Where there is smoke...

...there isn't always fire. I was really excited this morning when I went online to check my e-mail and saw that Joe was also online. He had stopped at an internet cafe in Tirana to check his e-mail. We had a chance to instant message and see each other in our web cameras. The kids were so happy to see Dad! Jennabee especially couldn't stop giggling and pointing at him. So where does "smoke" come into this story?

During our instant messaging conversation Austin said that he wanted some toast. I put some bread in the toaster and excitedly walked back to the computer to talk to Joe. I didn't notice that Austin had jumped on the counter and turned the toaster temperature to full blast after I walked away. I was happily writing to my husband when I smelled that horrible burnt toast smell. I got up and walked into a smoke filled kitchen where Austin was on the counter saying "Uh-oh mommy!" The bread was completely charcoal black without a single speck of brown left on it! I pulled it out and threw it in the garbage and hurried to open the windows, but I was too late. The smoke alarm way on the other side of our house started doing its job and kept shrieking at us. The kids started screaming and covering their ears. I grabbed a chair, ran down the hallway and luckily my really short self was able to reach high enough to turn it off. I finished opening all the windows and got back to Joe. I'm sure he was wondering where I went for so long. I happily informed him that our smoke detector was in perfect working order.

On another note, I finally broke down and clipped the kids fingernails today (see previous post). When I got to Hans he told me that he wanted to save his fingernail clippings.

"What for?" I asked.

"Well you know how I've been collecting rocks? (he's actually collecting pieces of gravel from our gravel driveway, washing them in the sink, and putting them in plastic bags) Well, I decided that these fingernails will be perfect for my fingernail collection."

"I see," I said, deciding not to make an issue out of it.

"I only want the really big ones, so try not to break them in half."

At the end of this clipping session he only had three that were worthy enough to be in his collection. I think he lost them shortly afterwards because he hasn't mentioned them since. I wonder what he's going to want to collect next?

Thirdly, I caught Jennabee boogying to some music that we were listening to the other day. I think it's pretty sad that my one year old can shake her hips better than her own mother! She must have inherited this ability from her Aunt Lauren. I'm not sure where she got that crazy fake laugh though.