I Love My Dog

I was on the phone with my sister the other day. I said something like, "Grrr, Clementine has eaten half my deck!" And Amber (not really a dog person) asked me if I regretted getting Clem. It made me think for a moment. But the answer is Absolutely Not.

Here are the reasons I love my dog.
1. She gives me peace of mind when the kids are outside. Right now Eva and Quinn are playing in their sandbox. I am in the kitchen. I am right next to a window watching them, and they're only about 10 feet away. But I still don't like them to be alone outside. Clementine is a great deterrent to anyone who doesn't belong in our yard.

2. She keeps the bed warm. John has instituted a ironclad "no dog on the bed" policy. But, when he leaves for work very early, she comes up and sleeps with me. Even if she lying on the covers, she still keeps the bed nice and warm.

3. She thinks she's Nana. When the kids are upset she tries to comfort them. This morning Dex was on the floor crying and Clem walked up and started licking his head. When that didn't work, she curled up next to him. He did stop crying - granted he shoved her ear in his mouth.

4. She's a teething toy we won't lose.

5. She has (some) table manners. Today Quinn was walking around the living room with a cookie. Clementine came up and tried to sniff it. Quinn said "No Clem!" and punched her in the nose. She sat down and left him alone. Now, it took Quinn about 15 minutes to desiccate this cookie and Clem didn't snatch it from him. I think that's impressive, even if she did drool all over my couch.

6. She'll give me a great reason to get new furniture every few years.

7. She is very photogenic. At least 80% of the time I'm trying to take pictures of my kids, they won't look at the camera. Clementine loves to get her picture taken :)

8. She's a great vacuum. Enough said.

9. She's introduced me to more of my neighbors. Before this winter, we knew 2 of our neighbors. But, because Clementine was able to jump over the fence this winter, we had dozens of our neighbors ringing our doorbell. She's very social, and she felt the need to visit with every dog in town.

10. She loves us. And she's always happy to see us, even if I only went outside to the mailbox and back.

Now my dog is far from perfect. She has, in fact, chewed up my deck, some shoes, countless toys, one cabinet, and my favorite rug. To my sister this is more than enough reason to never, ever have a dog. But, her puppyhood is passing and she's chewing much less these days. Yes, she does dig giant holes in my yard. Yes, she does slobber when she drinks. And yes, it does really really hurt if she steps on your foot. But how can you look at this dog and not love her?

Garage Sales

So, my sister and I are having a garage sale this weekend. We both have some assorted baby items to sell, some clothes our kids have grown out of, and some miscellaneous household items. It really doesn't sound like that much.

Well, that's not exactly true. See, we've both decided (or in my case, John has decided) that we're not going to have any more kids. So, let's start getting rid of the baby things. Swing - check, travel swing - check, old swing - check, bassinet - check, baby papasan - check, play mat - check, toys, toys, toys - check, 12 rubbermade tub of baby clothes - check. Just for the record, have you any idea how many 0-3 month sleepers fit in one of those tubs? No, well neither do I, but let's just say a lot.

I could go on and on, but I'm sure you're already bored. I just can't believe how much baby stuff we have. How much stuff do you really need to have a baby? Dex is only 6 months old, so we're only selling newborn things. We're keeping our saucer, bumbo seat, crib, changing table, highchair, baby bath, and stroller. I guess we'll have to have another sale next year!

Whew! Garage sales are a lot of work. I am hoping that I make a little bit of money, though. I'm putting it in my personal quilting fund. I have been sewing quite a bit lately. I will post some pictures soon of things that I'm working on.

Adventures of a Wonderful Weekend

This has been a truly wonderful weekend. We didn't have to go anywhere or do anything. I didn't run any errands. We didn't drive to Dubuque. Yesterday was gorgeous outside so we all walked to the park. The kids played and John and I enjoyed the beautiful day. Then I did some sewing. We all had dinner together. John and I watched a movie together after the kids went to bed.

I'm sure this all sounds very boring and mundane to some. But to me it was heaven. Lately, we have been so very, very busy. Every weekend we've had an unacheivable to-do list. I've been driving back and forth to Dubuque a lot lately. It was just so nice to stay home and relax.

After lunch today, I decided to make cookies with the kids. I looked in the cabinet. Hmm, no chocolate chips. Oooh, we'll make brown sugar pecan cookies, one of my favorites. We get the brown sugar measured out. Whoops, no butter. Think...should I use margarine instead? No, I really prefer to use real butter when I bake. "Hey honey? You busy? Can you run to the gas station and buy some butter, please?" So, of course, John jumps in his car and heads out for butter. Meanwhile, I chop the pecans. I grab my canister to measure out the flour. Whoops, no flour. I can't even remember using all the flour. Usually I'm really good about keeping track of things like that. So, I meet John on the deck. "Hey honey? Could you go back? We're out of flour, too." Of course, being John, he hands me the butter and turns right around and heads back out to get us some flour.

