Donkeys Have The Floor (090/365)

 
“That which is called firmness in a king is called obstinacy in a donkey”

John Erskine (American Educator, Novelist and Musician. 1879-1951)

TIME:  8:32 PM
PLACE:  High School
SUBJECT:  Donkey Basketball

My niece’s high school held it’s annual Donkey Basketball Game this evening.  The senior girls take on the senior boys in a fundraiser for the Student Council and yearbook.  Girls make one point if they hit the rim of the basket and two points for making a basket.  Boys score two points only if it goes in.  Several teachers also participated.  Last year, the fundraiser brought in $1,500 for each group.  Many years ago, when I was a senior in high school, I attempted to ride a donkey and play basketball – let me tell you, it is not easy.

Mowing The Lawn (089/365)

 
SpongeBob: “What is it about summertime that makes us so happy? The firefly-lit nights, the intoxicating aroma of a charcoal briquette, the hypnotic sound of a lawnmower running over a flip-flop?”

"Krabby Land." Perf. Tom Kinney. SpongeBob SquarePants. 3 Apr. 2004

TIME:  4:09 PM
PLACE:  Back yard
SUBJECT:  HandsomeHusband & lawnmower

The first mowing of 2010 took place this afternoon.  The two girls were assigned the task of picking up the toys in the yard, but we still had a couple of causalities.  Mr. Elephant and Mr. Alligator, I am so sorry that you were run over and chopped to bits…what a tragic way to meet your demise.

Spring Sedum (088/365)

 
"O the green things growing, the green things growing,
The faint sweet smell of the green things growing!”

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (1826-1887), “Green Things Growing”. The Home Book of Verse for Young Folks. Selected and arranged by Burton Egbert Stevenson. H. Holt & Company, New York, 1929.

TIME:  6:54 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  “Autumn Joy” Sedum

I cleared out the front flower beds of leaves and old growth this afternoon.  So far, most of my perennials that I planted last year are starting to re-emerge from the ground.  It is so lovely to see the green popping up from the brown mulch.  Hooray!  StellaDella  “helped” for about 10 minutes – I handed her the clippings and she placed it in the yard waste container.  She said that the sedum looked like baby cabbages…I think they do too.

Dime-In Ring (087/365)

 
“Say you don't need no diamond ring and I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love”

Lennon, John & McCartney, Paul. “Can’t Buy Me Love.” A Hard Day’s Night. Parlophone, 1964.

TIME:  7:21 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Dollar bill origami ring

Well, I survived the camping trip.  It started raining late last night and all morning so we did not get to hike again today.  I was in charge of making pancakes for the troops – 23 girls and 6 leaders.  I think I made about 80 pancakes in all.  I told the girls that I spit in every other one and they had to figure out which ones they were.  The looks I got in return were priceless.  We returned home about noon and after eating lunch and taking a shower, I took a nap.  My bed never felt so good.

After we ate supper tonight, MonkeyBoy tried following directions to fold an origami ring out of a dollar bill.  He had some difficulties with some of the folding and asked me for help with it.  I did and after I finished, he gave it to me.  He said he wanted to give me a “dime-in” ring.  *smiles* I love my boy. 

Casting Iron In The Fire (086/365)

 
“Cast iron is so superior for cooking utensils to our modern aluminum that I not only cannot grieve for the pioneer hardship of cooking in iron over the hearth, but shall retire if necessary to the back yard with my two Dutch ovens, turning over all my aluminum cookers for airplanes with a secret delight.”

Majorie Kinnan Rawlings, 'Cross Creek' (1942)

TIME:  4:13 PM
PLACE:  Girl Scout Camp
SUBJECT:  Cooking pots

StellaDella’s Daisy troop had an overnight camp-out this weekend.  DramaQueen went with us as well.  We left today at 11am and plan on returning tomorrow at noon.  Another mom started the campfire and she and I oversaw the cooking of the chicken legs in cast iron pots.  The girls covered the legs with BBQ sauce and cola and we took them out and set them in the fire.  In about an hour they were done.  They tasted pretty good, SD had two of them for supper.  We also hiked, played outside games and made some crafts.  We are sleeping inside “lodges” that have bathrooms and a small kitchen – for that I am eternally grateful.

