Wasn't meant to be...

Ok, so I said Ginger was a dream. Well apparently she became more than a dream to me because I couldn't forget about her!!! I started researching the breed and looking up anything I could find about them!!!

I couldn't get her out of my mind!! I kept looking at the pictures and I fell in love with her!!!! So Syd and I went back to see her on Wed. My thought was - Ok, when we went to see her the first time, she had just gotten back from the vet. So that's probably why she was so calm and sweet. I thought, if she's rambunctious this time - forget it! Well of COURSE she was JUST as sweet the second time as the first. She jumped a little further into my heart. I was READY to take her home, well in my heart anyway. So we left and the next night, I decided to run up with Mason because he hadn't met her and really wanted to. He was SUPER excited (ok, I was too!!! LOL!)

We walked in and her pen was empty. So we looked to see who had her out. Noone. I asked the girl where she was. She recognized me from being in twice before and got this horrible look on her face and said "She just left!!! I'm SO sorry!!!" I just stared at her. Why had that thought never crossed my mind. She was precious - of COURSE someone else was going to want her!!! I just looked at her and without a word, just turned around and walked out. Mason SOBBED! I cried!!! It was pitiful!! But that little pup had worked her way into my heart. And I realized later that night that I had already started to imagine her in our life!! I was heartbroken!! I know some will find that silly, but I was.

And of course they had just updated their website that morning (before she was sold) and there she is - just as beautiful as ever!!! I kept hoping it was a mistake. I even called the next day to make sure I had heard her right!!! LOL!!!! I would have taken her home that minute!!!
http://www.littlepawsdogshop.com/availablepuppies/ginger.jpg Brace yourself for that face! I can't wait till she's off the website, then maybe I can forget about her!!

What I realized through all of this is that I think I am ready for a puppy. Rex isn't completely on board - he said "I'm not saying no, I'm just saying think about everything." I'll take that for now!! Stay tuned!!!!! ;)

Dreams of Ginger...

Syd and I went shopping on Saturday at the outlets. They were having some sales on spring clothes and she desperately needs spring/summer clothes, as well as some new sneakers! We had fun, as we always do - she's a great shopper!!!

She asked if she was a good girl, if we could stop at Little Paws on the way home. They are a specialty shop that sells only little breed dogs. We've gone in before and they have a little playroom where you can sit and they will bring a dog for you to play with. Sydney has been asking for a little dog for a couple years now. And not a puppy, but a small breed dog. So she really likes going in there.

We walked in and of course every dog is calling out to you "Pick me, pick me!!" :) We walked to the back where they had just gotten new pups. We walked to the area labeled "Shorkie Tzu" and we spotted Ginger. She was an 8wk old little girl and she just laid there and looked at us with her sweet little eyes, while everyone else was barking and carrying on. As if to say, "I'm just a sweet thing and will be really good if you take me out!!!" lol

Anyway, we did and oh boy!!!! It was love at first "snuggle"!! She was a little lover and just wanted to snuggle and cuddle and love you up!!! Syd was sold right away (of course)!!! Well I had to snap a couple pictures because they were so cute together. The guy said "Oh boy - pictures are the first sign you're taken!!!" I said "Yeah, but it's just a dream!!"

Here are the two girls together...(pictures not great, taken with my phone)...


Look at how Ginger was looking at Syd....


And the feeling was mutual...


(Doesn't it look like Ginger is "hugging" her?!?!)


They sell all kinds of outfits and things for the puppies and Syd saw an A/C sweatshirt (our school) and of course the guy offered to put it on her!!! LOL!!!! (He saw us coming...) ;)

Do not ask me how we left the store without this precious little furball!!!! Because I don't know!!!

So the guy said we could come back and visit her. I think that will make it worse, but of course Mason wants to meet her too!!! But it's a dream because 1) Daddy likes his dogs BIG and 2) who can afford that right now?!?!? So we will just continue to dream about sweet little Ginger.....

First day of spring...(and other goings on...)

First day of spring?? Really?? It's 33 degrees out!! :( I cannot TELL you how ready I am for warm weather. We didn't get hit hard with snow this year, but some brutally cold temps!!!

Anyway, with spring comes one of my favorite things of the year...BASEBALL!!! :) Baseball started again on Tuesday night and Mason is ready to go!! I think this is his favorite sport to play. The neat part is Rex is the head coach this year (last year's coach moved up to coach the Midget team)!! So I agreed to take on the "Team Mom" duties (after some initial hesitation and resistance!!!) So far so good! Ask me in 2 months!! ;)

We had spring like weather two weekends ago and it spoiled us. It got to 68 degrees and we were loving it. We went for a bike ride, then walked downtown to get ice cream! But this winter weather coming back puts me in such a funk!!

