Unreasonable Demands...

It's Tuesday morning and I'm listening to the rain outside while I watch 'West Wing' reruns, ahhh...nirvana. School's out and my house is being invaded by sleepovers, playdates, last minute 'things' and the first week of vacation is only two days old... I want my days, alone, again. I'm a bad mother, I know. It's going to be even more of a challenge when my darling daughter finds out she's going to be responsible for more around the house. Here is my list of unreasonable demands, 1. Rinsing off dishes and loading the dishwasher (she is already responsible for emptying the dishwasher, a job she hasn't totally mastered after two years) 2. Walking the dog once a day. In an effort to be fair she will have her choice of morning or afternoon. I may have to negotiate the picking up of poop with a poop bag... 3. Learning how to do her laundry - because I don't do her's often or fast enough. Mind you the only thing I asked before was for her to put her dirty clothes in her own designated hamper, which I even moved into her room to make it easier. This is a task she has yet to master after two plus years. I know, she's an only child, she's 12, she's a girl. I'm far too demanding and I'm starting a countdown until school starts again...

"The Dog Ate It..."

To all the teacher's out there - it can happen! The old chestnut of the "dog ate my homework" almost came true at our house, with a slight twist. Abby, in her constantly chewing on anything and everything mode didn't chew Alexa's homework, she chewed MY computer! Late last night I was sitting on the couch doing I don't know what on the laptop we use downstairs and I had to run to the bathroom. I came back into the family room and the laptop had been dragged off the couch turned upside down and Abby was happily chewing on the letter "G". She had also managed to pry off at least four other keys and had 6-10 more off kilter. I'm so glad I got the full warranty and service package with this puppy, er computer. I ran over to Best Buy this morning, computer in tow and sheepishly told the Geek Squad - "The dog ate it..."

How time flies...

It's been a while hasn't it. I've said it before but having a new puppy in the house is like having a baby again. Your life isn't your own anymore. The good news is that I actually get up earlier in the morning. The bad news is I don't actually get more done. As with a baby, you live your life around poop and piddle. So I do get out of the house earlier...to walk the dog - this morning in my pajamas - and met the neighbors - and a school bus stopped to ask if Abby wanted a ride to school...

I've taken the puppy to the vet for her check-up, made arrangements for puppy obedience school and am still trying to get a hold of the groomer as she needs a bath and haircut, badly. My hands are a wreck. My cuticles are all torn and bleeding. My nails are chipped and broken and my skin is as dry as sandpaper and covered in bite marks as Puppy is teething - on us. So I've got scratches, scabs and bruises everywhere. Throw in a little ink from CKC last week and my hands look like they belong on a corpse!

I don't have a lot of pictures right now. I'm too busy chasing Abby around to take pictures of her but I do have a nice one of her and Alexa.

Creative Fun...

We had a guest artist at the store this past weekend. Wendy Vecchi, who is an exclusive certified Ranger Art demonstrator, on the Maya Road design team and also has her own line of stamps with Stampers Anonymous came and taught four classes and a make and take at the store. Because of my busy weekend with Abby I could only attend one class - her 'Make a Better Bird" class. What fabulous fun! Wendy posted pictures of many of the birds on her blog and here is mine.

I've been told that my bird is very 'me' and here I thought I was going out of my comfort box zone! I just wanted to share with my out of Buffalo friends.

Photos of Abby...

I've been so busy chasing after Abby that I've had little time to take pictures! I took the camera out with me yesterday when we had a little run-around play time.

She loves to chew - everything...

As your can see, she's very well read...

And sometimes she is rather camera shy...

She is delightfully rambunctious, loves to chew on Alexa's shoes (incentive for her to put them away for a change :-) She sleeps though the night and is taking to housebreaking quite well. I do feel like a new mother though, not wanting to leave her alone long enough to do household chores or even change clothes and take a shower. I'm a little nervous about going to work today and leaving her alone, although my MIL dotes on her as much as we do.

We'll I'm getting puppy kisses as I type so I think I'll go play with my new baby.

Puppy Home!

Houston, the Puppy has landed! We picked up the puppy on Saturday afternoon. She is absolutely precious! Although, right now she's diving under the couch in the family room and randomly attacking the furniture, my slippers, her lead, the wastepaper basket, the computer cord and running back and forth behind the couch...

After weeks of wondering what her name would be Alexa ended up choosing the name given her by her breeder. She is officially Abigail - or Abby. She's smart, daring, loving, funny, super affectionate and right this moment bouncing all over the family room. She can't quite get up the three steps to the kitchen where her water and food is but she's able to get up the carpeted living room stairs. Right now she's working off her morning energy without the benefit of Alexa. I'd have more pictures but I'm too busy trying to keep up with her! Pictures will follow.

Creative Juices...

My creative juices have been running a little dry lately. I got several pages and projects done during the last meeting of our sweatshoppe scrap retreat but I wasn't jazzed by any of them. I saw a project in a magazine a couple of months ago and I used it for inspiration for a page I created to showcase some of the photos from a trip Norman and I took to Louisville, KY and Indianapolis, IN last summer.

It was just as much about color as it was about where we were. I used Graphic 45, one of my favorite lines for this travel page. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's on display at the store and I'll be doing it as class in May and June.

Puppy Countdown...

We're hoping that we'll have our puppy a week from today. In anticipation and preparation for her arrival we hit the local Pet Smart today. Alexa spent about two hours last night reading to me from one of the new puppy books we got in preparation for today's shopping trip. Needless to say she is now an expert on puppy needs and training! Here are the results of our first shopping trip...




There is an underlying theme if you can see it - Pink! She has a pink bed, a pink collar and a pink lead. I put my foot down though when she wanted pink poop baggies!

Puppy Update!

Here is an updated photo of our baby girl:

Isn't she adorable! We hope to bring her home around May 1-3. Still no definite name. Alexa is biding her time until we meet her to make her final decision. It's still looking like either Lily or Chloe. What do you like? Let me know!

A Night to Remember...

No, it wasn't an invasion from Mars. It was sleepover night!

Alexa had a sleepover last night. Four girls total, one, for her very first sleep over. We really lucked out when we moved to Williamsville. Alexa started at a great school and made friends very quickly. This core group of girls are still friends and do a lot together. What makes it even better is that they are all such nice girls. For last night's event I read them the riot act when they arrived - where they could and could not go, when quiet hours started (Lex was aghast at that!) and then I slipped away. We left the girls on their own for the rest of the night except for one invitation to judge a game they were playing (photos to follow). Norm heard them a couple of times during the night, but by 9:00 am. they were fast asleep - having finally gone to bed at 6:15 a.m.!

Here are some highlights...

The morning after: Brenda, top right, is still a little shelled shocked. Alexa and Haley - raring to go!

The story on the top picture is that Alexa found a game on-line where you create an outfit out of aluminum foil and see who could come up with the best design. Brenda really got into it and did leggings and shoes to go with her outfit! She walked like the Mummy mind you, but it was really cute! Laura came up with a cute mini dress with fringe on the bottom and a foil flower in the middle. She also made a cute little purse to go with her outfit.

Then came kitchen time. Our house was chosen for this sleepover because we had an integral ingredient to Alexa's Ice Cream recipe, Kosher salt...don't ask, we just do! ANYWAY, the girls made their concoctions then had to shake them for 10 minutes, which in twelve year old time means 10 years! I'm told the icecream came out quite good. I'm hoping the toppings below helped.

In the morning Norm made a Timmy's run and the girls left around 11:00 a.m. I'm sure naps will be on the agenda for all of them today.