Well, this was an interesting day. William was the world's biggest handful pretty much all day. He woke up a tyrant, demanding cocoa, which, to him, is "the PRECIOUS." His pacifiers are his other "preciouses." He is not easily diverted away from his firm goals. We still haven't gotten a microwave yet, so we have to heat milk or water on the stove. I was trying to rest a few more minutes before stopping the indignant demands and yellings of my terrible two-dler. I don't think he has heard the instruction on "yielding rights" yet. ARGHHHHH!!!!! And he wouldn't take a nap!!!! And I tried several times!!!! Preschool sounds like the most excellent idea ever--especially when I'm trying to teach Zach and Will is wanting to be Mr. Universe--Mr. Center of the Universe, that is.

Since when do squirrels try to steal egg salad sandwiches in the middle of the day through an open window when people are in the next room? That actually happened today!!!! One of these fuzzy, gray fellows scuttled through a kitchen window to steal a quarter sandwich that had been sitting there all of 2 minutes!!! The nerve!!! What was he going to do with it, bury it next to his walnut stash?!

We got a new couch today, hallelujah!! I did a Labor Day sale, pay nothing for 18 months deal. Yes, I am evil for buying on credit. Our other couch was great, except for the glaring hideous cracks all over the vinyl seats!! My dad helped us get this couch for a song from one of his old neighbors. It had like 2 small slits in it when we got it. Well, Chris diligently repaired the slits with a special kit--twice--but it just weakened the vinyl and caused it to explode in cracks!!! NOT COOL!! So now we have a lovely brown leather couch. Chris and I pretty much killed ourselves getting the old one out and the new one in!! It was right before dinner, and all the kids and one of the obnoxious neighbor girls (bless her heart), were hanging around gawking. Chris and I got just a teensy bit testy with all of them after I collapsed to my knees with our old 3,000 lb behemoth. It sounds bad, and it looked bad, but amazingly, I didn't really get hurt. I dropped onto the grass, not the cement walkway. What had happened was, I tripped on a cord coming from the couch and just sank to the ground with the couch still in my hands! We both really had to wrestle it out, down the stairs, and out the picket fence. We both hurt our hands, and I dropped one or both of the couches, several times. I didn't drop them hard, but my hands and arms just kinda gave out. I thought I was strong--but that was a challenge. Only a few more years until my strapping 11-year old son will be strapping enough to take over this kind of thing--Lord, haste the day--but I do treasure these last few prepubescent years with him, believe me. So we put the old one next to the street with a "FREE" sign. And guess what, within hours, it was gone!!!! For people who don't mind living with blankets covering the seat, it is a great couch with lots of life, and very comfortable. It even had reclining seats. Too bad it wasn't leather, or it wouldn't have gotten all stupidly cracked.

William learned what else can go in a potty chair this evening, for the first time. Apparently, he thought it was something to finger paint with, because Chris had to do a lot of cleanup afterwards. And I was at work and had to miss all that fun--poor me!