Halloween Fun!

I haven't enjoyed Halloween since college. I turned into a bah-hum-bug and always turned off my lights so no one would trick or treat at my house. BUT, having the cutest toddler in the world has changed my perspective. This has been such a fun weekend and would've only been made better if Rob had been here to enjoy it with us. He actually was in town Thursday for Preston's Harvest Fair at school. It was cute because P only wanted to go to the food stations. He started at the cupcake station and when asked if he wanted frosting or sprinkles on his cupcake his only response was to grab the cupcake and stuff it in his mouth. Then he ventured to the "body" station where you got to eat brains (Jello) or fingers (hot dogs) or dried skin (dried apples). He kept asking his teacher for more "brains". Since she has a soft spot for him she gave him more than she was probably allowed. :) Then on Friday we decorated pumpkins. Today we made a day out of it. After we attempted to go to church we went to a Halloween party. Several of P's little buddies were there and he had a BLAST playing with them. 99% of the toddlers were dressed in costume so I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different ones. P and a little girl were both cows so they played together a lot. P came home and took a VERY short nap before we headed into town for the Halloween parade. Kids to adults were dressed up and paraded down the main street of town. I found out at the end it was a costume contest and if it was based on the cuteness factor I have no doubt P would've won. He got so many compliments and one lady even called us into her shop to give him her last treat. She said he was the cutest she had seen all day. Since P was exhausted and had very little food in his system he was running on pure adrenaline by the end. I told our neighbors that we had tagged along with that we were going to call it a night. By the time we got home he was having meltdowns left and right. But, we had so much fun and really got the most out of his $14 Walmart costume. I'm already looking forward to next year when we can do it all again!!

AA

I'm really not a fan of arm air in the least! That is when you breathe out of your nose and the air from your nostrils hits your arm. There are few things worse than the cold steady stream of air hitting the same place on your arm over and over again. In fact, I like sleeping in tank tops but when I do I always make sure I have a sheet over the crook of my arm as the bare minimum protection, even during the Summer. If Rob and I are cuddling and my arm is across his chest I make sure it's far enough from his nose that I don't feel the arm air when he falls asleep. That being said, I'm also not a fan of screaming toddlers at 2am, especially when said toddler was also screaming at midnight. So, a little after 2, I brought him to our bed in hopes of getting some sleep. I was okay with his messy diaper in my face. I was even okay when he started pushing his little feet into my ribcage. However, I drew the line when he crawled up on my pillow and started breathing through his nose. My arm was right under his face and the arm air was driving me crazy! I tried to tolerate it for as long as possible but when it became too much I put him back in his crib, much to his dismay. Then I came back to bed, pulled the covers over my arms and finally got some shut-eye.

Bird Feeders

While making breakfast this morning- my first attempt at french toast- I noticed that we had some older hamburger buns that I needed to toss. Instead of getting rid of them I thought it'd be fun to take P to the lake to feed the ducks. I've seen people there, enjoying a peaceful time while feeding a handful of ducks. When we got there I specifically looked for an area that only had ducks. Let me digress for a minute..... You see, I remember being chased by geese when I was a young girl. They honked at me, flapped their big wings and tried to peck at me. To this day birds scare me. I don't like pet birds that sit on your finger or wild birds that can swoop down on you in a surprise attack. Back to my story...So, once I found a small flock of ducks we got out and pulled out the bag of bread. Whoah!! Out of nowhere HUNDREDS of birds swarmed us, including geese!! P had a death grip on my leg and was not enjoying the birds invading our space. I started throwing the bread as fast and as far from us as I could. I specifically gave the geese as much as I could to keep the peace. When I got to the last bun I thought, "OK, I'll throw the last piece as far as I can, pick up P and make a run for the car." But I didn't need to worry.

After the last piece was gone the birds just turned away and went about their business. P released his death grip and then started chasing the birds. He was having so much fun chasing after them and watching them take flight. Once there were only a few birds left he decided the fun was over and he'd rather play at the park. It wasn't a peaceful feeding but it was fun and that's all that matters!

Happy Nevada Day!

