Where Has April Gone?

I cannot believe April is nearly over with and I haven't done any blogging since the first few days of the month!!! It's been a whirlwind of a time around here lately. Gabby turned two on April 5th, then she got a new "big girl bed", and then there was Easter!

So... I do have a few selected pictures to show you.

This first one is of a Grammy and BaPa who couldn't be more in love with this little one {and each other as far as that goes!!!:)}

We, of course, had a birthday bash with all the family here. Gabby got a new bike from Pappy {that's my dad} and some sunglasses that she loves to wear indoors and out!

I had to include this picture of my youngest nephew, Brendan, so you would all think Jimmy Hendricks is still alive and well! { I mean ... why not?... if Elvis is still alive, why not Jimmy?} He's wearing Gabby's glasses and Chelsea's belt.

Also, just so you know all of the household dogs are still naughty as ever, this is a picture of Sophie scavenging for any cake crumbs on the table after I had cleared it and wiped it off. She may be a dog, but she still has the female sugar loving gene!

Gabby is now sleeping in her "big girl" bed upstairs where it belongs. When my dad first brought it over in his truck though, we parked it in the front room where she jumped right in and started dictating which movie she wanted put in the DVD player! We knew we better get that sucker upstairs before this became her version of a "man in a recliner with a couple of remotes"!!!

My dad always hides Easter eggs in my backyard for all the grandkids {YES~ my grown up daughters still run around searching frantically, giggling all the while, in hunt of their specific color of eggs!} After they were done Gabby had her own hunt {with a little help from Mommy and Aunt Hilary}.

In the midst of all these other activities, we're still working on the whole potty training thing. Some days are good and then some days .... WELL... let's just say Gabby is OFFICIALLY two years old and lavishly invokes her right to use the word "NO!!!" as often as she deems necessary. {Notice there is no toilet paper on the holder. I have to remove it, and the box of Kleenex from the back of the toilet, every time the princess takes her seat on the throne, or it ALL ends up in the toilet the second I turn my back!}

As for me, LIFE IS GOOD! I'm still knitting and crocheting up a storm {mostly for other people} and teaching my Monday night class at the coffee shop with its mixture of knitters and crocheters, plus a crochet class at my house on Tuesday nights. I love teaching so much that I'm actually getting ready to go through the program to get my teaching certification for both knitting and crocheting.

Oh! I do have to leave you with a couple more pictures so you can see I did manage to whip up something for Gabby over the weekend.

I've missed you all so very much! It feels good to be back again.
Happy knitting, crocheting, tea~sipping, or whatever else you are all into these days!

Though I've been taking a break from my computer lately, you have all been on my mind, in my heart and in my prayers. Thanks to those of you who have e-mailed or called me recently just to make sure I'm still amongst the living! May you all be blessed!

It's Been A Long Doggone Day!

Just have to wrap up today's doggie chronicles~

My mother got back from work around 3:30 this afternoon and after I gave her the full run down of the day, she and Gabby sat on the back steps to watch while I took the three weenies out again {chihuahua still hiding!}. While we were out on this particular excursion, Dougan had a nice, back scratching roll in some major STINK! So ~ you guessed it!!! ~ BATHTIME!

Therefore, about the time I should have been starting supper {yes~ I got my second wind and decided I would go ahead and COOK - no Pizza Hut tonight Kathy! :-) }, my mom and I were starting the bath routine. First Mr. Dougan, then Little Miss Phoebe. I kept Sophie outside and finally hunted down Jose' so he could go out too. I knew if they were in the house when the bath water started I would NEVER find them!

Notice the look of total indignation on Sophie's face. I am totally convinced that they actually prefer to STINK!

Within about a half hour we had four very clean, sweet smelling poochies! Gabby had an absolute ball with the whole process and we've finally had a peaceful evening, as all furry babies are exhausted! Dougan is used to apartment living and this was quite an exhilarating day in his life.

