The Movies

Every week on Tuesday and Wednesday the movie theater by our house offers a free movie at 10 am. I packed the girls and some snacks in the car and we headed out to the theater for Surf's Up. When we arrived our neighbors were there waiting for us and had already bought a huge bucket of popcorn. So we sat down and the previews began. Ava loudly proclaims, "let's get outta here Mommy!" So far not good.

After a bit of explaining that that was not the movie and that it would start soon Ava decided we could stay. We poured ourselves some bowls of popcorn and the kids all ate their ways through the movie. Honestly I don't think Ava ever really looked at the screen but she enjoyed herself. Olivia loved that her 3 little friends were there with her and she was sitting by them. It ended up being a good experience for the kids and a chance for them to experience something that we can't normally afford to do. Next week we will go again and eat some more popcorn.

Fond Moments Of Today...

"Mommy will you take the booboo off?" Olivia looking down at her hot dog that had been microwaved just a little bit too much and it had a burned spot.

"Mommy can you take the poop out if my bum?" Ava sitting on the toilet straining to poop but apparently was more constipated than I thought.

"MommyDaddy DaddyMommy, where's Daddy? Did he drive his little car?" Olivia curious as to where her father might be and can't exactly figure out who I am.

These are just a few of the funny things the girls have sprouted off with today. If my memory comes back maybe I'll recall some other good stuff and add it to this list.

Here's a few I had forgotten-

"Mommy can we go back there again tolater (tomorrow)?" Everything that Olivia denotes to in the future begins with 'to'. She does not say tomorrow ever.

"Grandma, where are your boobies?" Ava asks Grandma B. "In my shirt where they are supposed to be." Grandma B responds.

As the the fireworks are exploding in the street Ava says, "I eat the candy?" I respond, "No, it's fireworks not candy." Ava pleads again "I bite it?" Me- "Um no. That would be bad."

Ava currently attaches a 'ia' after all her favorite items such as her loveyia, Ladyia, Sugaria, Sissyia, puppyia, and bannanaia. Hopefully this will stop soon.

Hot Hot Weekend

I'm astonished that we made it through the weekend without actually burning crispy. This weekend was a scorcher. Should have known I guess when the air conditioner turned on at 8 AM.

The engagement party was Saturday. Thankfully it started when the girls take their nap so Dave stayed home with Ava. While she slept he did some work for the business and I took Olivia to the party. Oh Miss Olivia was thrilled to see all of her little friends and some new ones. She ate some food, drank a lot of juice, and had a piece of cake. The entire day she played with her friends in this bucket full of ice and bottled water. I told her several times not to drink the water, put the ice in her mouth, or spit it back in the bucket, but when all the other kids are doing it it is kinda hard to stop her from continuing. Plus it was so hot in the garage even with the fans blowing that it probably felt pretty good being in that bucket.

Soon Ava was awake and Dave brought her over in her swim suit. She woofed down some food and cake and loads of juice as well. She was laughing and playing and having a great time. Dave was stoked because the work we received over the weekend ended up making us around $2000 for a few hours of work. And we needed it. We really needed it a long time ago. Granted he did miss the beginning of the party but since it lasted until 11 PM he was able to party for quite awhile and make us a profit to boot. Thanks Dave. We love you man;)

So when the majority of the party goers left I brought Sugar over to meet everyone. Talk about making an entrance... this dog stole the show. The fiance's mom was like, "hand her over... oh she's so cute..."followed by a lot of kisses. Then an Uncle swooped her up, loved all over her, and then rushed off with her to show all the people in the livingroom. Of course Sugar wagged her cute little tail, put her ears back, and was the crowd pleaser she's known to be.

The party was awesome. The soon to be hitched are my newest next door neighbors. She and I have really hit it off and Dave and the other half have become pretty close too. It's nice to get along with your neighbors and actually like them as well.

So you're probably thinking it sounds like a good day and night and you know- what else could possibly happen? We'd probably go to bed, watch some late night TV, eat a frozen pizza, contemplate sex, hear Olivia scream bloody murder at the top of her lungs and then puke for the next 3 hours... Well like I said before, "Don't drink the water out of the bucket Olivia!!!" Words she probably should have listened too. I'm no fool. I've been around this block before. Olivia and parties don't mix.