I think NV may be the only state that has it's own special holiday. Since it's a state holiday I get the day off from school. Just between you and me I wasn't overly thrilled to be off because P has been a pistol lately. I didn't know how the day would go but it was a lot of fun! A little friend of Preston's came to the house and they played until naptime. After P woke up we had a lot of errands to run but unfortunately, for more reasons than one, the stores we needed to go to were closed due to a stand-off. This was the only part of the day that wasn't overly pleasant. P had a couple tantrums, one loud enough that another customer felt the need to give me a piece of her mind about the scene. We cut our errands short and took advantage of the extra time and beautiful weather by going to the park. We found leaves to stomp through, which P loved. Then he went down one of the slides all by himself! Usually I stand close enough to grab him if need be but today he wanted to do it on his own. Once again I had to let go and let him try his wings, so to speak. We topped off the day by decorating pumpkins. He "decorated" (and I use that term loosely) his baby pumpkin with stickers. He liked putting the stickers on, then taking them off and tearing them in half. But the final result was cute and he enjoyed himself so that's all that matters. Once he was done I carved the pumpkin he had picked out at the pumpkin patch a couple weekends ago. All in all it was a Happy Nevada Day!

Marrying MTJ

I've always thought one of Mrs. Jetton's adopted sons, Todd, is attractive. I remember having the biggest crush on him in jr. high, despite the fact that he was 7-8 years older than me. But, other than FB and conversations my parents relay to me, I've not had contact with him in years. So it's weird that I had a very vivid dream about him last night. I dreamt that he and I were getting married....and his current wife, Sabrina, was ok with it. Instead of having his adorable kids in the wedding we were having 3 little girls from my parent's church as flower girls. Apparently it was a quickly planned wedding. The day of the wedding I was trying to find Todd to tell him I didn't feel comfortable with the whole "You may now kiss the bride" part of the ceremony, especially since Sabrina would be sitting in the front row! But I was so busy picking those long plastic cardholder pics out of my bridal bouquet that I never saw him. Right as the ceremony was about to begin he, Sabrina and their 2 kids pulled up in a black Escalade. For some reason I was able to talk to her from inside the building while she was in the SUV. I told her I didn't want to kiss him and she said it would be fine. I don't know if his dad performed the ceremony as he did when Rob and I got married but I know I woke up before the wedding kiss so I worried for no reason! Hope the dream wasn't going to proceed into an episode of "Sister's Wives"....ha! Why, oh why, do I have such weird dreams????

All Kinds of Stuff

35 years ago my husband was brought into this world. Although he doesn't like to celebrate his birthday or even acknowledge it he's slowly changing his opinion on this matter. He's realized that if he lets people acknowledge it then he'll get hunting gifts. Since he wants those, he's figured out that birthdays aren't that bad. I respect his wishes by not getting him a birthday card. Last year I didn't act like it was a special day (Even though in my mind I kept wishing him a Happy Birthday). This year I acknowledged it on FB and will make him hamburgers because that's what he asked for. But, I draw the line at actually celebrating his birthday with a card or present. :) In all seriousness, I'm so glad God created him because he makes life so much more interesting!
Since he's at work and it's my day off it's been a normal day for the munchkin and me. P slept in which was nice. Then we ran errands most of the morning. I was in desperate need of a new vacuum cleaner because 4 dogs and several years later mine had vacuumed its last square inch a few days ago. So I gave in and bought a new one this morning. I have to say it's not as much fun to vacuum now. It's so much quieter so the dogs don't go crazy, barking and running around. P doesn't dive for his toys, hoping that the vacuum monster doesn't suck them up. All the creatures just sit or play while I'm vacuuming now. Highly disappointing!
I promised to blog my thoughts on Favre. Since it's Rob's birthday and he's a Favre fan I will keep a lot of my opinions to myself. But the long and the short of it is I believe that certain occupations come with higher moral standards. Wrong as it may be, society puts sports people and celebrities on a pedestal. I, too, am guilty of this. When the Favre scandal first broke a couple weeks ago I thought there was no way he'd mess around behind his wife's back. So I was sad to find out the opposite last night. He's a great quarterback but I have NO respect for the man anymore. I seriously hope this is his last year and I'm sure he regrets that last year wasn't. I try to sensor what P sees and hears and will try to find the best role models out there for him to admire. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem there's a lot left in the limelight these days.
Alright, it's been a busy day and I do have a surprise dessert to make to top off Rob's dinner so I better take my thoughts and skee-daddle. Until next time my friends.....

