Thursday, December 23, 2010

p.s.a.

we interrupt this blog to bring you:

CHRISTMAS 2010

we will return in a few days...
but for now, it's

giggles!
 goofy faces!
 catnaps!
 more catnaps!
 christmas specials and favorite movies!
 and stocking hats (we hear snow is heading our way to make it a "white christmas"!
until 2011...

Monday, December 20, 2010

twenty-five years

mariann, my mother
12.30.42 - 12.20.85

Thursday, December 16, 2010

merry & bright




 (above made the front of the christmas cards for 2010)




 (above made the inside of the christmas cards for 2010)




enjoy this time of year...
may all be
merry
&
bright

see you in 2011

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

mcdonald's

so, i read today that a sacramento, ca mom is suing mcdonalds
no, the hot coffee did not burn her.
no, there was not a critter or hair (or worse) in her fries.
it is about the toy(s) in their "happy meals".  which, at first i figured that it must've been that her child got injured by/on the toy....SO, since we occasionally hit that drive-thru i decided to read the article to make sure that we do not have that toy.
ummmmmm...not so much what the suit is about.
it is about the toy being part of the "happy meal" and how that it is not okay to entice children with said toys.
what????
this gal is a mom to two children, ages 2 and 6...and here is a quote from this mom, and while you are reading this quote i will quickly go get my soapbox & get ready go "all dr. phil" on her:

this mom said she "wanted mcdonald's to stop marketing the meals using toys from popular movies such as shrek.  my children really want the toys that are in those meals," she said, adding the meals often get cold while her kids -- ages 6 and 2 -- play with the toys instead of eating. "i'm concerned about the health of my children frankly ... i don't think it's OK to entice children."

okay, here's me on my soapbox and addressing this mom:

here are a couple of questions that as a parent perhaps you should've asked yourself - perhaps even before hiring an attorney:
1)  did the 2 & 6 yr olds go to mcdonald's themselves?  (i am going out on a limb to assume the answer is "no", because if those 2 were out-n-about by themselves we have a larger problem going on here...as in "call cps stat!")
2)  who paid for those "happy meals"?  (again, on a limb, guessing answer is "no")
3)  who opened the toys for those kids?  (i ask this one, because most of the time i cannot hardly get the plastic opened on those darned toys, let alone either of my kids, who are 4 & 5)
4)  why did they have the toy before eating their food?  (this one because i use those as "bribery" to get my kids to eat their food...if other parents are shocked that i'm admitting to bribing my offspring, it's probably because they call it something else...)
5)  how do your kids know what toy they are getting/what movie the toy is from?  (yes my kids watch tv and have even been to a theater to see a movie, but they do not see that much advertising for movies, toys, etc. because most of the time we do not watch stations that have commercials...)
6)  is it that hard for you to say "no" to your kids?  (i mean, seriously...if you, the parent, do not want your kid to eat the mcdonald's food because you are "concerned about the health of my children frankly", then you, the parent, need to make better choices for your 2 & 6 yr. old!  it really is okay to say "no".  even if they do, and they will, cry about it...whether the "no" is to fries and you get them the apple slices instead' or, "no" to even going there in the first place.)

now, we go to mcdonald's sometimes.  my 4-yr-old will choose it nearly every time we decide to do a "drive thru meal".  but she does not always get to choose.  she does not always win.  because she is 4 and despite what she thinks:  my kids are not the bosses of this family.

i sorta look at it like this:
a minor gets arrested for having alcohol in their possession and for drinking that alcohol.  they get in trouble...but, most times the police also go after and charge the person who supplies the alcohol to the minor, because as an adult that person should be smart enough and responsible enough to know that it is not in the best interest of that minor to supply them with booze.

this mom's lawsuit is not seeking money (well, at least she has that going for her). 

i might suggest that she move her family san francisco, ca...because that town recently banned toys from being part of kid meals ("meals that have high levels of calories, sugar and fat")...just a thought...because that might be easier than actually being the adult and parenting.  just sayin'...

Thursday, December 9, 2010

the new normal

we are missing the little dogger, ruby.
linnea tells me at least once a day how she would like to have ruby back because she loves that little dog and wants to pet her and that she was soooooooo cute. 
sigh.
that generally leads to a "heaven chat".
and that ruby is probably funning with belle.  and big oliver.
and then i get asked when i will be going to heaven.
"not for a very long, long, long, long time," i answer.
"don't worry momma, if you go to heaven, me and wren can take care of ourselves, okay?" she has mentioned.
sigh.
and although the girls are wanting a new dog.  now!  they are doing okay.
i really miss that little ruby in the afternoons and evenings.
she was my shadow.
my little lapdog.
even if she was hanging out with the hubs, she would keep her eyes on me if i was up and doing.
she was just so sweet!
but in worry about how we are all doing, i kind of forgot about ruby's best buddy:
and it was not until a day or two after ruby was gone that i realized that puddy was looking for that lil dog.  he went by all the spots that had been "ruby spots"...and not that puddy was anti-social (although that is sorta a cat characteristic, isn't it?!) he did spend most of his time in the basement.  but not anymore.  he is hanging out with us more...he is sleeping on the bed...all afternoon...which used to be a very favorite spot of ruby's.