March Tree (085/365)

  
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”

Charles Dickens (English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian era, 1812-1870)

TIME:  4:04 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  Red Sunset Maple tree

Barely, just barely, changes are beginning to show on the tree this month.  I can see the red buds emerging from the branches.  Another cloudless, blue sky for my picture.  The temperatures seem more like winter than springtime.  This Charles Dickens quote seems to hit the nail right on the head today.

Keyed Up (084/365)

  
“I'm not even thinking straight any more. Numbers buzz in my head like wasps.”
 
Kurt Neumann (1906-1958), German screenwriter. Kurt Neumann. Dr. Lisa Van Horn (Osa Massen), Rocketship X-M, after hours of calculations (1950).

TIME:  8:56 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  Targus wireless keypad

As the accountant and CPA in my family, it has naturally followed that I am the one who does the tax returns, not only for me and HandsomeHusband, but for my dad, brothers and sister.  I don’t mind, their returns are fairly uncomplicated (except for those pesky multiple state tax filings they all have!).  My tools are a tax software program and most importantly, my wireless keypad.  I absolutely abhor using the row of number keys on the top of the standard keyboard - too cumbersome and it slows me down when inputting figures.  I much prefer the keypad, but alas, my notebook did not have one.  Thus my procurement of the wireless 10-key.  Definitely one of my smarter purchases.

Swinger (083/365)

 
“How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!”
 
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-189), Scottish author. The Swing (l. 1-4). . . New Treasury of Children's Poetry, A; Old Favorites and New Discoveries. Joanna Cole, comp. (1984) Doubleday & Company.

TIME:  3:23 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  StellaDella

Of all my children, SD likes to swing on the swing set the most.  Since starting kindergarten last fall, she has learned how to pump her legs and swing without needing to be pushed.  Now that it is warmer, she likes to go outside after school and swing.  She’s out there for quite a while, swinging and digging for worms.  Watching her this afternoon, it occurred to me that I’ve been pushing one child or another on the swings for the last 10 years or so.  Now, they all can do it by themselves.  I’m getting old.

Magic In The Air (082/365)

 
“The magician and the politician have much in common: they both have to draw our attention away from what they are really doing.”

Ben Okri (Nigerian author who uses magic realism to convey the social and political chaos in his country, 1959)

TIME:  5:56 PM
PLACE:  School
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy

In order to make sure that “we all count” and our district gets our fair share of the federal allotment per pupil, our school sponsored a Census night.  Families just needed to bring in their completed census to participate.  Tables were set up to assist those who needing help filling out the form.  The school served pizza, cookies and lemonade to all who attended.  (Hey, if I don’t have to cook and it’s free, of course my family will be there!)  After we ate, a magician performed for 30 minutes.  MB joined him on stage during the rope trick.  When the magician was finished at 6:30, I went to a combo Leadership Team/PTA meeting (which lasted until 8pm) and HandsomeHusband took the kids home.

Is This Thing On? (081/365)

 
“It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on.”

Marilyn Monroe (American, Actress. 1926-1962)

TIME:  6:48 PM
PLACE:  Minds Eye Information Service
SUBJECT:  Microphone

The Cub Scouts went on a field trip this evening to the radio station at the Shrine to fulfill part of their communication badge requirements.  This station was different than conventional stations, as their audience is people who are visually impaired or print disabled.  They give out special preset radios that provide the access to their programs.  Volunteers read daily newspapers, TV listings, grocery store ads, books, magazines and other printed material.  The kids were able to record their voices and then heard them played back on the system at normal, slow and fast speeds.  Needless to say, they all liked the speed where they sounded like chipmunks the best.

