What I'm Digging

As an ode to Young House Love Has a Podcast, I'm writing a What I'm Digging post. Randomness abounds, but we've had a lot of happenings around here lately. This was started about a month ago, so things have actually changed since then, which I will explain in a new post.


Facebook of Today Sucks
I wish I could hide all political/religious/etc. posts and just get back to babies and puppies.

I can still remember years ago when there were other heated discussions going around, and I lost friends over it. I remember thinking, 'How can someone so openly express their feelings for all to see?' Didn't their parents teach them that some things were best kept to themselves? Along with, 'God, I don't even know that person/morally oppose that person/etc.'

I want to say, 'Just. Shut. Up.' to everyone.


So Much Pee
aka Lenore is Potty Training
aka Peter is in Early Liver Failure
aka Lewis was Sick
That was short-lived. Lenore decided to potty train one day, which I knew she would. We started on a Monday, and I sent her to school Wednesday and Thursday of that week in underwear. Wednesday, she held it until the end of her three hours until she had an accident. Thursday, she went through three pairs of underwear/pants due to accidents. By Friday, I decided we were back to diapers. Once this case runs out, I am changing to Pull-ups because they are easier to get on/off given our current situation. She will go pee by herself when she needs to, but she still doesn't poop in the toilet. She is wearing a diaper for now and pretty much keeping it dry all day (except nap and overnight and except for poop).

Peter is still in liver failure, but it's not as serious as I thought it was. I thought he was going to have to be put down the week we found out, but steroids have improved things (while also making him pee all over the house for a few weeks there). He's tapering off the steroids now, and I think he knows that we will let him out 2x as often as our normal, so his accidents have stopped (thank God). We go back in two more weeks to recheck his values and see if we can taper the steroids further. He's always had liver issues, but this was different. He wasn't eating much for about a month, so we've switched his food to a lower protein one (to make things easier for his liver to digest) and the steroids have helped him perk up. He's also on an antioxidant to help rejuvenate the part of the liver that was failing, and he's on two medicines to protect his stomach from ulcers (caused by the steroids). So, four medicines for the old boy. I'm lucky to remember to give them half the time, but he still seems to be fine.

Lewis was sick a few weeks ago and took a nap on Kevin on the couch (unheard of for the past 2+ years). As he napped, Lewis PEED ON KEVIN AND THE COUCH. (I first thought he said he'd just sat in it, but Kevin corrected the details for me.) 

So Kevin was covered in pee, and the couch smelled for a few days while it was being cleaned and drying out. I threw my jacket in the laundry that same night of Lewis/Kevin's couch/pee incident, only to quickly retrieve it to go out for a drink with a friend. As I got to the destination, I realized I was covered in pee from my jacket laying on top of  a kitchen rug that Peter had just peed on.

Pee. Every. Where.


Working
I enjoy working. I don't know that I necessarily can handle being with little ones all morning and then coming home to my little ones for the afternoon/evening, but I do appreciate the freeing up that working has provided me. Before, it felt like everything fell on me because I was the one who was home and that was my job (which it certainly was). Now that I work three mornings a week, things are being divided and that unspoken burden has really been relieved. I'm so lucky to have Kevin to share in this crazy adventure of parenting. To be continued...

Catching Up/Other Fall Fun

These are a potpourri of pictures, if you will, from the past week or two from my camera and Kevin's phone. (There was a potpourri category on Jeopardy the other night, so that is the only word I can currently think of to describe what I'm trying to say.)

 Hanging with Hattie

 Always has a watchful eye on Lewis and his actions. :)

Sweet basement snuggles with Dad

And more!

This was what I found on Sunday morning when I woke up--pure, snuggly, laidback-weekend goodness. :)

This is Lewis' photo wall in his room! 

I finished it a month ago, but just got around to taking a picture of it. The middle picture is him at one day old, and I ordered the fire truck and railroad crossing prints from art.com. I got the idea for the tractor and roadway initial from Pinterest--the tractor body is his footprint (with construction paper cutouts) and the roadway is just a painted 'L' with cars super-glued to it. I left it spaced out so that we can add to it as we find more pieces.

Yesterday after school, we got to work on our pumpkins. I'd picked up a sticker set for Lewis to use on his pumpkin, and he designed it her all by himself. She has a hairbow, 'like Minnie and Daisy wear,' and she has 5 teeth (he was very specific about the #). :)

I don't need to look at the camera! The pumpkin needs to look at the camera!

