I love my dog....I love my dog....

Today was a typical Spring Saturday for me...

I spent at least five hours working on my yard...cleaning out the beds...recutting the borders...raking...using my leaf blower...even had a dead dogwood taken down---which I, myself, hauled to the back yard...
(isn't 'log tossing' a sport? I think it should be, if not.)

As the sun was setting over 'yon',  I was gathering my tools, ready to go in...I noticed my dog, Roxy, standing on the wood pile.
(She loves the 'vantage point' on TOP of the wood pile as she surveys her domain.)

~Some background on Roxy the Foxxy Beagle: She is a rescued beagle mix, aka: 'buffet hound'. She keeps the moles in check in the yard, and is NOT afraid to stick her FULL head down in to any hole she has dug...snorting...coming out all muddy and smiling.~

I saw that Roxy was very gingerly pulling something out of the wood pile...daintily with her front teeth.
She then turned around slowly---like a kid who THINKS you are NOT watching them as they steal the last cookie off the plate---and she went galloping off across the yard.

I thought she had a stick...but I walked after her to make sure.
(Yes, I walked...I was tired and had been sporting my saucy leopard galoshes all day---with my jeans tucked IN to them because I was cleaning out snake habitats...my 15 year old fashionista daughter just rolled her eyes at me.)

As I finally reached her, Roxy looked at me sideways, keeping her head down...hands across 'whatever' she had.
(If she could whistle, should would have.)

That's when I realized...ICK...she had a mouse.
Poor 'Mrs. Tittlemouse' had already lost her ears, and feet, and Roxy was eating the tail like it was a piece of tasty licorice.

'ROXY THAT IS SO GROSS!' I told her...she did not care.
She picked up her mouse and trotted to a leaf pile...nestled in, and continued with her 'treat'.

I thought about getting it away from her...yes, I did.
However, knowing that she loves the 'I-have-something-gross-in-my-mouth-and-you-can't-catch-me' game...I just let her be.

I went back to gathering my tools...all the while imagining what Roxy was thinking.

'Hmmm...I enjoy the 'al dente' feel of the ears and feet....the tail...a bit chewy...but OK. Oh, look! A surprise inside---a burst of freshness...delightful!'

(After a few minutes, I noticed my enchanting hound rolling on her back on top of 'Mrs. Tittlemouse'...or....what was left of her...)

'Ahh...yes. If...I...could...just...squeeze out this...last...bit...here...I can create my own enjoyable scent...to share with my mom....and---if all goes well tonight---by the morning time? FRESH rawhide!...I am a GENIUS!'
Yeah.
I left her outside for a bit....
It figures that I, as an artist and thrifty gal in general, would have a creative dog.
I love my dog....I love my dog...I love my dog....

9 Pounds of LOVE:The story of my son's birth...(hahah!)

(*DISCLAIMER*---In the interest of Motherhood, and the fact that embarrassing your kids makes them STRONGER...I submit this amusing birth story.)

