Never a dull moment at our house!

We enjoyed our two days home with Joey before Maddox and Joey were sent back to Gma and Gpa Remsburgs, while mom and dad headed to Chicago for a No Glove 16-inch softball tournament. (I know what some of you are thinking who reads this - 'They go to Chicago to play softball?' The answer is 'Yes, we do and no, I can't explain why.')

I was sad to send Joey off so fast, but was selfishly looking forward to a little alone time with Joe, although most of the time in Chicago was spent with family and friends. My mother in law and I drove to Chicago together, while Joe and his dad drove together (leaving at different times). It's funny because few people enjoy being confined to a car ride for five hours with their mother-in-law, but I do enjoy it. We talked about things like 'What's your favorite thing to get at Taco Bell? How about Taco Johns? Which is better- Taco Bell or Taco Johns? and 'Have you ever had the cobb salad at Cheesecake Factory?' and ''Do you like the wraps or the bread at Subway?' (Okay, I totally realize that 80% of our conversations focused on food). Anyway, it was fun. Chicago was fun but we lost twice so were out of the tournament and then we turned around and went home Saturday afternoon. We got home early evening and my parents kept the kids until Sunday late morning. It was good to have everyone home again so I made a good supper for all of us - my grandma's macaroni salad (which I'm going to go ahead and claim that I've nearly mastered it), corn on the cob on the grill (first time we've ever done it on the grill), hamburgers, and blueberry-cream cheese turnovers (new recipe- I'd rate it a 3.5). I was proud of myself. As we grilled and ate, the rain came, and it came and it came.....and yep, you guessed it....our basement is flooded AGAIN.

I just realized it was flooded this morning. It's so frustrating to see that, and more frustrating not knowing what to do. We thought it was the downspouts the last time, but apparently we were wrong. Do we spend the money to fix it? But, we've heard countless times that it doesn't always work. Do we let it go? And, then let it happen again...and again...and again....who knows. So, we're back in a heap of a mess....again.

Okay, really funny story that I can't believe I'm going to tell.....So, on Sunday, we decided to take the kids to Petland to get Remsy some pet food. So, we go to the store and Remsy is super-excited (should have been a clue). We get in the store and Joe has her on a leash. We go around the corner and down an aisle and I take Remsy from Joe. Joey and I walk with Remsy looking at the stuff in the aisles. I turn back around to go around the corner and see Joe at the end of the aisle, looking down on the floor with huge eyes. I look down and there it is smack in the middle of the aisle: a HEAPING pile of dog doo-doo. I see it and don't think it's Remsy because she's been on a leash with Joe or I the whole time and I never saw her stop once. I look at Joe and said, "Who did that?" (um, I wasn't accusing Joe of squatting in the store but it did kind of come out that way, since he was standing over the poop with no dog in site). Anyway, Joe replies, "Um, Remsy...." And, I said, "When? She's been with us the whole time!" And, Joe said, "I don't know, Hol, but do you see any other dogs around? It was obviously her! She must have done it on the run!" Joe goes to another aisle -- I think it's because he's escaping the situation leaving me there alone, but really it's just to grab a doggie doo-doo bag that are usually kept at the end of Petco aisles- but this is Petland and we've never been here before and come to think of it-we're not even sure they allow dogs in this store! Panic sets in! So, I take Joey and Remsy and walk out the store because A) I'm in a panic and B) I'm about to pee my pants from laughing so hard and C) I'm afraid we're going to make a scene. So, we walk out and I see Joe walking around the store through the glass, and finally, he comes out and goes, "Run, Run, Run to the car! C'mon Joey, we have to go NOW!" By this time, I am laughing so hard I can hardly speak. Joe said he couldn't find any doggie bags and so he's decided to just leave because all the store attendents were busy with the real live puppies showing them to the customers who came to buy them, and we were clearly going to make a scene.....we got the kids buckled into their car seats so fast, their heads spun. The whole way running to the car, Joey was saying, "Mom, why do we have to go? Are we in trouble? We never even got to see the puppies! I don't want to go! Why didn't Daddy pick up the poop? Are we going to the car to get a baggie? Are we going to clean it up?" I just kept saying, "Just get in the car- Remsy got in trouble in the store and we have to leave!" Can you believe this? We just left an entire pile of poop in the middle of Petland. I told Joe that we are for sure caught on camera and can never go back there! And, Joe said he was for sure that we were going to be featured on the 10 o'clock news...."Breaking news....if you know these two adults leaving a pile of dog poop in the middle of Petland, please call authorities immediately." I'm so embarrassed we did this....some young 16-year old working the counter had to pick up Remsy's poop because two thirty-year olds were too immature to fess up. Ahhh - the lessons Joey learned from his parents that day! Unforgettable.

In closing, here are two pictures of Maddox that I love!

"She thinks my tractor's sexy....."

Oh, and here is a funny Joey quote:
Me: We're having corn on the cob again tonight, Joey!
Joey: yeah! Then I can have corn in my poop again!