Countdown Day 14 - Their cup runneth over!
Saturday's Class at Novel Approach

Countdown Day 15 - morning K-os! (see what I did there?)

This morning was one of those troublesome Karl mornings where he was moving like a sloth.

ME: Emma! Is Karl still in the shower?

EMMA: Yes!

ME: Well tell him to get out. Do it nicely, please.

(loud door pounding that I heard all the way downstairs)




Now you may be wondering . . . what is Lucy looking at, with crazed stalker eyes?

That would be socks.

When Aunt Mary visited us about a month ago it was her first time seeing the house.

"How nice that you have this balcony area," she commented

"You mean our reverse laundry chute?" I replied.

Because I am not so prompt and organized with laundry. Let's put it this way - I am FAR MORE disciplined with returning cups to the kitchen than I am with keeping up with the laundry.

So what happens is that the clean laundry is folded (or more likely in a giant lump or still in the dryer) and the kids discover that they have nothing to wear.

"Can you toss me up some clothes?" is a normal request.

So normal, in fact, that Lucy comes running and stands under the balcony like a lion stalking a wildebeest and waits for me to start throwing stuff up to the kids.

It's actually a fun game for all involved. The kids are normally clad only in a towel, so they have the added challenge of not pulling a Full Monty while trying to catch a tee-shirt. I have the challenge of accurate throwing, so that the clothes do not fall on the floor, where the lion awaits. If a kid catches the full outfit we all cheer and congratulate ourselves, while Lucy sulks. More often, though, there's at least one miss, sending a pair of socks to the floor where Lucy will quickly scoop them up and go running. 

Then I chase her while the towel-clad kid yells directions from their high vantage point; "Get her! She's over there!" or whatever. 

You see? You see how my complete lack of household discipline is actually quite charming?

Could you explain it to my husband?


So in addition to Karl taking an obscenely long shower, and both kids needed outfits tossed, and Emma being upset at running late after waiting for the shower, there was very little time for a clue hunt.

ME: Are you going to do your clue?

EMMA: (grumpily) There isn't time! I'm tired of HIS showers always making ME late!

ME: I know. Maybe you should start using the guest room shower.

EMMA: But he uses all the hot water!

There was no arguing with that. I do have a stocking stuffer coming for Karl that is an owershay imertay but I didn't want to tell her. (So let's hope they don't read this, and/or they are rusty with their pig latin!)

ME: Hey, in good news, the clue is desperately simple today, so you'll actually be able to get it if you've got 30 seconds to spare.

It's like I have a sixth sense about K-otic (instead of chaotic, see what I did there?) rushed mornings, or something! This was the perfect morning for a gimme!

KARL: (reads clue) The recycle bin. (yawns)

They didn't so much "run" toward the garage as much as "trudge" toward the garage.

What can I say? Every morning isn't going to be worthy of a Norman Rockwell painting! 

If you have some extra minutes, though, you can revisit a story I posted six whole years ago, describing another balcony scene at our old house in Colorado. When I went looking for the link this morning I quickly re-read it and it brought back some old blog memories. For one, I used to quote The Princess Bride at the end of every blog post. My blog title, "I am not left-handed" is actually a quote from that movie, my favorite of all time. Also, my kids were really into Junie B. Jones books and I would often write "Junie style" in blog posts. See if you can pick out the Junie phrases!

December 21, 2005: The Flight of Prince Caspian