A Man And His Dog

Which begins as a boy and his dog....

This post is a little delayed as we added a new family member almost a month ago. There have been so many of my blogland friends and others that lost their lifetime pals recently that I wanted to put off the news a little bit.

Some of you may know that my husband has had a lifetime love affair with Dobermans.  His mother liked to show them and Hubs also used them from an early age in 4H/County Fairs.  At 8 years of age he was already winning ribbons with his dog Dusty.

As you can see, Dusty was a red Dobbie.  Dusty also ended up getting kicked in the head by a horse and was never the same afterwards.  My skinny little husband had to carry around a piece of sawed off broom handle to chase Dusty down when he got loose...just in case the dog cornered him.

And this began his love of all things Dobie.

When I met him at 18, the house was full of Dobies.  This was rather shocking to my system as we didn't have pets growing up because we moved too much.  When I was real little my mother had a poodle...who only tolerated my sister, father and myself. When she was very old (and I was very young) they had to put her to sleep. That pretty much did it for my mom.

So the first time I go to the Hubs house when we are dating we got mobbed at the door.  And this Doberman came charging up to us with a full face of teeth showing.  He tells me not to worry it is a smile.  I backed out of the door.  Smile? Right. I was not real comfortable wading into the house through 3 Dobermans.

Of these three, Willow was Hubs' love.  I almost scanned a bunch of photos of family events that show something significant.....and Hubs down on the floor with the dogs playing instead of posing with the rest of the humans.

He loved that dog. I think it broke his heart to leave her when he left home and joined the military.

Jump ahead about 4 years and now we have two firsts.  Our first Dobie and our first child.

This is Duke and Bones. Bones had just had his first ever chocolate spoon (frosting) and as I went to get a cloth to clean him up, Duke stepped in to take over.  He was good about that. (Can I get a big YUCK moms???)

Duke was the biggest baby ever. He didn't like to go outside when it was cold.  We put a thermal shirt on him and pinned it up just to get him out the door.  Um....and did I mention we lived in Texas???? Serious wimp factor going on.  Duke started out his life as a show dog but developed a slight dip in his back at the shoulders that counted against him....so he was placed in a home...ours.  He was incredibly beautiful and only 9 months old when he joined us.Sadly, orders to Korea had me moving back into my parents house with the baby and we had to find Duke a home.

A couple of assignments, and another child later we have Sable.

 Sable was found at the dog pound the summer the Gulf Of Mexico/Florida got pounded with so many hurricanes. There were many dogs that were just turned loose when everyone was evacuated because it is so hard to travel or to find a hotel that will take you with a large dog.

Sable was not the same quality of Dobie (that sounds so snobby!!) that Hubs was used to owning but she was amazing.  She was Hubs running partner and a great family dog.  But orders to Iceland where we could not take her cut her time short with us. Luckily Hubs moms Dobs had all passed away by this time and they were happy to take her.  So we did get to see her for many years after we returned to the states.  We did not take her back at that point because she had taken to Hub's dad so much.

So for the last 11 years I have kept Hubs at bay and denied him his next Dobie.  I'm so mean.  But Omaha he was gone more than home and I traveled to Texas all the time with the kids. My parents didn't have dogs so I could not really take a dog...or afford to kennel one.  No dog.

Then when we moved to Waco and bought a house we were on a 4 year controlled tour so we knew we were on borrowed time. I really didn't want the dog trail through the back yard or the dog smell in a house we were going to have to turn around and sell.  Call me mean.

Moving here we moved into base housing so we don't have to worry about selling.  So Hubs could stand it no longer.  Did I want a big dog right now with our future so uncertain?  No.  But Hubs wanted his running partner...and the teens Chihuahua would not play with Hubs and pretty much cowers ever time he walks in the room.  So I gracefully agreed to not stand in the way of the man and his dog.

 Meet Cinder.  She was adopted from a Doberman Rescue Society in a nearby city.  We had to go through placement home studies and paperwork and interviews to even be considered for adoption.  This absolutely cracked me up after having adopted internationally and all that we went through. Anyways, in the above picture you see her on the day she came home.  Her hip bones and all her vertebrae were showing as she had been picked up as a stray and was starving. It was so sad....and we saw her weeks after she had been picked up.  The society had her at the adoption event more to get her used to it than anything. She had just been spayed and was very under weight so they were not even interested in adopting her out yet.

But she chose Hubs.  And Hubs chose her.  And to make a long story short, with our history with Dobie's and rescue dogs, they went ahead and let Hubs take her.  

 And she is a sweet dog.  The Chihuahua hates her.....but whats to like when a monster steals your bed and your pack right??? LOL.  He will need to get over himself.

And a month into this new relationship Hubs has an amazing looking dog that loves to wrestle (and is too mouthy for the rest of us at this point...she is still a pup) and is learning to be his jogging partner.

And yes, she does gets LOTS more kisses than I do.  Lots more hugs and cuddles.  And hey, she snores too. So really, they just need a room of their own so we can all sleep blissfully and it will be all good.

And that pretty much explains my very busy month. Handling a dog this size with no information on her past means constant supervision. She is a professional counter surfer after being a stray and loved Mighty Mouses stuffed lady bugs...which are SACRED ya'll!!  We've had to find a high protein top rated food to put weight on her in the right way.  She plays way too rough for everyone except Hubs. She jumps on the fence -- and we don't want her to figure out she is big enough to clear it...or don't know if she already knows how to do this so she has to be supervised out back also for the time being. And she likes to insult the Chihuahua. He can't stand anyone to be anywhere near his hindquarters...even when being petted.  She will come up behind him and when he is rude and attacks her, she grabs his whole butt in her mouth...and then spits him out.  Or she flips him off his feet with her nose.  HYSTERICAL -- except to him. Oh my. I swear its like having a newborn some days and a 2 year old on others.

The good news is she is learning words (she recognized none of the standards).  She is very sweet when she is not wrestling.  She is house broken and has not had a single accident in the house. She is learning to be more gentle when playing.  She watches out for the little ones and even though she really wants to play with them, she seems to get that they really aren't for chewing on.

And she totally loves Hubs.

So, she's here to stay.

100 Random Things

Because I still have nothing worth sharing, I will once again shamelessly swipe a post from a blog I read. The victim this week is Heather from Want What You Have.

Heather - you are right. Lots of people get you. And just to show you how much I get you, I am going to bold all my answers that are the same as yours (read - I didn't even change them).

So, Heather decided to share 100 random facts about herself in the name of being open and forthcoming. Here is my very similar list:

1. I do not have a single prime time show I watch on tv.
2. I have never known what I want to be when I grow up.
3. I love amusement parks. I love roller coasters.
4. I hate putting away laundry.
5. I grew up in a very moral....yet not Christian household.
6. I'm double jointed.
7. I can burp louder than Olympic Champion burpers. The only person I know of that can out-do me is my teenage daughter. You go girl.
8. I've always been embarrassed about my teeth as they have been very yellow since I was a small child (supposedly high fevers). I thought maybe the new bleaching techniques were going to be the answer but I've been told they probably can't help me. Seriously??
9. I normally have very long nails. Its genetics. I don't do a thing except shape them.
10. I sleep more than the average person. Its allergy related but it can be embarrassing.
11. I used to swear all the time. I was particularly fond of the F-word. And being third generation military I've got some good ones. But after getting saved it sort of disappeared...except when I'm tired or overly stressed. Then it all comes back in the blink of an eye.
12. I have never broken a bone, and I still have my tonsils and appendix.
13. I love horror movies. Mostly bad B-rate monster movies that are totally unreal. I DO NOT like scary movies about the occult or supernatural stuff.
14. Zombies are my fav.
15. I'm honest and direct. Some people find this off-putting.
16. I make no apologies for it.
17. I cannot stand butt kissing. I could never work in any profession that required me to suck up to people.
18. I love, love, love "period" movies.
19. I hate reality television. But I do like Man vs. Food and Anthony Bourdain. Also that crazy exterminator guy.
20. I'm a speed reader.
21. I love the smell of rain.
22. I didn't keep baby books for my children.
23. The smell of cardboard boxes makes me sick. (Move much?)
24. With each of my pregnancies, I had mad cravings Sonic Cherry Limeades.
25. I used to hate my name. In junior high, I wanted to be called Elizabeth.
26. I like my name now.
27. My mother called me Audi when I was little.
28. My husband knows better than to call me this.
29. I don't think I spoke in public or to strangers until I was 17.
30. Once upon a time I was a cheerleader. I'm so not cut out for that.
31. I'm a really BAD dancer. But I'm an even worse singer.
32. I'm not athletic but I played varsity soccer.

33. I was the only girl on a boys soccer team as a senior when I moved to a place with no girls team. The next year they made sure they had a girls team as everyone wanted to know how I got on - and was shocked to hear that they couldn't deny me because of my sex. (I should have been a lawyer.)

34. I hate to exercise but loved it when we lived on the beach and I could take long walks.
35. I hate competition.
36. I'm not naturally organized. I have the ability to organize, but I have to really work at it, every day.
37. I'm not a go-getter. I'm actually kind of lazy, I think.
38. I'm easy to please. I don't need much to be happy.
39. In my marriage relationship, however, I'm high-maintenance. I expect my husband to make me his first priority, because he is mine.
40. I think that's how it should be.
41. I'm not a "joiner." I tend to cause problems when I do join. Not intentionally. My bull shi* meter is very sensitive and I call a spade a spade. Which has not endeared me to some of the big wig wives in military wives groups.
42. I think that Donald Trump is a complete jackass. I hope that he runs for president just so I can watch him get knocked down a few pegs.
43. I love to have something from all the places I've lived or traveled as visual reminders.
44. Because of this my 'house' is never really my home....my stuff is.
45. I love having three children. I would have had another up to about a year ago but now I'm done.
46. My kids are spoiled.
47. There are very few Christian blogs I can tolerate....because the judgment and name calling/finger pointing are anything but Christian.
48. Same with some adoption related blogs.
49. I don't care about outward appearances, and I don't believe in putting on airs.
50. I seriously want to teach my children about serving others IN THEIR COMMUNITY...which is why I am big on Scouts.
51. If I really like a book or TV show, I can read/watch it over and over, a million times, and never get tired of it.
52. Where my diet is concerned, I must have lots of variety. I rarely make the same thing for dinner, twice in one month.
53. I am sarcastic way too often. Its my biggest personality trait I think. I have improved with age thankfully.
54. I was going to name my rock band Dead Red.
55. I hated school to the point that I refused college. What a shame.
56. I attract freaks and weirdos. But I now know how to detach and separate.
57. My husband is not a freak or weirdo. He is just challenging.
58. I'm a natural mimic. It's very easy for me to pick up accents.
59. I want to travel and travel and travel....hopefully Ireland is one of those stops.
60. I really like Colin Firth. One word - Nadine.
62. My husband is not good at accents. He sounds like his dad or grandma. Except for his terrorist voice and his French one. The kids love both.
63. I have a weakness for men in uniform. Especially older men.
64. I was never nominated for anything in school. Maybe because I was never in a school long enough to even make friends it seems.
65. I almost never win anything. Although all of a sudden I won an Accucut Go Cutter and a 42 inch tv.
66. I don't want to live to age 100.
67. I want to die before I get to the point where someone has to help me go to the bathroom.
68. I'm terrified of nursing homes. I never, ever want to be in one.
69. I'm quite independent. I don't like to rely on anyone, because I find that people are generally unreliable.
70. Losing my husband is my greatest fear. Whenever he drives away, I say a little prayer for God to keep him safe.
71. Losing one of my children is my other greatest fear.
72. I'm also scared of being injured or killed in a car accident.
73. Because of this I refuse to be involved in teaching my children to drive.
74. My favorite potato chip is baked Lays Barbeque
75. I love steak. With a baked potato and a big salad with Ranch dressing.
76. I love almost every vegetable imaginable.
77. Organ meats and shellfish totally disgust me. Shrimp is ok occasionally but only occasionally.
78. I hate fish.
79. I hate raw onions, and don't like it when my husband has them on a hamburger. No kisses.
80. Too much garlic gives me a stomachache.
81. I don't like my food to be very hot.
82. I don't like very cold drinks.
83. I am not a wishy-washy person.
84. I know nothing about Japanese anime.
85. I've never seen any of the Harry Potter movies, and I don't plan to.
86. I refuse to watch Real Housewives of anything, Jersey Shore, Mob Wives, or any other show of this ilk. This kind of programming makes me feel like the whole world is made up of vulgar, shallow idiots.
87. As much as I dislike these shows hubs hates them even more. Makes life easy.
88. I can't believe how much weight I've gained and that I can no longer drop weight at the drop of a hat.
89. Hubs isn't doing much better. But at least he tries to be fit and in shape.
90. I thought those commercials about drugs to make you have thicker eyelashes were stupid. And then I tried to wear mascara and realized I don't have half the lashes I used to....and those commercials are for ME!
91. I love my air conditioning....but I also like to camp so I'm ok without it in those situations.
92. I don't fit a political tag. In some ways I am very conservative. But then in some ways I am very liberal. There is no party or affiliation that I would claim or fit into.
93. I hate politics. I especially hate arguing about politics, and listening to people rant about politics. BUT I would rather see people engaged and caring about the issues than not even informed or caring about what is happening in our nation. Sticking your head in the sand should not be an option.
94. I'm a procrastinator of the worst kind.
95. I don't blog for anyone but myself. See, I'm easily amused....I amuse myself with my writing.
96. I giggle when I think of Heather stressing over her lack of comments on her post. I never miss a post but probably response one in ten times....and I think thats probably pretty normal.
97. I have an extensive vocabulary because I read so much. But I mispronounce most of those words and sound like the village idiot anyways. And I can't spell to save my life.
98. I LOVE reading.
99. I wish all women would support each other even when we take different stances. We are all women trying to get through this life with the tools we are given. And we are not given the same tools...so why should be try to do everything the same?
100. My motto in life is: Adapt, improvise and overcome.