In Loving Memory (080/365)

  
“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”

Eskimo Proverb

TIME:  April 1, 1995
PLACE:  C--- C--- Church
SUBJECT:  Mom and me

Five years ago you left us.  There has not been a day in the past five years that I have not thought of you and wished I could hug you one more time.  I cherish all my memories of you and keep them close to me in my heart.

Freshly Shucked (079/365)

 
“If you don't love life you can't enjoy an oyster; there is a shock of freshness to it and intimations of the ages of man, some piercing intuition of the sea and all its weeds and breezes. They shiver you for a split second.”

Eleanor Clark. The Oysters of Locmariaquer, ch.1.

TIME:  2:59 PM
PLACE:  Schlafly Tap Room, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Oysters

HandsomeHusband and I headed over to St. Louis to eat some oysters and drink a pale ale at the Schlafly Stout & Oyster Festival.  Mmmm, those were some tasty oysters.  I think the ones pictured above are the Penn Cove Select variety.  We stayed for a dozen and a beer then we walked back to the car, taking pictures of the architecture along the way.  We then moseyed down to the Broadway Oyster bar for another dozen, along with a bucket of crawfish, a cup of gumbo and some shrimp.  It was a perfect afternoon in my opinion.

Marquee (078/365)

“I'll be famous one day, but for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.”

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Dir. Thor Freudenthal. With Zachary Gordan and Robert Capron. Color Force, 2010. 

TIME:  6:51 PM
PLACE:  Downtown
SUBJECT:  Theater marquee

”Diary of a Wimpy Kid” opened tonight and the kids and I went to the 7:15pm show.  HandsomeHusband did not join us as he had made plans to eat some corned beef and cabbage (with our blessings!).  The books are favorite reads around our house and the movie did not disappoint.  I predict that we will be purchasing the DVD when they release it later this year.   

Copper Glow (077/365)

“In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.”

Aaron Rose (American, director, producer, writer, independent curator, artist, b1969)

TIME:  6:09 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella

Today was an ordinary day.  HandsomeHusband went to work, the kids went to school, I went to work, everyone came home, SD, DQ and I went to buy new shoes for SD and DQ, we ate dinner and afterwards the kids watched “The Simpsons.”  Unexciting.  I found something beautiful to photograph though.  SD was sitting on the couch watching the show and paging through MonkeyBoy’s book, “The Encyclopedia of Immaturity, Volume 2," when the sun streamed through the front window, illuminating her hair.  I love how it glows in the early evening light.  Ever since she was born, whenever we have gone out with her, people have stopped us and told us that they love her red hair.  If I had a dollar for each time that has happened, I would be a very rich woman.

Clover Or Shamrock? (076/365)

 
“For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day.”

Irish Blessing

TIME:  5:31 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  3-leaf clover

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  I am not a bit Irish, but I wore green today anyway.  StellaDella had me add green food coloring to her oatmeal this morning at breakfast.  It didn’t look very appetizing to me, but she enjoyed it.  Unfortunately for HandsomeHusband I did not make corned beef and cabbage for supper…I think he plans on making some this weekend.  He loves it, but I do not care for it myself.  He is more than welcome to cook it, I won’t stop him, because that means I do not have to make dinner and that is a good thing!

Budding Branch (075/365)

“Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!”

Liberty Hyde Bailey, “The Miracle.” (American horticulturist, botanist and cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 1858-1954)

TIME:  4:34 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  Branch with buds

We “sprung forward” this weekend with daylight savings time.  The upside is that the days are longer and the photo opportunities will be greater.  The downside is that now my internal clock is all out of whack.  Out in the yard with the dog this afternoon, I saw this.  I’m starting to believe that spring just might show up after all.

Badges (074/365)

 
(After being unable to sell cookies to Albert Einstein)
DOT: Ohh, oh, my heart aches with the sorrow of a thousand scouts. No merit badge. I mourn my loss. *sob* *sob*
YAKKO: [Clapping] Say, those acting classes are really paying off! DOT: Think so?

