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Even with school in session I haven't quite been able to find a groove that allows for some discretionary time.  It seems to be all survival mode all the time around here.  It doesn't help that Sir O has been especially tornado-like of late.  The kid leaves chaos in his wake everywhere he goes.  And I get to attempt to restore order if there's going to be any order around these parts.  It's a full-time job.  Or rather, a 100+ hour a week job.  No breaks with that kid.  And I've spent too many of his kindergarten hours playing catch up on cleaning up after him.  Yes, we are trying to teach him to clean up after himself.  No, so far he's not managing to learn what we're teaching.

But - of late - good things going on.



We spent too many late nights last week prepping and bottling grape juice, salsa, and applesauce.  We need to tackle dilly beans soon, and will have more grapes on our hands in a week or two.  But for now we are taking a well deserved break.  Projects like that on top of our everyday lunacy are intense.





The day we were picking grapes Mr Renn surprised me by making me an appointment to get my hair cut.  I hadn't had one since last November, and my hair was just hopeless.  I think he was tired of hearing me complain about it.



AND - my favorite development of late - our Captain has fallen in love.  He's got an intense little relationship going on with this cheap-o stuffed pig that Sir O caught at the County Fair (as they were throwing them into the audience at a pig wrestling event.)  It is now affectionately named "piggie" and is permanently attached to this little man's being.  Well, other than the time I had to confiscate it to perform surgery to repair holes and about quadruple the amount of stuffing the thing came with.  But somehow watching this attachment is making me happy.