More Birthdays & Father's day

For my 32nd birthday, I decided I would not cook.  And would primarily eat for free!  I love all the new free deals I am finding.  The kids and I had a leisurely morning.  I worked out and then we went to have a late brunch at Denny's.  (Free Grand Slam on your B'day!)  I got a kid's meal for Alaina and Ky, but Alaina did not hardly touch her food.  However, I enjoyed watching Ky devour his meal--and enjoyed the older couple next us admiring my beautiful children.  Ahh..yes a good birthday it was.  It was also Playgroup day so we met our playgroup at the park where Ky got his face painted like spiderman.  (Exciting times!)  Rob then met me there and brought ice cream.  He had class that night, so this was our best opportunity to have some time together.  From there we were off to the Y for work.  And finally dinner came--Red Robin.  Yes a free meal from them!  YUM!  This time I learned my lesson though--I did not order Alaina a meal.  I shared my meal with her and that was just fine.  Kylan especially enjoyed the day and for the next several days asked at every meal if we could eat out :)  Ahhh..there is just something nice about not cooking for a day. 

I almost forgot the kids got balloons at Red Robin and it was so much fun watching them play with their balloons.  It was a GREAT birthday! (Of course the video below doesn't do the balloon "fun" justice.) Why is it that once you pull out the video camera the kids just stop doing what they were doing?

That weekend Nana & G'ma Jan came and we picked strawberries together.  It was the end of strawberry season and I didn't want to miss out on filling my freezer.  The picking was also my first experience with stinging nettle.  (EEKS!)  I was crouched down picking some berries and I felt something jabbing my skin.  I figured it was just a weed so I ignored it.  A few minutes later I felt a burning sensation.  I got up and I saw blisters appearing on my arm and legs where I had been in contact with the weed.  What a nasty weed!  After a while ( a lot of burning), the area turned numb so it really didn't bother me anymore.  But YUCK!  Now I know...and I will stay away from it.  It is so funny to think that people actually make tea from this nasty weed!
After picking Mom & Jan treated us out for a yummy lunch at a cafe.  Good food and happy children all around!  After that I spent my time cleaning strawberries and freezing them.  I have learned that coring them and putting them on a cookie sheet is the best way to freeze them.  (DON'T SLICE).  After they freeze 2-3 hours on the cookie sheet then transfer them to your freezer bags and Voila--wonderful whole strawberries that aren't all frozen together!  And, so perfect for pulling out for blender drinks! or toppings, or baking....mmmm...

The next day was Father's day and the kids had fun giving daddy a father's day song and gifts.  I made Rob a collage with the kiddos and entitled it "Daddy's Tax Credits".  (A term Rob came up with himself!)  He loved it.  From there is was church and then off to Pop's and Debi's for more birthday/father's day fun.  We celebrated Devan's birthday and mine.  It was a good time with good food.  Alaina decided to try an onion--mmm...yeah...got that on camera. 

So I really haven't done much for milestones so here is my effort...Ky is officially 40 lbs now and 31 3/4" tall.  After every meal he stands up and says, "See how much bigger I have gotten?"  He is currently in T-ball and just finished Karate camp--which he loved!  We are planning to get him more karate classes in the future.  He talks alot--and right now he is in a phase of asking ridiculous, drive you nuts question.  (i.e.  "Where is that car going?"  "I dont' know"  Why don't you know?"  Because I don't know that person?"  Why don't you know them?"  etc...  or one of my favorites in the car..."Can we follow that car?"  "NO"  "Why not?"  "Because we are going somewhere else"  "Why?"  Etc....)

Alaina is talking in sentences.  She loves her nuk, but we have tried to reduce her down to just having one at nap and night time.  She still pushes down babies smaller than her and pulls hair.  And yes I discipline her every time.  She will occasionally go on the potty, but more often than not she will sit to go and then stand up and pee right in front of the potty.  She LOVES to annoy Kylan and get him to scream.  She is still into purses and shoes.  She climbs EVERYTHING!  She is Miss Independent, but still LOVES to be held. And right now is a mommy's girl. 

That's all for now...gotta get to bed! 

Alaina sings ABC's

So PROUD!

Happy Birthday Videos

Alaina really did well learning to sing Happy Birthday to Kylan for his birthday--however when my birthday came around she had some real issues trading Ky's name for mine. Here are some videos of her working on it.

Sibling love

A few short videos of the kids together. SO CUTE! Be sure to watch the second one--Nothing makes you happier than listening to kids laughter!

Beans & Cheese

So if you haven't figured it out yet--watching Alaina eat is HILARIOUS! I love it. Her new thing is stealing food off of other people's plates (I have to get that on video.)

These videos are from another ENDLESS meal. She was just SHOVELING it in with no stop. Of course, we only got a bit on camera. Definitely not a dainty girl....

Happy Birthday Ky Pt. 2

On Monday (Ky's actual b'day) he had a playdate with his good friends Mae & Daniel.  We started the morning by building a fort!  (WHAT FUN!)  When they grew tired of that we moved outside to the newly finished swingset with deck & slide that hooks up to the clubhouse above the shed!  (I finished it, YEAH!--but forgot to take any pics!)  The kids had a good time playing outside in the clubhouse and playing with water guns--and especially eating leftover birthday cake!  (Who wouldn't?) 

That night when Rob got home we pulled out our present to him.  We had bought him a bike.  He had a pink bike that the neighbor had given us and he LOVED it.  However, he needed something a little more age and gender appropriate (we were well aware that soon some kids would be making comments about his "girly bike".)

Ky was ecstatic.  We brought it out and he hopped on it so quickly.  I was unable to get any good pics of him on it.  He didn't want to get off--even to eat dinner.  However, we bribed him with a walk around the neighborhood (he could ride his bike) if he came in for dinner.  That did the trick.  After dinner we were off for a ride.  He did really well.  He fell 3-4 times, but didn't cry and just got back up on his bike. 

He told us his bike was named "Rocket because it is REALLY fast!".  We even let him do some loops in the cul de sac.  And now, he asking for us to take his training wheels off so he can ride on two wheels.  (though for now we are going to wait on this since his feet don't quite touch the ground. 

On Thursday we had a birthday party for Ky's playgroup friends. Of course it was "Cars" themed.  we had some games including "Don't wake the tractor"  (where Daddy played the sleeping tractor), as well as a game to see who could build their road the fastest.  And of course they played Red light Green light!  It was a fun time (and a lot of work.)  Ky had picked out kazoos as a party favor, we handed them out and they didn't work--turns out they didn't come with the little paper inside that makes them work!  I tried quickly cutting out various papers for them, but none of them worked!  ARGH!  At least the kids were too young to really know any better. 

I am sure that Ky will tell you the best part was the cake and the song.  And what kid doesn't love cake!?

I will tell you that this was a bit of a stressful party with the neighbors deciding THAT day was the day to put up their new fence.  This meant I had to keep all the kids out of the backyard and confined to the front.  It was a bit crowded, but I think it worked out well. 

Ahhhh...I am just happy that the birthday stuff is over....now to begin thinking about Alaina's--oh no, did I say that out loud?!  ARGH! I can't believe my baby will be turning 2 in a few months.  *Sigh*  They sure do grow up quick!

Oh--before I forget, I just have to add, that Alaina is really into stealing other people's food. Poor Daniel who sat next to her during "cake time" had much of his cake stolen....(Please keep this in mind if you sit next to her during any meal times in the future.)