Been Awhile

Don't know what to tell you as to why I haven't blogged in awhile. Just haven't. I started back to work this week after having 3 weeks off. Rob went out of town for a few days and life was back to "normal" as we know it. Since Rob was gone for the weekend P and I went to California to visit my parents, mainly to cheer up my mom. We had a nice, but short weekend. I was going to go to church with them this morning but a horrific storm set in. It was forecasted to possibly shut down part of the interstate so P and I left earlier than expected. I was happy that for once my stubbornness didn't keep me from listening to sound advice. The weather was horrible and my jaw hurt from being clenched the entire time by the time we got home. I don't think the interstate closed but shortly after Rob got home the power went out at the house and stayed off for a few hours. Since P didn't sleep much last night, causing me not to sleep much, the power outage was a good excuse for a family nap time. We all laid down and fell asleep to the sound of the downpour. It's so odd to have so much rain up here (We broke a record for rainfall this month) that we never take it for granted. It's been a good weekend and it'll be a short work week with lots of Halloween plans ahead. So, if I forget to blog for a few days please forgive me.

(I will blog my thoughts about the Favre scandal but I need to let my anger simmer a little before spouting off my opinion)

A Little Moo-lah

Today it hit me like a ton of bricks.....our baby is no longer a baby. I put him in jeans, a hoodie and hiking boots this morning and we went out exploring. He ran in front of me, picking himself up when he fell and thoroughly enjoying his time. At one point I looked at him and was amazed to see a little boy. He has become "Mr. Independent" and is content doing his own thing. He explores everything, intrested in seeing new things, taking in the world with kid eyes.
This afternoon Rob and I took him to get his Halloween pictures done. If you had read my blog last year, you'd understand why I was dreading getting his Halloween pics done. Last year it took over an hour because of all the screaming and crying. This year was the complete opposite experience. Rob dressed him in his cow costume, set up with the props and 15 minutes later we had about 8 good shots. He makes an adorable cow and I know he'll enjoy all the Halloween festivities this year!

Girls' Get Away

I am a firm believer that birthdays should be celebrated for an entire week so this birthday did not disappoint. Monday Rob gave me a card as did P then we went out for a nice dinner. Thursday Rob made me a delicious dinner of grilled salmon and a pistachio pie (from scratch). If you've ever made a pistachio pie then you should be impressed that Rob not only attempted it but perfected it! Yesterday my friends from Sacramento and Reno met in the Tahoe area for a Girl's Get Away. I had rented a beautiful townhouse close to the beach. The Fall colors were vibrant and the beauty surrounding us can't even be put into words.
Yesterday my friend and I started the trip getting spa treatments at a local resort. It wasn't a five star resort as advertised but how can one complain when you get a massage, overlooking Lake Tahoe? After the spa we all met up at the townhouse. When we got there we sat around and talked for hours. Then we got dressed up and headed out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. The girls showered me with gifts and cards (even though I asked them not to get me anything). The waitress even sang "Happy Birthday". After dinner we went back to the townhouse, got in comfy clothes and watched a chick flick after talking some more. Although most of us woke up fairly early this morning, we laid in bed and then lounged around until after 10am. I really missed the boys this morning but it was nice not waking up to a baby monitor, a puppy whining or an alarm going off. Once the girls and I got around to getting dressed we made a Starbucks run then went to the beach for awhile. It was chilly and overcast but the gorgeous scenery made us forget the weather. Eventually we made our way to our respective homes. When I got home Rob and I unloaded and set up the treadmill he bought me for my birthday. All in all, it was an absolutely perfect birthday from beginning to end! Now only 359 days until my next week long birthday celebration!!

Just Call Me Grace!