My son will turn 13 tomorrow.
I cannot believe it. My favorite (and only son---soon to be the 'perfect man') is growing up....
But, alas, my beautiful boy...I must share how you arrived in my world...(Oh, stop. You will thank me later!)
The whole time I was pregnant with my 'boy-child' was a different experience than being pregnant with 'girl-child#1'....
I craved salty stuff...I would knock you DOWN to get to the home made onion dip and Ruffles with Ridges...and I was running after 'Girl Child #1' (GC1) who was a two-year-old...beautiful,wild and a 'biter'....not to mention 'potty training'. Yeah!
Since my son was the second inhibitor of my 'womb', he had plenty of room to stretch out and grow...I swear he stayed in a 'pike position' much of the time with his foot squarely planted on my rib cage.
(Yes...he actually BROKE my ribs, and created a wonderful freakish look to my ribcage...hence, the end of my bikini wearing days.)
I also had an 'ingroinal hernia'---that was 'fun'---'good times'...(but you were worth it, my love!)
My 'freakishly large belly' invited the general public to comment on my girth.
'Are you havin' twins? No way you are only having ONE baby'...
Oh. Thank you kind STRANGER...(at least I knew I had a BABY in my belly...and I was not just FAT like YOU!...hahaha!)
Moving along....
The night before I was to be induced---so my son would not be a 'leap year baby', I was chastised on the phone by a wicked woman who thought I had 'dissed' her grown up/screw up of a son...NICE!
Seriously?...did she know I was having a BABY the next day? Priorities....PRIORITIES!
I had been sleeping in the baby nursery for weeks because of my 'bulk'...peaceful, and the kitties slept on either side to make sure I was OK...(quite frankly, they were preferred company!)
Long about 4a.m....I started feeling 'funky'...(any mommas out there, know what I mean...)
My H, at the time, luckily had not gone out with the boys that night---(as he had the night I went in to labor with GC1) and drove me to hospital at 6:30a.m.
It was all business when I checked in...got to put on that sexy hospital gown, and got hooked up to monitors...anti-pain drugs galore!
Guess WHAT! I was in labor! (Imagine THAT!)
My doc---who I LOVED---came in...and GIGGLED at me!...(Love him as I did...I still wanted to throw something at him! hahah!)
So, the waiting started....
...and went on and on....
I knew I was getting ready to pump out 'a big baby'---(yes, thank you nurses for letting me know that! DUH!)
15 hours of labor...epidural...pitosin...GAME ON!
My son's heart rate dropped drastically and there was a flurry of C-section preparedness going on...
Good GOD! Everyone was throwing on scrubs/masks/gloves...shit!
Things were dinging/binging/ringing...I was freaking out...
'You need to lay on your side!'
(OK, people! I am numb from the waist down! LITTLE HELP!)
My son's heart rate stabilized and everyone chilled out....
...more waiting...and 'checking'...(any Mommas know how much FUN that is!---GEEZ!)
Time---FINALLY!---to push!
Seriously...so ungraceful/unladylike when a nurse and H (now X1) hold your feet so you can 'push and count to 10'...
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD...his head was out!
And, then...'1-2-3-4-5-...!'
My Doc...(and I kid you NOT) put his FOOT on the table to pull Boy Child's shoulders out!
(and with that...my lower...non-active---half was hanging off the table!)
Again: 'Lil HELP here people!'...and they shoved me back on to the bed/table...
And...my BEAUTIFUL son was born---screamin' his head off! (He was pissed off because he was cold...he hates being cold to this day!)
Happy! SOOOOO HAPPY!
(and yeah---he weighed in at 8lbs. 15oz's...and he pee-ed on the way out (sorry, hon, but you did.)...so, I claim him as my '9lbs. of LOVE!)
My doc held him by the foot like a chicken and flopped him in to the 'french fry lights' bassinet...
He was OK...he was PERFECT!

Funny thing: My Doc and X1 held him and had a pic taken before I even got to hold him! I was like: 'Hellooooo----I did all the work here!...Gimme my SON!'
The nurses nicknamed him 'sumo'...his pediatrician later nicknamed him 'Brick'...MY BOY!
I nicknamed him 'Monkey Boy' because he snuggled up around my neck for the next 5 months and stayed there!...sweet...easy going...beautiful.
I love you, my son...you are the best 'man' in my life...God help the girl who wants to marry you someday...(She's got some high standards from 'yo momma' to live up to...I'm not letting you go to just anyone!)
and, PS: Hope I did not embarrass you too much! xoxoxoxMomma~

Evolve Studio

As a photog myself, I can highly recommend Evolve Studio.
Kim has 'shot' several of my friends families...newborns and group shots...all are beautiful...all are works of ART.
Here is the Link to her site:
http://www.evolvestudiophoto.com/
She is here locally in Raleighwood...GOOD STUFF yall!

