Here are just a few examples of why my Mommy hasn't been getting anything done around the house lately, Eliza and I have rediscovered the joys of the Great Outdoors. I have become quite the expert gardener, and am most useful when I unplant the flowers that my Mommy has just put in the ground. She keeps forgetting that they're supposed to be inside the house, in a glass, right next to all of the pretty dandelions I keep picking for her.

Today I just wanted to send a special message to my Mommy's friend Ryan, who is serving our country overseas in Iraq right now. Please be safe, Mr. Ryan, and come home soon! We have been praying for you everyday, and are so grateful to you for being willing to protect me, and my sister, and my puppy, and my fish. (Don't mind Eliza, she's teething, and puts everything in sight directly in her mouth. Deep down she is thanking you too.)

Eliza's crawling! This is madness! Nobody ever told me she would become mobile! My Mommy was a bit taken aback too, seeing as I didn't start crawling until I was a good eleven months old. I think she was banking on a couple more months of peace before she had to start worrying about both of us getting into trouble. As you can see from the bottom picture, Eliza is wasting no time catching up on all those messes she has been dying to make for the last nine months.

With all this extra mobility, Eliza and I seem to be spending alot more time together! It's like having my very own built-in playmate! (One who still concedes to me running the show though, which is crucial in all my relationships.)

Well, here they are! The token Tulip Time pictures. At least this year I got to have someone else to share in my suffering. Eliza, you think this is fun now, but I'm looking fifteen years down the road and it ain't lookin' too promising for us....

Okay, Mr. Toad, I want you to listen up and listen good, because we're going to have to be quick about this. Now, inside I've got a dog, a cat, a fish, and a couple of caterpillars that my Mommy will probably find tomorrow when she does my laundry, but I've got some extra space with your name on it. I'll treat you good, you won't need to worry about a bedtime, or toys (you can have Eliza's), or food (you can have Eliza's). But we have to keep this quiet, because my Mommy isn't too keen on finding surprises in my dresser drawers anymore after the whole "worm" debacle. Now quick, hop on in my pocket...... Good Boy!

I've decided that since I will soon be turning three years old, it is high time for me to determine when and where my naps are taken. I have been trying to avoid the 1-3pm time slot that my Mommy prefers, and instead have found myself quite tired and ready for a snooze around the dinner hour. The added bonus is that I just look like I am very reverantly and diligently praying to Jesus and thanking him for my food. (It looks even better when my face lands in my plate, and my Mommy thinks that I enjoy her cooking so much that I just can't eat it fast enough.)

Ha ha, Mommy! Just when you thought I could be left alone for a few minutes while you folded the laundry! Need I remind you that constant attention is the only way to go? After all our years together, do you not know me at all?

OK, Mom, I know how you say how important it is that we love and respect all of God's creatures, but come on! Does that really include Jimmy, the eight foot long boa constrictor who keeps looking at me like I'm nothing but a big turkey drumstick? Supposedly he was there to enjoy the Tulip Time festivities, but I have a feeling that a good old elephant ear just was not going to do the trick. Later, Jimmy, I'm outta here.