No future in this crystal ball!

HOT! HOT! HOT!

In fact it was record breaking hot for Memorial Weekend in the Chicago area. We sure didn't mind. All the cousins kept cool with water (again except for Sunshine...she's scared of it).

The plans to go to the "club" and see family and friends (and swim) did not happen as planned.... How does that always seem to happen? We ended up with 3 sleeping: two little girls and one big uncle (who had to work an earling morning shift).

But most of all we had termoil to fix. Diaster to control. Mishaps to manage. Order to regain. Destruction to repair.

In a pretend game of movie theater, a once intact beautiful irrodescent clear gazing ball turning into my nightmere! Dante's creativity of Chicago Bear hats and german beer steins somehow targeted the gazing ball(s) as the enemy! BIG beer stein wins over thin glass ball...battle over...WAR BEGUN!

Of course Dante knew immediately that life as he knew it would soon change. He didn't tell any grown ups and instead picked up all the peices (weapons of destruction) and put them in his Brave's hat.

I remained calm! I did not yell! I did not feak out! I wanted to. After sitting and thinking, I called a garden center in town, and YES they have a irrodescent gazing ball! I am teaching the children a lesson. When accidents happen you must fix it for all parties...Considering I loved my son and wanted to keep him, I was all for "fixing" the ball! Starla's idea to superglue it was not going to cover it! (Even though it was cute at the time).

I left my kids with Aunt Sarah (how nice would this be to live close by her all the time!) and went in search for the ball. Rick's Garden center...VERY nice! I am getting into flowers and landscaping more and more. This place would encourage this.

Problem: no CLEAR irrodescent ball, it is a white irrodescent ball. With no other places open on Sunday Memorial Weekend at 4:30...I look at my choice of 50 balls (all sizes and shapes). Finally pick a solar powered color changing ball (with some encouragement by the staff at Rick's (they are good!). I get back with in 20 minutes and check out the stand for the ball.

Problem: not hollow, and no place for the wire to run on the solar ball. We stick with the color changing ball because it is so cool and Papa Doug...can fix everything (except the clear irrodescent gazing ball). Again, Starla cracks me up with.."I hope Grandma Sandy doesn't notice!"

The moment arrives...They come home. Dante wants to run. I deep down agree with him and think, RUN CHILD, RUN!!!! I get to tell the story. (I am also guilty because I let them even be back where the precious goods are) I feel like I am on the chopping block. Did I just studder. I am 17, my car has been taken by friends and crashed and then left...memories of bad times in this position hit and I am so glad I am the MOM now. Why then am I shaking? Sandy...surprisingly very cool calm and okay. She has always loved Dante! Papa Doug still has the mean face and I am now really scared. I only had been threatened with the possibility of her attack. The story of how the ball came to be was told and now I wanted to RUN! Now I remember...his mom, my grandma Al, gave Sandy, my mom, his wife, this once beautiful clear irrodescent gazing ball on a very heavy solid stand adorned with a cherib or angle (not sure which) to replace one broken by hail (natural disaster much better excuse then beer stein). Of course, it was special. What is done is done...but wait.....

Doug ends with, we got one today anyway. I am thinking there is no way! They were at an Indy 500 party. A gazing ball as a door prize? Today of all days. God is good! He runs to the car and retrieves a smaller purple ball on a tree (with face) stand. A friend bought it for a dollar at a garage sale, and knew how much these balls meant to her. Purple being her favorite too! This story might have ended with a flee to the ONE house had Dante broke the purple ball (which is still alive and well, right next to where the clear irrodescent ball once stood)! But, all in all, it was only a ball! (couldn't resist)