I needed more rest today.  Skits was the one who got the rest tho.  I’m thinking he’s feeling a little more secure in his surroundings.  We had some success in potty training today.  The girls gave me a nice long break when they got home…they pretty much played with him all night long.  They took him outside when he needed to go.  It was nice.  All three of them were very cute together.  It is a lot easier having a puppy when you have kids who are old enough to help out with things.  When we got Baxter they were practically babies themselves! ;D  Oh, and I put on his collar today.  He HATES it!  I put him in his kennel when I went to get the girls at school.  He must have survived.  He was just fine when we got home.  Yay!  He also discovered he likes his bones…a lot…today.  So we started working on taking away his bone and giving it back to him.  He’s chewing on my hair right now.  Weirdo. ;D

It’s like having kids.  You forget what it is like having an infant or you wouldn’t do it again.  Same with puppies.  ;D

So I know you are thinking I’m crazy for getting another dog.  Especially while still recovering.  Hey.  So do I.  Do we plan these things?  If I told everything that was going on in my life right now you’d probably shoot yourself. Isn’t that how it usually is if we stepped in someone else’s shoes for a bit?  When is it ever the right time to get a dog? Yeah.  That’s what I figured.  I needed something good in my life.

We actually have been looking for another dog for a good 6 months or more.  I just don’t announce everything on this blog.  Believe me if I did you wouldn’t read it anymore! ;D  We found an add for this litter of puppies last week.  I knew I was sick but everything else about it was working out.  So we did it.  I just means that Corey and the girls are helping out with him a little more.  And boy do the girls ever want to help out.  I mean there is FIGHTING in the house over who gets to do what with Skits.  No one wanted to go to school this morning. ;D  I could have used the help…but that would have been a little irresponsible. ;D

paper WoodsyII, Ornate Frames, love sticker, clipped heart, dog sticker Amore all Jen Maddocks Designs

This morning Laney and Ava were arguing about some pencils they got for Christmas.  I guess there was some confusion as to which pencil belonged to which girl.  Not in Ava’s mind.  Somewhere in there Laney said something to the effect of it didn’t really matter anyway.  With that said Corey politely asked Laney to give the pencils that Ava wanted to her and take the other ones…since “it didn’t matter” and it would “make Ava happy”.  Well Laney didn’t like that one bit.  So we spent the next few minutes explaining and giving examples to Laney of making other people, in a family, happy even when you don’t want to.  Examples of when Ava has done it for her.  When I do it for Corey like when I take his laptop or phone to him at work when he forgets it…and he forgets a lot…and I don’t want to.  Or when I have to go pick him up in a hail or lightning storm when he is on his bike and it wasn’t convenient (and he should have looked at the weather before leaving).   Real life examples of things that have happened to us that I figured she would remember…she was there for the time I had to pick up Corey when he was bike riding.  I don’t remember everything surrounding it but I remember all three of us had to drop what we were doing and drive in the horrible weather and go get him. ;D

After many examples and much thought and still pouting Laney came to the conclusion, “Pencils are NOT part of the family!”

I got about 2 hours of sleep last night.  If you read this blog at all you know I operate quite poorly on small amounts of sleep.  The reason I didn’t sleep was because I was in pain.  I’m sick.  Again.  Or still.  However you want to look at it.  I don’t talk about it much because I just don’t want to dwell on it.  I’m soooooooo over it.  Argh!  So I was laying in bed last night trying to decide if it was better to lay there hoping eventually I would be so exhausted I’d finally drift off or get up and try to do something productive.  I ended up just staying there.  Mind racing.  Not a good thing.

Perhaps because I was overly tired today I really missed the kids.  Maybe I missed them a little too much.  Today they went back to school after being home for two weeks on Christmas break.  I don’t know who was more depressed about them being gone.  Me.  Or Baxter. ;D  I was thinking about them going off to college.  And how I don’t want them too.  Yeah.  I didn’t get enough sleep.

Headed to the dr tomorrow.  I hope they give me some good meds! ;D

Today wasn’t all bad.  Corey came home and surprised me with this.

Here are the specs.  Just so you know.  We don’t live in the lap of luxury. He does computer work on the side.  When that money comes it we usually play with it.  He found a great deal on this Canon 40D.  I mean great.  My Canon Rebel XT has been having problems for awhile now.  I just haven’t said anything.  I told Corey not to buy it.  He surprised me with it tonight.  He said it was a birthaversary present.  That’s what he said he was going to call presents now.  Anniversary and Birthday presents for me.  Cause our Anniversary is in February and my birthday is in March.  He made me laugh.  And cry.  ;D  Thank you Honey.  You blow me away.  Now to get better.  So I can play. ;D

photo mask and paper (coming soon), date stamp Jen Maddocks Designs
paper, candy canes Jesse Edwards
oh Christmas tree Katie Pertiet
bird, postage stamp Flitter kit Lynn Grieveson

paper, word art, date stamp, wreath, flower Jen Maddocks Designs
star, ribbon Flitter kit Lynn Grieveson

How was your Christmas?  I still have a touch of something but ours was good.  We are loving our Wii!  Best gift ever!  I must say I’m not a big fan of video games in general.  I didn’t think I’d ever own something of this nature…however I stand corrected.  I totally recommend it.  If you get a Wii I recommend the Wii Sports Resort.  We’ve had the most fun with those games…by far.  Maybe I like them so much cause I’m actually good at a lot of them…when usually I’m terrible at video games!  Especially the Frisbee Dog.  LOVE that one.  I kick butt at it! ;D  So I will say not all is not right with the world when the kids lose or are playing against each other and one wins over the other one.  Sometimes the Wii needs to “go away” for awhile. ;D  But I hear we aren’t the only ones with that problem! ;D  Like right now.  Laney is in her room crying.  I’m sure soon it will be Ava.

