Sometimes Things Are Just Plain Weird

Yesterday I received a call from my MIL. I couldn't find the handset so I couldn't answer the phone. I listened to the message. And then re-listened. And then I listened again just to make sure I'd heard correctly. Then once more just for a bit of clarity.

My MIL invited myself and the smalls over to her house. For afternoon tea. She wasn't going to be there - she was at work. No one was going to be there. But she thought I might like to visit her dog.

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The Littlest Reader

My littlest reader is big into doggie books. Anything with a puppy gets her seal of approval. It is for this reason that Lynley Dodd is an author/illustrator who is well-stocked in our home. Who can go past the sublime images coupled with the fast paced rythmic verse? I love reading these books out loud, they're fun for the reader and the read-ee.

The Doctor is increasingly into longer books, which is fun, each night we curl up in bed together and read for as long as he can keep his eyes open.

I read this awesome article (via the super fantastic Roxy Marj) in the NY Times about a single father reading with his daughter. It's heart-warming. It's beautiful. Read it. Read it now. Drop everything (well not the baby if you're holding one), but DO bookmark it and read it.

Crafting with the Smalls

Today at PMM we've been keeping busy by getting our hands dirty. We were going to come at you and talk kiddie craft, and yet - it would seem highly hypocritical given that a certain someone started eating the freshly made playdough. And not one to be put off by a high salt content, she then went on to taste test the red watercolour paint.

Therefore our crafty content of the day resulted in me trying to get as much of the paint out of a certain someone's mouth without a) being bitten and b) causing a certain someone to gag and thus vomit. And then one did what one could only be expected to do in such a situation, one called the Poisons Information Line just to be certain that a certain someone was not going to sprout an additional head or start talking in tongues (when a certain someone's tongue was already bright red due to a certain someone's desire to digest some red pigments).

And then I spoke to Matt and mentioned the incident whereby a certain someone ate a certain paint product to which he replied, 'well I wouldn't eat it', and I replied 'yes, well you're not 20 months old, are you?'

So it is that our kiddie craft went wayward, the Doctor curled up on the couch with a suspected ear infection, and a certain someone whisked off to downtown lunch-ville and then to bed to sleep off any red pigment related craziness.

And, well you may wonder why in tarnation one PMM would have this image on her blog? I wonder the same, but in keeping with craziness and paint pigments, I present this. And you can click through here to see more Dogue than Vogue images.

My Eyes Are Just Aching

Here's the scoop. I've been a little slack on the blog front lately. Struggling to post on my own. Reading a few favourites each day (via Google Reader) but hardly commenting. Totally unlike me, because I love to give hi-fives, I love to see what's cookin' in your kitchen (figuratively speaking), I'm mad for a big too-long group huggle, but lately, I feel like my batts are flat. My reader was bulging when it got to over 1000 posts and I knew it was time for myself to have an intervention with...myself.

So I'm trying to be good. I keep every comment in the hope that I will come visit you. I do. I was trying to respond on the day of the comment, but it's hard, so please forgive me. In this case, it really isn't you - it's me. If you don't already, perhaps you can do this...? Kootoyoo has hooked us all up with a super tip that makes it easy to respond to commenters (except for you Anonymous, we don't want to be pen-friends with YOU!).

In an effort to be a become a better member of the blogging community I deleted some blogs from my Google Reader (secretly, I think I just added them because I thought I was cool by association - regardless of the fact they have NO IDEA WHO I AM!), now I am down to 743 posts to read.

Anyway, lately, I've been doing stuff. Stuff and things are good, here's some stuff I have been doing:

- walking training with Tiny. Well she walks, I clap. That's training for you.

- going to Spotlight to buy new bamboo embroidery hoops (because the Doctor gave mine away). Lo and behold, they only have MASSIVE ones, so I have to make do with the plastic. I don't think they are quite so fantastic.

- making casseroles. I love a good casserole.

- drawing with the Doctor.

- knitting. Have to master the art of casting off and then I'm going to do a course to learn to read a pattern.

- embroidery. Now I have a new hoop I can resume stitchin' and then some.

- we're going to visit my parents-in-law's dog Charlie tomorrow. He got hit by a car last Friday and is now the bionic dog with a steel plate in his leg. Go Charlie, go!

Oh and le image? On our way to Spotlight, The Doctor pushing Tiny in the car.

I Got A Little Dog

So he's not real, but I think he's cute. Right? He's ceramic. No need for walks. No picking up poopies. No brushing required. He's hanging in our bedroom and I think Matt is a little scared of him. Sorry Matt. Having a dog is a lifelong commitment.