Happy Birthday KY! (Pt. 1)

Yes, there are multiple parts to this blog because this boy had 2 parties...Yes 2.  We had a "friends" party on top of the family party.  And let me say, I am exhausted thinking about it--but the result was one VERY happy boy.

Before I get into all the details of cake making and the family party, I have to say that Kylan was a very confused boy.  He did not understand how we were having a birthday party for him that was not on his birthday.  We had to keep explaining to him that since his birthday was on Monday it was harder for people to come and celebrate, so we were celebrating the weekend before.  Then he was convinced on Saturday that it was his birthday, and once again we had to burst his little bubble.  Poor kid!  So confusing...

This year we asked Ky what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday.  He has a lot of different interests now, and nothing that he really favors, so I needed his input.  "I want a Lightning McQueen Cake.  I want a chocolate cake with pink frosting on the bottom and marshmallows on top.  And I want oreos."  Hmmm...interesting...Well, ironically (not intentionally planned) he actually sort of got that.  But we will get to that later. 

Thus I began the search for a Lightning McQueen Cake.  Don't you love the internet?  I found this site below that gave step by step instructions on how to make your own McQueen cake. 

http://www.make-fabulous-cakes.com/car-cake.html

So we planned from there.  However, there was ONE problem.  Rob and I had never made or decorated a fondant cake before.  (Fondant is that frosting that you actually roll out with a rolling pin and then place over the cake, it's kind of like a shell on the cake.)  So continued the internet search.  There are a LOT of sites out there about fondant.  And the recipes required glycerin and other stuff that was unbelievable.  Until I found this link.  This lady teaches you how to make easy fondant with marshmallows!  And it was FUN!  (Here is the link if you ever want to make easy fondant.  You know I am recording this in this blog so I can easily look it up later.  I am sensing many more fondant cakes in the future.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9rlJeJsJR0

The night before the party we worked on the fondant.  Since Auntie Barb's B'day was on the day of Ky's party, we figured we would first experiment with the fondant on a little cake of hers.  It went so well, we got a bit overconfident.  We started adding dye to the remaining fondant for Ky's cake.  And we added dye and more dye and more dye--and well after using a FULL bottle of red food coloring and still having a pink colored fondant, we were done.  So we began rolling out the fondant. Long story short, all the dye changed the consistency of the fondant, so when we placed it on the cake it cracked in the corners.  We now know (of course hindsight) that if we had simply added a little shortening it would have fixed the problem.  Oh, well.  The cake still came out looking pretty good and really amazed Ky.  The look on his face when he saw that cake was worth the late night of decorating.

The day of Ky's party, he was SO excited.  It really brings back memories of being little when you see your own child's excitement.  He was continually asking when people were going to arrive.  And finally the arrivals began! 

Uncle Adam & Aunt Liz were first to arrive, though they detoured through a fair amount of Wisconsin country before they arrived (and reminded us that we need to tour the Jelly Belly factory soon!)  And shortly after that the extended family arrived.  After some visiting and admiration of the carpeted garden, we got the meal going.  Ky was bouncing from family member to family member and playing with his cousin Dominic. And the usual family things were happening:  Richard managed to get a piece of toast stuck in the toaster--and it turned into a long and drawn out ordeal--thank goodness Detective Bloedorn was on the case.  U. Kirk and A. Barb had brought  a book from the 50"s?  on how to make various things --for example how to shoot and slaughter your cow, recipes for bizarre things like cow tongue soup, how to skin a rabbit.  And of course we cannot forget the three grandma's that attempted to change Alaina's diaper and put it on backwards! (again!) Ahh...nothing better than the fond memories of family.

We grilled for Ky's b'day (I think we pretty much do this every b'day).  It was good eats.  Shortly after dinner we pulled out the cake and the look on Ky's face was priceless.  He loved it.  We sang to him and he sat there with the cutest expression on his face.  And then we chowed.  It was pretty good cake.  Alaina kept asking for "more cake." And when she was denied, she cried. 

Then of course the gift opening time came.  And what an excited boy he was.  He got some great books, the Car's video, baseball bat (which is hidden for the time being---yeah...), a bug catching kit with lantern, underwear, cd's, and a Thomas laundry hamper.  (I am sure there were some other things as well..) At that point it was late and many people left.  Ky was bummed, but happy he still had U. Adam & A. Liz to hang out with.  It was neat to see the kids with Liz & Adam--also interesting.  Alaina really bonded with Adam, while Ky really bonded with Liz.  The next morning after a yummy breakfast Ky was very sad to see them go.  (You can see from the pics, he didn't want to smile.)  Ah...but all good things must come to an end.  All in all it was  great 4th b'day party...and Mom & Dad had decided to give Ky his present on his actual b'day--which will be in the next blog entry...

Happy 4th my big kid!  I couldn't have picked a better boy!  God sure paired us together well!

It's a Slow Fade When You Give Yourself Away

Here it is ladies (and guys)....

Before you read my little blog, please listen to this song....

http://www.jango.com/music/casting+crowns/slow+fade/

and take a minute to read the lyrics.


Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what you see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see



So I have some friends who think I live in a bubble.  To those friends I would like to say, I have seen much more of this world than I have wished to have seen and much more than you probably have. 

Growing up, there was one important thing I credit my mother doing for me.  She sheltered me, as much as she could from what she could.  Granted--there were many things she did not, or maybe I should say she could not--but she made the attempt and also SHOWED me the attempt--SHOWED me that certains things were UNACCEPTABLE. 

(I learned a lot more than I wish I had at a young age--and no, I am not going to go in specifics, however, if you would like to talk to me, I would be more than happy to share a lot of those things one on one with you.)

As mothers, we attempt to shelter our children from seeing violent circumstances or sexual scenes.  May I ask "Why?"  Before you read on, please take a minute to think of why you don't let your children watch these things.

Seriously think about it...

I have realized, throughout the years, that as you continue to let yourself watch or become involved in things that are UNACCEPTABLE, you slowly start to become numb to it and not fight it as it becomes a part of your "normal".  Is it any wonder why so many kids grow up so cold and heartless?  They are so used to seeing and experiencing this behavior, that that is simply what they are accustomed to.

Did you know that the average American child will have watched 100,000 acts of televised violence, including 8000 depictions of murder, by the time he or she finishes sixth grade (approximately 13 years old)?  Isn't that INSANE?  A child should NEVER see someone murdered, acting or real.  Many of these children are seeing these murders before they are 5!  And kids at this age often see tv as reality.

How about sexual scenes? Can you remember the last prime time tv series that did not show people in bed?  How about unmarried people in bed?  Are you trying to teach your children the sanctity of marriage?  How can we do that when we are watching people exposed on tv--and often casually or in an affair?  Marriage is something that should be treasured, but when tv spews it as something different, doesn't that make it seem like societal norm? 

Now, if we take the time to protect our children from this societal TRASH, I would like to ask, "Why aren't we also protecting ourselves?"  Aren't we our child's example?  If we don't want our child involved in that trash, so why are we watching it?

Being in a devoted marriage-one that I am committed to make work (and yes if you look at Rob and I both coming form divorced families, statistically we are not supposed to make it) and having children, I have quickly realized that I need to make sure I don't allow anything to enter my household that could interfere with our standards.  I also need to represent to my children, the type of person I want them to become.  I don't want to be a hypocrite.  I don't want to say to my children "stay loyal to your spouse" and yet watch shows full of cheating and sexual affairs. 