 i feel bad for him.  how do i tell a cat that his dogger friend is not coming home?
 they were so funny together!




i will never forget the night that we got ruby.  i had sequestered puddy in our bedroom while we were letting ruby get used to the 4 humans and our home.  ruby was a breeder surrender/rescue dog and so she was a little apprehensive at first.  i remember sitting on the ottoman with ruby and then opening the bedroom door.  puddy sauntered out like he owned the place and then froze mid-step when he saw that boston terrier!  i could see his little cat brain whirring - he was used to belle who liked to chase!  and who had a tracking on him all. the. time.  and so once he realized that he could continue through the living room, he would take a step, turn quickly to see what that dog was going to do.  take a step, look at that dog - always ready to turn up the speed if that dog took chase.  but ruby never did.  in fact, at first ruby did not even notice the other furry thing in the house.  she would all but walk right over the cat when coming back from being outside.  but they got used to one another and would often hang out together.
so...puddy is being a bit more social, which is nice...but not for the reason that it is happening.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

a quote just for moi!

i may buy this book just for the title!
if anyone has ever been to my home without a "2-day notice", then you know my life is not being misspent, huh?  not that we are at "condemning" levels, or even "sanitary", but our home is very well-lived in...certainly not an "on display" place at all!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

me & that poochy

oh, that lil dogger...ruby...
sweet pooch o' mine...

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

good-bye to my sweet ruby

ruby
"oreo"
03/2004 - 12/01/2010












it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

there is the car radio set to the christmas music station
(which often gets me a "play dat one adain, momma"
from linnea...followed by her saddest face when i tell
her it's the radio and i can't...)

the tree is up, the girls added their ornaments,
it's plugged in to the timer and amazes the girls
when it turns itself on...and luckily has withstood
the pawing of a certain furball cat, who has
found "the spot" by sitting on the back of the couch
and leaning into the tree...he has been put on notice
that if that tree falls, his cushy lil cat-world will no
longer be a happy one.  he immediately ran to hubs to
snitch on me.  i think i heard a "bah humbug" come 
out with the hiss and meow.

we are missing that little dog, ruby, as she is
spending a few days at the vets...to help her get
back on a regular diet of actual dog food...instead of 
"momma's homemade chicken & rice"...yup, i was
cooking for the poochy.  but she is doing much better
and we are hoping that the vet can determine what is
wrong with her kidney and we can get her back home
and snoozing on my lap...because this is perfect weather
for that lil dog to be all cozied up to me!

wren is busy singing christmas carols and wishing it were
her school concert night...since i was not able to be at gram
& grandpa's over thansgiving, wren picked out a pair of
christmas tree earrings for me...they are more sparkly and 
bigger than what i would normally wear, so...
i will be wearing these earrings every stinkin' day of december!

linnea does not like wearing turtlenecks, just so you know, and 
she cannot wait for us to be able to start the "advent calendar" 
today...she has been keeping her eye on the boxes just 
waiting for something to get in each day...she offered to help
put something in each day, but i declined her help...but not before
i told her that is she put the somethings in, then me & the daddy
would get the somethings, and not her & wren...she is fine not helping. 

boots, hats, snowpants...winter weather gear is out and being worn!
the girls love their boots - wren got new ones, and nea got the
hand-me-downs, but she does not care because they are PINK...
so far we have been able to keep track of the pairs of gloves
and hats and coats and remembering regular shoes to change
in to at school...although linnea has asked me to buy her a hat
that will cover her whole face...sure hope that the "burglar masks"
come in a nice pink color...

well...there are christmas cards to finish up...and the baking list
to make and buy ingredients for...cookie exchanges...school
concerts and programs...dance recitals and dancing at a
retirement home...church programs and singing and advent
candle lighting...and quiet reminders that santa is watching...
so if i do not post again until 2011...

merry christmas to all
and
to all a good night!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

thankful

ruby is doing better.
we got a 2nd opinion,
which is giving her a 2nd chance.
which she so very much deserves!
she has a very
naughty pancreas, kidney and
some of her intestines are
just not playing nice...
but...
i am thankful for "rescue jennifer" and the new vet.
and the help she is receiving.
and that she is doing better.

and then this one...
other than when he is a total klutz,
that results in a total mess...
i am thankful for him, too.
and i think he is thankful for the poochy, too.
above is an older photo
(because someone else has the camera this weekend),
but when i got home earlier with ruby,
a certain furball made his way to her
and gave a few kitty-kisses to her. 
and then they followed each other around for awhile. 
and then because puddy mcfluffkins IS a cat,
he got bored and wondered off.
i love our furry ones!

so i am not thankful for things.
it is not "what" i am thankful for.
it is who.





 ahhh, big ole sigh!



Monday, November 15, 2010

snow joy!

saturday, november 13th
9:45a.m. (ish)
whilst the daddy shoveled,
(& was the photog...)
and
the momma was still ill...
SNOW FIGHT!