Thank God It's Friday... Saturday

A Great Place to Visit!

Seriously. I want to tell you about a blog that I've followed for a very long time. I used to be on the same  design team with this girl, and she's so talented. And she's an excellent story teller.  You have to look at her blog to appreciate it. And right now, it's a great time to do so, because she has a phenomenal giveaway. Truly!  Go HERE and check it out. You won't be sorry.  Then, just head to her front page, and look around.  You won't be sorry.

Now... My new doggy? She IS starting to learn. She's still grabby, bitey, bossy, buggy, and boorish.... but she'll then stare at you with her massive underbite ... and melt your heart.  And you start teaching her all over again. 

And like kids... they are SO cute when they sleep, that you forget how naughty they are when they're awake! If you want to know how tiny she is... this pillow is 11 inches by 11 inches.  She makes Beauregard seem HUGE.

What am I doing today?

SCRAPBOOKING!

Seriously!  I really am.  I've informed my hubby that the dogs are HIS.

I'm heading into my scraproom, closing the door... and doing my thing.

I'm NOT going to be dealing with the training.

I'm just not.

Really!

Tomorrow, I'll actually post something scrap related on here.

Yay!

Follow The Leader

Let's Play

Follow The Leader

...

Well, on Day 3 of the new Doggie Caper... Mischa, the Mischievous Misbegotten Mutt

has decided that not only does she want to follow Beauregard around

She wants to DO everything he does

BE everywhere he is

and 

HAVE everything he has!

For example... if Beauregard lays beside Mommy on the Family Room sofa

Mischa lays beside him with Mommy.

But notice her hind legs... she's ready to rock and roll.

She makes her way down to a full lay down...
but manages to maneuver herself closer to Beauregard's toy...

Eventually, she gives up, and just grabs it
and begins chewing, while keeping an eye on Beauregard.

Since she's making too much noise, Beauregard heads to the floor for his rest.

and of course, Mischa the Minx.... follows...

and begins to butt her head into Beauregard....

But Beauregard ignores her in favour of some rest.

But Mischa will have none of it.

She proceeds to mount him!

and then COMPLETELY forgetting that she is a SPAYED FEMALE

she mounts him AND tries to have her way with him

if you know what I mean!!!!!

Beauregard then gets up and looks at me as if to say
OH COME ON!  Do ya SEE what she's doing???
Help me, Mommy!
I'm getting a little fed up!
and besides... I'm the GUY!

Of course... with Beauregard standing there...

Can Mischa be far behind?

No.

"Whatcha lookin at?" she seems to be saying...

"Oh hey, Mommy!"

So Beauregard goes to head outside for a break

or maybe a potty.

And toddling beside him...

uh huh

His shadow

The day went on and on like that until Beauregard toddled off to bed with Daddy.

Me? I follow much later.... and then end up back on the sofa in the family room

in the middle of the night.

And with me? 

Mischa!

But after following Beauregard's every move...

has made her very tired.

Exhausted, in fact.

But in the middle of her sleep

she must be dreaming

of getting at Beauregard

Cuz she's all over the place in her sleep.

and then morning came...

and we're about to start all over again.

What on earth will today hold?

Day 2

Day Two

AKA

The Continuing Saga of 
Beauregard, the Problematic Puggle of Perpetual Need

- and -
New Sister-- Mischa the Mischievous Monkey Faced Mutt!

Ok... So I solved one problem!  I went out last night, and picked up a 30 foot leash.  Now, I've secured one end of that leash to my back deck stairs.  The other?  I attach to a squiggly monkey, in order to send her in the backyard to do *pee pee*.  (or whatever) (but I CALL it pee pee, and she gets it) I think. I send her out, when Beauregard makes the call.

Notice how long the leash is!  She can follow along behind Beauregard, and yet, he can still go to a part of the yard that she cannot get to, and *do his thing*

She does like to be where Beauregard is, but she NEEDS to be connected. That girl can move. And she doesn't move TOWARDS you.  She moves in several directions... none of which is the one you want her to take. So that leash is a Godsend. And it keeps her safe.  Beauregard does tend to sniff and wonder at that contraption connected to her. I think he's more concerned that it'll end up on him.

