The Legend of a Blustery Day, A Lizard, and A Toilet!

October 19, 2011

The Legend of a Blustery Day, A Lizard, and a Toilet!

It all began on very blustery day in Houston, Texas.  There are not to many of these kinds of days in Houston. After checking for smoke from forest fires, and seeing the allergy report, we decided to throw caution to the wind and so we opened up the house.  Now, opening up the house means that we have to leave the doors open because most of the windows in our house do not open.  There is just one tiny problem with opening up the doors.....in Houston, the builders who build all these big fancy, expensive homes DO NOT believe in screen doors!

Now usually when we open the doors, we post a guard near the door to watch for the little creep crawly things that like to walk in just as big as you please.  I secretly think that they think an open door is an open invitation to visit!  However, there are times when the guard leaves their post in order to do things like get a drink, use the restroom, eat dinner, talk to someone, or the constant change the laundry routine.

Well, at some point during our blissfull, blustery day, a creepy crawly little orange baby lizard decides to invade the territory.  He went unnoticed....probably came in during a potty break for the guard!  If he did come in unnoticed, he must be very good at hiding because we hadn't seen the little critter until he decided to put in an appearance in the front bathroom.  And the bathroom is several steps from the front door.

Now, if I was a lizard, I am not sure I would go find the bathroom.  I would probably be thinking that the bathroom was a room that would have fairly frequent visitors, and knowing how humans are usually not very friendly to lizards in houses, I would avoid that room...I'm just saying!

However, our little lizard must have been curious because he decided to go to the bathroom.  Now there are all kinds of exciting things lurking in our front bathroom.  There's the cabinet with the bandaids, the rolling drawers....which have also been used to roll over and KILL creepy crawly things....the pedestal sink, the toilet, and the shower stall.  Since the shower stall has a big glass door, our tiny lizard must have decided that he was never going to manage to open the door.  Inside the shower is the water home storage.....good place to store it right....it's been known to leak!  Also in there are the vaporizors!  Probably not a real good place for a lizard to explore.

Who actually knows what the little lizard found to explore in the bathroom, but somehow he got himself up on the toilet seat.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  This big tall human named Cymbre came into the bathroom, saw the lizard, and was prepared to scream.  However, instead of screaming, she did the "old flip and flush" routine on the poor little guy.  She just flipped him into the toilet and flushed!  Hope he said his prayers...hope he said goodbye to his mom before he left this morning....hope he's not a very good swimmer....hope he can't swim back upstream and attack when someone is least expecting him!

Well, after a few minutes Cymbre goes back into the bathroom....and there before her very eyes is the little lizard sitting in the toilet bowl.  Now she says "Another installment for the blog"  and promptly flushes him again.   This time he has been flushed several times!  And every time she walks by, she flushes him again.....poor thing....just recovers from one wave and another one hits.  Kind of like a Tsunami I would imagine!

Has he not heard that all drains lead to the ocean....does he not want to be Nemo's friend, and meet the sea turtles?   Maybe he forgot his lunch.....or has to go home to finish his homework!  TOO BAD little lizard.....you are learning how to swim today.....flush again.....maybe he just needed to go potty!   TOO BAD...do your business outside!  HAHAHAHAHAHA........

And the moral of this legend.....watch out for the "flip and flush" or humans are not friendly people, or Flanagan's HATE lizards in the bathroom....you can pick whichever moral you want!  Bottom line.....now we are guarding the toilet to make sure he doesn't put in another appearance!  Should have just smashed him to start with....in the future, there will be no compassion!  LIZARDS be forwarned.....invasion into the Flanagan home is life threatening!

As We Speak.....

October 10, 2011

As we speak Guy is in China going to some meeting....he didn't want to go, but went because someone asked him to be there.   Two long plane flights later, and he lost 12 hours he is finally there.  We went to church, took naps, ate two meals, and watched a movie while Dad was flying around the world!

SO, we are waiting to see what will break this week.....you know something will, it always does when Dad leaves!

I just got back from a very quick trip to see the grandbabies....we had such a fun time.  Now the house seems so quiet when I am home alone.  Next time, I am staying longer....I didn't get enough play time this time.  I'm just saying.....a Grandma needs lots of playtime, and we didn't get to go get ice cream, and we didn't go for happy meals.....