My Future Fighter Pilot...

I am the mother of two really awesome girls ages 16 and 6... my girls (and my son)  can do anything they set their minds to---whatever it is...I never want them to hold back. 'No fear'.
GO FOR IT!
I believe that physical, and mental, 'toughness' is learned through experience...and also having a parent willing to let a child make 'mistakes', take (reasonable) risks and encourage them to 'see what's out there'...
My 'Little One' is one 'tough cookie.'
She's not afraid to climb higher, get dirty/sweaty...handles bugs, worms and frogs--no problem!
She is super strong and can run really fast---(something she is pretty proud of!) Even when she wipes out and gets banged up...she NEVER cries...and always jumps right up and says: 'I'm OK!' She is really brave.
I call her my 'Little Fighter Pilot'. I really can see her flying jets...some day.
Yesterday she had her first encounter with a boy bully.
She (as usual) was running with the 'big boys' after school...climbing on playground equipment...jumping off the top...running fast and playing hard. No worries...and a lot of laughter.
Her good friend 'D' is a really sweet boy who is pals with Little One...he ran over to me and said my girl was 'beewing booweed by some big boyees'...from where I was, she looked OK...but she was really still...staring down this bigger kid...fists clenched...eyes locked on her target....(I think I even saw little steam puffs coming out her nose---but it was cold...so...)
The closer I got, I realized she was REALLY upset---which is unusual.(She usually just gets 'pissed off' when she hurts herself.)
Then I saw her eyes...one little tear coming down her cheek...(uh oh.)
She turned on her heel away from the boy bully...fists still clenched by her side...spine straight as an arrow...head held high...and walked my way. The boy bully fled the scene...
As soon as she saw he was gone, she let me hug her...and she crumbled into my arms and sobbed...
'He pulled my feet when I was up high on the equipment...then he pulled my coat and I fell on the ground...I hurt my leg.' (Obviously nothing was broken/sprained/twisted...but it scared her to death.)
Of course I said all the 'Mommy things' you say to your child when she is hurt...my little brave girl!
She 'got over it' on the ride home...but the 'residue' was still in her thoughts...I could see some 'deep thinking' going on in the back seat...
'Are you my little fighter pilot?' I asked her...
She smiled and said 'YEAH Momma!'
(all I can say 'boy bully'...you bettah watch out! SHE'S BACK!)
hhhahahah!

Careful What You Say...

I was in a store with my Little One the other day.

She decided she wanted to ride in the basket, instead of walking...fine.

Then I turned around and she was standing UP in the cart, holding on to the sides and rocking it!

(*gasp*)
'You better sit down young lady---if that cart tips over you will kill yourself!', I said.

(we were in an aisle with a ton of glass things...all I could imagine was the cart tipping over, her crashing in to a vase, falling to the floor amidst shards of glass...lacerations...blood...oh my GOD!)

She sat down really quickly and had this ashen look on her face...

I told her I was sorry I got upset, but that she had scared me...and I gave her a hug and a kiss.

And she said:

'I'm sorry Momma...I don't want to die before Santa comes!'

(then we both started laughing! hahaha!)

WHEW!

Had to post...Pregnancy Pictures.

What are people thinking? Seriously...especially the nude couple ones---ICK!
(hahaha!)
http://pregnantchicken.squarespace.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2010/12/10/awkward-pregnancy-photos.html

~Swimming with Fishes~

All things...

once thought

could...

would...

'be'

... done...

and

then...that.

Now

....nothing.

Broken glass scatters

across the floor

... barefoot.

Sacrificing her soles...

to get there.

He...

... turns away.

Crossing the line...

Once...

and again

...to swim

with a fish...

from a past dead sea.

Hooked...

Lied...

Sank her.

Washes up...

but is never clean.

Sun dries

...a heart dies.

Gasping...grasping...

Dead cold eyes.

The gull is picking his soul clean.