A fairly good Friday.

Friday was a good day altogether. I worked a half day and went to the eye doctor for my yearly Diabetic Retinopathy exam. Good news is no sign of damage to my eyes from diabetes and the pressures are normal. Pesky news is they have to dilate my peepers to do it. Yuk.

Better Good news is I arranged to pick Skeeter up from his school, and we had an Auntie Yea-Yea day. He has graduated from the infant room to the toddler room, and he loves it. I had never been in the toddler room before, and I must say at first it was a little ...unsettling. All these kids start coming at you, smiling...drooling...talking....."hi......hi......hi......" I couldn't really see them (remember...eyes were dilated) and I didn't recognize Skeeter in all the Stepford-Zombie children. Then I saw my friend, he grinned at me and the little staggering children stopped seeming so menacing... They really are nice kids (although the excessive drool still bothers me and my healthy gag-reflex.)

So we went to Skeeter's house and played. He spotted a little freebie voice recorder I had hanging from my purse, and it is now his new favorite thing. I sang a little song into it which he liked, but apparently the best button of all is the erase button, so I was singing into the little voice recorder a lot.

Oh! We had so much fun!

Punkin Patch Fun

We met Skeeter and his parents at the local Cider Mill for a pumpkin carrying contest. For a $12 registration fee, you get to keep all the pumpkins you can carry for 10 feet. So we went out and picked pumpkins....

And Skeeter guarded them ...
After inspecting them (just maybe not as carefully as he should have at this moment) he later licked a few to check for freshness....
Oh yes! This looks like a fine crop indeed!
Guess it's time to kick back and relax for the ride to the finish line..

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Sorry, I don't have any actual picture of E carrying the pumpkins......B and I loaded E up, and Skeeter waited with Grandma at the finish line. E managed to carry 19 to the finish line. Most are going to Skeeter's school, a some are going to be carved at home too.

Afterwards we all headed back to the bakery, and had cider and fresh warm donuts. Yummy. A very nice Sunday

Introducing Twinkie the Wonder Cat

AKA - G has a new friend. Which is great, as little kids in our family are genetically required to own felines. Seriously! Skeeter is already 2 up on her...

Mini Monster paralyzes all at B@ies R Us

*NEWS FLASH* Cute yet fast little monster seen barreling down the aisles Lansing store. Darling and highly prone to giggles, it is rumored the fiend can only be stopped at the sight of balloons or watermelon chunks. If sighted, hug and kiss profusely.

Goodbye my boy.

Victor-Buzz in better days.

I had to put down my Buzz today. He is the only cat I ever took to college with me. He was seventeen, diagnosed with thyroid problems and a heart murmur when he was ten. I've been shoving pills down his throat for seven years. Finally his quality of life was so poor, I needed to help him go.

He was old . He was sick. He was sweet. He gave kisses upon request. I miss my Kalamazoo Room-mate already. I don't want to write anymore.

Practical Joker

The Prankster

His Tools

That little stinker totally made a fool of me with this. When the red plunger is pushed, music start playing and the toy throws the colored balls into the air, then are caught in the basin and funneled through again. The problem is not all the balls land in the catch basin, and I end up chasing the balls all over the living room. So usually I hold my hand 6 inches over the basin and direct the balls to where they need to go.

Tuesday night we had had a fun evening. We had introduced little boy to spaghetti, which had been twirled around like a helicopter blade on one point. (He is a quick learner, I only had to show him TWICE.) I am on the other side of the room, collecting my things, getting ready to leave. Skeeter looks me straight in the eye, walks over to the toy, pushes the button, and WALKS AWAY while still LOOKING STRAIGHT AT ME. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that the colored balls are about to start shooting out. "NO ONE'S MANNING THE BALLS!" I shouted as I rushed over to the toy, but I had already missed 2 projectiles that went who knows where.

As I turn around with my hand over the tube, I see Skeeter. He is sitting in the middle of the floor, HUGGING himself, swinging his body from side to side, laughing so hard that no sound is coming out! It was totally pre-meditated! That little booger! Lord help me when he is old enough to make crank phone calls....

Happy Family

Congratulations to my brother and his wife on their remarriage last Thursday. Dear S, I am so happy to have you as my sister-in-law again! And I know G is so very happy.

These are pictures freshly sent by A, from a family trip to Nantou immediately after the wedding. According to various sites on the net, Nantou county is in the central region of Taiwan and is famous for its mountain scenery and is the only county in Taiwan without a coastline. hmmmm. Interesting. And it seems they have roller coasters and and merry-go-rounds too.

Yep, those look like mountains behind my beautiful niece. I also love the purple poncho.

I don't really know why pointing out the way to the ladies room is so important...I included this photo to illustrate my brother's appalling fashion sense. My sister and I once caught him walking down the street in a bright red shirt, bright blue jeans, sunny yellow socks and brown sandals. And he couldn't blame his mommy for dressing him funny because he was a sophomore at U of M! He so obviously got his fashion taste from our father, who thought three or four different plaids could be worn together because they we coordinating colors.

I love you all!