Reflecting on Our Words--The November Edition

The monthly word challenge just keeps getting more unique! My 2009 Word blog buddies and I are continuing our monthly tradition of exploring the word we selected at the beginning of the year that would provide a beacon for our 2009 goals. This month, we are each selecting an animal which embodies an element of our chosen word.

My word for '09 has been excellence and after a bit of zoological searching, I finally settled on the swan as the emblem for my word. Swans typically mate for life and have strong family bonds. The male and female swans nurture and raise their cygnets together, developing their own 'tribe', if you will. The image of a swan has graced many a coat of arms, conjuring connotations of nobility and are seen as symbols of love and fidelity because of their tendency to form life-long bonds. Many fairy tales and myths surround the species, the moral of the tales often being the adherence to beauty and grace, even in the midst of difficulty and ridicule.

Plus, swans are just pretty to look at. They just are.

Which is perhaps not the most excellent reason to choose a swan as my symbol of excellence. But I also got to take a great picture of one down of the lake during the summer.

And that sealed the deal for me...

MirusPeg writes:

One day a long time ago, I was watching a documentary about dolphins and something inside me clicked. I was well into my late 20’s and was watching the television as if I was glued to it. It felt as if I was in a mind-meld with the dolphins and it was too a point that I started to cry because on some spiritual level, I understood what these dolphins were saying. I just knew that the dolphin was my Spiritual Animal Totem, I just knew it!

The beautiful, graceful, sleek dolphin carries many messages for the two legged! A key to understanding because the dolphin meaning is connected with themes of duality. It has to do with the dolphin being both fish and mammal. It is both of the water, and an air breather. Ergo, dolphin symbolism talks to us about "being in two worlds at once." Indeed, the dolphin is a great conveyor of the concept of yin and yang.

It is playful, and is a reminder that time to play is a crucial element in walking in BALANCE. It moves through the water quickly and with great grace, ever moving with the flow. Dolphins tell us to move with the ebb and flow of life, and not to search for brick walls to smash into. To spend our energy fighting the current gets us nowhere. Being constantly at war with others, with our surroundings and with circumstances we cannot change, destroys the spirit, eats away at hope, and consumes the joy of life.

The power of the Dolphin is community in BALANCE.

AVT Coach has this to share:

I have chosen the ELEPHANT as an animal depicting ABUNDANCE. Of course, it does have abundant size but it also lives abundantly. Here is what I found out:

Elephants cry. They express grief at the loss of another elephant. They exhibit behaviors that depict sadness, bowing their heads, lowering their ears, and pausing at the place where another elephant has died.

Elephants play. They express joy at seeing other elephants. They dance around, spin and twirl, and trumpet joyful sounds.

Elephants are helpful. They take care of each other and especially the babies in the group.

Elephants give back. Without intention of doing so, their feet make large depressions in the ground where water can collect and be a provision for other animals.

Elephants are social. They live in large family groups and communicate over long distances with each other.

In my quest for an Abundant life, I think these characteristics are certainly a start. Have empathy for others, find joy in play, care for others, give back to the greater community, and create a positive family environment.

FlyGirl adds this animal to her collection of thoughts:

I'm sure my choice of dogs to express the meaning of joy doesn't surprise those who know me. Both Scout and Maggie have a way of warming my soul, making me laugh, and filling me with heartfelt joy.

They are ALWAYS happy to see me. They do the silliest things that make me laugh out loud, yet they are attuned to the personalities and emotions that flavor our home....

Studies have shown that owning a pet can add years to your life. In fact, just petting a dog has been shown to lower blood pressure. And residents of nursing homes have shown a boost in mood and social interaction when a dog has been brought in for a visit.

My two dogs definitely bring joy to my home, to my life, to my family.

And MommyVictory finds the ant an inspiration for discipline:

The ant has received a bad rap throughout history as a pest, a nuisance, an annoyance. While in Puerto Rico, I would often be surprised to find ants in my sugar, but no one else would be surprised. In Texas we are known for a more ferocious type, the fire ant - certainly not a little creature to be reckoned with.

While thinking about this critter, I began to realize the one thing no one has ever called an ant is lazy. When you see ants, what are they doing? Moving, carrying, building, preparing for whatever may come. If you destroy their home, the very next day they have set up shop just on the other side of the sidewalk. Which brings me to my story...

