"Birdgate"

What happens when you leave on a Saturday for three hours to attend a shower? You come home to find a "surprise" waiting for you on the dining room table. I've come to the conclusion that me and surprises aren't big fans of each other. Well, most of the time. I like to KNOW what is going to happen in advance. If Mike is getting me a present, I like to know what I'm getting. Terrible, isn't it? It takes the fun out of things but that's the way I am. So, I came home from this shower to see my husband and Jules beside themselves with excitement. "Come here, Mommy, we have a surprise for you!" I looked around the corner and I thought I saw something that looked like a birdcage. "Please," I thought, "not a bird. Please may it not be a bird. No bird, no bird." Turned the corner, and lo and behold, there stood a blue parakeet in all its glory in a birdcage sitting on my dining room table. My heart fell. How could my husband do this to me? Buy a bird WHILE I WAS AWAY WITHOUT CONSULTING ME AHEAD OF TIME???? It must run in the family for I remember when I was a kid, we got our puppy when my mom was away in Holland. Males, I tell you! I was pretty bummed out, but eventually my thoughts about the whole thing changed. I'm not a fan of birds in birdcages - there's something about being wild and free and all that good stuff - so it just doesn't seem right to this animal-rights activist. On the other hand, every kid wants a pet, and a bird is quite a low-key one. The benefits of the whole thing have become more and more evident. I actually like the bird (christened "Bluebell" by Jules) and my goal in life is to have the thing tamed. If you come over and hear some ridiculous chirping sounds, don't assume it's Bluebell; it could be me! So that's my exciting weekend. Mike and I have titled this chapter in our lives as "Birdgate."

Saying Grace

On Saturday Juliet decided she needed to inform her cousins who were over for the day on when they had to pray for their food. "You don't have to pray for brownies," she declared emphatically. But on the other hand, "You have to pray for toast and pizza," she clarified. Yesterday, she insisted on praying over her snack (who am I to argue with that???)and so the confusion continues.