"Here lizard, lizard..!"

..at least that was the message Deren left on the answering machine last hour, taunting me. After he left for work, I put Daniel in the highchair with his crunchies, and went to do dishes. Moved a pan out of the sink to run some water, and there was a FREAKING LIZARD in the kitchen sink!! We have geckos here at the house. On a warm night you can open the blinds and see them hanging on the window screens. And they like the garage. Deren figures one got in during all the trips Joshua took in and out of the garage yesterday. The neigbor has a tree just outside our garage, a type of red bud. It leaves nice, big, crunchy leaves on the ground in the fall. Joshua is quite partial to those leaves, and tries to sneak outside at every opportunity to grab leaves then crumble them over the hood of Deren's new car (very particular about that, too). I took some of the leaves and threw them in our backyard - no dice - need a new car to crumble them over.

Anyway, back to the lizard.. I screamed bloody murder. After realizing I wasn't screaming at her, Abby laughed at me and my efforts to contain said lizard. Yes, she laughed at her momma! If Rachael were home she would commiserate with me. She's my girly girl. One time there was a lizard on the ceiling of her room. She wouldn't walk into her room for quite a while after that. We had to first go into her room and make sure the coast was clear.

So I decided to try to wash the lizard down the drain - not the best idea, I know, but I have no intention of EVER touching a lizard, if I can help it. And in the process of running hot water I guess I boiled it, because it wouldn't budge. I ended up scraping it into a bowl and throwing it outside (amidst Abby's catcalls). I called Deren up and told him about the event (see title above for his reaction).

In other news, the girls got out scissors yesterday and we clipped items from toy catalogs for Christmas lists. Abby is pretty straightforward - no dolls for her - get her cars, trucks, tractors and trains. Rachael is already sounding like a teenager. "Mommy, I want a BIG horse, not a little one." She's narrowed her list to just 2 items - at a couple hundred dollars each!

Not too much time to blog.. I'm off to do errands today. The kids passed around a nasty bug. We had been on a run where all the kids were getting sick at the same time. I was lamenting the days when they staggered getting sick. Well those days are back. Jacob got sick, then 2 days later Joshua, 3 days later Rachael, 2 days later Abby & Daniel (though it seems like Daniel had a watered down version - thank the Lord!). Rachael went 5 days eating next to nothing. She wasn't chubby to begin with. Now she looks all skin and bones.

So back on house arrest. Hopefully I'll be able to get out with Abby & Daniel some next week, because the following week the kids are out of school, and there is really no place that has such an incredible lure that I'm willing to have a go with all 5 kids. With that ratio it's a guarantee that at least one will throw a fit, throw up, throw themselves into traffic, you get the picture.

I've mentioned that Rachael is in a PPCD (public preschool for children w/disabilities) class. She has 2 buddies, Gavin and Ian. Gavin has autism, but is quite verbal and just a sweet little boy. They all ride the bus together, and Gavin gets picked up before Rachael. After missing a couple days of school, Gavin directed his parents to our house (they had no clue where we live) and had his parents ring the doorbell so that he could see Rachael because he was worried about her. Of course, Rachael stayed on the couch yelling "I'M SICK!" and wouldn't go anywhere near the front door. Well, she was still really sick, and goodness knows that he's better off for her not coming and coughing all over him. But he was SO cute! I saw Gavin's mom the next night at an autism seminar sponsored by the school district. She offered to bring dinner by. I politely refused... and if you believe that...! I hesitated for a brief millisecond before yelling "heck yes!"

So we got dinner last night (Friday). And if I had known in advance how good a cook she was I probably would've went home with her, never to return! I kept saying over and over "isn't it GREAT to eat food that tastes good for a change?!" Deren, being the wonderful husband he is, kept saying "You cook great food all the time, dear." Anyway, Gavin's family came to drop off the meal. He has a little sister, Bria, who is Abby's age. She & Abby exchanged "hi's". They brought Rachael a balloon and a stuffed puppy dog. Rachael and Abby were thrilled. And Gavin gave Rachael a good-bye peck on the cheek. The cutest thing EVER!

So Joshie, being Joshie, stole Bria's panda bear, ran into the house with it, and was gleefully plucking it by the time I caught up with him. I hadn't noticed.. I was talking with Gavin's mom when his dad politely said "your son took off with her panda bear." Doh! The plucking bandit strikes again!