The next month will be hectic to say the least! Baseball is usually three nights a week. But in April, I'm gonna be put on a doctor imposed "slow down"! :( I have to have surgery on my right elbow! I hurt it at work way back in October - it was so stupid. I was just taking chairs off tables in the lunchroom and I moved my arms in a twisting motion. Well my right elbow did NOT like that action and I felt a huge *twang* for lack of a better word. It HURT but I just thought "Well I'm outta shape and getting old - I must have just overdone." Well unfortunately the pain never went away! We have tried everything...PT, ice, heat, meds, splints, slings and nothing has helped. It appears that I have dislocated a nerve (can you believe it?) The nerve in your elbow that hurts when you hit your "Funny Bone" is what is affected. When I felt the twang, it was like my nerve snapping like a rubber band. It sits in a canal in between the bones. Well mine popped out, got so aggravated and worn, it won't go back in. So after fighting against it for 2 months and getting a second opinion which confirmed the same diagnosis - I have to have surgery to fix it. It's not going to be pleasant but I don't know what else to do now. It's called a Submuscular Ulner Nerve Transposition. (Yeah you can find it on the Internet) Basically he wants to move the nerve from where it "lives" now up to my forearm. He said "Because you are too skinny, I have to put it under the muscle" (who would have EVER thought I'd be upset to be "too" skinny!!!!)

Anyway, recovery is 6-10 weeks, in a full cast for 2 weeks and off work for 2 weeks. Then in a removable splint but I can't use my hand/arm for 4-5 weeks. Then I started PT to slowly work back to using it. They said it could take up to a year to get back to full strength!! :( I'm really bummed but don't know what else to do. Letting it go could cause the nerve to deteriorate because it rubs over the bone in my elbow. Then I'd lose use of my hand. Of course it has to be my dominant hand!!!! *sigh* Oh well, what can ya do!?!?!

So anyway, I thought I'd post a quick update for anyone checking in!! That's what's going on with us right now!! I'll be sure to post the date of my surgery!! I'll take any prayers I can get. I'm nervous to say the least!!!!

Ok, spring...COME ON already!!!!! That makes everything better, right?!?!? :)

When good hair goes bad...

As some of you know, I've found a lot of fun hairstyles to try on Syd from blogs on the web! I've tried a lot of different styles on her - some that worked, some not so well!! Let's explore one of the "not so well", shall we?!?!

The woman who originally did this style took sections of hair and twisted them until they twisted onto themselves and then secured them. She only did it around the bottom of her daughter's head and when she took them out, she only hair curls at the bottom. So I thought I'd do some around the top too, so that there would be more curls!! Makes sense, right?? HA! Here she is "wrapped up" the night before (she slept on them)!



Always the ham.... :)

So she woke up the next morning (and of course I was running late that morning so I didn't have a lot of time) and we were both excited to see the curls! OH. MY. GOSH!!! I could have NEVER prepared for what we got!!!!!

She had a major frizzed out afro!!! She has such thick hair - those twists took hold and WOW!! Look how short it made her hair!!!!

And of course it was completely unruly and messy!! I certainly couldn't comb them out, because they just frizzed more!!! What was I going to do with this MESS five minutes before I had to leave for work and on a SCHOOL DAY!?!?!?!?! (If she could wear a hat in school, THAT would have been the solution!! LOL!!!)

Always the good sport, she laughed about it!!!! "Hey Bean!! You ARE under there!!!!" :)

Rex said "Are you going to leave it like that?" Uhhhhh HUHLO!?!?!! But it was so thick that I literally couldn't even put it into a ponytail!!!! I FINALLY managed to pull it halfway up and put a LARGE clip in it to keep it out of her face. It was not pretty!

Now granted...she's pretty no matter what her hair looks like...but this is NOT a style we will do again!!!!!! :O

Such a good sport..... :)

All to get one simple picture....

We FINALLY talked the boy into getting his haircut!!! He, of course, hated it but I thought he looked adorable and I wanted to get a picture of him. Sigh!!! What was I thinking?!?!?! :)

So he thought he'd act like his Daddy and not give me a good shot!!! Goober!!!!! :)


He had me ROLLING!!!!!

So here I actually got a picture of him but he thought he'd try the serious look....

...the pensive look...

AHA....but Mommy has her ways of getting them to smile....mwa hahaha..... *chuckle*

Well then Mason thought he should have his picture taken with his Dad!!! (I KNEW that wouldn't go well!!! Lol!!! He avoids the camera at all costs!!!!)

Sure enough......

Sigh...

Mason was cracking up!! :)

Well Sydney was in her room doing something and heard all the laughing and came running out and of COURSE had to be included in the fun!!!! :) (Look at her trying to do bunny ears!!! Lol!!!)

So then Mason climbed back up and I said "Ok, give Daddy a kiss!" Well Mason was fighting it (he was annoyed that his little sister had to come out and be involved in his fun...heehee)...look at Syd HOLDING his head in and Mason was cracking up (he couldn't help himself)!!! :)

So after ALL that...would you believe I actually got a good picture!?!?! I wish Mason was smiling but it's still cute!!! HOLY COW Daddy - is that an actual *hint* of a smile?? I see a dimple!!! :)

Ahhh, the loves of my life. Makes me smile just to look at this picture!!! And such fun to remember what it took to get to this one picture!!!! LOL!!! :)