The things you can learn at pre-school

At our house, we use the word "toot" when someone does a certain bodily function. "Ha Ha, somebody tooted" or "Daddies have the stinkiest toots." Today, in the bath, I commented when Audrey tooted. Ali informs me, however, "in the Panda class (classes at her schools have animal names) they don't call it that, they call it a fart."

I'm so glad we switched the girls to that nice church pre-school.

On-line angst

Facebook is my new obession. I have to resist the temptation to check my page when at work. Speaking of work, though, some of my new friends are also people I supervise, which I have a sinking feeling will somehow lead to something terrible.

My newest Facebook conundrum: Rejecting friends. Is it possible to "ignore" a friend request? Example, dorky dude from high school that finds me 15 years later in cyberspace. I rationalize that if I ignored someone for 10 years through out elementary, middle and high school, is it any surprise I would continue that practice?

Another problem, breaking up with friends on Facebook. Like, are you allowed to kick someone out of your friend circle? When you first start Facebook, you're all greedy about your new friends--confirm, confirm, confirm. Then, just like the boys you "dated" in college, you wish you had been more selective. There is one early confirmed friend that I have (no one that would read this blog) who clearly has a more social cyber life than real life. He/she is so busy on Facebook, it totally clogs up my newsfeed. Do I really care which TV fan groups this person joined? Do I care what he/she thinks about every photo all of his/her other friends posted? (I just realized that while I am trying to protect this person's identity, I don't have any guy friends.)

For now, I guess I will will be more selective and ignore people that I would normally ignore in real life, and just tolerate those who think we are friends. Ah, Facebook really is like real life!

Texas Riveria

"What's that smell?!?" And so began our brief vacation in Galveston. My kids really like the idea of "the beach" better than the reality. Ali's always talking about "going to the beach!" But the first time we took her, she refused to put her feet in the sand. When we made her stand in it, she promptly vomited.

This time around was much better. No vomiting. In fact, Audrey truly does seem to like it. Ali doesn't love it, but managed to tolerate it. Of course, minutes after wading in to the ocean, er Gulf, she starting bawling about water in her eyes. "It burns! IT BURNS!!!" That's just the oil residue, honey. Don't worry.

All in all, it was a good dress rehearsal for our multi-day trip to Port Aransas with the Bramszewski's in September.

Great motivation tool or compulsive shopper?

Target has done me in again. As I was killing my lunch hour, I strolled through the ladies' workout apparel. That's when it hit me, what I need is to spend lots of money on snazzy new workout clothes. Mind you, the last time I worked out, we had two fewer (less?) people in our family. So what! This is what has been holding me back, I decide.

I bought two stretchy, brightly colored, "breatheable" (does that mean I will be able to breath better when I'm wearing them) shirts and a brightly colored workout bra. I guess the color-coordinated bra will be important when I take off my shirt at the gym.

To justify my purchase, I went for a walk/trot tonight. My feet hurt now, so I probably need to buy some new high dollar tenny shoes!

If only they acted this sweet

Here are a couple of recent pictures from our photo session. It is amazing how sweet they can look. My girls are such good actors!

Faithful defenders!

Everyone knows I gripe and gripe about Jack and Jasmine. The bark too much, they dig up the yard. They chew the fence. They poop a least 10x what they eat. Today, though, they earned their keep. I'm sitting in the living room watching "Georgia Rule" (LiLo, Jane Fonda--it was a slow afternoon) with Audrey (I have no doubt Audrey will make LiLo look like a total angel in 15 years). Anyway, the dogs just start going at it. I look at the window to scream at them. They look like they are barking at each other, but it's different. They're barking at something on the ground. I leave Audrey inside and go check it out. From the deck, I can see this huge (at least a couple of feet long) python!!! Well, it looked like a python to me.

The snake is hissing at the dogs. I assess the situation from the deck. I'm screaming at the dogs to get away, but also "kill it, kill it!!!" I don't want them to get bitten by a poisonous snake, but I don't want it in the yard. I know sure as $hit I'm not getting down there to kill it. Of course, this is the one day in the ten years we've been married (I am not exaggerating) that Mark went into the office on a Sunday.

I think that maybe I can scare it off if I can spray it with the hose, but the hose is connected to the sprinkler. So I reel in the hose and start throwing the sprinkler at the snake. I think I hit it, maybe once. I finally get the dogs into the patio. Jasmine was pretty easy to corral--she must not like snakes, either. But Jack would have none of it. He was barking and was not going to let that snake get away. I finally shoo him away far enough from the snake that I'm comfortable getting to him, and drag him inside.

Now, I'm not sure what to do. I pick up Audrey, as if we are both sanding feet from a poisonous viper, instead of the safety of our kitchen. I run out the front, down the street to our neighbor. I pick our most manly, brave neighbor, Gary. Gary comes down to our yard with his shovel, but by the time he and his brother-in-law get there, the snake has escaped. At least I hope it has escaped.

So, while I bad-mouth my dogs all the time, I feel like today they really tried to protect their family. While nothing probably would have happened--after I described the snake to Gary, he concluded it was rat snake or garden snake that we shouldn't kill (thus I hope I did not break its back with the sprinkler)--I still think it was brave of my dogs.

So tonight, they get to bark for free. No yelling. Who knows it really could be a python this time!