I go back in the house and add the butter to the brown sugar. Mix well. Eva is helping me with the electric mixer and Quinn is sitting on the counter begging for a taste. Literally begging, "Taste please, taste please" Over and over again, louder and louder until I give him a taste just so his mouth is full and he's quiet for a moment. Ok, the sugar and butter are mixed. Let's add the eggs. Go to fridge, OH MY GOD. I'm out of eggs, too? I don't remember using any of these things. Do we have elves? Do we have a family of borrowers living in our cellar? If so, they are getting a little bold. So, when John walks into the kitchen with a small bag of flour and I don't smile he wants to know what's wrong. And of course, I have to tell him that, although I was in the mood to make cookies, I don't actually have any of the ingrediants.

My perfect, wonderful hubby went back to the store for the third time and brought home 2 dozen eggs (just so we don't run out again tomorrow). Now, the cookies are still warm and they are wonderful. Just like my weekend.

And if you want to know a little secret, I can tell you what made the cookie thing even more funny. Yesterday, I decided to sprinkle baking soda on my carpet before I vacuumed. And I used all the baking soda. Last night, after dinner John asked me what I wanted to do. I said, let's take a walk. Then I had a brain wave. Let's walk up the gas station to buy some more baking soda, so I can make cookies with the kids tomorrow. So, in total four trips out for our cookies today. Oh well, at least we didn't have anything else to do:)

The Inventor of the Telephone

I do not care what history says. Alexander Graham Bell did not invent the telephone. At least, not as an adult. Perhaps he invented it as a child, and had to wait until he was an adult for anyone to take him seriously. I firmly believe that a child invented the telephone as a way to wreak havoc in their home. It's scientifically proven that a child can make a bigger mess in less time if the parent of that child is on the telephone I do my own research in my "spare time").

Today while I was on the phone my children completely trashed their toy room. Fine, it's their room and it's filled with their stuff. Eva felt the need to take every single thing out of her toy box to find a dress for her doll. Of course, this dress was at the very bottom of the box. So now that floor is covered in all the small toys and things that we don't really have a place for.

As I was putting some laundry in the dryer (still on the phone), I hear them in the living room. Wait, I just finished picking up in there. Yep, it no longer resembles the room I left not two minutes ago. I had a laundry basket full of toys that needed to be put away in the toy room, they've dumped the whole thing out on the floor. Are they playing with these toys? Nope. They're playing aliens with the laundry basket on their heads. Imaginative? Yes. Irksome. Definitely. I grab another laundry basket and put the toys back in it. I even put it in the toy room this time.

Suddenly I hear Clementine tearing around on the deck like a crazy dog. That's kinda weird. Hmm. I walk through the kitchen to the back door and hear a faint giggling. Oh crap! Yep, Quinn's outside running around on the deck with Clementine. Of course, he's only wearing his diaper. This is to ensure that our neighbors believe we are complete white trash and can't bother to get our children dressed to go outside to play. (We do actually have neighbors like this. Their boys are always running around outside in various states of undress.)

So, I guess it's time to get off the phone. Now it may sound like I was on the phone for an hour and totally ignoring my children. But actually I was only on the phone for 4 minutes and 23 seconds (I have a nifty little timer on my phone). As I'm trying to wrestle Quinn into his clothes, the phone rings again. It's a telemarketer . I'm on for less than a minute. But in that time Quinn has dug through my purse, stuck his grubby little fingers in my favorite lipstick and smeared it all over himself and one of my windows.

What are my dear children doing right now, you might ask. They are sitting right next to me, having a snack. Eating string cheese and acting like angels. Of course, I'm not on the phone :)

Cheese anyone?

It started gradually. A little bit here, a little bit there. More today than yesterday. It kind of snuck up on me. And this morning it hit me full in the face. Quinn has become a full time whiner. At this very moment he is lying on the kitchen floor screaming, crying and just generally making an awful racket. I think he is upset because I am doing some prep stuff for dinner tonight. Apparently, he wants candy, and I'm the meanest mom in the world. No candy before lunch time.

So, I just let him lie on the floor and have his fit. If I don't pay any attention to him, he'll stop. That's what everyone says. Well, I did tune him out for a while, then tuned back in and he's still screaming. So far, he's been crying for 22 minutes. Grrrr.

In other news, Eva is the most clever little girl in the world :) Yesterday, she was lying on the floor and Dex was sitting near her waist in a little seat. She said "Mama, will you come lay on the floor?" I thought she was wanting to cuddle, so I laid down next to her. Nope, she told me to lay on the other side of Dex and lay just like her. Then she informed me that we were making a letter H. How smart is that? Or does that mean she'll grow up to be a cheerleader? Hmm.. either way, I was impressed.

Here's a tricky thing. Quinn quit crying and went into the living room. Now it's WAY too quiet. Do I check on him, or just let him be?

Ok, because I usually err on the side of caution, I went to check it out. No problems. He was lying on the couch chewing on Clem's tail. Clem is sleeping and doesn't seem to mind. Things change so much. I never would have let Eva put something like a dog's tail in her mouth. I wonder what I'll let Dex do. Probably anything he wants so long as he's not screaming at me or trying to climb me like a tree.

