Fun Under the Sun

                All fun and all play makes for a tired JD.  JD, Ro-Ro (KC’s beautiful sable German Shepherd), the boys, KC, and I took a fun trip to what one of my nephews like to call “the duck park.”  We loaded up the car with the dogs, the boys, and their toys and headed to the playground.  I felt a bit bad about leaving P behind, but with two dogs and two young boys, KC and I had our hands full, as well as, I don’t think I could have dealt with P’s constant barking.  While at the duck park JD and Ro-Ro played fetch, ran around on the playground with the boys and all the other kids there.  Luckily the other parents didn’t mind a friendly wet nose and a little lick on their youngsters from what probably seems like a horse to their kids.  Here are some pictures from that fun day.

Playing on the playground. 

The pound with all the geese and ducks.

JD playing fetch with her best friend Ro-Ro.

JD needed to rehydrate!

A momma goose protecting her unhatched babies.  Don't get too close, or else she'll nip you!

A birdie hotel I may build and put in my back yard, on a smaller level of course.

Access Denied

                The past week I was visiting my nephews, and while there, P had discovered an outlandish hole in one of the doors there.  A hole in the wall?  Yes, a hole in the wall, but this was not a mundane or impractical hole in the wall, it was a kitty door.  

The hole next to a Diet Mist can for size comparison.

P feared the kitty door, even though the thing he relishes most was closed behind it, FOOD!  

That's pure fear in his eyes.

Determined to train him to conquer his fear, P and I spent hours just trying to get him to muster up the courage just to walk through.  Even after an hour a day, for three days, P refused to walk through the door without some sort of inspiration, T Bonz.  

      

The furtherest we got, was P feeling comfortable enough to put his head through.  Maybe on our next trip, he’ll be able to master the elusive hole.  

Décor Help {part 2}

                It’s good to be home, but oh boy, it sure is quiet!  I had spent the last week visiting my oldest brother, his wife KC, and their two sons.  I love my nephews very dearly, but they sure do know how to drain you of your energy.  Ahhh….to be young, carefree, and lively like them again. 

                Also, I am proud to announce that JD and P were well behaved and didn’t partake into too much tomfoolery.  They actually stayed in the yard during this trip and no alarms were set off.

                Now, onto business.  I am sure everyone is dying to know what I put in my beautiful bowl.  It took a few trial and errors, as well as a small number of debates, but I think I found something that I love, well at least for now.   

 

        Trial and error 1                  Trial and error 2


               I found it at one of the few stores that I just absolutely fancy and very rarely leave without purchasing anything, Target.  I adore their home good section; I could spend hours and a small fortune on all the things I would like to own just in that section.  I probably spent a better portion of an hour starring at bowl fillers, debating between this one and that one; and sure enough I went with neither.  So what did I go with you ask?

PEARS!

side view

               Also, while on the hunt for this bowl filler, I came across another accessory I just had to have.  Now, I am debating whether or not to put something into this vase.  What do you guys think?

 
Close up of the gorgeous flowers

Décor Help

                I have hit a wall.  I feel like I’m in a funk, well, more like a rut.  I have a wonderful house full of blank canvasses, but have yet to do anything to them.  I am in desperate need of some change in my home décor that is affordable (cheap) and clean, which unfortunately means, no painting these wonderful walls of mine.  So far I switched up the dining room a tad by getting a new table runner and changing the center piece to a bowl instead of a vase.  

My problem is, I don’t know exactly what to put in the bowl.  I thought about doing Craftily Ever After’s idea of “felt rosette décor balls,” but then the options of what color, how many, just felt roses, how big weighed in.  So I am turning to you, my readers, for help and ideas.  What do you think I should put in this cute bowl of mine?

                Also I need some ideas as to what to put on these boring blank white walls, and what to put in the bare entrance way.

I have been in search for an inexpensive table, a fixer upper or not, as well as a cute mirror.  I absolutely love this mirror I found at Lowes, but have been holding off, hoping that maybe, just maybe it’ll go on sale.  As for the table, I've been leaning towards this one, because it matches the coffee table, as well as the end tables in the living room, since the entrance way is a small spot off of the living room. 

