Daily reminders

So now that Kale is graduated from preschool; we have decided to keep all the boys home this summer rather than leaving Barett in preschool/daycare for the summer. Have no fear those of you who fear for my sleep the days I work, I have reprieve on Mondays and Fridays from the grandmas...God Bless them! Yesterday was my first full day with all three and I have to say it went smooth. Zoo in the morning, naps, projects(gotta have them) and then outside. It was the outside part that provided the most entertainment. The boys favorite past time is to flood the sandbox, much to the dismay of their father. Yesterday was especially entertaining as Kale went to go fill his bucket with water and found that the ground squirrel that makes his home in our down spout had other plans(scaring the @&$* out of Kale). Well in the mayhem the poor chipmunk fell in our window well along with the four resident toads...right away the boys smelled adventure...what I smelled was not so clear at first, a waft of trouble?...trip to the ER for rabies shots and a broken limb?...or was it pure side aching laughter to come?  They decided it best to get out the squirt guns and "bathe" the toads since they were "getting dry"...that was mission #1-harmless. What happened next is a blur as it has taken me this long to organize what I witnessed from the sliding glass door...

The little neighbor girl, and unassuming accomplice to all things  involving Sykora Boy adventure, Mallory, came over to see if she could play. Kale and Barett right away had to show her their "capture". Kale informed her that he was going to head a rescue mission for the chipmunk and she and Barett would be in charge of the toads...oh here we go....Mallory off to her garage to retrieve her fishing pole, Barett to ours to find his "baby pole"(ie his fishing pole with no reel) and Kale rummaging for "something to grab em".  All returned, Mal with her fishing pole, Barett with his, and Kale with a net(not too shabby). Mallory inquired which chipmunk had fallen in, Alvin, Simon or Theodore? Kale without skipping a beat told her that it was their cousin the spotted African Chipmunk...WHAT!?!? This made me giggle, where does he come up with this...onward...more of a jumble....there was a bucket brigade to help the toads swim to the top-BUST...laying the poles at an angle in the hole for all the creatures to climb up-BUST

....somewhere in here Dave came home and muttered something about  the car...I was glued to the window with Laeth watching little minds explore and problem solve...then it happened, I looked away for a moment to be attentive to Dave's rant...next thing I know Mallory is screaming like only little girls can, Barett is swinging his pole like a baseball bat (nice cut I might add) at the net that Kale is wildly swinging in a helicopter type motion..."Oh no way" I thought....OH YES! Dave to the rescue! Mind you this all happened in mere seconds but it was like slow motion to me...Kale has caught the chipmunk in the net and now it was stuck, Barett wanted to hit it out of the net, Kale just wanted it out, Mallory was OUT and the poor chipmunk may have suffered permanent brain damage from all the violent movements! Dave took the net from Kale and walked  ran the net complete with chipmunk, fishing pole, 3 little masterminds and a curious and hyperactive dog across the street to the open field to liberate the prisoner...according to Dave it took a moment, but happy to be alive, the African Spotted Chipmunk ran for his life...presumably never to return to the crazy house! I have not laughed so hard and so long in I cannot remember...reminding me...in a house of all boys this is only the start....