Garden

Last night we were driving home and I spotted this fence in someone's garbage can at the curb.  I wanted it for our garden, so we hauled it home.  Today I untangled it and spread it out, and guess what?  It's the exact perfect size to fit our garden.  This shouldn't surprise me, because God is that amazing.

While I was working on the fence, Marty was enjoying the tiny sprouts of catnip that are just starting to come up.  Looks like the fence's main purpose will be keeping her out until the catnip is bigger.

She went nuts on it, licking it, chewing it, digging it up, rolling around in it.

I ended up fencing her in while I was putting the fence up.  Here she is, all doped up on catnip, trying to push the fence over.

Killer sleep

Finally slept 7 hours in a row last night, first time in months. But it was marred by a dream that everyone I met was trying to kill me. There was one person I trusted through the whole ordeal, and he ended up trying to kill me. The police finally showed up, but guess what? Yep, they tried to kill me. Everyone was throwing things at me, and when they ran out of weapons like knives and rocks, they threw flour and sugar. I told Mike about the dream this morning, and he said, "How did you survive? Were you some kind of ninja or something?"

Sex and laundry

My mom gave Noah a new shirt, and he's so obsessed with it that he's worn it every day for three days.  I told him he had to take it off and give it to Sarah, because she was going to start a load of laundry (because it's her week; I'm not a chauvinist!).  He reluctantly peeled it off and handed it to her, and she held it at arm's length with one finger.  She said, "Ewww, it's gross" and Noah replied, "Yeah, that's how I hold your underwear when I do laundry.  I guess the clothes of the opposite sex are gross."  Sarah said, "Why are you talking about making sex? That's even grosser!"  Noah rolled his eyes and said patiently, "Oh Sarah.  Just wait till you get to be my age and Mom makes you read the puberty book.  Then you'll know way more about sex than you ever wanted."

New leaf

I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.  I want to be a kinder, gentler mom, who doesn't speak angry, critical words to my kids.  When I hear them talking to each other in mean, impatient voices, I know it's because they've heard the same thing from me.  I love being a mom, but sometimes I do more enduring than enjoying.  Now that CBS is over for the summer, I started a new Bible study with myself called "The Power of Motherhood".  It's so good and helpful.  I started it yesterday, and today I made the no-turning-back decision to turn over that leaf.  I was determined to guard my words and my tone of voice.  

Things started out well.  I looked at my children and smiled at them.  I told them I was thankful for the privilege of being their mother.  I went outside and played frisbee with them before school.  When they messed up, I quietly and pleasantly corrected them.  I noticed a difference in them after having been treated this way for only one morning, and I was encouraged (and convicted at the same time).  I forget how powerful a mother's influence and attitude is on children and what a huge responsibility I have to influence them for good.

Sarah offered to go inside and make Noah a sandwich.  I was basking in the sweetness of it, when she came running back outside, bleeding and saying, "I had an accident!"  She told me that she had dropped my cheesecake on the floor.  I asked her if my nice glass pie pan had broken, and she said no, and I was relieved.  Then she added, "It just cracked a little bit into a few pieces.  It didn't shatter all over like last time."  When I came in the house, this was the scene I found:

 

She bandaged up her own foot (with toilet paper and string!) while I cleaned the mess.  Of course the devil knew about my new leaf, so he started fighting back.  Thankfully, I won this time and remained calm.  I was even able to laugh, thanks to Noah.  He followed me in, saw the mixture of cheesecake, glass, and blood on the floor, and said, "I'm sorry for your loss, Mom."   He's been well-trained in sympathy by being dragged to too many funerals!

Stinky shampoo

I bought this bottle of shampoo, because it was on clearance, marked down to dirt cheap.  You'll soon see the irony.  The first time I used it, I realized why it was on clearance.  Notice it says "with eucalyptus & olive leaf extract" which is fancy for "dead mouse in a moldy field of rotting potatoes", which is what it smells like.  I hold my breath as long as I can while I'm using it, and if I must breathe, I take quick breaths through my mouth.  Then I have to slather good-smelling conditioner on my hair to cover up the stench.  I dread washing my hair every day, but can't bring myself to throw away the shampoo, because does lather up nicely and clean my hair.  Thankfully, it's almost gone.  Didn't anyone do a quality control test on this stuff before they sold it? 

Sarah's famous living room shows

Sarah loves to perform "shows" in the living room.  She always has.  She seats us in the audience and then lets loose with singing, dancing, gymnastics, or whatnot.  Here are scenes from the latest show:

Having been to hundreds of these shows over the years, the audience sometimes loses focus....

Even Snickers dozed off.

Siding

The south side is finished!