Don't poke a (dead) skunk, and other truths we hold to be self evident

We walked down to the park by the pool last Saturday while enjoying a visit from Grandmother M, and Helena announced that there was a HOLE! Under the boulder! And I did the "um hm, a hole, how interesting," because I was watching to make sure Hudson didn't crack every last vertebrae as he leapt from the other boulder that is at least 8 feet high, and also trying to keep the dog from strangling herself in her leash. Then Harper went over to investigate the hole and there was some mumbling and then, "Mommy, there is something ALIVE or maybe DEAD in the hole!" I went over to investigate and there was a distinct fluff of white and black hair sticking out from under the boulder. "Well, that is certainly a skunk. Let's back away slowly," I suggested. "It's already dead," Harper said casually. "And how exactly have you come to that conclusion?" I asked. "Well, I poked it with a stick," she said.

You know, there are so many possible scenarios that come up in parenting that you can prepare for.Then there are the dead skunks tucked under the playground boulder. I am really very and extremely grateful that the skunk WAS dead, because the only thing I know about removing the Odor of Agitated Skunk I learned from a Curious George book, and I didn't actually have any tomato juice at home. Anyway, I didn't waste that teachable moment, and now all three kids know that there should be NO POKING OR PRODDING OR OTHERWISE INVESTIGATING ANIMALS, EITHER WILD OR DOMESTICATED, TO DISCERN POSSIBLE ALIVENESS EVER.

We took our yearly trip to Dewberry "Farm" last Friday and it was so pleasant because someone else organized it and I didn't have a bit of responsibility. As usual, my kids' favorite part seemed to be the park at the entrance, where they usually only get to play for around 10 minutes.

The husband is, at this very moment, running a Tough Mudder race.Do you know what this is? I think it's like steeplechase, only with mud and without horses. Unfortunately, it is drizzling and 40 degrees out. We are not there to cheer him on because all of the kids seem to have colds already, and standing out in the drizzly cold is the opposite of salubrious. I am very sad not to get any pictorial evidence of the husband leaping and climbing and running in the mud. If you know him at all, you will understand that this is not exactly his preferred habitat.

That will  be all. I am really hoping to get the book blog started this week. We've been reading some delightful books lately that I would love to share.