Crazy

Life's felt a little crazy since Darren left on Saturday morning to go to San Fran for a week. Much of it has been good but I am really sick of hearing the kids voices (they are so loud) and their dirty and weird, messy, barbaric antics. It has been raining a lot this week and Luci can't resist puddles so I have to take her boots off as soon as we enter the house and likely her pants (trousers) too. . I am sick of hauling them around to do anything, cutting hair, changing poopy pants, etc. The laundry also is marinating in the back yard due to the weather

They are truly wild and do not belong in my house half of the time, but on Stepney Green where they take turns throwing the ball to Peanut who has also completely chosen to defy the norms at this time buy following the ball to the end where she sharply veers of to retrieve, not the ball, but a chicken bone. Catch it no longer fun. And I thought the Mission was bad. I still say we should get some kick-downs for all the clean-up she does. As should I, since for every poop of hers I pick up, I could pick up, and often do, another 2 besides it. No wonder dogs get a bad name. Speaking of, did I mention how I found Peanut in the neighbors yard the other day. I called her in, but I couldn't see her until I heard a woof from the next yard. She apparently can fit through the fence in one corner. I see her glance that way every time she goes out and it makes me wonder, "how long has she been visiting?" Thankfullly, their yard is trashed and they do not use it for anything.

Jesse made a U.K. passport at school today and now he is excited to visit other countries.

On Saturday, over in Stepney Green, an organization who shall remain nameless was there, their purpose being to provide things for kids to engage with and play with at the park. They are good-hearted and I appreciate the ropes they tie in the trees for kids to swing on and the bubbles the kids can use--it has been great entertainment for my kids at certain times. Well, this Saturday, the kids were smashing some kind of board with a hammer, then driving stakes into the ground. Basically, they were setting up for a fire right on the grass and one lad, about 7 with a wild temperment (he also thought it appropriate to chase Peanut around non-stop while making scary sounds), grabbed the matches and lit it. The young boys were dropping cardboard in and bits of wood while Jesse and Luci were blowing on it with long yellow tubes that looked like big bendy straws. Then the boys (but not my Jesse) were jumping over the fire. It felt sort of awkward to me, like these boys are being dangerous and the adults supervising were not as concerned as they should but it also felt really great because I feel like boys are not allowed to be boys sometimes and you could see that it was really therapeutic for the angst ridden youngster who lit the first match. Sure he was close to setting his pants on fire but he was also instructing Jesse responsibly about what to put on the fire next. It was also interesting from a U.S. citizen perspective where everybody could be liable for anything at any time, yet this government funded organization was out setting fires with elementary school kids in parks. The kids want to bring marshmallows back next week and I am happy for that and that the fire is not in my back yard.