I’m not sure if children are allowed to wear hats to school, but there was no way anyone could talk Vivi out of wearing her new hat this morning. She left the house with a big smile on her face and an admonition from her mother that she needs to take it off during the Pledge of Allegiance and that it needs to go in her backpack if her teacher asks her to remove it. I’m also crossing my fingers that she doesn’t lose the hat at school; it takes me umpteen hours more than it should to actually finish crochet projects. I’m far too methodical about the whole process and haven’t yet perfected my color changes and joins.

The pattern called for one row of single crochet around the bottom edge, but it didn’t look quite right. When I proposed the option of a more frilly finish to Vivi, she became giddy.  Sadly, I’m not sure that I like it, so when Vivi’s not looking, I think that I’m going to rip out the last row and do some extra rows of single crochet instead. I also add an extra layer to the flower to make it BIGGER, and I do like that modification.

I love that Little Miss Vivi is all ruffles and frills, but I don’t love the frenzy we feel when Vivi can’t find her favorite lipgloss or sunglasses.

Problem solved. (Hopefully).

While BT and I have been watching past seasons of our current favorite show, Flashpoint, I crocheted this cute little purse.  Sized at only 6 inches by 6 inches, it’s the perfect place for her to safely stash her girly treasures.

Inspired by the fun, vibrant colors (and because I have a lot of yarn left), I just bought another pattern from Etsy to make her a matching hat. I also need to get busy knitting the Harry Potter-inspired scarf for Ariana.

Stuff like this brightens my day.

Sunday evening as BT and I were brainstorming ideas on how to spend Labor Day as a family, he suggested the Fort Worth Zoo.

Brilliant.

We’d never been before, and the weather was FINALLY supposed to be cooler–perfect zoo weather.

We debated about telling the kids Sunday night or teasing them with a few extraneous details but saving the big reveal for the next day. I voted for the element of surprise, but then BT suddenly waxed Plato-like:

“The benefit of the surprise is often outweighed by the anticipation of something exciting.”

Seriously, I married a genius. This is something that you’d read in Barlett’s Familiar Quotations, but he assured me that it was original to him.  (And then, two seconds later , he fashioned some hideous sentence using the word “ustacould.” Something like “I ustacould touch my toes . . . “)

Anyway, still impressed by the logic and sheer sophistication of his wisdom, we decided to tell the kids about the zoo and let them simmer with excitement all night. And they did, especially Tad and Vivi.

Monday morning came, and I convinced BT to wear his official Dallas Safari Club shirt that we scored for $3 at our favorite thrift store.

When then picked up Ari’s good friend to help make the day even more enjoyable for our pre-teen and were on our way.

After a brief stop at the entry gate restroom where I had to throw up because of my migraine medicine (and a bout of car sickness), I felt restored and ready to tackle the day.

As anticipated, the weather was perfect, and we all had a grand time.

Favorite Memories:

Tad–the gorilla that was eating a snack and that kept looking at him

Vivi–the pink flamingos and the mommy and daddy birds that were kissing

Ari–feeding the birds

BT–having a day off from his labors

LT–when Tad saw two hog-like animals in the corner of their exhibit with their heads down and he kept asking if they were praying.

All the long hours that my kids and husband are away from me each week make me even more grateful for days like this.

Old piano

Ancient pump organ

Fully functioning treadmill

Antique movie projector

Box of Nerf guns, a remote controlled helicopter, and an empty cigarette carton

Paper shredder, large scratched white board, printers that don’t work

Random pieces of old mismatched office furniture

He travels the back roads of Texas looking for rusty gold. What most people see as junk, I see as junk, but Bryan sees as glittering Obtanium.

His heart quickens when something of interest is posted to the FREE section of Craigslist, and he crosses his fingers that by responding within the first 30 seconds of the post appearing, he’ll be Chosen. He routinely takes “shortcuts” through alleyways of fancy communities hoping to convert one man’s trash to his treasure. We need a cautionary bumper sticker on his truck .

Into the back of his vehicle, he’ll load anything FREE that he thinks he can cram into our shop or garage. . . and that I won’t totally freak out about.

He wishes he could make a living off of freecycling and dumpster diving . . . one dusty, dirty, decrepit piece at a time. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m all for repurposing and breathing new life into something that would otherwise languish in a landfill, but where does innocent picking end and obsessive hording begin?

Please, no more, BT. At least not until you do something with your current trove of treasures.

P.S. But I am excited to see the desk that you make from the organ.