More Stuff

             Tonight I ventured up in my parent's attic in search for more garage sale items.  We have a date set for October 22nd, so we are trying to stock up on anything we think will sell.  
             My search did not uncover anything that I felt like hauling down the ladder stairs for the sale.  In the first layer, I found Katie's leg cast from 1994!  Now, I understand and even appreciate the sentimentality behind keeping the cast.  It was a traumatic time in our family's life and Katie wore that cast for a good two months.  Lots of people signed it.  But, do we really, really still need it? 

             I figured that if the first layer began at 1994, I was in real trouble.  I told my mom that what she needs to do is just bring everything down from the attic someday and go through it all.  She agreed, that yes, someday she needs to do that. 

             I did discover a tub filled with all of my old barbies.  It was the only thing I brought down.  I immediately remembered when I use to play with my mom's old barbies and all the dreams I had once had of my little girl playing with my barbies!  Evangeline really had a good time going through the whole tub.  She especially liked playing with the baby that came with a stroller and swing. 

            Funny though that the barbies did not look the way I had remembered them.  For starters, most were topless and had funky hairstyles.  Also, several were missing limbs.  I had forgotten that one time I had left my barbies at a friend's house and her poodle had chewed several up, including my absolute favorite barbie, Maria.  I was obsessed with The Sound of Music when I was seven and named several of my dolls Maria.  Not sure where Maria the doll (aka "Kid Sister") is.  Probably in level 3 or 4. 

            Strange how I have blocked out the memory of Maria being chewed to bits.  I remember that it was a Sunday afternoon when I went back over to get them and that I cried and cried and then hid Maria under the bathroom sink.  The next day I came down with a bad case of the flu and my dad showed up with a replacement doll, whom I named Michelle.  I named all of my barbies "M" names- I could've been a Duggar.  I rarely got barbies "just because" so this one was really special.

             We took the baby, stroller, and swing home but left the rest of the barbies at my parent's house so that Evangeline can play with them when she goes over there to visit.  One day I'll venture back into the attic and pull out my mom's old barbies, which I'm pretty sure I spotted off in the distance in the attic tonight.  Hers are in much better condition than mine, from what I can remember. 

           

            

Jackson Fair

             After we left the dermatologist office, we set off for the fair.  The most exciting part of the day happened in the parking lot as I was pulling out and we discovered that Evangeline was not strapped in at all and had climbed all the way to the back of the van, pulled out the pillow pet that was back there, and was lying down.  Poor baby was already tired.
             We missed our free admission and parking, but that was okay.  After we were there about two minutes both mom and I commented that we would never waste our time with the Queen City Fair (Meridian's fair) again.  This one is just so much bigger and nicer.  And, actually cheaper, too.  We had a nice lunch at the Cock of the Walk booth and then headed to the Midway where Evangeline rode a car ride and together we rode a flying elephant.  I laughed when the man working the cars unhooked Evangeline and left like she would just hop right out.  By the time I had gotten to her she'd already strapped herself back in, ready for another ride!
              The best part was the petting zoo.  Evangeline loved the one in Meridian, and I have to say that it was by far the best thing at that fair.  Even though she is scared to death to sit on a pony, Evangeline is fearless when wondering around a cage full of goats!  I watched today as my precious little girl walked up to the llama, goat, cow, and turtle and blew them each kisses. She went around to each of the food dispensers and got little pellets from the ground and fed all of the animals.  She is so loving.  Her favorite animal at this petting zoo was the camels.  They were a little too friendly and had the food dispenser figured out too easily.  And one bit my mom.  But, Evangeline loved them.  I think she was thinking of Wonder Pets and the poor baby camel that was trying to find the oasis ("The most pleasant of places.... there's water, plants, and a twee there. The camel wants to be there").  She also saw a zebra, but he was in a cage where you couldn't pet him.  She kept yelling, "Hey Zeza" at it, but that zebra just wouldn't turn around!     
               After a tour of the trade room we headed back home, exhausted after a really fun day.  Evangeline only slept a little while in the van on the way back so she went to bed early.  Now, I'm ready for bed myself!

Dog, Cat, Mouse

             Yesterday I got Evangeline ready to go into the backyard and play.  You'd think that since we were only going outside it would not require a whole lot of effort.  You'd be wrong.  First, I have to make sure we are both fully clothed and she has on shoes and socks (if we're lucky!).  Then, there are the things that I tote out there which include: Evangeline's juice cup, a drink for me, Trey's bouncer, Trey, and my cell phone.  I do this all while trying to keep Evangeline from falling down the back stairs.  We are always enthusiastically greeted by Blue Bell (the dog) and Edy (the cat).

              Well, yesterday I open the back door and am greeted by an additional guest, a friend of Edy's.  It was a mouse.  Not a little bitty black mouse but a brown field mouse that better resembled a rat.  I put this on Facebook and one of my friends pointed out that I use to have a pet rat when I was in Jr. High and was never afraid.  This is true.  His name was Pat the Rat and he was much cuter and friendlier than the mousy friend Edy had brought over from the wood clearing near our house.   

               Upon seeing the mouse running all over my patio I screamed and shut the door. Evangeline got quite excited.  She likes mice, you see, because we always read Goodnight Moon and she loves to point out the mouse on all the colored pages.  She SCREAMED "Mouse!!!!" (which really sounded more like "Mou!") then "Edy!  No no!" as Edy chased the mouse underneath the baby pool.  Yesterday we found a similar, but dead, looking mouse in the yard which Drew promptly shoveled away.  So, I called Drew, who had left only a few minutes earlier to come and help.  Our conversation went something like this, "Drew!  There's a mouse running around in our backyard and Edy is chasing it!"  Drew, "And?  What do you want me to do about it?"  Me, "I don't know! Come home?"  Drew, "If I came home I'd be inside watching it the same as you."  Me, "'I guess you're right."  

                Eventually Blue Bell made her way into the backyard and things progressed from comical to violent as she flung poor Mickey all over the yard.  I had to steer Evangeline away from the door by telling her that Blue Bell and the mouse were outside playing so we couldn't go out there right now.  A few minutes later the poor mouse lay dead in the corner of the yard.  Ev, Trey, and I were able to go outside and play and Drew disposed of the lifeless body when he came back home.  

                 My mom said that the mice were probably use to coming into our house since it had been vacant for so long (only about six months).  I did not appreciate this theory.  Drew said that he thought they had been stirred up from the clearing of some trees just caddy-cornered from our backyard and that Edy was bringing them into the yard to play with.  I like his theory much better b/c that means that any relatives are still faraway.  And hopefully in hiding.