A Photo Shoot Gone Wrong...

The boys built little k-nex men Mario and Luigi. Thought I could think of a creative way to take a pictures of the little men with Sam and Jack in the background.

The little Italian men...

My men not cooperating, but, instead, making faces...

...and catching the demise and destruction of Luigi....that was awesome!

Some Days are Like This...

Monday Moose...

Back by popular demand...Monday Moose! (heeheehee)


Moose's princess friend, Esther came over for a "paw-jama" party! Moose was very friendly to her guest even those her eyes make her look possessed!

Look at Moose laugh! "HAHAHA...Esther...I...am ...touching...you!"

Esther, "Make her stop."

Moose had a check up on her foot. She is doing much better, but still limps and needs to be on "cage-rest" for another week. She also got a booster shot, while at the vet, so I thought a Puppy Latte was a must!

"That looks soooo good...hurry with your picture! My lips are shriveling up in anticipation!"

"Seriously! You are making me wait for my latte while you take more pictures? What if we would do that to you!!"

AHHHH...so bloody hell good.

(I seriously CANNOT believe that I have a special day for my dog and I am now TALKING for my dog.)

swear word, swear word, swear word...

Yesterday, I let Moose out the front door. Moose was standing where the apple is located in my picture. See the large leaf by the bush? When I looked there, a (swear word swear word) SNAKE crawled across the sidewalk. I (swear word) HATE (yes, that strongly) snakes. I literally froze. No, Moose did not go after it...thank goodness because I wouldn't want that imagine in my mind let alone have to deal with that type of dog breath! it was a garter snake...it had stripes...dark ones and light ones.  I almost started to cry!

So, if Jason doesn't take care of my plants, they will die because I refuse to go outside in the grass again!
Please pray for a hard freeze to come soon..I am hoping that will take care of the snakes. 

A Evening at the Beach...

The week before school started, the boys and I headed to the beach for one last time...(maybe.)

My boys don't build sandcastles, they dig moats and holes. it's all about the digging and nothing about the building!

Sam walked on water!

Two brothers chillin'...just talking about the weather and chicks! 

Love this one...this is so Sam.

A Conversation Between Jason and I...

How Awesome...

Came across this web site
1000 awesome things!
While scrolling through it, I thought it was a fun site, not the traditional "I am blessed, grateful,gratitude, etc." type of site. But one that lists little things that when they do happen, are pretty awesome! (I think this could be a fun little scrapbook.) So i have decided that when i don't have anything "special" to post, that I will post an "awesome" thing post. Something that you may find yourself saying,
 "Yea, that is awesome!" (or at least maybe laugh!)

(Don't get me wrong, the blessed, grateful, gratitude is fine, I just want to go a different route.)

So while going through pictures..I already found some awesome things...

a bunch of ready to go sharp pencils.  Must be the teacher in me, but I love new, sharp pencils....with good erasers.

Growing chest hair and then being able to wash it off!

When an outfit comes together.

When a good friend returns home safely for the third time!

Ah....

Nothing better than sleeping in on a Saturday morning after the first week of school.

A BIG Day at the State Fair...

Our state fair is a BIG state...a BIG state fair it is....


While checking out the State Fair web-site, I noticed that you can make an itinerary for your day.  The organizer in me bloomed!

So with our itinerary in hand, the boys (including Jason) headed to the fair. First time that we did not pull a wagon or push a stroller...yes!

Jack started the day with a BIG sierra mist...the best sierra mist he has ever had.

Sam and I started with a BIG grinder.  My favorite fair food.  (last time At the fair i went to the counter to get my grinder and a girl threw up on the sidewalk right behind me.  Needless to say, I didn't eat that grinder.)

The boys had to ride the BIG slide.

Sam is on the far right with Jack behind him.

We checked out the big bull.

Looked at the BIG pig with the BIG nasty teeth. (Bloody hell nasty.)

Got a picture with the BIG pumpkin that you are not to touch or lean on...oops!

And Jason got his picture taken with a "BIG" politician.

Jack asked if Sarah Palin was the one who made the butter cow.

Jason, "No, she's not that talented." (sorry if that offended anyone.)

