Monday, August 28, 2006

An important Public Service Announcement...


This is your brain on grass...

This is your brain about to get stomped on by giant, maniacal 8 year old.
Any questions??





This damn thing was growing on our lawn. Cailyn pointed it out the other day when we pulled into the driveway. "MOMMY!" she annouces so quietly and calmly. "THERE'S A GIANT MUSHROOM ON OUR LAWN!"

Sure, honey...

In my defense, my kids can weave a tall tale like few others I know. As a result, some days it's hard to tell when their stories are factual reports or just a crock of shit.

Well, apparently Mother Nature took a chapter out of Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and planted it right in my yard. After my daughter's repeated insistence, I went to check out the thing after dinner.

Me: (examining the toxic waste 'shroom) Holy shit, Jon! Come check it out!
Jon: (comes out front door and stares downward) That's.....
Me: (swears it's throbbing at her feet) a brain! Look at it!!!
(Jon laughs it off at first, but upon closer inspection gets a look of slight horror and recognition)
Jon: Well, that' where I left it....

Jon wanted to know if we should get rid of it.

"Hell, yeah! Before it consumes our home and sucks out our brains for nourishment!" I shout. Ok, so maybe I do know where my kids get the talent of exaggeration...

Big, strong, brave DH goes to the back porch to get a shovel. We figured that it would just break apart when he dug it up. Instead, it comes out fully intact...

You see why I was a little concerned?

Jon lifted it on the shovel and tossed it among the brush between us and our neighbors. We heard a loud thud and I swear the ground shook a little...

"Well," Jon says. "There goes a month's worth of salad for ya, babe."

For a moment, I thought of rooting in the shrubs for the wild vegetable...the Fryeburg Fair is coming up and I think I would have had a great chance at a blue ribbon.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

We return to your regularly scheduled program...

I've returned from a month-long, unintentional break from the blog. Apparently, having two children at home for the summer cuts into computer time. Fortunately, they go back to school a week from today. Seven more days of being the entertainment coordinator/referee 24 hours a day.

I shouldn't complain, though. Overall, the girls have been good. They haven't killed each other, nor have I had to offer an offspring sacrifice to the summer gods. Between that and not having to up my meds, I consider that a success.

We just returned from a 10-day road trip to New York, Ohio and Vermont. Over the next few days, I'll share some of our "adventures" from our vacation. From the visit with the in-laws, to weddings and firedancers, and even to our run in with a fleabag hotel, it was a week and a half of ups and downs.

I was hoping for a "vacation from our vacation" this week. However, once the people I've freelanced for in the past discovered that not only was I back from vacation, but also that the girls were soon returning to school, they decided that it was high time I got off my lazy ass and got back to work after taking the summer "off". LOL So, work has kept me running the past 3 days. And, honestly, I'm glad. I've missed it.

Speaking of work, I need to get back to it. I'll try to post story #1 from our trip later on today. :)