Random ramblings

I have a sad, sad, little imp.  He misses his dog already, and we haven't left yet to take her up to my mother's (which we will be doing before going up to Odysseus's parents' place for his mother's birthday).  The pixie doesn't understand what's going on, I think.  Otherwise, she'd be sad, too.

I, on the other hand, am incredibly, incandescently angry.  I don't know which neighbor hates our dog enough to call the cops out of "concern," but I frankly don't care.  I do believe all interactions with both sets will be minimal from now on.

I suspect that I will be spending most of the early mornings between now and school sitting in the back yard so that the imp and pixie can play outside for a while before it gets hot (when it get's hot again).  I am so glad I have a good travel mug for coffee.

Speaking of school...it's twelve days before the open house (when we take the kids' classroom supplies in), and two days after that for the imp to start (a Thursday).  The pixie starts the next day, since her preschool is MWF mornings.  Both kids are very, very excited.

Last week, I handed the pixie a dress and asked her to put it on.  She cried, telling me, "But Momma, I wanna dress!  Dis is not a dress, dis is a shirt!"

It's above her knees.  And it's a size 4.  She will not be four years old until the first part of December.

Both kids have full new wardrobes for school.  The school's dress code requires jeans or knee-length shorts and polo shirts or button-down shirts for the imp.  He's very, very happy with that, because he loves polo shirts.  The pixie's can be that (which she wouldn't be happy with), knee-length or longer skirts and polo shirts or button down shirts, or dresses.

The cats are...cats.  Thursday was spent with Cricket, our black and white spaz, shut in the back room, first for her own protection--she pissed Shadow off, and Shadow beat the crap out of her.  Cricket only fights back enough to get Shadow off her so that she can run.  She ended up running into the back room and I got back there just in time to shut the door in Shadow's face.  And, after I let her out, she decided to spaz up and down the hall, which had Shadow eyeing her like she was going to jump her again.

The dog...is not so happy.  She's been shut inside the house since the visit from officer not-so-friendly.  And now, she's going to go up to my mother's, and won't see her kids but once in a while.

Classes start back up on campus on the Monday after the kids start school.  Odysseus has given notice, and will be working his last day next Friday.  He's got twelve credit hours set up for the semester, and doesn't think he can keep up with everything if he's still running deliveries 'till eleven most nights. 

I still need to set up my class site, but haven't logged in yet.  I'm dreading the start of semester.  I have for the past two.  However, my writing isn't anywhere near covering replacing my income, and the bills just keep coming.

Speaking of writing...it's going pretty well.  I've written one chapter per evening for the past week.  I've written through chapter 14 (of a planned 31), and have nearly hit 40,000 words.  I'm very pleased with how it's coming along, and am hopeful that I'll have the first draft finished by the start of classes for me, and can get a revised draft done in September, and get the draft to my beta readers by October.

Hopefully.  Hopefully, nothing blows that plan to bits.

Then again, I'd planned on being the dog's forever home.  And we see how well that worked out.