He seems very proud of his finished product.

After his was finished, I quickly carved a basic jack-o-lantern for the back porch. I think I spent more time gutting it and cleaning up the seeds to be roasted (yum!):

Lighting up the jack-o-lantern last evening before bed

It's back to the doctor for me tomorrow, so I'll update as we know more about when this baby will arrive!!

***Also, I just added a short video at Huber's of Lewis riding a tricycle--it's about 2/3 of the way down the (really long) post.

Lewis the Truest, Vol. XIII

Lewis went out to Huber's with Grandma and Grandpa T. last week, and they took a tractor ride around the farm. As the driver of the tractor was moving from the paved road to the field, she said something like, 'Hold on! It'll be bumpy!' Later, Lewis was driving a wooden tractor play structure (non-moving) with Grandma as his passenger, and he said:

Lewis: Hold on! It'll be bumpy!

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Lewis is going to break an arm soon, I have a feeling. The past week or two, he's been very big on:

Lew: Watch this, Mama! OR Look at me, Mama!

Followed by a jump off the couch, a WWE-esque fall to the ground, or an accidental faceplant off of a chair (these things have all happened). Bad choices. 

Gymnastics should hopefully help fine-tune his tumbling/furniture-diving skills to minimize injury. :)

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On the way to camp/school the other day, Lewis noticed a man using a weed whacker along the side of the road:

Lewis: That guy was working?
Me: Yes.
Lewis: He was using a weed whacker.
Me: Yes, he was.
Lewis: I want to use a weed whacker ONE DAY when I grow up.
Me: Oh, I bet you will use one at your house, just like Dada does.
Lewis: At my house?
Me: Yes, one day you will grow up and get a job and a car and your very own house. And you'll have to do things to take care of it, like mow the yard and take your dogs for a walk.
Lewis: I'M GOING TO GET TWO BABY DOGGIES!
Me: You are, are you?
Lewis: Ohhh, they're going to be so cute. (as he fake snuggles his future/imaginary puppies) I'm going to get TWO of them, and I'm going to get TWO CAR SEATS, and I'm going to take them TO THE ZOO!

He's got plans, yes, he does. :) My sweet boy.

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On the way home from school the other day, Lewis noticed a neighborhood across the street from his school and started talking about it:

Lew: What's down that road, Mama?
Me: Oh, it's a neighborhood. Where people live.
Lew: Some of my teachers live over there. And my boys. And ME!
Me: Oh, really?
Lew: Yea, there are BIGGER houses over there. We need a BIGGER house. Our house is too small. Our KITCHEN is too small. We need a BIGGER KITCHEN! 

:)

Gee, I wonder where he got that idea? ;) I may or may not have grumbled mentioned a few times in past few weeks how small our kitchen is and how I feel our house is closing in on us. It's especially awesome on school days, when I'm making Lew's breakfast and packing his lunch while Kevin is making his own breakfast and lunch. Sometimes Peter and Hattie come in to hang out, too...Hattie, especially, likes to hang out right under our feet so we have a maximum chance of grazing her and making her yelp out like it's the end of the world. It's good times, let me tell you!

Also, between moving/relocating things from the office/guest room, getting things ready for Lewis to move to his new room, and pulling things out of the very full storage room for the baby, things have been a bit crazy all over the house. Piles o' stuff everywhere. Kevin informed me that almost 8 mos. pregnant is NOT a good time to think about moving (he's always so rational), so I will keep plugging along at bringing order back to the house. 

And daydreaming about that house with a bigger kitchen...

Peter's a New Man (Dog)

The dogs had their annual check-ups this week--all looks good, except Hattie's a bit hefty (though she's lost 4 pounds since last year!). In speaking with the vet, he mentioned the Furminator as something that might help with Peter's annual hair shedding fest that is currently taking over our house. I'm talking tufts of hair that fall out all over the floor, bed, couch, etc. It happens every year around this time, mostly on his back and hips.

Exhibit A:

 My name is Peter Dink, and I'm here to destroy our house. You're welcome.

Just kidding, sweet boy. :)

 Closer shot.

I think the flash makes it seem a little less tufted--just trust me, it was very tufted.

I went online and found a generic brand that was over half the price of the actual Furminator--I think the one I got is called the FurBlaster or something equally awesome. Reviews were good, so I ordered it and it arrived today.

Here are our results:

He's a new man!