I jokingly tell my parents they misnamed me. I should've been named Grace because I lack that quality in my physical traits. I can't make it through a week without running into something, tripping, falling, cutting myself... Today is a prime example. I took P to daycare and decided to go for a much needed run before getting stuff done. I put Ruby on her leash and headed off. I was doing fine while I was in the deserted area. But, then I came into a housing development and wouldn't you know that there were a lot of cars passing because everyone was taking their child to the elementary school in the area. I was in my own little world when out of nowhere I tripped and fell flat on my face. (Not literally thank goodness!) My iPod, keys and Ruby's leash went flying out of my hands while cars stopped. Instead of running off, Ruby just looked at me like, "Did you really just trip over air?". I gathered my iPod, keys and her leash when I noticed there were cars stopped all around me. One lady had her window rolled down and was saying something but I was so embarrassed I didn't even take off my headphones to find out what she was saying. Blood was dripping down my hand and leg but I didn't care. I just jumped up, yelled, "I'm ok" and took off as fast as my sore legs would take me. I'm getting too old for these little mishaps because as the day has worn on I'm getting really sore. My roadrash cleaned up and doesn't look that bad now but, boy, my hip sure hurts! I wish the good Lord would've graced me with more physical grace because this clumsy lifestyle gets a little redundant.

Crazy Stressful

I can say I'm glad this day is almost over. Last night P didn't sleep more than a few hours, which means I didn't sleep more than a few hours. So I started out exhausted this morning just wanting to veg. It's not often that I want to stay in my PJs and sit in front of the TV all day but today was one of those rare occasions. That was not going to happen though. After P's morning nap I realized the dogs were gone. I didn't think much about it but stopped by the local park on my way down the hill just to check if anyone had seen Ruby. No one had so I went down the hill. P rode his trike at the park then we went down a few slides. I took him to Walmart where he proceeded to scream most of the time because he was so tired. The grocery store was the same as Walmart only it seemed louder, probably because the grocery store is smaller. I raced to get him home so he could get a nap. Upon pulling into the driveway, Holly came running up but Ruby didn't. I called and called for her but she didn't come. So I drove around the neighborhood to no avail. P was beyond exhausted so I brought him home and put him to bed. When he woke up I put him and Holly in the car and took off to search for Ruby some more. I drove around the area for about an hour but there was still no sign of her. I came home, fed P dinner then went out again. Rob worked super late so he and I had a late dinner when he got home. By the time we were done eating,the sun had almost gone down but he wanted to search for her. He was gone for about 45 minutes and when he returned I heard a glorious sound.... dog feet. He had found Ruby about 7-8 miles from the house. She was a little beat up, probably from a fight, but other than that and being tired she is okay. Speaking of being tired, I feel like I've run 7-8 miles and am ready to hit the hay. G'Night!

The Next Doogie Howser

I love taking P in for his check-ups because I love to get all his stats. Today I was excited to take him because it was the first time since he was 10 days old that he was completely off meds. Much to my delight, I learned that he's finally in the 50th percentile for weight, is still tall (90th percentile) and he has an average sized head. But, what's inside his head is what I learned about. Because he can say 6-7 words AND makes the noises of a few animals our pediatrician informed me that he's verbally advanced. He said that it's not common for 15 mo old boys to know words and animal sounds. I asked the doctor if P is OCD because he freaks out if he gets hair on his hands and will only eat crackers if they're whole but he assured me this is normal. I asked about potty training and he was surprised that P is already showing an interest. He did, however, inform me that I should hold off for a couple more months so it "sticks" when he does learn how to use the potty. After his check-up he got the dreaded vaccinations. His nurse commented, like always, that it surprises her that he never cries when she pokes him with the needle. I then, as always, had to remind her of who P's daddy is and how P is tough because of the first 3-4 months of his life. He's only cried once when he got his 4 or 6 month vaccinations (I can't remember which one). Other than that he's a tough, SMART cowboy!! I'm one proud mama!!

