...a neutered Newfie!
I am 70lbs full of Castration Admiration.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Overheard
"Luke! You're all wet. Why did you pee in your bed during rest time?"
"Well, sometimes I pee, but then it does a special trick."
"Really? What kind of trick?"
(With an excited grin) "I don't tell mommy, and then the pee dries all by itself!"
Oh boy.
"Well, sometimes I pee, but then it does a special trick."
"Really? What kind of trick?"
(With an excited grin) "I don't tell mommy, and then the pee dries all by itself!"
Oh boy.
The King (of something?)
After I had my first son, I spent many mornings and afternoons rocking, jiggling and feeding him to the sounds of talk shows in the background. I started my day with Good Morning America, followed by Regis and Kelly, then The View.
It wasn't long before I grew both conscious of what my growing boy was picking up from these shows, as well as bored with the television. Always liking to read, I decided from then on to pick up some well-loved books to see if I could start a new habit of reading during those quite times in the day, or when children were content to play at my feet.
I remember this time vividly; even the books that I read first. I started with Pride and Prejudice, followed by The Count of Monte Cristo. These were books that I already owned but hadn't read. After a weekend at home, I sifted through my mother's books and came home with The Concubine, Rebecca, and The Lute Player.
After that, I was hooked and didn't feel the need to keep the television on all day. As far as my preferences go, if books were food, I like meat and potatoes. I like books with depth, meaning, or at the very least a topic where I can learn something new. I'm not much for mysteries, romance, or anything that would scare me (which isn't hard to do).
If I were to pick a favorite book, it would have to be Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Trying to convince me for years to read it, I was convinced my mother was trying to get me to read about some farm woman who planted crops in Nebraska. But no, Rebecca isn't anything like that, and after reading through it once, I read through the entire thing again, so taken by the ending that I couldn't wait to read it again with a new perspective. Since then I always recommend Rebecca to anyone in my contemporary who probably never thought to read a book written before our grandparents' time.
Recently (thanks, E.M.), I started reading my first Stephen King novel, The Stand. It's not horror, vampires, boogie men or gore, and it doesn't scare me. It's actually pretty interesting, and dare I say...deep? However, I'm very torn. The book deals with the classic fight of good vs. evil. That topic isn't new or sci-fi, it's real life in so many aspects, and yet, I'm hesitant to finish the book. Maybe it's because I tend to fright about anything that isn't rainbows and unicorns, but I generally have a deep fear when it comes to even reading about the power of evil, almost as if my knowledge of it invites it into my life. I'm not convinced that's case, and I'll probably finish The Stand because it's really interesting and I'm hoping (and thinking) that the Good Guys will win, but I'll definitely be taking it all in with caution.
Anybody else like Stephen King? Anything to avoid other than Salem's Lot? (don't think I can touch that one).
It wasn't long before I grew both conscious of what my growing boy was picking up from these shows, as well as bored with the television. Always liking to read, I decided from then on to pick up some well-loved books to see if I could start a new habit of reading during those quite times in the day, or when children were content to play at my feet.
I remember this time vividly; even the books that I read first. I started with Pride and Prejudice, followed by The Count of Monte Cristo. These were books that I already owned but hadn't read. After a weekend at home, I sifted through my mother's books and came home with The Concubine, Rebecca, and The Lute Player.
After that, I was hooked and didn't feel the need to keep the television on all day. As far as my preferences go, if books were food, I like meat and potatoes. I like books with depth, meaning, or at the very least a topic where I can learn something new. I'm not much for mysteries, romance, or anything that would scare me (which isn't hard to do).
If I were to pick a favorite book, it would have to be Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Trying to convince me for years to read it, I was convinced my mother was trying to get me to read about some farm woman who planted crops in Nebraska. But no, Rebecca isn't anything like that, and after reading through it once, I read through the entire thing again, so taken by the ending that I couldn't wait to read it again with a new perspective. Since then I always recommend Rebecca to anyone in my contemporary who probably never thought to read a book written before our grandparents' time.
Recently (thanks, E.M.), I started reading my first Stephen King novel, The Stand. It's not horror, vampires, boogie men or gore, and it doesn't scare me. It's actually pretty interesting, and dare I say...deep? However, I'm very torn. The book deals with the classic fight of good vs. evil. That topic isn't new or sci-fi, it's real life in so many aspects, and yet, I'm hesitant to finish the book. Maybe it's because I tend to fright about anything that isn't rainbows and unicorns, but I generally have a deep fear when it comes to even reading about the power of evil, almost as if my knowledge of it invites it into my life. I'm not convinced that's case, and I'll probably finish The Stand because it's really interesting and I'm hoping (and thinking) that the Good Guys will win, but I'll definitely be taking it all in with caution.
