Heather and Molly left last night. Heather will be back Tuesday, but Molly, tragically, will be gone for over two weeks.

On the way home I stopped to buy beer. After all, it is only with Tecate that two small children become manageable, and as I drove up, Maddy (who I thought was alseep) demanded to know 'what the hell is this place.'

I'm so proud.

I am glad for Mollster. She gets to visit her grandparents, and ride her unicycle in the Mendocino Fourth of July Parade, and get lots of special quality time, and all of that.

BUT! And it is a big BUT! This means that I am alone with the two little kids, who are sweet enough, and a whole mess of animals. This morning there were challenges.

Things started okay. Maddy came in and cuddled with me in the morning, and then we got up and got going. Spencer was quiet in his room, so I followed my very best advice to leave sleeping babies alone! Maddy and I got cleaned up, and I made beds and picked up the upstairs, went downstairs, and continued in a course of painful efficiency.

I started water to boil for the kids Ramen breakfast, then went outside to take care of things. I put a hose on the garden, and fed and watered the bunnies. I was surprised to note that we only have five rabbits left. I guess Heather did tell me that someone had been given some of them...

I continued to the barn, throwing down hay and feeding snip. I took a coffee can of Senior Ration out to his feeder, and checked the water trough. There was a drowned Magpie on the top, and the water was irridescent from the oil spill of its' life.

Fun fun.

I had to grunt and heave to tip the trough over and dump out the nasty water. I got the well on, and brought a hose up to fill it. Then I checked the other water trough and found a drowned squirrel, and then I went inside and the ramen water had boiled off and there was chaos.

Maddy didn't want to go to Debbie's. I pulled her out of her seat, put her on the ground, and went around to get Spencer. Maddy walked to the middle of Debbie's field. I saw this happening, but she looked safe. I took Spencer in, and then went to get her. She was standing in the middle of the field, looking away, with her arms crossed. A countenance of resistance.

Good thing that I am still bigger than she is!