We are going to have a White Christmas!  Yay! ;D  I kinda wish I wasn’t so sick so I could enjoy it…more on that in a bit.  It is snowing now.  Has been all day and is supposed to snow tomorrow so the white stuff should be around for Christmas.  Why does snow make it feel more “Christmas-y”??

I am still sick.  Yes it has been well over a week now.  Yes I did go to the dr.  Today.  Not much they could do for me.  Did a strep test.  That’s not it.  I think he felt sorry for me considering it is so close to Christmas.  I got some meds and hope they will help but I’m not holding my breath.  Being sick stinks in general but especially during Christmas.  I have presents to wrap.  The house is a mess.  Ugh.  Oh well.  I’m listening to Christmas music on my computer and to the sounds of the kids and Corey (he’s working from home today) and I have it pretty good.  I just wish I felt better.  While I was out braving the snow, going to the dr office, I went to the store and got food for Christmas.  So we won’t be having pizza.  Ha!  Corey wanted ham.  I wanted chicken.  Believe it or not the girls wanted steak!!!!  So I splurged and got filet mignon at Safeway.  I got a great cut!  Can’t believe they wanted it…they are definitely MY kids…if they were Corey’s they would want seafood. ;D He he!

I noticed today how quiet everything was with the snow falling.  Quiet and peaceful.  I took a couple of photos of my festive flag out front on the house with the snow falling.  It was just so quiet.  I love that.

paper, photo mask, postage stamp, date stamp, alpha letters Jen Maddocks Designs
Remember Word Art Ali Edwards

It is COLD here!  -11° this morning when we woke up!  The furnace had stopped running during the night.  It was 40° in the house when we woke up.  The furnace never brakes when it is warm out does it???

I wrote about this on FB and Twitter yesterday but I want to put it on the ol’ blog for posterity purposes.  Yesterday Corey got out the Wii to set it all up.  Did you know we were getting a Wii for Christmas?  Well now you do.  So it was a good idea…setting it up.  When Christmas arrives and we open it up all we have to do is plug it in and it will work…no set up and waiting around…don’t you hate that about Christmas gifts?  I do.  And so do the kids! ;D  Having it out all day was not a good thing tho.  And I have told Corey WE ARE NOT GETTING IT OUT EARLY.  It is the big gift and we are going to wait!!!!  So Laney gets home from school and wants to play the Xbox.  I told her, “Sure you can play the Wii.”  She exclaims, “BUT WE DON’T HAVE A WII!!!”  OOPS!  See, Corey!  I told you not to open it! I was able to cover it up by saying something about playing it over at Steven’s house for Thanksgiving and I was confused.  It seemed to work.  If it had been Ava I’m not sure it would have.  As my friend Jeni said to me…”You blundered with the Tooth Fairy.  I see a trend here.”  Yikes!

There’s another new paper pack in my store today.  It’s called Winter Pink.  Would you also like some more good news?  If you sign up to follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this I’ll give you a 50% off coupon for my store!  ;D  Direct Message (on Twitter or email me at jenatjencropabledotcom) me to let me know that you have done this and I’ll email you the coupon! ;D

Here is my December Daily layout for Day 8 which was yesterday.  I scanned a picture that Laney drew.

star, cutstrip, berries Flitter Kit Lynn Grieveson
trees Seasonal Sampler Shabby Princess
graphic word blocks brushes & stamps no2 Katie Pertiet
paper Winter Wonder II JMDesigns
date stamp December Dayz JMDesigns
artwork Laney Maddocks

My baby is seven today.  Not too much of a baby anymore.  She’s all growed up! ;D  She wanted to get her ears pierced for her birthday BUT she wanted to get them done BEFORE she turned 7 so we did them last night…when she was still officially 6. ;D

Here she is waiting.  She’s holding the bear they have there at Claire’s.  It has its ears pierced.  ‘Twas soooooooo cute!

I didn’t get a great shot of her getting them done.  But imagine her with a look of terror.  Yep.  But she didn’t cry or move.  She did fantastic!  Later she said it hurt pretty badly but now she is so tickled that she did it!

Here she is tonight all proud of herself.

Tonight we enjoyed cake together as a family.

It has just worked out that tonight, the night Corey is taking me to see New Moon, both girls are going to be gone for sleepovers.  Ava was invited to a birthday sleepover.  Her first.  We thought maybe Laney would like to do something special.  So instead of being “babysat” by her “grandma” we thought she could get a sleepover too.  And of course ML was all too happy to take her! ;D

I think this is the first time since having the girls that we will be coming home to an empty house!  If we come home at all!  He he!  So we will be having a very very relaxing evening!  Watching this…

And speaking of Vampires…are any of you watching Vampire Diaries????  Did you see last night’s episode?  OMGosh!!!!  And I cannot believe there are no more episodes until January!  If you are not watching that show I highly recommend it! ;D

If you missed any of the episodes you can watch them online on the CW website and there will be a week long marathon of the episodes from the beginning airing Dec 14-18.

Corey works from home on Wednesdays.  When he does we usually go out to lunch.  Today we decided to investigate downtown Parker.  We found a little restaurant called Falcon Brewing Co.  The food was fantastic!!!!!  It will be added to one of our favorite regular places!  The weather was so nice…in the 60°s…we were able to sit outside and eat.  I was not wearing a jacket.  I love, love, love Colorado weather! ;D