BilikFamily.com

I'll open with a joke my dad told me. It reflects the usual confusion husbands have in taking instruction from their wives:

A husband in his back yard is trying to fly a kite. He throws the kite up in the air, the wind catches it for a few seconds, then it comes crashing back down to earth. He tries this a few more times with no success.

All the while, his wife is watching from the kitchen window, muttering to herself how men need to be told how to do everything. She opens the window and yells to her husband, "You need a piece of tail."

The man turns with a confused look on his face and says, "Make up your mind. Last night, you told me to go fly a kite."

It was a weekend mixed with sunshine and rain. As is becoming rather common, we averaged well over five kids in the house during most daylight hours. Still, I was blessed in that Michelle let me take a couple of quick lunch time naps.

Last night Claire attempted to be in a sleepover at one of her friend's house, but as we anticipated, we got a call to bring her home at 8:30PM. Ironically by 8AM the next morning, she was back over at the friend's house. In effect it was a "virtual sleepover". Although she spent most of the day there, Abby had three friends over, so it was still a net gain in number of minors at our house.

Really I can't complain too much. Claire and Abby have pretty nice friends. It keeps them from saying, "I'm bored! What can I do?!" Last week Michelle and I had to laugh when we heard Abby say, “What I boring day! I've only done three or four fun things today!” You can't make this stuff up! Picture Michelle and I doing that "world smallest violin playing My Heart Bleeds for You" gesture.

The downside of all the rain we've had lately is that even when it is sunny, you often have to drench yourself in bug repellent. Although we've been running a Mosquito Magnet for four weeks, it can't keep up with the recent surge of blood sucking life that Mother Nature has bestowed on us with the recent rainfall. TJ will be thrilled to know that this past week I've seen quite a few toads both big and small. Even as I drove Claire home from her sleep over last night, I stopped suddenly as a large one jumped right out in front of the car. I didn't want to crush it into the pavement. I've done that before and it's not pretty!

I've been trying to catch up on a classic in movie comedies: the inspector Clouseau Pink Panther series. Last week I saw the first: The Pink Panther. Yesterday I watched the first sequel, A Shot in the Dark. Next will be The Return of the Pink Panther. I had seen bits and pieces of these when I was young, but never a whole movie. I seem to recall dad liked them. I'm enjoying them so far. It's a bit interesting to watch Clouseau's character develop over the first few. For instance, did you know that in the first movie, Clouseau is married?! Or that he doesn't "catch his man"?