The Big 3-5

Call me crazy but I was uber excited for this birthday! To me, 35 is the age where you come into real adulthood. Sure, I own a house, am married, have 2 degrees and 2 credentials and even have a toddler thrown in the mix but up until now I've always felt I was a kid playing an adult's role. So 35 was going to be the magic birthday where I became an official adult. I have yet to feel different but it sure was a fun birthday. I woke up to 2 cards by both of my boys, one even had a gift card in it! I spent the morning on a walk through cow pastures and then went shopping (yes, in that order but I don't think I stunk too bad). The afternoon was a relaxing one but full of lots of spoiling! I got flowers and lots of goodies sent to me. I never get flowers delivered up here (Ok, once when P was born) so I thanked the delivery lady profusely. Finally she said, 'I didn't buy them for you. I'm just delivering them." Oops! Rob got home early and then we went to Claim Jumper, one of my favorite places, for dinner. I stuffed myself to the gills and enjoyed every bite! Then we came home and watched the rest of the football game, which yes, I suggested we do. Throughout the day people made it special with cards, texts, phone calls, goodies, FB messages and emails. I couldn't ask for any more! On Thursday Rob offered to cook me dinner and on Saturday some of my girlfriends and I are going to a luxurious townhouse in the Tahoe area...sans kids. So the wonderful celebration just keeps on coming! What more could a 35 year old girl, er I mean lady, ask for?

Pumpkin Patch

I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of pumpkins, a trait I get from my mom. She LOVES Halloween, carving the perfect pumpkin each year and baking the seeds. Because of this I have been to my fair share of pumpkin patches over the years. I've been to the best of them. Today was not one of them, not even in the Top 10 Pumpkin Patches. We should've known when a lady walked out and handed us $10 worth of tickets and told us not to waste our time. That being said, it wasn't quite THAT bad. Preston liked the pony ride and it was nice that he was big enough to ride one. The "train" ride lacked a lot...like a train. It consisted of go-cart type boxes latched together. While on the train ride, we got to look at weeds, painted wooden cows and traffic. Real authentic! After the train we went to the "petting zoo". I will digress for a moment to tell you that I was mentally scarred as a child when my mom took me to feed the geese at a local park. They chased after us and were very aggressive. Ever since then I've not been a fan of ANY type of bird. So, when we went into the caged area I was not too sure of the ducks and geese that were running loose. What made the experience even better was a young boy that was chasing the flock, trying to catch one. He finally caught one, proud of himself, and graciously asked if I'd like to pet it. At that point I decided that I'd had enough of the "petting zoo". The animals were dirty and most of them just sat there. I'm sure if they could talk they would've told us they'd rather be any place but there. We ended the experience with P finding his own pumpkin. He wasn't feeling 100% so he wasn't into the whole pumpkin patch fun but he did "pick" a pumpkin. As soon as his daddy helped picked it up, P was off and running. There was a hay area that had very well loved toys that P thought was great fun. Out of all the things at the pumpkin patch, this was by far his favorite! He played in a car for awhile until we told him it was time to go home. On the way to the car, the icing on the cake for me, so to speak, was the VERY inappropriate ADULT song that was blaring in the loud speakers. I made my opinion on their musical selection well known as I walked out and that concluded our pumpkin patch experience. At least P was young enough that he had fun all things considered!

Picture Perfect

Today was one of those days that'll go down in the books as being a fabulous, picture perfect day. Because we have to pay for daycare even when I'm tracked off, I took P there. After dropping him off I came home and spent a couple hours really cleaning the house. It's been too long since I've felt it was clean. Rob had the day off due to a doctor's appt so he helped around the house. Afterwards he and I had a date to the movies. It's been almost a year since we've been to the movies so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Once it was over we picked up P and took the scenic route home so P could see the cows (He moos more than he baaaaaas now). The best part of the drive was getting the mail! In our box was a package from my parents, in which they had sent something I'd been wanting for awhile but wouldn't splurge on: new Rainbow flip flops! The other GREAT thing was a letter from the court saying that the Worker's Comp stay had been denied. Upon talking to our attorney, we found out that there's a good chance that they will drop the claim altogether. WAHOO! Praise the Lord!!! Once we got home Rob hung out with P while I spent more time cleaning and getting calls made. Then I made baby back ribs and sweet potato casserole for dinner. After his bath, P wrestled with his daddy and the dogs. Now P is down and we're watching bull riding. Like I said, a picture perfect day indeed!!

