just some more pictures

the curly picture

Hi Linda---the kid with the curls below is actually me :) it does look like Wil, doesn't it?

Bridget

We have some new people at our house. Four of the, actually. Ana has hermit crabs, one is named Bridget (I just love it--perfect name) and there was one named Rocket, who came out of his shell, spent a few hours nude, and died; he has since been replaced by another guy who doesn't yet have a name. I keep suggesting names but Ana hasn't like any of them yet. My favorite is "Warren". So these guys are really cool. A couple days ago I was cleaning out the tank (yes, Ana's job, but I think they are fun to play with and didn't mind....she is really doing a nice job taking care of them) and I put the crabs in a bowl on the counter. OK, actually in a coffee filter. Bad idea. Washed the tank and left it out to dry. Awhile later I went back and couldn't find Bridget. Lij helped me look and we found her out on porch going for a stroll. Seriously very funny for a cephalopod! She was just walking around like she had a place to go. She is really friendly, too; when you hold her she'll come out of her shell and walk up and down your arm.

The other two new people are fire belly toads. Elijah had a few years ago and they got out and died (they need water--hermits don't); they were replaced at that time by Dumpy, his cool huge green tree frog. Dumpy died of old age (he lived something like 3 or 4 years) and there have been no frogs since. So these two are his first frogs in awhile (he is a big frog fan). He named them EJ and DJ. That's Elijah Junior and Dumpy Junior. Best of all, EJ is a girl.

Wils is talking about getting a pet some day and right now he is wanting a pet mouse and he wants a female (he uses that term) and he wants to name her "Isabella". I jsut love it, and I'm all for it. He turns 5 in a few weeks and we'll see. The problem is that mice aren't recommended for kids that young; rats are, because they are bigger. The rats at petsmart are pretty cool too though. We'll see. I had been planning on a Nintendo DS for him for his 5th birthday and will probably stick to that. Somehow I doubt gramma will do the rat. He definately needs some new pants--he refuses to wear anything but the size 4 jeans he has worn for the last year, and they won't snap any more. He says, about this, that "THESE PANTS ARE FREAKING ME OUT!"

Zac has two new babies in his life. Mimi, the first, is really not new; he just rediscovered her. She is a raggedy old baby doll that belonged to Ana when she was a baby, and Zac took to her and made her his. He even named her. I have no idea where he got the idea to call her Mimi, but it fits. He dresses her, he kisses her, he feeds her, he puts her to bed, he slams her against the wall by the ankles, all those fatherly things. He and Mimi also have a pet pound puppy from Toys R Us. He has quite the family for such a little guy. He also has quite the mouth...he calls me "mother"! I'm uploading a picture of him and Mimi (among a few other pictures).

We went to the Richmond parade last night and he must have said "Yeah, parade coming" about 20 times...............even when it was actually "going". He waved at everyone that went by and was pretty much as entertaining as anything that was actually IN the parade. Ana was in it, with her Tae Kwon Do group; she had a good time and looked like quite the big girl. Ben found a friend from school to be silly with--he is a true middle child. Elijah sat and attracted dirt to his face and clothes.

I think my favorite part was the antique car part, an old guy went by in a restored 19 something something, and he had his Rolator beside in in the front seat. What exactly was the antique here.....him?

A quick shout out---to my friend Carla from BBC---can you email me? gillerschurman@clearwire.net