Moose Update:  First, thanks for all the well wishes for Moose!  She is doing a bit better. She is not to go up and down the stairs and that is driving her crazy.  She is not happy when we all go up stairs to go to bed.  Wed. night she would bark and then I would come down and she would just look at me, "HI!"  I went back to bed. I woke up at 3:00 am with panting..nope, not Jason, but Moose!  She climbed those stairs..that stinker!!  The trick was to get her down the stairs, the next morning, which was accomplished by me putting her front end on my lap and scooting down the steps while she moved her back paws.  Her swelling is much better and she moved around a bit more last night.  She SO wants to go outside and sit and chase balls.  Not for at least 4 more days!!

24 Hours...

The following all happened in 24 hours...

Moose sat under a tree for 2 hours straight waiting for a squirrel that never came down. She finally left and then saw something in the woods...took off. Came back and sat on the front porch. It looked as if she had drooled all down the front of herself (right under her chin.)  I assumed it was from watching that squirrel.

 I touched it...it wasn't drool (and what was I thinking to touch it?) I said, "Did you get in some sap, Moosie May?" Then I got a whiff of her...it wasn't sap, but something that rhymes with that.

Got her all cleaned up.

Last night, Moose came inside, all wet....so I knew she had chased something into the woods...again! She took awhile to get up and when she came inside I could see that she was limping. She had hurt her front left paw. Wasn't broken, but obviously hurt.

Got up in the morning and Moose hadn't moved from her bed. Her "ankle" was pretty swelled up. made and appointment for the vet.

Had to get the lawn mowed. Started mowing. Noticed some "rope"....no...."stick"...in the lawn. Nope. It was a SNAKE! I had run over a snake. If you are scared/bothered by mice, toads, spiders...that is exactly how I feel about snakes. I can't even look at books with snakes in them. So, when I saw the snake, I thought I was going to pass out...then I thought I was gong to get sick and then I thought i was going to cry...you get the idea. My dog can't even take care of them due to being laid up!

Time for Moose to go to the vet. The vet was concerned that she may have been bit by something and asked if there was anything that she could have gotten bit by...(yea...maybe even a snake!) Well, the good news was that she only sprained her ankle. Put her on an anti-inflammatory/pain-killer and "cage rest" which means that she can only go outside to use the bathroom for the next 5 days.


This is how we feed Moose..we bring the food and water to her. (I noticed how she blends well with our woodwork!) Notice how her left leg is swollen. Ouch! She is telling me, "Those are some good drugs..I mean this is good food."

At this time, this is how she sits. Notice her left paw is swollen.

Now, time to go get Sam from football. Jack asks if he can look at the snake. I drive up the lane (due to the fact that i will not walk in the grass ever again.) He jumps out and takes a good look at the snake and then gets in the car and states,
 "That's bloody hell nasty!" (WHAT???)

and here is Moose winking saying, "I totally agree, jack my boy. I feeeeleeelll gooooooood."

I hope the next 24 hours is a bit calmer.

Father Son Flag Football...

Jack and Jason are playing father son flag football...it is a hoot to watch!


Jack is warming up...I think he thought he was still playing baseball!

Practicing taking off each others flag...Jack soon realized that he would need to use his entire hand and not just his fingers to grab a flag!

HIKE!

Like father like son...I think this may be one of my favorite pics this year!

Jack thought football with dad was pretty awesome!

The Grand Opening...

Yesterday was the first day of school for the boys. Sam is in 4th and Jack is in Kindergarten.
I asked Jack, "What is today?"
"THE GRAND OPENING!" he replied!

Everyone got up nice and early...even Jack (which will probably be the only day!) Unfortunately, the only thing he could eat for breakfast was a yogurt because his tummy was too nervous. Sam, no problem...old pro.

Picture time! Poor Moose..I think she just realized that her boys were going to be gone all day, "What? All day?!"

Jack standing by his cubbie...with his green shirt, green lunch box and green backpack. (*sniff*)

And after school...both boys were STARVING, so Cold Stone Creamery was on the menu...look at Moose, she won't leave their side!

As you can see, Moosie was very happy to have her boys back home!

