Head Over Heels ...

I don't know what it is about my daughter Willa, but ever since we enrolled her in gymnastics this fall, she's been flipping an awful lot. She'll hang from the slats of the upper bunk bed and flip her feet through. She'll hold my hands and back-flip through our arms, hanging upside-down for as long as my arms can hold her before flipping through and landing on her feet.

And in the last few weeks it has been taking us much longer to walk to school than usual because she stops every house or two to do a somersault. One cold snowy morning this week, as I was returning home from dropping the kids off at school, I walked past our neighbors' long side yard. And there in the fresh snow was the evidence of Willa's earlier passing: 4 or 5 footprints and one full-body Willa print, 4 or 5 footprints and one full-body Willa print; 4 or 5 footprints and one full-body Willa print...

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Let Me Tell You a Story ...

Last week when I wrote about my youngest daughter Willa just beginning to learn to read, I mentioned my oldest daughter and her struggle to learn when she was in Kindergarten. Looking back at it, I suppose she didn't struggle much more than any other average 4- or 5-year old, but she also didn't "take off" the way most of her classmates did in the few years that followed.

In Grade 2, it was very difficult to get her to sit down to read to me, much less on her own. She hated the books her teacher sent home and the ones she chose from the library proved too difficult. It was discouraging for both of us. Then Grade 3 brought her an understanding teacher who introduced Neva to a collection of books the teacher thought would be good for her. The night Neva brought the first of the series home she was anxious, having taken a good three weeks to complete the last book she had read. But she went far beyond any of our expectations when she read the entire book in a two-hour sitting! She has since been devouring the rest of the series and has branched out into different authors and longer, more involved stories.

Although I love to read now, I wasn't an avid reader when I was young, other than during the summer months. (This has always surprised me since my parents and my older sisters were never without a novel on the nightstand!) So to see Neva beg to read "just one more chapter" before bed has me thrilled. It helps to remind me that, at her own pace, Willa too will become a good reader.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

M is for ...

The kindergarten teacher at our school has a special reading program for her students. Each Tuesday, a book bag is sent home with an easy reader, a story book and a duotang that holds poems they are learning in school. Our youngest daughter, Willa, who began Junior Kindergarten this fall, has seen her sister and brother bring these special books home all her life. So she was thrilled the day she brought home her first book bag.

Now, Willa wasn't old enough to remember Neva struggling to learn to read. But she has been aware of Milo's intuitive ability to read, sound out and spell. Naturally, she believed that being in possession of the revered book bag would magically turn her into a proficient reader. Thankfully she doesn't get frustrated with the reality of it all. But she will quickly cover my mouth if I'm helping her with something she remembers from the last time we read.

Still, she has begun the exciting journey through letter sounds and words, particularly the initial consonant sounds: "Duh-duh-duh...Daddy". In fact, the other day we were looking at things on my desk and, thinking of marker, I asked, "What begins with M?"

"Muh-muh-muh ... muh-muh-muh ... PENCIL!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Fair Trade?

The kids had a great time trick-or-treating last Friday. Part of what made it extra special was going out with their friends. It was fun for me too, because as I was left to organize the get together of the neighbourhood kids and parents, I volunteered all the dads to walk with the kids and invited the moms to have a glass of wine with me! Good times aside, at the end of the day, as always, I was overwhelmed by the indulgence and waste of Halloween candy. My three kids brought home 16 pounds (more than 7kg) of candy! (There's the indulgence.) Who can eat that much sugar?! (Well, the Halloweens I was pregnant with Milo and Willa, I took one for the team and plowed through all the chocolate bars. The things we sacrifice for the betterment of our children.)

So, first off Bob and I remove all contraband: hard candies, lollipops, toffees that get stuck in their teeth and things that are just gross to look at. That all goes in the garbage (there's the waste), but there still remains a copious amount. So a few years ago we adopted a deal our friend makes with her kids. I ask them to get rid of (ie. give to me) half of their loot in exchange for a small toy. In the past, it was like pulling teeth to get them to do it -- perhaps the same teeth that would have been pulled after eating it all? But this year I was really impressed with their will power. Neva, our oldest and usually the hardest sell, was particularly keen.