If I go inside, she'll do her business, and come back up to the door.  That's where I'll find her... a little face, almost lost in the back door span.

Of course, once we are back inside, I sit on my large comfy couch, and try and get some work done on my mac laptop.  Next to me, is Beauregard, and then my Monkey, Mischa sits just behind him.  But... let's face it. This is Mischa. She doesn't play second fiddle very well.  

And being further away from me than him? 

That is a problem. 

But not an insurmountable one.  

I didn't get the picture, but with so little space available, 

the monkey decided that the best way around Beauregard

was OVER him. 

And she proceeded to climb over him, to get here.

Hmmm. Her smile is evident.  Beauregard's

is not.

 Day two is running smoothly. But if she leaves the room, I tend to follow. Why?

Because yesterday, the little minx left me some lovely nuggets in the shag Martha Stewart rug, in the great room by the fireplace.

What fun!

And yes... I did step in it.

Effectively smooshing it into the shag.

And having to cut it out

Yep

Day two.

One more day put towards an effective training program.

whew

SPLASH!!!!!

Jumping in With Both Feet

Whew. We've been looking at adding to our fur family for awhile now. Beauregard could use a companion. Then, I was on Kijiji, and there she was. Her family had to give her up. No time for her.  Us? Well.. I guess we did have the time.  Cuz... we looked at her... and decided that we were going to adopt her. Her family changed their mind... and then called back and said they changed their changed mind.  The end result? A new fur baby in the house.  Now we have two cats AND two dogs.  Joining Disney, Jaguar (the cats), and Beauregard... the Problematic Puggle of Perpetual Need... is our latest and greatest... Mischievous Mischa, the Misbegotten Monkey. So what do you think?  Am I crazy? Or what?  Mischa is one year old... spayed, of course. But with no manners.  She doesn't come when called. She doesn't sit when told. She doesn't, for that matter, do a single thing she doesn't want to do. I've got a lot of work to do.  She IS, however.. snuggly wuggly, teenie weenie, and cute as can be, in a monkey face kinda way.  LOL  FYI.. she is a Puggle cross Morkie, with a serious underbite.  Interesting mix. 

And.. oh yeah.  She's stolen our hearts already.

 Beauregard and Mischa, coming to terms with each other.

 You mean I gotta share with HER?

 No! She meant, that as the girl... I get to keep it for myself!

I think I'll stay over here and watch from a distance...

When did I lose all control over this joint???

Hah!  I grabbed another toy. And it's mine mine MINE.

So now, begins the long journey of training Mischa. Training her to come when called. To sit when told. To drop when asked. To get down when instructed. To leave it, when ordered. And to stay, when in danger.   It's gonna be a long 3 months.  

Do you have any pets? How many?

Hump Day... or Harrumph Day

Some days are days meant to be spent lounging around, watching t.v., scrapbooking, and remaining in comfy flannel pj bottoms, with a warm and cozy sweater.  That is what my *today* is to me. And I am taking complete ownership of that fact.  Here are a few of my layouts. Do you ever feel that your layouts are sometimes just repeats?  Do you happen to know of anything awesome around the web, to get my creative juices flowing?  A FAB contest, or challenge?  A fab group that inspires??? Please let me know!  I need them.

Letting Go

A Difficult Day!

Today, my baby... my  little Bean... my sweet little angel eyes... Dana Joseph Maximillian... is doing something that scares me silly.  Parenthood doesn't get easier as they grow up.

I remember when he was living inside me.  I'd had several miscarriages, and the doctor said "Don't tell anyone!  You may not hold onto this pregnancy."  My other doctor then said --and only after several months -- "Sandie.. you are seven months along now.  This baby can live no matter what now!" Whew. Good times. Once we got through the fear and the pain, the next years were nothing but joy.  They were the best of times. They were everything we wanted, and more.  This baby was definitely worth it! Now, this *baby* is 18 years old. EIGHTEEN!  But still... he remains MY baby. My one and only child. He commutes to Toronto each day, for school.  He's going to be a television journalist. But today? He's not coming home. He's heading into Toronto by train, and then he's taking his girl to see Bon Jovi, after school, and they are just staying overnight in Toronto, so that they can just head into school from there. (she commutes to another Toronto school)

Going to a rock concert at night, in downtown Toronto, and then making your way to your hotel?  Gone are the days when I can take care of him by keeping him close.  Now I have to take care of him by letting him go. 

