Are you familiar with the skunk mating season?? We are now. Turns out, the little buggers go around repeatedly spraying to attract a mate. To make it even more personal, we had one doing it's mating ritual, I guess, right outside our house from about 1:30 - 4 am on Thursday. The smell was so strong it woke us up from sleep. My stomach was turning. Deren searched the backyard with a flashlight twice, looked under the cars, and searched the attic (yes, the smell was that strong). He figured if he did any more trolling around the house for the skunk a neighbor would either shoot him (this is Texas, you know) or call the police. So we all still smell a little skunky around here.. The smell woke Joshua up, too. So just about 4am when the smell started to abate, Joshua was in full manic giggle-screech-till the-whole-house-is-up mode. He went to sleep about 1/2 hour before the alarm was due to go off. I was talking to my neighbor later in the morning (she's the one who informed me of skunk mating season). She asked me if I kept him home to let him sleep. My response "Are you kidding?!" I was in quite a "skunky" mood myself, and took more than a little bit of glee waking him up for school. Needless to say, he slept 12+ hrs the following night.

Rachael has been in a skunky mood, too. She comes home from school with all her crafts and worksheets. Abby wants to look at the stuff. One day Rachael literally came in the door and kicked Abby before she made it a couple steps. And needless to say, many an art project has landed in the trash because of it. I almost felt a little twinge of guilt when I threw her horsey in the trash today, but she really sent Abby flying when Abby got ahold of it (sigh). Yesterday it was almost like a scene from the twilight zone. She came in the door "Hi Abby. Want this?" (gave Abby her art project). She helped me pick up, gave Abby hugs, helped Abby with lunch and gave her other toys. She was calling me "Ms. Mommy", giving me hugs and saying "You're so sweet, Mommy!" You see, we got a copy of a kids' bedding magazine the afternoon before, and it had a horse quilt and pillows in it. Oh yeah, she was buttering me up! She's since lost the catalog and was back to throwing punches and kicks today..

Looking back, I have to admit it was cool being "buttered up." In the soon-to-be 7 yrs of being a mommy, I've never had a child say anything in the ballpark of "You're so sweet, Mommy!" And I'm feeling more twinges of guilt about the horsey in the trash right now, but seeing as I have raw chicken and hamburger on top of it, I'll just have to live with my guilt.

Abby is getting around much better. She still has a limp, but she is trying her best to run full speed ahead. A neighbor a couple houses down has a beautiful yard, and has wildflowers in the spring. I asked the wife's permission to take some pictures with the girls. Another neighbor met me there today and helped try to keep the girls from picking every flower in sight - it was looking iffy for awhile - I thought I was going to be in real trouble. And, of course, the girls wouldn't smile for the camera, so I took a bunch of candid shots. When Deren got home Rachael told him "Say cheese for the camera, daddy!"

Joshua has had a big splinter in his hand all week. Deren and I looked it over this evening. It doesn't look infected, so we agreed to put it off until tomorrow. Oh man, is it ever going to be a nightmare getting that thing out. He won't let us near it. It takes the two of us to just get a glance at it. That boy, for all his smallness from lack of eating, has superhuman strength when he's riled up.

Jacob's birthday is next Wednesday. He's going to be 7 yrs old!! Happy Birthday to Jacob, Happpy Birthday to you.. Have no clue what to get him. He has lots of dvd's. They're exciting until he watches them a couple times, and then he's back at the computer hacking his way onto motion picture sights and watching trailers for horror movies. We have one of those internest security/blocking programs. We apparently need a different one, or something, because he gets around it all the time. He's gotten to where he won't walk to the bathroom at night without someone with him.

And on the 28th Mr. Daniel (aka cutie pie, momma's baby sweet boy, flirtie bird) will be 6 mos. Time is flying!

Deren and I are doing Weight Watchers. Actually, I am, so Deren's eating what I'm cooking. The thing is - he still snacks on candy throughout the day, eats larger portions, doesn't exercise, and he's losing the weight easier. What a man thing to do!!!!