It had finally occurred to her that, "I got all this for free, but you had to buy the toy!"

Ah-ha! Very astute observation, I agreed.

So, just how long do you think I still have until she realises that the $3 toy I got at a half price sale is worth only a third of the value of the candy she just traded in?

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

In the Eye of the "Snow-holder" ...

We had our first snowfall overnight and it was a doozy. I awoke at 3:30am when the power went out. There was thunder and lightning, wind and a blanket of heavy, wet snow. Four hours later, when the kids woke up, we went out to survey the damage.

Six inches (15 cm) of slush covered the autumn-coloured leaves still hanging on the trees; large branches lay all along the street and the sidewalks, and several power lines had been downed. The pear tree we planted just after Neva was born was almost completely destroyed, as was the old magnolia tree in our neighbour's front yard.

But as Bob and I looked at the morning with our grown up eyes, seeing only damage and clean up and messy driving conditions, the kids had an entirely different outlook. All three put on their coats and boots over top of their pyjamas and ran outside. What they saw meant snow forts and snowmen, tobogganing and snow angels. And it was beautiful.

Later today, after I've recovered from the shock of winter's early arrival, I think I will go out and have a snowball fight!

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Running With Scissors ...

There is a lot of very sage, motherly advice that gets passed from generation to generation: don't talk with food in your mouth, never talk to strangers, always wear clean underwear. I'd like to focus on an oldie but a goodie: don't run with scissors.

I'm not sure that my 6-year-old son actually runs with scissors -- certainly I've never witnessed it. But there are plenty of other things that can go wrong with a pair of blunt-ended safety scissors. Like cutting your perfect spelling test into tiny pieces. ("I want Granny to pick a word and ask me to spell it!") Or cutting your bangs to the scalp when the teacher's not looking. ("Owen did it too!") And then there's snipping "vents" into your shorts. ("It was an accident!" he claimed. An accident? All thirteen times?!)

Milo always talks with food in his mouth, not only talks to passers-by but tells them all our names and ages as well, and as long as he's wearing underwear at all we're good. But I think I'd just rather he not have the scissors at all, thank you very much.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

What a Turkey …

Editor's Note: Because Canada is north of the United States, its harvest comes earlier in the year. As such, Thanksgiving in Canada is the second Monday in October.

This past weekend, Bob and I sent the kids to my mother's cottage to spend Thanksgiving there while we got away for a much needed break. Although we've each had overnights away from the kids, it was the first time we'd been away together without them. And as I suspected, they were so well occupied by all their aunts, uncles and cousins, they really didn't miss us much at all!

On the drive back home, we caught up on their weekend, which they praised as they best time of their lives. They went on a long hike, they played cards, they went fishing, they stayed up really late. And they had Thanksgiving dinner.

"And Mommy," Neva told me, "Milo ate almost everything on his plate!"

I had my doubts, knowing my veg-a-phobic son who also refuses pork and poultry. Time to dig a little deeper. "So, what exactly was on your plate?"

"The teenagers served him," Neva continued to speak for Milo. They had given him turkey, potatoes, carrots, gravy and a piece of bread. I was incredulous! Maybe we should have sent him away on his own years ago.

"And you ate everything?!"

"He ate almost everything on his plate!" Neva was excited for him.

"So Milo, you ate turkey?"

"No," came the reply, in an excited tone that was almost begging me to go on.

"Did you eat potatoes?"

"No."

"What about the carrots?"

"No, but the gravy was awesome!!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Parenting Paradox …

I find myself struggling with something I never thought would be an issue. The thing I want most for my children is self-confidence. We are always giving our children positive attention for jobs well done, from the first smile to the first step, the first stick figure to the first bike ride without training wheels. They are rewarded with smiles, hugs, encouraging words and, yes, sometimes even chocolate!

