November 20, 2010

  • Can We Go, Gramma? Can We? Can We?


    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    When Chewlee and I were on our way home today, we went past the high school and all the lights were on at their football field.  Chewlee knew immediately that it meant there was going to be a football game tonight so she said to me, very emphatically, *Can we go, Gramma?  Can we?  Can we?*  When I told her not tonight but maybe when she got a little bigger, she said, *Oh man!  Everything is when I get bigger.*  (If you have never seen Dora the Explorer, the *Oh man!* comes from Swiper the Fox whenever he is foiled from swiping something that isn't his.)  She still made me laugh when she said it.  I told her she was growing so fast that it wouldn't be any time at all when mommy and daddy would be taking her to football games.  She looked at me, eyes big, and said, *Really???*  I filed it away in my mind that I might be eating my words in the future.....or else sitting through high school football games on Friday nights a time or two.

    When Johnnycakes got here to pick up Chewlee, she wasn't ready to go with him and told us all that.  When I asked her why, she said she didn't like Daddy.  Not tonight.  That puzzled me but then she said, *I am not done with my cookie or my chocolate milk.  He is too early.*  I assured her that he and Papa were busy talking about going hunting so she could sit down and finish eating.  They were still discussing it when she was done so she went into her toy box I have here and dug out some toys she wanted to take home with her. 

    She asked me if it was okay if she took them home and I told her she could.  It was just a bucket, a sand shovel and scoop plus a couple sand molds.  I knew she wanted them for her bath time.  She also took her swimming turtle that I just replaced the batteries in so it will swim now.  The problem is, he really is almost too big to do much swimming in any one direction in a tub.  He has to be about a foot long and about the same wide.  His fins work independently so he really DOES swim but he's really more for a pool than the bathtub.  The problem is, her mother lives in an apartment building so the pool has been in storage all summer long. 

    She never brought it over here for putting up in our yard but that makes sense since Baron would have made short work of it without meaning to do so.  He's got some long ass, sharp nails.  We just can't keep up with them and the Beast knows the vet cringes when we bring him in to her office.  It takes her and two assistants to keep him in place so they can be cut.  Once you start, you MUST finish and get them all done.  He knows it doesn't hurt but he doesn't like the sound, I think.

    Chewlee got really impatient with Johnnycakes and came in to tell me she *really has to get home to her mommy*.  I told that to Johnnycakes and he told her that mommy wasn't home yet because she had to run errands.  That means she had to go to the grocery store.    Chewlee finally hit the door and opened it, telling Johnnycakes *Bye, I am leaving....I am leaving now!*  She went out the door, shut it, opened it up and came running in to my computer room.  She must have looked at all the dark surrounding this house and got a bit scared.  She slammed my door shut, put down the bag with her toys in it and said, *There are monsters out there!!!!*  I assured her that no monsters would DARE to stay around Gramma's house, she grinned and said, *Did you roar at them, Gramma?*  I told her *yes* and that made her feel better.  She opened my door after she kissed me goodbye and was telling me she would see me tomorrow when Johnnycakes told her to hurry up so they could leave.  She ran out the door with her bag of toys, yelled *Bye Papa* and was out the door that quick.  I know why, too.  She is just dying to get that turtle into the bathtub and turn it on to watch it swim.  She just loves that thing.  If I am not mistaken, I believe it was a gift from Tara.

    Tomorrow morning starts my canning.  Today we got the rest of the supplies we needed (more apples, sugar, orange juice...stuff like that) plus I consulted my recipes to make sure we had everything needed.  The Beast got my big pot down from the shelf in the garage and we have already set who does what chores.  Chewlee gets to throw away all the apple cores.  The Beast will core the apples (after I make sure to show him about leveling the bottoms so it's a straight cut).  I will peel the grapefruits and section them.  I also will take care of the apples after coring.  The Beast volunteered to fill the big pot with water (which I appreciate because that sucker gets heavy) and he will also help with the light syrup for the apples.  He is capable of stirring the sugar water.  Chewlee will probably drag her little step stool over to watch.  Like that's really interesting. 

    I will let you know how it all goes.  Love you all and I hope you have a great day.  Do something you enjoy and think of me.  I will be in housewife hell!