Now that I am home, I am working on some scrub tops for an Activity that Cymbre is doing for YW, and was going to make a pirate costume for Jack, but I found the complete outfit for a cheap price, so I decided to save some sewing time and just buy it for him instead.  We will have to bend the hat brim, but that should be something his dad can handle with a couple of big elastics.  I made the Wendy outfit for Lucy while I was in Utah.

Cymbre has developed another floater in her eye...guess she's lost some more of her vitreal jelly.  Not to panic....we all get them.  So far her eye migraines have tapered off, but we are still getting an appointmnet with a child neurologist who deals with headaches.  She gets migraines in her head because of the ones in her eye, so we need some course of action to relieve them.

We are back in the full dance routine, and the girls are LOVING teaching their babies.  They just adore those little 3-5 year olds.  I'm glad they don't cart any home with them.  Dad and I just aren't so good at keeping up with the little ones these days....Dad claims it has something to do with getting old....I keep reminding him that I am not old!  I am just falling apart in my youth!

It looks like the girls will be able to participate in the dance recital this year.  Last year it was on a Sunday, so we didn't dance in it, but this year we got a Friday date.  Yeah!  Now we spend more money on costumes, but the girls LOVE it!  These two should just be on stage constantly, and then they would be happy!  We are grateful for all the dance teachers and choreographers that are working with them this year.  They have been given so many wonderful opportunities to become better in their talents, and to gain happiness in the perfecting of their skills.  So once again for recital we will have around 15 costume changes....I hope I can keep up.  It's the 8 count shoe changes that kill me!

My Sunday School class continues to go well, and next year I will be teaching the Book of Mormon to the 16-18 year olds.  Cooper's group will be coming in my class, and so that will mean there will be a whole herd of them.  I already started buying props for some of the stories, and since it's Halloween time, I have been able to stock up on bloody arms for acting out the Ammon herding the King's sheep story.  Cooper is already excited!  Hope I can live up to my reputation......I need a Liahona, and some golden plates, and maybe a sword of Laban!

The dance costume making business is beginning to get busy.  I have bought some premade pieces, and now I just have redo them.  It's better than starting from scratch, but I'm still not sure how to make a halter style top from a men's tuxedo shirt.....I might give up!  Cymbre's dress just needs shortening, a tulle cumberbun, and a tulle petticoat under it, and her headpiece which is just some feathers this year.  Cooper has the tuxedo top, tuxedo pants, bowtie, and some tuxedo shirts cuffs.....OK!  Cooper's jazz costume is still under a lot of consideration....it's the song Standing There by the Creatures....so they want something creatureistic.....what the heck is that?  And I found her a terrific prom style dress in Utah for her tap with Mark Goodman...he wanted something girlie.  It's a silvery all blinged up dress that I just don't have to do much too....maybe shorten just a bit.  Maybe some gloves and tap heels.  Fishnets with seams that have been rhinestoned.  Their tap group and contemporary group will have costumes purchased by the studio.  And the recital costumes the studio orders, so I will just have to alter them as needed.

I am cutting way back on the alterations for dance costumes for other people....there are just a few ladies that I will still do.  Mostly just my friends.  I just don't like it anymore, but it does give us some extra money.

The girls are both busy with their class presidencies in YW, and we finally don't have to work on personal progress anymore.  They both have their medallions, so I told them they can be done if they want to be done.  There is an honor bee they can get if they want too, but I don't have to do anything for that.  I am so glad to be done with 4 YW awards, and one eagle scout, and Duty to God award.  I feel like I earned them all, but have nothing to show for it.

Guy has lost a lot of weight lately, and is looking really good.  Back to those days in England where he did all that walking....

Houston finally got some rain, not enough, but some.

Well, I think I finally have all the stuff for theses scrub tops so I better get busy, there are 6 to make....just a good afternoon of sewing if I just sit down to do it.  And if I can get the sewing machine to cooperate!

Everyone needs to get out there and look for someone who needs some help....they are everywhere if you just look.

Have a great week.  Love you bunches.

Mom