A Big Day

Can anyone guess what happened today?

Summer Fun

I couldn't get the kids to be still long enough to get a good picture. But you can tell how much fun they had.

The Mouse

You've never seen such a stir as a mouse can cause in a household. And we haven't even seen it, we just know it got into the house last night.

I have an extra pantry in the gameroom. Yesterday I went to the store for the first time in a couple of weeks and stocked up. I left a package of rolls in that pantry along with a lot of canned goods. Today when I went to get the rolls I was horrified to find a tiny whole in the bag and a roll that had been chewed on. I knew it was a mouse, but I wanted Gary's opinion so I carefully placed the package near the garbage can so I could show it to him. I was hoping against hope that the cat had done the deed, but I knew it was a mouse.

Of course the kids noticed the new package of rolls right next to the trash the minute they got in from school. I had to tell them why it was there. They have discussed it all evening. The boys refuse to go into the gameroom unless Gary or I go with them. They do not want to sleep in their own room tonight because they are afraid they'll be eaten alive by mice. Weilong cried because he said he is scared.

What in the world am I going to do??? I asked them why they are so afraid of mice and they both related big scary tales of huge rats in China. Weilong says there were lots of big ones, and that they eat everything, all the food. He says they can even get into the refrigerator and eat the food stored there. What vivid imaginations they have.

I'm afraid Lisa took advantage of the situation and told the boys that it was probably a huge rat and it could bite them and kill them while they sleep. Or maybe it was little evil people who chewed a whole in the bread bag. And they would come out tonight and get the boys while they sleep. I scolded her made her made her tell them that she was teasing. Why in the world did she think it's fun to scare her brothers??

Weilong made me promise not to get mad at him if he screams at the top of his lungs during the night. I promised I wouldn't, that I would come rescue him. So, we're letting the boys stay up until they fall asleep. No scary bedrooms for now. And our exterminator has promised to make a Saturday call to help us out.

All this fuss over a poor little mouse. What worthless cats we have.

Weilong and School

I had a good laugh today after school. I knew it would happen someday, and I have been praying about how Weilong would handle it. At recess a little boy (who shall remain nameless) gave Weilong some sass about how small he is. Here's the conversation as Weilong relayed it to me.

Boy: What's your name?
Weilong: Weilong.
Boy: Well, you're little, I'm big. You go back to Kindergarten.
Weilong: (With fists on hips and an attitude) Oh yeah, well I'm smart and you're not. Every day I finish my work first. What about you?
Weilong: (Still with fists on hips) Every day you talk, talk, talk, and I do what the teacher says. So I have THREE TOKENS! What about you, how many do you have? (Weilong holding out his empty hand to let the boy know he was woefully short of tokens). Do you have 5? or even 1? (The boy says nothing because poor thing has none, not even one.)
Weilong: If you don't leave me alone I'm gonna tell Mrs Wolff. (wagging his hips, with his fists firmly planted on them again)

The poor boy closed his lips tightly and never said another word. He was hopelessly outclassed by Weilong's superior intelligence and ability to argue a case.

I don't think I have to worry about Weilong at school, do you? Now that he has learned English he can take care of himself. He had a few tense moments last year when he couldn't make himself understood. But now according to him, he is the king of the hill. Even if he wavers between 39 and 40 lbs soaking wet, and is the smallest boy in first grade. Well, maybe even smaller than the kindergartners.