"Woof" means "I wish the ground would swallow me up right now."

"Hey!" he shouted.

The second it was out of his mouth I knew what was coming. I froze. There was no way to stop it. My boy is an unstoppable force who has yet to meet his immovable object.

*************

It all started so innocently.

Joseph, Elle and I were in the garden picking beans. We saw that one of the neighbors who's backyard butts up against ours was building something shed-like in the corner of their yard.

"Maybe it's a tool shed." Joseph guessed.

"Maybe it's a mansion for Brutus." I suggested. Brutus is the neighbor's dog. He's about 6 inches tall.

As we headed inside the kids giggled at the idea of Brutus having his very own mansion. It quickly became The Funniest Joke Ever and I had to tell it over and over again. When they got tired of that I had to embellish the story.

What would they eat in the mansion? Pupperoni pizza. What would they call the mansion? The Puppy Party Palace. Would they have a butler? Yes, a penguin who knew how to work a pooper scooper.

Joseph seemed to start to think the dog mansion was real. "I wish I could go to the Puppy Party Palace but I'm allergic and I think they only let dogs in."

"Don't worry Joseph" I said. "I'll dress up as a dog and sneak in and let you know what it's like."

Later Joseph and I headed back out to the garden to do some weeding. Our neighbor and his friends were still hard at work on the shed. Joseph watched them work.

I was bent over a particularly weedy patch of carrots when out of the corner of my eye I saw Joseph wander over to the fence that encloses the neighbors yard.

"Hey!" he yelled.

And I froze. There was nothing else I could do.

"My mom wants to dress up like a dog and come over to play with you guys!"

I think I'm done working in my garden for the summer.

Two years ago today I went to the ER and then on bedrest.
Four years ago today Joseph was adorable.