"Cookies for Einstein." Animaniacs (Episode #2). Perfs. Tress MacNeille, Rob Paulsen. Amblin Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, 1993.

TIME:  8:49 PM
PLACE:  Pack Meeting
SUBJECT:  Webelo Activity Badges

MonkeyBoy had a Pack meeting tonight where he was awarded his Engineer Activity Badge (the gears on the green ribbon) and Cub Scout Academics belt loop for Mathematics.  He finally got to show off the catapult that we made back in January – the other boys were suitably impressed with it’s pompom flinging action. 

Auction (073/365)

 
“People always say congratulations. When you’re a successful bidder it means you’re willing to spend more money than anyone else. I’m not sure if that’s congratulations or condolences.”

Eli Broad (American philanthropist and art collector, b1933)

TIME:  1:56 PM
PLACE:  Auction house
SUBJECT:  Sign

I met a friend of HandsomeHusband’s and mine at an auction house this morning.  I love going to auctions and rummaging through the boxes on the flatbed trailers, you never know what you are going to find.  Even if I don’t buy anything (unlikely!), I like to watch and see what people are buying and what the stuff is going for.  Sometimes I wonder if my life is going to be reduced to being spread out on several flatbeds with people bidding on boxes of my crap – if that’s the case, I hope I have good crap for them to bid on.  I ended up buying a few things, including a tripod and an old Bell-Howard 8mm movie camera.  But my favorite lot, that I only paid $5.00 for, is a set of Oneida Twin Star flatware from 1959.  It included 11 forks, 12 spoons, 12 knives, 12 soup spoons, 4 casserole spoons, a pierced serving spoon and a pierced pie and cake server. Looking at the prices on Replacements.com, I think I did pretty good.  I ran them through the dishwasher and they are now in the silverware drawer, ready to be used.

The Climb (072/365)

 
“There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb”

Cyrus, Miley. “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” The Climb. Walt Disney, 2008.

TIME:  8:34 PM
PLACE:  Downtown YMCA
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen

Our school had a family night at our downtown YMCA this evening from 6-9pm.  For a dollar a head ($5 max per family) we were able to utilize the facilities.  StellaDella swam most of the evening with HandsomeHusband, but also bounced in a bounce house and tried climbing the wall.  MonkeyBoy swam, ran the track and climbed the rock wall.  DQ joined me in the exercise room and walked on the treadmill while I used the elliptical machine.  Then she swam and tried the rock wall, though she wasn’t too sure about it.  She made it about one third of the way up – which I thought was pretty good.  They should all sleep quite well tonight.

Blue Ridge Bottling Co. (071/365)

 
“I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.”

Dorothy Parker (American short-story Writer and Poet, 1893-1967)

TIME:  12:47 PM
PLACE:  S. Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO
SUBJECT:  Blue Ridge Bottling Co. building

This building is just north of Shaw Ave, near the Hill in St. Louis.  It no longer houses the Italian oriented bottling firm that was originally established in 1914, but the sign remains.

I stepped out of work early today (I went in from 8:30-11:00am) when I found out that HandsomeHusband took a 1/2 day off and we went to lunch together.  Sort of a date!  We went to the Lafayette Fire Company No. 1, in Lafayette Square in St. Louis.  We had a nice lunch and then headed to the Hill to check out Bertarelli Cutlery and Di Gregorio’s Market for a bit.  Before we left, I ran into Viviano’s for some bread and mortadella (Italian salami).  After delivering one of the loaves of bread to a friend, we stopped for some ice cream and indulged ourselves - a malt for HH and concrete for me - and then headed home.  Apparently, it’s all about the food with us.  I enjoyed the time with HH, just the two of us…I wish we could do this more often.

Me And My Shadow (070/365)

 
“In order to be somebody you have to hold even your shadow in high regard.”
 