So why is it that my 9-year-old can complete a near-perfect math test but the next day be frazzled by the very same homework? Why is it that she doesn't believe she is capable? Have I not praised her enough? Have I praised her so much that she is unable to trust her abilities without encouragement? Perhaps I have not taught her to look within and see it for herself.

It's a frustrating paradox that something so positive can backfire and become a negative; that some children must always seek the approving nod of their peers or parents before believing in themselves.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

One of those ...

If your'e like me and approaching 40, you will understand what I mean by having a "senior moment". It's when you start the coffee pot without adding the coffee; or forget where you left your glasses only to discover, after searching for an hour, that they've been on your face the whole time.

Well, similar to the "senior moment" is a phenomenon I like to call "pre-schooler moments", although it can happen to any child up to about age 10. These are purely innocent distortions of a lesson learned or a comment heard. Like when Neva, now in Grade 4, mentions the United States of Ontario. Or how Milo thinks everyone is as knowledgeable about NASCAR as he is and offers to "bump draft" the 2-year-old at the top of the slide to get him moving.

Or, like today, when Willa asked, "Mommy, how do you spell TV?"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Will You Be My Friend?

Everyone was bothering me to have a friend over to visit. It started, as always, with my oldest, Neva. "Mommy, can I have a friend over?"

Before I even had a chance to answer, both Milo and Willa were at me, "I want to have a friend over too!"

I had to think fast -- I surely didn't want three extra children in my house?!

"What if I want a friend over?" I asked.

Willa told me flatly, "You don't have any."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Fearless ...

This is a big year for us at school. Neva has begun Grade 4, and is no longer in Primary but Junior, something of which she is most proud. Milo is in Grade 1 and attending full days for the first time. And our baby, Willa, started Junior Kindergarten yesterday. What an exciting first day of school we had!

I was completing Willa's student information sheet yesterday. It was mostly standard stuff: how many letters does she know? Can she print her own name? How high can she count? The only one that stumped me momentarily was about fears and dislikes. I don't think she's afraid of anything. We're talking about the little girl who climbs over the railing of the front porch and jumps over the garden into the grass. The little girl who kept wanting to go faster when she went tubing behind the big boat at the cottage -- even when the wake sent her bouncing from her knees onto her tummy. This is the little girl who climbs on top of the monkey bars. And fell off the trapeze bar, giving herself a nasty nose bleed, only to get right back on the next day.

So I asked her, "Willa, is there anything your teacher should know about that you don't like or are afraid of?"

She shook her head and shrugged unconcerned, "No, just monsters."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Constructive Criticism ...

There was a Seniors' Home in our neighbourhood that was torn down last year to make way for a new seniors-only residential building. Since then, the lot has been vacant through months and months of delays in construction. We drove by the other day and noticed the excavators and dump trucks on site.

"Well," Bob commented, "they've dug a hole."

"Oh dear," came Willa's concern from the back seat. "It's gonna take hours to cover that up."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Beatle Mania ...

Our taste in music is quite varied and Bob and I have been very lucky to have three children that prefer to listen to "our" music than, say, The Wiggles or Barney. In fact, we only own two or three kids music CDs and probably haven't listened to them since Milo was a baby.

Bob is always educating the kids on important musical figures from today and yesterday and was more than a bit excited when he heard that Paul McCartney would be giving a free concert in Quebec City for the city's 400th anniversary. (It must be mentioned that he was also heart-broken when he finally realized that driving more than 10 hours to a free concert, for which you'd need to line up 48 hours in advance -- no matter how once-in-a-life-time the experience -- is not an option with 3 children in tow.) As he was excitedly bouncing around the apartment, he asked the kids if they knew who McCartney was and how significant his influence on music was.

Neva jumped in: "I do! I do! And I’ll prove it!" She ran to get our DVD copy of his 2003 performance in Moscow, Paul McCartney Live in Red Square.

"He was in a band called The Beatles. And two of them died. And now he’s in a band called Red Squares."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Shave and a Haircut ...

