Here is a little post script to the last entry…

It’s a film Emma (AKA Cinematic Genius) made that she calls…

…DUN DUN DUN…

The Sad Ending of Peanutbutter the Cat. 

Enjoy.

UGH!  It used to just be the little next door neighbor BOYS that would hang out in our yard, or sometimes just walk in our back door unannounced. They would always be there stalking poor Jacob every time he would carefully and oh-so-quietly slide the back door open. 

And now it’s their CAT too???!  OY VEY. 

Earlier in the summer, I redid our flower beds in the front of the house laid down some of the stuff that is supposed to repel the weeds and then put some nice mulch out.  It looks quite nice, if I do say so myself.

Well, apparently Peanut Butter, the cat, thinks it’s quite nice too…AS A LITTER BOX!  Not only that, but the cat seems to make himself right at home—under my car, lounging on my driveway, relaxing in my bushes or out in the yard.  I find myself getting more and more annoyed.  Dang, at least the little boys don’t take a dump in my mulch.

SIGH.

Then on Saturday afternoon, I was sitting in the front room of our house, at the computer desk, talking on the phone with my sweet friend Lisa P. (hollaaaa!). All of a sudden, I look out the window and I see him. 

Caught him red handed copping a squat in the mulch around the dinky tree in my front yard!

Still on the phone, I bolt out the front door, like a raving lunatic, shouting and shoo-ing the cat in mid squat.  He runs off, of course.  I mean, wouldn’t you if some crazy person was coming at you like that?

I smile in satisfaction at my success, and then, I look up. 

A couple of houses down the street, I see three of my neighbors (not the cat owners) have enjoyed the show as well.  

You know I DO try to bring joy to my friends and neighbors.  SO embarrassing. Oh well.

I’m not going to lie.  I have had some ill will towards Peanut Butter in recent days.  I even consulted my friend Google on“how to keep cats out of your flower bed”.  I guess I don’t want to *really* hurt him.  But I do want him to go away.  Sadly, I am too wimpy to go to the neighbors themselves and say, “hey, your cat is a…nuisance”.  I could secretly call animal control.  But then, I’d feel all guilty.

For now, I’m just putting some orange slices out in the flower bed and around my tree.  Google told me that cats dislike citrus. 

I hope Google is right.  Cause, I’d hate for something bad to happen to the kitty.

But, you didn’t hear that from me.

 

The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leaves us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!

~from Robert Burns’ poem To A Mouse

Today’s plan WAS to include some sort of cleaning/straightening up around the casa.  Somehow that hasn’t yet happened.  Could be the cleats that I had to go all over creation to find for Emma took WAY longer than I had budgeted time-wise.  Now I’m just feeling lazy after a long week.  And what I really want to do is just go lie on the couch and watch the crazy housewives of Atlanta or a marathon of Bridezillas or CSI or some other brainless TV.  Go ahead and laugh, but you know you want to do the same thing.

I spent the majority of today with Emma (who is awesome) and her friend Kayla (who loves the 80s and all it’s music and has a very dry wit—digging that kid!  She knows the lyrics to Prince’s “When Doves Cry”…I’m not kidding!)  They are both 11.  We were shopping around looking for the elusive cleats for Emma.  Softball has started back up and the cleats I bought for her (for seven dollars on clearance) last spring from Wally World don’t fit her anymore??!  I was astounded when she went to put them on last week and they were too tight.  My kids are growing like weeds, I tell you! 

I measured Jacob and Emma in mid-June…just a couple of months ago…and Jacob was 5’3 3/4”.  I measured Jacob on Tuesday of this week (we are following his height and weight as part of his PE for school) and he was 5’5”!!!  Okay, let’s do the math people.  That means my child has grown 1 1/4” in 2 months time!  At that rate, he’s going to be like 6’ by next summer!  Keep in mind, his daddy is about 5’8 1/2” on a tall day.  I’m about 5’ 7 1/2” myself, but dang!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s growing.  For a long time, he walked around saying he was going to be a midget (his word, not mine, I realize it is not PC)!   Granted, he stayed the same height for years it seemed!  But now he may very well become the Jolly Green Giant!  Not something I had exactly planned on.  But, hey, you just never know!

I hear the couch calling, so I’m going to answer.  The dishes will get done when they get done!  I have a strong suspicion that they aren’t going anywhere.

 

“My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot.”  ~Ashleigh Brilliant

Just as a preface…all summer, I SWORE I’d get back to blog land…I am NOT a quitter, after all.  Obviously, that never happened.  The few readers that would drop by here from time to time may have quit ME though…can’t really blame you.  Some vacay I’ve had.  Last blog was May-something?  Sad, very sad.  No REAL excuse for my absence, just seems like life has gotten in the way.

Moving on.

I have landed at a place in my life where I never thought I would.  In fact, not only did I THINK I never would, I also SAID I never would.  You know how they say that word “never” will come back and bite you in the butt???  Yeah, well, they are right.

As of August 17th, I am the proud mother of a high schooler and a middle schooler.  When I had my babies, and they were my little cuddly, yummy, sweeties, I never spent any time really thinking about the fact that they would actually GROW UP!  I never imagined myself here in this stage of life.  It’s kinda freaked me out a little.

But, occasionally, some speeding, out of control trains are overlooked by our friend Superman, and they speed on toward you with no hope of ever being stopped!

SIGH.

And so here I stand, on the tracks, staring dead in the face of that train as it barrels down the tracks in my direction.

Enough with the analogy already.

SO, Emma has now spent a full week at her new school.  And she is loving it!  SHWEW!  So glad.  She is concerned that she doesn’t really have any friends yet. But I feel sure that is short-lived.  She has handled it all like such a champ.  Do y’all feel my proud mama vibes?

Jacob has also spent a full week at his new school.  And so have I.  Because, as it turns out, I am his teacher.  Yes, we have made the head-long jump into the world of homeschooling (AKA the thing I said I’d “never” do).  I never saw it coming—well, not until a few months ago anyway—and yet, here I am.  Here WE are.  Our front room has been transformed into a “schoolroom”, complete with maps, textbooks and whiteboard.  It has been the most exhausting and the most rewarding week I’ve had in years.  No lie.  That kid is one amazing kid.  Can’t wait to see what we learn this year, and I don’t just mean academically.

I’ll keep y’all posted.