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), German philosopher, classical scholar, critic of culture. Friedrich Nietzsche, Sämtliche Werke: Kritische Studienausgabe, vol. 2, p. 409, eds. Giorgio Colli and Mazzino Montinari, Berlin, de Gruyter (1980). Mixed Opinions and Maxims, aphorism 81, "Philosophy of the Parvenu," (1879).

TIME:  5:00 PM
PLACE:  The study
SUBJECT:  Me & StellaDella

Our front door was opened to let in the sunlight this afternoon.  While I was printing photos out for DramaQueen to take to her Cadette meeting, I noticed that I was casting a full length shadow on the wall.  SD joined in while I took the photo.

View From The Driver’s Seat (069/365)

“Look at life through the windshield, not the rear-view mirror”

Byrd Baggett (American, Motivational speaker)

TIME:  3:15 PM
PLACE:  Highway 13
SUBJECT:  Miata windshield

It hit 74 degrees here today.  The Jeep was at the mechanic’s getting it’s oil changed so I took the Miata to work.  When I left at 2:15pm it was perfect weather for top down driving – the first time this year.  I took this on my way to pick up MonkeyBoy from band practice at the Junior High School.  Love the sunbeams.

Rainbow Roll-Up (068/365)

 
Dale Denton: Let's get outta here! Wait, wait, stop, stop, stop, stop! Get weed! Get the weed!
Saul: Okay.
Dale Denton: Anything we might need: snacks, food, fruit roll-ups! Let's get the f**k outta here!

Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (screenplay). Seth Rogen, James Franco. Pineapple Express (2008).

TIME:  8:03 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Wildberry punch mini Fruit Roll-Up

StellaDella loves Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit By The Foot, and Fruit Snacks.  Although the first listed ingredient on the box is pear concentrate, they are basically corn syrup, sugar & hydrogenated oil.  No nutritional value at all.  So if I pack one in her lunch, I try to counteract it out with some vanilla yogurt and a piece of real fruit.  She asked for one this evening, “Just for a little snack Mom.”  She brought it to me to open and I liked how the it was back lit from the kitchen light, almost like stained glass.  It makes a pretty picture.  So I guess they are good for something.

Watch Your Step (067/365)

 
“A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.”

Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

TIME:  4:54 PM
PLACE:  Back porch
SUBJECT:  Stairs

HandsomeHusband completely tore down and rebuilt our back porch back in 2003.  He had stained the wood for the risers and treads as well as the decking.  Alas, the stain wore away, and we were left with weathered wood.  Also the treads are starting to split where he screwed them down.  The second step from the bottom finally split completely and he decided to use a composite material to replace the tread.  It wasn’t cheap - $19 for the one board, but we will not have to stain or paint it and it should last longer than the treated wood.  We have 5 more steps to replace…at $19 a pop that’s an additional $95.  I’m thinking we will be spreading it out and purchasing a board each pay period.  That way it will get done and we won’t be going into debt to do it.  At least that’s the plan, which is always subject to change.

Pushing Up Peonies (066/365)

 
“And the Spring comes slowly up this way.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), British poet. Christabel (l. 22). . . Poems [Samuel Taylor Coleridge]. John Beer, ed. (1993) Everyman.

TIME:  5:01 PM
PLACE: Front yard
SUBJECT:  Peony shoots

We had some lovely weather today, we made it to 60 degrees.  We did get a quick downpour mid-afternoon, but the rain, although heavy, was over after less than 5 minutes and the sun came out again.  When my dad came by on Friday, he had mentioned that he noticed the peonies were coming up.  After the rain stopped, I went out to look for them.  Yep, they were there.

Conehead (065/365)

 
“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”

Unknown

TIME:  3:42 PM
PLACE:  Homer Stemler Walking Trail
SUBJECT:  Wild coneflower seed head

Restless and out-of-sorts today.  Around 2:30pm I had to get out of the house because the breathing everyone was doing was annoying me.  I mean come on, is all that in and out with the air really necessary?  So, I went for a drive and ended up at the walking trail.  As I was entering the trail, another hiker was leaving so it was just me, myself and I in the woods.  Quiet, calm, peaceful – nice.

