Aaaaaand, We're Back*

*Also known as: Stranger in a Stranger Land, The Lost Years

Okay, so it hasn't exactly been years, but it's been too dang long at any rate! How I've missed you all! I've spent the last couple days trying to catch up on all my blog reading and I haven't quite made it yet, but I'm getting there.

I've got lots of great pictures to post but since this computer is new (hooray! and thanks for the donation - You Know Who You Are!) and I'm confused about some things, it screwed up the memory card before I had a chance to resize the pictures; so all the pictures are in big sizes which means two things: 1) they might take forever to load and 2) they might not show up for you at all. My apologies in advance.

Crazy hat day, complete with drool.

Apres vet-trip. Poor Pickles had more knots in his fur than we could comb out.

Just being cute!

First time in her snow suit, which she is SWIMMING in. Hah!

And without further adieu....here's your first peek at the Little Goat in action. I hope this video works. This all happened quite unexpectedly last night and now I think we're asking for trouble....my little prediction about poop (listen for it, it's there) certainly came true. Gack! It was AWFUL! Anyway, it's good to be back. Enjoy!

Incommunicado

(Is that how you spell that word?)

In the next few days, I will be busily working on a eulogy. That's right, my bloggity friends, a eulogy. For our computer. In the time it took to run upstairs and change a diaper on Sunday afternoon, it died. It's cold lifeless body lies still on the couch waiting for a transfer of its soul to another grey machine.

I'm blogging from the library today and this'll be it until we get a new computer which will hopefully be by the end of next week if not sooner.

I'll miss you all. Will you wait for me?

It's Thanksgiving Potluck Night!

Some time I'll have to give you all the recipe. The icing was sort of made up but turned out pretty well.

While You're Watching the Snow Fall

While I think the u.n. is pretty much the devil, this game does appeal to my wordy-ness (not to be confused with nerdy-ness). I just hope the rice gets to those who need it most.

Click here to play!

Drip, Drip

"Tomorrow morning is going to be just nasty." That's what the weatherman actually said on the news yesterday. Way to make us even more excited about the impending snowy gloom, Mr. Wilson!

A whole lotta years ago when Bon Jovi (edited: I've just been informed it was Guns 'n' Roses - sorry, Bryan) came out with that song 'November Rain,' I was stupefied. Rain? In November? What the heck? Growing up in Manitoba where it could get cold enough to freeze off your fingernails, this business of rain in November seemed quite ludicrous.

Now that I've lived in latitudes further south, I've begun to understand this "Cold November Rain." When November comes, so do The Rains* and this year is no different. With the likely exception of about three hours, it has now been raining for the last DAY. It is cold and grey and dismal, but the grass is still green (in November!) and the birds still flock to the feeders filling up on seed for the winter to come. Thankfully, I sit in my warm house with my warm cuppa, the (mostly) lovely company of two warm cats and one warm baby; and one comfortably warm computer on my lap.

Tonight this cold rain will turn into even colder snow (the first Storm cometh) and the green grass which still reminds me that summer was just here will be blanketed with soft, and cold, white snow....all before I've even had a chance to replace the Thanksgiving decorations with an Advent Calendar, a Nativity display, and some snowman napkins.

Perhaps I ought to go make another cup of tea.

*Note to Self: Remember to check availability of Gopher Wood at Lowe's.

Silly Me...

....here I was wondering what to post today when I remembered hey! The Little Goat just got a high chair yesterday and she hasn't been in it yet!

(Yes, those ARE plush Peeps.)

Oh, Right, it's Tuesday

But I was beginning to wonder if it was Monday all over again.

• A second round of jeans I ordered didn't fit again. I feel like Goldilocks; the first ones were too long (a defect in the labeling according to my measurements), now these ones are too short. Argh!

• Then I made bread and forgot to do the second proof and though I'm sure it will taste fine, it is short and stubby looking.

• It was snowing again this morning. Only a bit, but still!

• For the second night in a row, I had to get up three times. Oh. So. Tired.

• We also found out last night that our flights Home for Christmas have been changed AGAIN and the return arrival time of 11:15pm we were trying to avoid is now the only available option. I hope the people on that last flight have earplugs - they're gonna need 'em.

• Oh, and to top it all off, I went upstairs last night to change the LG's diaper and found one of our cats in her crib. I was SO angry! We hadn't had a problem with either of the cats at all since the LG came and now this. So the immediate solution is to keep her bedroom door closed, but for the sake of ventilation and being able to hear her, we don't like to do that. It's fine at night because the cats are out in the garage, but the LG takes a nice long nap on most afternoons....
  

On the plus-side, however, the Little Goat actually slept until her 'normal' time this morning (and she's started making the cutest noises now!) so I did get a few things done - like screwing up the bread, and yesterday we found the PERFECT Christmas present for my brother online and it was actually exactly within our budget. Woohoo!!

I think I'll go try out the stubby bread.

Loathing

Dear End of Daylight Saving Time,

I've got a bone to pick with you....you sleep-stealing, schedule wrecking, harbinger of the dark days of winter! Just when we were getting settled into a new (and I should add, nearly perfect) sleeping routine around here, YOU had to show up and ruin everything!

Absolute chaos! That's what yesterday and today have been! You know how in the morning I get up and eat breakfast with the Husband, get his lunch ready, eat breakfast, have devotions and then get some chores done? Well not today! No thanks to YOU. Our Little Goat was up by 8am. A full hour and one-half earlier than expected. Number of chores done? ZERO. Argh!

Signed,

Cranky Mom in Maine

P.S. Although you, End of Daylight Saving Time, have pretty much ruined this particular Monday, you couldn't ruin the bright spot of good mail - thanks for the package, Mom!

Little Pepper

So Halloween was yesterday. Holly & Chris were coming over after work, so on his way home from work, the Husband raced over to Walmart for candy and a pumpkin to carve. He had to call me three times to consult about the candy and the Halloween aisle was already half CHRISTMAS!! He brought home a giant back of all things Reese's (the remainder of which is traveling around with him in his car so it's far away from me all day!) and a big bag of Lemon/Apple/Grape/Cherry-heads, plus Atomic Fireballs, Red Hots and Jaw-breakers. We also raided the stash of Dum-Dum Pops to add to the loot.

And it was crazy! We had - get ready for it - FIVE whole Trick-or-Treaters, plus a mom. Five. Maybe it's because our street is too dimly lit or because it didn't look like hardly anybody else was giving out candy. That's too bad. I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween as a 'holiday,' but I do enjoy the giving out of candy and seeing all the kids in their costumes (the LG was a chili pepper). Needless to say, the kid that came T-or-T'ing by himself got one huge haul of candy!

Our Little Goat Pepper

Just so you know she was actually happy
in her costume - at least for a little while.
(You'll have to ignore my gigantic honker in the picture.
Look at the shadow that thing leaves!! Gack!)

*****************
More success on the sleeping front. The LG was fast asleep in her crib by 10:20 last night. The Husband's alarm clock went off this morning and we were both surprised not to find a wee baby in our bed! So I woke her up just long enough to change her diaper and feed her and back to sleep she went. It's almost 9 and she's still sleeping away. Ahhhh, my grin from yesterday is still holding!