Anybody else like Stephen King? Anything to avoid other than Salem's Lot? (don't think I can touch that one).
Monday, August 16, 2010
Oh the times...
Today I bought my first half-gallon of non-homogenized milk. Cream line and all.
I also bought my first grain-sprouted, flourless loaf of bread.
Wow.
I never would have guessed that I'd be turning into a such a granola head.
Have I mentioned that Spiritual Midwifery is on my Amazon wishlist?
I should stop now before I lose all my street credit.
I also bought my first grain-sprouted, flourless loaf of bread.
Wow.
I never would have guessed that I'd be turning into a such a granola head.
Have I mentioned that Spiritual Midwifery is on my Amazon wishlist?
I should stop now before I lose all my street credit.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
From MN.
The family had a mini-roadtrip today and ventured near the beginnings of the Mississippi River. The town of Park Rapids, MN is pretty nice if you like that city along the river, thick pine forests, and lakes everywhere sort of thing.
So, we were a bit surprised when our four-year-old interrupted our tree-gazing to inform us that, "This is where the Devil lives."
Wow! Of all the places, I never would have thought! Lag Vegas? Maybe. Somewhere in Italy where the Vulturi dwell? Perhaps. I would even bank on a few of the historical places where despicable crimes of humanity have taken place. Circus Maximus, Dachau, and Custer's Last Stand come to mind.
But certainly not anywhere in Minnesota. The people are too nice and the land is far too scenic :-) .
So, we were a bit surprised when our four-year-old interrupted our tree-gazing to inform us that, "This is where the Devil lives."
Wow! Of all the places, I never would have thought! Lag Vegas? Maybe. Somewhere in Italy where the Vulturi dwell? Perhaps. I would even bank on a few of the historical places where despicable crimes of humanity have taken place. Circus Maximus, Dachau, and Custer's Last Stand come to mind.
But certainly not anywhere in Minnesota. The people are too nice and the land is far too scenic :-) .
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Book Review
I just got done reading "20 and Counting," by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. This is not a new book, in fact, if it were new, the title would be "21 and Counting," since the Duggars added their 19th child last year. But, it was checked out at the library every time I thought of it until last week.
I ended up reading the book in two days, and those without little children could read it in one. I was sucked in, and while I have watched nearly every episode of their television show, reading their story and how they came to where they are now is quite inspiring. We cut our cable a few months ago, and this show is what I miss the most, in fact, it's the only show I miss :-( .
This family's convictions are quite courageous. They not only have beliefs and values, but they follow them without fail, regardless of the implications. This is not only in regard to their family size, but for instance, they don't agree with smoking, so when they owned a convenience store they decided that they couldn't, in good conscience, sell cigarettes. They knew it would mean less business and money, but they followed through with their beliefs. For some that might seem ignorant, or even foolish, but I found it very admirable, even though I personally don't take a definitive "moral" stance on smoking.
Their book takes you on a journey from their humble beginnings and how they trusted, learned, and took big risks to end up where they are now. The way they accomplished building businesses and buying their home and construction equipment (without debt) is pretty remarkable.
Having my own plights with the laundry routine, I was especially interested in Mrs. Duggar's ideas on laundry and chores. She had four children under four, and then five and six under five. It was then that they made the laundry space also a clothing storage space and made the bedrooms exclusively for sleeping (i.e. without dressers). This was a novel idea to me, and one, after she explained her reasonings, made a terrific amount of sense. Mrs. Duggar had been spending too much time transporting the clothes back into the drawers, and once in the drawers, little hands soon were disrupting the order of the clothes. With the new laundry system, the children pick out their clothes the night before and bring them to their room. Socks and undies are labeled by name in wash tubs, as well as pants. I mentioned this idea to Mark, and we both agreed that it was a great idea. She also dresses many of the children alike, and this she explained, was to make laundry easier. If 18 children wear red shirts, then there's a laundry load of red shirts. Wow, it's almost too easy.
