I was tagged

Normally I hate being tagged on blogs and Facebook because I just don't want to take the time for it. But this time my curiosity got the best of me. I am supposed to post the fourth picture from the fourth folder in My Pictures file. This is what I found.

This is a photo of Nolan and Kaden in 2006 feeding the animals at the Austin Zoo. I remember this day like it was yesterday. It was in January and the weather was beautiful. However I do recall that the cedar was horrible because Cheri was sneezing like crazy. She was also very pregnant. We laughed so hard when she would have to cross her legs each time she sneezed. I laughed so hard that I thought I was going to pee my pants! We had a lot of fun that day. I am ready to visit that zoo again, but this time we will wait until the cedar fever is not as bad!

An Ode to Ruby

Yesterday was a sad day at the Davis Rodeo. We lost our dear rabbit, Ruby. This was Leslie's rabbit that she loved and kissed and squeezed. She played with this bunny like it was her best friend when we first got it back in April 2007. You know how kids are with new animals. They are the bomb until it grows and the kids get distracted with life. Well, Ruby, whom we thought was a girl until later in life, was the bomb for Leslie. She took him for rides in her jeep and bicycle. She would sit and sing to him while feeding baby carrots. At times, though, Ruby would have enough and would thump Leslie with his back legs and try to bite her. It broke her heart when he turned grouchy. So many times Leslie would ask to hold Nolan's rabbit, Thumper because he is a very calm rabbit. Anyhoo, Ruby was a cute little bunny that we all loved very much and we are so sad that he is now gone. So without further ado, here is my ode to Ruby:

Our sweet little white bunny

Ruby was a name for a girl

Leslie thought your ears were so funny

However we should have named you Earl

Leslie loved and adored you so

You were her long lost friend

Until you grew old

At times you bit her though

But the anger she would mend

You memory will always be told.

A New Season

After a much anticipated time lapse, we have finally started baseball season again. Nolan was super duper pumped up. His coach called last week and informed us of the practice schedule. The coach sounded really young, but we were okay with that. Nolan was so excited from the minute he woke up yesterday morning. I had no trouble at all getting him to do his homework after school either. He was ready! He put on his old game pants and cleats with last year's dirt still in the cracks. A ball cap was placed on his head and sunglasses on his face. He was ready! Our practice was not until 5:30 but he was in the car by 4:45 asking if we could go. I could feel his anticipation and adrenaline pumping. So we warmed up his arms a bit and played catch for a while. Baseball runs through the boy's blood. Once we got to the fields Nolan was clawing at the door to get out. We met his young but experienced coach and Nolan was in awe. He really relates well with teenagers for some reason. I guess he looks up to them and wants to be just like them. This coach is 19 years old and graduated last year. He has played baseball from the time he was was Nolan's age and all through high school. He immediately started teaching the much needed fundamentals of baseball. Oh, I forgot to mention that Nolan is playing Coach Pitch this year. For all of you people that do not know, that means a coach will be pitching to the players instead of a kid. His team looked like they were going to be great, too. We are so excited and can't wait for more! Don't worry, I will keep you all posted on the development of our little ball player in the short future.

Make Her Happy

Leslie is going through a phase of wanting cereal all of the time... breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. She asks for it all of the day! I do try to limit her intake, but you know, it really is not a bad snack. Anyhoo, I walked by her sitting on the bar stool and this caught my eye.

What?!

Do you notice how she is sitting?

Not only does the girl walk around on her toes like this, but now she is in the habit of sitting on her toes too! Take another look...

Man, this just blows me away and it looks so painful! Oh well, whatever makes her happy.

Puppy Attachment

The older the puppies get, the more attached we get. They are so much fun to be around these days. They "play" bite on your clothes and nibble on your ears. Leslie especially loves to play with the doggies. She will go outside with them a few hundred times a day. She will be extremely sad when they go to their new homes. I try to prepare her everyday, but I have a bad feeling that it will be a sad sad day when they leave. What do you think?

This picture is of the pups first full day at five weeks old outside. They loved it! Ginger and Pepper explored every smell. Tucker could really care less and would rather sit in my lap and nap.

Ginger is just like Chili. She will be an excellent hunter and loves exploring the outdoors. She is just so fun and so darn cute to see her run around!

When Pepper was born, I was afraid he would be a whiner and a dog that is scared all the time. But the moment he walked outside, he opened up and let his guards down. He checked out every blade of grass all the way up to Buster the cat. Buster, just stared at him purring.

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Now the puppies are 6 weeks old today! Can you believe it? I sure can't. We took them into the veterinarian on Friday and I thought they were already 6 weeks, almost 7, but I counted wrong. Thankfully they went ahead and gave them their shots since they would be 6 weeks in few days. Everything went well except for protective Chili Momma. She did not like the vet hurting her babies at all. Here are few pictures we took last night.

I guess it is now time we start looking seriously for a new home. sniff sniff. Oh, wait, I am not at all attached....

We love having these little guys around....

"All the cigarettes..."

This is what I heard tonight as I wheeled Leslie around Wal-Mart picking up a few things to make our trip to the doctor worth while. "All the cigarettes, all the cigarettes, all the cigarettes..." I asked Leslie "What in the world are you saying?" She smiled and repeated herself. I tried to repeat what she said and apparently said it wrong. Then she said it again, this time with a tune. "All the cigarettes!" Well, this time I realized it was a song she was trying to sing and I recognized the tune. I said, "All you single ladies?" "Yeah!" she yelled. "All you cigarettes." I laughed and laughed until Leslie was not laughing along. Sadly Leslie knows what a cigarette is because both of her grandmas smoke. So she thought the song said "All the cigarettes" instead of "all the single ladies". Check out the song she is so into these days and getting the words all wrong.

FYI: I normally do not listen to this kind of music, but Leslie has me stop on songs like this while surfing the radio. She loves the beat. Ironically we heard the song two more times in the car on the way home!

Just click on Beyonce: Single Ladies on the music player to the left and it should play automatically.

How well do you know your children?

The question I kept asking myself all the way home from the doctor's office this evening: How well do you know your child? I do know my child, of course, but apparently I cannot read her illnesses. Leslie and I have visited the doctor, I know at least three times, but probably more like five, to be sent home with the "common cold" or just fluid on the ear. I don't want to sound bad when I say, I am sick and tired of going to the doctor 45 minutes away to have just a virus. Don't get me wrong, though. I am so thankful that my kids do not get sick easily and we are so fortunate to not have a life threatening illness, but come on! We get out in the cold, drive almost an hour away, pay our $20 copay, wait forever in the waiting room and doctor's office to hear him say, "Well it looks like a virus. I can't do anything for her." Urgh! I can't do anything for her either, you are a stinkin' doctor that we paid to see, DO SOMETHING TO MAKE HER FEEL BETTER! I have to learn how to read my children's sicknesses, whether they are viral or bacterial so that we don't waste our precious time. I hate to see my kids sick and I will do anything to keep them more comfortable. So I asked the doc on how to do that better. He pretty much said "If she complains about her ears (in which she has before) or throat and it accompanies a fever then we want to see her. Also, if Motrin does not make her feel better and her body lays around lethargically, then bring her in." OooooooooK.
So, the next time I decide to take her in to see the doctor, she must have a fever, a complaint, and/or lethargic. Gotcha ya. Does anyone else see my point here?

On a brighter note, I am glad we did not have to go through a round of antibiotics and fighting Leslie every day for the next ten long days. I saved $10 on an antibiotic, however had to purchase a butt load for over the counter, treat the symptoms meds. That stuff is expensive! You just have to wonder about our medical and pharmaceutical markets. hmmmmmm.