As seems to be the norm since school let out 3 weeks ago, I was late getting the kids into bed and I went to check on Milo in the bathroom. The child I had sent to brush his teeth had decided, instead, to shave. He had his "Cars: The Movie" shaving cream all over his cheeks and nose. (This is when, instead of giving him grief about not doing as he was told, I ran to get the camera.) When he had a sufficient amount, he rinsed his hands, picked up his plastic "razor", climbed up on the bench so he could see in the mirror, and began.

He started between his eyebrows and shaved right down over his nose. Next the cheeks, shaving up, down and sideways -- whichever way he could successfully remove the foam. And since shaving his cheeks left foam on his eyelashes, he shaved his eyes. Both of them. Twice. Finally, the upper lip, down over his mouth, chin and throat to finish off.

Once he rinsed his face, splashing water all over the bathroom, he dried his face and put on "man cream", the fresh-smelling aftershave his Dad uses. "How do I smell, Mom?" he asked proudly, letting me nuzzle up against his still-baby-soft skin.

And, thus, we have reached yet another milestone in the life of Milo, the six-year-old. One I didn't realize would have as much an effect on me as I figured it would on Bob. I just hope, as the years go on and he's using real blades in his razor, he'll still ask me every once in a while, "How do I smell, Mom?"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Climbing the Walls ...

Our kids are climbers. They climb trees and playground equipment, of course, but they also seem to think the house is a jungle gym. They climb on the back of the couches, on the radiators, and, oddly enough, up the doors. (I still don't know how they discovered that one!) In particular, they like to climb on the chest freezer in the laundry room and jump to the door from there. The frustration has both Bob and me climbing the walls!

The other night, I looked out the kitchen window to see Neva and Willa on the back fire escape. They know they are not allowed up there, since it is simply unsafe for children. So I tapped on the window and in my sternest "Mommy" voice, called, "Get! Down!"

After a short silence, a stunned Milo said from the laundry room, "How did you know I was up here?"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Happy Birthday To Poo

Milo and I celebrated our birthdays last week -- Milo turned 6 and I ... well, I had a birthday last week. Although it was a risky situation, Bob took 4-year-old Willa with him when buying me a gift. In order to keep it secret, he suggested she "throw me off" by telling me they bought "sheep poo", since manure is a much-purchased item for our garden in the spring.

Both Milo and Willa thought this most funny and tried to come up with even more clever white lies to keep the secret going. While Milo continued along the "poo" theme, Willa showed her great sense of humour and comedic timing when she told me:

"We got you a bucket o' fish!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Willa of the Valley

Willa and Neva, my 4- and 8-year-old daughters, appeared with a beautiful bouquet of Lily of the Valley last night. But an argument over who picked what and how many belonged to whom sent Willa off down the sidewalk upset.

"I'm going to pick my own!" she huffed.

"Wait a minute!" I called after her. "Are you picking them at the neighbours house?"

She nodded yes, while Neva was suspiciously silent.

"You can't pick those, honey, they're not ours."

Still in a snit, with the attitude and tone to match, Willa retorted, "Nobody was lookin'!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Michael Murphy

Guest Writer and Heck of a Nice Guy

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

The kids and I have been playing baseball outside after supper the last few evenings. Each has their own style of play and their own mini ritual before swinging the bat.

Neva, who is 8 1/2, taps the bat several times on the sidewalk before swinging wildly at the ball. If she hits the ball, the bat goes flying and she races around the make shift bases in the yard, passing anyone who might be ahead of her.

Almost-6-year-old Milo, likely copying his sister, crouches right down to the bang the bat, stands up to get ready, yells, "Wait!" while he wiggles his lose tooth, then assumes the proper batting stance. If he makes contact, he carefully places the bat on the ground before rounding the bases.