In a field one summer's day, Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing gleefully. Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

Grasshopper tried to dissuade Ant from his work by inviting him along in his day of reverie, but Ant could not be swayed. He was preparing for the long winter. Ant tried to convince Grasshopper of the foolishness of his ways telling him he too should lay up stores.

Grasshopper was not worried about winter as he had plenty of food for now and continued to while  away the hours and days leading up to the first snow at which time he found himself dying of hunger. Meanwhile, Ant and his family could be seen surviving from what was stored away during the good weather.

At that point Grasshopper knew IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.

There are times when I would rather play than have the DISCIPLINE to stay at home and clean house or go to the grocery store and shop for the family. Sometimes I give in and later have to pay the consequences. Other times I pull myself together to get done what needs to be.

Over the course of this year, my focus on DISCIPLINE  has led me to see the error of many of my ways - most of which I have tried hard to change.  Of course being human and having a the luxury of being able to go out if need be, I have not perfected this way of life. It is still something I strive to improve.

So what about it, Octamom Readers?  Is there a word that has inspired you this year?  And is there an animal that exemplifies your word?  Share, share!  And don't forget, 2010 is just around the corner.  What will be your guiding word for the new year?

Sunday Selah

Jesus replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted."

Matthew 15:26-28

Thanksgiving leftovers.
There are quite a bit of them around here.

Because somewhere in my caffeine-addled mind, I developed an equation that stated the sixteen individuals I was hosting for Thanksgiving dinner would require two pounds of turkey a piece.

Which turned out to be a bit of an over-multiplication.

To say the least.

Turkey burgers. Turkey chili. Turkey nuggets. Turkey loaf. That's the week's upcoming menu.

It may all lead to the Great Turkey Rebellion of '09 deep into next week.

Leftovers.

There are leftovers in God's economy. When Jesus feeds the 5000 and the 4000 with a few fish and loaves, there are twelve baskets and seven baskets of leftovers, respectively. When the Canaanite woman comes to Jesus in Matthew 15 for healing for her daughter, she tells Him that even the dogs eat the crumbs, the leftovers from the master's table. She understands that, even though Jesus has come as the consolation of Israel, even the crumbs of His ministry yield great power. She receives healing for her daughter and encouragement from Jesus as He commends her for the great faith she has shown.

And what of manna, the bread of angels that God fed to the Israelites as they made their way to the Promise Land? They were only to gather enough for the day each morning, except for the day before the Sabbath. On that day, they were to gather enough leftovers to eat on the Sabbath. Any other day, those leftovers would have spoiled by the morning. But for the Sabbath, those leftovers fed them, twice the miracle.

There were leftovers from that original Thanksgiving in autumn of 1621. The Mayflower, that small cargo ship that carried Separatists and Strangers to a new world, made its way back to England and most likely was dismantled for its lumber around 1624, its timbers supposedly used as the crossbeams in a barn. The leftovers of the original Plymouth Colony site, with its small thatched cottages and the Common House that served as shelter during that first desperate winter, lie buried beneath the village which was built over the site in the 17th and 18th centuries.

John Howland was a leftover of his society. At the age of twenty-seven he was nothing more than an indentured servant, brought aboard the Mayflower in the summer of 1620 by his master, John Carver. He made the voyage not as a Separatist seeking freedom of worship and not as a Stranger intent on new opportunities, but simply as a man with leftover dreams and debt. Howland was thrown overboard during a violent storm in the crossing, miraculously grasping a rope trailing from the ship's stern, being hauled back aboard by means of a large fish hook. He served the struggling band of colonists through the devastating winter of 1620-1621, helping build shelters and burying the dead. When John Carver and his wife passed away within the first couple of years of the landing, they left no children. Howland was left their inheritance and he began buying up land. In 1626, he was appointed by Governor William Bradford to search for new sites on the Kennebec River and was named assistant governor in 1628. But he was not recognized as a freedman and admitted to the Plymouth Colony as such until 1633, thirteen years after the original landing.

John Howland and his wife Elizabeth had ten children, all of whom survived to adulthood. They built a farm a few miles from the original Plymouth site. When John passed away in 1673 at the age of eighty, he was the oldest surviving male member of the original Mayflower manifest.

