I'm Hearing Voices

Today is Grandpa Day.  My kids' favorite day of the week.

Every morning, we open the windows to get in some cool, fresh air.  As I'm sitting here reading the paper online, as I do every day, I'm wondering about all the sounds I hear outside.  I hear every car backing out of every driveway, every pedestrian walking down the sidewalk, every conversation going on in my neighborhood (there are a lot of people out right now!).  And I'm sitting here becoming distracted by it.  Because I don't usually hear it.  So I'm wondering why, today, all of the sudden, am I hearing it?  Why on Earth is it so noisy out there?  Did the rain last night make the sound travel easier?  Is there more activity in the neighborhood because it's garbage day today?  Oh -- wait a minute.  Duh.  It probably has something to do with the fact that my kids are gone and it's actually quiet in my house.  And now I can miraculously hear the sounds of the world around me.

I did this yesterday, too.  I think my mommy brain is extra slow.  Did you know that when a woman is pregnant, her brain shrinks by 8%?  I don't think mine ever reconstituted.  And I've had 5 kids.  That's a 40% smaller brain for me.  No wonder I only have memories of being smart...

But anyway, back to yesterday.  I was inwardly lamenting on how I'm sick of doing dishes.  I was trying to figure out if it would be more environmentally friendly to just use paper plates and cups, because I do two full dishwasher loads a day.  I couldn't remember how I used to only do one.  What am I doing wrong?  Why all of the sudden am I inundated with dirty dishes?  Oh ya -- the kids are home.  It's summertime.  That's probably why my house is so messy, too.  I remember being smart.  It was so long ago...

Here are some pictures from our Pioneer Day Celebration Picnic.  It all went according to plan, we had enough food, and the weather was great.  What more could I ask for?

Haley and I were the master face painters.  The kids came to get their faces painted, then went to play and sweat it all off, then came back for more.

We played water balloon volleyball, which was very fun.

One of my kids got ahold of the camera and started snapping.  I'm pretty sure it was Andrew.  But I'm glad he did, because now I have a new photo of my hunky husband.

And here is a pic of our little Gracie, Master Pouter.  She's had the lip thing down since she was an infant.  She can also turn on the waterworks in an instant.  She should teach classes.
Oh, and another Gracie funny.  She is still saying, "And thank you for having two Grandma Nans come to our house" in her prayers every night.  Cute!

We had a visitor in our garage on Saturday.  This poor little thing couldn't seem to figure out how to fly out under the garage doors.  He was in there for hours.  Ben finally had to borrow a net from the neighbors.  He still couldn't catch it, so he squirted it with a water gun, then caught it in the net.  Poor little birdie.  He probably won't do that agan.

I wonder if it's the same bird Andrew found in the backyard two days later.  This one had been the dogs' plaything at some point in the day.  Shoji is famous for grabbing animals and playing with them until they're mostly dead (you remember the rat, right?).  Ben went out to get the "dead bird" off the lawn, and found that it was still blinking.  Long story short, the kids were distraught over the bird, but he ended up being okay.  We set him under the tree in our front yard, said a little prayer, and he was gone by morning.  He must have made it back to his nest.