It’s been a busy end-of-school, end-of baseball season weekend for us. Danny’s second to last game was to be played Friday night, which he choose to go to the 5th grade banquet instead. Good thing, since the game was lighteninged out as- ahem- Mom predicted could happen when Danny was trying to make his decision, several weeks ago. All right, so I said it might rain.

The rain (and lightening) continued on into Saturday morning when the Rugrats, Kelly’s team, was to play. Unlike Danny, she had no interest in driving over to the field to see what was going on. I told her that this was the last game. That was all right with her. She was not going to the field. Oh, well, we never could stir any passion in her for the game.

The rain cleared for Danny’s Saturday afternoon game. Afterwards, the coach called Danny, Matthew Whitfield, and Matthew Hall aside. They had been chosen to play All Stars. *Rob Jordan was chosen as the alternate.

The coach praised Danny, telling him he made a big turn around in the season (not playing Hot Dog) and that he noticed it along with the other coaches. He continued to tell Danny that he should be proud. Danny was only one of two 11 year olds selected for the team. All the other boys are 12. Danny nodded. Jeb was proud of Danny for not telling the coach that actually he’s 10.

Kelly asked for a baby brother on the way home from the game.

Jeb helped Kelly and Claire find their courage today. He got Kelly to jump off of the diving board. She even tried some tricks. But more than that, he got Claire to go beyond the pool steps. She couldn’t have been cuter swim/floating all over the pool in her little ring. Somehow I fear this is not as great an accomplishment as Jeb thinks. He just made my job much harder.

Nicole still exists. Only, her nose is buried in books as she makes the final 9th grade push toward final exams.

*Mom, making predications again, had told Danny several weeks ago that the two Matts would certainly make All Stars. The third choice from their team would be between Danny and Rob. I gave Rob the edge due to his age. Maybe I should play the lottery. But then again, I’m only good at this where Danny’s involved.

At a baby shower for our neighbors, Chris and Wayne Sharp, our across-the-street neighbor, Kathy Homolak told us about Mary Claire yelling at cars to slow down. Mary Claire was out on the front deck, with hands on hip, yelling “SLOW DOWN!” at a car speeding by. Kathy Homolak was amazed at the big voice coming out of that little person.

(Kathy and I routinely yell at people driving by too fast.)

Earlier today, I was tucking away all the wires behind the stereo and TV inside the entertainment center Kathy finished. I had the stereo on, and Kelly wanted me to shut the lower doors to see if we could still hear the music.

I shut the doors and she said, “You can still hear it!”

“Kelly,” I said with an instructional tone, “Where is the sound coming from.”

“The crack!” she said, pointing to the narrow crack between the two doors.

I opened the doors, had her sit in front of the receiver, close her eyes, and point to the sound as I slid the left-right balance. Sure enough, she pointed back and forth to the two speakers in the corners of the room.

I let her open her eyes and asked her again, “Where does the sound come from?”

She giggled as she realized her mistake, and pointed to the two speakers.

What a goof.

Walt:

I went out looking for your gloves the day after we cut down the trees and thought I did a good job searching. I didn’t find them.

Earlier this week Charlie brought both gloves up to our deck! Her nose is better than my eyes.

The poison I sprayed on the pine trees is:

Ortho Lindane Borer & Leaf Miner Spray. This was recommended by the Georgia Extension Service. It is a concentrated mix that I got at Pike Nurseries. I still have half a bottle left and plan to soak the base of all the pines around the affected area in late February. This is when the sap starts moving again and carries the poison up the tree. (I hope.)

It is powerful smelling stuff. I wore a mask, long sleeves, and gloves while spraying it. I did it in July. Hot work.

Thanks for your help the other day.

Jeb

(When 14 pine trees suddenly died, Walt came to the rescue with his bigger chainsaw to use on one of the larger trees.)

I have been away from the diary for almost the whole summer. We’ve all been very busy watching it rain and scratching mosquito bites.

