tidbits

Our dog Jack really likes it if I open up the sliding glass door just enough for him to stand in the doorway and look out, smelling the fresh air, taking in the view without the glass in the way, knowing that if he sees something, he can react immediately- rather than waiting for me to open the door after he has seen something. If I wander away and then he wanders away, the door remains open and I hear Samuel yell, will someone please close the outside door? It's cold! That's the thing, dogs don't usually remember to close the outside door.

Eva asked me today which I wanted more, a real live penguin or an aromatherapy bear. This is not something I have thought about before and I told her I wasn't sure- I would have to give it some thought. She said she would rather have a real live penguin because, after all, she already had an aromatherapy bear. How true!

After watching Peep this morning, Eva told me that during the show, Quack had made a snow duck. He was so excited to show everyone the snow duck. Sadly, no one was able to see the snow duck before it melted and became a water duck, as it were. At the end of the show, Quack had reconciled this and was singing a song about how wonderful it was to have so much water for a duck. Ducks love puddles! After telling me the story, Eva was so pleased and said, "Quack was actually showing how you can be happy even if you don't get to do what you wanted to do." How very unconditional!

Today the kids are having "Animal Day!" This means they have a game set up outside with several dozen stuffed animals, Santa is playing the keyboard (jingle bells, twinkle twinkle, that sort of thing), and Samuel is trying to prop up Water Baby near the pool so that she can be hit into the pool. I confess that when I walk by a kiddie pool filled with wet floating stuffed animals it is hard for me not to assess the situation in terms of laundry, as in- how much laundry will there be today...For now, though, they are having fun and I am going to finish the first sleeve for Eva's cardigan! Eva is eating her second batch of asparagus. Life is good.

I just checked out Animal Day and it looks good- there is a little something for everyone. Jousting, music, sandwiches, a cafe, seating by the pool, dunk 'em games...



You can see from this photo that someone is going to be pushed into the water. Just a matter of time.