October 16, 2009

• What a Difference a Night Makes

  I feel so much better than I did last night when I wrote.  I took a muscle relaxer and the sharp back pain eased up, allowing me to sleep well.  I have traces of my backache left this morning - but ONLY traces.  If I don't over do things, I should be fine tomorrow.

  Yesterday, I did a little more bending and reaching than usual, and then took not enough time to rest on my bed.  My muscle were screaming at me - wondering what I was trying to do!

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  Like I said, yesterday was Sushi's birthday.  It's hard to imagine that one year ago, our dog was a newborn pile of itty bitty fur and feet!
              
  She ended up getting MUCH bigger than Jesse had anticipated.  His friend has a blue heeler (female) and she is a lot smaller than Sushi.  That's what Jesse thought he was buying - a smaller dog.  But, she is what she is and she *IS* a year old, now.  She's very smart, but still has a lot of that wild, playful puppy in her.

  
  Her new "figure 8" chew toy and a new (longer) rope tug toy - so she won't bite our hands while playing!!!

  We need to keep her occupied with lots of toys and she loves the smoked ham bones Jesse buys her.  If she isn't occupied with things of her own, she takes shoes and stuffed animals OR CHAP STICK!!!! belonging to the girls.  She obeys fairly well.  If I knew what I was doing, I'm sure is capable of being better trained than she is.  I'm a dummy when it comes to dogs.

                                        
  She got a little red football that squeaks.  She loves it.  She was running between all of the new toys, not able to decide which one to play with first!

  
  Jesse gave her a pink squeak toy and she fell in love with it.  It was her favorite present! 

  It's interesting to watch an animal and realize they have favorite things.  Which means they must form opinions in some way - and make choices on some level.  I'm not sure how animal's minds work, but I can't deny finding it interesting.  If the girls get loud and rowdy and chase each other or grab each other, she is quick to pull on their sleeve, or the bottom of their skirts, to pull them apart.  She definitely senses violence and doesn't like it.

  We had a rag mop drying outside of the back door and the girls were in the backyard playing and running around.  Jesse and I watched from our bedroom window while Sushi grabbed the rag mop's raghead and ran all over the yard with it.  I told Jesse she probably thought she was herding a "sheep" around - what she was bred to do!  It was the funniest thing to watch.  She went under the trampoline with the mop and pole and couldn't pull the mop stick through the legs and had to back out from underneath and run AROUND the trampoline instead.  Just too funny to watch and I'm VERY sorry I didn't grab my camera that day.

  We sang happy birthday to her and all day long we hugged her and said, "Happy Birthday, Sushi!!!"  She didn't know what we meant, but I guarantee you, she loved the attention and dog treats!

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  Rissy and Luci have both finished the 1st quarter of their math books.  That means we have caught up with public school children's schedule.  Public school children are on fall break today and yesterday.  We started 3 weeks (maybe more) after the public schools did.  Even though I don't like to compare or measure myself against what the public schools are doing, I *DO* find some peace with the fact I am proceeding with school in a "legal requirement" way!  Oklahoma is very lax about homeschoolers (good for me) because you have to report to no one.  I save workbooks (with dates) to prove to the state what we do, just in case anyone should ever come knocking on my door.   

                
                  Jesse took this picture.  I like Rissy's concentration and the picture's lighting.

  This is the same look she used to have as a baby.  Serious concentration.  She always studied anything new and rarely smiled.  She was SO into another world.  What in the world is she looking at so intently, this time?

             
                                                     She's killing flies!  She hates them. 

  If I don't have the fly swatter in my hands, she has it!!!!!  I wonder if I look as determined as her when I'm killing flies?

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  After Jesse doing the last load of laundry (last night) and me folding the whites, I decided it's time to buy new socks for the girls again.  I probably have socks in a sack, hanging from a hanger in my closet.  I try to stock up on socks like I do canned goods in the pantry.  Never know when you might need something!   The socks looked mostly thread bare and I can't ignore the fact my children's feet have grown in HUGE proportions, recently.  Seems like I just bought socks in the spring.  Where does the time fly?

                                
                                                                      Chirper on my lap.                           

  My hair is growing in more and more everyday.  Platinum AND brown colors.  As you can tell, it's extremely short, but I DO have hair that I can run my hand over - like a crew cut . . . IF I had thicker hair.

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  The girls only have spelling tests in school today.  Nothing else.  I have to pack two boxes and get them ready to mail at the post office, when we take the girls to their therapy appointment this afternoon.  Stephanie came by, last night, and took a bag of clothes (she thinks they are hers and Nikki's maternity clothes), because I hate to throw away other people's things.

                         
                                                 Sushi trying to give me dog kisses.

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  The house is beginning to look like a home again.  The summer/spring boxes are out of the dining room and den.  All that is left is two boxes with clothes that are too small for the girls.  I'm not sure Jesse wants to save them for other people's children.  I love giving clothes to people who need them.  I'd much rather give to someone I know, than to a charity or thrift store. 

          

  I think I'm going to get moving and fix the family some breakfast.  The sooner I give those spelling tests, the sooner I can get on with other things on my list for today!

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 10:04 am
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