Spring

It's unmistakably spring in Central Texas - these few precious days of lovely weather before summer and endless months of air-conditioning. We decide to head out early on Fri afternoon for Carol's casa. On Saturday morning, Michelle, Jo, and Carol are going to run/walk the Wounded Soldier 15 mile relay along River Road.

That night, 4 pets, 5 adults, and 6 children attempt to sleep at the house.

The 4 oldest kids are in sleeping bags in the living room floor. I am up till about 230am working on Paypal integration. Millie (devil cat) starts yelping and scratching at the french doors at 3am to be let in. I drag my ass up from the couch and do the needful. At 330am, Ellie (smart dog) starts yowling outside Carol's bedroom door because all the other dogs are in there. By 340am, Jo is wandering around dealing with Ellie. At 350am Carol wakes up - she's recovering from jet-lag - it's almost 11am in Norway. Eva screams like a champ. Carol turns on her coffee pot with the turbo-monster percolator setting. Then she drowns out the sound of the coffee pot by loading and unloading the dishwasher several times with a blindfold over her eyes (or at least doing a darn good imitation of it). Vivian screams a few times. And Kai starts snoring like a St Bernard with sleep apnea.

Jo takes pity on me and sends me to the back bedroom. The runners depart. Vivian sleeps fitfully on my chest, and we sleep in. We wake up to a breakfast of bananas - Vivian polishes off one and a half, and I think she would keep on eating. It's a lovely day - not a cloud in the sky, and a gentle breeze carrying a hint of a thousand hill-country wildflowers.