Our very own "Tauntaun"

I know that dog ownership has it's rewards, but by far the biggest reward is how our dog always makes us laugh. Since we adopted her, Sadie has been very protective, especially of me. She is our first alert of anyone coming into the house or of anyone sneaking around the kitchen. Usually, she will sound out a series of loud barks, but the other night was different. She was lying on the end of the bed, when she heard my father rummaging through the pantry for a late night snack. And instead of her normal bark, we heard her garble almost. The only thing that comes close to describing this garble is the sound Tauntauns make. I kid you not, it sounded just like this...(click here)

Intense Damage Repair

I had to get this on video. I asked Justin to go take a shower, as usual, and get ready for bed. After several minutes in the shower, I went in to check on him. I asked him what he was doing and he explained to me that he got this bruise on his chest and that he used Dove to fix it. Although this recording is the 2nd time he said it, it's just as funny. And, in his usual way, he played it out like he was on film, concluding with an "and CUT!"

Princess Glah-Day

The Polka-dot Princess has a new nickname...Princess Gladé (pronounced "glah-day"). Upon returning from a recent shopping trip, I came home to a very fresh, sweet smelling home. As it turns out, our garbage disposer....I mean, dog....ate 2 of my new candles! After weeks of a nice, destruction-free home, my prep work of making the house puppy friendly (done before leaving the house) became somewhat laxed. I mistakenly left a plastic bag which, inside were some newly purchased Glade candles, atop the counter, in easy reach of our 70 lb mutt. As her predecessors have done, she ate not only the candle and the wick but she also ate parts of the glass container! Luckily for her, I think they were small enough pieces that it didn't harm her intestinal tract! Luckily for me, those candles were FREE thanks to my coupon addiction and I still have about a dozen left!

Rainman

Batman

turns

into

RAINMAN!?!

The Clash of the Hero's

Yes, it all happened within a blink of an eye. The first battle occured last weekend while visiting my sister. My nephew, the "Spaceman," and Batman collided heads while playing around, as most boys do! Since I wasn't an eyewitness to the crash, I don't know exactly how it happened. However, by tending to the injured, I can only sumise that they were running and fell (funny how that seems to be a family trait!). Batman fell atop Spaceman, whose forehead was split open by Batman's front tooth (incisior, #9) in the fall. Luckily, after being jet rocketed to the closest ER in a 2009 Nissan Altima, it was determined that this astronaut did not need any advanced medical technology to fix his wound -just a couple of sterile strips. News of this came as quite a relief.

Batman, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. Although he didn't experience any pain, yet, and won't have a scar (as his cousin will have), he will need to "suit-up" and prepare for some reconstructive dental work.

And, as fate would have it, upon returning to our home, Batman experienced defeat and realized too late that his coordination skills still need refining. While flying around, bare-footed and playing with our dog, "The Princess," his last minute decision to kick the dog's toy, instead of throwing it, proved to be ill fated. His foot missed the toy and hit the dog's snout, whose sharp incisior pierced Batman's right foot. He, too, was whisked to the closed medical treatment facility in the Batmobile only to have it be determined to be a superficial battle wound. Two sterile strips were used and he was given 10 days worth of antibotics.
Although alittle dazed and confused, the dog came away clean and she didn't even retaliate....Thank Goodness!

Hopefully, Batman has learned not to play so rough and to leave his superhuman powers to his imagination.

I didn't do it!

Kids and pets alike can be, undoubtedly, the cutest and funniest when it comes to looking innocent after their path of destruction is revealed. Take, for instance, the picture above. This was taken shortly after discovering our couch need some reupholstering!



Or after having being called by your first and middle name (a sure sign to any child that they've been caught!)



Inevitably, with more than one adolescent in the house, something WILL break, get ruined or worse, be completely obliterated and you will, almost always, hear the infamous words "I didn't do it! She did it!"


So, with our family of miscreants, we've learned to expect the worse and pray for the best!

The Walnut...Batman?

A long time ago, when I was in 2nd grade, I made a miniature Santa to give as a gift to my parents for Christmas. It was made out of a walnut, red felt and some white fluff. This silly arts-n-craft ornament was placed on the tree every year. Usually, it was at the bottom or in the back, you know, some place secluded as to not distract from the beauty and ambiance of our family Christmas tree.

Over the years, the Walnut Santa (as it was appropriately named) became worn and tattered -the eyes and mouth became faded and the beard became stretched and thinned. Nonetheless, it still adorns my parents tree every year. This once seemingly and typical child's craft is now considered a cherished family heirloom as it sits atop the tree right beneath the angel.

And now, at every Christmas, I laugh (and am laughed at) about the appearance of the Walnut Santa. But, throughout the year, I get subtle reminders of the infamous ornament, as I did last weekend when "Batman" insisted we get our "Princess" a new loofa dog (a funky loofah style pet toy).


It only took "Gozer" 5 minutes of rough play to dismember this pink, stuffed animal, at which, "Batman" decided to pretend he was a jolly old elf.