Olivia has a very sensitive stomach and drinking too much water can and will make her puke. Around 4 PM I asked her if she felt ok. She said yes. I said she looked like she was gonna puke. Dave said she was just hot. Um..duh... How many times do we have to repeat this process to get it right? Apparently we are slow learners and I believe in the not so distant future I will be writing yet another post about this same topic. So yes, every fifteen minutes over a three hour span Olivia vomited profusely and screamed in agony while doing so. Lovey. Simply lovey. Talk about a buzz kill, sex stopper. Speaking of being a slower learner, why we haven't prioritized sex first, food second is beyond me.

Dave slept with Olivia all night in the lazy boy. Sugar and I slept in the bed all alone and all spread out. We all woke up (even Ava) around 8:30 AM as if the night before was just a blur and adventured into the kitchen for some hot fresh pancakes. Today was a scorcher too at 108 degrees. We played in the pool, we napped, we relaxed and rested. The dogs had their day too running around chasing each other in the backyard. Sugar also got her first bath from the girls. Summertime. I love it.
Puppy scrubber #1

Puppy scrubber, eye poker #2
The fetching...
The not sharing...

And the GIVE IT BACK!!!

To My Surprise...

After walking the mutt last night Dave took the girls inside and put them to bed so that I could have some much needed girl time. Let's rephrase that... Adult time without girls... It was nice to hang out and talk with my new friend and her soon to be husband. I really needed to be able to relax, have a conversation without having to say, "can you hang on a minute...Olivia stop doing that..," and to know that the girls were safe and sound in their beds while their dad watched over them. Talk about relief. I only chatted it up for an hour and a half but it was an hour and a half that was really worth it. We talked about the party Saturday and the food and the people coming. Honesty we could have talked about how often I pick up dog crap in the back yard and it would have been just as relaxing and fun.

So the sun went down and the moon was shining brightly in the sky and I thought to myself that I had better go home so that I could spend some time with my hubby before he fell asleep. I entered the house which was completely dark. I turned on the kitchen light... no dogs, no cat, no Dave. Huh. I called his name. Nothing echoed back. Great he went to sleep already. I was too late. So I walked upstairs and I could see the blue tinge of the TV on in our room illuminating in the hallway and as I got closer this is what I found:

These two were rolling around in the bed playing with Sugar having a barrel of laughs. No one was missing me. No one was asleep.

Here's Olivia who was just waiting for someone to acknowledge that she would like to snuggle the puppy too.

So here they are- the three amigos and their companion.

And by the looks on their faces they are quite pleased with themselves for avoiding their bedtimes and getting away with it. Even the dog is mocking me...

This Is Scary...

When picking out a small dog I never imagined what a true McGyver I was going to get. She can get any where any time. Currently she has cleaned under the dresser in our bedroom that hasn't been moved in 3 years.
Nanner's is taking advantage out that and waiting on the outside of the dresser for all of her lost toys to be returned.

Oh wait a minute... I think that cat's gonna snake my stash!

As Sugar reached out to regain control of the new toys, alas she was too late. Big fat furry already got them. Easy come easy go my friend... easy go. Better luck next time Sugar.

It's In The Genes

Today with the scorching heat we decided to relax.

Ava is enjoying a cartoon after lunch but before her nap. Look at how relaxed she is... I'd like to say she gets it from me but both Dave and I are pretty good at sitting around on our butts.

And here's Miss Olivia sitting with her puppy who for some reason just isn't ready to sit and relax just yet. As you can see the tight grip around the neck holds her firmly in place where Olivia wants her to be.

So on this hot day I decided to spend some time browsing the Internet and came across a sight that will publish my blog into a book. Since it will be a year at the end of the month that I've been writing away I am going to publish the blog at the end of each June. I'm thinking that this comes with pictures and a narrative of what's been transpiring in our lives so it is a bit easier to maintain than the baby books and quite frankly easier to read with my handwriting being so terrible. But yes, I will finish their real baby books and someday take all of the pictures that I have sitting on top of my desk and put them neatly into photo albums with labels. If maybe I actually went and bought the albums I could potentially be done all ready but I guess I have been putting it off as a rainy day activity. It could be awhile until it rains... Maybe I can get a little done when Dave's mom arrives in July. We'll see.