 I would fully and utterly love any suggestions.  PLEASE HELP!  

Everyone's a Critic

                Everyone loves a good movie, but no one quite as much as P.  P will actually sit down, no, stand, front and center and watch TV.  Occasionally, you can catch him trying to run with or chase whatever is on the boob tube, barking.  Once the object has run off the screen, he peeks behind the television set to see where it has gone.  Sometimes JM and I will sit through an asinine movie just to humor P and his fascination with the small screen.  Here are some of P's favorite movies, shows, and games to watch (can you find the theme?).

{ Movies }

·         The Thing

·         Marley and Me

·         Snow Buddies

·         Beethoven

·         Bolt

·         Benji

·         Old Yeller

·         Homeward Bound

·         Beverly Hills Chihuahua

·         Eight Below

·         Cats and Dogs:  the Revenge of Kitty Galore

·         Up

·         Turner and Hooch

·         The Mask

·         Men in Black

·         Little Nicky

·         I Am Legend

·         My Dog Skip

·         Air Bud

·         Kujo

·         Fluke

·         Hotel for Dogs

·         Snow Dogs

·         Milo and Otis

·         Underdog

P watching Snow Dogs

(that's him making all the dog noises not the movie)

{ Shows }

·         My Dog Ate What?

·         Pit Boss

·         Westminster Dog Show

·         Eukanuba Dog Show

·         Puppy Bowl

·         Dogs 101

Puppy Bowl 2011

{ Video Games }

·         Fable

·         Call Of Duty Black Ops Zombies

Watching Fable 2

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

P snoring up a storm (sorry about the low quality I filmed it on my phone)

                My puppies love to sleep!  If JD and P are not playing you can find them on the couch, in my bed, under the bed, or possibly even on their bed (which is a rare occasion).  I absolutely love how lazy they get when they are in sleep mode.  Here are a few pictures to show how sleepy my puppies are.

            

     

Mind Your Own Business!

                I would like to start this off with a disclaimer:  {I AM NOT AN ANIMAL ABUSER, NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN ABUSIVE}.  Anyone who knows me and the way I treat my pets know that I would go to the end of the world and back for them.  Now with that being said, today was an infuriating day.  Well at least the mid-morning part of the day and this particular incident has been troubling me all day. 

                Today I went to a special birthday party for a special organization.  We were all encouraged to bring our loved ones, family, friends, and so forth.  Well since I don’t have any children of my own yet, I decided to bring Mr. P.  P is a bit rambunctious and yappy around new people (I blame the Chihuahua in him).  I got there early to ease him into the situation and get him used to his surrounding of complete strangers before the ceremony began.  After 15 minutes of asserting his manly toughness I thought enough was enough, and told him to stop barking.  I would tell him “no” or “stop it” with an ever so stern finger pointed at him, but after about five times of disobeying, it was time for a spank.  {SPANK}, I smacked his little booty, and sure enough the barking stopped.  Then after a few minutes of behaving I wanted to let him know he was doing well by playing with him, so I pinched the base of his tail to start a friendly play fight.  All the while a soldier was watching me from afar.  She approached me in a angrily, declared she works with abusive strays and that I needed to stop hitting P and pulling on his tail because it bothers her.  That sent me into a rage.  It was like someone came up to me, whacked me in the face, and told me I was a bad parent.  I wasn’t having it.  I kindly told her to mind her own business, and if she did not like the way I disciplined my “child” then she could look elsewhere, if that did not suit her, then she could report me for animal cruelty.  Apparently that did not settle with her well, and she stormed off, but the fact that this woman came over to me and demanded that I stop an action that was in no way near considered abuse, pissed me off for a lack of a better term.  I’m still irate about it even though it was well over seven hours ago.  I am all for people getting involved when involvement is clearly needed, but because I spanked my dog and playfully nipped at his tail?  UGH!  The nerve of some people!!!