The pile was half a foot tall (it was dispersed a little as Peter posed for the picture), and I could have probably gotten a bit more out of him but I had to start dinner. He really seemed to enjoy being brushed by it--he kept coming back for more, and I kept finding areas that were goldmines. I'll probably try again in a week just to make sure we got the majority of it.

I tried it on Hattie, too, but I didn't get hardly any out of her. It gets the undercoat out, so I guess her shedding is a different kind of shedding. I used to blame her for being the primary shedder of the family, but maybe I was wrong! Regardless, I'm glad I was able to get that much hair out of Pete--theoretically, it should save me some sweeping and vacuuming, at least slightly.

Mother's Day Weekend

On Saturday morning, Lewis and I headed out to the forest where I used to work for a Woodland Tea Party. A former co-worker/friend had planned it, so I thought it would be fun for Lewis and I to have a special Mama/Lew date. It was pouring rain overnight and into the morning, but we headed on out (and the rain eventually did stop):

Ready for Tea (and moreso, cookies)

 Listening to instructions before the hike (in some light rain)

 A box turtle in the middle of the trail

 At first avoiding puddles, but that would soon change :)

I think the rain or the walking-while-taking-a-picture made this so crazy/trippy/blurry. You'll notice there's no sign of the rest of the group in front of us. About 5 minutes into the hike, I could tell it was going to be too much for Lew to handle. They stopped a lot and talked about wildflowers (which was great for mothers and other non-toddler types, of course), but I wanted to slip away and go back to the building. We stuck with it and made it out, pretty much unscathed (just a little frazzled for Mama).

Just as we were exiting the woods and heading back to the building, Lew found a pretty sweet puddle to do some stomping in:

 Have your fun, buddy.

We then detoured to the car to change into the back-up jeans I'd packed. :) In addition to the water here, he'd slipped a couple of times on the trail and gotten a muddy booty and muddy knees.

Ready for tea (he looks less than enthused, but I think it was because we were seated with strangers). I'd been trying to keep him away from the dessert table from the moment we arrived. The tables were pretty formal (read: lots of breakable items), so I had to clear away an area for him: 

Going in for a cookie.

He didn't end up eating most of the treats, unfortunately (he wanted to go and play). They were delicious--they were from a local, natural bakery (Cake Flour) and the tea was from Hillbilly Tea here in town.

While he was playing, Christa (my friend) found him and got him started on a little gift for the mothers. They made a photo mat with various leaves and other bits from the woods: 

It's drying up already, but it's a sweet little memento.

(They took our picture and printed it for us, too.)

After finishing his craft, I realized he'd had an accident, so I decided we would head out a little early. I was also having trouble getting him to stay in one place and walk carefully (again, lots of breakables!). He'd had some late nights leading up to that morning, so it all seemed to culminate in a very fussy Lewis by the end of it. Overall, though it was a nice event, and I'm glad we went.

Along with the late nights, he has been waking up earrrrly the past week or two (which has improved the last few mornings, thanks to some earlier bedtimes). This was my wake-up crew on Mother's Day at like 6:45am. :) The dogs were there all night--the child thought they could use some extra snuggles:

 The crazy iPhone flashes in the dark made Lew's eyes close.

Looks like Lewis and Kevin did some snuggling while I was away that day, too: 

 My two favorite boys :)

And one dirty foot

On Sunday morning, I got up and made a big breakfast for Kevin, Lewis, and me (because I wanted to...Kevin offered). Kevin took Lewis to see Grandma Sharon while I stayed at the house and almost finished the season of Sex and the City I've been binge-watching (for like the 3rd time). :) I then went and met Sharon and Kevin's aunt and cousins for lunch and a movie. When I got home, Kevin was starting dinner--he made steak, twice-baked potato casserole (one of my favorite foods ever), Caesar salad, and a peanut butter/Butterfinger pie. What a guy! It was such a nice day.  

[Sorry I didn't get to see you, Mom!! Of course the day would have been better if we'd been able to spend some time with you, but hopefully next year.]

Silly Dog Things

Just a quick post of a few things, dog, that happened last weekend:

Downward Dogs for everyone!

I was prepping some stuff for dinner and looked outside to see these two Downward Dogging in the driveway. Lew's yoga ended last week, but I'm so glad we signed him up for it. I feel like he really benefited from it. 

 And then the real dogs, doing what they do best (sleeping)

It doesn't look like it so much in photo form, I guess, but it really looked, to me, like they were snuggling pretty sweetly.