Some people have issues with the Duggars, and while they "put themselves out there" and open their family up to criticism, I don't have anything bad to say about them. There was a point where I had the impression of a type of "moralism" within their belief system, and that they equated their family size with their holiness, changing children from being a gift to a measure of faith. After reading their book, I'm convinced that this is not the case. They simple were willing, and happened to have a perfect storm of fecundity and openness.
As a mother of young ones, I was very encouraged by this book. In fact, I love it. I'm happy that the Duggars are around. Their perspective is refreshing.
I ended up reading the book in two days, and those without little children could read it in one. I was sucked in, and while I have watched nearly every episode of their television show, reading their story and how they came to where they are now is quite inspiring. We cut our cable a few months ago, and this show is what I miss the most, in fact, it's the only show I miss :-( .
This family's convictions are quite courageous. They not only have beliefs and values, but they follow them without fail, regardless of the implications. This is not only in regard to their family size, but for instance, they don't agree with smoking, so when they owned a convenience store they decided that they couldn't, in good conscience, sell cigarettes. They knew it would mean less business and money, but they followed through with their beliefs. For some that might seem ignorant, or even foolish, but I found it very admirable, even though I personally don't take a definitive "moral" stance on smoking.
Their book takes you on a journey from their humble beginnings and how they trusted, learned, and took big risks to end up where they are now. The way they accomplished building businesses and buying their home and construction equipment (without debt) is pretty remarkable.
Having my own plights with the laundry routine, I was especially interested in Mrs. Duggar's ideas on laundry and chores. She had four children under four, and then five and six under five. It was then that they made the laundry space also a clothing storage space and made the bedrooms exclusively for sleeping (i.e. without dressers). This was a novel idea to me, and one, after she explained her reasonings, made a terrific amount of sense. Mrs. Duggar had been spending too much time transporting the clothes back into the drawers, and once in the drawers, little hands soon were disrupting the order of the clothes. With the new laundry system, the children pick out their clothes the night before and bring them to their room. Socks and undies are labeled by name in wash tubs, as well as pants. I mentioned this idea to Mark, and we both agreed that it was a great idea. She also dresses many of the children alike, and this she explained, was to make laundry easier. If 18 children wear red shirts, then there's a laundry load of red shirts. Wow, it's almost too easy.
Some people have issues with the Duggars, and while they "put themselves out there" and open their family up to criticism, I don't have anything bad to say about them. There was a point where I had the impression of a type of "moralism" within their belief system, and that they equated their family size with their holiness, changing children from being a gift to a measure of faith. After reading their book, I'm convinced that this is not the case. They simple were willing, and happened to have a perfect storm of fecundity and openness.
As a mother of young ones, I was very encouraged by this book. In fact, I love it. I'm happy that the Duggars are around. Their perspective is refreshing.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Back to School, Blog, and Reality Check.
I've taken my summer vacation from blogging. There were countless times rocking the little one to bed when I had paragraphs of prose run through my head with a perfect blogging title. But alas, after playing at playground after playground, and biking and walking and pulling the wagon and pushing the stroller, once the kids were in bed at night I was pretty pooped out.
I still am pretty pooped out. In fact, the excruciatingly humid days of August have given me the itch for long jeans and cotton sleeves, when day turns to night at a reasonable hour and when the nip in the air keeps the kids from storming out of the house every time the door is opened.
My summer vacation from blogging was necessary because I needed to redirect and focus my goals as a person as well as my expectations for our family. It's not so much that it's been a tough road, but more so that my attitude is having a difficult time withstanding the demands of our days.
A few minutes ago I put away the vacuum cleaner after the kids came in from the sandbox. Sand was everywhere, and I dutifully sucked it up before the hour of naptime came. No sooner was the cord unplugged, wrapped, and the vacuum put in the closet did the little one bring the dog food bowl to the carpet and dump the contents on the freshly. vacuumed. floor.
In May I might have laughed about it. Instead, I begrudgingly took the vacuum back out of the closet, wanting to cry but getting angry instead. The incident isolated doesn't seem like a big deal, if only earlier in the morning my four year old, well-potty trained boy hadn't decided that his "pee wanted to pee on the floor" instead of in the toilet. If only I hadn't spent a hour the day before washing the bathroom with a bucket of bleach. If only. If only. If only, then I might have been able to scrape up some patience.
But how much patience, and how much joy is required in the midst of chaos and repeated mini-disasters throughout the day? It does get overwhelming, and it does get discouraging, and while I want so badly to listen to the mothers of old saying over and over again "Just enjoy them instead of worrying about everything else," at some point somebody has to sweat the small stuff before the small stuff becomes big stuff.
