In the Valley

So Hemingway is not belly-up and he is healing. He looks horrid. He has bruises and is a little bloodied. He is hanging around more than one place in the tank lately though, so that is improvement. He used to be such a lively thing.

Nearly every morning I go out on my patio and read my Bible and enjoy the peace and quiet sounds of nature. My daughter, who is five, usually comes out with me and practices riding her bike or just sits quietly with me. Then we go and water the plants. Just last week she was eager to come outside with me. She was hurriedly putting on her sandals. She said, "Mom, I just want some peace and quiet!"

I said, "Well, when you come out here to sit on the chair, you will have some!"

She puts the last strap on her sandal and looks up at me in a little wince of annoyance. "I just wish the birds would stop chirping! It's annoying!" And she lets out a breath like a teenager and shakes her head.

I tried to explain to her that birds are free to chirp and that is part of the peace and quiet.

Dear Sir and I always kid with her about teenage stuff. She knows how teenagers act, so I joke with her and act like a valley girl (I am from California so I can do it quite well) to get her going. She always rolls her eyes and throws up her hands in defeat. Dear Sir even asked her last night if she was a drunk teenager "or something". Of course she does not know what this means, but he had me rolling. It is hilarious watching Dear Sir try to act like a valley girl.