Letter

Dear Papa,
I don't know where else to write this so I guess I'll bare my heart and soul on here. I've really been missing you lately. Something about the fog and overcast weather reminds me on Crescent City, which in turn reminds me of you. I've also thought about Nana's PB pie lately, but luckily mom has the recipe and has made it a few times. Although it's been over 7 years since you've passed, in some ways it seems like just yesterday that I was pulling up to your house, ready for some R&R with two of my most favorite people in the entire world! Other days it seems like forever since I've talked to you or I've received one of your letters that I impatiently waited for each week.
A lot has happened since you've passed. Both Josh and I are married now and I have a son that you'd absolutely adore. You'd have so much fun with him at the park or feeding the horses. Recently I went to a Pentecostal church in a small town where my husband was working. It reminded me so much of your church and I thought that Preston (our son) would've loved the worship time at your church. He LOVES music, loves dancing and has good rhythm! Maybe he'll be a musician like you or his Uncle Josh someday.
I think you'd be proud of how my life has turned out. You were always proud of everything I did and I savored the attention you showered on me as your only granddaughter for over 20 years. But, I think if you were still alive you would be happy with the choices I've made, the kind of mom and wife I am and my career as a teacher (I could be a principal at this point but don't think I want to leave the classroom any time soon).
I often think about going to Crescent City to show Rob and Preston where some of my most favorite memories took place. But, I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that anymore. Going to your grave site when Nana was alive didn't seem as hard. Now that you're both gone I don't know if I can go visit your old house or the place your earthly body is buried.
There are so many things I miss about you and our time together! I miss the 4th of July, our favorite holiday together, and how we'd watch (or participate in) the parade and spend hours finding just the right fireworks to light once the sun went down. I miss taking the money finder out to look for treasures. I miss our drives around town. I miss hearing you get all riled up about Notre Dame and Raiders games. I miss watching Judge Wapner with you (I now watch Judge Alex- I think you'd like him). I miss our walks and talks. But most of all I miss your letters. I miss opening the mailbox and seeing your handwriting (Or Nana's writing later in life when your Parkinson's got too bad to write) on an envelope. I guess that's why I feel the need to write you this letter today. I only wish it was one where I could open the mailbox and find your letter in response.
I love and miss you so much Papa!!!
Love, your oldest granddaughter

Whoa!

That's what I say every time lightning strikes and every time Rob makes fun of me. Needless to say, I've been made fun of a lot the past couple days. Last night was the worst storm I think I've experienced up here as far as thunder, lightning and LOTS of rain/hail. As I crawled into bed I foolishly thought I'd have a good night's sleep since Ruby was banned to the garage. It was raining as we fell asleep but the storm hit us full blast around 1am. How Preston and Rob slept through it I have no idea. But, the girls and I were wide awake. When the thunder got louder and louder so did Ruby's whines and barks! Even from the garage she was loud and kept me awake! I don't wear earplugs in case P needs me during the night but I seriously contemplated it last night. I finally settled for a pillow over my head and came to the conclusion that God doesn't want me to get a good night's sleep. I love the rain but the thunder and lightning were a little too much for me at 1am. We woke up to sunshine this morning so it's been nice to get the holy terror, er I mean little angel, outside for awhile. Another storm is supposed to roll in tonight but as long as we can get outside for fresh air during the day I'm going to enjoy all the rain we can get...sans the thunder and lightning!