This scenario is darn near reality:
"Hi hunny, how was work?"
"Good, but why are you in your pajamas already? It's only 6 o'clock?"
"Good question, dear. You see, I was dressed this morning, but then Little Joe threw his bowl of spaghettios in my lap. I went upstairs to find a new skirt, but alas, they were all dirty!"
"Couldn't you just throw in a load of laundry?"
"Oh hunny, you're funny! It sounds so simple, but just yesterday I went downstairs to the laundry room, the children follow me down there. I caught Little Joe sifting through the cat litter while I was measuring the OxiClean. I grabbed Little Joe and switched the wash to the dryer one-handed. As I was doing all this, Franci-Pantsi had gotten into the Easter eggs in storage next to the laundry room and was begging to bring up the Halloween pumpkin he stores candy in. After a tantrum and much explaining about the seasons, we got upstairs."
"Oh, so you did laundry after all."
"Not exactly. I tried to utilize naptime to dry and fold the clothes, but I didn't get far enough. The children woke up, and I no sooner had the clothes folded on the table when I turned my back to get Franci-Pants some apple juice. Before you know it, Little Joe had thrown all the my clean clothes on the floor in one swoop of his arm, landing in a mess of sand that the kids brought in from the yard."
"I see, dear."
"I work so hard, but I just can't keep up."
These are the reasons, coupled with my bound responsibility to the situation, why I've needed this summer vacation. I can't help but see the beam in my own eye in regards to the children's haphazards and my reaction to it.
Looking at my (under construction) blog header, I have to ask, "What is so encouraging about my blog? Or, at least today's post?" Well, we can't always be full of inspiration and joy all of the time, so during those moments when we're struggling, the most encouraging words we can hear are, "I've been there, I'm there now, I understand and you are not alone."
I still am pretty pooped out. In fact, the excruciatingly humid days of August have given me the itch for long jeans and cotton sleeves, when day turns to night at a reasonable hour and when the nip in the air keeps the kids from storming out of the house every time the door is opened.
My summer vacation from blogging was necessary because I needed to redirect and focus my goals as a person as well as my expectations for our family. It's not so much that it's been a tough road, but more so that my attitude is having a difficult time withstanding the demands of our days.
A few minutes ago I put away the vacuum cleaner after the kids came in from the sandbox. Sand was everywhere, and I dutifully sucked it up before the hour of naptime came. No sooner was the cord unplugged, wrapped, and the vacuum put in the closet did the little one bring the dog food bowl to the carpet and dump the contents on the freshly. vacuumed. floor.
In May I might have laughed about it. Instead, I begrudgingly took the vacuum back out of the closet, wanting to cry but getting angry instead. The incident isolated doesn't seem like a big deal, if only earlier in the morning my four year old, well-potty trained boy hadn't decided that his "pee wanted to pee on the floor" instead of in the toilet. If only I hadn't spent a hour the day before washing the bathroom with a bucket of bleach. If only. If only. If only, then I might have been able to scrape up some patience.
But how much patience, and how much joy is required in the midst of chaos and repeated mini-disasters throughout the day? It does get overwhelming, and it does get discouraging, and while I want so badly to listen to the mothers of old saying over and over again "Just enjoy them instead of worrying about everything else," at some point somebody has to sweat the small stuff before the small stuff becomes big stuff.
This scenario is darn near reality:
"Hi hunny, how was work?"
"Good, but why are you in your pajamas already? It's only 6 o'clock?"
"Good question, dear. You see, I was dressed this morning, but then Little Joe threw his bowl of spaghettios in my lap. I went upstairs to find a new skirt, but alas, they were all dirty!"
"Couldn't you just throw in a load of laundry?"
"Oh hunny, you're funny! It sounds so simple, but just yesterday I went downstairs to the laundry room, the children follow me down there. I caught Little Joe sifting through the cat litter while I was measuring the OxiClean. I grabbed Little Joe and switched the wash to the dryer one-handed. As I was doing all this, Franci-Pantsi had gotten into the Easter eggs in storage next to the laundry room and was begging to bring up the Halloween pumpkin he stores candy in. After a tantrum and much explaining about the seasons, we got upstairs."
"Oh, so you did laundry after all."
