Goat

Blogger, Oh Blogger, why do you hate me so? I try to upload a video directly and you won't let me so I go to YouTube and it loads 15 videos at once. It's a conspiracy. I wasn't meant to blog. It would be fine if they were 15 videos I wanted to load but no, that would be way too easy.

Super Bowl Sunday

We had a great Super Bowl Sunday. We'd been talking about it for weeks and we're happy to report that it went exactly as planned. We did absolutely NOTHING. Nothing that required a shower or any scrambling around, anyway. We had Shipley's for breakfast and we fed the ducks at the pond up the road. Well, we tried to feed the ducks but they really didn't even look our way. They were totally stuck up and must have been used to finer fare. We had fun anyway and Avery didn't seem offended that they refused her bread. We headed home for naps to prepare us for the many hours of Super Bowl madness that lay ahead. Part of our 3 person party plan was to get Popeye's Chicken. Don't ask me why, Mason just said he wanted it. So, we got chicken, rice and beans, fries, biscuits and mashed potatoes. Mmmmmm....just as tasty as we'd hoped. Here are some pictures of our trip to the duck pond. I don't have any pictures of our gluttonous lunch. Just look at our bellies next time you see us.

The proof is in the....

BROCOLLI! Just wanted to brag on our monkey a little bit. We were eating lunch on Saturday and she shoved her pudding aside to eat her BROCOLLI! Yep, it's true. Kelly told us about these single sized, cheese covered brocolli things and it turns out they're a hit. I'm sure there's twice as much fat, salt, sugar, and chemicals in that fake cheese as in the pudding but at least we're trying!

Flapper Hat

Hat
Originally uploaded by jillio76

It was so cold and windy today but I was determined to get out and test the camera. What do you think?

Just a Tuesday Night Update

So we've kind of had a lot happening lately but my camera has been an issue. I finally bought a new one today so I'll be obsessively taking pictures again soon, I'm sure. Let's see...my car kept claiming that it was having transmission and brake failures but the problem was solved with a new battery. Avery had a fever for a solid 5 days and was a very miserable little lady. The only good thing about it was that we were able to sit for hours on end and read books. We had a whole stack of "big girl" books waiting for us in the closet and we found some new favorites. She's decided Santa is her hero since it's January. She was introduced to him multiple times in December but she didn't think he was very cool then. The idea is just now sinking in. Her monkey books are still number one but Santa is running a pretty close second right now. She was pretty pitiful but with a gallon of Motrin and some bed rest, she's back in full force now. Dixie is still being held captive in the pack 'n' play in the living room. She's pretty pitiful too but the dang dog actually pulls on the leash and tries to run, even with her knee bone cracked in two, when I take her outside. So, bed rest for her too for the next 8 weeks. The playpen setup isn't bugging me too much now but ask me again at the end of this recovery phase. Here's a video of Dixie, Avery and Snoopy on a pretty average day here in Houston.

Doggie Prayers - Please Begin

So after a false alarm today, Dixie is at the vet (all alone!) awaiting her surgery first thing in the morning. She went in this morning and was all psyched up but two emergency fractures came in and they had to go first. So, I asked if we could go get her but they said it was best just to let her sleep there and be the first surgery tomorrow. Don't worry, she's got her sleeping bag with her.

It is so quiet around here without her. This morning Avery asked where Dixie was and I told her she'd gone to school with Dada. Sure enough, as soon as Mason walked in the door Avery said, "And Dixie, too?" Not sadly, just matter of factly since that's what I'd told her. Dang. I keep forgetting about that ever lengthening memory of hers.

Anyway, please send kind wishes to Dixie in the morning and, as soon as I replace my camera that died on Mason's China trip, I'll post some pictures of the recovery.

Our Other Little Girl

Our friend, Dixie, is the sweetest dog in the whole world and about the craziest, most active girl we've ever met. She goes nonstop and greets people with her whole body. (This is a positive post so let's not mention the piercing barking that goes along with the greeting.) She is only about 6 and loves to swim and play fetch a million times a day if we let her. We noticed last year that she wasn't moving quite as fast anymore and that she'd yelp sometimes when she'd go get the ball. We took her to the vet and they said it was just hip displaysia but not severe enough to do anything about. I was heartbroken because this hasn't slowed down her enthusiasm to play and I couldn't explain to her why I wouldn't throw the ball for her anymore. Now things have gotten so bad that she won't even put any weight on her left leg and will hop around on three legs. Even still it doesn't slow her down and she brought me the ball again today. Well, the bad (and good) news is that the problem is actually a knee problem (Avery calls it Dixie's "ouchie knee.") and it's going to require surgery. The vet (where we went for a second opinion) said she's actually torn the ligament in her knee and her bones rub together when she puts weight on it, causing her pain. It requires an 8 to 10 week recovery time which will mean that she's kenneled for that entire time, at home, and taken out to pee on a leash. That's going to be tough for us (just cause we'll be sad) but Mason and I have both agreed that we'll do that for her, of course. The good news is that, the surgery, which requires a metal plate, a few pins in her leg and one night away from home, is 85 -95% effective, so by summer she should be back to her old self! I CAN'T WAIT! I've felt so terrible for her not being able to play and I'm so relieved that there's a solution and an end in sight. We'll keep you posted on the surgery so you can say a little doggie prayer for her.