Well the girls are napping, the puppy ate her way half way through the electrical cord going into the dvr in our bedroom (Dave you might wanna get on fixing that... I can't find the tape) and the AC is running out of control so I think it is time for me to relax as well so when the girls wake up we can all go swimming.

Morning Project

Today's morning project was finger painting. Usually this is a project reserved for when Ava is still sleeping and Olivia has awakened from her nap. She sits at the kitchen table and paints for a while or until Ava wakes up and then we put it all away. Today with the weather being so nice I brought the table outside and both girls were able to paint. The theme was Father's Day and the projects turned out spectacular although Ava spent most of her time painting Olivia's apron while Olivia painted on the paper. When we were finished I cleaned the girls up and they went inside to watch a cartoon so I could get the rest of the stuff picked up and cleaned up.

So what did I find when I went outside? Sugar- standing on the table swirled in red paint. Of course tomorrow is her vet's appointment so it only figures she'd cover herself in war paint and make me come up with a good story as to why my white dog is now red. Good grief. Sugar also dug herself a hole in the yard. It was the size of a golf ball and she was working at it so hard. When I walked outside she looked up at me with her cute little puppy eyes in all of glory for what she had done. So the girls and I examined her work and gave her a pat on the head and she ran off wagging her tail. As far as I can tell Sugar won't be digging a hole to China any time soon.

The paints are now drying in the garage and hopefully will be completely dry before Dave gets home so we can hide them for his Father's Day gift. The girls are playing Lego's trying to rebuild the jeep and towers they built yesterday. The dogs are cleaned and napping and the cat has the run of the house again. All is good.

A Bit Of Sugar...

Proud new mommy.
Sugar thinks the cat bed now belongs to her.
Apparently Nanner's is NOT getting this bed back.

Look we are finally friends, our butts are touching!!!

The New Arrival...

Photo above taken by ARF

Meet Sugar... our newest 11 week old addition. Yes, I know we all ready have a farm full of animals but yesterday we drove out to the animal shelter to check out some dogs we saw on the Internet anyway. There were two that we really liked. The bigger one was adopted moments after the doors opened so that narrowed our choices. What we liked about Sugar was that she was very tiny and portable- not in a purse by any means.

The girls love our cat Nanners but she is currently weighing in at a mere 17 pounds and is not the carrying around type. She also isn't around much for them to play with so whenever the girls catch a glimpse of her they run over to her screaming with their little hands waving and Nanners high tails it right back up the stairs. She will occasionally let them pet her but it is truly few and far between.

We also have Lady our Beagle. She is very affectionate but again way too huge to be carted around. Lady loves everyone though and she is a very family oriented and faithful dog. She is also roughly 5 years old and slowing down a bit in her play which is good for me since she is rather large but the girls want someone a little more active. Since we have been walking Lady at night we have really been spending some nice quality family time together. And Lady loves her walk. Actually we could all use it to expel our unused energy. The girls also love holding her leash. But with one dog we have to share the responsibility so now they each have a dog to walk and love.

Ok Ok maybe it's just me. I love all 4 pounds of Sugar. She is super cool, she wags her little tail and shakes her entire body. She jumped up on the bed and licked Dave's face all over to wake him up this morning which delighted him. Who wouldn't love to see someone who is so excited to see you?

She and Lady have been spending some time together. They have been face to face but are still in the getting to know you stage. Nanners hasn't been introduced yet. Maybe next week when she is used to the new dog smell...

So yes we have a new addition to the family and so far things are good. She has learned to kennel up and sit when instructed. She is really food orientated so it helps in training her and she seems to catch on quickly. Hopefully we will have her house broken soon so she can be out of her crate forever.... More about Sugar later...

Goodbye...

Last week was a very intense long week. It began with the girls and I getting incredibly sick to the point that all we could do was lay in bed or on the floor. We threw up and had the runs for at least 3 days. It was horrible but not as horrible as the days that followed.

