Somebody is FINALLY Big Enough to Drink from the Big-Boy Bowl!

Could this little guy possibly be any cuter?!!!!

A New Box ... Mine!!!!

If your cat is driving you nuts, put a box on the floor. I try to keep a box around for just such an occasion. Cats, apparently, are required to take up residence in every box they come across. Like moths to a flame, cats cannot resist an empty box.

Schools in a Neighboring County Will Start Five Minutes Earlier Next Year

Schools in a neighboring county will be starting five minutes earlier next year. The superintendent stated, "Starting five minutes earlier will create seven, two-hour early dismissal days. The shorter days will help the district by allowing teachers to improve their lesson plans and teaching methods."

So ... that means working parents need to find someone to watch their kids in the afternoon during those seven half-days. As a single, working mother of three kids, those kind of days were a real hassle ... and an added expense I didn't need.

Most school districts are adding time to their school calendar to give the children more instructional time in the classroom ... not to give teachers more planning time. Making children go to school five minutes longer all year so that their teachers can have extra time to prepare lessons doesn't make much sense to me. Good teachers are always looking for ways to improve their lesson plans and teaching methods. They do not need corporation-mandated time to look for new and/or better ways to teach their students. And, giving  mediocre/bad teachers two hours, seven times a year isn't going to motivate to do a better job.

Awwwwwww

This may be the sweetest thing I've ever read ... but in the back of my mind, I can hear the female Gentoo penguin saying, "When I said I wanted a rock, I meant a diamond ... not a pebble!"

D-Day, 1944

Last year on this date my blog post was about my father crossing the equator on D-Day 1944. (You can read that here.) This year the post isn't really about my father, but all of the World War II vets, and the stories they have to tell.

A friend of mine didn't find out her father was on Omaha Beach on D-Day until after his death. What a shame that he took his stories and accounts of that day to his grave.

My dad never talked much about his time during the war, even after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer ... until one day near the end of his life.

Towards the end of the war, Daddy was stationed in the Philippines. The American GI's sheltered a 12-year old Philippine boy, orphaned by the Japanese during war. It was against regulations, but the men did it anyway. The boy wanted to work for the chocolate and rations he was given, so the American's would have him shine their shoes or do other small tasks. It pleased the boy that he wasn't a charity case, that he was earning his keep and doing his part in the war, and the GI's were happy that this young boy was safe and was no longer hungry or afraid or alone. When they were all loaded up on a ship to head to Japan for a ground invasion, the men had to leave the boy behind. My dad was heartbroken and feared for the boy's future. He never saw the boy again. Memories of the boy and what became of him haunted my father for the rest of his days.

Daddy was an airplane mechanic. As such, he wasn't issued combat boots or a rifle. It was the job of others to protect him while he worked on the planes. When America made the decision to drop the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, my father was on a ship, heading towards Japan. He had been issued combat boots and a rifle, and would be part of the ground force if Japan didn't surrender. He was still on the ship on August 9, 1945, when the second bomb was dropped. Daddy wrote a letter home that day, and spoke of listening to all the radio broadcasts they could get ... all of which talked about the "new bomb" and the belief that the war would end soon. By the time Daddy arrived in Tokyo, Japan had surrendered.

I wish Daddy had talked about his experiences more, even the mundane, boring days. Sadly, like my friends dad, my father's stories died with him.

If you know a vet, especially a World War II vet, ask them about their service. The brave men who fought in Europe, Africa, and the South Seas are getting older. One day, in our lifetime, they'll all be gone ... and what a shame that the treasure trove of stories they have will die with them.

Mmmmm ... Today is National Donut Day!

I probably won't have a donut today. It's not that I don't like them ... I love donuts ... but because the line at every donut bakery in town is always ridiculous. I'm talking cars lined up around the building and more blocking traffic just to get into the parking lot.

Well, I spoke too soon. Before I had a chance to post this, a health-conscious co-worker, who doesn't eat donuts, stopped by and asked me, "Do you want a donut? They were giving them away this morning." I didn't want the donut sitting on his desk tempting him, so I said yes.

Am I a good friend or what?!!

Why does a newly sharpened pencil make me so happy?!!!

Seriously ... why does a newly sharpened pencil make me smile like a little kid getting to stay up past bedtime?

Look at this photograph, every time I do it makes me laugh ...

Roo and baby Gus ... taking Thing 1 for a walk.

Okay, I don't really laugh ... but it does make me smile :)

It's so silly ... and SO cute!

A Pretty Day Depends on Which Window You Look Out!

The picture above is out the front window of the truck.

The pictures below are out the side window.

Rubber Band Gatling Gun

This is a hand-cranked rubber band shooter that fires off rubber bands in quick succession, and it is SOOOO much fun to shoot!! Enough fun to get a kid ... or husband ... in trouble, over and over and over and over!