This morning I came down to Kathy reading the paper at the breakfast table. She seemed tired or in thought, so I asked her if anything was wrong.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said, which is what she always says whether or not something is wrong.

I asked her if she felt ok. She she said she felt fine, but then she hesitated! AH HAH! I sat down and asked her what was wrong.

She admitted that she was a bit worried because it had been about 60 days… woops. After some discussion, we agreed to take a test. I mowed the yard, and Kathy went to the grocery store to pick up some lunch things and a home pregnancy test.

After lunch, I asked her if she wanted to take the test before or after Danny’s All-Star game that afternoon. Nicole overheard me ask.

“Test? What test?” asked Nicole. “A pregnany test?” she said worried. “Are you going to have another baby?” She was almost panicking. I tried to steer her off this course of thinking, but not very successfully.

Kathy and I went upstairs. This new test involved only a simple stick. None of the chemical vials and critical timing involved in our previous tests I performed for Kelly and Danny. In fact, there was nothing for me to do but read the instructions several times. We were looking for a pink or purple strip.

Meanwhile, I found out later, Danny and Nicole sat downstairs discussing who would get what room and who would have to live in the basement.

As in the past, Kathy doesn’t do any half way jobs on being pregnant. The strip turned pink almost immediately. We didn’t have to wait the proscribed three minutes.

Needless to say, child number four has caused quite a bit of commotion. Nicole broke down smiling and crying at the same time when we came down and confirmed her earlier intuition. When asked to explain, she said she is very happy to have a new brother or sister but she is also very sad because she will have to share her room and baby sitting will be much harder.

I asked Nicole how she thought she might react when she finds out about her own first child. I’m afraid she might slip into a coma.

We then all went upstairs to meet the new addition, which is just a stick now. Danny and Nicole were very interested in the stick. Kelly wanted to play with her new sister/brother the stick, but of course I couldn’t let her.

When I told Kelly that Mom was going to have a new baby, she took it very seriously and gave Kathy a serious look. I’m not sure she understands what it means, but she recognized that whatever this was all about, it was important.

So now I have to finish the basement and find at least one vehicle with six seatbelts. Danny and Charlie should be moved in (down) by Christmas.

Dad: What happened this morning?

Danny: Mom got locked in the bathroom. She called me and Nicole to get her out.

Dad: Where was Kelly?

Danny: She was following us, handing us the tools.

Dad: What tools?

Danny: The little tools in the little toolbox.

Dad: Why did you have tools?

Danny: To get Mom out of the bathroom.

Dad: What did mom say?

Danny: Help me get out of the bathroom. I am locked in. I need some help.

Dad: How did you know what to do?

Danny: Mom told us what to do.

Dad: What did she tell you?

Danny: To take the doorknob apart with a screwdriver. She said, what screwdriver do you have? So I put it under the bathroom door. She said that was the right one.

Dad: What kind was it?

Danny: I don’t remember the name.

Dad: A flat head or a phillips head?

Danny: A phillips head.

Dad: So then what did you do?

Danny: Tried to unscrew the door knob. It was too hard. I started to cry.

Dad: Did Nicole try?

Danny: Yes. But I didn’t let her. I yelled at Nicole.

Dad: Where was Kelly?

Danny: Playing with the screwdrivers. Nicole was saying “no.”

Dad: So Mom never got out?

Danny: Mom got out with a credit card.

Dad: That was right after you tried with the screwdriver?

Danny: Mom said to bring up my purse and give me my credit card. Then she got out.

Dad: Did anyone else try to help Mom?

Danny: John did, but it was too late for him to get her out. He was going to use a little key.

Dad: Did he not try to use the screwdriver?

Danny: No he did not try to use the screwdriver.

Dad: How did John know Mom was in the bathroom?

Danny: Me and Nicole told him.

Dad: Did you go over to his house?

Danny: He came over here.

Dad: Why?

Danny: To know if he could do something to our driveway…. the thing that you and Uncle Bob did.

