Wordless Wednesday

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Any Guesses - Boy or Girl??

(No fair guessing if you've already been TOLD!!)

Almost HERE!!!!

Busy, busy, busy...

Plenty of preparation...

(Almost everyone) gets in on the mounting excitement!!

Blossom was so glued to "Dinosaur Train" on a DVD in the truck, that she couldn't have cared less about all the prep work. That's ok... coming into our world in a quieter way might bring a bit of peace... I'm sure she'll come around!!

New Around Here!

Friday night was a BUSY night after Pops got home from Georgia and we finished our supper!!

I will have to share more later, but it was fun fun fun!

Some were more excited than others...

Some were not excited enough to leave the movie playing inside the truck...

and this was shy and didn't want to look at the camera...

More soon!!! Gotta rush...

Busy Beauty

Yes, I am still here. I didn't know that I was going on "vacation" for a week either! Wasn't that fun? Yea, me neither. Somehow we had one of those weeks where we were so busy... doing not too much! Pops has been in Georgia all week long and we miss him A LOT. He comes home tonight and we can't wait! I wish I had better stuff to "report"! We did have a fun time at a park with friends, we have visited the library, went to Ash Wednesday Mass, ate some Sonic deliciousness, cleaned and tidied (and created disaster when I was in a separate room), enjoyed several lovely days outside - one over 72 degrees and sunshiny, watched the weather turn icky with huge wind gusts the day before... a whole lot of nothing outstanding this week! But, a good week just the same!

My Blossom sat and read a lovely Fancy Nancy at the Museum book to me - that was fun, as it was complete with multiple voices!! It got me thinking about her becoming all grown up - her birthday is coming up rather quickly! So, I went hunting for these photos from this past summer where the girls got all dressed up and I indulged the make-up requests. They both looked so grown up! But, as I look at this particular image, I can't help but think that she looks an awful lot like Princess Diana...

I think it is just in the pretty little doe eyes, anyone agree??

Secret Code

Bud has been quite interested in Secret Codes lately. Mostly he wants to write either in a code or with invisible ink - like lemon juice or milk. Anyway... it must be rubbing off on Pops!

This is the wood burning stove in our living room. When it is cold out, we burn and burn and burn, baby, burn. There is a blower on the stove so it kicks quite a bit of heat out into the room and we work at trying to get it circulated throughout the house. Our bedroom is the farthest away and can get quite chilly, but we have a handy dandy heated mattress pad on our bed, so no worries. But, I digress... As you can see, this stove is rather dirty and the doors need a good cleaning. Pops cleaned them to a sparkly shine a few weeks ago, but they are glass and need another good cleaning. (I am not sure why one door has a grape vine theme and the other a wolf/mountain theme - but, that is what it is...)

I sat down on our sofa to enjoy the fire Pops built. It was nice. But, I couldn't see the flames flicking around through the soot. So, I asked him if he wouldn't mind wiping the glass down before it got really hot and it would be impossible. I wanted to see the flames licking around. He kind of grinned like he might, but it might also be possible that I would experience a "surprise."

Pretty! It totally impressed all the treekids. I was loving the sentiment. I am not a big huge fan of this looooooooove holiday, but I like these little touches on St. Valentine's Day night or any night for that matter!!

St. Valentine's Day Lunch

I like hearts. Not to wear them all that much, but I like to draw them, to see them, to play with them. I think that kids like to play with their food. I like to make it fun, now and then. We ALL had dentist appointments for teeth cleanings this afternoon. So, I felt like a fun lunch before the appointments would be good!

SO, I made mini pizzas with english muffins. I didn't have any shredded mozzarella - so, I used the slices and a cookie cutter to make hearts to cover the sauce (and clumps of cream cheese deliciousness). Then I took my mini heart cutter and cut the pepperonis into little hearts. The cheese didn't stay very heart like - use your imagination! Then it was time for the fruit. Apple halves, slightly hearted and strawberries halved!

If nothing else, the kids were so excited for this fun kind of lunch and it was all gobbled down fast before we piled in the truck and headed to town.

As for the dentist appointment, a good report! No cavities!! Just an orthodontist recommendation for the crowded teeth in Branch's mouth and the heads up for the same recommendation to come in two years for Blossom.