And then there's Willa. First she wrings her little 4-year-old hands around the bat to "strangle" it. (Neither Bob nor I can figure out where she got this expression, unless she heard somewhere about "choking" the bat.) Then she squints her eyes to keep them on the ball and swings. Before I've even thrown the ball! However, since she spins a full 360 degree circle, bat still poised, she usually hits the ball on the follow-through.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Spring Cleaning?

As I sit at my desk at one end of our two-bedroom apartment, I can see straight through to the other end. And between me and the windows at the far end lies what seems to be every toy my children own. My office has Hot Wheels, dolls and bicycle helmets, the laundry room is currently home to Willa's collection of "stuff", and the dining room floor is a mess of markers, coloring books and the entire contents of another laundry basket of toys that we filled during our bi-weekly "panic tidy" just before the cleaning lady arrives. Don't even get me started on the kids' bedroom!

We are constantly after them about dropping and leaving things on the floor, not putting things away, taking care of their toys. We have bins for each child's different toys, larger hampers for collections of blocks and Lego to make it easier. And yet, it would seem "neat and tidy" are words foreign to them. Or are they?

As I picked my way through the debris, I discovered the coffee table in the living room. All three kids were playing with the little, bobble-headed pets they've collected. I found them lined up neatly around the perimeter of the table, organized by species and color.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Spring is in the Air ...

Although the first day of spring was almost a month ago, we're finally getting our first spring days. And the kids are loving every second of it. The first day we topped 50°F, heavy snow boots and winter coats were quickly eschewed in favor of more seasonal wear. Willa, who was thrilled to finally to be able to wear the new shoes she received for her 4th birthday, was out in a flash. Neva and Milo, who seemed to have grown out of their outdoor shoes over the winter, dug out sandals. Sandals that were also quickly abandoned to run barefoot through the still winter-brown grass.

Before I let them in for supper, I brought out a bucket of warm water and old towels for them to wash their dirty feet. After Neva and Milo made the water almost black, Willa came up the steps and began taking off her shoes and socks to clean her feet.

"Wait!," I warned, "Your feet are already clean."

She ran down off the porch, around the yard and into the sandbox.

"Where are you going?" I called after her.

"I'm going to get my feet dirty!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Spell Check

My 8-year-old's spelling has really needed quite a bit of attention this year. So when I was quizzing Neva on her dictation the other night and she spelled everything correctly, including the 6 bonus words, I was really impressed and happy for her.

Today I found that paper with her correctly spelled words. Clearly proud of her accomplishment, she had printed "exelinte!" underneath.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Ladybug, Ladybuy, Fly Away Home ...

They spent a good portion of a cold, spring afternoon looking under rocks and behind lifeless plants. Their mission: to find hibernating ladybugs. Bob needed some for his seedlings that had attracted a few aphids and Milo was along for the adventure.

Bob spent the time explaining the different kinds of ladybugs, why they are good for plants and flowers, how they eat only the bugs and not the plants, and how he learned that the multicolored Asian ladybugs do indeed bite, although not very hard, but the South American varieties don't.

After a few hours, they had found only one South American ladybug but Bob was thrilled to have it and carefully set it under the grow lights with his transplants, checking every once in a while to make sure it was still there.

Milo was the first one awake the next morning and was playing in the dining room. Soon afterwards, our sleep was disturbed as Milo, having quietly sneaked into our room, whispered, "Daddy, I had to kill your ladybug. It was on the floor and I didn't want it to bite me."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

I "Thought" So

"Mommy," came the daily inquiry, "can I go visit Big Dave?"

4-year-old Willa is smitten with our neighbour (and landlord) Dave. Thankfully, Dave is just as thrilled by her visits as she is! They have popcorn parties -- inside when the weather is poor and outside as soon as the spring sun warms the side porch -- and cuddle in his big chair to watch her favourite TV programs. This day, however, I knew was not a good day for Dave.

"I'm sorry, Willa, but you can't go today. Remember, Dave has a bad cold."

"Oh, ya. I bemember, 'cuz I had it in my head."

"You did?"

"Ya, Big Dave gived it to me."

"He gave you the cold?" I inquired, not recalling any sniffles or coughing of late in our house.