And not only did I actually cook supper, I even baked homemade oatmeal cookies right after we ate. Now the kitchen is all cleaned up, doggies are snoozing away, and Gabby, well... she took a

3 1/2 hour nap this afternoon, so... she's still up and at 'em. But she is cozied up in the recliner with her BaPa and the house is mostly quiet and peaceful...FINALLY!!! :-}

Nightie ~ Night everyone. May you all have sweet dreams until we meet again!

What A Zoo!

My sister, Bridget, and her two boys are in Milwaukee for a few days, so my mother came to spend the night with their dog. Dougan is a standard long haired dachshund and very, very sweet natured. He reminds me of Winnie the Pooh's friend Eeyore. If he could talk I'm sure he'd say, "Thanks for noticing me". He loves me because he is Bridget's baby and our voices are so similar that I think I remind him of her.

Mom had to leave my house at 6:00 this morning for work. Poor Dougan didn't know what to think. I, being NOT a morning person, was still sleeping away when I heard the poor pooch begin to cry and pace back and forth, which made a lovely clicking sound as he introduced his toenails to my hard wood floors!

At 6:05 a.m. Scott and I got up because, of course, our dogs were now stirred up as well. Sophie, my long haired dachshund, wanted out. When I opened the door to chain her up, Dougan made a mad dash, in search of my mom I'm sure. I caught him just in the nick of time and chained him too.

Well, the rest of my day has been quite the adventure!!!

~By 8 a.m. Gabby, who had just been bathed, took off on me, while still naked, and peed a puddle in the front room floor. By the time I discovered it, Dougan had stepped in it and dragged it across the room!

~By 8:30 a.m. Jose', my little chihuahua, was sitting in the basket of dog toys PUKING! His personal specialty. It's his way of saying, "I'm not digging this scene".

~By 9:00 a.m. Dougan was so unnerved he was having diarrhea on my KITCHEN floor!

~By 9:30 a.m. all the weenies were wanting to go out at the same time {the chihuahua was hiding on a pillow behind my bed!}.

Miss Phoebe, having to wait while I struggled to chain the other two up first, promptly wee~wee'd at the top of the steps.

Then, during the course of trying to get Phoebe's collar and leash on her {which she still HATES}, Little Miss Gabby escaped out the back door barefooted. {It's still pretty chilly here.} So... I had quite the time chasing her around the back yard while dragging a resistant puppy around by the neck! These weenies aren't to be trusted though and if I let loose of one of them they will be out in the middle of Main Street {on which I live} lickety split!!!

So...

~ By 10:oo a.m. I was becoming HOMICIDAL and decided it was time for a nice cup of hot tea, which got cold before I could take a single sip due to more clean up on aisle... you name it ~ {Remember, little guy didn't want to join the weenies outside, so while I was having lots of laughs out back, he did his business in the dining room!} The whole episode took place with me in a pair of red flannel pajama pants covered in penguins that were topped off by a purple T-shirt that reads, "Lord give me Peace... Before I go to Pieces!"

Now how appropriate was that?!! My Father~In~Law, who is one of my best buddies in the whole wide world, is also my next door neighbor, therefore he gets a birds eye view on some of my days and, with great understanding and sympathy for me, bought me this T-shirt for Christmas!

Then...

~ By 10:30 a.m. I was nearly SUICIDAL and decided to take a bath, which involved Gabby hanging over the edge of the tub splashing water all over the bathroom. When I got out, my sister phoned from Milwaukee, where she was sauntering along, enjoying a morning shopping trip. She wanted to ask a question about a birthday present for Gabby. Plus, she wondered what I was doing!!!!!!! She didn't realize her doggie was here. After laughing at me she finished with,

"Well, feel free to enjoy my dog while I'm gone!" HA~HA~HA!!!!!

Thankfully, it is now 2:30 in the afternoon and all babies, including a certain little curly haired girl, are peacefully napping.

And all I've got to say is if anyone comes through that door this evening asking, "What's for dinner?", I'm gonna knock 'em out!