Halloween 2018

I seem to be a sucker and make the kids costumes.

Anna wanted to be a life sized squirrel.  My friend Leslie gave me some nylons and I filled a leg with Styrofoam peanuts.  Sew some ears and a tail with fake fur and viola, a squirrel.

Anna said it looked like a wolf so I went thru my stash of fabric and made a little red ridding hood cape for Maple the dog, me and Kelsey the 18 inch doll.

Lillian wanted to be a mermaid.  She had a tail but it was too big.  I made her a skirt out of left over fabrics I got when Hancock Fabrics in Waterloo Iowa went out of business.  I made a tube top and skirt.

Jon was a Tootsie Roll.  We chose some fleece and I was done sewing anything so these letters we put on with contact cement.

So I had a lovely cape which Anna borrowed after went around the neighborhood as a squirrel she went around as Little Red Ridding Hood.  How much candy does a kid really need?

Summer vacation

 Interesting... it was upright before the upload

 Yet this one is upside down on the camera...

We can sleep anywhere

Day 3 of School

All 3 kids are in school full time now.  I had such great plans.  I would paint some bedrooms, organize the kids rooms and fill up Goodwill.

I caught up on Facebook.  I have walked Maple 3 mornings in a row.

Today it was sprinkling but not bad so I made Maple walk all the way around the neighborhood. Then I wanted to plant a couple plants.

Well...3 hours later I had planted 11 new plants, removed half the daisies, moved the white strawberries, some red flower, weeded the asters.  Then I decided that bed by the house along the sidewalk  needed to be lowered 6 inches.  8 wagons later of dirt it was down to a good height and I put the soaker hose in.

Maple thinks she is allowed to dig as much as I did.  And then there were the baby turtles.  First there was one.  I put him close the pond so Maple or Little grey would not end up with it attached to their nose.  Then there was another little guy who looked like he was coming out of the siding.  He brought a friend.  Back to the track I went.

Then there was the thing that made me scream.  A toad or a frog.  He got to move himself.

Rain and dirt was all over me and the dog.  When we went into the house I finally caught her and gave her a bath.  The water was muddy ans I used so much soap.  She has a knack to run around the house like a crazy banshee.  I just hosed myself off.  Doggy life.

Snow, Ice and Colds

This is a very weird winter.  3 weeks ago it was 40 degrees on a Sunday.  The kids and I went to the park with Maple and played for hours.  Then the snow came back.  And keeps coming.  This Monday, last Friday and last Monday were snow days.  We also had an early out due to snow.

Also we keep getting sick.  I still have the sinus infection since Christmas.  Last week was so odd.  Last Monday Lillian had a 103 degree fever for 6 hours and was fine.  She had to stay home that day.  Anna came home Tuesday and threw up.  Thus she stayed home Wednesday but was completely fine.  Jonathan woke up Thursday morning at 5:30 am screaming his tummy hurt.  I got him to throw up and he was fine the rest of the day.  They each  had a 2 day school week and none of them were at school the same day each day.  

I am glad they are pretty much healthy.  I am also glad to have our snowblower back.

We got Jonathan from Sunday School and he wanted a nap. This is the kid who gave up naps for his 2nd birthday.  His ear hurt so much he screamed.  3 hours later at Urgent care and we now know he had an ear infection and bronchitis.  Poor guy.  A little Tylenol and he just sounds stuffy.  He has his energy back.

We are enjoying Maple and she is enjoying all these snow days.  She is starting to get a little calmer.  She hangs around on the couch with the kids and just gnaws a bone.  This week she is getting fixed so I really hope we can keep her calm.

We just are hanging out eating ice sickle's now.  In two days it will be 40?

A day off means grocery shopping with mom at Meijers.

 Even Maple has a coat.

 This was 3 weeks ago...

Coats were not needed.  They are now as we hover around 20 degrees.

New Puppy Advice

I have not had a dog since I was in 4th grade.  Sammy was an outside dog and I didn't do much with him, he was the parents.

Now we have Maple a cocker spaniel mix, a cute mutt.

We did a bunch of research on dogs from watching the Dog Whisperer, reading books, talking to friends and prayer.  Maple is the pup of some of our good friends.  This gives us some information like how big she may get and her mentality - I hope.

Learn from out mistakes and observations:

1. She is not a cat.  She will lay in the sun, swipe at you like a cat but also requires more work and attention.
2. She will eat anything from Legos, to poop to crayons to paper and so much more.
3. She behaves best if she gets plenty of exercise - just like what Caesar Milan says
4. She requires lots of food to be taught.  She likes bread, eggs, chicken etc
5. A 2 point harness on her is saving my arms, wrists and shoulders
6. She keeps growing so she is on her 4th harness.
7. She still likes to bite at 5 months.
8. Since her toys when little were stuffed animals she goes after ALL stuffed animals.
9. Having a den and fenced area gives her and us rest.  
10. Socks are smelly, thus the best to play with around the house.  This makes laundry get folded faster and no one wears matched socks.
11. No toy is her favorite, it changes.  Her husky, her pink pull toys and bully sticks are important to her and almost enough to get her back when running away.
12. She is faster than any of us.  Use food to get her back.
13. She likes to run, run, run and run.  She takes a micro rest and then runs again.
14. She has her own slide, she likes jumping and can get on our elevated bed.
15. Her worst enemy is the cat who taught her her how to swipe and makes her run fast.

I already have 2 kids saying they love her more than the cat.  One of which seems to get bit more than anyone else due to his running and jumping.  The other child was the most scared of the dog and is the one Maple seems to obey the most, even without food.

Lillian describes Jonathan's relationship with Maple "Maple is a ferocious lion and Jonathan is an itty bitty chipmunk."