Five for Friday

1. Speaking of 5 ... For the last week, this is the time Jack thinks he needs to get up in the morning (well, 5:30, anyway). His usually wake-up time is 6:30 which is too early for anyone. 5:30? Absolutely killing me! Why, why, WHY can't I have kids that sleep???

2. Cruisin'- Approximately two years ago we had this fun Barbie Jeep dropped off in our driveway. I'm actually not a big fan of these things but it was free, in good condition and I knew Ella would love it. We wiped it down, charged up the battery and buckled Ella in. Too bad the battery didn't work. Instead, we parked it in the garage for Ella to sit in and pretend that she is cruisin' down the sidewalk. Last week, Gator finally bit the bullet and dropped $60 bucks on a new battery. Ella has had fun driving this pink machine (that honestly goes no faster than 1 mile an hour) up and down the street. Jack could sit in it all day. I'm wonding if I can hire some 6 year old to drive Jack around for a couple of hours every day.

3. Melons - Watermelons, that is. This monster is one of many growing in my backyard. I really didn't think they would grow but it turns our that neglecting certain plants makes them flourish. Who knew?! The best part - they actually taste good!

4. Have you seen me? Meet Shirelka, a.k.a. Puppy. Puppy went missing earlier this week and the Gatherum household almost completely shut down. I usually make Ella learn the hard lesson when she doesn't take care of her toys, but this situation was a little different.

Ella honestly thinks this dog is real. She has a special leash for Puppy. Puppy follows her wherever she goes. She has trained Puppy not to poop or pee. She talks to Puppy. Puppy understands her. Puppy talks to her. She understands Puppy. They have a relationship like nothing I've ever seen. When Puppy disappeared, Ella was devastated. She screamed, threw fits and then sobbed. "Puppy is going to be scared !" boo, hoo, hoo, "She doesn't know how to be by herself." boo, hoo, hoo, "She's going to be cold!" boo, hoo, hoo. We took apart the house, searched outside, and drove around the neighborhood. I called the moms on our street and asked them to search their basements, bedrooms and backyards. Gator tried three different stores to try and find a look-alike that would magically appear on our doorstep. Sadly, no luck.

Yesterday Ella was watching TV when she whips Puppy out from under a couch cushion (which I know I searched at least 16 times!). We had quite a celebration! I'm a little embarassed to say I got a little teary. I think Gator even got a little weepy! We are excited that Puppy made her way home! I don't think we will be getting a real dog any time soon. Thanks to everyone who had to rip apart their toybox!

5. It's been a long, rough week. We've had sickness, teething, early mornings and a lost dog. I think I'm ready for a new week! I'm off to peel tomatoes and peppers -- another big canning day today!

p.s. This is a lot harder than I thought! I'm thinking of switching to Three for Thursday!

Happy Friday!