So what should the subject of my post be about today? Well, a month or so ago Molly and I were laying in bed at about 6:00 in the morning and my alarm had just gone off and I was considering getting out of bed, when there was this scratching noise that sounded like it was coming from the walls. I asked Molly if she could hear it or if I was just imagining it and she said it sounded like mice running around in the walls. Well that is what I thought it sounded like too, but I did not want to hear that she thought the same thing. So I just kept listening and that is the only thing I could think of that would make that sound. But it didn't make sense, because the walls are full of insulation and I didn't think that those little mice could be making such a racket on such soft stuff. Well for a week or so, it was the same thing every morning and I just wasn't sure what I was going to do to get mice out of the walls. I didn't know where to put traps or poison that would even get to them because they were in the walls. So I was thinking I was going to have to start ripping into the walls.
But then I started noticing a lot of bird activity on that corner of my house and it got me wondering if I had accused the wrong guy. So I decided to look a little closer and sure enough, it wasn't mice at all. It was some birds building a nest inside the dryer vent duct. They had propped open the louvers with some sticks so they could get in and out and that duct was stuffed full of dry grass and twigs and stuff. So I reached in and pulled it all out. And those birds got mad. They were squawking at me like crazy. But they didn't have eggs or anything yet so I didn't feel too bad about it. Well, I figured that was that, but then next day they were back at it, replacing all the stuff I had pulled out of there, only this time much further back into the duct so that I couldn't reach in and pull it out. I had to get a 20' piece of small pipe and reach all the way in there and pull it all out again the next day. Then I put a metal screen over the covering so they couldn't get back in. I felt a little bad about it, because the poor things just wanted somewhere safe to start a family, but I didn't want my house catching on fire. So I had to evict them. I thought I had a picture of the nest sticking out of the dryer vent but I can't find it. Oh well. Just picture in your mind a white plastic dryer vent with three louvers that flap open when the dryer turns on, and now add a bunch of sticks and grass poking out. See, that was almost as good as a picture. But now that metal screen I put on keeps filling in with lint and I have to keep cleaning it off. So that is a pain. But at least I don't have birds living in there making me crazy every morning with their hustle and bustle.
Let's see what else is going on? Well, I guess I haven't posted about anything that has happened for almost a year, so I could probably go on and on about a lot of things. There were all the holidays and birthdays for example. I bought myself a hammock for my birthday that I hung in the corner of my fence between two posts and I really like laying out there. The kids like it more, but I take it down when I am not using it so they can't ruin it. And I bought myself a scary video game that I thought would be fun. It is Resident Evil 4 for the Wii. I haven't gotten very far but I guess you just go around killing zombies. Like I said, I thought it would be fun, but I am just not very good at it because you have to do a lot of hand fighting and stabbing and there are always people trying to cut me with axes and chainsaws and stuff, and I just can't handle it. I thought it might be fun to having a shooting game, but this one is too up close and personal and a lot less shooting than I hoped for. So I think I am going to have to get rid of it. It just makes me tense worrying about whether someone is going to jump out and swing an ax at me.
So I turned 35 this year. That seemed a lot older 10 years ago than it does now. 35 was pretty far off not that long ago. But you know, everyone my age is 35 so it isn't so bad ;). Zoe is turning 12 this month, which I think makes me feel older than knowing that I am 35. Actually, I don't mind being 35 and having a 12 year old. What I don't like is just how fast time seems to be going. I swear I was just 25 a year or two ago. Somehow I hit a wormhole that is moving me forward through time and space at an increasing speed. If I keep going at this same rate, I will be dead by next week. I guess I better make the most of the coming week. It is so easy to get complacent and not do anything fun or different though. I could probably come home from work and sit in my easy chair and surf the internet on my laptop until bedtime every day and then look back in twenty years and say, wow, I haven't done anything. So I will try not to do that. Most days.
Ethnie turned 4 in March, Lila turned 10 in April, Luke turned 6 in May. No, wait. Ethnie turned 3 in March not 4. Let me see if I can find some pictures. Ah yes, here we go:
Here she is looking at some chalk that one of the kids gave her for a present.
She loves the movie Tangled and was happy to get a Rapunzel costume and wig.
And Molly made here a beautiful Rapunzel barbie birthday cake.
I thought the cake turned out great. Molly did a great job with the fondant dress.
And here are some pics from my birthday. Here I am looking at the hammock. The kids were pretty excited.
And here is Ethnie testing out the hammock to see if it worked.
Lila had a movie birthday party with her friends. Molly made all sorts of cute movie things and the kids got to get candy and popcorn and soda from the concession stand before watching the show. They thought it was pretty fun.
Those cupcakes have white and yellow mini marshmallows on them that have been twisted a bit to make them look like popcorn. Molly made little food carrier for the kids to hold their goodies in. We drilled holes in the lids of those water bottles that they could stick straws in so that it would be harder for them to spill their soda on the carpet.
Here are the girls at the party. I don't know their names. Well maybe I can get them. Starting at the top left is Lila, Mary, Bella, Zoe. Then on the front row is Megan, friend A, Alex, and Leisel. Ok, so I got most of them. I can picture the parents of friend A but can't think of her name.
And then we get to Luke. Luke got to spend his birthday at Disneyland this year. He didn't think it was that great to have a birthday there because none of his friends could be there. Look at this tough guy!
Now look at the tough guy riding splash mountain. The look on his face cracks me up. Afterword he said he wasn't scared, but I think he might have been a little nervous.
Here is a good birthday picture of him. What a guy he is.
He got a pin on his shirt that said it was his birthday and the whole day, the workers at Disneyland were yelling, "Happy birthday Luke" every time the walked past. And he would politely respond, "Thank you." It was fun.
Well that is all for now. Maybe if Molly doesn't get to it, I will post a little more on how much fun we had on our trip to Disneyland. My mom came with us and that made it nice in a lot of ways. So more on that next time.
