yard work and trouble

No pictures today. No time for that.

It was the perfect day to work outside, so I started to tear down the weeds on our hill. Miah had other ideas however and kept me hopping with encouragements, hugs, and snacks. At one point I poked my head up over the hill to check on her. She had taken a seat on our chair and taken an interest in my coffee mug. Such an interest in fact that she competently picked up the mug with both hands and took a swallow of the tepid bitter dregs of my morning coffee. She carefully returned the mug, then checked to see whether she was caught. I had moved so she couldn't see me. "Maybe this will cure her fascination with morning coffee," I thought. I thought wrongly because a moment later she repeated the performance and was about to take a third swallow when I intervened. Silly kid, coffee is for adults.

I returned to my work and she returned to her trouble. Parents, beware the sound of silence. Her quiet absence finally sent alarm bells off in my mind, so I went looking for her. I found her sitting happily on the kitchen table eating from the sugar bowl (both things she's been told "no" about a hundred times before). As much as I wanted a picture of her pretending to be innocent, there was no time between finding her and exacting discipline.

Needless to say, Miah didn't take a nap at her regular time. Too much caffiene and sugar.

She did make me smile when I was giving her a treat to give the dog. Roxy is supposed to sit for her treats, so when I told my excited dog to sit down we both had to wait while Miah also had a seat on the kitchen floor. That's the trouble with this age: Miah is learning the same imperatives that we taught the dog two years ago. Too often we'll ask one to come and they both end up in our arms; or we want one to stay, but the wrong one leaves while the other remains.

Miah dotes on Roxy's attention. She usually asks for a piece of food to taunt the dog into a game of chase, but today she decided to put her arms around the sleeping Roxy and heave with all her might to get the dog to go down the slide with her. Earlier that morning they actually fought over who could play with a long cardboard tube. I think someone needs a sibling.

By the time the contractor and floor estimator had come and gone I was ready for real company. We stopped by Home Depot for paint samples on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's. Mark's mom encouraged me about selling our first home, and then I let her love on Miah to help Jimmy. It is about time I returned the favor of yard work.

We went out for a great dinner at The Cracker Barrel where Grandma bought a bubble machine. Miah was sad to leave the new great toy behind in order to go to bed. It's tough being little.