There's Snow Business Like Snow Business!!

Sunday night we were "bracing for snow" here in central Oklahoma. We told the treekids, "tomorrow just might be a SNOW DAY!" They wanted to know what a snow day is. So, Pops informed them that a snow day is a day where there is a lot of snow outside so we have to do school inside and play in the snow outside!! I LOVE HOMESCHOOLing!!!

Monday we woke up to 3 inches of snow!! So, we had a snow day! Pops and the treekids played out in the snow for a couple hours. I lazed around and made hot cocoa and then went outside with the camera to get a few pictures before the fun ended.

Since snow play hasn't been in our winter too often as of late, we really have a pieced together look for snow gear! We haven't kept everything that the bigger kids have grown out of... but there was enough stuff to go around... even if it didn't fit perfectly!

Bump woke in the weeeeee hours of the morning and was standing at the window and could see the snow everywhere with the spotlight on the yard. He was sooo excited and said, "It's NO! It's NO!!" THen he climbed up in our bed and fell fast asleep in the middle all toasty and warm.

Pops didn't want him to miss the fun and woke him and dressed him while he was half asleep so that he could get in on the fun before it all melted and/or the bigger treekids tramped it all or rolled it into big snowballs! I, however, took the opportunity to sleep in an extra twenty minutes - I was not needing the thrill of the cold!

All the treekids had a blast! Looks like Pops had NO fun at all.

Bump started a sneak attack.

Wearing a red coat doesn't lead itself to being too sneaky, but Pops was taken off guard by the cuteness factor.

Down to the ground he went... all the way down!

The attack continued with help from big sister, Branch!

Looks like he never had a chance!!

Unfortunately, my camera's battery died and I had to take the camera back inside. I wish I would have brought my little flip video camera outside with me when I went back out... with the little puppy!!! OH - THAT was a funny funny funny sight! Itty Bitty's legs are not much longer than 4 inches, so that means her belly was dragging in the snow a bit!! BUT, she did her best running and chasing and bouncing along chasing the treekids as they ran through the wet snow. She sort of looked a bit more like a bunny rabbit than a mushing dog!!!

Happy winter to Oklahoma!!

7 Quick Takes - (volume 10)

--- 1 ---

First order of business: Potty Training. I went for the bare bum option (I don't like cleaning up the poops that would still be found in pants if I was teaching, via Bud, the stand up and pee method!) suggested last week. Bump is super successful with a t-shirt and no pants/underpants on. He will make it in the pot every time - without fail. Now, this naked bottom business, as Branch says, is a little bit awkward. SO - if you have any suggestions on going back into the underpants and continuing success... please do share! If that bum is covered with a pair of underpants, jeans, a pull-up and pants when we return from an outing or a diaper and jammies when he first awakes in the morning... he will sit on the pot with no adjustments to making his bottom bare before sitting and making any kind of deposit! Any thoughts, here??

--- 2 ---

I did not think that I would like this little chihuahua. I didn't want to like it. I thought it wouldn't be "my kind of thing" as I like a big ol hunk of a dog. Something powerful. Something that makes a statement that says, "I am a DOG." You know?? Well, aw shucks. That little stinker of a pup has won over my heart. Bud didn't want to like a prissy dog - and he is hooked. Blossom didn't want to like another dog... she wants a kitten - but, she likes this puppy! I had no doubt that Branch and Bump would like the puppy. Pops wasn't gonna like it either. I think that he likes this little uber-manly (tee hee hee) dog!

--- 3 ---

Sorry about no interior photos... just too busy with potty training a boy and a dog!

