The Missing Bookmark

Olivia and I sat down to finish Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this evening and found that the bookmark had been pulled out of the book. Christian's kitten likes to chew on anything that moves, or looks like it might move, so we suspect that the bookmark had become a chew toy.

But, never fear! Olivia grabbed the book, started flipping through it and said, "Good old me! I know exactly where we were!"

Update From The Daddy

I thought today was notable enough to require an update from me, the king.

Today, the princess and prince went fishing, I drove, setup lines, baited hooks, removed fish from hooks, untangled lines, and generally kept everyone alive. This being Olivia's first time, the fun all started when I woke up this morning before the sun. I stepped out of my room and noticed that the princess was up before me. She had come down, with a pile of clothes to change into, and lay on the couch waiting for me. Not asleep though. She sat up ready to go as soon as I tip-toed by. I think she might have been excited.

So, skipping past all the prep, let's get to the story. We drove to a little lake nearby and dropped our lines in the water...nothing happened. Baited hook after baited hook went in, empty hook after empty hook came out. We fed a lot of fish, but none of them wanted to feed us. Meanwhile, Christian was doing fine, "Hey Dad look, I caught another one." I became discouraged. Olivia did not. She insisted that while there was bait, we were staying. Then it happened. She dropped her line. She had a nibble. Yank! Reel! "I got it! I got it! Daddy Brother Look!" She was so excited. She was so happy. Then she saw the hook. Now I'm not saying she won't go fishing again, but she certainly felt bad for that fish. Well, we got the hook out and I handed her the fish. It dropped to the ground and wriggled back into the water. At that point, the prince spoke up, "Dad, maybe you should have taken a picture." He's so lucky he's royalty too.

Anyway, the fishing ended well and the victorious sportsfolk went to ye Denny's to celebrate. After eating a ridiculous amount of food, we proceeded to the one-armed bandit known as the toy crane. Olivia has always liked to feed it a dollar or so as we leave. I think she worries that it might go hungry without her money. She certainly never gets anything out of it. Lo and behold, today proved that the fish was not a fluke. She "caught" her very first toy; a hideous red and white lion that I'm sure she will cherish for years.

More victorious than before, we returned home. Where we learned that today is just her day. Olivia played Guitar Hero and unlocked a new guitar. Anyone care to guess the name of it? It was "The Fish".

It's always crazy with a new baby in the house

Our new baby is a seven-week-old ball of fluff that has yet to be named. Christian arrived for his June stay with us with a kitten in tow. This is Olivia's first time to have a kitten, and she is mesmerized. We all are. As I type, he is upside down between me and a couch pillow, watching me type. Every once in a while, he takes a swipe at my fingers, then runs away sideways, sort of hopping up and down as he goes. Then he comes back and takes a long drink from my glass of water. (Then, I go put that glass in the dishwasher, get a fresh one, and start the cycle all over.)

Still, it's great to have a kitten in the house. Wicka was almost a year old when I got him. I can't remember the last time I had a kitten around, so I'm as giddy over this little guy as Olivia is.

Wicka, however, is less giddy. Considerably less giddy. So much less giddy that it seems inappropriate to even use the word "giddy" in the same sentence with "Wicka". But, ever the trooper, he has soldiered on, only hissing in self-defense since the kitten sees Wicka's tail as a fascinating feathered toy.

It is going to be a little sad for us (well, not for Wicka) when June ends and this little guy goes to live with Christian full-time. We are getting attached to him but, in some ways, this has that great feeling of spoiling someone else's child and then sending him home to his parents.

And I can do that with reckless abandon because I am sure that no one would ever do the same to me.

Am I adorable?

Max took Olivia to her first gymnastics class today. She wore a black leotard with a rainbow colored skirt over it, and her hair in ponytails. Max said that everyone there thought her skirt was really cute. I asked if they thought she was adorable, and she said, "I don't know. Nobody said to me, and I didn't think of asking"

Tooth Fairy, be on alert!

We have another tooth that is just about to fall out! The tooth on the other side of her new bottom teeth is dangling by a thread. I give it a few days at most. I write this as much as a reminder to the Austin tooth fairy as to anyone else, because she has been known to flutter around Austin at midnight looking for a suitable reward. And we all know how good Krispy Kreme sounds at midnight when the light is on.

Adorable Wicka

Wicka was dozing in the warm sun by the back door, and Christian reached out and rubbed him with his foot. Wicka woke up and stretched, and looked at Christian like "please come love me". I laughed and said, "Wow, that look says come love on me, adore me, cuddle me, doesn't it?"

Olivia was at the table eating a sandwich and said, "Mom, is it OK if I adore Wicka after I finish my sandwich?"

Hugs and Charlie

Yesterday was a crazy busy day. Margarita and I went yard sale shopping (I need a whole 'nother blog to tell about all my bargains!), Olivia had friends over, Christian is here, I had to get groceries, etc. So, after dinner last night, I realized that I hadn't sat and held her or hugged her all day. I looked at her and said, "Olivia, I don't think I've had a hug all day". She said, "WELL! Let me just take care of that!" and threw herself into my arms for a big bear hug.

After that, I read a few more chapters of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to her. I had started reading it Thursday night, amid many Royal protests that she was NOT interested, even if it WAS about chocolate. By the end of the first chapter, she was hooked. (Well, I say she was hooked...I suspect at first that she just wanted to stay up longer...she knows I have a hard time saying no to "one more chapter?") But, Friday morning I came out of the bedroom to find her on the couch, nose in the book, reading ahead to find out what was going to happen. (She skipped to the Violet Beauregard chapter because the picture of her swelled into a giant blueberry just begged to be explored). I looked up the book in one of my homeschool catalogs and they recommend it for independent reading between the ages of 9 and 12. But, that is for non-Royal readers.