Five on Friday: Sights, Sounds, Smells (!) & Perpetual Large Appliance Issues, Otherwise Entitled "A Snapshot of Life Here Lately"

I began working on what I hope is going to be a very funny list earlier this week but it just hasn't jelled yet. With my being extremely busy with planning the 19th Annual MLK Day of Community Service (and now today also being extremely bothered by Monday's forecast) . . . there is no time for jelling this morning. No time at all. 

So instead I'll present just a small snapshot of life here at the Rumspringa Home for Children lately:

1. Recently I drove our 11-year-old daughter to our friends' home to go sledding. As we approached their house, she randomly belted out in her best operatic style, "AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE!!!!"

I pulled up, put the car in park and she said, "Thank you."

I replied, "Wow! Thank YOU for remembering to thank me for the ride!!"

She looked confused and then said, "Oooh--I was actually saying thank you for the singing. You know, like, thank you, thank you very much."

2. Dinnertime scene: 

I was in the kitchen cooking homemade macaroni and cheese when my husband walked in and said, "You're going to regret that."

"What??"

Him: "You will ROUX the day!"

I rolled my eyes and handed him a block of cheese to grate.

Our youngest piped up, "MOM! You're asking DAD to CUT THE CHEESE?!"

Daddy-O: "See? You WILL rue the day!"

(with apologies to my friends that read this already on my personal page, but I think it's funny enough to share twice)

3. Seen in 13-year-old son's bed:

Yeah, it could be worse but just . . . I have questions.

4.. You know how a few weeks ago I said the dryer was broken? It was fixed. Then broke again. Then fixed again. Then broke again. If you've known me for a minute, you know we have the WORST luck with appliances. So anyway I stupidly was telling someone recently how our best dishwasher (we're on number 5? 6? In less than twenty years) is the one we have now that I literally picked up on the side of the road and works great.

You know where this is going. I need another roadside dishwasher, STAT.

Also--The fridge has sort of been on the fritz for awhile and now sometimes it makes this really cool sound in the mornings like it's trying to take off.

5. Lastly, what would a snapshot of life at Rumspringa be without some sort of reference to our ridiculous little dog? I often take pictures of her doing weird or silly things and text them to the college kids. Here's one I sent recently followed by our daughter's response: