Quick Takes Friday: Overheard and computer problems

1. My computer died late Saturday night. It was an epic death, complete with chicken pox like spots on the screen. It also left me freaking out that the novel I have been working on for two years was gone, gone, gone. This has happened once before (and we do not speak of that time, ever), so you would think I have stuff backed up, right? Ah, no. I didn't.
2. BUT I DO NOW! I went to visit the Nice Computer People. The NCP told me that my old laptop was notorious for giving people chicken pox spots and then dying an epic death. I told them that I didn't care about the computer but I did want all the files and, if possible, all the photos. (Yes, THOSE I had backed up on-line!) The NCP sold me a new to me computer, transferred all my files and everything is now backed up on a USB port. They also gave me a discount on the computer. I lub them.
3. We went to visit my parents this past weekend (which is where the computer death took place and my father had to talk me down). While we were there, Cole kept asking, "I eat ice cream cone? I eat ice cream cone?" I told him that if he looked at my parents charmingly and asked for an ice cream cone, I bet he would get one.
   
   He did and he did... in fact, he got two. Little turkey!
4. One the way home, he wasn't quite so cute. He napped really, really well for about 3/4ths of the way home and then woke up. For an entire HOUR, we had this conversation:
   
   Cole: Mommy, we go home?
   Me: Yes, Bear, we're going home.
   Cole: Okay. (two seconds later) Mommy, we go home?
   Me: Cole, what did I just say?
   Cole: We go home. (one second later) Mommy, we go home?
   
   I would have turned up the radio but we didn't get any stations! Ah!
5. Higgins the giant pesky dog continues to get on my ever-loving last nerve. When the kids play outside, we chain him to the house. Yes, the house. Yes, he is that big. If we don't chain him up, he runs away. (Don't feel bad for him. He has a fenced in backyard and several walks a day.) Somehow, he got off the chain. How, I am not sure. His caller was on, the chain wasn't broken and the clip was still intact. Yet, there he was, running down the street.
   
   Me, on the phone to Adam: I am standing outside, freezing my toes off, because YOUR DOG got off the chain.He still has his collar on. His chain is fine. He's running off down the street with YOUR CHILDREN chasing after him.
   Adam: Poor baby.
   Me: And CAMI ATE ALL MY GUMMIES!
6. Cole: Me lollipop! Me TWO LOLLIPOP!
7. I'm still getting used to this new computer. The keyboard is smaller and I need to re-install stuff like my Kindle app and bookmarks. Thankfully, though, everything seems to work okay.
   
   Head over to Jen's for more quick takes! And back up your hard drive!

Summer 2013 Bucket List UPDATE

It seems like just yesterday I was writing our summer bucket list. I swear summer just began but, in a few short days, I will be sending them all back to school.

It wasn't a horrible summer, just not the summer I had planned. Sure, we did tons of this:

Joseph and Camille took swim lessons and got really, really good at a variety of skills. I ended up not putting the littles in swim lessons but I hope to do so this year.

We never made it to LEGOLAND or the Aquarium or any historical sites. Instead, we hung around the house and the kids got really awesome at Minecraft. They also found several YouTube sites that show how to make special characters or levels. The voice in those videos now haunts my dreams.

The chicken pox certainly wasn't in our plans but we are done with that forever! Neither was rescuing a kitten but my friends got a new kitty out of the deal, so I am thrilled with that!

Yet, we managed to do some of the items on our list. The kids spent two days at Camp Grandma and Grandpa and loved it. Adam loved the sleep! (I was out of town.) I worked on reading with Camille, the boys played hard and Joseph's brain didn't leak out of his head. I kept running and lost a little weight. I'm stronger and have so much more endurance than I had in April, which is probably the most important thing.

Cole potty trained! In the past six weeks he has only had ONE accident! He's been wearing his bathing suit nearly 24/7 and his only accident came when he was wearing shorts and underwear. I don't know if this was a fluke or if he's only trained when wearing swim trunks. Whatever it is... I'll take it! I GLEEFULLY packed up lots of my diapers and passed them onto my sister. FREEEEEEDOM!

George has been working on eating more, eating with us and trying a variety of foods. Although the chicken pox set him back a bit, he's been taking tiny bites of food he is unsure of and not throwing a fit if I place "less preferred" food on his plate. Yay!

We got the gallery wall hung:

 

 

And bought a new to us china cabinet and bookshelf from the Habitat for Humanity Re-store! Not only can I display my great grandmother's china, I have a spot to hid my sewing machine and projects so the room doesn't look so much like a junk room.

 

The mantel got a make over:

 

 



I'll be painting that mirror... some color... Ideas?

Summer is almost over. As good (and bad) as it was, we're ready for the fall. The kids have begun talking about Halloween. Higgins is shedding and I think his goal is to become the world's first Hairless Labrador. In other words, he wants the cooler whether too!

Just a few more school supplies to buy and school will begin this week...

Some Dogs Bury Bones

Random gentleman at the library: You sure have your hands full with those two scamps. I think I would rather have a Labrador Retriever.

Me: Oh, we have one of those but he's 120 pounds of dog!



What, your dog doesn't wear Mardia Gras beads?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



On Monday, I loaded up Cole to do some serious grocery shopping. Not only were we out of things like toilet paper and dish washing soap, we had spent the past week "eating down" the house to get ready for a short trip. I was pretty sure the kids would want dinner that night so I needed to get food to, you know, feed them.

One of our normal items to buy every week are whole wheat tortillas from Sams. Joseph likes to make cheese quesadilla and Georgie eats them plain. They toast up well for a healthy version of chips too.

Later Monday afternoon, I went upstairs to fold some laundry (no, it's not always all over the floor!) to find an empty tortilla bag on the floor. Right away, I asked, "Who took out ALL the tortillas?"

And before the words left my mouth, I saw George with one in his hand and Higgins with 4 or 5 in his mouth!

I just looked at the two of them. Higgins hung his head and George walked to the back door to head outside before I took his tortilla from him. The dog followed, his jaws full of fresh, new, just opened tortillas. Adam just looked at me and said, "You can't blame him- George just GAVE them to him!"

Whatever. Aside from a few on the table, several dollars worth of food was gone- again.

The next morning Adam went to take out the compost and came inside laughing. He found the dog's tortillas from the day before half-buried in the backyard. Apparently, some dogs bury bones. Ours buries whole wheat tortillas.

(Photo credit: Laura/WaldenMommy)



What the dog ate

We have a giant, 120 pound pain in the . . . I mean, we have a giant 120 pound dog named Higgins.

Higgins has two hobbies: sleeping and counter surfing.



Higgins doing what he does best- nothing



I will fully admit that it's not so much "counter surfing" as "walking by the counter with his mouth open and shoveling food in." He's so big that the counter isn't a challenge for him. Food cannot be left out at all; we have to put it away before we leave the room or it is his.

Thursday I made two loaves of zucchini bread and 3 dozen banana zucchini muffins. I used farm fresh eggs, whole wheat flour, flax seed and coconut oil. In short, these breads were healthy and expensive. Oh, and perhaps I should mention that they were for the teachers at school and a friend who just had a baby?

I timed everything just right. I made the breads over an hour before we had to get George from school. I knew they would be cooked and would just need to cool while I did the pick up, took him to speech and went to the petting zoo afterwards. I stashed the muffins in the microwave but had no place to put the (still cooling) bread.

"Well," I thought, "I'll just pop it in the oven with the door slightly open. No one is home so it doesn't matter if the oven door is slightly open." I popped the breads in the oven, left it ajar, told the dog he was DEAD MEAT if he touched the bread and went on my merry way.

I mean, there's NO WAY a dog is going to go anywhere near an oven that was recently 350 degrees, right?

I was sorta right. I took the boys to George's speech and to the petting zoo. I was going to take George to TKD after the zoo, but I realized that I had forgotten the uniform. I ran home, ran upstairs to grab his uniform and ran to the basement to get some hamburger (which was really liver, ew!) for dinner. I put the hamburger in the (turned off) microwave for safe keeping and noted that the bread was still safely in the oven. I patted Higgins on the head, said, "Good boy!" and ran out the door.

Not twenty minutes later, I was home again. George had fallen asleep and could not be woken up for TKD. I carried him in the from the car . . .  and noticed the oven door was wide open.

And there were crumbs all over the door and my floor.

And only ONE loaf of bread in the oven.

There was ADAM'S DOG sitting happily on the living room carpet with an EMPTY bread pan between his legs! His look was pure innocence as I snatched my bread pan from his paws and dialed my husband at work.

"Do you want to know what YOUR DOG just did?!"

A loaf of healthy (expensive!) zucchini bread right down his hatch! I mean, I'm happy that he didn't break my loaf pan. But seriously? Why did he pick that 20 minute window to open the oven door and get out the bread? And how did he get it out without hurting the pan, the oven, the oven door or the other loaf of bread?

I'm beginning to think this dog isn't a canine, but human. A human with no impluse control but a human.

At least the teachers' party isn't for another week so I have time to make some more bread!

Quick Takes Friday: Linky Love

1.

Let's start on a serious note, shall we? Check out "The Five Damaging Myths of Post-Partum Depression." I've had people address some of these myths with me and the article really clears up what women will and will NOT do. Please remember, if you feel like you (or you spouse; PPD can happen to fathers, same sex partners and adoptive parents) are suffering from PPD, please seek help from a qualified medical professional. Make sure you recieve follow up care. There is NO harm in taking medication. You deserve to be healthy and your family deserves a healthy you.

2.

Now that we've had that downer, check out I'm Remembering. If you spent any time growing up in the 1980's or 1990's, you will get a kick out of this site. Pound Puppies! Ghostbusters! Non-hoochy My Little Ponies!

3.

Once I was asked by my MOPS group what I left like the most important invention of my lifetime is. I answered that it is surfactant therapy, because it saved my son's life. I have often wanted to thank the person who started that therapy.

I found out last week that it was Dr. Mary Ellen Avery, and she passed away in December. It's silly, but I cried when I heard it. Her interest in human lungs and infants led to surfactant therapy, which saved Georgie. She gave me my son and his life. I am forever thankful. May she rest in peace.

4.

I was moved by the article "The Transformative Power of an Observed Love." I am so impressed by Msgr Pope's honestly about how he was a bully. A man who became a priest was a bully! That fact alone reminded me to never give up on a child, no matter how negative their behavior. Anyone can be saved by love, or observing it, even through a small, simple act of witnessing a hug.

5.

All life is valuable if it causes some to love and do good. My on-line friend is honoring the short life of her son, who was still born four years ago this week. Although her son only lived on earth inside of her, his life is wonderful and valuable because he brought people together. Many, many people prayed for him and his family four years ago; many still do today. Even something as small and simple as that is meaningful.

6.

This week I am trying this No Knead Oat Bread from my friend Joni Rae! It looks so, so yummy. I think my sous chef and myself need to get cracking!

7.

I know this isn't a link but I leave you with this:

Do you think the dog is comfortable?

Photo dump- Fall, in pictures

The Bear painted the sidewalk, driveway, pumpkins... and himself.

My sister came to town with her boys and we all went to the RenFest. I first went when I was 8 weeks pregnant with Joe, then when I was 20 weeks pregnant with Camille. A few years later, I went with both of them and NOT pregnant. The next time, I was pregnant with Georgie. This year, I am NOT pregnant and I just took the big kids. They had a blast!

Joseph kindly modeled this fun hat for us. I wanted to buy it for him and he refused. Said he would NEVER EVER wear it again. Stinker.

I think we have a dozen photos of the kids with their heads sticking through some wooden painting.

Shooting marbles...

With a fairy at a face painting booth. I thought her costume was so cool but Camille either wasn't impressed or was scared.

They both loved the shows. These dancers had some jokes at the end that I thought would go right over their heads... but Joseph laughed. I'm not sure if I should be worried... or REALLY worried. Heh.

Adorableness on the couch. I ran upstairs for a moment and came back to find Georgie cuddled with Higgins, sound asleep.

Dogdog!

On the bed!

The dog has taken over the house.

... assimilate or leave.

Giving Back

And this wasn't all the food! I saw alot of mothers who looked recently PP. I hope our smiles and congratulations helped ease the pain of a sick or premature infant.

And that day, I hugged my babies tight and gave thanks for all the advances in neo-natal technology. Because of that, I have my Georgie Pordgie Pudding Pie.

Binkie Thief

Georgie: Ooooohhhh... lookie! I have a binky!

Cole: Binky?!

Georgie: Baby Brother, do you need the binky?

TAKE THE BINKIE DANG IT!

Georgie: Fine, I'll take the binkie back. Higgins, do you want the binkie?

Cole: Um, what?

CHEESE!

(Yes, I know, I should have totally stopped the binkie sharing. But it was so funny! And now they will have tooth decay or get sick or something. But it was soooo funny!)

Quick Takes Friday... er Saturday

1

This morning my husband fished one of my contacts out of the drain. My stopper doesn't plug and I knew it was a matter of time before this happened. I'm blind as a stupid bat without my contacts and I HATE wearing my glasses. I am so, so thankful he managed to do this or I would be having a meltdown!

2

As payback, I fished a bottle of milk out from under to couch. It wasn't totally full but it wasn't empty either. Nor was it, um, new.

3

I also fished not one, not two but THREE packages of cheesy peanut butter crackers out of Higgins' mouth. I know he got one from Georgie. I took the rest of the packages away from Georgie but somehow he got a second. I put Georgie in his booster, locked the cabniet and finished making lunch. Somehow, without moving, he got a THIRD. Sneaky dog!

4

We are going swimming today. I'd better not fish a kid out from the pool!

Welcome Home Higgins!

None of these are terribly good photos of Higgins, our new 95 pound black lab. He's about four years old and was given a second, third and fourth chance at life from a local resuce group. He was found as a stray. When his owners were located, they declined to take him back in, sighting "lifestyle changes." He stayed with the Animal Control for a few days and the morning he was supposed to offically be turned over to the resuce, they found his kennel covered in blood.

They trotted him to the vet, where they found massive blood clots in his belly. They were so big, they pushed his kidneys out of the way. The vet and the animal resuce people think he might have ingested rat posion. After some tests, they thought the most human thing would be to put him to sleep. However, when the animal control officer went to sign the paperwork, she decided to say good bye to him. He stood up, wagged his tail and she just couldn't do it!

After a few scary days and weeks, Higgins went home with a foster mother who took good care of him. He has a completely clean bill of health and aside from a shaved belly and sides, you would never know he was sick. He's fairly energtic and has found all the loose boards in the fence so he can escape. Adam has already fixed those. He likes stuffed animals and is the sweetest, nicest dog. We're working on nice leash manners so I can take him for a walk with the kids. Right now, he pulls too much and is too strong for me to walk him comfortably.

We didn't tell the kids until 45 minutes before he arrived. Camille was upset for a moment, but was happy once we reassured her she could still love Fancy and a new dog. We told he Fancy is happy for us. Joseph was THRILLED and hugged me and thanked me for a new dog. Georgie just feeds him.

It is so, so wonderful to have a dog in the house again. I'm looking forward to trips to the dog park and the lake once we are all settled!