Lots of things....

Alaska, our funky-looking dog (I've never been able to explain him to people, unlike Oscar, who simply looks like a 45 pound dachshund), has been itchy lately, and his usually pinkish belly has been closer to red. Yes, he's been sunburned. He likes to lie on his side out in the sun, but no more. He's mostly white (with gray, black, and brown splotches), so his skin is easily burned, and the summer sun didn't take long to make its mark. Ah, Texas....

Kenzie has discovered that he loves hummus on whole wheat pita bread. No lettuce or tomatoes, of course, but this is still quite a step for him. He's also found he loves strawberry icees (made with only strawberries and ice). He's always thought he hated strawberries. I acquired an old blender the other night, so we had to put it to the test. I have to admit, for a girl who's never owned a blender before, I made a mean icee - just the right combination of fruit and ice. You've got to be proud of the little things....

A quick stop at the Half Price Books yesterday netted an armful of wonderful clearance books - another Smelly Old History book, This is a Book About Time, a few books about different sorts of pyramids, The Klutz Book of Magic, a few animation books, books on UFOs, ghosts and aliens, etc. We waked away with a heavy bag for about $10. Oh, how I love used book stores.

I've begun another journal for Kenzie. I kept one faithfully for over a year, but when it was filled, I sort of stopped writing about his days. Every few weeks, I'd get all motivated and journal for a few days, but it never really "took." This time, I've tried something different. I have an oversized, spiral-bound journal (another Half Price Books find I've had sitting around the house for a while), and I'm writing all over it, not worrying about the lines, using strange handwriting, decorating the pages, and drawing in many different colors. It's a lot more fun for me to write, and I'm sure it will be more fun for Kenzie to read one day (he's not too interested, now). I jot down all the events of his days - which friends came over, what books he read, cool dinners or snacks, places he went, the things we discussed, the games he played, the TV shows he watched, etc. I keep it on my desk, and each time I sit down at the computer, I write a few things and draw a bit. Well, doodle, really. So far, so good.