Meet Thor

This is our newest family member, Thor Joseph Adler. He is a pyr/golden lab mix, 9-weeks old.

Quite a large baby! Isn't his yawing face just precious?

My little sis, Julie

He's such a good pup-- always comes right to me when I call him.

He stays next to me (on a leash) while I run and walk, too.

Awwwww, just presh, you have to admit.

I'm not a "dog person," but this little (big) guy stole my heart.

We puppy-sat him twice, and did a lot of reading before bringing him to our home.

He's like the Pied Piper-- neighborhood kids started coming out of the woodwork to give him some sugar.

Are you a dog or cat person? Have any experience with Pyrenees or golden labs? We're cat owners, so most of this is new to us. I can read and read, but experience speaks louder.

Monday Moments

Recent captured moments~

My friend's adorable munchkin, munchin' away on his apple of the day.

Can't beat 70 degrees in January!! After school, we met at the park and let the kids run off energy. My Oldest Boy had some bonding time with our friend's pup.

Starting early at archery! My Youngest, taking aim.

Yes, I need to repaint the door. Still. It makes me smile. :)

Serious bedhead kitty lovin'~

 Aaaaaaand, seemingly unrelated, but definitely a happy moment for me, I dressed up in one of my favorite stripey dresses and stripey tights, and spent a night out with my sisters this past weekend.

Life is good in stripes!

What's a Monday without a game of Sorry? It's our Go-To game!

Fall Days of fire and bacon, gaming and crafting, pumpkins and cats!

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We started a fire the other day, when it was crisp and cool...and the wood was barely dry enough to burn. Since that initial fall success, we've had a fire at least once every day.

I.Love.It.

We've been doing hot dog roasts, foil pack dinner, s'more dessert time, you name it.

What else is new? A bunch of random happy moments.

My Man's Dad came over last Saturday, for some wii-sports time with the kids. He's a pro wii-golfer. I hear most firemen are?

(Their attire cracks me up. My Girl and Oldest Boy, snuggled in appropriate cold-weather-clothes...and then you have the barefoot kindergartner & 2nd grader, who didn't want to slide with golfing and bowling...and then there's Middle Boy who also took off his shirt because "that's what you do when you're playing sports.")

We've also been paper-crafting over in these parts.

These projects were 100% the kids-- the idea, follow-through, creation.

They amaze me.
Here, My Oldest Boy's Captain America paper costume.

Below, My Middle Boy's paper home, complete with basement.

Yeah, I have awesome kids!

We also went to the University's Insect Festival last week. It was crazy-crowded, but very interesting.

I'm glad we went, but we'll choose a different time slot next year!

And to the Pumpkin shed after that...

Boys!

Following my Random Update theme for this post--

I also tried my hand at bacon weaving! Yes, I found the idea on Pinterest.

I'm here~~ ~~

Just weave the bacon raw, put it in a glass pan, bake at 400 degrees until it's as done as you want it. I flipped mine over a couple of times, and baked until good and crispy. I think it took about half an hour. YUM! We have burger BLTs without any bacon falling off.

I'm still having fun with snail mail art. Love experimenting with lettering and whatnot.

Yeah, I blurred out Suzanne's address...I don't know if she wants snail mail from everyone! ;)

Last but not least-- my precious fat cat, Calvin. This is the coziest, cuddliest, sweetest kitty I've ever owned. I know I've talked before about not being a "pet person." I'm not. I don't like yappy dogs, or anything that jumps on me. I don't like cleaning up poo, or being tripped by leashes. It's just not my favorite thing.

Yeah, all baby animals are cute, but then they get big and tear up siding.

Sooo, I wasn't thrilled when My Man wanted to get a cat.

But this guy-- he stole my heart. :)

Class Mascots

I would like to introduce our class pets/ mascots, Spike and Lizzie, our new bearded dragons.

As well as being a great experience for the kids, it's been an endless source of entertainment for our two kitties, who spend most of the day now, watching their "cat TV" aka lizard cage.

Bearded dragons are friendly, docile creatures. They are easy to care for, cheap to feed, clean & non-smelly. Plus, we bought them from friends, for an amazing price. All in all, a very good little investment for the coming school years!

Paint cats!

The other day, I was showing the kids how easy it is to paint kitty heads. Simple watercolor shapes.

 Let dry.

Watch cats play.

 By the time the cats fell asleep, our artwork was dry, and ready for ink.

 Simple pen faces...vary the eyes, the mouths.

Some kitties are sleeping, some are happy, some are a bit dazed-looking. ;)

ta-da.

Easy peasy, cute (and I had to throw something in for my Hand-Lettering project!)

A few of my favorite things from the week

Do I have some cute kids or what?! Four kids, and four different eye colors. This one has the stunning blue eyes, that turn gray when he is moody. Here, obviously, he is happy. :)

During rainy days, early evenings, chilly mornings before school, we spent time playing Mancala. It's a fun little counting/strategy game, and can easily be made with an egg cartoon and beans.

Enjoyable for all ages, but makes especially great math practice for preschoolers.


See, even the 4th grader likes it. (How can he possibly be in 4th grade already??)
We also took turns playing Rush Hour. Love that game, and the various skill level cards make it great for the whole family.


I've been squeezing in art times with the kids around lunch, and again by myself in the evening, when the house is quiet and no one calls for me. This little sharpie sketch was inspired by another artist...a picture I glanced at on Pinterest and now can't find again. Go figure.

My cat, Calvin. This dude knows how to reeeeelax.

In spite of (or perhaps because of) dealing with extra stressors surrounding my parents' imminent divorce, I'm forcing myself to look at each little thing...each wonderful special thing that happens around me, that I'm likely to take for granted. And NOT take it for granted. I want to see the good around us, the blessings, the opportunities. There are so many.

Chloe the cat

This was going to be a wordless Wednesday post, but people keep asking about the last post. It's a type of spiny soft-shelled turtle! We were amazed to find it!
Also- Happy Birthday, Mom!!! (**waving**)



Cats know how to relax!

Wordless Wednesday: Home-grown corn