ketchup

I get ill watching Elisabeth dip things in ketchup. She essentially uses pieces of food as spoons to get as much ketchup in one mouthful as she can. Not for the weak stomached. She's sitting over there right now scooping tons of ketchup onto her Life ceral with cinnamon. I am pretty sure my tolerance for letting her dip her breakfast in ketchup is wearing thin. I feel kind of bad because - hey, it gets her to eat something other than crackers and chicken nuggets - but I can't take it anymore!!! Seriously, can't she eat a normal breakfast? (This coming from someone who would gladly eat cold pizza and pot roast for breakfast every morning if we had it around).

My parents have two birds (cockatiels I think) named Monty and JJ. Neither bird is very nice, in my not so humble opinion. But Monty will bite the daylights out of you if you get too close. Elisabeth has always had a healthy fear of Monty and JJ. She's intrigued but if she gets to close and then they move, she runs. Well, on Saturday she just broke down sobbing and sobbing like I've never seen her before! We couldn't get the story of what happened until she calmed down. Apparently she was playing with a ball, it bumped Monty's "platform" (he doesn't live in a cage) and Monty flew down to the ground possibly hitting Elisabeth in the head. She was pretty traumatized. I guess fear of birds is genetic. Doug is scared of all birds within close proximity to him, and I am scared of those big birds like ostriches and rias. I never used to be, but Reston Zoo will cure you of that real quick. They have enormous beaks and come right at you. Horrible things.

So now we have two animals that have landed on E's head - a goat and a cockatiel. Not that I'm keeping count or anything.

If you've noticed a severe decrease in humor and wit in this space, it is because I'm fresh out of it. I'm dealing with some health stuff like gall and kidney stones and while none of these things are serious, they require needles and surgery. And any of you who know me well at all know that I don't handle "procedures" like a grownup. I handle them like a belligerant 8 year old. I'm pretty sure they have my picture up in places at the Virginia Hospital Center and all of the doctors, nurses and technicians take turns throwing darts at it.