"Not exactly. I tried to utilize naptime to dry and fold the clothes, but I didn't get far enough. The children woke up, and I no sooner had the clothes folded on the table when I turned my back to get Franci-Pants some apple juice. Before you know it, Little Joe had thrown all the my clean clothes on the floor in one swoop of his arm, landing in a mess of sand that the kids brought in from the yard."
"I see, dear."
"I work so hard, but I just can't keep up."
These are the reasons, coupled with my bound responsibility to the situation, why I've needed this summer vacation. I can't help but see the beam in my own eye in regards to the children's haphazards and my reaction to it.
Looking at my (under construction) blog header, I have to ask, "What is so encouraging about my blog? Or, at least today's post?" Well, we can't always be full of inspiration and joy all of the time, so during those moments when we're struggling, the most encouraging words we can hear are, "I've been there, I'm there now, I understand and you are not alone."
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Men.
Let's just say...
That all men can use power tools.
That all men can use an electric drill,
...circular saw
...hammer
...nails
...level
...lumber
...and generally build whatever they put their minds to.
But the real question is...
Can they do it wearing a shirt and tie?
(**EDIT** This looks WAY more dangerous than it actually was. No, he didn't use his circular saw while wearing a tie.)
That all men can use power tools.
That all men can use an electric drill,
...circular saw
...hammer
...nails
...level
...lumber
...and generally build whatever they put their minds to.
But the real question is...
Can they do it wearing a shirt and tie?
(**EDIT** This looks WAY more dangerous than it actually was. No, he didn't use his circular saw while wearing a tie.)
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Morning Basket.
The days were a whirlwind. For a couple of weeks the weather was so beautiful, that even before the kids were dressed they were outside for the day playing in their pajamas. In so many ways it was wonderful. Our summer season in MN is so short, and letting kids out to play is something I don't want to restrict. However, playing outside with children for the better part of 12 hours is definitely exhausting.
The blur of summer fun was starting to take its toll on me. I was tired. Really tired. In the winter months our days have structure. We have plans, places to go, and a general outline to give our days some depth. In the summer when the sun starts to rise at 4am and doesn't set until nearly 10pm, it can easily seem like the days run together in busyness.
Something had to change. Reading one of my new favorites, I got an idea. Our own Morning Basket! Tailored to our very needs as family, as we sit down for breakfast, our Morning Basket has a few small books and some little prayers that we can say together as a family.
We've been doing our Morning Basket for two weeks, and it's quite apparent that it benefits me much more than the children; giving us an anchor for the day.
(Thank you, Mom, for the peonies!)
Here are the functions of our Morning Basket: (We don't do it all everyday, just what "Lil' P" allows)
1. Prayers, a Morning Offering, Prayer of St. Michael, Anima Christi, Hail Mary
2. Poetry. Right now we are reading through "When We Were Very Young," for the second time.
3. "Saint of the Day" This is in two volumes and was my husband's when he was a child. A half-page bio on the life of a Saint is a GREAT conversation starter.
4. Bible. Mark has this *COOL* Bible that acts as a comic strip. He, who is not a big reading-lover, tells me that he used to take this very same Bible to bed and read it. What a great way to retain stories! This is Luke's favorite part of Morning Basket.
We take about 10-15 minutes to do this in the morning, sometimes around the kitchen table during breakfast, or while the kids are playing dinosaurs/animals on the floor. Thank you again Jen over at Wildflowers and Marbles for this great idea!
The blur of summer fun was starting to take its toll on me. I was tired. Really tired. In the winter months our days have structure. We have plans, places to go, and a general outline to give our days some depth. In the summer when the sun starts to rise at 4am and doesn't set until nearly 10pm, it can easily seem like the days run together in busyness.
Something had to change. Reading one of my new favorites, I got an idea. Our own Morning Basket! Tailored to our very needs as family, as we sit down for breakfast, our Morning Basket has a few small books and some little prayers that we can say together as a family.
We've been doing our Morning Basket for two weeks, and it's quite apparent that it benefits me much more than the children; giving us an anchor for the day.
(Thank you, Mom, for the peonies!)
Here are the functions of our Morning Basket: (We don't do it all everyday, just what "Lil' P" allows)
1. Prayers, a Morning Offering, Prayer of St. Michael, Anima Christi, Hail Mary
2. Poetry. Right now we are reading through "When We Were Very Young," for the second time.
3. "Saint of the Day" This is in two volumes and was my husband's when he was a child. A half-page bio on the life of a Saint is a GREAT conversation starter.
