Huntin' In The Burbs

Cesar bagged a mad hungry, attic wrecker, nest maker of a squirrel today.  This marks his second squirrel shooting since moving into the house.  The furry rodent had been busily shreding and striping the bark off a cedar tree near our kitchen window.  Cesar was lookin' for more pesky squirrels about the yard to aim at, but they had their bulbous eyes on him and all hid in their tree holes.  I had to remind him that only a few short months ago, Ira the Squirrel had melted our hearts.

Toula wanted to eat the squirrel.  I felt bad for the momma squirrel.  Hugo was fascinated with the dead squirrel.  Thank heavens the girls and Evie the Cat were all sleeping in the house and had no idea what was happening outdoors.

Before long, Hugo wanted to shoot the air gun.  Papa let him.  Hugo hit his target and is now gun crazy.  Thankfully, thankfully, Hugo asked his Papa to buy him a cork gun. 

Not Like Fall

Fall is really here.  I think I've been in denial that winter is fast approaching.  The weather has been unseasonably warm.  I also feel that we never got the real punch of brilliant fall color due to Hurricane Irene.  There is a massive pile of wood right out the back door.  And I have been buzzing like a bee about the house trying to finish painting projects while I can yet air out the house.  I still haven't taken down the garden.  Or emptied out my pots.  Cesar has run the mower to scoop up all the leaves and pine needles, so happy he splurged for the bagger!!!  And Hugo has been making all sorts of pilgrimish projects in school and I have been dreaming of my first bite of pumpkin pie, but it still, still doesn't seem like fall to me.

I can report that Toula seems to be jelling with our family and the yard and our house.  I can also report that she doesn't answer to her name very well and she doesn't respond to the command "come" little to none.  She is still very much in the exploring stage inside and out of the house.  When we aren't playing with her, she is either in her crate or chained to a chair in the living room.  She is not trustworthy to be let loose yet.  Besides not being fully potty trained, she has a problem with chewing.  We are working on teaching her which toys are hers and which belong to the children.  She also likes to nibble on our toes.  None of the kids seem to like it much.  Me neither, really.  When she takes food from your hand, she reminds me a bit of a horse.  She seems to grab the food with her lips, rather than her teeth and muffles the skin of your palm.  She also likes to bonk her nose straight into our face if we are up close.  Wallace, the Bob-A-Loo, used to show affection the same way, so in doing so, she has melted her way into Cesar's heart.  Evie the Cat still will not enter our bedroom.  She has taken up residence at the foot of Hugo's bed.

Chainsaw Time

Our Labor Day weekend began with yard work.  Cesar chopped up the fallen tree and in the process decided to cut/hack/wack and chainsaw a path through the wild rose hedge to the neighbors.  It was a big job.  Hugo and his little pal Sevren have been running the long way around the yard to play with each other.  I'm a tad nervous that the girls have a new escape hatch out of the safety of our yard, but we'll see how it goes.  Next summer we are putting up a fence for sure, Miss Trouble and Troublette will be running major circles around me I'll bet.  Please pray for me.

While Cesar worked, the rest of us played, and we played for most of the day in our jammies!  But as the day progressed, and it was time for me to start dinner, the girls were all up in my hair being whiny and slap hitting each other (Marlo is Queen of Slap Hitting and Sabine is a Biter.  Lovely times, lovely times.)  Outside I went to plead with Cesar for back up.  He said he needed to finish his work cleaning up the tree mess.  I wanted to cry, I was burnt out.  And then my sweet husband offered that if I would let him finish his job, and give him time to shower, he'd take us all out to eat at Mrs Lucy's.  Done deal and it was yummy in my tummy and just the change of pace I needed.

Eating out with the girls is an experience.  Both girls need highchairs, of course.  But one of those highchairs must have a working buckle lock or we might as well just order take out and call the evening quitsville because Sabine is a Houdini wanna be and will be out of her highchair in mere seconds and off and running.  Tonight Hugo and Sabine were angels and Marlo was twisted.  In the end, she settled and all worked out.  I even finished my steak.