Unplugged

But taking a quick break to post photos of all the hard work we're doing relaxing in the cool mountain air.

Case closed.

So we're sitting around the other night, kids are slumbering away, and it's time to herd Daisy (because that's what's required) outside to take care of business, when she flops on her side as though she's fallen and can't get up. This is not unusual. What was unusual was the vastness of her belly as she lay prone. She's a girl with curves, to be sure, but she looked like I might need to roll her out the door like a giant snowball. My immediate concern was whether we might have a health issue to address, and as we've had handful of vet visits in the last couple of months, resulting in our having to sell off the children one by one (we're starting with Bubs in case anyone is interested), I was mildly concerned. But with enough coaxing and prodding she made her way outside.

Fast forward to this morning. I was frantically slapping together a packed lunch for Wonderboy, who was headed to scout camp, and thought it odd that Daisy wasn't underfoot begging for a slice of turkey. I peeked into the dining room and there she froze, mid-chomp, with half a dog biscuit hanging out of her mouth. She remained frozen, with the exception of the eyeball that fixed on me, until I left the room to retrieve the camera. I followed the trail of evidence, and her bloated condition was justified by the near-empty, Costco bulk pack of dog biscuits, overturned on the floor of the storage room. Almost fifteen pounds of dog biscuits polished off by Daisy. That's quite a feat, I think.

Dance recital

Miss S's dance recital was held recently. Amid the whirlwind of busy acitivity that inevitably characterizes every May, we had photo calls, dress rehearsals, meetings and finally the recital. I was fortunate to be asked to 'room mom' for her class which allowed me to sit with the girls at the recital, lead them backstage, sit in the front row while they performed and then hang out with them until curtain call. So, so fun.


Her particular class was one of the smallest, at only 4 dancers, but I kid you not, 4 little girls waiting for their turn to dance (Number 22 in a program of 25 routines!)? Well, let's just say it was like leading four little butterflies around. A total crack up. By dance routine number 2, they were leaning over and whispering "How many more???", and then by dance number 4, "And now how many more??", and then again after dance number 5, and you get the picture...all the way to number 22. And then when it was time to leave the auditorium to be ready backstage, you would not believe how my little group agonized over whether their lipstick had smudged away, or if their hair was still just right. They were so sweet. And so serious about the whole affair.

E and the boys had seats elsewhere. And Wonderboy had my little point and shoot camera. Something tells me he got a little bored. Dance recitals can do that to ya. Here's a sampling of his artistry: