Camping...Finally

In August, 2008, I mentioned that we wanted to go camping and mused at how long it would take us to actually get around to it. Almost a full year later we went camping!

We packed up the entire house, threw the two dogs in the trunk (not really), and met up with some great friends, their two younger kids, and their little dog for an excellent weekend enjoying the outdoors.

It rained for part of the first day so we shut the dogs in the tent. Ilow didn't like that at all. Otherwise we enjoyed eating and sitting by the campfire and drawing and the dogs went swimming in the river.

{Sherpa required some rescuing}

Ellie got her first taste of two kid staples; juice boxes and fruit roll-ups. Yum.

She also further honed her beg-like-a-dog skillz. Why eat my hot dog when I can have yours?

It was tons of fun and I hope we get around to another trip this summer.

Because I'm so behind

I'll add this little video I assembled from a funny afternoon adventure in the yard a few months ago.

Once Upon A Time on Easter

We had a pretty laid back Easter this year, probably our last as Ellie will know what candy and chocolate and hidden eggs are next year (she already knows what "cookie" is, as we discovered today). So, we took advantage of it by dying some eggs and having some people over.

Ellie "helped" us dye the eggs, it was a lot of fun. She really enjoyed it once she figured out what all the glasses were for (not drinking). She made a mess, of course, but it was worth it.

{finished product}

Later that afternoon a couple friends and their two dogs came over, and Aunt S. joined us as well. It was a really nice day out, our first of the season really, so we enjoyed hanging out in the yard all afternoon.

{our dogs being lazy}

Hmmm, no pictures of the adults. We just hung out on the porch and ate too many chocolate bunny brownies (made by Aunt S. Aren't they cute?). It was nice.

A Stroll

The cold weather this weekend has me reminiscing all the way back to...last weekend. It was so nice Ellie and I went for a walk outside without a coat on! It was her first real outdoor adventure on her own two feet.

I thought we'd just go past the drive and down the street a bit, but when she got to the corner and kept on going Pete grabbed the dogs and away we went.

The impetus for our walk were these adorable new shoes my mom sent her, mini Merrells! I love Merrells. And in miniature, just too cute.

Ellie did really great and walked a little more than a full block, and that included a daring climb up a neighbor's steep drive and the harrowing descent.

Pretty good for her first outing. It was really just nice to get out and not be bundled up for once. A wonderful taste of spring and what's to come. I can't wait!

The Day After

The day after Christmas is always cause for big celebration as it is Grandma's birthday! She turned 92 this year. We all got together for brunch at this very nice converted farm house/inn that had the perfect set-up for a large group of people.

[DSC_0120.JPG]

After that we hung out and enjoyed our new gifties. Ellie enjoyed her new chair and her little hippo family while looking particularly adorable in this beautiful sweater my dad and step-mom sent.

We watched some of our new movies while eating popcorn and drinking beer from our new mugs.

{Ilow does not like beer}

Ilow guarded her new bones, Dragnet wrestled with his new fox squeaky. And Sammy finally got a new dangly toy since Dragnet ate her last one, and a moth!

Oh joy!

We have a cat?!?

That's right. In addition to the two very in-your-face dogs, we have a laid back and somewhat shy cat.

The cat has been getting neglected lately, and not just on the blog. She's such a sweet and special kitty, putting up with a cross country move that ended with the addition of a full-time dog instead of an occasional visitor, then a second and very annoying dog, and now a baby. Thanksgiving seems like the appropriate time to remember her and how thankful we are to have her in our little family. We love you Sammy.

Yesterday she got the joy of going to the vet for her checkup and she came back all clear, just gaining a little weight. So we instructed Ellie to chase her around some more. She happily obliged.

This is a new thing for us, coming home from the vet with no new things to monitor or worry about, no new pills to try to force down a throat. Deserves special mention.

Dogs Dogs Everywhere

Having two dogs sometimes feels like having 10. They seem to be everywhere at once, and with Ellie always getting in their faces or them getting in hers. It's enough to drive a person crazy, and it's easy to see why Ellie's first word is "NO." But recently it seems they've figured some things out that makes having dogs and babies living together more fun. Or less painful.

1. Dogs play with toys too.

2. Babies hand out food.

{I know it looks like Ilow wants to eat the baby, but really she just wants a pretzel}

3. Treats come from Daddy and they're usually tasty.

p.s. I'm watching the news and they're doing a story on the future first dog. I love how this has become a big story, it's a nice break from all the crud going on. I also love that they want a shelter dog. We love our 10 shelter dogs. I mean two, two shelter dogs. Really, just two?

A Trip

We'd put off our annual trip up to the lake and summer was almost over, so a couple weeks ago we loaded up the car and planned a nice long weekend trip up to Sodus Bay, NY.

This would be our first long car trip with the dogs and the baby. During earlier trial runs we learned that putting both dogs in the backseat on either side of the carseat doesn't work. Ilow does not like Dragnet right next to her, Dragnet does not like not being right next to Ilow, and they were constantly jumping over the baby to get next to and then away from each other. So, I rode in the back with Ilow and Ellie, and Dragnet rode in style in the front seat. It wasn't the most comfortable thing ever but it worked.

Ellie had a pretty runny nose so we were hoping it didn't turn into anything too bad. We arrived late Friday night, my dad was waiting for us. Got a good night sleep. My step-mom picked my brother and his fiance up from the airport early the next morning. By now Pete and I aren't feeling particularly spectacular, but we manage to enjoy the day.

Then the sickness set in. I haven't felt that bad in a long long long long time. Pete wasn't doing a whole lot better. Ellie seemed fine beyond a runny nose and cough, thankfully. So, Sunday was a complete black hole. And we headed back home Monday.

A quick and not particularly successful trip, although it was nice to be able to relax in a beautiful setting even if we didn't feel well. Hopefully next time we can stay longer and not feel like death.

Outside At Last

Today I got to play stay-at-home-mom for a day while our daycare provider is getting over the flu. The weather was nice enough to load up the baby, grab the dogs and my new toy, and head to the lake near our home for a little photoshoot.

{my new toy}

These all required a little brightening so I need some work on my exposure, but I had fun messing around. Between a baby who doesn't quite have sitting up figured out, two dogs who don't like being left while I wander looking for a good spot, muddy ground from lots of rain, and intermittent clouds and sun, I think I did okay.

{the sun made a brief appearance}

There's room for improvement. Of course, as I was walking back home I noticed a bunch of spots that would have been better. Just means I'll have to try this again soon I guess. Ilow and Dragnet got their turns as well.

{my beautiful Ilow}


{metering a black dog is hard}