And now I'm going to go leave a comment for Heather....cause she needs one.

Autumn Asks: Have Any Confessions?

I've got nothing. That would be why I'm so quiet over here. I should probably feel guilty....but I don't do guilty very often. I own where I'm at.

So Cassie at This Journey Through My Life did a post on 10 confessions today and asked us to join in. Click on over and visit Cassie...she's having one of those weeks. If you are a mom you know exactly what I mean. A cyber hug would not be remiss.

So Cassie, here's my 10 confessions for the last couple of weeks:

1. I feel like napping every day lately. I know its probably more about allergies than anything since its spring, but it really makes me feel like a slug.

2. I have zero motivation to get anything done. I'm working on a big project and I have the "don't wanna" syndrome. When I try to get started....I go take a nap instead.

3. I haven't really cleaned the house in 3 weeks besides a courtesy swipe at the dust and vacuum runs.

4. My kitchen has been flooded daily for over a month and I'm so sick of calling it in that I just throw towels down and change them out daily. I would never do that if I owned the place. (Of course I would have FIXED it if I owned the place....not played around with housing maintenance.)

5. My meds expired and ran out in Feb and I waited until last week to make an appointment and get it all going again.

6. I hate prom even more now that I'm forking out the money for my daughter than I did when I was a teen and refused to go. What a money hole. For what?

7. I'm so tired of my baby coming home from school with sickness or bugs. Really???? Right now there are several parents that I would like to actually smack for sending their kids to school to infect others. And I'm not talking about the people that didn't even know...I'm talking about the parents that DO know and send their kids anyways. I've acquired an education on how many people do that when chasing down these issues to ensure further contamination doesn't occur. I have no nice words for these people so I shall shut up now. It's almost sent me back to home schooling.

8. We've been here almost 2 years and we still haven't found a church.

9. We've been here almost 2 years and the garage is still not unpacked and organized.

10. By Christmas I bet I have more gray hair than red. It's not gonna be pretty people. And I can't decide if coloring my hair is worth it. After all, we KNOW that hair dye is a serious carcinogenic. Is it worth the increased cancer risk? Look like an old hag or die a painful death. Can't decide.

So how about you? What kind of nasty confessions are you willing to share?

Geesshhhh

New dog

new dog

hubs out of town

new dog

food poisoning?

sick kid

sick kid

back to school

4 hours in the ER

Strep, ear infection, possible pneumonia

sick kid

new dog

Spring break

Rain, rain go away and let us enjoy Spring break

Please

Prom Dress

Underwear for prom dress.....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

When can I get my permit?

sick kid

new dog

No...no...no...

sick mom

Lil' China Love

For those of my readers that also follow Tonggu Momma....you all have heard the fab news that they finally received their referral.

It was like FOUR YEARS in the waiting. Is that not crazy???

A wait like that really deserves some recognition. Way to hang in there guys!!

And this fall or summer (excuse the brain damaged memory) my mother sent me a box full of the left-over material from Mighty Mouses 100 Good Wishes Quilt. I used some of it for a charity quilt, but still had so much left over.

So of course I had the brilliant ideal of making a Referral Gift for TM and Co. out of that stash.

I had one piece that was a decent size and had a scene on it that I really wanted to use for the middle. And I had a decent size dragon piece for the back border. So I started playing with it and this is what I got... Lil China Love:

As there is no absolute guarantee that the baby will be a girl I did not get too girly. Bright yellows and blue and reds are the dominant colors on the front...

With a green waves pattern on most of the back. See the dragon piece in the light blue? It is the coolest fabric.

A close up of the children on the center front. I love this fabric. It came after we had MM's quilt already cut so I didn't get to use it. Then I thought I'd make a dress out of it ... but I never got around to it. So glad!

This was my first serious try at a free motion quilting pattern of Leah Daey's. Its called bamboo forest or something like that. I did it on the outside borders. It was a real good one to start with...not REAL easy but not excessively hard and it is very forgiving.

The green waves backing.

I struggled with the border. Finally I found a bright red with a vine pattern on it that worked well with the other reds....and helped keep the quilt from being too girly "just in case".

And there she is. I am auto posting this on a date they should have the quilt by...so I hope they already do and this is not ruining the surprise. Its been very hard to keep quiet as I LOVE the way it turned out ...and its been done since December!

Congrats friend!

(Better pictures)

Wherein Autumn Earns A Camp Name

This was a crazy weekend of Girl Scouts gone wild. Spring Break had nothin' on us.

Ok. Not really so -- but it was a very full and fun weekend.

Friday we headed to a nearby town with the Juniors and Cadettes for a night of Science fun at a College. We did lots of really cool stuff and ended the night with a bang...literally...in the chemistry lab. College chemistry is way cool. We got to see things set on fire, frozen, shattered -- some really really cool stuff. And girls this age? They LOVE this kind of stuff. I think we really made the professors night. Maybe even year. They all wanted to come back and go to college there.

Saturday. Oh Saturday. I had adult enrichment/training with the leader of all the ages in the troop and another leader that handles the Brownies. We had to meet early as we didn't do the whole overnight 3 day thing...just the all day Saturday. After a rough start where I discovered that Starbucks doesn't open until 7 am in our area, we hit another place for Liquid Awake and off we drove to the campgrounds. I had hiking lost trails, Journeys and then orienteering on my schedule. Hiking I was doing with the Brownie leader and orienteering we were all doing together.

Weather was in the 60's with scattered showers. (And God was smiling on me because those showers/downpours occurred during Journey classroom and lunch -- when I was indoors.)

So off M and I marched to discover a lost trail that used to be used when the camp had horses.

And it had rained the day before.

Where it was true up and down hiking. (With ropes strung at strategic spots to keep us from slipping into a ravine.)

On soggy ground. Here is where I insert the fact that I have never lived anywhere that has such a spongy ground in the spring. Its kinda gross. Its very squishy. And it eats shoes if you aren't careful. Hence my recent purchase of the only pair of rain boots I have ever owned. Which I was not wearing for hiking either.

Now - before I go any further let me explain a very old Girl Scout tradition. Its the "camp name". It is a nickname you earn while at camp that sticks with you for life at any GS camp you attend afterwards. Pretty important stuff if you ask me.

But I never actually earned one as there was never really anything epic, weird or out-of-the ordinary that happened to me at any of the camp-outs.

I don't mind getting dirty or bugs. Rain isn't a problem. I've never set myself on fire or burned up dinner or anything fire related. Its just been camping.

Back to the hike.

It was muddy and wet and steep in places. Many of the women were afraid to fall. We all slipped and slid here and there. There was lots of fear and complaints of how they got stuck in this class and would never hike on their own...etc.

And then it happened.

Oh, I didn't just fall. Oh no. And I didn't just slide....way to boring. No.

I fell AND slid....on my um....chest....like a fat kid on a slip-n-slide.

Oh yes I did.

And I made this FANTASTIC loud ker-splish sound when I hit the ground! Movie sound effects had nothing on me.

And to make it better, the reason I was on my..er, girls...was because I had the hands thrown up and back to keep myself from bracing my fall and hurting a hands or wrists, AND my feet up to keep from injuring a knee. Great, great posture for a full frontal slide.

Oh. Yes. I. Did.

And after the stunning discovery that I was COMPLETELY unharmed (but covered in mud) we were all able to relax as I took one for the team and got the required fall out of the way. Totally totally unharmed. (Still in shock over that.)

But you don't have to feel too bad for me. See, we took a couple of steps and then BAM. M's nose blew out in a gusher to beat all gushers. Yes, by the time we reached the top of the ravine we had to get the instructor to pull out the tp to stop that sucker. Kleenex just weren't gonna do it.

Now - another thing you have to realize is that our big boss wasn't with us because she was giving the lodge camping training the first two sessions. Yes. Our leader is not just ANY leader...she's a name at our council. She's been a scout in this council as a child and then became a leader and she knows it all. Really. Not being funny or anything.

So now I'm snickering cause her underlings have just shamed her.

And when we confessed our shame to our fearless leader she did laugh. And I told her I never ever expected to earn a camp nickname of Mudslide. And she shook her head and laughed.

Mud and Blood.

