Bumblebee turned 5 years old this past Saturday. I am not really sure how he is so old already. We opened his family gifts right after we woke up. It was similar to Christmas!! Double A got Bumblebee a knight dress up set and he loved it! This is his sword fighting face :)

Later that afternoon we had a party with some friends at Monkey Joe's. This is an inflatable bouncer type place. He had so much fun bouncing and sliding with his friends. He was red faced and a little sweaty. He even got a cherry icee which was a special treat for him :)

Monkey Joe himself came to say happy birthday and give Bumblebee a special t-shirt.

Bumblebee was excited he get to sit in the inflatable "throne".

Then we went in the party room and had cake. He had previously selected a spiderman cake. Then he opened gifts from his friends.

After we all left the party Bumblebee got to choose where he wanted to eat dinner. He chose a new Mexican restaurant. As we left there he fell asleep in the car at about 6:15. I was actually able to transfer him to his bed and he slept for the next 13 hours in his clothes!! I guess that makes for an excellent birthday!!

Dog Days (and one cat)

Here are some photos from the last few months of Louie, our puppy and a couple of Belle, our 10 year old dog. She does not like to have her picture taken as much so not as many shots of her! Since we adopted Louie the beginning of October he has grown about 20 pounds. He has gotten more black spots and even one on his pink eye lid! He is now 6 months old.


True, not a dog but one of our wily cats. This is Tigger and he is 12.5 years old. He apparently needed a tasty drink from the toilet!! Belle drinks from the toilet, too. I have seen Louie try, but he is still too short to reach.

Louie sleeps in the weirdest positions!! Then he snores wildly.

Louie ringing in the new year with a bottle of champagne!!

Belle being her regal, aloof self.

Belle and Louie resting on their doggie blankets. They rarely get this close when sleeping. Louie would, but Belle is not a cuddler.

Double A and Louie in her bed. She tries to get him to sleep with her. Some nights he stays in there until we put him in his kennel when we go to bed. Problem is, he sleeps practically on top of her!

This must have been back in November, as it is our old furniture. The kids were signing an ode to Louie.

Bumblebee and Louie snuggling on the floor watching TV. Louie is very snuggly which could be a problem as he continues to grow. We estimate he will be about 65 pounds. Belle is reaching 50 pounds as she refuses to eat her old lady food and steals Louie's puppy food instead.

On our snow day this week the kids set up an "animal adoption center" in the living room with stuffed animals. Louie was their only "live victim." He is very patient with them and tolerant of what they do to him. He wore this baby bib for about an hour!

And , check me out - three posts in three days!! Yahoo! I am on a roll :) or just very bored stuck in the house with snow on the ground and temps below 10 degrees.

Thanksgiving Extravaganza

I know - I am a just a tad behind!! See the Christmas post on Jan 7 for an explanation of why :) Actually, in retrospect I think it was Thanksgiving that put me so behind for December. The four of us packed up and hit the road with both dogs for Thanksgiving week. Husband #1 and i realized this is the first time in 12 years of marriage that we have not been home for Thanksgiving. We were gone for 9 days and then had to regroup when we got home and then Christmas parties and other festivities and then all of a sudden it was Dec 22 and I was not done Christmas shopping or baking or cleaning or wrapping or anything!! AGH!

Back to Thanksgiving...Husband #1 said we looked like the Clampitt's. I should have gotten a picture of the truck! Generally when we travel south we leave Belle (our older dog) home with a dog sitter. However, Louie is not yet able to be alone that long with only going out twice per day so we decided to bring both dogs. They fight when in the kennel together so we had two kennels in the back of the truck, covered in blankets and then covered in a tarp, all fastened down with numerous bungees! We were quite the sight! It didn't help that for the first four days of the nine day trip we spent each night in a different place so that involved lots of loading for Husband #1.

We left Friday after school and we try to drive to the middle of Mississippi. Double A started having stomach pains and was rocking back and forth crying around 9:30pm. We stopped to make sure she did not have appendicitis (surgeon husband) and get her some stomach meds at Target. At that point we were all tired and grumpy and they had a Drury Inn there (always take pets, remember the dogs??). We spent the night there - somewhere in Arkansas. Got up Saturday morning, finished the drive to the in law's in Laurel, MS. Went to the Southern Miss home football game that evening. Good times with Husband #1's brother and his girlfriend even though it was cold. Spent the night at the in law's house.

