Random Is as Random Does

Summer has officially started and we have house guests.  I'm finding it hard to keep up with everything, get the kids to their respective activities AND write on my beloved blog. I'll try to get more organized.  After 13 years as a mother, you'd think I would be prepared for the Summer Chaos, but it sneaks up on me every time.

One really wonderful development is that it looks like Ana (13) is going to be attending the same academically advanced private school that Jane (10) attends next year. I'm so excited for Ana; she's THRILLED, and although we may be eating cornflakes for dinner as we pay for two kids in private school, I LIKE cornflakes. It's a win all around. We're going through the application process now, but it looks like everything is good to go, barring any other economic disasters. I'll keep you posted.

Yeah, she really is THAT beautiful.  And THAT smart.

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It turns out that my husband and I are not the only ones with a Mixed-Towel-Ethic Marriage. Check out this post by The Bloggess. It made me realize that my husband and I are very formal and serious when we argue. I have never once called him names, nor bought a five-foot chicken in retaliation for anything. (Although I confess that now I kind of want one. Wouldn't be hilarious if after all I did to remove the freakin' roosters from this house, I now replaced them with CHICKENS?) (Well, hilarious in a Mental Illness kind of way, I mean.)

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Edward has taken to lying on my computer desk when I'm working.

As you can imagine, I hate this --NOT.  Although, it's really hampering any kind of production, and I really didn't need any other distractions.

Look!  How smart!  Edward caught a MOUSE!

I know it's a slippery slope and I am probably becoming one of those sad cat women, destined to die alone in a studio apartment, surrounded by my 125 cats, but holy COW, I so love that cat. I was thinking the other day that if more people behaved like Edward (not the catching chipmunks thing, but the sheer single-minded devotion he displays to me, his Person), the world would be full of happy, purring people. His entire attitude is, "Why yes, I am the most gorgeous creature on this planet and many bow down before me, but I choose YOU.  I will now follow you around and curl up in the crook of your arm any time you lie down and I will purr my Mighty Purr only for you."  Because of this attitude, I am willing to forgive an awful lot. I could forgive him a giant chicken, I really could.

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I am very fortunate this year to have my enthusiastic co-Farmer in the form of one Jane Cooper. She's primarily in charge of harvesting and she takes her job VERY seriously.

I would love to tell you that Jane goes out to garden before she's even changed out of her pajamas but the truth is that during the summer, every day is pretty much Pajama Day in Jane's world. I'm fine with that.

First cucumber and carrots.

Snow peas!

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In other Jane news: Jane played softball for the first time this year and it turns out that she's fantastic at it and she LOVES it. Now she practices all the time in the back yard, which means we have to bring the dogs inside because they keep fetching (and slobbering all over) her softballs.

Here's a little slide show from yesterday:


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Earlier this week, an enterprising spider built a web between my car and the lamp post.

I totally understand the impulse and the futility.  I'd like to build a huge spider web to catch these fleeting days.