Man-boy tries to change his name.

Man-boy learned how to use the chainsaw today in an attempt to shorten his name to Man. Here he is making the first cut:

Cutting the notch (this is how you get the tree to fall where you want it—you cut a notch that faces where you want the tree to fall. Then you cut into it from the back and it leans toward the notch.):

Tree falling (note Man-boy is not in the picture. That's because he's smart and got outta Dodge before it fell.):

Cutting trees is a rite of passage for the boys in our family—a bar mitzvah of sorts. I remember when Mike learned to use a chainsaw. We had bought the house on the hill in Tennessee and had to cut about 20 trees to get electricity up to it. Our long driveway looked like a giant game of pick-up sticks, and we have a picture of Mike standing in front of all those fallen trees with his saw. If I were any kind of organized, I would be able to find that picture in 30 seconds, scan it, and put it up here. But your expectations are much loftier than my reality. That picture is nowhere to be found.

So that's what the boys did today while we girls were enjoying a shopping expedition in  honor of Abbie's 20th birthday. Yes, I'm now the mother of FOUR children in their 20s. I'm left with ONE teenager, and it appears that's not going to last much longer either.

At this point, Ben will offer to undo our permanent solution to overpopulation, and I will counteroffer with a cute little non-shedding dog like this:

At least my option sleeps through the night and never brings home tuition bills.

Be thankful ~

Karen