Answer Me This: May 18

Before I start on today's Answer Me This, I'd like to share a couple of pictures from yesterday afternoon. Earlier in the day we went to a graduation party for Fidget's Godmother, who graduated from college. Then in the afternoon Sunshine was playing outside while Fidget napped, and was complaining about the heat (get used to it kiddo!) and asking to play on the Slip-n-Slide. Papa Bear had to cut part of the back yard first once he got home, then he helped her set it up to play while he finished mowing. After awhile, and once he was finished, she decided that it wasn't exciting enough, and decided to relocate it. After turning the water off, disconnecting the hose, moving the Slip-n-Slide, and reconnecting everything, she finally got to do this:

From the swingset slide down onto the slip-n-slide!

She was so proud of coming up with the idea and executing it all on her own! I put some cotton balls in Fidget's ears and let him go out too, and he did play on the slip-n-slide a little bit, but mostly he had fun pushing his cozy coupe and toy 4-wheeler through the muddy water that collected in the low spot of the yard.

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And now for this week's Answer Me This, linking up this week on Candles for Michaelmas!

1. What's the scariest thing that's ever been in your yard?

Snakes! As you can see from the above photo, our back yard backs up to a wooded area, some of which is still part of our property. Most of the things from the woods are innocent enough: a family of rabbits, an occasional pair of armadillos, and a possum once. But a couple of times the snakes have gotten brave; once while we were still building my parents came upon one in our kitchen, and when Sunshine was younger there was a snake on the back porch one late evening. Because it was dark, Papa Bear killed it before realizing it was a King Snake (non-venomous, and they help keep down pest populations), but in that case he had to act first then ask questions.

2. Beards. Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Not a big fan of a full beard, but I prefer when Papa Bear grows out a goatee. Sometimes for work he has to shave it down to just a mustache, and it just doesn't seem like him. A little on the chin definitely suits him.

3. If stuff breaks, can you fix it?

Quite often, yes, or I find someone who can. I hate how disposable our society has become. In my parents and grandparents' day, things were built to last. These days, you can often buy the latest and greatest for cheaper than you can repair your older model. Unfortunately, there's a lot of truth behind the saying "They don't make things like they used to!

4. What was your first car?

A 1994 Pontiac Bonneville. I inherited it from my mom when I moved back to Louisiana from 5 years living away at college. Because I attended a university in a major city with excellent public transportation, I never had a license the entire time I was in college. Unless I got an occasional ride with a friend, I pretty much walked or took the bus everywhere. I miss living that way; it certainly helped keep me fit!

5. How often do you eat out?

If you include pizza delivery or Papa Bear picking up takeout, maybe once a week? Actually in a restaurant is a lot less. We've been slacking a bit on the menu planning with so many appointments and Papa Bear working seven days a week right now, but with Fidget getting ready to start ABA therapy soon, we really need to tighten up the budget wherever we can. Since Papa Bear's company is headquartered in Florida, and they have laws mandating coverage for autism treatments, we know ABA will be covered with no limit on the number of visits, but I assume we'll be on the hook for copays? We have an appointment on Tuesday for an intake evaluation for an in-home ABA provider, so I assume I'll find out more then.

6. Why is your hair like that?

Because I'm not very adventurous with my hair and need a wash & wear style, so I really haven't changed my hairstyle in ages. Shoulder length with layers in the back, NO BANGS (I hated growing them out in middle school, so I haven't cut more in my hair or Sunshine's ever since), and often pulled back in a ponytail. Particularly at bedtime, I can't stand hair tangled around my neck. Sometimes I'll get a couple shades of highlights put over my natural base color, but I haven't done that in probably over a year. I might again soon though, my hair has definitely darkened as I aged, and I miss being able to call myself a blonde. I was always a dark blonde, now though I'm more of a light brown. I think this year, with everything we've dealt with so far, I need something a bit more fun for the summer!