From this man who had been a leftover in his original homeland come the miracles of God's economy. Direct descendants from the Howland family line include actor Humphrey Bogart and composer Phillips Brooks, who wrote the beloved O Little Town of Bethlehem. Poets Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow hail from Howland's heritage. The acting family of the Baldwin brothers Alec, Daniel, Stephen and Billie, Dr. Benjamin Spock and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin count Howland as pater familias. Barbara Pierce, who would become First Lady Barbara Bush comes from one of the Howland children's family lines and her husband George Bush comes from another, meaning that their son, George W. Bush is also a direct descendant, along with Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

John Howland's final resting place boasts this stone bearing this inscription: "a godly man and an ardent professor in the ways of Christ."

Thanksgiving leftovers.

As you eat your turkey sandwiches and your turkey nuggets and your turkey omelets this week, think on John Howland. Consider the leftover pieces of your life, your leftover time, your leftover dreams.

And know that in the economy of God, leftovers can yield double the miracle.

Selah.

JPEG of the Week

~Baby Bro and the Fam~

~my house guests~

~who call me Aunt Sissy~

~which makes my heart smile~

Pounds and Pounds

I made two of these...

...because I apparently forgot I was feeding 16 people and not 30.

So we've got leftovers for an army after feeding an army...

...and a precious army it is...

Almost There....

The dressing is mixed.

The stuffed eggs are in process.

The sweet potato souffle creation is about to begin.

The turkeys are brined, roasted and awaiting a short stint in the smoker.

The people are gathered.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

May you be blessed.

Prepping....

You should see my kitchen this morning.
It's not pretty.

I'm throwing a Thanksgiving for sixteen tomorrow.

And my kitchen looks like I've already thrown it and also had a bunch of barbarians come in for dessert.

So I'd try to post something witty and pithy today.

But there's flour all over the floor.

And there are two turkeys brining.

Is brining a verb?

Well, it is now. You read it here first.

There are the remnants of the three dozen eggs I boiled and peeled last night.

So it's time for me to get a-crackin'. Because I'm told that kitchen floors shouldn't be crunchy.

But let's indulge in a little verse, shall we?

On the day before Thanksgiving, 1 of 8 said to me,
"Why are there two turkeys?"
On the day before Thanksgiving, 2 of 8 said to me,

"Can you make stuffing that's gluten-free?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, 3 of 8 said to me,

"Why does the whole house have to be cleaned?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, 4 of 8 said to me,

"Why do they call these things table 'leaves'?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, 5 of 8 said to me,

"How does all that turn into gravy?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, 6 of 8 said to me,

"Can I only eat the green beans?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, 7 of 8 said to me,

"Pinch...Bubby....me...."

On the day before Thanksgiving, 8 of 8 said to me,

"Me....Sissy pinch....sorry...."

On the day before Thanksgiving, The Boy said to me,

"Are we going to have that canned jelly cranberry thing?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, Michael said to me,

"Who cares if the kitchen floor is crunchy?"

On the day before Thanksgiving, I whispered to Thee,

"Lord, You are so good, so full of blessing."

Happy Prepping, y'all!

Another Boy...

Yes, I have been mothering a long, long time.
Yes, I am the mother not only to this two-year-old boy, but also to two other boys.

And I am the sister to two brothers.

So the boy thing is not some kind of colossal surprise to me.

But this boy, this boy, with his need to hear things crash and shatter and break and splinter and fracture and rupture, yes, this boy is a revelation to me.

We found him throwing eggs in the kitchen.

We were alerted by the giggles that were issuing from his delighted larynx...

...and from the fact that we slid on egg white when we rounded the corner in the kitchen to see what he was giggling about...

And this was after he broke one of my remaining few matched set of drinking glasses. And after he broke my pretty stone coasters. And after he pulled an entire casserole dish to the floor. And after he cleared an entire coffee table of such detritus as coffee cups and books and the like.

Which was after he got the milk out of the fridge...by himself.

He's quite the aerobics instructor, I must admit...

Da Boy...

The Boy is here.

He flew in from California at the end of last week.

Who is The Boy, you ask?

Well, here's a little bit about The Boy...

And then there was the trip 1 of 8 made to see The Boy last spring...

And I'll be bringing you some new pictures of 1 of 8 and The Boy...

But this is the one from when they were just kids, reveling in each other's geeky humor and unique fashion sense...

But they're not kids anymore.

Nope.

Sunday Selah

For today's Selah, just press the arrow and listen!

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Selah.

