And yet, I remain unmoved.

We still have baby monitors in the kids' rooms, because the living areas of the house are far enough away that we can't always hear them calling out at night, especially if we have people over. Which we often do. So after we put Ava and Nate to bed at night, we switch on the monitor and often enjoy hearing the monologues they have with themselves. Nate, especially. He is quite entertaining.

Lately, it's his prayers that are getting us. We pray for the kids at bedtime and Nate has started praying outloud after we leave his room. It's so funny though--he is having a total conversation. He talks to God and then pauses to listen, then talks some more, then pauses and responds.

A couple of weeks ago, right after we got back from our trip, we switched on the monitor and heard Nate say in a tearful voice, "God? Can I have a puppy?" (Pause.) "God, I'd weally, weally like a puppy. Can I have one--please?" There was another pause then he said, "Thank you."

My eyebrows shot up as I looked at Jason. "Did the Lord just tell him he could have a puppy?" Cause I don't really want a puppy, y'all. To be quite honest, there is enough poop around here that I am charged with cleaning up and I'm really not interested in adding more to that, um, load. Can we start with a goldfish?

But if the Lord has indeed spoken, He ain't said anything to me yet. I don't want to be like Pharoah, so hardened that God sent plague after plague until he relented and let the Israelites go. But I figure if God told Nate he could have a puppy that He'll let me in on that fact as well.

Wait a minute. Plagues. Do you think this is why we've had our rodent problem of late? Is the Lord sending plagues to deal with my disobedience? Holy Moses!

Nate never said anything to us about his conversation with God. So let's hope that he's moved on to something else. In the meantime, unless a few thousand locusts come knocking on the door, I don't think we're getting a puppy anytime soon.

And now an update that you will not stinking believe: I promise you, just now, not five minutes after I hit "Publish Post", I got up and went to the pantry to get something out. And, ewwwww, I saw a blur of fur and a tail and y'all there was a freaking rat in my pantry. In my pantry in my pantry in my pantry. Of course, of course, Jason is out at a meeting tonight. I screamed and ran into the living room and jumped up and down. I just called Jason and he is on his way home and I promise you I am shaking. I know that's ridiculous. But there it is. I've closed off the kitchen and I don't think i will go in there again until all the rodents in Australia are dead. This is not funny anymore.