Did you read the lyrics?  It is a slow fade when you make those decisions.  Do you really think someone who murdered another person did it out of the blue?  Don't you think it took a LIFETIME of being unsheltered and being continually exposed to things that brought them to that point?  Do you see how much of their life, their innocence was MURDERED before they then acted in the same way?

I realize that example is extreme, but think of it this way.  When a little girl plays house, does she play house with multiple daddies in the picture?  Of course not, but isn't that often today's reality.  Over time, many of these little girls will watch the adults around them, tv, and their friends and then slowly fade over time to that dream of house with one devoted daddy.  She will most likely give herself away instead of choosing to devote herself fully to that one man.  She will settle for something less.

Several years ago, I made a choice to really reduce tv watching out of my life.  I have never been happier.  I have never felt more secure and loved.  Yes, loved.  I love myself enough not to expose myself to those evils of the world.  My thoughts are not focused on how Jenny could have cheated on Bruce, or the horrible knife fight in the latest action movie.  I watch 2 prime time tv shows-Survivor and Amazing Race.  Rob and I also watch Food Network or HGTV.  Seriously, I have never been happier.  And my outlook on life has become all the better. 

So there you go.  And yes, for now my children are going to grow up in a lovey, dovey, fuzzy world--my bubble.  And if that makes them more happy, confident and secure adults where they don't need to lower their standards and settle for less, then my job as a parent has been done.  If you still think I am a kook--so be it.  But I challenge you to take all of the "TRASH" out of your life for one month and see if you become more of a content person.  If you don't take on the challenge, I feel you have no right to "pop" my bubble.  So let me be where I can fully enjoy the pleasures God has given me. Speaking of which, here are 2 of them...

May Flowers

We started off May with walking with some friends through Olbrich Botanical Gardens.  It is such a beautiful place where you can just let the kids roam and enjoy the beautiful plants.  However, with Alaina, you can never have a leisurely stroll as she is trying to trample the flowers or jump in the small stream or touch the golden Thai building...but I manage :).  BTW--if you have not had the experience of being with Alaina in the last 6 months or so, you would quickly discover that she is a BUSY bee!  She does not stop.  She climbs, runs, jumps, and destroys.  Watch out!  She is the kid that will not stay with the other kids--she sees something and she wanders to it.  I gotta keep my eye on her 24/7.  Often she runs out of my sight and I have to chase after her.  I figure she is helping me to keep in shape.  At the same time, I am waiting for when she begins to be more responsive to me.  Right now, if I hold her hand to keep her from running off, she "rag dolls!"  (Meaning collapses her body so I am literally holding her up.)  Well at least she makes up for all this crazy behavior with her cuteness--oh and her kisses!  She is so affectionate!  Gotta love those kisses...ooh and her songs.  I will put up some videos of her singing soon, I promise.  She however, likes to run when I pull out the camera.  ARGH!  Anyway...back to my story...

Ky took a ceramic class with me April through May.  We really had a great time together creating different things and decorating them.  I do know that I enjoyed it a little more than Ky, but hey the idea is introducing him to different things.  The first day we were there Ky created the turtle.  He worked really hard on that little guy--and then enjoyed painting him.  After that he had the great idea to trace his hand.  We glazed that and poked a hole in it.  We plan to turn it into a Christmas ornament.  He also made the vase mostly on his own.  He saw a mom making it and pretty much copied her.  He is definitely pretty crafty, but I think the hour long class was just a bit much for him.  Alaina did not enjoy the ceramics class, I dropped her off in childcare when we went, and I could hear her screaming from down the hall every class.  Poor girl, but she got through it (well, let's be honest, she didn't really have a choice.) 

For Mother's day, Ky & Alaina painted pots and planted herbs in them.  They were quite creative little presents!  We also gave out personalized mother's day cards to our mother's.  It was really neat actually--as I am discovering more and more about saving money, I am also learning that cards DO NOT have to be $4 a pop if you preplan.  If you check out sites like shutterfly several weeks before a holiday, they will often have stellar deals.  You can then create your own cards with your own pics and the pay anywhere from $1 -$1.50 for three!  How awesome is that!  And of course grandma's LOVE showing off these personalized cards to all their friends! :)

Mid-May we made a short trip to Indiana to see my brother Joel, and to take my mom out for a belated Mother's day gift.  The trip there was long (well it always is...).  We were looking for a Bob Evans to stop at for lunch (Bob Evan's does not exist in Wisconsin).  And well, we ended up in the middle of nowhere--and ate at a very smokey Denny's.  (Living in Madison, all restaurants are smoke-free.  It's a hard readjustment when you walk into a smokey restaurant.)  It was a frustrating trip...

Anyway, we got to Bristol and enjoyed spending the evening with Joel & Jamie.  Joel, who is currently working towards becoming a pastor, has so much knowledge about the history of the Bible and the movements.  He also is discovering how different biblical interpretations change the context.  He really blew our minds away with a lot of the new things he has learned.  As well as raised up many good questions, that I have no answer to.  Being around a 4 year old and a 1 year old all the time, it is good to have some heavy conversation that really gets your brain working. 

Anyway--the kiddos had a blast with Uncle J & Aunt J.  There was a lot of reading and coloring and caterpillar catching.  Ky's favorite part was feeding Mr. Turtle.  In fact I think Mr. Turtle has never eaten so much food.  It is funny to think that that turtle used to be the size of a quarter 10 years ago.  He sure has grown. 

Saturday, I had a nice lunch with my mother.  She then came back for Jamie's yummy lasagna and some Uno game playing.  On Sunday we attended church with my brother and got a closer look on the kind of pastor he wants to be.  I have to say, I am really excited for him.  He has clearly found his passion in life.  I know that he will make a difference and will help many come to Christ as well as help to promote relationships with God to grow.

As always, the trip was too short.  We left Sunday afternoon.  No Bob Evans on the way out either....Bummer.  I guess we will just have to go back so we can get some good biscuits & pancakes.

May was definitely a hot month.  I pulled out the kids' pool many times and they enjoyed splashing around.  Alaina is a bit hesitant of actually getting in the pool, but hopefully with time she will learn to enjoy it.  I also finished the deck to the kiddo's play structure.  I am pretty proud of myself.  It looks good and is functional.  (Actually, it is not quite done, but it is functional & safe.) 

With the garden planted, I was able to start harvesting radishes and spinach!  YUM!  Sure signs of summer (as well as a relief to our grocery bill!) 

We have gone to the Farmer's market once.  (It was actually funny because we ran into people from our church on every side of the capital building.)  It was a good time and as always there are just so many yummy things to eat.  Stella's Cheese Bread is by far the best, and I am determined to figure out her recipe this winter. (Not a fan of baking in the summer.)

Alaina is now talking in sentences.  It all happened really fast for her.  Just today she said "Can you help me, Please?"  Blows my mind when these full and complete sentences come out--and with manners included!  She is just too cute and is always keeping Rob and I laughing.  I remember Ky being the same way at this age. 

Potty training is come and go.  We have pretty much let her take control.  She has peed on the potty 3 times and pooped once.  Right now we are in a dry spell.  She is telling me that she has to go, but not wanting to go on the potty.  I haven't pushed it.  However, I have let her watch Potty Power many times.  Anything to help encourage...