I just cannot wait for the weather to clear up so we can get outside to play. I never thought I would so sick of my own house. It's gotta be soon, right?

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I hope everyone had a great day. We went to my parent's house and had a great meal. The kids were surprisingly good when you take into account the mass quantities of sugar they had consumed. I made all the kids' outfits and they turned out pretty cute. Three little suits complete with bowties for the boys and three little dresses for the princesses. I'm still having some trouble inserting pictures, but check them out if you're interested. Here's one of me and the kiddos. The girls. And one of all six kids.

Now that Easter is officially over and it's getting a little bit warmer, it's time for the most dreaded of all springtime rituals. Yes, ladies, you know what I mean. It's time to buy a new swimsuit. The last swimsuit I bought was for my honeymoon. While it was a one piece, it's not exactly designed to have children hanging off of me at the pool. So, I need to find something a bit more family friendly. Ick. Ick. Ick. I hate shopping for swimsuits. I think it is the only type of shopping I don't enjoy.

I found a couple I like online, but I can't imagine buying something like that without trying it on first. On the other hand, maybe that's a good idea. I won't try it on until 5 minutes before I leave for the pool and I'll have no choice but to wear it. Regardless of how it looks. And I can guarantee it won't look pretty. Maybe I'll start a new trend of wearing a complete wetsuit to the pool. Who'll join me??

In much better shopping news, my sister and I went shopping in Madison yesterday. We weren't super impressed with the malls there, but we did find a few good stores. I only bought a few things, but it was great to have a day with my sister without all the kiddos running around. We had lunch at PF Chang's and tried gelatto from a stand in the mall. What a treat!

Interestingly enough, my sister and I both noted that the new styles this spring seem to have a very familiar feel. They are all made like maternity clothes! Everything is loose, flowy, and completely without fit. Ugh! I just got rid of all my maternity clothes. I think I've been pregnant for too much of the past four years to enjoy this new trend. But, congratulations must to extended to friends Allison and Tim who are expecting their first baby this fall. She'll look extra trendy with this new style of clothes.

The Realities of Keeping House

John's mom is coming to visit. She will be here one week from today. That means that I need to do a bit more cleaning than just my typical damage control. It is my understanding that some people have clean homes all the time. Maybe you are one of those people. I am not. And here is why...

This morning I set out to do a bit of cleaning and organizing in the kids' rooms. I put Dex on the floor for some tummy time and had Eva and Quinn playing on the floor with blocks. I open one dresser drawer to take out some clothes Dex has grown out of. Oh, shoot, where should I put these? Oh, ok, there is an empty tub downstairs. "Guys, Mom will be right back." I run downstairs, grab my tub and come back upstairs. I mean, I immediately come back upstairs. Shoot. Dex has fallen asleep and Quinn is trying to burp him (repeatedly slapping him on the back).

No problem. Put Dex in bed and close the door. "OK guys, Dex is napping, let's go play in your room instead." Open their pajama drawer and sort through some old pjs of Quinn's. I put these in a pile for my nephew and look around. Where is Quinn? I hear giggling in the bathroom, this is not a good sign. I go to look and Quinn has emptied half a bottle of baby shampoo into the bathtub. "Come on buddy, let's go find Eva." I take Quinn back down the hall and hear Clem downstairs whining at the door. Right. Dog. Has she been fed today? I go downstairs and let Clem out.

Back upstairs about two minutes later I hear more giggling from the bathroom. Shoot. Eva and Quinn are both in the bath (without water) and are gliding around in the soap (apparently soap with no water equals ice skating in tub). Grrr. Allrighty. Get everyone undressed and fill tub with water (no sense wasting good soap, we're on a budget here!) All right, kids in bath, I will casually do a bit of straightening in their room and check on them every other minute. Miraculously I do get through 3 drawers and have piles of stuff to be given away. Yay.

Time to pull kiddos out of the bath. I get Quinn's diaper on. "Moooooooooooommmmmy" It's Eva... stuck under her bed. As I pull her out she brings an old shopping bag with her. "look mom, my snow pants." Yay, she has found her snowpants from two years ago and decides they are the perfect thing to wear today. Fine. Snowpants it is, we're not going anywhere today. Here comes Quinn, streaking. "Quinn, where is your diaper, buddy?" To which he replies "ucky poopy" Oh SH*#. I go in my room and sure enough, there is a diaper on the floor right next to a pile of poop. Yep, why clean out dresser drawers when I could be cleaning poop off my carpet?

To sum up. In three hours I have taken a dozen articles of clothing out of a dresser and put them in a tub.

Right now Eva and Quinn are playing "dress-up". This is their favorite game. They have at least a dozen outfits approved for this game. Fairy dresses and old Halloween outfits, oversized hats and plastic jewelry. It is all in their toy box where they can get at it easily. Are they playing with these clothes? Of course not. Eva has the tub I was using, she scooted it across the floor and is standing on it. She is busy pulling everything out of her closet.

I guess I've got to go. Anyone know a good cleaning service?