Rub-a-dub-dub . . .

Today Presley not only enjoyed a long, hot shower with me but she also got to spend a good chunk of time in the big tub in our master bathroom. I wasn't finished getting ready and so while I put on a bit of makeup and brushed my teeth Presley literally swam in the tub.

It is a very large tub (we only filled it a bit) and Presley was on her belly swimming around, blowing bubbles, and wriggling like a fish. The tub is right next to my sink so I had my eye on her the whole time (conveniently, I could even see her in the mirror's reflection). Too much fun!

Yikes!

Can you see it??? I was outside this morning with Presley and Roxy, enjoying the cooler mornings we have been having, trimming the plants and weeding a bit, when this Praying Mantis scared the pants off me! I am not a bug person--my least favorites include grasshoppers and moths--and I was not at all prepared to have this gigantic, neon green, scary bug nearly crawl up my arm.

I backed away and will probably never get that particular plant trimmed down. Hopefully this bug is doing something productive like keeping away spiders!

New Food.

I know this new food looks like throw-up but Roxy loves it so far (and it smells nothing like it looks--think dehydrated camping food). How could she not love it when the ingredients are hormone-free chicken, organic flaxseed, potatoes, celery, sweet potatoes, apples, alfalfa, organic kelp, honey, zucchini, green beans, cabbage, bananas, papayas, yogurt, basil, garlic and rosemary. She licked her bowl clean!

Mmmmmmmm!

Hangin' out.

One of the reasons we bought our new home was the beautiful view from the deck. You can see the whole valley below and the mountains up the canyon--it is a spectacular view. We love to eat as many meals as we can out on the deck, despite the lack in "cool" deck furniture. We currently have a set of 4 plastic chairs and plastic table set with 2 additional plastic Adirondack chairs and lastly a pink plastic chair for Presley. The theme is PLASTIC . . . but it doesn't spoil the view!

Even Roxy likes to be on the deck (although she has always been a bit afraid of wood floors and especially decks and bridges). It is a great vantage point for her to see all the neighborhood dogs and bark at them as they pass by.

I have found a new food for Roxy. We are going to feed her a grain-free, gluten-free, organic, dehydrated raw food from a company called the Honest Kitchen. After reading as much as I could I have come to the conclusion that Roxy may be intolerant of grains and glutens. I am excited to start her new diet and hope that in 6 months her blood work shows improvement.

Fashionista.

For the past 5 days in a row, when I go downstairs to get Presley up for the day, she has been sporting a new pajama fashion. I didn't think kids started wanting to dress themselves or pick out clothes until they were a little older--I guess she is just starting a little early!

We are calling it the "shirt over head with exposed belly". I am not sure if she does this in the evening after I put her to bed or if she does it in the morning when she first wakes up before I get to her. It is pretty cute!

I have also been busy making additional hair clips--these turned out even better than the first set! I am sad to see the top-of-the-head ponytail go but this works too and I am getting used to the new style.

Thank you honey . . .

I owe Chris a big 'thank you'. I got two projects finished and one of them was no small task. The speakers got painted and it couldn't have gone smoother--easy to pop out the screens, easy to paint them, easy to paint the frames, and easy to put them all together again. The washer and dryer pedestals were a totally different story. Chris worked for 2 1/2 hours to get this project of mine wrapped up. The hardest part turned out to be re-installing the dryer vent hose--the hook-up was built in such a way that without duct tape, a screw, and a lot of time on your back wedged in a corner, it was nearly impossible to do. But my hubby did it!

I promise I will be doing laundry all the time now. The added height is so good that even looking at the laundry room makes my back feel better. I would certainly be living in a house of unfinished projects if Chris didn't bail me out--thank you and I will give you a break for a while (maybe).

Teeth.

We have had a wild couple of weeks in the 'teeth' department. All last week Presley had a low fever, whined, and was generally miserable because of the 4 molars that were working their way out. Finally this week (just yesterday) she stared acting more like the 'old' Presley. We are back to smiles, regular naps, and the happy girl we are all used to! I can't believe it is such a traumatic event in a child's life--thank goodness it is not something we carry around in our memories of childhood.

Roxy had an interesting week of teeth too. She went in last week for her bi-annual check up and vaccinations and we decided it was time to get her teeth cleaned (everything else was in tip-top shape). Chris brought her in to the vet on Wednesday and they started the necessary blood work to ensure all was well and that Roxy could tolerate the anesthesia. Later that morning we got a call from the vet requesting permission for additional tests (Roxy's ALT levels were high and she needed a bile acid test to recheck). We picked Roxy up for the evening (I don't think we could ever leave her overnight) with her catheter still in place and hoped for good news in the morning.

Thursday morning came without good news. Roxy's tests definitely showed some sort of liver disease. We are devastated. You would never guess there is a problem--she eats well, is active, happy, her digestion seems good. We are going to start Roxy on a daily antioxidant, milk thistle, and SAMe supplement while we find a new food that will help support her liver function better. The only good news is that with extra fluids and a different anesthesia the vet proceeded to clean Roxy's teeth--they are a gleaming white and there is no more doggy breath. I have vowed to remember to bush her teeth daily (which she is actually a good sport about).

PS--I have started resizing my pictures. I still haven't figured out what to do about the font spacing issues.

Demolition Derby!

As if we weren't lucky enough with the water skiing invite this morning, this evening some friends came across an extra set of tickets to the Kamas Demolition Derby and invited us along! 3 years ago (with the same friends) we went to our first derby and had a great time so we didn't think twice about heading out for the evening, even with the busy day we had already had. If you have never been to the derby you will have to check one out--there is nothing like it.

Demolition derby is a motor-sport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. They originated in the United States of America, and quickly spread to other western nations.

While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of ten or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another. The last driver whose vehicle is still operational is awarded the victory.

The derby is the kind of place where kettle corn, hot dogs, candy bars, and diet coke make for a pretty good dinner. At the first derby we attended we even witnessed a streaker running across the dirt in nothing but work boots. Definitely something to check out if you ever have the opportunity!

On the water!

My baby loves the water and so do I . . . we are working on daddy. Chris gets sea-sick on carnival rides, snorkeling, and even surfing and he seems to sink rather than float or swim when he is in the water but he does great on the lake--and he loves to go out on a boat! This morning we were invited to go boating with a friend and we had a wonderful time. The weather was picture perfect, the water was smooth and pretty uncrowded, and the company made it even better.

Presley was a little unsure at first and definitely fought the life jacket but in the end, kicking her feet in the water and feeling the wind in her face, she had a good time.

This was the first time since the "jet ski incident" with my sister and her then boyfriend (now husband) that we have been out on the lake--almost 4 years, maybe. I know we will both be feeling it in the morning (the sore muscles have already started to set in) but I am happy to say we got back in the saddle without too much trouble. I even got up (and stayed up) on a wakeboard--I am usually a skier in the water.

Daddy's home!

We all love when daddy comes home--Roxy has some one's face to kiss (I don't let her do it as much as Chris does), I have a bit of relief from being the mom 24 hours a day, and Presley gets to spend time with dad. One of the things I love about Chris is that he can play the guitar. Some nights after I have gone to bed I can hear him up in the office strumming away until I drift off to sleep. Presley loves it too and quite often wants to join in and play along. There is just something about sitting around together as a family playing, singing (well, not me so much on this part), and enjoying music.

Chris was playing Presley a few Lyle Lovett songs (one of my many favorites) and she couldn't get enough! Maybe someday she will be able to play for us . . .