Wednesday I was almost back to feeling normal, Olivia was still intermittently throwing up, and Ava had stopped throwing up but had diarrhea all day long. I had called Dave and gave him a shopping list to fill on the way home from work as we were not going to be able to leave the house. At 3:30 PM as Dave was headed out of the door his mom called and told him it was time for him to fly to Denver... his dad was probably not going to make it much longer. So he changed his Friday morning ticket for a ticket for the next flight out at 7:30 PM. He left with nothing but the clothes on his back.

So since Dave was starting his journey across country and our shopping list obviously wasn't going to be fulfilled the girls and I scraped together a snack and a movie and went to bed and stayed there the rest of the day and well into the night. By this time Olivia seemed to be feeling a lot better so she went to bed like usual and Ava made her last trip to the potty with diarrhea again. She seemed to be in a good mood so I put her to bed as well and waited for the call.

Dave called around midnight saying he had made to Fort Collins and he was at the hospital. We said our prayers and around 3 AM his father passed away. Dave was able to hold his hand and say goodbye while his mom held his dad's other hand. His sister was there too and his other brother and sister were on the phone. He was surrounded by his family in his final moments.

Dave's dad Sam had entered the hospital 3 months ago with Pneumonia and then it later became an infection in his PIC line which then made his body so weak he passed away from congenital heart failure. As sad as it was to let Sam go, he was not going to enjoy the quality of life he once had if he pulled through it and he would not have wanted that for himself. Sam was a great man, an honorable man, a patriot, a proud Republican, a rocket scientist for NASA, a Cubs fan, a soccer coach for his kids, an animal lover and enthusiast, a wonderful brother, husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, and my husband's best friend.

It saddens me that my husband has lost his father and best friend. They called each other every morning on Dave's ride to work. They talked about sports and what was said on Rush Limbaugh. They discussed 24 and NCIS. They talked about the grandkids and the animals. Each and every day Dave talked to his dad. Sam always knew how much Dave loved him and Dave knew his dad loved him too. Actually, Dave was Sam's favorite. Sam announced in the hospital while Scott, Dave's brother, sat next to his bed that he wanted Dave to get him out of the hospital. Scott told his dad that he was right there but Sam wanted Dave. He also woke up from a nap and announced that Dave was a TV star on a law drama. Dave was always in the back of Sam's mind as his shining star. And that truly is what Dave is. He's the star of our family. He keeps us together and safe. He shows us the way when we need it and always shines the positive light on everything.

I only had the opportunity to know Sam for 6 years but in that 6 years he made a huge impact on my life. He welcomed me into his life from the first minute with open arms. He welcomed my parents and his granddaughters too. He bounced the girls on his knee and he walked our dog every time he came to visit. He snuggled our cat and scratched her so much that I think if it were possible and she could speak she would have preferred to live with him. He collected bobble heads at the A's games with us and talked to us about space and science and everything that aired on CNN or FOXNEWS. He was great. Really I am not doing him justice and I think if Dave wants to write a post honoring his father he really should... He can tell you everything.

Sam was a great man. He will truly be missed and remembered with the most honorable thoughts. June 4th will always be the day that God received his finest soldier, and his greatest son. I know it was hard for Dave to say goodbye and I know grieving is a long process. It breaks my heart to not be able to fix this for him and bring his dad back. I hate to see him in pain. Unfortunately it is inevitable for everyone and we must let go and I will try to take care of Dave in the best way that I can. I can listen when he wants to talk. I can hug him when he needs some love. And I can honor his father by passing down stories of his life to my girls so that they know what a great grandfather they had.

Goodbye Sam.

We love you and miss you.

Not Everyone Got The Weekend They Were Planning For...

Sunday night the unexpecting Nanner's received a well deserved bath.


I came downstairs to find Dave washing her belly. Weird but she liked being sunny side up!
This is Nanner's rinse and repeat. She's a new kitty..

The Kids...

We went to visit The Boy and his new Sister again this weekend. She is much bigger than last time so Olivia was able to hold her. It was love at first sight. Liv couldn't keep her hands off the baby...

Ava, on the other hand, found a cool dude to chill out with way up high in his club house. The Boy was showing her his trucks before they pushed them all down the slide. These two had a great time running around in the backyard chasing each other. It made for a nice Sunday play date. We need more of these... hint...hint...