The trouble with boys is...

...their toys. As in, most of them are round, dense, bouncy, flying projectiles meant to be hurled into nets of varying sizes.  

Because Mark loves sports, I don't get too emotionally attached to anything in the backyard. I have some lovely ceramic planters, and a few decorative blown glass pieces but I put them outside at my own risk. I realize there's a good chance any or all of them may be demolished at any moment by rogue soccer, basket and baseballs.

What I didn't realize was this little guy is also pretty fragile...

He's made of thick resin. I placed him behind a couple of protective bushes, set back by the wall. I thought he'd be safe out there.

He was...for all of three days. Yesterday, he got smacked up, and broke his cheek and nose. The worst part is, the basketball that did him in flew out of my hands, not Mark's. I couldn't even blame the kid for busting up Mickey. 

"I told you not to put him there," Mark admonished me. He's always very helpful in these situations.

"I can fix this," I said, turning Mickey over in my hands. "Help me find the pieces."

Well, the trouble with me is that I'm not handy. Or crafty. And apparently, I don't have good hand-eye coordination. 

I took a tube of super glue and applied it to the small flesh-colored part of Mickey's cheek. It immediately adhered to my finger instead. I pulled it off, stuck it on Mickey, and watched helplessly as it fell into Mickey's body. I gave Mickey a quick shake. The piece clacked inside Mickey once, and then silence. The super glue did its trick, gluing the piece to the inside of Mickey forever.

"Dang it," I said. I shook Mickey again--nothing. I fished around for the piece, but it was obviously stuck somewhere in Mickey's lower extremities.

I sighed, and started over with the ear-shaped piece of Mickey's cheek. I managed not to drop this one, but I did super glue it to my fingers. I pulled it (and a good chunk of flesh-colored paint) off, and shoved it onto Mickey's face. It stuck. (So did my fingertips--to each other.)

I also glued Mickey's nose back on with no trouble. 

He looks better...except now he has a gaping hole in his cheek. I'm just gonna pretend he's smiling really big. 

Now I just have to figure out a safe place to return him to in the garden...if there is such a place.