• Bug,  Family Matters,  the dogs,  the sticks

    Spring, Puppies, Glasses.. Oh my!

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    Last week was Spring Break so I took Bug out to The Sticks with me to visit my mom and dad. On the way there we stopped and took some photos in a big field. I’ve always wanted to do that but never had the time. It was the perfect combination of plenty of time, willing models (Bug was in a good mood since her best friend was along) and an amazing Spring day. The sky was so blue and clear with puffy white Care Bear-esque clouds floating along. It was beautiful.

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    There were these funny yellow puff ball flowers everywhere that reminded me of tiny little Dr. Seuss trees. I was just wondering why I’d never noticed them before when my cousin (a biologist) pointed out (on Facebook) that they are a new invasive species that is choking out native wild flowers. What a bummer.

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    We spent some quality time chilling at my mom and dad’s. I love that they don’t have television and there isn’t much to do but sit in the yard and play ball with the dogs. The older I get the more and more I savor boredom. It’s so nice to feel every minute go by and not wonder where they went.

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    We spent the night in my parent’s travel trailer and it felt like camping but with wifi and hot showers only a few feet away.

    You might be noticing Bug’s new glasses. Yep, she’s near-sighted just like her dad. I was worried that she just wanted them because she thinks they are fashionable (which she does) but the eye doctor assured me that she couldn’t fake the test and she indeed has a significant stigmatism in both eyes. Poor kid. It’s a good thing glasses are so cute these days.

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    She’s taken to making ties out of paper and clipping them onto her shirts. Then she walks around the house muttering, “Business, business, business.” as if that’s what busy business people do who wear smart looking glasses and neck ties. She’s a nut.

    Speaking of business, I am kind of impressed (and a little scared) with Bug and her leadership skills these days. She’s organized a club with her classmates called The Pusheen Club. It’s named after her favorite stuffed cat and apparently is all the rage. They use Google Docs at school and she’s taken it upon herself, as President, to require each member of the club to take a Pusheen test and write up a paper in Google Docs before they are allowed to be in the club.

    Then she started a petition, in Google Docs, to bring back the old fashioned orange juice boxes they used to have at the cafeteria. I guess they have a new juice that is watered down and not as tasty or something and she’s rallying her classmates to bring back the old juice.  I randomly get emails from her to edit her Google documents and you can imagine my surprise when I see that the principal of her school is also getting emailed these documents. She’s a mover and a shaker, that girl!

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    Speaking of moving and shaking, (Groan. I know. I am the queen of clunky transitions.) we have a lot of moving and shaking going on in our home lately. Yes, we have puppies! We are insane and adopted two puppies at the same time.

    The light-colored one is an English Golden Retriever named Cody aka Cody Flufflebutt. The brown one is a Soft-Haired Wheaten Terrior named Whiskey aka Whiskey Tangopants. They are adorable and fluffy and a whole lot of trouble.whiskey

    Having two-month-old puppies is like having two toddlers in the house. There are baby gates blocking the hallway and fencing in the living room, brightly colored toys are strewn all over the floor, all magnets on the refrigerator have been pushed up two feet, knickknacks have been moved up high and all plants are up off the ground … cleaning products are stashed in cubbies for quick mop-ups, we wake up at all hours of the night, we have to make special meals for upset tummies… it’s good times!  Like new parenthood all over again!

    But we love it. And them. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Of course.

  • 15 minute posts,  Beach Bits,  Bug,  Family Matters,  half assed posts,  Life Lessons,  Moody Blues,  Niece-com-poops,  spilling my guts

    The Monthly Check In

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    Yes, I admit it. I’m only blogging because I illustrated a new banner for March and I desperately want to roll off that last old moldy post from February. One post in the whole month of February? What’s up B!! I don’t know.

    I honestly don’t know how to answer what’s been going on with one neatly tied-up blog post. Work has been busy and exciting. Nothing I can share right now but you should see my work popping up elsewhere on the internet soon. The girls have been good.

    Bug is struggling in school, particularly with math and that is taking up a lot of real estate in my mind right now. Does anybody know a good tutor? I’m hopeless at helping her. I hired a woman to come by once a week but we won’t meet with her until the week after next and I already feel like it’s too late because fourth grade is three quarters of the way over already. I know Bug is smart and she’ll pull through but life has just been really challenging for her lately.

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    A few weeks ago my parents rented a campsite in Doheny Beach and we met them for dinner two nights in a row. There really is nothing like dinner right on the beach on a school night. The weather didn’t cooperate but it was still magical. I really loved being with my family, doing the things I remember doing when I was little. Camping is deep in my blood.
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    Joon loves being a part of my family and my parents have taken her in as their own. I think they were always disappointed in me that I only provided one grandchild so an extra kid is a welcome addition.
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    Joon fits right in like she does everywhere. She is naturally outgoing and gregarious and everyone loves her. Naturally, Bug is jealous of someone cute stealing her limelight.  I’m trying to be careful with Bug’s feelings while at the same time gently pushing her embrace having a little sister. It’s been a push and pull. Most of the time they are thick as thieves and they get along great but then Bug will lash out with rudeness and it’s lesson after lesson after lesson in exercising kindness, which is exhausting. If you’re the praying type, maybe you could pray for Bug and her growing pains.payams-wood-working

    Payam has been busy woodworking. I can’t give you the link to his Etsy shop yet but it is in the works and promises to be very exciting!

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    Lucy the cat is helping with missing my cats. I do see them every week when I drop Bug off at Toby’s but it’s not the same. I’m so happy they have a loving home. Toby has fallen for them hard which is really really great. But I can’t say I am not jealous that he gets to have my cats. It’s a good thing that Lucy is adorable to help me not miss them so much.

    Wow. What a downer post. But please don’t think things are bad. They are really really good. Good enough that I have been able to take myself out of survival mode and notice the little things.