MISCELLENEA

Handy Man didn't have to work this morning, so in an unsual turn of events, I have no real explanation for, we didn't wake up unit Drummer Boy was knocking on the door to drop off Buttercup at 9 am. We were both sound asleep.

She stayed and played until about noon. She and Pappy discovered a new swinging game that she remained interested in long after Pappy's arms had given out.Swing low, sweet Butter cup!

She says Gramerly like Mamalee. So cute.

1st Lt and Ceece are still sunning themselves in Cabo somewhere today. Rae-rae picked up Bean and Bugg at their Oma's and brought them by to get Bugg's nite-nite and carseats. Bean told me his Oma fixed him eggs, but she didn't know how to fix them like I did, so, he told her.

I said, "What did you tell her?" He replied, "Put a little butter in the pan, mix the egg in, add pepper." Too funny.

Speaking of eggs, I thought we were past strange eggs when the girls got into the egg laying habit. Obviously not. We found this teeny tiny one. Bugg said it was a princess egg. I don't know if it means fit for a princess, or there is a princess growing inside.

Either way, she thought it worth smiling over.

We had a big time coloring this afternoon after building with Michael. Rae-rae and Bugg were creating moats and castles, while Bean and I did battle illustrations. I put an alligator in my picture and when Bean asked me why I said, "Remember what they used the alligator for at the Battle of New Orleans?"

I couldn't believe when Bugg piped up " We fired our canons till the barrel melted down," At which point we all joined in, "so we grabbed an alligator and we fought another round." Bean goes, " Oh yeah, that's when they put the powder in it's butt." Uh,huh, that's the story.

He wasn't terribly interested in writing or coloring for a long time. Now he is. I'm very pleased at his detail. Do you see the green alligator with bumps on the left, just below the halfway mark? There are two American fighters powdering it's behind while the Redcoats look on. They are fighting all over those green hills. There's a black cannon, and a flying cannon ball. Just above the cannon ball is a Redcoats head that was in fact, knocked off by said cannon ball. I told Rae-rae that a picture like this will land my five year old in the school counselor's office. But, it is what it is - war ain't pretty.

Then he did a picture of a big whale and a whaling ship with Bean himself as the captain. He colored in the whales head to show three hundred gallons of oil. A happy afternoon.