Sitting on thumbs

If you aren't, I hope you will. This Friday is the kicker. The elementary school has a lottery to fill the 19 Pre-K spaces, and you-know-who's name is in the bucket. Yes, I was tempted to add some ticky-tack or gorilla glue to his ticket so it would have to be drawn. I won't lie. I've done all I can with living right and having some modest amounts of luck, and now it is up to the fates. Typically, there are over 100 applicants for those 19 spaces. And if you've been around borderland for ages, you will remember that I played this lottery game with the girls too. My luck was in that year. Will it hold???
Oh, and why the thumb-sitting? Well, funny thing, that. We would say "Cross your fingers!" but that doesn't always translate, and ever since my Swedish friend told me that their saying equates to "Sitting on my thumbs!" I have had to use it. I wonder if crossing one's fingers sounds as funny to them as sitting on thumbs does to us. Anyway, how about we all cross them AND sit on them, in hopes that Phoenix Mr. Big Todzilla gets into that class, hmm? Friday the 13th. Who has a drawing on that day?!

On another note, guess what activity is in our Parks & Rec Summer Guide? I'll give you a hint. It's not dance, or swim or gymnastics. It's..... Tree Climbing! Wow. Yes, for the low, low price of $28, your child can climb a tree in a safe, learning environment. (Oh my heavens to betsy, we are raising a nation of weenies.) If I were an entrepreneurial person, I would capitalize on this opportunity. I'm already out there every afternoon, watching 4 tree-climbing children. What's a few more? Though I must say, the Parks Dept. people have their hands on some purt-y fine climbing trees. I should know. If those trees are at a park, chances are, my kids have climbed them. Multiple times. I shudder to think at the multiples of $28 that we must now owe the City! Now, keep in mind, this is a 2 1/2 hour class that the city is running. If your little climber tends to lose interest after, say, 21 1/2 minutes, then this is not the class for you. Oh no. Keep on training him or her on your own trees, for, you know, *free* okay?

All righty then. Now that I've enlightened you with a thumb-sitting opportunity, and a tree-climbing opportunity (Let me know if you sign up for that. We may or may not be friends anymore.), I will move on to this week's Sweet Shot.

After Mom left, we headed to NC to visit our dear friends in Moravian Falls. Why was sweet Phoenix not roaming the mountains and excavating the hills? A dog. A friendly, energetic husky named Trooper, to be exact. But because his smiling, licking face and pointy teeth were even with Phoenix's face, it was not a match made in heaven. Oh no. Phoenix misunderstood his name and called him "Sherbert," and proceeded to avoid Sherbert for the next 3 days. By staying with us. Our joy was immense. Acres of apple hills, horse pastures and fresh air! A small lively boy's paradise! It was not to be. He passed up roaming around this:

 And this:

For this... arm's length to safety, from vicious boy-eating mountain dogs.

It was still sweet.