Super Sunday

After our trip to the orchard on Sunday, we came home and had a pretty eventful day. Twice now we have had a praying mantis come into the living room through the screen.  Not sure how he knows to come in...but he keeps showing up and scaring the heck out of me.  I am not a fan.  Vivienne thinks he is beautiful and would like to paint a rainbow picture of one.  He is ENORMOUS!  We finally moved him over to the neighbors rose garden and we haven't seen him since.  Hope he is happy over there and stays put.

After we relocated the gigantic intruder, Vivanny and I decided to take a looking walk.  There is a book that we love about a little girl who takes a quiet walk with her Dad and listens to all the sounds around her.  It is called  "The Listening Walk", by Paul Showers.  But we decided we would take a looking walk.  So we looked for things like cool rocks and followed cracks to see how far they went and counted trees to see how many before we got home.  We also found some pine cones and some berries so we picked them up and brought them home for some crafting.

Pine cone,peanut butter bird feeders, of course.

Loki, Libby and Bijoux enjoyed the leftover peanut butter.

Finally to top off our day of people watching, looking walking and crafting, Vivienne did some outdoor painting for us and we all watched as the first "bird" enjoyed the fruits of our labor.

Oh and we never did finish counting the trees.

Apple Umpkin 2013

We don't do too many of the festivals but we like to go to Kapnick's Orchard in Tecumseh during the annual Apple-Umpkin festival. Or as we like to call it...the Umpalumpkin Festival. I don't go too much for the craft's or art but I do enjoy the people watching so it's a good little side venture if you don't want to actually brave the crowded Tecumseh streets just to get a corn dog.

Vivienne has a good time. She likes to see the animals and watch people feed them, which I bravely do now for her benefit. She also likes to go on the pony ride.

First she sizes them all up to decide which one she wants and then always asks the pony corral people what it's name is. This year she rode Pepper, a little white pony. I tried to get her to ride a different one who I thought was prettier but she only had eyes for Pepper so Pepper it was!








After her ride on Pepper we got some lunch, three corn dogs a small bucket of fries and one lemonade....$30 bucks! So much for a cheap day at Kapnick's.  It may have been the best corn dog ever.

We went into the store and stocked up on cider and doughnuts and I can't pass an apple fritter, they are my absolute fave, so we got a couple of those and the kid got a hot off the press caramel apple, with sprinkles, of course. I now know that if I put caramel on a stick Viv will eat it. lol

In all we lasted about an hour and a half and that was perfect so we took off for home.

Weekend Woes

Today I was sick. I have a sinus headache from H-E-double hockey sticks. The worst I have felt in a long time. It made me mean and for the first time I told Viv I couldn't play with her. The look on her face made me feel terrible! But I couldn't bend my head forward without my brain bumping into it. SO...I layed outside in the hammock while we played blocks. Lots of tea and naps for me today.

I was forced to entertain for a while until Marc got up, so Viv and I put up our spider web and our big spooky spider. Vivienne loves him. She said she wants to put him in her room after Halloween. I am thinking no.



We also watched The Princess Diaries. I must say that Julie Andrews is one of my favorites and The Sound of Music...well....I just don't have words. I am very much looking forward to the day I can convince Viv to watch it with me. I have succeeded with Hello Dolly and Annie. Maybe tomorrow, when the sun comes up. It's only a day away.

Do you have any favorite musicals from your youth?

Something to do

On the rare occasion I find myself with nothing to do....I don't know what to do! I used to enjoy doing nothing. Now I feel like my nothing time should be filled up with something but I rarely want to do anything in my something file so I end up doing nothing.

Anniversary

Thursday was our five year anniversary. We wanted to go to the zoo, but of course it rained all day. :( So instead we hunted for "Michigan's Best Burger" and found it. According to the Metro Times, it is in Royal Oak at the Redcoat Tavern.

We went. It is indeed delicious and TOTALLY worth the trip! Royal Oak is a great town to spend the day in! Who knew? There are TONS of tiny shops to stop in and also.....dun dun dun....A bakery called Astoria. I wish I had taken my camera....but I didn't. I will just tell you this, there is NOTHING in there that didn't make my mouth water. It was like a little slice of heaven I'm certain.

I got a piece/hunk of german chocolate fudge cake and Marc had creme brulee and we sat outside with coffee and lots of crazy little sparrows. They must be fed like crazy because they actually come right up to you and beg! I thought they were going to dive bomb us and it was too much so I packed up my cake and got the heck out of there.

All in all it was a fun day...exhausting...but fun. I'm learning the baby bun has limited me to a few hours of up time. Then I am forced to take a nap, whether I want to or not.

Knocked up

I keep saying I'm knocked up. Is this offensive? Apparently one can only be knocked up if one is unmarried. I gather this is an unflattering term? I didn't know. Is this because it comes from an older generation? Or do I just not care about political correctness?
I guess it's an insult?


I'm very confused.

On another note.

*I* thought the new Star Trek movie was FABULUUUUUUUOOOOUUUUS!

Even if it did cost $7.50 on A Monday at 1:30 in the afternoon. Who knew?

Why I love my job

I have the best job on Earth! I love, love, LOVE being a dog groomer!
I am a quiet person. One who likes to be in the background, observing, taking everything in, figuring out who I like, who I don't, who I'm comfortable around, who I'm not. I am not a person who can go anywhere and be immediately charismatic, charming and secure. I'm just not.

But every day, I meet new people and I have one thing in common with these people I meet. I love their dogs! Even the ones I hate, I love!

I've watched these dogs and their people and I have come to realize a couple of things.

#1. Some people have an unnatural attachment to their animals.
#2. Their animals know this....and use it.

Every morning when the little darlings start rolling in for their appointments I witness some of the greatest snow jobs ever. You would be amazed at how these dogs work their owners. These are some of the finest actors known to man...yet their people don't believe it.

Fifi comes in once a month, with her owner Andi. Fifi seems nervous and she starts shaking and sometimes will cry a little bit. Andi, naturally, feels HORRIBLE for Fifi. She feels guilty and starts baby talk (in a pitch I might add, that the dog probably can't hear) but Fifi just keeps on shaking. Andi picks her up and Fifi nuzzles her head deep into Andi's neck and chest, as if to say

"Don't abandon me Mommy! I love you! What did I do to deserve this? Have I not slept on your lap for the last three years, faithfully? Religiously? Have I not been your constant companion on many summer walks? Have I not given you hours of amusement and allowed you to dress me in fur and put bows in my hair? Only for you to do this to me? To bring me here?"

I pry Fifi from Andi and tell her, "This is all for your benefit. The second you leave, she is fine...I promise you."

Upon which Andi replies, "I feel so bad leaving her! She is so scared!"

Fifi sits on the floor shuddering and occasionally standing on her back legs, spinning in a circle with her taught leash pulling my arm out of the socket. I convince Andi to leave,

"She'll be fine the second you are gone, I promise."

Unconvinced, Andi leaves the shop and in the last second, turns to see Fifi, defeated, now happily leading *ME* back into the groom room. Satisfied that all of her efforts have failed and she is indeed going to be groomed today. This happens every day, with nearly every dog and it never gets old. That's how I know....it is the greatest job ever!

(Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)