That's so much harder.

 I spent the first years of my marriage trying and waiting to get pregnant.  

Each month felt like a year.  Each loss, like the end of the world. A renewed loss, a guilt and a shame.

Then I spent the first months of my pregnancy waiting until the baby could live outside of me.  

Each month, again... felt like forever.  Please let me keep this baby.

Then I spent the first months of his life, waiting for him to grow stronger and older. 

He kept asphyxiating in his sleep. Very quietly.  We found him almost blue more than once.

The doctor said it was time to order a SIDS monitor for him. 

So he could no longer sleep away from us.  Terrifying.  

We waited for the threat of SIDS to pass.

Waiting - Waiting - waiting...

He was SO worth the wait. This great love of ours. Our one and only.

To us.. my Love, my husband Gary, and I...

Valentines Day is as much about Dana, as it is about us.

We have our Great Love, which has provided us with Our Great Love.

And letting that great love go... so that he can soar, and begin his life, and search for

his own great love story!

That's the joy and the fun of it.

But it's still Letting Go.

Like all of the fear and the waiting... it's worth it.

But it's hard.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!!!

Character, Characters, and the character of Characters

These are a few of my favourite things...

I need cheering up today.  It's been one of those weeks.  REALLY one of those weeks. So I thought I'd post some of my favourite things.

Favourite movies:  Parent Trap (old and new), McLintock,
Favourite themes:  Comedies, Futuristic, Horror
Favourite singer:  Michael Buble
Favourite tv series:  Big Bang Theory
                               ALL Star Trek shows. (geek alert)
Favourite guilty pleasure:  Hmmm.. it's gotta be reality shows.  I'm addicted.

Here are some of my favourite Scrapbooking projects.  I'm not sure why they are my faves.  For various reasons, I guess.  Sentimental, products used, or whatever.  I love acrylic.  LOVE it.

This is me, some years ago.  It was a time of great transition, because it was a few days after my Mom and best friend passed away.  I had bought this suit to wear to her funeral.

I like these cards.  Again... I don't know why.  These are just some of my faves.  LOL

Favourite altered item.  Ok, this is ONE of my fave altered items.  Again.. not sure why.  I think it's because I love to learn.  I'm a writer (hence the book)... and I just played with it.  No agenda.  Hmm.
  

What about you?  What is something that is a Favourite to you?

It's A Cold Cold World

AKA

Sad Sorry Face of a Bored Beauregard

the Problematic Puggle of Perpetual Need

So, the weather outside is frightful,

the snow.. not so... delightful...

there's really no way to go

in that snow, in that snow, with that Beau.

Um.. ok.. bad poetry stealing aside... Beauregard is a sad puggle.  And he's not one to let his mopeyness go unnoticed.  He's bored, and he's a bit teed off that he's stuck in this house.  Now.. as houses go.. it's not a bad one size-wise, to be stuck in.  How much room does a problematic puggle require?  There's 2500 sq ft of roomyness for him to *mope* around in.  And for the most part, he is moping in a 5 sq ft radius.  Which 5 sq ft?  Why the 5 sq feet surrounding ME... that's which!

It's just too cold out right now, for him to go out walking... or even playing in the backyard.  I DO play with him inside.  We play fetch, tug, whatever.  But not enough for Beauregard.  He wants more.  He wants to walk, and potty in strange places.  He wants to run with his ears flopping around him.  He wants out of these walls.  Poor baby.  I have been taking some pictures of my poor, put-upon puggle, these last few days.  As you can see... life is rough on him.  Poor little guy.  

So without further ado... I give to you...  

 Bored Beauregard, the Poor Put-upon Puggle of Perpetual Need...