May 21, 2012
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Watching Chewlee Play With My Buttons
TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM
I have a collection of buttons. Just like my mother used to do, I find a button, I keep it because I might find out what it goes to. Also, when I am ready to throw away something that has buttons on it (or add it to the rag bag), I cut off the buttons and add them to my collection. As you might guess, it’s got a LOT of different buttons. I’ve used them when I sew new things. I use them to replace lost buttons on shirts, coats, all kinds of things. But no matter how many I use, the collection doesn’t seem to get any smaller.
Chewlee has been fascinated with my collection and has always asked me to let her play with it. The rule is that she must put them all back when she’s done and she can’t leave the room. She’s been very good about it and has used the buttons to make faces or house shapes for the most part. Today she decided to do something different. Today she sorted them all out into their various colors. Then she took each color and sorted the buttons into their various sizes. As I watched her, I realized that I had a lot more matching buttons than I thought but I also realized that she has a good eye for color. As she was sorting them, she would say their color. I didn’t realize that I even had some orange buttons. I can’t for the life of me imagine where I got them but it’s an old collection. I just thought it was funny.
Chewlee was thoroughly engrossed while she was doing that. Some buttons she stopped and looked at closely. I think the different patterns they have on their edges caught her attention as well as the different finishes. Some she jumped up to show me and I would tell her that was a pearl finish or a marbled one and she would shake her head to agree with me like she knew that all along.
They celebrated her birthday at school today since school will be over next week and Chewlee is leaving tomorrow for Orlando with her other grandfather. I thought she was flying but the Princess told me it’s only her flying out on Thursday. The paternal grandfather and Chewlee will pick her up at the airport and they will come back on Monday. Chewlee insisted that she was now 5 years old because they had her birthday at school. When I told her she had another week to wait, she got all upset with me about it. But when I told her that meant she was going to have TWO birthdays, she got a big grin on her face.
She gave me a hug and a kiss before she did the same to the Beast and then ran out the door. If I know the Princess, she hasn’t packed anything for Chewlee yet. Which is probably why she was in such a hurry to leave. She usually sticks around for a while to talk about *things* before she leaves but not today. I know she must be tired from work but she will stay up until she’s got everything done that she needs to do.
The kids put an offer in on a house. I saw the pictures and it’s a nice modular on a huge piece of property. It’s got a huge deck and is on brick supports all around. That’s unusual for this area but so are modulars. Most people just get double wide trailers. I know the realtor presented the offer to the owners but the Princess hasn’t said anything to me about whether or not the owners took the offer or countered it…..yet. I’ll call tomorrow and ask her about it since it means a lot of changes. The house isn’t all that far away but it is further than I would like to see them. I wouldn’t get to see Chewlee as often and it means Chewlee would be going to a school where she knows no one unlike if they stayed in our area. If the people took the offer, they will be moving soon because the kids were pre-qualified by a lender just for that reason. So most of the paperwork has been submitted. Johnnycakes hates paying rent even though their rent right now is reasonable.
He just hates the idea of not being able to do some things he would like to do including putting up Chewlee’s playhouse and slide. It’s a really neat one of wood but too much work to put up and take down. He hasn’t put it up at this place they are renting because there’s no room for it. He’s also used to living in a home with lots of land. His dad’s house is on a huge piece of property because of raising chickens and having horses. This place they are trying to get is just on 2-1/2 or 3 acres but that’s big enough for what he wanted. No close neighbors. The deck is huge and he would like to put a hot tub on it. He could put it flush because the deck is elevated enough. The Princess said to me…*I could sunbathe nude and no one could see me there because of all the trees surrounding it*. That made me laugh….wanting a tan with no lines…it’s her age talking.
I saw the dog do something I could scarcely believe today. Gotta tell you. The cat disappeared yesterday. We didn’t see her and couldn’t find her in any of her usual places. That worried us and even Baron went searching for her. Today she showed up at the door as usual and Baron was beside himself happy to see her. He kept rubbing his head over her and even licked her face a time or two. They both finally laid down on the big area rug in the living room and Baron started licking her all over like she was a puppy or kitten. It was too damned funny to be believed.
That’s it for the Brat Farm for now. We got a little rain, enough that the Beast didn’t have to water the garden. We also had an official high of 81 but we recorded an outside temp of 84 here. We turned all the fans on but the Beast broke down and turned on one of the window air conditioners to cool down the living room and kitchen area. We did leftovers so we didn’t have to use the stove, just the microwave. It was fine and even Chewlee broke down and had some sloppy joe which she knows is beef. That shocked me. She usually won’t touch it. BUT….she couldn’t have a popsicle until she ate.
She loves those crayola popsicles! Time to go now. Hope you are having a great week and some decent weather. The summer and crooked neck sqash are doing great and the asparagus plants are starting to thicken and stand up straight. They look wonderful. Yum. I’m going to be canning tomatoes for days, I can tell. I told the Beast that he is going to help me slip off the skins at the very least. That’s the most tedious part of the canning as far as I’m concerned.
Love you all. Thanks for stopping by.