One of THOSE Days

I should've known when I woke up this morning to yet another puppy mess that it would be one of THOSE days. As I was cleaning up the mess, P took his sippy cup and shook milk all over the wall, carpet and Holly. It was pouring down rain so when the dogs went out to do their morning business they came back in and the house immediately smelled like wet dog stink. P was INTO everything and ON everything so I decided we needed to get out of the house despite the rainy weather. We met up with a couple of my friends and their sons (which are a couple months older than P) at a local mall. Both of my friends' boys ate their lunches and then played calmly. My son, however, threw goldfish crackers all over the ground and then took off running into one of the local stores, where he took shoes off a rack. Luckily, he has an adorable smile so the clerks just laughed it off. On the way home I decided to grab a bite to eat. When I walked into QDoba I ran into some friends so I stopped to chat. I let P down since it's a small place and he immediately took off through the restaurant to say hi to everyone. Once again his smile got him rave reviews. When we got home the kitchen door was wide open and both dogs came running out of the house. Luckily there were no surprises in the house except for muddy paw prints. Later I decided to go get the mail, which is about 3 miles away. I started down our road and noticed that Ruby was running behind the car. She did this yesterday but stopped at the neighbor's house. Today, however, because it's one of THOSE days, she followed me all the way to the park, which is about a mile away. I finally let her in the car because she had run so fast and a lot further than I thought she would. We got home and Ruby decided to play with the ball pit balls while P threw them for her. My patience were done at that point so I put him down for his afternoon nap (He's in there talking to himself as I type this) and Ruby has finally settled into an afternoon nap herself. Instead of cleaning I think I'm going to enjoy the quiet by doing a little leisurely reading!

It is now 7:45pm and the chaotic day- which got more chaotic- has finally come to an end! P decided that he was too good for a nap today so, after 45 mins, I got him out of his crib. Within minutes he tripped by his toybox and fell directly on the corner. He cut up his eye pretty good and will probably have yet another black eye, despite icing it. Rob got home and took him for awhile so I could get fresh air. I took Ruby for a walk so it wasn't a relaxing one but it was nice to get away for a few minutes. After dinner I gave P a bath. Upon getting out of the bath P pee'd all over the floor. Why do we bother to get it cleaned? Between a puppy, a toddler and the mud up here it never seems clean. I literally counted down the minutes until bedtime tonight. So glad I can now relax and watch my weekly show. :)

Raining (Cats and) Dogs

I've been thinking about Mrs. Jetton, a family friend who passed away this Summer, a lot the past 24 hours. Whenever I posted anything on FB about the occasional rain storm we'd get she'd comment on it. Well, she'd be having a hayday right now with comments because it hasn't really let up since Saturday night. Since it rarely rains here we're absolutely loving it...well, all of us except the dogs! At this moment I will digress a little to explain that Saturday night (well, Sunday at 1am) Ruby tried to wake me up. The previous night she had woken me up 3 times and when I let her out she just stood on the deck. So when she woke me up Saturday night I told her to stop whining and I kicked her out of our room. BIG MISTAKE! I woke up yesterday to a horrific mess all over! So last night when Ruby woke me up I was quick to let her out. To her credit she did go to the bathroom but there was a lot of lightning at that point (and the power had just gone out) so she was VERY quick to come back in. When Rob woke up for work this morning I asked that he put her out. But apparently she was not into being outside when it was raining because I heard her whining outside our bedroom door. When P woke up 15 minutes later I tried to let both dogs out but neither were in favor of it. 45 minutes later I have gotten them outside, but as before, only briefly. I'll take wet stinky dogs in the house if it means it's raining cats and dogs outside. Love, love, lovin' the rain!! (And it's supposed to stick around til Thursday!)

Ode to the Puppy

l[]p (That's Preston's take on it). I feel like the past 24 hours has been a sequel to Marley and Me. You already read about my day with Ruby but the night got even better. She likes to sleep by my side of the bed but at one point she tried to jump up on the bed...a big no no in this house! After scolding her she curled up by the bed again. Then she kept licking and scratching and getting herself comfortable. At 3am I finally took off her collar because she was driving me crazy. In my half awake haze I realized she was going in our closet a lot but I wasn't coherent enough to really think about it. This morning I figured out she was going in there and pulling out my shoes. Luckily she didn't chew any of them but there were shoes all over the living room this morning! At 5:40am I heard Preston fussing. I prayed he'd go back to sleep because I was so tired but he continued fussing. When I went in his nursery I discovered the culprit...Ruby was going through his toy box. I tired to get Preston back to sleep but Ruby was too wound up and was running around the house. It got Preston too excited to go back to sleep. Now that we're all awake Ruby is sleeping peacefully by the sliding glass door. Overall she is a great puppy and will make an awesome dog but we all have our rough patches. I'd take her on a bad day over Duke on his best day hands down. I just pray that today and tonight is more mellow!