JPEG of the Week

~Spiral~

~Curve~

~Helicoid~

~Tendrillar~

~Tortile~

(I love thesaurus dot com...)

One Way You Can Tell....

This business of Big Family has some tell-tale signs.
There are just some things that indicate you're managing a larger-than-normal population of people in the house.

One of the primary sociology indicators of the large family experience is found with...food.

As in, there are some strong emotions of ownership when it comes to food.

Strong.

We do spend a good deal of the budget on groceries, as you can imagine. And we always try to make sure there's plenty to go around, healthy stuff to go around. Apples, bananas, yogurt. And there are certain categories of food that are a bit more, shall we say, rationed. Such as bacon. Because turkey bacon is yummy and all. But nobody gets to eat six slices in a sitting. Which means we sometimes experience a little bacon territoriality.

Like this:

Yep. 3 of 8 got down to the last 2 inches of his rationed bacon slice and got full. But that didn't mean he was going to walk away from the remainder of his slice. No, no.

Because in a big family, you sure don't want to be flip about your alloted bacon supply...

To Tell the Tooth...

After I posted that little photo montage of 6 of 8's first Tooth Fairy encounter, I had some questions from readers that I thought were thought-provoking...hence my thought.

I'm circular in my thinking like that.

Esoterica aside, the questions took the form of a central theme: what do you do with the teeth the 'Tooth Fairy' collects?

Posterity.

That's been my goal.

Periodontal posterity.

Back in the day when I shot chemical film, I stored the first two or three kids' dental detritus in empty film canisters, secreted far back in the confines of my favorite antique armoire.

Have I ever told you the story of my favorite antique armoire? You know, the year Mike and I were super, ah, frugal at Christmas and we gave my favorite brother-in-law and his wife placemats? And they gave us two gorgeous English antique armoires, one smaller and one larger?

I haven't told you that story yet?

I'll get to it, one of these days.

Anyhow, the removed teeth used to be stored in individual containers deep in the favorite armoire.

But I didn't label them.

And I kept them straight by keeping them in a certain sequence on the shelf in the armoire.

But then I forgot what the sequence was.

Which meant I forgot who's film canister was whose.

And I'm pretty sure I've tackled that whole who's/whose debacle correctly.

Maybe.

So now I simply have lots of teeth secreted lots of places.

One or two in the change compartment of my wallet.

The one I carried a couple of years ago.

And there are some collections in a variety of bowls and vases, ensconced on mantels and various shelves. And there are a couple in my makeup drawer, behind that collection of eye shadows that was bought on the spur of a moment, that moment when I forgot once again that my eyes are, in fact, green and not blue. That eye shadow collection.

So I suppose the answer I am giving is that, yes, I do collect my children's teeth and no, there is not a real system or organization to that collection.

And so now, I want to hear from you.

Do you keep the dental cast-offs of childhood? Do you have your own baby teeth? Do you have your children's baby teeth kept in silver boxes or is your system more, um, instinctive? Does the Tooth Fairy visit your house or have you given up an pretense of dental DNA digest?

Speak up, you conveyors of the tradition.

Brace Face No More!

The braces are off 3 of 8!

He turns 13 in a few days--so it seems appropriate he would have a new smile to go with his entree into teenagehood.

By my calculations, we have brought three kids through orthodontia and just have five more to go.

Just five more.

That doesn't sound too daunting.

Much.

Snack-O-Rama

Seems I opened up a can of worms when I posted about my homemade snack packs.
In a good way. A good can of worms.

I'm mixing my metaphor again, aren't I?

You can tell me. I can take it.

Maybe I mean a can of gummy worms.

Several of you inquired as to what I was putting in those homemade snack packs and were looking for some suggestions. Let's compile a little list here, shall we?

Now before we begin, let the record show that the following healthy list is not meant to indicate that my children never ingest red dye #40, high fructose corn syrup and Cheddar Goldfish.

'Cuz they do.

But I do try to offer healthier stuff as well. And they do actually eat it. That said:

1. Pumpkin seeds. My kids are crazy for them. I buy them in bulk at a local whole foods store called Sprouts. Inhale. My kids inhale them. I buy the roasted/lightly salted.

