This goes down in my house a few times a month

We have two golden retrievers, a female named Gala and a male named Marc Anthony.  We call Gala our nanny dog, because she's always taken care of all of us as best as she can without thumbs. Sometimes when something terrible happens to Rylee - getting her milk in the wrong cup for example, as happened in the video - it makes Gala very, very sad. She will come from anywhere in the house to be sad near Rylee, as you see her in the video. Sometimes this will make Marc Anthony sad. And the result is funny and sad, in proportion to the amount of sleep I've had.

As a bonus you can hear the best Christmas album ever at the beginning before the family starts in. Enjoy!

When favorite things collide

I love sewing for Rylee and had a few ideas for a handmade costume this year. Then someone offered me this free, new-with-tags pig costume.

I love free stuff almost as much as Rylee loves the first piece of Halloween candy.

I made the bag. Last year. It counts.

Mmmmm.....

I wish I had before pictures

We've been (finally) tackling all the storage needs in our house over the last month or so. We got new desks, re-arranged the office/sewing room and re-did the closet in the Master bedroom and Rylee's room. It's still a disaster area, but we're getting there.

I'll post pictures when it's all done. I'm so excited!

Doing my civic duty. Possibly for the wrong reasons.

Arizona has an early ballot system where you can vote by mail and not have to go to the polling place on election day. As the stay-at-home mom of a two-year old, this appeals to me greatly.

When we were out walking the dogs the other day I said to Eric "I like the convenience, but I wish I could still get my little sticker for voting." And yes, I was pretty serious.

So imagine my thrill when the balloting material came. They have my number.

Skinny and powerful, I'll take it

Since I chose to have children with someone who gets up at an uncivilized hour I have a child who gets up way too early for my taste. Most mornings Rylee and I spend a few minutes snuggling in my bed watching The Incredibles. It's "mommy's resting time."

This morning she announces excitedly, "Here comes Dash and Mommy!"

Sharing

I made another dress in Rylee's fall wardrobe and I think it's super cute. But I'm too lazy to take pictures of it today.

Go watch all four videos by this woman instead. You're welcome.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7148143/

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7179585/

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7191147/

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7205061/

Note to self

Waiting for me on the kitchen counter when I got home from playgroup:

At least I remembered Rylee's lunch and the frozen meals for the new mom. And the banana bread.

Circle of Life, US Mint style

I finally completed my set of the 50 State Quarters. The program ended in 2008 but it took me a long time to get that final Hawaii quarter. I had one last summer and accidentally spent it. A year later my sister gave me one when we were shopping together.

It was an odd feeling looking through the book. I put the first quarter in it in 1999. The dot-com market hadn't crashed yet, let alone the housing market. The twin towers were still up. Skirts were short, unemployment was down. More personally, my mother was terminally ill but still alive. It was two years before I would meet Eric, and Rylee wasn't even a dream.

The antepenultimate quarter is Arizona, a state I never imagined I would move to and my state of residence when I put the Arizona quarter into my book.

I've been putting quarters into this book at four different homes, doing five different jobs, in two different states, single, married, childless, pregnant, a ma-ma, a mommy.

I can't think of anything else that I've done for 10 years. I've only been married for eight, never lived at a single address more than seven, never worked a single job longer than four. I felt a weird sense of accomplishment.

And then I popped out the first eight so Rylee and I could buy carrots to feed the giraffe at the zoo. Because come on, it's over ten bucks and I'm no sucker.

Off we go!

Rylee and I are taking wing to Michigan again. Some cousin-y goodness, some grubby camp fun and then some beach time with Daddy. Should be a hoot!

I'll try to post pictures and what-not.

We interrupt this blog

...to deal with projectile vomiting caused by swallowing too much pool water. Ta!

Priorities

I just looked at everything that needs to be done since getting back to include but not limited to:

• Laundry
• Unpacking
• Unloading the dishwasher
• Dusting
• Repacking my purse for "real life"
• Etc.

And decided the best use of my time right now is to add the new DVD player to the home network. And blog about it.

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

I'm having lots of fun at Aunt Kari's. Went to the dark side. See you soon!
Love, Rylee

Three reasons to pee your pants from excitement at my house today!

1. I just got tickets for my sister and I to take Rylee and my nephew to see Nick Jr. storytime live when we're visiting Michigan later this month.

2. We have the first ever non-family babysitter coming by tonight. We've had family babysit at the house and took Rylee to a friend's house once, but this is the first time for a "regular" babysitter. Since our families live thousands of miles away you can see we don't get out much. Dinner reservations at 6:15.

3. I was just searching to find out what date in May the next Charlaine Harris book will be released and it's May 4th, just a few weeks away! AND she posted the first chapter. This actually happened in December and for some reason she didn't call me.

And for anyone who's interested, here's the breakdown.

Name	Nick Live	Babysitter	Eric the Vampire
Lynn	Excited	Excited	Excited
Eric	Indifferent	Excited	Not Excited
Rylee	Excited	Not Excited	Indifferent

CSI:Tucson

This is a reconstruction of what happened at my house today. No ground squirrels were harmed in the creation of this post. Or in reality either.

I spy with my hawky eye...

...a potentially tasty snack

SWOOP

Me thinking "What was that?" and opening the door (photo not available)

Ooops....dropped it.

Dude, I am FREAKED the heck out.

Thanks for letting me hide on your porch. Is he gone?

You guys will never believe what happened to me!

Fin.