Alaina's hair is really long now as well.  I just don't even have the heart to take her in for a trim though.  For now, I just want to enjoy her beautiful curls and see how her hair grows.  She still appears to be strawberry blond and her hair is lightening with the summer.  Ky's hair is doing the opposite.  It actually appears to be getting darker now.  He reminds me a lot of my brother Joel--who started out as a blond and is now as dark as me.  Ky also has some of U. Joel's facial features.  I see it in his smile.  (This is good--it means Ky does have some of my genes!) 

Ky took a 6 week Spanish class in May.  He did well and REALLY enjoyed it.  I may have to look into getting him some other lessons or something.  It appears he is starting to understand that Spanish is actual words, not just gibberish.  Though my neighbor said he started speaking gibberish to some Hispanic men when she took him to the store--EEKS!  But he is getting better!

--one more thing that I have no pics of (b/c it wasn't allowed.)  I took Rob to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit for his birthday.  It was really neat seeing 2000+ year scrolls written out.  It was also neat to see how consistent the copies were.  The amusing part of this exhibit was the special lighting & cases that these scrolls were encased in.  Yet the original people who found the scrolls and put them together were smoking cigs with bare hands as they did it!  It is so funny how time changes things. (I am willing to bet that some of the missing scroll parts were due to cig ashes falling on it and burning it.)  Anyway, it was a really neat exhibit and we enjoyed it.  If it comes to your local museum, you should check it out. 

Well, that is all for May.  On to June--the busy month!

A beautiful Spring weekend

The weekend after daddy's b'day Rob's Mom & Jan came to celebrate by taking us out to lunch.    We ate at Monty's Blue Plate Diner.  It is a favorite restaurant in Madison, so we had to wait 20 minutes or so for a table.  During that time, Nana & G'ma Jan entertained the kids by letting them walk outside.  Alaina collected as much sticks and pinecones and she could stuff in her little hands (one of her new obsessions).  After lunch, we discovered that Alaina had actually wetted through her pants ( joys of being a parent) and I did not have extra clothes for her on me.  However I did have some of Ky's clothes, so we simply rolled up the pant legs and let Alaina wear those.  (She looked pretty cute in oversized boy clothes.--but don't all girls?)  Afterwards, we walked around the neighborhood a bit, just enjoying actually being outside.  YEAH SPRING!  We then went home and Rob opened his gifts--$ for tix to a Brewers' game (what more could a boy want?)--well maybe he would like them to play better as well, but that's another story.  He also got assorted beers from Jan, which he is still enjoying tasting today. 

As you can see I posted one of my fun shopping trips again.  I know, I still haven't posted my coupon blog, but I will get there soon...I am so behind on a lot of things  (too many b'days lately, and then more recently Alaina getting sick--she vomited all over daddy on Father's day...but that's also another story.)  I am really having fun with my shopping!  Rob is actually putting together a spreadsheet to see what kind of savings we are making.  I am amazed to find our grocery bill (this includes Target/Walmart trips for toiletries, cleaning supplies, batteries, oil change supplies for cars, etc...) has actually only been anywhere from $250 (yes $250! to $400) the last couple of months.  (And the $400 was from the first couple of stock up months!)  He said that he calculated one of our b-4 coupon months and we spent almost $600!  And I am cheap--I have always shopped at Aldi's, but man the trips add up!  Anyway--when he gets the rest of his analysis done I will share.  (After all, I also want to see my results and feel proud of what I am doing!) 

The last pics are of Alaina and her graffiti.  I had taken her shirt off because I was starting to get her dressed--and then the phone rang.  When I looked back, she had written all over herself.  (Thank goodness I had taken her shirt off!)  This has become a new hobby of hers now.  IF she finds a pen (and yes I hide them), she will write all over herself.  Silly girl!

Well, once again, a short blog entry....I still have to get my May pics up!  And then of course JUNE!  You gotta see Ky and his cake!  He was so excited!  In the words of Ky, "Adios, Amigos!"

Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker

“Motherhood is like a pitcher with a hole in the bottom: A constant drain on our energy, patience, and tolerance.” (Hatmaker, pg. 36). Isn’t that the truth! And this past week (and my dealing with a cold) my hole has been EXTRA Large. Thank goodness I have a loving God, husband, and ME time to help keep my pitcher filled just enough!


Jen Hatmaker did a wonderful job in writing her devotional “Out of the Spin Cycle”. She related to the endless battles that mothers go through—not only with their children, but also with their friends, husbands, and themselves. Having all the knowledge of being a mother herself, Hatmaker kept her daily devotionals to a five minute read. She ends each devotional with one or two questions for the reader to answer as well as a goal for the day.

This book fit into my lifestyle so well. I was able to pick it up in those short free moments and read through a devotion. I was then able to continue on with my day feeling that I had not only invested in myself, but also in my relationship with God and my family. I loved the goal of the day. It gave me something to aim for each day, as well as affirmed that I was investing in my children.

One of my favorite devotions was entitled “Tequila Sunrise”. It was about a girl who interpreted a Bible verse based on her own life experience. Hatmaker shows mothers how to introduce their children to Jesus based on what they know. I had never really thought about it that way. And honestly, I often struggle explaining to my son who Jesus is. However, when you put Jesus into metaphors (i.e. Jesus is like an umbrella—he protects you from those uncontrollable rainstorms. He covers you and takes (or has taken) the pelting rain for you), he becomes more identifiable. It is also a way to show him how Jesus is involved in EVERY ASPECT of his life! What a neat idea!

I have to say I was most impressed to find out that not only was Jen Hatmaker a mother, but a pastor’s wife. It showed me that even pastor’s wives have the same battles that I do, and they struggle. (For some reason, I have this fantasy that if you are a pastor you just KNOW how to bring up your kids.) She had devotions that reached me from every level. I highly recommend this book to include in your devotional collection. Whether dealing with friends of high baby fashion or your own need to be seen as perfect, Hatmaker reveals to the reader what God wants of us.

Rockford Children's Museum & Follow up to Easter

Daddy took the day after Easter off for us to have a GREAT family fun day.

Ky and I had just gotten done studying DINOSAURS, and I wanted to take him to the Burpee Museum in Rockford that had Dinosaur fossils. The plan was to take the kids to the Children's Museum in the morning and then the Dinosaur Museum in the afternoon. Well--like all things, it did not go as planned.

We got to the Children's Museum mid-morning. The Rockford Children's Museum is a VERY impressive place. It had so many different exhibits. Very comparable to the Betty Brinn Museum in Milwaukee--if not better. This place even had an outdoor play area--which was HUGE!

So we pretty much spent the day at the Rockford Children's Museum.  I packed a picnic lunch and we ate on the playground.  It was a nice time.  (Though Ky's attitude towards the end was less than desirable.) 

When we returned home we then had our own little Easter Egg hunt (we didn't have time the day before) and let the kids open their gifts. 

The video below is from the Children's Museum.  They had this fun room that would project their image on the screen in various ways.  Ky and Alaina found it hilarious.

TOO MUCH BLOOD!

There it is...The scrape that kept Kylan from walking on his leg for the rest of the night.  The scrape that had (and I quote) "TOO MUCH BLOOD!  THERE IS BLOOD EVERYWHERE!"  The scrape that led to 30 minutes of incessant screaming and crying.  The scrape that Alaina laughed at  (yes the one year old found Kylan HILARIOUS during this traumatic event.)  And finally the scrape that had me laughing for the next several hours.

