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So, I'm starting to feel human again! The mushy brain syndrome is gone and I'm able to think once more. I almost wish I weren't! I've been trying to get all this stuff put AWAY when it never had a place it belonged to begin with... I hate that! And I'm fighting the squirrels like crazy now! They used to be cute! Well... they still are cute... but they won't SHARE! They chase the birds away from the bird food! I'm more than HAPPY to feed the squirrels too... but I want them to play nice!!! They don't "get" the whole play nice thing. And then there's the whole part about ME trying to outsmart them... only instead they keep outsmarting ME! I'm not crazy about being outsmarted by a squirrel. I'm pretty sure their brains are smaller than mine and I should win! (I'm not 100% certain on that... but it's what I believe...) Anyway... I've decided to pray about the squirrels - and already God is laughing out LOUD at me! HE thinks it's totally ludicrous that I feel the urge to put food out there for the squirrels OR the birds considering HE has the whole nature thing all worked out! HE thinks I'm trying to produce overweight wildlife... He's probably right... but still... I don't have flowers... and so I have to do SOMETHING to draw them to my yard. Food seems to work... if they will just SHARE!

It looks like my Luzi Goose is going to be having her BIG number 5 birthday party at NANA's house! Honestly I have to tell you this was not MY plan! As a matter of fact... it never in a million years occurred to me that MY house would EVER see a child's birthday party again! Nope. This was 100% her mother's planning! ( i didn't raise any idiots... 6 kids, cake crumbs, ketchup and pool water - let's do this at Mom's House!!!) So Amanda emails me and says the party is on Sunday, August 16th -- 2:30 p.m. -- I planned it for later in the day so it won't interfere with your church Mom! (that was kind!) I'll be over on Saturday night to bring the decorations and the cake and the food and the slip and slide! (oh... okay!) Well... Amanda keeps trying to get Luz to LIKE a slip and slide! She bought one last year and we set it up on the back hill -- let's call it suicide hill for short, okay? We turned the water on, and Luz in all the intelligence that a 4 year old can muster, took one look at the pink Dora slide and said "No. I'm NOT stepping on that!" The child has way more sense than ANY of the adults in her world! We'll SEE what happens with this years attempt! I understand that the Texas Triplets MAY be more daring than our Luz.... sometimes one child can influence another's behavior... not usually in Luz's case... but we'll see! I'm fillin' up the pool in the front yard -- in that almost semi flat spot - just in case.

Truth be told, Amanda ASKED me before she made all the plans ... well okay - she ASKED me BEFORE she sent out the invitations! And originally she had it planned for Saturday - but I asked her to check and make sure Krysti would be able to make it -- and the date was moved to accomodate Krysti! Krys gets very sad when all these family happenings go on and she can't get off work or out of school to attend them. So, if there is ANY way to work it so that she can be here, I like to do that. She will already be missing a lot of what goes on with the Texas kids... This is the HARD part about having kids grow up and start lives of their own. They WANT their own lives - and we WANT them to have them... but they still want IN on each other's lives too! I'm tellin' ya ... I need to buy a cul-de-sac!

Now... I wonder which meme or game or photo thing I'm forgetting THIS time...