oh lydia, lydia.

Lydia is continuing to plan the service for her deceased caterpillars, Tickles and Joey.

She's planning this for 3:30 on the 19th of April, and has sent written and decorated invitations to the family, including her grown brothers and sisters and her grandparents.

She's been practicing Greensleeves on the keyboard, you know, which is good and all. Weird, but fine.

Now today while she was at my parents working on Valentine crafts at the kitchen table with my mother and Maria and Julia, she informed us of more plans.

"We're going to have cake and play games."

"Games?"

"Yeah, caterpillar games."

"Really? Like what?"

"We're going to see who can crawl on their belly the farthest." Okay, that got me, picturing my dad going across the floor on his belly. Or Heidi and Joe...Alicia and Dannell.... I mean, that's just... I nodded. I mentioned we might choke off on dog hair if we have to crawl around like that. She said we'd need to Swiffer ahead of time. Yup, definitely that.

"...And we're going to see who can eat the most lettuce." Oh, now that's an idea.

My mother's eyebrows went way up, and she glanced out the corner of her eye at me and said, "I like lettuce."


Oh Lydia Karina, Karinka-doodle, mine baby Schnoodle. How much I love you, crazy elf. love, Mom