The City Mouse visits the Country Mouse

For as much as they love each other, it is amazing how different Ava and Leah have been since birth. Leah came out brave and wonderfully wild. She learned to walk barefoot on gravel. She still prefers to be barefoot ("My shoes make my feet sweat," she told me last night.) She has never had a fear in her life...except for the fear of missing out on something. The girl plays so hard and sleeps equally hard. Last night, after a full day of school and outside play, her mother moved her sleeping body from the couch to her bed. Leah was scooped up and moved with some effort (she is getting so big) and never even opened an eye. She was one of those kids who could sleep anywhere. She slept in an umbrella stroller if the time was right.

Above, Leah is holding her cat, Roots. He was her birthday present last year. He is an outside cat who can catch a bird or rodent without any effort. I think he may be color blind, though. Apparently he snagged himself a redbird (Cardinal) recently. Dang cat! He scratched Ava this morning, but will allow Leah to do anything. Yesterday I observed her holding the cat like a baby while she forced him to suck (chew) on a doll's bottle. I remember watching the crazy way he was carried around last summer...he was just a kitten, but somehow he knew that he belonged to Leah.

So we came to Tennessee for a few reasons. Mark had to work this weekend. Patrick has a ball game (whoa! what an athlete!). Mom was driving through on her way to Danielle's, and we had things that needed to be delivered to that mommy-to-be.

We got an extra day with mom because of some nasty weather in the midwest...hooray for us...sorry Danielle! But, she left this morning. Ava gave her a good smooch before she left.

Charlotte's has fallen in love with her tongue. It is the most delightful thing to watch. She can curl the end of it up in a funny little way. What a fun girl she is!