Yep - that's what she called us.

See - so my name really IS Mud!!

And to wrap it all up...on Sunday we had WAGGS day to celebrate the 100th bday of GS.

And I got my first sunburn of the year.

Because it was in the 80's!!!!!!! I am ecstatic!!!!!

Never have I been so happy to have a burn!!! Come on hot weather!!

And so there it is. Can you top it? (I know Andie can because she went to the big quilt show in Cinnci.)

I'd really love to hear how my friends spent their weekends and did things that make me look good -- or at least better.

Anyone?

(crickets)

My Baby Is 7

And I'm feeling it.

This is the last one. No more for me.

And I'm one of the lucky ones as I've stretched this mom thing out for years -- 6 years between the first two, 10 years between the second and third.

And I really did want to adopt one more from China. But hubs said he was done. So, done it is. (Which is even harder when someone else gets their new referral info the day before my baby's birthday. Go TM!!!!! So excited for you!!!!!!)

And this weekend we celebrated Mouses 7th birthday. She eats pizza now and requested Chuck E. Cheese. (I thought I was done with that place!) So off the four of us went to the strange smelling kid mecca of games and noise.

And that was after an overnight with 70 girls at a Children's Museum. Sleeping on a concrete floor. With children that would not go to sleep. Or stop running up and down the stairs. You really never realize just how well your Girl Scout Troop behaves until you combine with others for something. And ear plugs? Worth their weight in gold.

For Mouses cake she wanted Kim Possible. Leave it to my kid to come up with a character that was popular 10 years ago. And all I can say is hat's off to Eba*.
Of course Mouse loved it so much she kept tracing it through the plastic and totally destroyed the top of the cake before pictures or eating. But, being a third child, we just shrugged and moved on. LOL. I would have been so mad with the first child...and maybe even the second. But she saw it was what she wanted and its not like it tastes any different all scraped onto the top instead of pristine. So, whatever. Oh - and Jamie....the jam layer in there? It was great. The teen even commented on it.

And my little 7 year old? She has changed so much in this last year that I don't even think her nickname fits her anymore. She is just like many other kids her age now.

Do you know how shocking and amazing that is?????? I am pinching myself. She talks on the phone to people. She eats more foods and can be convinced to try something without throwing up all over the place or gagging. She interfaces well with other kids and adults as often as not now. She pulled her first card at school. She has put together her own little cheerleading team in our back yard...complete with cheers she made up and taught the other kids. She doesn't listen. She breaks the rules. She yells and gets loud.

She's finally FINALLy....so normal. (Which isn't to say she is totally normal...no kid is...which makes her normal. )

And I think I'm just a little bit shell shocked by it all.

Because I just don't know how I feel about all of this.

You Might Be A Bad Parent/Redneck/All Around Bad Person If.....

.....your 6 year old writes out Kesha lyrics from memory as her 1st grade daily journal writing...

(and just for clarification...she writes her b's as d's)

Just Wow.

So I've been on a quest.

I decided at some point that I was interested in a Kindle or a Nook. I have the Kindle ap on my phone and I love having it at my fingertips. I don't like the size of the screen on the phone for reading a book. That is annoying. Not standing in line waiting annoying....more like two hour lay over at an airport annoying. So anyways, I got it into my head that I would like a reader.

So I started researching and asking everyone what they have, what they like and what they would recommend.

When I got closer to buying, the hype started for the new iPad2. So I think to myself that maybe I should get a first generation when the new ones comes out since I should be able to get one at a discount with the new model out. And you can do so very much more than you can on a reader. And the screen is bigger for reading -- and my eyes aren't getting any younger.

Right. Anyone that knows Apple knows two things. One - Apple controls the prices. Two - Apple under produces the new product for a significant amount of time while slightly dropping the price on the older model so they can move them out quickly. Because human nature says that once you've made the decision to go get that iPad2 and you are told there is a four plus week wait on the new one...but here's the old one at a great (hah!) discount..... well, there are a significant amount of people that will buy the first gen and not wait.

So the first generation iPads are really not that discounted. Not in my opinion anyways.

So I start looking at the differences between the two. The changes are kinda significant. Better speaker - which is good for watching Netflix. Two cameras - which I am not the least interested in. Mirroring to the tv - which is AWESOME. And its faster. Significantly faster. Plus its some percentage lighter and smaller. But let me just say that percent is not impressive when you consider the size you start with -- that's just hype really. So, is it worth the extra two hundred for the speed and the mirroring? Yes.

So I make a big big decision that since they are not fire saling the first gen, I might as well buy the new one.

