, our church VBS event, the girls and I are completely pooped.

I have to console myself with the sale at the LOFT and the redneck pool.  At least I have moved down a pant size.