And how did I do?
Well, i almost lost it walking down the hall to Jack's classroom and thought, "i can't do that here!"  When we left, Jason asked how I was doing.."Fine, the tears are right on the rim..so let's not talk about it."  What made it all ok was that Jack was so happy and excited...and that is what school is all about!

Monday Moose...

As "promised" but not guaranteed, A little Moose on Monday!

Moose's friend Esther had a sleep over last Friday night. Moose was pretty darn excited to have her over, while Esther wanted Moose to "chill" a bit. At one point, Esther had her head on my lap and Moosie May came over, looked at Esther and gave her a big sloppy kiss on the side of her mouth. Esther's mouth snapped shut and the only thing that moved was the very front of her clenched lips...reminding Moose that wasn't very lady like!


This is what Esther and Moose looked like before the kiss...


and this is Esther afterwards. Pure shock to Esther and I think Moose is saying, "I....have...a...new....friend."

Another Moose story:
Yesterday i was out watering my plants and Moose decided to wander in the woods...she rarely does this. I think she may have heard or seen something that I know 1.she  didn't know what it was and 2. she wouldn't catch it anyway. Doesn't stop her from heading in thought.  So, after about a minute, she comes out of the woods with her head hung low. She came up to me and she looked green...literally! She had ran through a brier type patch, while in the woods, and had little green briers stuck ALL OVER HER! To bad it wasn't Halloween because she could have gone as a green elf. So Jason and I spent a good hour pulling burs from her fur. thank goodness, she just laid there AND had the audacity to fall asleep...like we were giving her an all over body rub!

She fits right in with our family!

PS:  Sam and Jack started school today.

Thumbs Up...NOT!

So...stay with me through this story...

We had been sleeping on the main floor due to when we did our remodeling, our contractor removed 2 of our 3 cold air return vents (they circulate air through your house) thinking the one that was left would be fine...NOT! So, we had to have Bell Brothers come out and put in three new cold air return vents. This caused the basement ...where my scrapbooking room is located to become covered, once again, with dust and bits of wood. (the first time was during the remodeling.) I did cover everything with towels and you would think that the Bell Brother person would be considerate of the area...NOT! He actually spilled a diet coke (I know I should not have left it there) on my scrap desk and did not clean it up. Nice.  Well, the other day, I went downstairs and dusted and vacuumed everything and everywhere down there. While doing that, I unhooked our old phone because we didn't need it and Jason had never gotten around to unhooking it...just helping out...NOT!! I have been without Internet for the last few days and could not figure it out...well, it had something to do with that phone cord that I unhooked. (that is why I have not been blogging or answering emails.)

So, We went out to eat tonight and Jack got a chocolate chip cookie. He ate half and wrapped the rest in a napkin to take home. The waitress took the napkin without me noticing and jack was in tears (and he is very tired) because he has no cookie. So, we get another cookie before we leave the restaurant and wrap it into a napkin. Jason is holding the cookies and decided to try one out...sets Jack back into tears. We leave. We get home and Sam sets the cookies on the low table by our door. While I am trying to figure out why I don't have Internet, Moose keeps coming over and whining to me...she won't go out...she won't lay down...she won't settle down. Fine. Go back to working with the Internet...got it to work..What is Moose munching on...JACK'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE!!
I don't think i will tell him until morning...and maybe he won't notice...NOT!!!
(so this is really all my contractor's fault!)

Where's Moose...

I was looking through pictures and noticed how many that Moose is in...by accident and because she just wants to be around her people!

Here the boys were dressed up as they were going on a date...Moose thought she could go, too.

Jack was collecting rocks while Moose patiently checked out what he was up to...

Sometimes getting a picture of the boys can be difficult when she is distracting them...

Enjoying watching the crowd shuck corn...

Hanging out with her boy...I think they might be starting to look like each other...hmmm.

Trying to get a family picture and Moose wondering what we were up to!

Moose is actually laying on the floor and Jack is crowding her for once!!

Moose is such a silly and fun dog...we sure do enjoy having her in our family!!
(I am thinking of making Mondays be "Moose on Monday." She would love that! She did have a sleep over to share about!)