I got invited to a cookout yesterday afternoon.

Our friednds down the street were having a BBQ and had invited some other mutual friends so the kids and I wandered over there around 3pm.

Before we went, Shea and I were folding some laundry, and we decided to le the kittens out to play for a but whilst we were going to be around to keep an eye on them.  Chester was very naughty and deided to attack the folded laundry, knocking it onto the floor and rolling all around in it:

Then she decided to go warm her tummy in the sun:

All the kittens have learned how to arch their backs, puff out their tails and hiss at each other, which is really quite hilarious considering their diminutive sizes...

Anyway, We had a game fest at the BBQ.  We had elk roast and meatballs, and duck and pheasant kebabs...I didn;t care much for the elk, but at it anyway. I really liked the duck and pheasant, both of which I'd had before but never on a kebab.  Then they guys broke out their game calls and spent the rest fof the evening intermittently pissing their wives off by imitiating the calls of both male and female duck, goose, elk deer and turkey.  I don't think they're much good at it; we weren't inundated with flocks of fowl or herds of elk and deer..(I know, they're not in season but just go with the joke and don't get all techincal on me, will ya?!).  So, after a few beers, some good food and even better conversation (I got some VERY juicy information about quite a few people in Dave's old squadron - more on that to follow) the kids and I trailed home about 9pm, with promises of a mass campout for them next week (a night out for me - yay!) and an evening drinking the weekend Dave comes home.  A very good time was had by all.

You know, Dave's old boss always had what I would describe as the 'perfect' life.  He had a daughter from a previous marriage, a new wife who was a teacher, one little girl with her and he now has another little girl on the way. They had the nice house, the nice cars, the saving account, the IRA's...the American Dream of perfection. However, his wife and his daughter don't do well together.  (We'll call her) Loni has some very unrealistic expectations of how a pre-teen should act.  Loni's a second grade teacher, and thats where her experience with children ends.  During her and (we'll call him) Hank's relationship she has always played the role of 'wicked stepmother'...and played it very well and very convincingly.  Hank's daughter is the politest, sweetest little girl you could ever meet, and Loni treats her like crap, making her do all the chores (I have first hand-experience of that behaviour), talking down to her, generally being just horrible....  here's an example:  at a softball game recently, Loni was there with her and Hank's daughter and Hank's stepdaughter.  Loni's pregnant with another little girl, and was talking with some of the women there about having yet another child after this next one is born.  Someone made the comment about them having yet another girl and that making four ...to which Loni replied, right in front of her step-daughter "No, that would only be three".  What a c#*t.  Sorry, I don't use the c-word very often, but I think I am thoroughly justified in doing so in this case.  So, anyway...Loni has given Hank an ultimatum: it's her or Hank's daughter.  Hank's response was:  "I'm choosing my children, all of them.".  He and his daughter are now sleeping on people's couches.  What good Loni thought she was going to do by making him choose like that...well, I simply don't know.  After all, she knew Hank and his daughter were a package deal when she married him......

So, that's how I spent my Saturday.  What did you do with yours?