Zookeepers

The girls captured a large black beetle in a plastic cup. After adding a few drops of water, some leaves, and zero ants because they stepped on the only one they found, they took a moment to observe their new pet...

Becca: {gasp} Maggie, he stopped moving!

Maggie: That's ok. He's probably just sleeping or thinking...............how to get out.

Great Summer Quotes

Becca, to Maggie in a mean and nasty voice: "You're so stupendous!"

Becca, after I suggest she wash her hands with magic soap: "That's not magic soap, that's hand san-i-tizer!"


Becca, at the Bees game on the Fourth of July: "I'm so incredibly hungry." She wanted popcorn.

Becca, about an hour into the Bees game: "Mommy, this is not basketball! When are we going to basketball?"

Matthew, explaining what he thought about the girl who wore a bikini to a backyard birthday party: "And I was like, alright!"

Matthew, to a pair of fighting monkeys at the zoo, "Break it up ladies, you're both beautiful."

Matthew, also at the zoo: "Mom did you see that AldaBRA tortoise? AldaBRAAAA???"

Maggie, after a day selling lemonade: "We made, like, $100 so far." They made about $25 after seven hours and sunburns and hiring 12 employees.

Happy summer!

Imagination Failure

"Maggie, you can't shoot [nerf guns] at Becca. You can only shoot at pretend people."

"I know. But we don't have any pretend people."

WIFYR

Up at 6:oo am. Out the door by 7:30. Hope the boys get to school. Drop off the girls. Write and read and talk and listen. Home by 5:30. Pick up the kids. Dinner, dishes, homework, bedtime. Write until midnight. Do it again tomorrow.

I've been attending the Writing and Illustrating for Young Writers Conference and, in spite of the exhaustion setting in, LOVING it. I never realized there were so many people interested in obscure things like illustration notes and split infinitives as I was.

I feel like a dolphin who lived her whole life in a puddle and suddenly found the ocean. A wonderful nerdy ocean.

U2

We had 5th row tickets to the Salt Lake U2 concert last week. And then I got strep. Brian took a friend, but I think he was pretty sad I couldn't go. We'd been looking forward to that concert for a very long time.

So, Tuesday night, I flew out to meet him in Oakland, California and we went to another U2 concert. But this time we had tickets in the Red Zone right next to an arm of the stage. It was like being first in line for general admission without the camping out all night and cramming together. And the sub woofers pounded through your lungs. It was amazing.

Brian took this video on his cell phone. No zoom, this was literally how close we were:

Two hours of sleep and a very early flight home (had to take Becca to dance), still a fabulous trip and a wonderful memory.

Strep

Chills.

Fever-chills that rebound around and around like stupid ripples in a puddle whenever I move.

My throat is so painful, I think I can breathe fire.

Even with four ibuprofen tablets coursing through my veins, my skin is hot, hot, hot to the touch.

I would like to die now, please.

Well, not really, but it does sound less miserable.

Penicillin, you had BETTER kick in tomorrow like the doctor promised!

Talents

Coming across Matthew's church sweater on the floor for the umpteenth week in a row, "Matthew, why can't you get your clothes in the dirty laundry?"

"I don't know, Mom. People are talented at stuff and that's something I'm just not talented at."

Hoo-boy.