--- 4 ---

Not that I want this post to end up being an all dog post, but have you SEEN the crazy things that are available to dress your dog in? I am not kidding you when I say that at PetCo there were sun dresses, cheerleader outfits, princess get up and the like for all sizes of dogs. UNREAL. And, apparently people do spend on these things! I was looking for a collar that would be tiny and ended up talking to a lady who has a teeny yorkie. She said she didn't buy the funny little dresses for her dog, but when the weather is colder a little sweater is very good for these tiny breeds. So, then she told me: "Don't buy one of these $20 sweaters for the little thing, though. My breeder gave me the best idea and it really worked. Take a sock out of the sock drawer, cut the tip of the toe off and then figure out where the little front legs would go through and cut slits for them. Don't worry about holes for the back legs, that isn't necessary. Scrunch the sock up around the body of the pup and that will work great for a warm sweater for taking her outside!" Well, goodness gracious - she was right! A PAIR of $3 socks makes for two sweaters at $1.50 each! Score!!! I plan to do a little sewing and add some little pretty to a sock to surprise this new puppy owner!! I think that she would enjoy the fun of that - and I like it at the lower price!!

--- 5 ---

I am going back to a homeschool planning system that I developed for the kids when we were doing K and 1st grade in Oregon. It was overwhelming to me at that time, but with them all being older and able to help in the planning/scheduling and allowing them to take more ownership in their education. I am super excited to "re-think" of this idea!!!

--- 6 ---

Hot Tubs. Do you have one? Do you use it? Do you like it, love it, want some more of it? What temperature do you like it set at? What kind is yours? What do you use to care for it? We seem to head out to our hot tub, here, about 5 nights each week. We put the kids to bed, get a few things done inside, turn the baby monitor on and head out to soak away for a while. While we are living here at this rental we are taking full advantage of its use! I ask all those what kind is yours, etc... questions because I think that when we buy our own house I am thinking that I want to have one of these beauties for there, too!!

--- 7 ---

This "7 Quick Takes" was anything but quick! I have been working on these 7 little bits about this past week for, well... ALL DAY! Interruptions all day it seems!

If you've enjoyed these 7 Quick Takes, maybe you'd enjoy more here!!

Itty Bitty

So, yes, we have a new itty bitty puppy in our family! Pops and I got Branch this adorable little teacup chihuahua. She has been asking for a little dog for over a year now and has worked at showing responsibility all this past year (really, since she was 18 months old and loaded her own dishes in the dishwasher, but... MORE responsibility this year!). Last month, she did some small dog research at the library and made a powerpoint presentation showing what she had learned and how she would care for a chihuahua when we got it for her! (Nice assumptive close, eh? She gets some AWESOME selling skills from her dad!)

So, after some careful consideration and a little prodding from a veterinary colleague who raises and sells teacup chihuahuas about a half hour from where we now live... we she has a little fluff ball!

This little lady is sooooo sweet. Tiny is for sure!

I have a small collection of teacups - I like all different kinds and like the assortment. Anyway, I got out a nice teacup that had a flat wide base for her water bowl and a teabag rest for her food. (She is supposed to eat 3/8 of a cup of these tiny kibbles in a day - spread out over 3 or 4 feedings - so, basically a tablespoon of food at a time!)

Strangely, that situation didn't work out. The teacup was too big and the teabag rest was the right sized for the food, but we soak the kibble since she has a little bit of a problem breaking up the hard crunchy kibbles. That makes the kibbles grow and puff and then she licks them right out of the dish. So, I remembered this old child's teacup that I received as a gift from an old friend. The cup is just the right size and the saucer for the cup works great for her soaked kibble. All the big kids had gone to bed, but Bump was still up and loves the puppy and sure wanted her to drink her water - there was some left!! He insisted that she wanted it... I don't think so!!

She is very timid and is a little frightened about walking on the slick hard floors. She is getting more and more brave - curiosity is beginning to peak! She weighs about 2 pounds and at 5 months old tomorrow (her birthday is 9-10-11!!!) she is nearly at her full size! HOLY COW!!

She is what they call a long-haired teacup chihuahua. The fur is soft and a little fluffy, but really only "long" around her ears - more wispy elsewhere! She is white with gold spots and a lovely pink nose. Not really anything like the "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" dog!! I added bells to her collar like a cat since I am worried about stepping on her... Branch thought it was a terrific idea!

Bump loves to hold her, pet her and search for her when she is "hiding"!! She has had several names so far... Minnie, Melrose, Misty, Miette, Mia and currently it is Mini. She arrived on Tuesday and here it is Thursday and we are basically back to the beginning. I have not taken Branch to get a little dog tag for her collar since I am not certain that the name will stick yet!! We'll see!!

Wordless Wednesday