So I scrape up all my cash I've been saving and the hubs even throws in the difference. And I go to buy that new toy with cash.

And nobody has them. I'm stuck waiting.

Redirect....

I get a phone call telling me that I am a winner in the referral contest at the Ortho's office.

We won a 42 inch flat screen tv.

And I should be excited. I mean, we have never had good tv's since we got married. Until we moved here. Because the moving company broke the access doors on both dinosaur tvs and had to pay replacement costs. So we actually have 2 nice tvs for the first time ever in over twenty years.

And why am I telling you this?

Because even though its a fantastic prize -- we don't need or have a want in that direction. So so so sad.

And I just had this feeling.....

Yep.

We went to pick up that tv and have the picture done and all.

And what is advertised as the next referral prize???

You know it.

The iPad2.

THERE's Murphy!
(Just so you know I'm not unhappy about the new prize....the 32 inch from the bedroom is going on the wall over my quilting table so I can watch Netflix on a real tv instead of a laptop while I'm in there. I'll probably never come out.)

The Pink Thing

So I freely admit I am NOT a girly-girl.

I totally skipped all those female related classes in life. Fashion 101? Totally flunked.

Complimentary Colors? Whatever.

Hair Styles with Pizazz! Not.

But my girls are very much girly-girls. Maybe that's why my son was my most fun tyke. (Ummmm...did I just say that out loud??)

Recently I was drug to Kohl's by the teen for yet another "NEED" in the clothing department. It is beyond amazing how many needs she has. As in -- she eats 90% of our clothing allowance. No wonder she can go 2 weeks without doing laundry.

Anyways....I'm off on a rabbit trail. Redirecting.

On this particular trip the Mouse saw a pink, girly, pom-pom on the zipper even....sleeveless vest/coatish thing.

And she loved it.

She HAD to have it.

I was horrified and actually laughed thinking it was a joke. But it wasn't. And she was rather insulted and not happy with me and informed me that she HAD to have it.

Mouse has NEVER had to have anything outside a toy store before.

So I took a step back. And discussed that it wasn't real practical (what idiot discusses that with a 6 year old?? One with a teen and a young adult apparently).

But she would not be swayed.

And daddy came around the corner and she had to show it to him also. He was not impressed either.

So I told her to let me see the tag. Luckily she is very well trained in "too expensive" and does not fight that battle.

So I look at the tag....and its on clearance for $10.

Shoot.

So to make a long story shorter, we ended up buying that fuzzy pink thing that makes my teeth hurt just to look at it.

She's worn it a million times the last couple of months. She wears in under coats....over coats...instead of coats. Whatever. So I definitely have seen my money's worth of wear.

And lately it has kind of grown on me.

Even if it is pink.

And fuzzy.

But I still have serious issues with the pom-pom thing on the zipper.

Somebody Buy That Girl Some Perfume!!!

I don't know how well this story will translate on this blog....but you know it had to be really good for the Hubs to turn to me and say......"sounds like good blog fodder to me".

So the other night Hubs and I are in the living room when Mouse bounces in. (Because she's very much like Tiger around the house....can't walk, must bounce.)

And Hubs and I both did that snort thing. You know, where you blow hard out your nose because you just got a whiff of something? And not necessarily a stinky something so much as an OVER ABUNDANCE of smell from an unidentified chemical source.

It had to be Mouse.

And it wasn't a smell natural to Mouse. Heck, it wasn't a natural smell at all.

But when did she get perfume? She doesn't have perfume. No body spray.

Nothing that I can think of.

So we asked her if she had on perfume.

Yes. She needed to smell good.

But she doesn't have perfume! And really, neither does mommy since she has so many skin issues....and daddy hates perfume anyways.

And as we sat there with perplexed looks on our faces, it finally dawned on me what that was.

"MM? Did you spray yourself with the bathroom spray??????"

"Yep!! I smell GOOD!!!!"

And you can imagine the horrified gasps and the lecture on the poison that is bathroom spray...blah, blah, blah that followed.

Really?

Air Freshener???

And when I went to tuck her into bed a few minutes later.....her whole room was saturated with that smell. (Insert second lecture.)

And I thought to myself.....you know this is all because you laughed so hard at Wendy and the baby powder incident. I so asked for it.

Busy Season

I promise I'm still alive and kicking. And there are no major disasters happening. This is just a busy season for all of us so I'm not on the computer as much. And that can only be a good thing -- right?

