Late Night Phone Calls & Big Mouths

Last night. Midnight. The Chief has fallen asleep yet again on the couch. I'm perched at the computer playing comment catch-up on my friends' and family's blogs. The air conditioning is running strong and I'm literally freezing to death (that's for you, Erin and Todd). After reviving my frozen heart, I get up to check the thermostat and find that it's 73 degrees in the house despite the thermostat's 75 degree setting. I calmly shut off the air conditioning, notify the sleeping Chief lump that our a/c must be broken, and settle back down on my warm computer chair where I've scheduled an extended stay vacation. A minute later my cell phone rings and immediately the thought jumps into my head, "Oh no. Who died?" I charge to my phone, thinking of my slumbering babes and how I'd love to keep them in that blessed state, and answer, much to the surprise of my brother, Unkey Dino, who informs me that this late night phone call is his attempt to secure the coveted prize of being the first to wish me a happy birthday. He thought to reach my answering machine. Darn single people - always staying up 'til all hours of the night and assuming that everyone else must be doing the same! Just kidding. Actually, it was a welcome interruption. I love talking to Unkey Dino. He has great dating stories to share and is funny and witty. Never a dull moment with him around...or lurking on the phone lines late at night.

This morning, when I gave Buddha and Bugga their chewable animal vitamins, Buddha pointed to his hippo and asked me what it was. I tried to describe a hippo to him, telling him they have large bodies and huge mouths and they like to be in the water. He likened a hippo's mouth to the lion's mouth from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which I found to be an astute observation, and then he said, "Daddy has a huge mouth like those big animals." Really. I'll have to ask him to show me his hippo mouth when he gets home from work today.