Thank Goodness (Again) For Chaos

The other night we had dinner at some friends' house. They were very brave to invite our family, along with another family of four with similarly aged children, even though the hosts don't have children themselves.

Our hostess was an adorable young lady who was dressed very cute and fashionably in jeans and a multicolored top. The top was strapless, but not immodest.

Sophie: Mama, why is a part of her naked in the front and a part of her naked in the back?

So, so thankful there were four kids running around at the time and the hostess did not hear!

The Capers of Canine Cohabitation

My mom is an animal magnet. But particularly an injured- or orphaned-animal magnet. (It extends to humans too - just ask anyone in our family.)

So during her recent visit, it was no surprise when I was greeted after work by two bouncing and highly excited youngsters babbling something about a box in the garage. My eyes narrowed. I've seen Mom's boxes before. They've contained the nearly unimaginable; for example, two ferrets found on the roadside and once, a newborn goat.

I was relieved on this occasion to find something relatively innocuous - two tiny rabbits - and to hear assurances that the kids understood they were to be set free after my viewing. One bunny was injured after having been pulled from the jaws of one of the most gentle dogs on the planet, whose grace and patience apparently do not extend to the hare family, not even the youngest specimens.


After I expressed an appropriate (or near appropriate, at least) degree of admiration for the captives, we made our best effort at reuniting them with their mother by releasing them where she was last sighted.

Later, to our relief, the rabbit family was seen together again.

Still later, unfortunately, a small, lifeless body was found in our yard, probably due to canine-inflicted injuries sustained before our intervention.

And still later, another casualty was sighted, probably due to canine-inflicted injuries sustained after our intervention.

Our only consolations were that perhaps there were more than two in the litter, and even if not, they are rabbits, for crying out loud. Surely there will be more!

You Say Tomato...

Sophie is now conjugating verbs in that cute preschooler way, uncovering all the inconsistencies of our language.

Sophie: I runned in here, Mama!

Mom: You ran in here?

Sophie: I say 'runned'... Mama, you say 'ran', and I say 'runned'.

A Liberal View of Citizenship

Will is working on learning the Pledge of Allegiance:

...And to the 'Reprublic'
For which it stands
Dalmation
Under God
'Individible'
With Liberty and Justice for All.

More Beach Pictures

Favorite Beach Pictures

Girls Gone Wild!

While Destin is usually a family-friendly place, when we were there over Memorial Day weekend, we had a few run-ins with some college kids who weren't exactly on their best behavior. Quite a bit of alcohol was involved. Alcohol + bikinis + rap music + hot tub = spectacle attracting even the attention of the most innocent preschooler.

Will: Look, Mom, they have "Coke" cans lined up all the way around the pool!

Sophie: Mama, do you know what those big girls were doing?

Mama (knowing this is going to be good): No, what?

Sophie (with eyes as big as saucers): Those big girls were dancing... and Mama?

Mama: Yes?

Sophie: Those big girls were touching their bottoms!

Um, yeah. Not sure what parenting class was supposed to teach me how to proceed with this conversation, but I guess I missed it. So much for protecting the innocents.

(Pictures of our vacation will follow soon. Please note, these will be pictures of our family only - don't check back expecting any dancing girls over the age of 4!)