Return of EvilCat

So EvilCat, the stray black cat that hangs around our house, returned this morning. On a Sunday no less! That's so Evil.

Anna was in the kitchen cooking breakfast when EvilCat jumped up on the ledge outside the kitchen window, scaring the crap out of her. OK, that's funny...but Evil too. Plus, now she couldn't open up the window so the bacon stunk up the house.

What more proof than this do you need until you realize that cats are evil?

O-H D-A-M-N

Katie's reading has just improved so much since she started at her new school. I don't know if it is something the school is doing differently or just coincidence but Anna and I are very pleased.

There's a downside of course. Like most parents, when we don't want the kids to know what we are talking about, we spell it out. Usually it's to discuss a decision ahead of time so we can present a united front to the kids. You can see where I'm going with this.

Last night at dinner, the question of dessert came up, as it always does.

Katie: "What's for dessert?"

Anna and I look at each other. I should note that I tend to skew more towards junk food dessert -ice cream, pudding, chocolate- while Anna tends more to the healthy (or at least healthier) - apples, pretzels- Hence the need for discussion. (I still don't understand why she is the favorite parent but I digress).

Me (to Anna): "P-U-D-D-I-N-G ?"
Katie: "Did you just spell pudding?"

Damn it. She learned how to spell ice cream ages ago so we usually spell something else like "Breyers" or something to get around it. This leads to two problems: (1) if one of us picks something "weird" as the substitute word so the other doesn't get the code or (2) Anna spells the word too fast and I can't keep up. This leads to her re-spelling it 3 times and then yelling at me.

We also know enough of the alphabet in sign language that we've used that on occasion.

We're either going to have to start discussing these things ahead of time (unlikely) or learn Morse code.

--. --- --- -.. / -... -.-- . / ..-. --- .-. / -. --- .--

Beware Boar Crossing

So, pretty unspectacular Saturday.

Katie was supposed to go to a birthday party for one of her school friends but as we were getting ready I came across the invitation and found out that the party was from 9:00am - 11:00am instead of 11:00am - 1:00pm. As it was 9:30, no one was showered and the party was on the other side of town...Katie was a little disappointed but took it pretty well.

Plan B involved going to the park. Great idea until 10 minutes before we left it started to rain.

Plan C. F*@& it. Let's have lunch and then take a nap. Success!

In the afternoon we went to Culinaris, a specialty food store recommended by another expat and spent way too much to buy some Rice Krispies, Poptarts, Brownie Mix, wine, etc. We forgot the Marshmallow Fluff, so since I have go back I guess I'll get some Oreos as well ($5.00 for a lunch box size package).

On the way home we were able to find a store called Praktiker which is the Hungarian equivalent to Home Depot.

As we were driving home and nearing the turn off to our house I see what I think is a large dog cross the street in front of me. Then I realize it's not a dog.

Anna: "Is that a..?"
Me: "Yep. That's a boar."

A boar crossed the road in front of me. A Boar.

Now, in addition to fresh air and exercise, we have another reason to avoid the nature trails around our house.

A freakin' Boar.

Car Farts

OK, so sometimes the rental car makes a fart smell. It usually happens when I have to, like, rev the engine because I'm stopped on a hill and I want to get going without rolling backwards or stalling the car (I still usually stall out). I don't know if this is a diesel car thing but I'm guessing it is since both of the rental cars we have had did this and they were both diesels.

So this happens last week with just VJ and I in the car and the conversation went like this:
VJ: "Ewww! Stinky!" Covers nose with hands
Me: "Yes, the car is smelly."
VJ: "No Daddy. It's not the car, it's you."
Me: "No VJ. It's the car."
VJ: "No, it's you. It's your heinie."

The kid would not believe that the car had farted and not me. It's happened twice more and he always blames me.