Bus Visitor

Michael has been working so late in the bus.  Last night he was there way past midnight, but he was not alone.  As he was running wires for the electrical system, he saw a little creature from the side of his eye.  He grabbed him and put him in the kitchen for the kids and me to find the next morning.

After the kids and I observed him for a few minutes, we took him outside to set him free.

Despite his the abolishment of his boundaries, he did not move.  Instead he made a movement ... a bowel movement.  He must have been too freaked out to do anything else.

Bored, we left him and went inside the house.  When we went out again, he had left,  I bet that's the last time he'll visit the bus!

9th Wedding Anniversary

Michael and I celebrated 9 years of marriage at a fancy restaurant named Bern's Steakhouse!  The kids were well-behaved.  I mean ... they did raise their voices when either said something funny but they made a valiant effort to be mini adults for 2-1/2 hours.

After dinner,  We toured the kitchen and wine cellar.   The finale was an ascent to the upstairs dessert room where we all indulged our sweet teeth.  

Simone and Max unknowingly provided much entertainment that night.  

I had ordered for Max a plate of carrot fries, which were delicious and sweet - much like sweet potato fries.  Max bit one and quietly put it on my plate.  After I showed him I had tried it and liked it I said to him, "MMM!  Aren't these fries delicious?"  He responded, "They're hopeless."

Simone and Max were talking and we caught a snippet of Max lamenting his height.  "I wish I were taller because then I could reach the bookshelf."  

Simone entertained us and a few fellow patrons within earshot, but at my expense.  The room seemed to quiet down and she punctured the silence with this inquiry, "Mommy ... when are you going to get a job?"  I explained that taking care of her and Max were my job and she seemed unphased.  All she knew was that Daddy was paying for the bill.  Aahhhh kids.

Favorite Subject

I asked Simone what her favorite subject in school is and she said ...

"Lunch."

The Kool Aid Guy

We went to the market this morning, as we do almost every Monday morning.  While carting Max through the aisles, he blurted out, "Fat Kid!!!"  I was perplexed and horrified that he was calling out an obese child nearby.  Luckily it was just this guy ...

Max Rides a Bike!

I left the kids with Michael to take a solitary bike ride.  When I returned, Michael said that Max had a surprise for me.  At first he gave me a flower and I thought that was it.  No ...  He had a bigger surprise in store for me!

Muddy Kids

After it rains, the kids are excited to play in the aftermath.  They know that I don't like them to play in the mud let alone bathe in it.  But they are attracted to nature and all the dirt it offers.  (The strange sound that you hear in the video is not your computer having a heart attack.  It's background noise of our air compressor periodically turning on.)

The kids soon asked for a shower after these pictures because the sun was setting and they were shivering from their wet selves.

Farmers and Painters

The other weekend, we visited our friends Dick and Nettie who have bought a piece of property one hour north of where we live.  While Michael helped them paint the interiors of their house, the kids helped paint a unsightly boat that the previous owners had abandoned in their front yard.  

Needless to say, they had a great time getting dirty and painting on such a humongous canvas.

The neighbor kid also joined in the fun.  They had such a great time with Gaby that Max was quite irate when we had to leave several hours later.  

Here they are in action.