4. Bible. Mark has this *COOL* Bible that acts as a comic strip. He, who is not a big reading-lover, tells me that he used to take this very same Bible to bed and read it. What a great way to retain stories! This is Luke's favorite part of Morning Basket.
We take about 10-15 minutes to do this in the morning, sometimes around the kitchen table during breakfast, or while the kids are playing dinosaurs/animals on the floor. Thank you again Jen over at Wildflowers and Marbles for this great idea!
Monday, June 14, 2010
An Addition.
Nearly five years ago I was newly married, living in a small apartment in a big, unfriendly city. Mark was in his first year of law school and was busy. I worked full-time and when Mark got home for the day he often had to leave back to the law library and work late into the night. I was sometimes scared of being alone and wondered what would help me fall asleep, on those nights alone.
During that time was the first time I ever thought about getting a dog. I've written before that I'm not really an animal lover. I'm not. It's a strange relationship, because I really love to learn about animals, and am always up for the zoo, aquarium, or Planet Earth. Some people connect really well with animals and are endlessly entertained by them. I am not one of those people.
Why would someone like me, then, think about getting a dog? Well, I thought that if I looked hard enough that somewhere out there a perfect dog would be waiting for me. Maybe it wasn't so much that I didn't like animals, but that the right one hadn't come along? It got me researching. I had some tough criteria, but to me, it was a win win. Either a perfect a dog would come out of the mix, or we wouldn't get one!
My Criteria:
1. A lazy bum
2. No jumping
3. No "yapping" or restless barking
4. No digging
5. No wandering
6. A loyal companion
7. Anything "high-strong" was immediately disqualified
8. A dog big enough to scare someone with its size, but harmless at heart
9. A dog that I could trust 100% to be safe with young children
10. A dog that could tolerate poking, prodding, and total invasion of space by children
11. Quite the same as the first, I just wanted a dog to be there, but didn't require a lot of exercise or attention. (Not that I want a dog to neglect, just not one that requires the maintenance of a child! I'm stretched thin as it is.)
Surely, I thought, this dog cannot be found. But, five years ago I found a breed of dog that fit each of my criteria. I brought the information on my breed to Mark who flatly said, "No. You're crazy. It's never gonna' happen."
But you know what? It DID happen! A bit over two weeks ago Mark surprised me with our very own Newfoundland puppy!
And, while nearly everyone around called us crazy two weeks ago, it seems that everyone who meets Stout wants a Newfie of their very own. He's that sweet, that wonderful, and oh so perfect. Have I mentioned that he's going to be close to 200lbs? All the more for the kids to climb over. Mark is a believer now, too, and has enjoyed having Stout at our side as we enjoy our summer.
Seriously, he's awesome.
During that time was the first time I ever thought about getting a dog. I've written before that I'm not really an animal lover. I'm not. It's a strange relationship, because I really love to learn about animals, and am always up for the zoo, aquarium, or Planet Earth. Some people connect really well with animals and are endlessly entertained by them. I am not one of those people.
Why would someone like me, then, think about getting a dog? Well, I thought that if I looked hard enough that somewhere out there a perfect dog would be waiting for me. Maybe it wasn't so much that I didn't like animals, but that the right one hadn't come along? It got me researching. I had some tough criteria, but to me, it was a win win. Either a perfect a dog would come out of the mix, or we wouldn't get one!
My Criteria:
1. A lazy bum
2. No jumping
3. No "yapping" or restless barking
4. No digging
5. No wandering
6. A loyal companion
7. Anything "high-strong" was immediately disqualified
8. A dog big enough to scare someone with its size, but harmless at heart
9. A dog that I could trust 100% to be safe with young children
10. A dog that could tolerate poking, prodding, and total invasion of space by children
11. Quite the same as the first, I just wanted a dog to be there, but didn't require a lot of exercise or attention. (Not that I want a dog to neglect, just not one that requires the maintenance of a child! I'm stretched thin as it is.)
Surely, I thought, this dog cannot be found. But, five years ago I found a breed of dog that fit each of my criteria. I brought the information on my breed to Mark who flatly said, "No. You're crazy. It's never gonna' happen."
But you know what? It DID happen! A bit over two weeks ago Mark surprised me with our very own Newfoundland puppy!