So how did this terrible thing happen to my little boy?  We were just leaving a friend's house and Kylan came running down their grassy hill (it had just rained.)  He took a little tumble in the grass and began sobbing.  I could tell by the cry that he wasn't hurt that bad and proceeded to put Alaina in the van (as well as everything else--my hands were full.)  By then my friend, Crystal, had gotten to him and picked him up and brought him to the van. 

Yeah--I noticed the little scrape.  I told him that we would clean it up at home.  On the 10 minute drive home I then listened to him scream and bounce around.  "TOO MUCH BLOOD!  THERE'S TOO MUCH BLOOD!  THERE'S BLOOD EVERYWHERE!"

Then Alaina began laughing at him.  (It was too much--I then began chuckling as well--but I think I hid it pretty well.)  What's really funny is that (and I know you aren't supposed to compare children but....) Alaina has scrapes all up and down her legs.  She has walked up to me before with blood dripping down her leg--and she doesn't care.  (Remember she is my climber.)  However, Ky has this tiny scrape on his knee and it is the end of the world.

I carried him in the house because he "COULDN'T WALK!"  I struggled with him to get a bandaid on (he didn't want me to touch it--because of ALL THE BLOOD!)  Ahhh...to be a parent.  These moments are just too funny.  I tried to take some video, unfortunately they aren't nearly as good as what he was actually doing during the drive.  Enjoy!

Flying with Fly Lady

Yes...This is me vacuuming my garden...But I had good reason!  This utility guy came and STOMPED through my garden with his muddy boots!  Do you see all the dirt he trafficked on my carpet!  My beautiful clean carpet that I loved sitting on while weeding is now stained by his muddy grubby feet!  AND he trampled some of my pea plants!  UGH!  Anyway..this seemed like the most appropriate photo for this blog...Rob took the pic thinking it was too hilarious!  NOT FUNNY!  I can't believe he ruined my carpet!

BLEH!  I really don't care for cleaning.  It's my job & responsibility though, so I do it.

I have gone through many different methods of cleaning.  I did the "each day has a list of assignments" method.  (Yeah--you know that with kids and varying schedule, this didn't last...).  I did the "only do it when it needs it" method.  That became a real mess--because everything appeared to need attention at about the same time.  I also did the "focus on one room at a time" method.  This method was  probably the biggest joke!  Yes...I never did finish the first room I started. 

A friend introduced me to Fly Lady about 7 or 8 months ago.  This woman knows how to clean and manage your house.  She has really helped me to get control of not only my cleaning, but also maintaining other parts of my life.  For example--she taught me how to do meal planning.  I LOVE IT!  Every week I sit down for about 10 minutes and plan out all the meals for the week.  This SAVES me SO much time.  Instead of wondering all day long, "what should I make for dinner?"  My question is already answered.  It also makes me look forward to cooking dinner more.  (I think Rob likes it the most.  I notice him peeking at my meal plan to see what's for dinner in the morning.)    Anyway enough on that...

So Fly Lady points out the fact that there are weekly cleaning chores you should always do such as vacuum, clean sinks, laundry, etc....But what I most like about her is that every day she has an additional task for you to do which can take anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes.  These tasks are the things you don't think to do until it is so gross that you HAVE to clean it.  For example, the other day my task was to clean the fronts of my kitchen cabinets.  Now prior to Fly Lady, I think I cleaned the fronts of my cabinets twice a year.  Now I do it about once a month.  And let me tell you--it makes a BIG difference.

 Other little tasks you wouldn't normally do are things like cleaning your baseboards or the ceiling fan blades (and yes this is really disgusting the first time you do it--but now since I do it once a month mine are never that bad.) 

The website is http://www.flylady.net/  
This site is FREE!  (BONUS!)  And I ONLY get the emails from her that I request.  (NO SPAM!)  (Scroll down to the work zone of the week to see what I do...or click on this http://www.flylady.net/pages/FlightPlan.asp  )

I sign up for the daily emails that give me the "Flight Plan of the Day".  (This is that extra chore that I mentioned.)  There are also other parts to this email for cleaning ideas from other people.  I usually browse the subject titles to see if there is something interesting, but mostly just stick to the "Flight Plan of the Day."

When looking at her site you will see that she has daily rituals.  Honestly, I don't follow these.  I am not going to shine my sink every day (even though this is nice in theory).  Realistically, it is not possible for me to have that shiny sink.  However, I really like her "swish n' swipe" in the morning (quick sink & toilet cleaning)--though honestly I only do this every couple days. 

I have to say one of the best things about her is I keep picking up her sayings.  For example, a load a day keeps the laundry piles away!  (Though that also doesn't happen in our house.)

Anyway...
If you are looking for something to help you with your cleaning, check out this website.  If you aren't--keep it in mind because I KNOW you know somebody who could use this site.

Happy Cleaning!

FlyBaby,

Jessica

A couple Random videos...

(I guess she didn't like dancing on camera...)



How we taught Ky the days of the week



How we taught Ky the months of the year



Ky playing Imaginary SuperWhy with Daddy--(this video has a slow start...)

I had a gardener's dream....

In the beginning....

was my VERY weedy & grassy garden.  And no rototiller this year..so I needed a new plan.  A plan to keep the weeds away -- a natural plan an earth-friendly plan.  I don't have all the time in the world to weed.  So I began Phase 1 of BAN THE WEEDS!

I started one section at a time.  I used scrap wood pieces I had between the rows to help keep the weeds away.  But Alas...this was what I did last year...The weeds still had too much territory to grow through.  (And I did not have enough wood scraps to cover between all the rows.  I needed something better!  (Spinach & Sugar Snap Peas pictured above.)

Radishes & Sugar Snap Peas above. 

So came Phase 2 of BAN THE WEEDS!

So I brought out the newspaper.  Newspaper is great for the soil--and shouldn't it also prevent weeds from growing?  I began by fully burying the newspaper, but quickly discovered the weeds just grew over the paper.  That was when I just laid the newspaper down and then put a little dirt on top (enough to hold it down.)  While this looked tacky, it actually has worked pretty well.  When I see weeds starting to poke through, I simply put another layer of newspaper down.  Not to mention I now have entertainment while gardening--comics anyone?  (Pepper plants poking through the newspaper holes.)

So every year I take from the soil, so it is just as important to put stuff back into the soil.  I call this poor man's composting.  I use old food containers in the house to collect my compost and then I just bury it in between the rows of my plants (and of course put newspaper over it!) 

And then the ultimate tragedy happened--not for me--but to a friend.  My neighbor's water heater burst open flooding her basement.  All of her carpet was RUINED.  I loaned her some fans to dry the area, but the damage was too much.  She sadly ripped up her carpet. 

That is when it hit me.  Hmmmm.....

Yes I did!  I took her carpet and carpeted my garden. 

I cut out holes for my tomato plants and then cut pieces to place between the rows AND I put newspaper underneath.  Okay..seriously..what a great idea!  It retains the moisture.  And it is SO COMFY to sit on and garden.  I LOVE MY CARPETED GARDEN!  And I plan to do this EVERY YEAR (not with the same carpet, but someone else's tossed carpet).  I imagine this carpet will be pretty nasty by fall, but it has been out in my garden for a month now and is holding up REALLY WELL!

Seriously, how cool does this look....Now that I am saving all that time from WEEDING, I will have time to vacuum my garden!  (And yes, I am serious!)  Happy gardening!