Dad: Pressure wash it?

Danny: Pressure wash it.

Dad: Were you laughing a lot?

Danny: No.

Dad: Did you think it was funny.

Danny: Kind of.

Dad: Why were you the one who tried to use the screwdriver rather than Nicole or John?

Danny: Mom wanted me to do it because I know some more about the screwdrivers.

The End.

The aerating, lime, seed, and fertilizer all paid off. The yard looks great. I’m most proud of getting a thick stand of grass to come in under the southeast Bradford Pear. The leaves are off almost all of the trees. The Bradford Pears and the Willow have yet to change color. I guess the Magnolia stays green year round.

An invasion of dandelion weeds has crossed the border between the up-hill neighboring yard. The results of the surgical counter strikes with salt spray will not be known for a couple of weeks.

Bob E. and I worked up the latest plan to attack the gutters. Three approaches have failed thus far. The latest idea is to place two screw eyes into the joists of the roof. Tie a rope between them, and then hold onto a rope that will slide along that one as I go down the length of the gutter.

Later I realized I don’t have joists, so that could make placing the screw eyes tricky. The 32 foot ladder I could buy would be $189. I’m not sure where I would store a ladder this high, though.

Our first “normal” Halloween was worth the wait through the town house years. Although there was no Mr. Johnson to give each kid two pounds of candy, they still got plenty by combing the entire neighborhood. Nicole (a devil) brought in 106 pieces of candy. I’m sure Danny (a bat) did just the same.

They toured Hunters Station with Haden and Lindsey (both devils!) and their father. Then they made the rounds in Rae Woods with Kathy and Kelly.

I stayed at home greeting 75 or so trick-o-treaters. Kathy had bought 5 bags of Peanut Butter cups, Snickers, Sweet Tarts, and suckers. As the candy got low, I went through the cabinets and got granola bars and hot apple spider mix for emergency backup. Fortunately everything died down by about 8 pm with 2 or 3 pieces of candy left.

At one point, I was walking with Kelly out on the street. A little pumpkin and a little Peter Pan crossed our yard, climbed over the monkey grass, and made the long climb up the front steps. I had hooked the PowerBook to the boom box playing the After Dark sounds from “Nocturnes.” The cricket chirps did not sound unusual, but as the two got almost to the porch, they heard a long howl. They both stopped on the same step obviously concerned.

“What was that?” asked their father out on the street with me. The howl had sounded like it came from the river. I explained as we watched the frozen pair.

Candy will overcome the darkest fears of children. Both decided to risk the howl, and go on up to the door where they promptly rewarded for their bravery by Kathy.

And so the season of calories begins. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Some fathers come home to hear their son’s exciting news about catching a lizard or building a rock castle. I came home today to Danny’s surprise that Aunt Carol gave us a new diaper bag for the baby.

Danny is looking forward to having a little brother or sister. He recently started giggling whenever he sees a baby on TV.

Kathy and I went to our first Better Birth refresher class last Thursday night. In the middle of class (through which we kept laughing) Kathy hit me with the sobering news that she was due in 5 weeks and 2 days. No longer counting months.

Over the weekend she started having frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions. She got fairly upset on Sunday because she realized the time is near. She hasn’t really been thinking about it through all the hussle and bussle associated with moving.

Friday night we had everyone over for dinner club. Frank was amazed at how everything seemed to fit like we had been living here for a while. Last time he saw it was the frantic Sunday afternoon move. Everything was stacks and boxes.

Newborn Brian slept the entire time in Nicole’s bed. Nicole, Danny and Eric spent the night at Gramalie’s and had an early birthday party for Danny. He got a nerf bow & arrow set. Looks just like Robin Hood when he pulls the bow. He has a hard time because he can only squint the wrong eye.

We went on our longest walk yet. On the way Patty stopped us to chat, walked us through her house to see the deck she has to paint. She had just painted the garage floor and was having a hard time getting it to dry.