Chloe and Sophie came bounding up the stairs this morning to announce that Alubus and Gloup, our dwarf hamster pets, had escaped from their cage.
This photo, of course, has nothing to do with the great escape, other than the animal connection.
Someone (the culprit remains a mystery – but with a full house, anything is possible) had left open their little loft hatch and we think the two troublemakers were able to knock it off and jump out.
Needless to say, we didn’t know where to start looking. They could have been anywhere. And we didn’t know how long they were alone in the wild. Leave it to my husband’s animal instincts, however. After a few minutes of a panicked all-points-bulletin search, Papa ordered Chloe to look behind the shelves in the dining room. Sure enough, Gloup was crouched in the corner, sweaty and scared. And then Papa told Chloe to look in the desk area corner, and sure enough, Alubus was there, happy as a clam (he’s the independent type). We returned the rodents to their cage, where Gloup proceeded to monopolize the water bottle for a VERY long time.
This story has a happy ending. The two brothers are back in their cozy home, which happens to be spanking clean now as well, and we don’t think they’ll be escaping again any time soon. Honestly, I was quite afraid we’d discover two very dead, very smelly hamsters. It was a lucky day.
I’d like to pose like that in a photo too, but I’m afraid it would be unseemly. The advantage to having the Frenchies here for two weeks is that my husband is on vacation. Which means that the girls get to spend some Papa-daughters time together.
While the Frenchies were traipsing around downtown NYC today, Sophie, Chloe and their dad were borrowing books from the library and having brunch at IHOP, which was a bit of heaven for Chloe. God knows why, because whenever I eat there I feel sick afterwards. That’s why I haven’t eaten there in months.
Tomorrow the girls get to spend time with their American uncle, who’s here on a stopover before leaving with my mom to cruise the Galapagos and commune with the turtles – nice, huh? I wish I was going with them. I want to swim with turtles.
There’s talent here. Sophie is almost 4 years old, but her career as a budding photographer has already commenced. These photos reflect her favorite things. Her pink painted toes, her red bucket with rocks and acorns and her purple chair (which is not too much longer for this world).
She also shot some decent portraits – to be posted tomorrow.
I was wrong. The girls hadn’t prepared a “Blues Brothers”-type skit. Their Grammy took them to get their photos taken. Sophie, who is always such a ham, apparently wanted nothing to do with the photographer. Chloe, who has mastered the art of avoiding the camera, loved the modeling session.
The resulting photos are adorable. A beaming Chloe, a brooding Sophie. In one of them, Sophie is embracing her big sister. It’s lovely. I can’t wait to frame them all.
The perfect summer activity. Chloe has mastered the art of hula hoop. These days, however, it’s like those controversial polyurethane swimsuits – the material does all the work for you. The hula hoop is filled with sand so that you don’t have to do much beyond swivel your hips a little bit in order to keep it going. That said, she can jump and hula at the same time. Which in of itself may not sound that impressive. Until you realize that this is our darling uncoordinated Chloe we’re talking about.
Chloe has a new hole in her mouth. Problem is, she doesn’t believe in the tooth fairy anymore. So what to do? I told Chloe that if she doesn’t believe, the fairy isn’t going to waste her time coming to Chloe’s room to deposit a dollar. The money would be better spent elsewhere.
When Chloe remarked that there is no tooth fairy because her teeth never disappear from the tooth fairy box, I replied that the tooth fairy doesn’t swipe teeth anymore because it’s unsanitary. Chloe still wasn’t having any of it.
But she still wants her dollar. Do I leave it under her pillow anyway? I can’t write a note because she knows my handwriting. And her room is dangerously crowded now – if I try to enter it to leave the cash, I risk stepping on Sophie, who’s sleeping on a mattress on the floor in Chloe’s room while our Frenchies are here. What a dilemma.
Four of them, anyway. The fifth to arrive on Sunday. All I can say is – our nephews, 15 and 16, and our niece, 12, are giants. They have grown so much in the last couple of years, it’s amazing. The two boys are taller than my husband, and he’s tall.
I caught a glimpse of what Sophie and Chloe will be like when they’re that age. Outfitted with the latest technology, texting away, writing messages on Facebook about how excited they are to be in New York, eager to go shopping and get some bargains…I feel so old.
An enthralling trip to Costco is on tap for tomorrow (I’ll be working, such a shame, NOT). Our ice cream is already gone.
If you’re able to make sense out of what Sophie’s saying in this short movie, you’ll win a prize. None of us has been able to figure it out, beyond the first couple of words. At least she’s doing a pretty good job of coordinating her dance moves and vocals. There’s hope for her in show business yet.
This is a photo of Sophie. No, she’s not dressed up as a princess. She’s dressed up as a bride.
And who, may you ask, is she going to join in wedded bliss? Get ready for the shocking surprise. A few hints: glam rocker, American Idol. Yes – Adam Lambert. If only he knew.
Luckily, Sophie realizes that she’s too young to propose to him. She also is not aware of Adam’s preference for men, but that’s ok. She can always dream.
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, there’s a reason Chloe and Sophie are wearing the same outfits in this photo. The thing is, we still don’t know why.
There’s been no talk of it, no secret whispering – it’s been radio silence. The last I’d heard, it was a surprise and we’d know more in a “few weeks.” Well, I’d really like to know when those “few weeks” are going to be up. Does a “few weeks” mean three weeks? Four weeks? Give us some guidelines, please.
Papa and Mommy are very curious. Is it a skit? Musical theater? Shakespeare? What’s with the attitude? Have the girls already forgotten what they’re going to be performing in a “few weeks?” We are under strict instructions by the girls’ Grammy not to ask about it. Fine. But come on. The wait is killing me.
All I keep thinking is that whatever it is, it’s got to be good fodder for the blog. So bring it on! Don’t keep it a secret for much longer. Please. With cherries on top. And a cookie, too.
A Mom's Ramblings About the Marvels & Mishaps of Parenting, the Joys of Family Travel & the Writing Life
Chloe and Sophie came bounding up the stairs this morning to announce that Alubus and Gloup, our dwarf hamster pets, had escaped from their cage.