The Snuggle Monster

The past few weeks, Lewis has been very into snuggling. He has been in the past, too, but it's gotten really intense lately. If we're sitting on the couch for any period of time, he will go get a blanket and insist that we're both covered up. He's started including the dogs in it, too, whether they like it or not. :) Peter is pretty ok with it, and even Hattie has been surprisingly tolerant. She and Lewis have been bonding a bit this week. :)

Some samplings over the past few weeks...he has definitely evolved:

Sans blanket, at first

Each dog under the blanket, separately

Both Dogs

Both Dogs and Dad :)

Kevin hasn't really been able to experience the Snuggle Monster until today, so I'm glad they've had some time for Lewis to show him how it's done.

When Lew decides he's finished snuggling, he will get up, turn on the light (if it's off), and rip off the blanket. He'll say, 'Time to wake up, everybody!' He's brutal! :) Just when I'm starting to relax and get comfortable, usually.

First Bonfire of the Year

The second part of our day yesterday was outdoors as well--Lewis and Kevin were playing outside in the afternoon, and Lew asked to have a fire and eat dinner outside. He didn't have to ask us twice--we're always up for a bonfire! I ran to get some supplies at the store while the boys built the fire, and we enjoyed a nice evening of sitting around the fire, roasting hot dogs, and tipping back some cold beverages.

We're in complete denial about the 'worst winter storm of the season' that is on its way today, so for now, we'll just reminisce on how great last evening was:

 Ahhhh, fire

 Lew's new wagon

 Off-roading with Dad

 Kicking his feet up to relax by the fire :)

 Trying out his new bubble leaf blower

Thanks, Gramma and Papaw! He loves it!

Taking Dad for a spin

Ha--he got out of the wagon and told Kevin to get in. He wasn't able to pull Kevin, so then he (Lewis) was going to get in WITH Kevin and wanted me to pull both of them. That didn't happen. After dinner, though, we did take him for a walk around the block in his wagon. The dogs got to come, too--it seems like it's been so long since all five of us have been able to go for a walk! It was a nice way to end a good day.

And now we wait to see how bad this winter storm actually is. Again, come on, spring!

Around the House and In the Snow

Since it's been so cold and/or snowy and/or icy these past few weeks, we've spent more time at home. It did warm up enough on Monday of this week to actually go outside and enjoy some snow without instantly being too cold. Lewis had another snow day that day, so I was glad for him to be able to get outside to play (and for me to do some preliminary shoveling that Kevin later finished). 

So here are some pictures from our time at home:

FIRST OF ALL, this sweetness that I captured last week when I woke up:

 Kevin and Peter, spooning :)

Hattie is back there behind Kevin, too--she's been sleeping in between my feet. I should take more of these because I've been waking up to some pretty funny sleeping positions on Peter's part.

Lewis brings home arts/crafts projects from school each week, and last week it was a pair of binoculars:

 

 I see you!

A new thing that Kevin started last week, I think, is the Dada Train. Lewis rides on Kevin's back (see below) as they travel around to pick up passengers and head to certain stations (i.e. Bathroom Station when it's time to brush his teeth at bedtime). After they pick up passengers, Lewis yells out, 'All aboarrrrd!' It's pretty adorable. :)

:)

 And Lewis loves it.

These are from Monday, our play-in-the-snow day:

 Rocking his new snow pants from Gramma Pat (in the proper size) :)

As I shoveled, he got out his wagon, his car, his basketball goal, and bubbles from the garage. I think he is ready for springtime! I wasn't sure what he was doing with his car at first: 

He would push it right up to the fence and started trying to stand on the seat (but kept slipping). I soon realized he was trying to see over the fence, into the neighbors' yard. Why? He saw that they have a 4-wheeler, and he wanted to see it! And probably wanted to ride it, too, if given the opportunity.

 I told him to try looking through the cracks in the fence, but that wasn't good enough for him. 

 The tears. Oh, the tears.

He asked me to pick him up so that he could see it for real, full-on, in all its glory, so I finally went over and gave him a lift. In the course of all of this, his boots came off, too, so he was walking around in the snow with just socks (very snowy socks) on. I think he made it 5 more minutes before we retreated inside.

Hattie, part polar bear :) Just hanging out, in the snow.

And finally, for Auntie Schwee (and family)...these are what Lewis' new figurines have been up to. He's been pushing his tractor/trailer around like this, with Mr. Grizzly at the wheel. :)

:)

Makes me smile.