There's a New Kid in Town

I know, I know...I said we wouldn't get another dog just to keep Troy company while he's out on the road.

I lied.

Only it's not really a lie if it happens to be the truth at that moment. My intention was to not get another dog (at that moment). We did not need another dog (at that moment). We were NOT getting another dog (at that moment).

The moment passed.

Meet Pippen! He's 5 years old, a Scottish Terrier/Miniature Schnauzer mix. At least that's what they tell us.

He's had a busy past few weeks. A little over a month ago, he was probably with a family and was well taken care of. We think this because he is well mannered, house-trained, knows commands, he's been neutered, etc. He's also had his voice box removed, and while we don't particularly like that it happened, it's evidence that he had people in his life.

But then he got lost. Or "let go" when his people couldn't afford him. We'll never know.

He was found wandering around and taken to a shelter where he hung out for about five days. He was adopted by a young couple and stayed with them for three weeks before they realized that they just weren't able to spend any time with him. They both worked, the man was going back to school at nights, and the woman really wasn't a dog person. Pippen was practically living in a laundry closet. And they were feeding him really cheap dog food.

Thank goodness we came along!

It's been a love at first sight kind of a thing.

Pippen's been a bit of a fixer-upper in his first two weeks with us. He had some itchy skin because of the poor quality dog food he'd been eating, but that's cleared up nicely. His initial vet check showed a few problem teeth that needed to be removed. Eating and chewing on rawhide is much nicer without the pain!


And since he was knocked out for the dentistry, I had them remove a mole from his back!. He's been sporting a little Frankenstein look.


Moles can go bad, the vet told me, become cancerous and such. Truth is, I had that mole removed because it freaked people out. It was right on his back and when people petted him they would hit that mole and pull their hand back and go "Eewwwwww! Is that a tick?"

After having that happen half a dozen times, and yes, I was a little freaked out myself, that mole was coming OFF!

He's a mellow little guy, content to just sit...

...or lie on the floor. This particular way of relaxing is a Scottie trait. And we laugh every time he does it.

All in all, Pippen's transition into our family has been perfect.

Pippen is home.

Spring Haircut

Ollie got groomed today, and with tip and nail grinding (as opposed to just nail cutting - hey, nothing's too good for our pooch), it came to $50. Spiffy scarf and the expression of anal glands is included, and that right there makes it all worth it.

Aren't we brilliant to get a dog the EXACT same color as our carpet, so if he ever were to shed it wouldn't be very noticeable? But Schnauzers don't shed, which is one of the top reasons we got him.

That is one handsome dog, even if they did cut off a little too much of his beard.

Ollie's been having some adventures lately. He's become a part-time truck dog, traveling around with Troy in the semi. He likes sticking his head out the window, curling up on the bed for long naps, and watching the world from the front seat. Troy likes the company.

But we miss him when he's gone. We've thought about getting a second dog, one that Troy could take along all the time, but then those $50 grooming fees remind us that it's probably not the best time to own two dogs. Besides, Oliver would be sad that he wasn't the truck dog anymore.
And who would want to make this little guy sad?

A Green and Crunchy Doggy Toy

Sorry about the cabbage. Several people have asked me in the last week or so to (please) put something else up so they wouldn't have to look at that dang cabbage anymore.

So how about this?

Dog...and cabbage.

That's my last cabbage and Oliver took it right out of the garden, rolled it and chased it all over the yard and then proceeded to eat it.

Making plans on how to Oliver-proof the garden for next year. Sigh. My kids don't eat vegetables this well.

I'm writing some posts to quickly cover the last month or so. We've been fine, happy, and just taking a wee break from writing about it all. Hoping to change that.

But I promise, no more cabbage pictures until next year.

Unintentional Break

Oh. Hello. Sorry I wasn't here when you stopped by, my faithful readers.

I read somewhere that you shouldn't apologize for not updating your blog - to do so would be narcissistic and with the assumption that people were clicking on right and left, waiting for your words. But apologizing - or at least offering an excuse - feels like the least I can do, when people have been wondering and asking me where I've been.

I've been...uuuuhhh...busy. Yeah, busy...that's the ticket. I became busy in this final week of February.

There was a doctor's appointment, two dental appointments, two orthodontist appointments, several prescriptions to fill (2 pharmacies, crazy amount of waiting time), a few birthdays to shop for, the district science fair set up and (tonight) interview and judging, a Blue and Gold Banquet, a couple of English lessons with my new Iranian friend, Mah'naz, and all the other things that seem to take up my days.

Also, I've been watching Oliver discover the outside world in some delightful, dare-I-say, Spring-like weather and marveling that Cameron's mouth is now full of painful-looking metal, and that it is costing more to straighten his teeth than it did to adopt him.