(I dedicate this blog entry to all of my gardening friends, may the fruit of your labor be bountiful this season. I also cannot forget my friend Jillene--without her, my garden would have been hopeless this year.)

Daddy's Birthday & Easter

Okay...

I am truly embarrassed that it is June and here I am publishing a blog for the beginning of April (*blush*). But hey--- At least I got around to it!

So Rob's birthday fell on Easter this year. Of course I had the wacky idea to celebrate his last 31st day instead. On April 3rd--We baked a whole wheat blueberry chocolate cake. (I know sounds kind of funny--but it won Better Homes and Garden recipe of the year!)  It was a pretty good cake.  I would not put it at the top of my lists for cakes, but the combination of blueberries and chocolate actually went  together pretty well.  Anyway--back to the details. 

Boy it happened so long ago--I honestly don't remember what I made Rob for dinner--(Man do I feel bad!)  Anyway, I did make him cinnamon rolls for breakfast (his favorite!)  For Rob's birthday, the kids had painted him pics (see pics above), and I had purchased him a Brewer's long sleeved shirt and told him I was taking him to see the "Dead Sea Scrolls" exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum and dinner.  It was a fun prebirthday.  We really did sing "Happy last 31st birthday" to him. 

The next day we got up early for our church brunch and service.  What a glorious day! 

From there we headed to Grandpa & Grandma's house for Easter dinner with the family.  Debi had a fun little Easter Egg hunt with the kiddos.  Alaina really enjoyed carrying around the basket--which doubled as a purse for her.  (That girl and hand bags---she DOES NOT get that from me!)  Ky loved searching the trees for fun prizes.  I tried to get some nice pics of the kids, but they did not cooperate---I should specify that Alaina did not cooperate.  She just does not have the patience for pictures.  Getting a nice picture of her is a battle!  Perhaps when she is a bit older...

Anyway--that was most of our Easter celebration...though on Monday we did a little egg hunt at our house after a wonderful trip to the Rockford Children's Museum.  Stay tuned for that adventure (including dancing video of Alaina & Ky!)

POOP IN THE POTTY!

(Ice Cream the Best reward for pooping on the potty!)

SHE DID IT!  YES SHE DID!  20 Months old and initiated by herself...

So now you think I am crazy to be so excited by poop in the potty--but I have been changing diapers for almost 4 years now--wouldn't you be excited too?

So here's the background info...

The last few weeks Alaina has been telling me "I POOP!"  and then sure enough within the next 20 minutes she would poop.  I had pulled out the potty a few times and encouraged her to sit, but nothing ever happened. Since then, I have been showing her "Potty Power" (the video).  She loves it.  (Yes--I am fully aware this is against my NO TV for under 2 rule--but I figure this was a worthwhile exception.)

Today, she was eating snack and said once again "I POOP!"  So I asked her, "Do you want to go on the potty?"  She replied, "YEAH!"  So there you have it, I put her on the potty brought her some books.  She then bent over to grab a book and that is when I saw the beautiful creation she had made in the toilet. *SIGH*  

I was so astonished.  I didn't expect anything to happen.  I started shouting "You Pooped!"  (I think I scared her--she was looking at my like I had lost my mind.)  Then I was pointing at the potty yelling "Look at what you did!"  (Now she is looking at the potty FREAKED out like she made a mistake or something.)  I really hope I didn't scar her.  We wiped her bottom and then I let her call Daddy and tell him what she did.  She was pretty excited to talk on the phone.

After that she was rewarded with her favorite treat--ICE CREAM! 

So here is the weird thing--really, it's not that weird--after all Kate from Jon & Kate plus 8 takes pictures of her kids with their "creations".  --so it has been 2 hours since the incident and I haven't flushed it.  Yeah--I am saving it--FOR DADDY--that is.  I need him to come home and make a really big deal about it --just to emphasize how great she is for taking this big girl step. 

On a sappy note--my baby is growing.  *SIGH*  But I am looking forward to many more successful potties in the near future (hopefully I am not reading into this ONE incident to much.)

Way to GO Alaina!

(Video Clip is of her and her celebratory ice cream.)

Saving Money...Rebates & Class Action Suits

I always do rebates at Menard's...it is a part of the cycle of getting us home improvement items--and it saves us LOTS of money.  I recently discovered there is an array of rebates out there--in particular for groceries. 

In fact, I have to credit the last four bottles of lotions I purchased for FREE (actually I made $2.50) to rebates...and nice bottles--Olay!  In fact, many rebates you may be able to make money off of!  The rebates will ask you to purchase $xx in products and they will reimburse you--this means BEFORE coupons!  Just to break this down for you.  Olay has had NUMEROUS rebates for buying their lotion and to top that--they have had lots of coupons. 

The first rebate I did with them, I did not have any coupons (My precouponing days..).  The rebate simply said, buy 3 of their products and they will give you $15 rebate.  I purchased 3 lotions for $13.50 + tax and sure enough I received back $15.  Take tax and stamp into account--I got 3 bottles of lotion for free and made $1!    Their next rebate was to simply buy a bottle of lotion and receive a rebate for the bottle.  I bought another lotion for $4.50 and used a $1 coupon which I doubled (spent $2.50 + stamp for rebate) and I received a rebate for $4.50.  (I made $1.50 again!).  So do you see how this works???

So there are many items for free or close to free with rebates--How do companies do it?

Well, they rely on you, the consumer, to be inspired to buy the product via the rebate and then count on you to FAIL in sending in the rebate.  You can fail two different ways in sending a rebate in 1.)  You forget to send it in or 2.)  You don't fill out the rebate correctly.  Here is what I do to succeed. 

When unloading my purchases I either immediately fill out the rebate OR I put it on the counter where I won't miss it.  I then give the completed rebate to Rob to "proofread" & mail.  Remember failure 2 is not filling it out correctly.  If you forget to circle your item --you will not get your rebate.  If it is a larger rebate, I will scan the receipt and form.  I will then also put on my calendar when I expect to receive my rebate.  (For example, if it is 6 weeks from now I will mark "Olay Rebate" 6 weeks out.)  If I don't receive it, then I can look at my scan and give a call.  (So far I have NEVER had to do this.) 

Finally, you can also receive money from class action suits.  (These suits usually come from false advertising.)  These lawsuits basically state if you bought such and such, fill out this form and you will receive money.  (Many forms are online, YEAH!)  Don't expect to see your money for a long time...remember this is a lawsuit settlement.  However, if you fill them out periodically as you discover them, you will eventually see some returns.  Some you don't even have to have proof for--but be sure to be honest.  I don't file a claim for products I know I don't buy. 

So let's get you started on some good rebates that are currently out there....Here are the forms.  (Actually there is only one online currently that I am aware of.  Boo-hoo--I will start hooking you up with other rebates soon!)

Rebates

SC Johnson.  Buy 3 products get $5 back  (Potential money maker!!!)  And you can do this rebate up to 3 times!  Good until June 30, 2010.  Products include OFF!  Ziploc, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Glade, Mr. Muscle, Duck, Windex, Shout, Nature's Souce, Fantastic, Drano, Oust, Raid, Baygon, Autan,AllOut, Saran, and Grand Prix.  (I am excited about this one...I am going to stock up on bug spray for the summer and freezer bags for my garden produce!)

http://www.scjohnson.com/Files/afc-rebate-form.pdf


Class Action Suits

Did you buy any Tyson Chicken between June 19, 2007 and April 30, 2009?  Even if you don't have proof--You can still file a claim and receive anywhere from $5 - $50.  See this link for more info and to fill out a claim.

