nine on the ninth

Oh, boy. You're in for a treat today.

Nine on the Ninth, Boring Tuesday in August Edition.

Hold onto your seats!


ONE: I was awakened entirely too early by a little girl who had gone to bed super late the night before. Why she won't just sleep in is something I'll never understand. Maybe that trait will come in handy when she's in college and stays up late studying. She won't miss her early classes the next day. Who knows. I plopped her in the front room with Grama Bama and went back to bed to finish my book. I'm not a big reader but being stuck in the back of a minivan for over three days last week forced me into it. I'd heard a lot of buzz about these books so I read the first one. Futuristic, weird fiction isn't really my style. I'm not in any kind of hurry to read book 2.

TWO: Cate did a little light cleaning. She always does her morning chores in an apron with a big bow in her hair. Here's the exact conversation.

her: Mom, there's Steve under this basket.

me: What is it?

her: Steve. I'm trying to make it all clean for Daddy. Daddy doesn't like it when it's all dirty. I'm wiping all this Steve off so Daddy won't be disappointed.

First of all, I have no idea why she's calling dust Steve. Weird. Secondly, I'm pretty sure her daddy didn't even notice the Steve under that basket. And last, how on earth does she know what disappointed means? And why does she think that's what her daddy will be if he sees all that Steve?

Later in the day she was patting my hair. She told me she had to do that so it (MY HAIR) wouldn't be disappointed. So, yeah. She actually doesn't know what that big word means. At least I don't think she does.

THREE: We took a little trip to Old Navy to return a shirt. Cate was smitten with the mannequins. I can't blame her. They are pretty cute. At least the kid ones, the dog and the adult ones who actually have heads. She walked right up to this little girl and gave her a hug. Then she said, "Look, Mom! Is that me? Take a picture!" She also talked to the dog for a while and patted the legs of the adult mannequins throughout the store. Never have I had such an adventure returning a shirt.

FOUR: The plan was Costco after Old Navy. Cate wasn't interested. She wanted to go to the park and being the fun go-with-the-flow mom that I am, I obliged. We sat on the bench for what seemed like forever waiting for a swing vacancy. She didn't really want to play while she waited. Just sit and watch. That kid loves to swing. I'm trying to teach her how to pump so it won't be so much work for me.

FIVE: We went to Judy's house after the park and chatted with 85-year-old Great Uncle Harold in the front yard for a spell.

SIX: Then it was off to Walmart for dinner supplies. Kids at Walmart instead of kids in bed napping is not my idea of fun.

SEVEN: Dinner later with all the family. Spaghetti with homemade meatballs.

EIGHT: Bath time. I love Cate's face when she closes her eyes and plugs her ears so the water won't get in them. It's just too cute.

NINE: Taking a break from dinner clean up to sit out front. Cate ran up and down the sidewalk. I picked dead blooms off my bug-eaten petunias. Then Cate went in the back and played in the sandbox. I finished dishes and spilled the entire container of leftover vegetables all over the kitchen floor. Fun stuff.

That's about it. I warned you. Exciting stuff.

Here's the best part of all.

Around 11:00 when I was helping Cate use the toilet (because she took a nap and didn't wake up until 6:00 so of course she's not asleep at 11:00) she said, "When my fingernails are all clipped I can't get my boogers out!"

Such a keen observation.