Slipping Away (064/365)

“Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts.”

Minor Martin White (American photographer, 1908–1976)

TIME:  5:54 PM
PLACE:  Going south on Highway 15
SUBJECT:  Sunset

My dad came over at 5:30pm, we packed everyone into the Ford F150 extended cab pickup truck and headed south by the Kaskaskia River to eat fish for dinner tonight.  I sat in the front, between HandsomeHusband, who was driving and my dad, while the three kids sat in the seat behind us.  As we were heading down the highway, the sun was setting.  My dad rolled down the window and I attempted to hold the camera steady and focus on the scene.  Apparently I was taking too long as the kids began to complain about the cold air rushing into the cab of the truck.  I quickly pressed the shutter-release button and took my one and only photo for the day before Dad rolled up the window.  It is not in focus nor is it composed very well, but I do like the red glow coming from behind the trees.

Magically Delicious (063/365)

“I won't eat any cereal that doesn't turn the milk purple.”

Bill Watterson (American Author of the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes, b.1958)

TIME: 8:57 PM
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Before bedtime snack

I was in Target this afternoon, picking up yogurt for lunches and snacks (Target is 20 cents cheaper per Yoplait carton than my regular grocery store!) and a few other items that we needed. I wandered down the cereal aisle – we are running low - and saw that they had Lucky Charms on sale. I love Lucky Charms, so do my kids. For awhile I refused to buy it because they would sneak in the pantry and pick out and eat just the marshmallows, leaving me with plain old toasted oats when I went to have some. Talk about disappointing. Now they eat both and when I pour myself a bowl, I get the full Lucky Charms experience.

Basket Of Balls (062/365)

“One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination.”

Sam Levenson (American Author and Humorist. 1911-1980)

TIME:  6:20 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Plastic balls in wicker basket

I’ve found that certain toys have withstood the test of time with my three kids  - wooden blocks, Schleich figurines, Playmobil, Fisher Price little people, Legos and balls.  We have had these hollow, plastic, holey balls since DramaQueen was one year old.  If I remember correctly, my sister gave them to DQ on her birthday.  Eleven years later, they are still played with on a fairly regular basis.  Today, SD has been dumping them over her head and throwing them in the basket to “practice” for when she plays basketball.  A couple of stuffed animals have been placed in the basket and given “ball baths”.  Finally, she made the larger ones “parents” with the smaller ones becoming “kids”.  They ball family rolls around the living room, having adventures.  For example, the parents were teaching the kids how to properly roll down a yardstick that was leaned against the couch.  I love her imagination!

A Bird In The Bush (061/365)

 
“A bird in hand is a certainty. But a bird in the bush may sing.”

Bret Harte (American Writer who helped create the local-colour school in American fiction. 1836-1902)

TIME:  1:48 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  House sparrow

When I took the dog out this afternoon, I brought the camera hoping to capture a picture of the sparrows that are always alighting in the bush by our fence.  My mom would call these sparrows a “spatsy” – she said that was what her mom always called them.  She didn’t know why Grandma called them that.  I was only able to take seven pictures before they all flew away; this was the best of the lot.  I like how he is looking straight at the camera lens and is all puffed up from the cold.

Lego Tower (060/365)

 
“The loftiest towers rise from the ground.”

Chinese Proverb

TIME:  6:15 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella and her Lego tower

SD brought out the container of large Legos this evening and proceeded to build a tall tower.  It was rather unstable and fell shortly after this photo was taken, exploding Lego bricks across the floor.  Those plastic bricks made a really loud noise when they hit the laminate.  Jack and Oreo did not like that sound at all.  Unperturbed, SD went ahead and rebuilt, even after it crashed several more times.