Happy Mother's Day

Making Mother Day cards for Mama Jody on the sly.

"Why do people ask Antonio why he has two moms?" Crystel asked. We were in the car by ourselves driving home from a park.

"When was that?" I said.

"At preschool."

"What did Antonio say?"

"He didn't say anything. Adrian said that it was because he came that way."

"Oh."

"Teacher Jane and Teacher Pat said it was because that is what his moms wanted."

"Should I help you come up with an answer?"

"Sure."

I thought. I thought some more. I was stumped myself. I realized that I didn't have an answer that a five year old boy or girl could say to people that would be positive, stop any further questioning, and be satisfying to all parties. "I'll have to think about it," I said.

The next day Crystel mentioned something about family and the answer came to me.

"I know what you could say when people ask you why you have two moms," I said. "You could tell them, "That's my family." And when they ask again, just repeat it, "That's my family."

Though Antonio didn't say anything I knew from experience that he took it in and that is exactly what he'd say the next time he was asked.

Look closely, very closely. Middle finger. Meet Kelly the ant. And, yes, that would be Crystel's hand. Antonio is not fond of bugs. He is fond of his sister, who he often saves, from bugs.

A Lounging Princess

To others this may look like a little girl who is sitting in a chair with a snow shovel over her head. Unh, Unh. It's a Princess in her cabana chair. The snow shovel blocks the sun from her eyes.

I fear no one being that little people with a purple belt and blue belt reside in my home. Though they fear the scary bird in the latest Dr. Seuss movie. We had to leave the theatre.

Graduate of Police Reserve School

On Tuesday, May 6, I received my certificate for completing Hennepin County's Reserve School. The school was very interesting and at times gory - seeing photo's of crime scenes. My family was going to attend but Antonio came down with pink eye in the afternoon. Crystel and I were left to enjoy the cake and cookies. The first picture is the happy graduate, happy girl, and unhappy boy who thought he shouldn't be photographed due to the blinding light of the camera flash. The second picture is one the children took of Jody and I. The third picture is Crystel photographing me while I was receiving the certificate. Crystel wanted a picture 'just of me' which explains the fourth picture. There were sixty-seven graduates. As I explained to the children I am - a backup to the police officers not a police officer. They sometimes get confused. In this case, I don't mind. My first assignment: Being posted somewhere along the route for Race Of The Cure on Sunday.

Antonio's Bedroom

"Take a picture of me," said three little monkey's hanging in a tree.

Handyman

Everyone needs a good Handyman. Tim has been with us for over ten years. We schedule him in the Spring and Fall to take care of the fix it list that we have created in his absence. The children come running when they see Tim. They wanted to stay up one night to see him until we assured them that Tim would stop in and say good night. We had called him because we were having an electrical outage on half the house. When the kids are teenagers I plan on apprenticing them to Tim. Right now when something needs fixing they say, "We need to call Tim!" After the apprenticeship we won't have to go far to get help.