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2010/04/tyson-chicken-settlement-receive-cash-or-a-coupon/

Did you purchase DanActive yogurt or Activia before April 23, 2010?  Receive $30 to $100.  No proof needed.

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2010/05/dannon-settlement-receive-a-cash-refund/

Did you purchase a lawnmower between 1994 - 2010?  You could get an extended warranty or up to $75 back.  See this link for details...

http://www.pocketyourdollars.com/2010/05/lawn-mower-settlement-receive-cash-andor-an-extended-warranty/

So in the future, I will let you know about cool rebates/class action suits as I come across them.  As you can see PYD lady does a lot of the work for me, but I sometimes find other ones.  (Not to mention your grocery store will often have ones.) 

Next Saving Money Blog will be the BIG ONE--that introduces you to coupons.  This is where you save BIG money!  Yippee!  Expect that one hopefully sometime next week.

Goodbyes to Bear

As a few of you know, we rehomed Bear a few weeks ago. This was a very HARD decision for me—and I am still having problems with it today.

We got Bear at 6 months old. We adopted him from the Humane Society—something I will never do again. We were given 15 – 20 minutes to visit with him, and then 15 minutes to decide if we wanted him. If we didn’t adopt, there was a whole SLEW of people behind us waiting to meet him. Dogs 6 months and younger did not last long at the Humane Society at all—and we wanted a puppy to train.

When we first met Bear he was very sweet and mild. He just leaned against you for pettings. He was rated an “average” energy dog that was shy. We soon learned that he was quite the abused and confused dog. We spent months working with him just to take walks on the leash—he was petrified of parked cars and would turn around if he saw them. He had serious separation anxiety, so we crated him. All in all he was my perfect companion in Milwaukee especially when Rob stayed overnight in Madison several days a week. He also got me out of the house and venturing the neighborhood.

He LOVED the park we lived next to. There were ponds in it and I would take him to swim. There was no concern for him off-leash, he would always come when called.

Then Kylan came. Bear ignored him. Literally, the first few months he pretended Ky did not exist. He was still a good dog just a jealous one. We moved to Madison, Ky’s first winter, and things got much rougher. I didn’t walk Bear like I normally did. I couldn’t take Ky out in those frigid temps. Bear acted out a little as all dogs, but he was still a great dog. We trained him to go to the bathroom in one area of the yard—he did a great job overall—however occasionally he did stray from the area. (And our one neighbor was sure to inform us if he went inches into her yard.) But overall he was a great dog.

Then came Alaina, poor dog. Yeah, he got very little attention once Alaina came along. There was less time for petting, playing and walking. Granted I was VERY good about walking him when the weather was warmer, but this past winter I think I only walked him a handful of times. Turns out Bear was actually a high energy dog. He would run laps in the house. He was OVERLY excited when people would come over. In fact it came to the point where we just started putting him away when someone would come over because he just WOULD NOT calm down—and he would jump (and a 60lb lab is the last thing you want jumping on him.)

Anyway, the last year I could really tell that he love playing with Ky and Alaina (and he was very good with them) but at the same time he was getting annoyed with them. Ky would get some growls for pulling his tail. It was getting a little alarming. I know Bear would never bite out of viciousness, but at the same time I didn’t want Ky to continue to harass Bear and drive him to bite out of self defense or to just get Ky off his back.

This whole last year of having Bear I had been battling with the idea of rehoming Bear. Bear was my dog. Not Rob’s. Rob had little interest in him. Bear’s exercise and attention all relied on me—and with 2 kids and working part time, I just wasn’t finding anytime for him. I can’t find time for myself—how do I find time for him?!

So the final straw came a few weeks ago that cemented my plans to rehome Bear. I had just come back from a walk with the kids and Bear. Rob was home and I handed Bear’s leash off to him. Our neighbor girl (5 years old) comes running up to us from out of nowhere and Bear jumped up on her in excitement. We think he was going for a kiss or something, I am not sure, but he left marks on her. His teeth drug on her skin and she did bleed. It wasn’t a bite mark, but more like a scratch.

I am very blessed to have such wonderful neighbors who shrugged it off as no big deal, and “this should be a lesson to our daughter not to run up to people’s dogs!” But, I felt awful. What’s even worse was thinking about Ky’s friends and if their parents would have concerns with Bear being around (even if we kept him away). We had worked with him to try to calm him when people came over, but nothing we did seem to help. UGH!

So I put up my notice for Bear on the Humane Society’s Rehoming page as well as on Craigslist. This is what it said:

I am looking for a new companion(s) for my dog Bear. He is 5 years old. He is a black lab/water spaniel mix. He weighs 55 lb and is well trained. He has been trained to go to the bathroom in one area of the yard. He can sit, speak, lay down, stay, roll over, come, shake, hurry up (command to go potty), retrieve his toy (stick), and jump up. He does not get on furniture and has been trained to wait at the top or bottom of the stairs until you are up (we taught him that for the safety of our children on the stairs.) You could pretty easily teach him other commands as well—he will do anything for food. He walks well on a leash. He is neutered and up to date on all of his shots including Bordtella. Since he is mixed with water spaniel, he loves to swim and does well off leash. He also loves to play fetch. He is easy going and generally loves everyone.


He needs a home where he can get more attention and at LEAST a walk every day. I have had 2 kids in the last couple of years and he just doesn’t get enough attention anymore. Not to mention, I am not always able to walk him every day. He does well with kids, though I can tell he has been getting frustrated with mine lately—most likely jealousy. I would prefer he go to a home with no kids or older kids to ensure that he is more likely in a family where he will get exercise. He loves other dogs as well.


His bad behaviors are becoming very excited when people come over (jumping up, barking at the door). I am sure with the right owner who could spend time with him and teach him, this would be corrected. (Because I have young children and don’t want him jumping up when they are crawling on the floor, I have been removing him from the room.) Also, because he is a lab he can get mouthy when he gets excited (he may nibble or open his mouth). The best thing you can do for this is to always make sure he has a good chew toy so he is less likely to be that way. Also, when he gets proper exercise he is rarely mouthy.


He is currently on an eye medication that costs $10 every other month. He has an immune disorder and will need the medication for the rest of his life. It only affects one eye. It does not affect how he sees, or even appears to bother him –so this really isn’t a big deal—but I want to be up front about additional costs.


He is not an outside dog. He needs to live in a home with his owner. If you are an active person looking for a dog companion, please let me know. I am not happy about giving my dog away—but he needs a better living situation. I want to make sure he goes to the right home, so please don’t feel offended if I ask for references as well as some time to see how you and Bear get along. Thanks.

I have to say I was surprised by the number of responses we got and how quickly we got them. The first response I had was from a man named Rick. He and his fiancee were looking for a dog that they could take walking several times a day. They manage an apartment complex that is blocks away from the lake as well as a park with several ponds. The lady—Ellie—in particular was the one who was excited about Bear. She stays at home all day (to manage the complex) and really wanted a walking companion. I met Ellie several days later at the park that was just blocks from their place. I was very happy to discover this was an older couple (kids are grown). They had had several dogs before and had vast knowledge about them. (Rick was at one time married to a dog trainer.) Ellie had previously had a dog that looked similar to Bear and was really looking for a companion.