Husband #1 and I watching the Golden Eagles play at The Rock

Got up Sunday morning to drive another 1.5 hours to go visit Husband # 1's grandparents in Southeast Mississippi. While we were there we went out to my in law's property in the "woods." The dogs enjoyed running full tilt and wading into the pond. Husband #1 was shooting his new shotgun for the first time. The dogs were not so thrilled with that. His dad was acting as his personal skeet thrower - tossing extra house siding tiles into the air for Husband #1 to shoot. We spent the night at Husband #1's aunt and uncle's house. The kids love playing with their older cousins. The cousins are great kids and indulge my little guys with constant playing.

Husband #1 giving his new shotgun a trial run for the first time

Skeet thrower (and supervisor)

The kids experiencing cotton for the first time in south Mississippi

Grandmother and Bumblebee at Greatmother's house

Bumblebee helping warm and comfort Louie after his romp in the pond and while the shotgun was scaring the puppy

Husband #1 with Bumblebee and Double A on the porch swing of my in law's cabin in the woods

Got up Monday morning, loaded the truck for the fourth time (counting the initial load to leave our house) and drove to my parent's house in Louisiana. We were staying four days so we settled in. Louie was able to slip through the fence so every time we opened the front door he would be sitting there!! Crazily, by the end of four days he had grown so much he got stuck in the fence!!

Louie stuck in the fence

My kids played with their cousins (my brother's girls) as much as they could until they left for their Thanksgiving trip to my sister in law's parent's house.

My kids and my brother's girls

On Tuesday night Husband #1 and I went to New Orleans with my brother. Husband #1 and I realized it has been WAY too long since we have been to Bourbon street - possibly med school!! We ate a fantastic meal at Bacco's. I literally was moaning after each bite it was so good - Bacco's shrimp!! We then hit Tropical Isle for a Hand Grenade, Tropical Itch and Horny Gator. Then off to Pat O'Briens piano bar for some really fun times. We requested Gin and Juice and Sexy Back and they played both!!

Husband #1 and I at Tropical Isle, Bourbon Street

My brother and I at Tropical Isle, Bourbon Street

The unfortunate portion of this trip was Bumblebee got a bad stomach virus or something. I ended up washing all of his undies three times in one day. He had no idea when it would just start running out. Poor kid. He was bad on Wednesday, fine on Thursday, then bad again on Friday (the day we were driving 1.5 hours to my in laws)

My dad and Bumblebee charting our next Bahamas trip

My mom and Double A

Friday after Thanksgiving we loaded back up and headed back to the in law's house in Mississippi. Husband #1's brother and girlfriend, sister and her husband were all there. We celebrated Thanksgiving and my father in law's 60th birthday!!! This was the first time we had been all together in a year and a half (and that was a sad occasion so no pictures). We had good food, and good company. We played lots of games, especially Bananagrams and Phase 10.

My father in law as he celebrated 60 with his German chocolate cake

Sadly, the good times came to an end when we had to load up again on Sunday morning and drive home.

Christmas update

Well, it has been about a month since I last posted. Not coincidentally, this coincides with the last time I felt like I was ahead of the game in my life. December was a rough month. Nothing bad happened (thankfully) I was just scattered, stressed and behind in everything I wanted to get done. So, December is over and I have spent this week regrouping and formulating my 2010 plan :) Well, that is until today when we had a very unexpected snow day. Still not sure if we will have another tomorrow. It snowed about 4 inches last night. However, tomorrow the high is supposed to be 8 and the low -2. I REALLY am not looking forward to getting out in that.

Here are some photos from our Christmas.

I love those pure Christmas joy photos!!!

Bumblebee got a real video camera and was ecstatic. He immediately asked to put it on our tripod and then became the videographer of the day. He was very cute with dragging the tripod around and adjusting the height and even kneeling down to look through the camera. He told us "I am the best photographer because I can take movies and pictures."This is what it looks like when your moody "7 going on 13 year old" does not get something she wants in her current gift box. She had accidentally opened a Nintendo DS game but did not have a Nintendo DS. She figured she was getting one so tore through the next several gifts until she found it - this wasn't it!This is how the same moody girl can look when she gets something she likes. This was from our second Christmas celebration on Dec 28 with Husband #1's parents. She was opening a watch from her Greatmother R.

I got a fancy new camera for Christmas. This is me beginning to read the huge manual while Husband #1 is taking my picture (repeatedly) with the new camera.Christmas was pretty cold (not as cold as it is now, though!) - in the twenties and had been rainy which turned to snow on Christmas day. Bumblebee got his first two wheeler bike from Santa and bundled up to go out and ride it. It didn't last long since it was cold and wet.

Grandma (my mom) and Bumblebee.

Christmas was wonderful and we were all excited to have my parents visit for Christmas and then have Husband #1's parents visit for several days the week after Christmas. The two week "Winter Break" went super fast but the kids (and me) were glad to get back to school this week.