2. Yogurt pretzels. Another top fav. I put 10 pretzels per snack bag as these goodies do have some sugar.

3. Roasted peas. You haven't seen these? They are delicious, again, another bulk purchase. Crunchy, salty, in the shape of a vegetable. I don't know how much vegetable is actually left after the roasting, but at least my kids are in the habit of eating vegetable-shaped snacks. It makes me feel virtuous.

4. Roasted edamame. I try to buy organic and lightly salted. Another team favorite.

5. Mixed nuts. Good protein, good nutrition, healthy fats.

6. String cheese--and, yea, I go on and pay up a bit for the individual packaging on this one.

7. Yogurt with active cultures. Strawberry and banana seem to be the top contenders.

8. Chili corn nuts, again a bulk purchase at Sprouts.

I'm sure you all have your favorite snack items for the kidlets as well--so let's do a little community gathering, shall we? I have a new widget embeded in this post that will allow you to 'thumbs up' my snack choices or 'thumbs down' my selections and you can also add your own favs. Put your opinionated contribution in the widget box and let's have a snack-o-rama! Also, I get a lot of questions about what curriculum and resources we use for homeschooling. So I'm going to put that in the widget as well--share your favorites when it comes to tutoring and schooling the kids! Just click the little rectangle that says "Suggest a new item for the Favorites List" and share your wisdom!

Girl Language

So I happened upon an amazing clearance sale a couple of weeks ago and came home with a bagful of shoes for around $24.

I know.

It was amazing.

I was showing off the red heels and the black heels and the little strappy pair to my older girls and The Diva, 6 of 8, when my eight year old son, 5 of 8 came strolling into the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked in his scratchy Elmer Fudd voice. "Why are there all these shoes around? What's so exciting about that?"

"Ah," 6 of 8 intoned, in a superior and exasperated tone. "Look, 5 of 8, this is girl language and you don't understand girl language and girl language is all about the shoes."

I hope 5 of 8 is taking notes on 6 of 8's girl insights. Because he could be a lot further down the field than most guys if he'll just pay attention.

It's all about the shoes.

Sunday Selah

But I, with a song of thanksgiving,

will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

Salvation comes from the LORD."

Jonah 2:9

As we head into the holidays, I've begun to teach a new series called Signs of the Season. There are fascinating 'stories behind the stories' of Thanksgiving and Christmas, deeper details that let us see glimmers of the Lord in the traditions and tales of these times. I thought for today's Selah I'd share with you the first in the this series, an exploration of the first American Thanksgiving and what true thanksgiving looks like.



About ten years ago, I was hosting Thanksgiving Dinner for my extended family. I had cleaned the house from top to bottom, scrubbed the base boards, pulled out the good china and crystal and ironed the linens. As part of the place settings, I had the kids make parchment scrolls, tied with rafia, that told of what they were thankful for in the lives of each of our guests. The blessing was intoned, the napkins unfolded, the scrolls untied and we began my storybook Thanksgiving scene.


Except for my second child, 2 of 8. She was about six at the time and even at that young age, was a stickler for details, a trait she carries to this day. She was seated next to Mike’s precious grandmother, Grammy, who was decked in full Thanksgiving finery, from her autumn leaf earrings to her harvest-inspired chic outfit. 2 of 8 kept looking up at Grammy throughout the prayer and reading of thanks and then hopped up, disappearing back into my bedroom. She reappeared a few seconds later with a pair of tweezers in her hand, reclaimed her seat next to Grammy and proceeded to pluck a hair from Grammy’s chin.


That had not been part of my super party planning. At all.


Grammy, with her usual blend of class and humor, said that she was thankful for someone who had the courage to not let Grammy sit through Thanksgiving dinner with an un-groomed hair sprouting from her chin. 


And so another Thanksgiving memory was laid.


That first Thanksgiving we remember from 1621, when pilgrims from England had a potluck with Native Americans in the New World, likewise had many unexpected elements. We’ll be learning about the real story behind that harvest feast and the lesson it carries for all of us as we head toward Turkey Day.

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Selah.

JPEG of the Week

~Raking the Leaves, Central Texas Style~

~it sure is nippy when it's 80 degrees~

~all 27 of them...~

Pitch Boy...and a Chance to Win!

Let's start with a couple of dates I need you to remember...


November 16th.

November 17th.