Right now is Girl Scout Cookie time so we are knocking out booth sales all this month. Mouse is doing surprising well with it all. She doesn't want to ask people if they want to buy cookies, but she wants to hand them the cookies, collect money and give back change. I'll take it.

We bought a new van. We were starting to have to put money in the Chrysler every couple of months. We were literally on the way to the mechanic and pulled into the dealership because of a flyer we received. They still had some 2010 vans they were very serious about unloading. So even though we weren't really in the market for a car....we drove out in a new vehicle with the same car payment...and an upgrade. We did trade from Chrysler to Dodge but with significant extras with the Dodge...and the passenger windows roll down in the back. And Mouse is loving the dvd player. (If Santa only knew this was coming he could have skipped the personal dvd player at Christmas.)

Songbird is in concert season and state testing in school. Can you say fun...

Hubs is always flying out to somewhere it seems. It is short trips though so that is really not a complaint.

Sleep has become an evasive thing. Seems like if anything wakes me in the least bit from 3 am on...I cannot get back to sleep. And I'm the queen of sleep so this is NOT good. I feel grumpy and tired almost every day. I don't like it. And sleeping aides? Not. Mouse still wakes up with massive nose bleeds, is in a screaming nightmare phase and just generally wakes up at night...and once the hubs is asleep he doesn't wake up ...so no sleep aides for me.

All our things seem to be breaking at once. Replaced the washer and dryer. New Van. This computer is ready to be retired (with lots of flames and smoke...or maybe a pick-ax). Some big dollar thing keeps coming up and ruining my run on trying to get all the bills paid off. But, having said that, we aren't adding to the bills yet either...we are just not being able to funnel all those funds and pay things off. I shouldn't complain.

See? Lots of boring and busy stuff that just isn't worth blogging about.

I Want

My on-line friend....okay okay that is stretching it but she did turn me on to the best quilt shop in my area AND she does amazing work...and she's in a Modern Quilt Guild...and she lives not that far way......

Anyways...

Andie did a "I Want" post because she is sick of winter and a million other things. Are you feeling it? I know I am. And at the end of her post she says: What about you - whattaya craving?

Which gives me the perfect reason to blatantly rip-off her post ideal.

So Andie....here is what I crave...

Although the Maldives are an awesome choice...I'm feeling Greece right now. Since I'm not beach material I need more than just the sea and sand. I think Greece covers that with some of the most fantastic food out there. And the statues. And the history. Yes. I'm feeling Greece.
30 Days at a Thai Detox and weight loss resort. I'm feeling so Anna Nicole....and not in a good way.
Like Andie...I could really use new shades. Since I've never had expensive ones I have no clue what I'm missing....and intend to keep it that way. As it is I have 4 pairs of damaged pairs in my new car that were all dug up while emptying the old one last weekend. Man I'm tough on shades.
A snake massage. Okay, okay. I'm lying. But I would like my own personal masseuse and chiropractic visit once a week for the rest of my life.
Like Andie...a three day nap in a nice little room would be heavenly. But my room needs a few books if I'm going to be in there for three days.

A day hike with my family in the nice 70 degree weather. Complete with a picnic lunch. And NO ONE complains until its time to go home and they are disappointed that its all over. (A girl can dream right?)
I was going to put a home of my own next.....but even that is all about the kitchen. I want a kitchen. I want to be able to walk through the kitchen without having to touch anyone else that might happen to be in the same room. I want to be able to cook. Our favorite foods are done in the wok or sushi/nori rolls and I can't even make them in this house because there is no counter space and prep space. So very very tired of that.
I can't wait to get started gardening. We are thinking about giving the straw bales a try this year. Have any of you tried this? Our tomatoes didn't get very big last year in the pots so I want to go a little bigger if we can.....and the ground isn't an option.
2012 Charger. Oh yes. The Jag has always been my fav car....but I'm thinkin' American now. Even though we did just buy a new van and it will be another 7 years before I see a real car. Being a mom does have its limitations.
My own quilting/sewing/reading/office/room. But I might not ever come out...especially if I have my own
reading nook......

And finally. What I am really craving. Is a weekend. With my girls.

So what are you all craving?

That's Why.

Because you are not replaceable.

I know you don't understand that.

I know you don't get all of our limits and restrictions.

They really are for your own good.

Because you are not replaceable.

There is no second best.

There is only you.

Always you.

So when you fight back I hope you know.

Its for you.

Even though it seems unreasonable.

Its for you.

Because you are not replaceable.

You hold a very important place in our hearts, minds and souls.

And you are not replaceable.

That's why.