And, while nearly everyone around called us crazy two weeks ago, it seems that everyone who meets Stout wants a Newfie of their very own. He's that sweet, that wonderful, and oh so perfect. Have I mentioned that he's going to be close to 200lbs? All the more for the kids to climb over. Mark is a believer now, too, and has enjoyed having Stout at our side as we enjoy our summer.
Seriously, he's awesome.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Radical Homemakers | Front Porch Republic
This is a book review, analysis and history lesson that I found quite interesting. I would encourage you to read the review! The biggest thing I took from it was how the current shift of families is to be consumers, or to have as much "stuff" as humanely possible, but, historically that was not the case. Apparently the book goes on to say that "once upon a time..." people made their own things and repaired their own things. And, unlike today, they actually owned their own things. What a concept!
Radical Homemakers | Front Porch Republic
Radical Homemakers | Front Porch Republic
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Danger Boys.
This sums these two up pretty well, don't you think?
One with a plastic bag over his head, the other reaching for the electrical outlet. Just another day with the Danger Boys.
Have I mentioned that I must have the busiest boys the world has ever seen?
One with a plastic bag over his head, the other reaching for the electrical outlet. Just another day with the Danger Boys.
Have I mentioned that I must have the busiest boys the world has ever seen?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Pray.
Last week, Theresa plugged my blog on hers.
Theresa is amazing. She's like the Pioneer Woman. She can do it all.
Whenever I question myself, Theresa always answers, "Yes, Mallory, you CAN do this." She's been a great encouragement to me as I learn the ropes as a wife and mother.
Theresa taught me to cloth diaper, and is always teaching me about how to make something from scratch or to shear alpacas.
Theresa reads and comments on my blog frequently. Yes, that Theresa.
I was planning on plugging her blog regardless of what happened yesterday, but here I am plugging her blog for a different reason. Yesterday life as she knows it changed forever. Her son is fighting for his life.
Please, visit her blog, comment, leave encouragement for her and her family as they fight a sudden, rare, and life-threatening disease. Theresa's blog is in my sidebar, so after this post gets bumped from other posts, please keep going, and keep praying.
Mallory.
Theresa is amazing. She's like the Pioneer Woman. She can do it all.
Whenever I question myself, Theresa always answers, "Yes, Mallory, you CAN do this." She's been a great encouragement to me as I learn the ropes as a wife and mother.
Theresa taught me to cloth diaper, and is always teaching me about how to make something from scratch or to shear alpacas.
Theresa reads and comments on my blog frequently. Yes, that Theresa.
I was planning on plugging her blog regardless of what happened yesterday, but here I am plugging her blog for a different reason. Yesterday life as she knows it changed forever. Her son is fighting for his life.
Please, visit her blog, comment, leave encouragement for her and her family as they fight a sudden, rare, and life-threatening disease. Theresa's blog is in my sidebar, so after this post gets bumped from other posts, please keep going, and keep praying.
Mallory.
Out with the Old.
Last week we found our baby, Paul, pinned between the crib bar and the mattress. Our crib, it turns out, is part of a massive recall, and will soon be illegal to sell even at garage sales or Craiglist. We had a drop-down siderail crib from Target. The brand was Stork Craft, a Target product and made in China.
This is how the drop-down rail came "off track," creating a gap in rail and the mattress; the perfect size for a baby to get lodged.
The crib was cheaply made, as evidenced by Itty-Bitty Baby being able to do this to the bars.
Here's what we did about it.
Needless to say, our whole family was quite upset about the whole incident. Cribs should last more than three years, and when we bought our crib we had no idea it would be recalled. If you had a baby after 2004 and it has a drop-down siderail, please check to see if it's recalled, and make sure that the parts I pictured are secure.
In with the new! Our new crib is REAL wood, heavy, sturdy, and has no movable parts. This is promising.
This is how the drop-down rail came "off track," creating a gap in rail and the mattress; the perfect size for a baby to get lodged.
The crib was cheaply made, as evidenced by Itty-Bitty Baby being able to do this to the bars.
Here's what we did about it.
Needless to say, our whole family was quite upset about the whole incident. Cribs should last more than three years, and when we bought our crib we had no idea it would be recalled. If you had a baby after 2004 and it has a drop-down siderail, please check to see if it's recalled, and make sure that the parts I pictured are secure.
In with the new! Our new crib is REAL wood, heavy, sturdy, and has no movable parts. This is promising.
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