"No, the think. He told me he was sick and he put the think right in my head."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Lost for Words ...

How do you respond when your 5-year-old says:

"Mommy, can I have some cents? 'Cause I don't have any cents."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Baby Shopping?

My 4-year-old daughter Willa and her little friend were playing house. They had all the food and toy dishes set up and Julia found the baby stroller.

"We need a baby," she decided.

"Oh," said Willa, mournfully. "My baby died and I forgot to go to the store."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Happy Valentine's Day ...

While people are always quick to point out the similarities of my three children, I find it more interesting to note their differences. Let's take the production of Valentine's Day cards, for instance.

The other night, I was elbow-deep in construction paper cut-outs of hearts. I cut while the kids pasted and decorated. All three seemed equally keen right out of the gate.

Neva set up on the piano bench and painstakingly applied stickers and stamps around the perimeters, making her choices based on each friend's personality and talents. It took several hours (including the next morning) to make the cards for just the girls in her class.

Milo began writing his name on his hearts, but tired quickly when he learned I had no "Transformer" stickers for the boys in his class. His pile of hearts is still sitting untouched on my desk, two days later. This afternoon, however, the purchase of pre-fab Spiderman valentine cards has renewed his enthusiasm. He's currently printing at Mach speed!

Willa, on the other hand, took all the construction paper out of the craft box, grabbed a glue stick and began gluing. And gluing and gluing and gluing! She was going through paper hearts faster than I could cut them. Each valentine she made -- and there were more than a dozen for all her friends at daycare -- was a full-sized sheet with hearts, scraps of paper and stickers. Each one entirely different from the next, they were more than cards: they were works of art!

If only the recipients understood the care (or not) that went into each card.

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Tele-Education ...

There is so much controversy these days surrounding the issue of children and television. They watch too much. It contributes to obesity. There is too much violence. It numbs the brain with fast-paced, over-stimulating drivel.

While those points may be true -- proven facts, even -- you cannot dismiss the benefits of some of the programming out there. One of the favorites with pre-schoolers today is Go, Diego! Go!, about an adventurous Latino boy (the cousin of another favorite, Dora the Explorer) who is an animal rescuer. Not only do they learn about animals from all over the world, they also pick up a little Spanish along the way.

I was surprised, however, at just how much my almost-4-year-old was remembering about the animals. Willa and I were playing with her Diego toys this afternoon and she asked me for the monkey. There were two: one yellow, one brown. So I handed her the monkey closest to me.

"No, not the spider monkey," she corrected me. "I want the baby howler monkey."

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Fashion Senseless ...

My 8-year-old daughter seems to have taken issue lately with my lack of style. Granted, I own only 2 pairs of pants and haven't shopped for myself (in earnest) in over 2 years. However, I'm not sure her sleeveless, navy sundress paired with pink striped knee socks would pass muster on the catwalk either!

The other morning was particularly cold so I pulled a sweater over my long-johns, tucking in the undershirt. Later in the day, the undershirt came untucked and it hung longer than my sweater. Neva took a look at my dishevelled attire and said:

"Finally! You're wearing something fashionable!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

When Grown-Ups Grow Up ...

While I was tucking them in to bed, Milo and Willa were discussing the future: what they want to be when they grow up (a dad and a mom, respectively), who they want to marry (they have two friends from the babysitter's all picked out). Then the converstion turned to Bob and me when Willa asked, "What's Daddy gonna be when he grows up?"

Instantly, Milo answered, "Dead!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com

Self-Discipline?

Willa came into the kitchen pulling a plastic toy behind her on string. Every once and while, she would give it a yank, flinging it out to the side and hitting something in its path.

"Please be careful with that, Willa, " I warned. "I don't want you to flick my feet or break something."

"It's my dog," she explained. "He keeps jumpin' up. He jumps up for food, for hugs, for playin' ... for everything."

"Hmmm, it sounds like he needs some discipline."

"Ya," she agreed. "And I don't have any!"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com