Ali the Angler

I can't believe I forgot to send this on! I sent the whole photo album to John and Lisa, of course, but that's where it ended. I'm not sure how that happened... Oh, I remember. I did the PhotoShoot early and then never got back to our overnight at the lake! Oh, well. Jeff seems anxious for me to share this photo. Not so anxious that he'd share it, but then again, I still owe him... :)

We had a great time.
We ate great food.
We drank good champagne.
And Ali caught her very first fish.

John was a study in patience, helping Ali get her hook baited and then helping her for what seemed like hours dangle her hook in the water. They actually saw the fish they wanted. I ended up naming him Jerry and calling Alison Tom. That fish must have eaten a dozen worms before she finally caught him. I'd actually given up and was napping when Jeff dragged me out of bed to witness the first fish.

John got Jerry (if you squint you can see him just at the edge of where her dress meets her pants) off the hook and then kissed him before putting him back in the water, earning great respect and a tiny bit of disgust from Alison. She was so proud.

Mouth

I had to laugh at Amy Tokash today. She's always complaining that I tell Alison too many facts of life. She seems to not care at all that Drew and Jenna will enter high school still believing in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Poor Drew will never masterbate: he'll be in mortal fear of blindness.

But I digress. Tonight I was talking to Amy and she was warning me not to tell Alison a small secret we have for fear that she'll tell Jenna this weekend when we're having a sleepover. And when I confessed that I'd almost slipped, she called me, and I quote, "Mouth."

Amy Louise Reed Tokash called ME, "Mouth."

That's sort of like the Grinch calling Cindy Lou Hoo "Meanie."

So of course I protested, and as a result got this story:

Drew, who just turned 9, asked his parents for a $200 hockey stick. Amy demurred and said they just couldn't justify the expense. Disappointed, Drew was sad for a moment. And then he perked up. "I know!" he said. "I'll ask Santa!"

The truth will set your wallet free, Amer...... and it'll save Drew and Jenna a world of scorn.