I will preface this post by letting you know that my laundry is still sitting by the couch unfolded… There has been an incredible amount of excitement around the house lately, and I have been far too busy trying to chronicle all of it! I do plan on having it out of the laundry basket and ready for put-away before the Monkey Daddy is home, but we’ll see. I'll also have to run some damage control because I'm sure that my little blessings have been quite busy making messes while I've been on the computer!

I should maybe break this up into a couple different posts, but I don’t wanna, don’t feel like it. I figure I’ll just cram a bunch of good stuff into one big post, and it’ll be like bloggy Christmas or something.:)

Before taking him to bed last night, I found Blessing #5 having a snack. Evidently his taste buds aren’t too picky because he has resorted to markers. Mmm… tasty.

Our sweet little Mowgli disappeared on his first birthday, April 7th, just over two weeks ago. It was obvious something bad had happened… like a run-in with a car or some other really bad thing. If he were around, he’d have come home.

Late yesterday afternoon, right before we were getting ready to leave for B#2’s soccer practice, I got a phone call. I almost didn’t answer it, but I did. It was Animal Control, saying they’d just rescued a cat named Mowgli out of a tree and were rushing him to a vet, and I was to meet them there immediately.

He is scraped up from trying to escape, and he was severely dehydrated, but he is doing well now. And, yay!, after two weeks of a sad, teary Monkey Moma, my little Monkey Mowgli gets to come home this afternoon.

Let’s just suffice it to say that this is our little miracle kitty. I have been praying for a miracle for him, that he might just happen to show up, but I never expected this. He was not just in a tree, but he was in a tree with his head stuck in a hole… and I’m certain he had been there for two weeks. Otherwise, he would have come home.

It turns out, he was just down the street this whole time. And the little booger and his dramatic rescue made the news. In fact, they’re going to do a follow-up story tonight. He's stirring up quite the buzz. Check out the video- it’s pretty crazy! And, contrary to the news reporter calling Mowgli a she, he really is a he. :)

You know the drill-
Amazing Grace OFF, computer speakers ON

I visited him at the vet's this morning after dropping off the older girls at school. He was so much different than the dehydrated, sedated, limp ragdoll he was when I saw him yesterday evening. He was really happy to see me, all snuggly and sweet.

And what better way to follow-up that heart-warming story than with a good, funny video! I finally got video from B#3’s first T-Ball game onto the computer and ready to go. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera in video mode for his first turn at bat… when he hit the ball and ran straight for second base. It was hysterical! But I did manage to get some other funny stuff.

Let me say it again- FUNNY STUFF! Maybe it's only because I'm the mom, but I have laughed every time I have watched the video.

Who knew T-Ball was a hip-shakin’, foot-shufflin’, head-bobbin’, dancin’ sport? This video should definitely put a smile on your face… and if not, what's wrong with ya, huh?!:)

Just make sure (yeah, you've heard it before!) you’ve got the speakers ON…
(yeah, yeah) and Amazing Grace OFF.

.............................................................................

YMCA t-ball has started for Blessing #3, and he had his first practice yesterday evening. I show up at the park with the five monkeys- more specifically, five little howlers. (Little in stature, not decibels.) While it was nice to release all that squawking and squealing from the captivity of the car, it was just as ear-splitting in the open air of the playground.

Yet, I digress.

We get to the park, and I take B#3 over to meet the coach. She asks if he's brought his glove.

Uh, no. Was that on the list? While I'm silently pondering why that wasn't in the email with all the other necessary information, I send my boy off to practice baseball bare-handed. Apparently all the other mothers are much more t-ball savvy than I, as their children were well-prepared for practice and came equipped with their gloves.

Nevertheless, he had a good practice, and it actually held his attention. It was far different than his flag football games where he spent his time playing telescope with the orange cones or his basketball games where he flopped on the floor like a ragdoll.

After practice and dinner, Monkey Daddy took him out glove shopping, so he'll be ready for his game on Thursday night. While WalMart and Target had a wonderful selection of $6 t-ball gloves, they apparently only stock for right-hand throwers. After many phone calls and various visits to the sports sections of different stores, our little leftie ended up getting to go to the fancy shmancy sporting goods place to find a left-hand-thrower glove.

It wasn't $6.

It's also a little big. Apparently, left-handers don't place baseball until they're older because they also don't make the smallest sized t-ball gloves for lefties.

But he's proud as can be of his new glove. Which is good... look at that fancy leather Mizuno t-ball glove. Did I mention that it wasn't $6? During the car ride this morning, I heard B#5 giggling and laughing and having the best ol' time. I figured he was squirming his way out of his seatbelt straps and feeling quite proud. When I turned to scold him, I instead found him with an arm up his shirt, scratching away at his armpit... like a monkey. He is evidently ticklish even when he's the one doing the tickling!

.............................................................................

Wow. Six months.

How can it be that six months have already passed?

Pinky has posted a video she put together. It is a sweet tribute to SixBit. The pictures are poignant; the song is powerful.

For full effect, check it out on her blog. What she wrote is perfect, and I don't think I could say it any better if I tried to write it here on my own. I am awed at Pinky's strength and growth in all of this. God is absolutely using her in this tragedy to do amazing things for His glory. Our earthly loss of SixBit was not pointless. God is still doing great things through the testimony of his life.

I am linking the video (turn off Amazing Grace), but please go here to read Pinky's testimony to God's merciful hand in all of this. Below the video link, she has the lyrics to the Casting Crowns song. Read them. Really read them. Our hope and strength truly comes from the Lord.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"

made His light shine in our hearts

to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed.

~2 Corinthians 4:6-9~

.............................................................................

#2 Celebrates 7

It took a few days, but I'm finally posting pictures from Saturday's birthday celebration. Blessing #2 had a great day and is definitely enjoying her new goodies... and the cake was a yummylicious success.

We finally got her a big girl bike (no training wheels), and Monkey Daddy got her out Sunday afternoon to attempt two-wheelin' it. She actually caught on pretty fast and is now zipping up and down the path in the park.

Of course, after having maybe 45 minutes of practice time... total... and over three days, no less... she decided last night that it was quite fun the swerve the bike back and forth so that it would lean from one direction to the other.

Monkey Moma hollers: "Steady your handle bars! Don't lean like that!"

B#2 retorts: "But it's more fun to do that!"

Monkey Moma responds with sarcasm common sense:
"It's fun until you fall."

Give or take 2 seconds: SPLAT.

Followed by: WAAHHH, WAAHHH!

Prior to the drama of her prolonged wailing (and the subsequent protests after being told it was time to go inside), I had the camera out and shot a few short video clips... now compiled for your viewing pleasure.:):):)

B#1 is missing from the video, but that's only because she hadn't made it out to ride yet (deciding, instead, to sprawl on the couch while reading her new library book). She had only been out for a few minutes when I was having to drag the tired sobby one (and everyone else) in for bedtime.

First turn off the Amazing Grace video in the side bar;
then click the bike video arrow twice to play.
It's less than a minute and a half, and, yes, you want your sound ON-
When I clipped the videos together,
I put in music and sound effects!!:)

.............................................................................