It seemed the week went by in a flash - I hardly even sat down to the computer. See? Busy.

But everything is fine, life is good, and I hope that's true for you as well.

I bought a new scented oil for my Bath & Body Works oil warmer - Pineapple Mango. It's sweet and fruity and heightens my anticipation for Spring. It's making me happy.

What, in your busy life, is making you happy today?

The Naughty Toddler

Oliver has quickly grown to over 11 pounds of puppy fun. He's about three months, which puts him at almost two years old in human years.

He's a furry toddler.

I remember when the boys were going through this stage and they wouldn't even let me go to the bathroom alone. It's pretty much the same with Oliver. If I shut the door on him, he cries and cries. If I let him in, he's just a little too curious. When I take a shower, he's peeking in to see what I'm doing.

The roll of toilet paper can't go on the spindle (as long as we can't remember to keep the door shut anyway) because Oliver can reach it and he'll have the time of his life doing this:



And this:

He tries to look all innocent when he's caught red-handed...

He won't hold still for pictures...

He'd just as soon play with the box than with any of the toys we buy him...

But the craziest thing I have to do with Oliver that reminds me of when the boys were young, is the tiptoeing around when he's asleep - an elaborate game of Don't Wake the Baby.

Oliver sleeps with Cameron usually, and he's pretty good about sleeping through the night. But the second he hears anyone walking around in the morning, he's up and ready to begin the day. Not so good when I get up at 5:15. If Oliver gets up, I have to take the time to let him out and then he's not about to go back to sleep, and nobody else wants to wake up to be with him while I go to the gym. My whole goal first thing every morning is to sneak out of the house.

After my alarm goes off, I tiptoe down the hall and drop to a crawl in front of the boys' bedroom. The laundry basket props the door open, so I delicately push it until the door will swing shut. So, so quietly, I turn the knob and pull it into the frame.

Now I can get ready, but I'm still worried about the sound of water running and the garage door waking him up. I'm like a burglar moving through my own home. At least when the boys were babies, if they woke up I could throw them in bed with Troy, move his arm so it was propping the bottle, and be on my way. That doesn't quite work with Oliver.

Every day that I can make it out of the house without waking him up feels like a tiny miracle. Woo Hoo! I'm so easy to please.

Gotta go. I think Oliver's learned to open the cabinet under the bathroom sink. Time to install those cabinet locks again.

Definitely a toddler. At least there are no diapers.

Few Things Are More Pitiful...

Than Oliver after a bath.

Do you see a resemblance?

What is Oliver thinking right now?

The Growing Puppy

We've had him almost 4 weeks and as you can see, he's growing fast. He's almost too big to tote around like this but we still do.

The sweater that he's wearing in the top picture no longer fits. That was money well spent.

He's a cuddler and if we hold him up high, close to our necks, he puts his paws on our shoulders and it looks like he's hugging us. We hug him back.

He still loves his puffy little bed...

Only now he has to throw out an arm to fit.

Or his whole head.

He enjoys his food and waits patiently (sometimes),

and he's a trooper to go out in all this snow. Housebroken--hooray!!!

I don't care how big he gets. I will still cover him up

and take pictures while he's sleeping.

And occasionally sing to him.

It's a full-blown case of puppy love.

A Few Things From Christmas

So...how was your Christmas? Was every wish fulfilled, every goodie eaten, every magical fantasy brought to life in a flurry of wrapping paper and bows? Or did you have a nasty case of Christmas Letdown that resulted in actual tears like my almost 11 year old? More on that tomorrow.

Aside from that, we had a lovely day. I had made cinnamon rolls the day before, so all I had to do in the morning was take them out of the fridge, let them rise while we opened presents, and then bake. Voila - Christmas Breakfast.

On Saturday, I had made a gigantic lasagna in my 10x15 Pyrex dish - big enough for us to eat over the course of many days. This was my best idea ever. I had french bread to make garlic toast and then any time we were hungry (and needed a break from the goodies), we just microwaved some lasagna and broiled some bread. Voila - Christmas Lunch.

I also had the foresight to do a big roast and veggies for Christmas dinner. My whole mindset for the day was to not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I put the meat, potatoes, carrots and onions in the crockpot around 10 am, and then sat back to enjoy my day. Voila - Christmas Dinner.

The only drawback to my stay-out-of-the-kitchen-on-Christmas strategy, was that I really did stay out of the kitchen, except to serve up plates it seemed. And with me out of the kitchen, well, the dishes just didn't get done. I walked into the kitchen this morning and saw with clarity, the flaw in the plan. We did in fact use plates, silverware, glasses, 9x13 pans, 10x15 pans, cookie sheets, serving spoons and cutting boards, and one very large crock pot, bearing the evidence that our roast was not the leanest cut of meat. Tasty, but not so lean.

Voila - Day After Christmas Dishes.

I'm on my second dishwasher load and working on the by-hand dishes.

Note to self: Next year, use paper plates, etc., aluminum foil baking pans...or just suck it up and do the dishes. Remember the huge lasagna though - that part was brilliant.

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I received some wonderful gifts - a new flat iron for my hair, a blender, a new cutting board and a higher quality knife than I've ever owned, to name a few. Yes, I asked for these things - and I love them. I'm a homemaker and I need good tools. And my hair needed a new flat iron.

But the real surprise came from Troy. He gave me my ring again.

A little over a year ago, I was sitting in church and happened to look down at my hand. The center diamond on my engagement ring was gone. The prongs were all still in place, but the stone just wasn't there anymore. I was so sad.

I loved this ring. The diamond itself was tiny - smaller than the prongs that held it. I remember choosing the ring with Troy, when I was 19 and he was 21, and having the clerk explain that the prongs were white gold which would make the diamond look bigger. I never cared that it was small - I loved it. It was delicate and feminine and I thought it looked perfect on my small hands. And now it was unwearable.

I put the ring away in a tiny cardboard box that one of the boys had given me and buried it down in my underwear drawer. For a while I didn't wear any ring, and then I started buying these fabulous fakes from http://www.eleganzajewels.com/. Flashy and huge, they were inexpensive enough to own several, and I did. But eventually some of the plating wore off, and they became unwearable too. I think they had a guarantee, but I never went to the trouble of sending them back. For the last few months I've worn nothing on my ring finger.

Until yesterday. Troy, in a complete act of pure romance, gave me my original ring back. He'd dug through my underwear drawer and found the little box with the rings, still unsoldered after 19 years of marriage, and took them to a jewelers on the Saturday before Christmas. He chose a diamond - a little bit bigger this time - and had it placed in new white gold prongs. They soldered the engagement and wedding rings together, and polished it up like new.

When I saw the box, I was worried about what it might hold. Troy is notorious for going overboard and spending money that we haven't earned yet. I shook my head and protested that we were going to think about me getting a new ring around our twentieth anniversary. Not now...not with the new truck...not with the new dog...not with all the other Christmas expenses...I don't need it...blah, blah, blah.

"Just open it." he said, "You'll like it."

The boys were watching me, Troy was watching me. I prepared to gush and oooh and aaahh, and then find a way to return it - sensible girl that I am. I don't need...

And then I saw it. Polished and glittering, delicate and feminine.

"It's...it's my ring! You got my ring!"

And then I cried. And hugged him. And kissed him. And put it on.

I can't stop staring at it. It is the perfect ring for my hand, for me. That's true love, right there.

I gave him floor mats for his truck.

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We weren't the only ones enjoying a new puppy for Christmas. Both are still waiting for their names, but you can see them here and here. Puppy love all around.

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And in Oliver news...well, he's just the sweetest thing!

He's still sleeping a lot, and we find ourselves carrying him around like a baby. It's taken him a few days to learn to walk on the slick kitchen floor, and now he bounds across it like a bunny. At least until his feet fly out from under him.

It's been so fun to introduce him to our friends and family.

This is my niece, Olivia. I predict that they will be good friends.

He spends a good amount of time crashed in his pad.

And he's starting to play with and chew on his toys.

Sometimes though...it's just so hard to get out of bed!

Alright, enough of this furry, cuddly, wonderful nonsense. I've got a few more dishes to do.

How was your Christmas?

No MQM Tomorrow

What can I say...tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I have some wrapping and cooking and general get-ready-for-the-Big-Day stuff going on. I'm sure you do too. So between all that and the puppy lovin' that is taking up a considerable amount of my time, Movie Quote Monday just isn't going to happen tomorrow.

But I do hope you have a very nice Christmas Eve.

I hope you have some good time off work.
I hope you can be with the ones you love.
I hope you are wearing comfortable, cozy clothes, and eating delicious food.
I hope you have time to sit and look at twinkling lights and to count your blessings.
I hope you listen to Silent Night and feel peace and joy as you remember our Savior's birth.
I hope you feel His love.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!


I'll be back on Wednesday, telling my tales and answering more of the Oliver questions, such as...
What does he look like when he's sleeping?
Will I be changing the name of my blog to "Oliver's World"?
Puppy breath...thumbs up or thumbs down?
And the biggest question on my mind - Now how am I going to find the time to do the Dishes and Laundry?

Because seriously:

And They Called It...Puppy Love

I'd like you to meet somebody...

Say hello to Oliver.

He's a little shy and very cuddly.

He's sleepy. I mean really, really sleepy.

He's pretty much perfect.

All 3 1/2 pounds of him.

And he is ours.