Okay, first the 16th. You have from now until the 16th to head over to the Jump Start blog and enter for a chance to win one of these great prizes!
Prizes
50 winners will receive a copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS will receive a family Escape Pack (over $1000 value)!
1 Nintendo Wii Console
1 copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island
$250 in spa gift certificates
1 JumpStart branded flip camera
3 lifetime JumpStart memberships (1 for winner, 2 to share)
500 virtual coins for JumpStart.com
4 JumpStart pirate hats & 4 JumpStart kids T-shirts

Cool beans, huh?

And then the 17th.

That's the day that the newest of the JumpStart Wii compatible games comes out in stores. I had 5 of 8 review the game for me and videotaped what he thought of the experience to share with you. Now let's keep the FTC happy, shall we, and let you know that, yes, JumpStart did send us the game to review, and so, yes, this would be considered a compensated review. The game will retail for $29.95 in stores. Is everyone happy? Do you feel the blush of full disclosure? Good.

On to 5 of 8's review:



5 of 8 took this review pretty seriously. He considers this something of a career. He is an experienced gamer, after all. As he played the game, he kept remarking about features he wanted to include in his review. And he practiced some...in the mirror...and with his older brother...and was very concerned about the way I was going to edit his commentary.

After all, an on-camera talent needs to monitor their image....

BedHead--The Ultimate

It must have been a wild night in the crib...

Because this is the hair style we woke up with the next morning...

...and when I say 'we', I mean it in the royal sense...as in, this is the natural state in which Princess 7 of 8 arose from her slumber.

Very 'Sleeping Beauty', don't you think?

Wordful Wednesday, 1 of 8 Style

I'm trying to get better at sharing.
I really am.

But when it comes to my Canon, I'm a little, uh, careful.

As in, Canon 40Ds are expensive. And it was for my anniversary. And I'm a little intense about my cameras.

But every now and then I do try to let one of the older kids do a little shutterbug action. I was being very brave and very unselfish the other day when I let 1 of 8 click off a few frames.

Which was worth it.

For example:

I love the way she captured 8 of 8's constant motion and ever-present (mostly) smile.

And then she snapped this one of 2 of 8:

So sharing can be a good thing.

As long as I make her keep the strap around her neck. And I don't let her move. And I ask her fourteen times if she is hanging on to the camera.

She's So Continental....

Our Thanksgiving plans include frantically scrubbing down the house so as not to gross out The Boy who is coming to see 1 of 8 over the turkey holiday.
One of my brothers has some slightly more, ah, cultured plans.

As in, he's taking his family to France.

They are the cool ones in the extended family line.

No offense, Other Brother.

But we gotta admit, Middle Brother got the cool going on with the French Thanksgiving and all.

Although I still say that Thanksgiving '05 when Other Brother and family and Mike and I and the kids grilled steaks on the island was pretty cool as well.

Anyway.

So 6 of 8 hears of the French Thanksgiving plans and that her cousins will be going all continental on us.

"Oh," she breathes. "They are going to France. I've always wanted to go to France."

She's six years old. Six. And apparently she has wanted to go to France her whole life.

"I so badly want to go to Paris. It's my favorite city in the whole world."

Next to Dallas, apparently. Because the last time we were in Dallas, she told me she was a Dallas Girl.

"Paris. I wish I was going there."

I ask her why she would want to go to Paris.

She looks down her nose at me and says, "The food. The food is amazing. Paris has the best food in the world." She says this as if I am a cretin.

And how does she posses such epicurean knowledge at such a young, tender age, you might ask? How does she know that all her life she has wanted to dabble in the culinary delights of Paris?

By watching Ratatouille, of course.

Cultured, we is. Cultured we aim to be.

A Frog Apart...

I'm no judge of frog flesh, so I suppose I wouldn't know one way of the other.

But my sons assure me that this is Burt, a frog they rescued earlier in the summer.

They say that he is now living in the front yard, housed in our sprinkler valve box.
Except that they also tell me he is a toad, not a frog.

They tell me they know this is Burt because he has some distinguishing characteristics.

Which is funny.

Because, to me, he looks very similar to the other two frogs toads living in the sprinkler valve box. But I don't have the depth of reptile relationship with him that the boys do. So I suppose I should just trust their identification process.

And, besides, I want to be very supportive of Burt as an Octamom pet. Because any creature that lives in the sprinkler valve box and feeds itself and deals with its own litter box needs is a great Octamom pet candidate.

I'm all about self-sufficient, outside living pets.

Burt, you rock.