I met Ellie at a park several days later with Bear. Bear was very distracted by the pond there, but he did well and Ellie thought he was beautiful. She even got to watch him swim. We were unable to meet Rick because he was called out of town on business.

I really liked Ellie and asked her and Rick for some references. When I called, the references had nothing but good things to say about them both and their love of animals. I contacted Ellie once again and told her that I would like Rick to meet Bear and would like Bear to see her place. I was a bit concerned about Bear being in an apartment building and how he would take to all the smells & people. I was also a little concerned about how Ellie’s cats would do with Bear. (Bear loves cats, but it can be questionable if cats love him.) Several days later we were able to meet them. We walked to their apartment (from a nearby park.) It is a beautiful area with lots of parks and people (a very pet friendly area). Their apartment complex was 2 buildings with 4 -6 apartments in each. Next to the apartments was a giant greenspace (bigger than our backyard) that Bear would be able to run. In fact we let Bear off leash for a while and let him play fetch. He really enjoyed it. Their apartment was very nice and very accommodating for a dog his size. Ellie’s cats ran and hid, but that was expected. The visit was great and I could tell that Rick & Ellie were both taken by Bear. I also knew that he would be a great fit for the both of them. The visit was perfect UNTIL….

Ellie was walking Bear as we were heading back to the park when a neighbor of theirs came home. They were holding a little 10 lb dog named “Mitzy”. (Yeah, doesn’t the name say it all?) Well they put Mitzy down to meet Bear and Mitzy lunged at Bear. Bear yelped and stepped back and began barking at the dog. The neighbors quickly picked up Mitzy and made a comment like “She’s not good around other dogs.” And walked off. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that we noticed Bear’s ear was bleeding. Mitzy had bit his ear.

The bite was not bad we cleaned it up figuring for the best. Then Bear shook his head—blood splattered everywhere. All over me, Rob, Ky, Alaina—YUCK! In fact every time he shook his head he would make it bleed all over again. We ended up loading him into the van (and yes he shook in there too—blood all over the new van) and heading to the nearest Walgreen’s. We bought some liquid bandage—but even that was not strong enough for Bear’s shaking.

By then it was bedtime for the kids. We didn’t feel that going to the vet was warranted since it wasn’t bleeding a lot. Rob and I made one last attempt at cleaning his ear and putting corn starch on it. Then I put an old onesie (of Alaina’s) on his head and “Gated” him in his bed for the night. We were hoping that by keeping him laying down for 8 hours or so, the cut would clot enough to withstand his shakes.

The next morning we discovered that it was still bleeding. Rob stayed home from work while I took Bear (onesie and all) to the vet. The vet cleaned his ear up and discovered that it was slightly torn. She then used surgical glue to close it, then bandaged his ear, then bandaged his ears to his head (yes she put the bandage around his head), and then put a cone (or e-collar) around his neck. She said to keep the bandage on for a week and the e-collar on for 2 weeks.

At that point we had already decided on giving Bear to Ellie and Rick, however, with Bear being all bandaged and coned, the last thing I wanted to do was add to his trauma. I called Ellie and asked to do the exchange the following weekend. She happily agreed and asked to pay for his vet bill. This was very nice and reassuring. It was also reassuring to find out that Mitzy was given to someone else and would not be living in the complex with Bear.

Our last week with Bear was a sad yet humorous one. Bear ran into everything with that cone. Poor Alaina. She was the perfect cone height so she was often hit by his big cone head and fell down. He was only upset about the cone for the first day. Following that he seemed to pretty quickly adjust to having it on him. The bandage around his head did not last long at all. It kept falling over his eyes and then we had a blind cone-headed dog. I quickly took that off. The pic you see of him above was shortly before I took the cone off his head. You can see he wasn’t that ecstatic about it being there.

Saturday morning taking Bear to Ellie's was hard.  You can probably tell from the pic above that I had been crying.  We took Bear over late morning with all his stuff.  Ellie & Rick were both excited to see their new companion.  They made him a special name tag with their phone number and bought him some new toys.  Silly Bear had no idea what was going on and was just excited to be out and about. 

We left Bear and he noticed we were going without him as we pulled away.  I can still see him pulling at his leash and yelping after us.  *Heartbreaking*

I talked to Ellie later that afternoon and she said that her and Rick took Bear for multiple walks that day and he seemed to be doing fine.  A week later I called again and she said that he seemed to be settled in.  She said they would go for 2 -3 walks a day and he seemed to already know his way home.  He was great with people walking through the building and was not whining or anything--he seemed to be comfortable with them and not depressed at all.  This was quite a relief to me. 

I had called and talk to the Humane Society before rehoming Bear.  They told me that dogs live in the "now".  While Bear might be sad that we left him, he will quickly readjust to his new family and forget any sad feelings towards what happened.  (Makes me think I wish I could often live in the "NOW"--might be easier.)  This was also reassuring when homing Bear.

Ellie has said that we may contact her whenever we like to see Bear--which I am really grateful for.  I told her we would at least wait 1 month before we contact her because I want to make sure Bear gets settled in. 

So how are our lives without Bear?

Quiet.  It is really weird coming home to an empty house.  No one is excited to see you.  No one is running into the kids and wagging tails in their faces.  It is funny how you really don't know how much you will miss a person until they are gone--and how much their normal everyday behaviors have become a part of your life.  For example, every night I get into bed, Bear (within about 5 minutes of crawling into bed) will come and sniff at me just to make sure I am fine--and then will go lay down on his bed near me.  He also loved to lick my feet (yeah--I know--gross...), but it was his way of showing me affection.  He would also follow me where ever I went.  He was my shadow or almost like a visible guardian angel.  I would clean one room and then go to the next--and he would follow me.  I didn't realize how comforting it was just to have him in the same room as me--until he was gone.

Selfishly, I also really miss his cleaning up after the kids--while he left a lot of hair on the carpet--he would clean up all the food Alaina threw or Kylan dropped.  Now I find myself manually picking it up after each meal--missing him.  Another thing--what do I do with left overs, or the scraps of food on the kids plates?  I am throwing it away now--and that makes me feel guilty (Yeah--I am one of those people who hates throwing food away.)  Bear always got the scraps.  He was like the last piece in our family puzzle.

I have to say most surprisingly--Ky and Alaina have adjusted very quickly to not having Bear with us.  I had a lot of talks with Ky before we rehomed Bear.  He met Ellie and formed an instant bond with her (he drew her pictures and everything.)  And when the day came to give Bear to Ellie, he was just fine with it.  He hugged Bear and then marched to the van to leave.  I think this surprised me the most since I expected to be dealing with Ky's emotions and instead I ended up dealing with my own.

I was quite the mess the first week without Bear--often crying, and quite frankly withdrawn.  I am doing much better now.  I KNOW that I made the best decision for him, and it would have been selfish for me to keep him.  I do hope to visit him this summer and occasionally in years to come (Ellie & Rick welcome our visits.)  I know that my visits will only validate my decision.  Bear was a WONDERFUL dog, that I could not appreciate due to the busyness of little ones.  I know his new owners see his beautiful heart and love him more than I was able.  I am glad that I was strong enough to see this and let him go.  It is true what they say--If you really love something (someone) you have to be able to let them go. 

Bear--here's to your new life full of walks, pettings, love, attention, swims, and boat rides (did I mention they own a boat--Bear is going to LOVE that!).  May your second family be all that you ever dreamed of and more.  I love you!