Watch this space!

I know I've been slacking in the blog posting. Well. Sorry. But I'm pooped, people! Pooped, I tell you! I'm doing my best to get on top of a brand new job without letting everyone down. Sick people abound in this household. Sleepless nights. I've had to cook dinner like three times this week. I'm exhausted!

The weather is keeping us housebound and I am crafted out! In the past five days we have stuck stickers on every surface that stood still long enough. Almost got the cat, but turns out he wasn't dead. Dangit. We have made every imaginable shape and form with play dough--now we pretty much have one uniform color. Five containers of Battleship Gray. Lovely. We did manage to make it outdoors this morning and invaded the Science Museum. I vetoed the Children's Museum because none of us get in free anymore and that's just too much money to spend on two children who are going to be done within the hour. Maybe over the summer when we can take advantage of their nifty outdoor sand and water exhibits. We have baked cookies. Made glittery crowns. Constructed forts out of all movable furniture and removable cushions. For the love of all that is Pure and Holy--bring back the sun! And warmth. Warmth would be nice too.

On a completely unrelated--and ADD like--side note...I keep seeing trailers of Coraline. Neil Gaiman is one of my most favorite authors. Deliciously dark and macabre. Coraline is just a delightful little story about a girl who finds herself in a parallel life--sort of. And everything goes wrong and she ends up saving the world. So very sweet. Henry Selick directs the movie. You know--the genius who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas? Genius!

Anyway...I have posts with actual content brewing. I promise! Oh, and hey--I've had new readers show up. Don't be scared. Stick around. It'll get interesting again soon. Really.

Why we're perfect for each other...

Your International Spy Name is Kissy Caruso

Your Code Name: Clam Chowder You Reside in: Venice Why You're a Good Spy: You're good with gadgets

What's Your International Spy Name?

It was only a matter of time...

Jacob was watching a movie yesterday morning, enjoying his warm chocolate milk and, suddenly, it all came together...

"Mommy! You and the blue fish are both the same!"


"Yes, my Beloved Son, we're the same in one thing. But how are we different?"

"Weeeeellll....she's blue."

*sigh*

The answer in my head?

"Well, she's a fish. A goofy sort of fish who suffers from short term memory loss, whereas you, Mother, are a beautiful and highly intelligent Human with expectational memory and an uncanny ability to locate my Kitty and my shoes. But you don't speak whale."

I wish I could speak whale.

Just another example of how Disney ruins everything.

Moving day...

New tenet moving in, that is. And all were enthralled...


He even brought his own house. Very considerate of him, don't you think?


If you read the Husband's blog then you already know about our newest addition. For everyone else, Husband brought his new partner home today. Helix the Bomb Dog. Jacob is beside himself with glee and joy--and he can tell you exactly what it is that Helix does and why he does it and what his daddy is supposed to do with what Helix finds. Just ask him. He'd be more than happy to share--and with a great deal of non-departmentally approved improvisation!

Dakota T. Dog is taking it a little personally, hopefully he'll get over his jealous snit soon. And the cat is well...I don't know how the cat is taking it--he's napped through it all.

Earlier in December the police department experienced a large shift in personnel. Promotions left empty slots that needed filling. One of those slots was a full time EOD K-9 position. Although he worked with EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) in the Navy and has been one of the on-call tech guys with the department bomb squad, he certainly wasn't expecting the phone call that night informing him that the position was his.

K-9 is a Monday through Friday type day job. Did you get that? Day job. He kept asking me if I was okay with the move. Are you kidding me? Am I okay with that?! I am ecstatic! After six years of working the midnight shift, six years of him being gone at night, six years of living opposite schedules, we have a chance at some sort of normalcy? Yes. I'm okay with it. The bomb squad stuff? He knows what he's doing. He's well trained--his partner is very well trained. I trust his instincts and know he won't do anything stupid. That's all I can do. That, and enjoy having him home at nights. I can do that too.

And she sleeps...

Last night marked five nights in a row of this precious baby girl sleeping all the way through again. No 3 am screaming. No walking the hall with her. No sleeping on the couch for either of her parents. Thank you, Little One!

Sleep my child
and peace attend you.
All through the night.

(another incredible picture taken by my niece.)

Bits and pieces

I find myself sitting here tonight surrounded by soft, fluffy pink fleece and other wee little baby items. Some freshly sewn, others awaiting a quiet evening sometime later this week when I can break out the sewing machine again and sew without interruption. All this work for a very special little baby girl who should be making her appearance sometime the end of February.

Earlier today I found myself feeling a little guilty. All this effort and I didn't really do anything for her big sister when she was born--other than host her mom's baby shower. Then I remembered...Oh, yeah, I painted her room.

I couldn't find any pictures of the finished mural. But you get the idea. Amy requested I use one of the stories I wrote for the inspiration. We stenciled the story on the yellow border running around the room. I also painted stars on the ceiling. With glow-in-the-dark paint. Very cool effect--but what a pain to go back over for a second coat! There's a brilliant idea--let's paint with invisible paint!

This tree had a woodpecker move in by the time I finishing.

And a squirrel moved into this tree. And a couple of frogs on lily pads.

They also had an old dresser that was just screaming for a make over!

Now this special room is just about ready to welcome its long awaited new tenant. And we can hardly wait!

The best seat in the house!

Dakota T. Dog is not allowed around the dining room table--seeing as he can rest his chin on my plate. However, every now and then the One Who Throws Down Her Food gets fed in the kitchen.