Buried Treasure

We've learned recently that Snickers has a major obsession with sticks --- I guess we've known for awhile, actually. He tends to swallow them nearly whole and vomit them up several hours later. Last week we awoke in the middle of the night to him vomiting....not a nice thing to wake up to, you know!

His stick eating habits have progressed over the last two weeks. We believe that it is because he is now detained to our yard only and to finding something to occupy his time outdoors - other than running around the entire neighborhood. So - he has made it his personal mission to find and eat sticks. We didn't realize how obsessive he has become with sticks.

Today he found BURIED TREASURE. Snickers had been outside for about 30minutes..... Dave was watching basketball.... I was on my laptop. I hear the usual sound of snickers knocking at the door, ready to come back inside. When I went to the door these are the images that were before me:

What he discovered was that underneath this tree there were sticks!!! (ROOTS)

He was in trouble....and he had to come inside for a bath - which is something he is not particularly fond of, anyway. Lucky for us we had some dirt to filll in the hole around the tree - and we think it will survive. At least we hope it will.

We'll have to keep a closer eye on him while he is outside - and perhaps find some "sticks" that he is allowed to chew on to help occupy his time outside.

There's No Place Like Home

We are just settling back in from a little over a week of travels..... Illinois to Kansas to Texas (me) or to Florida (Dave), then back to Michigan - and back to Illinois to pick up our little Snickers.

It was wonderful to see everyone and to have a few days off from the regular routine - but just like any vacation, there is no place like home. :) Even if home includes 10inches of snow!!!

And it does - and we are expecting some more on Wednesday. Oh Well - we know that Spring weather HAS to be just around the corner. Snickers has definitely enjoyed the fresh snow.... it did not take him long to turn the untouched snow into a big mess. All in the fun!!

Here are my beautiful flowers that were waiting for me when I made it home on Wednesday night. Dave picked me up from the airport around 11:30pm in Kalamazoo, MI. It was treacherous flying this time around - lost luggage, delayed flights, horrible turbulence.... but - I'm here, so it all worked out in the end.

I also have a short video that I took of our nephew, Dakota - playing in this new contraption that allows him to jump at his leisure. It looks quite fun - you can take it anywhere and hang it from a doorway. He is almost 8months old. He gets a lot of comments that he looks like his Uncle Dave did as a baby..... from looking at pictures, I'd say that all of the Harder babies are this cute, and have chubby little cheeks! :)

I have one last picture - it is of Snickers (pre-hair cut - he now has a nice trim do.) Anyway - I received this stuffed horse from one of my vendors, and I put it in his toybox without him knowing it was there. Within a few hours he spotted it, and has been playing with it ever since. Unfortunately, he likes to pull out the hair in the mane, and tail and eat it. When I was a kid there was a popular cartoon - "My Little Pony", the theme song ended with "My little pony and me" and I think this is the perfect caption for this photo of Snickers..... he's sitting on the end of the bed and holding on to his little pony with his paws. haha.

Country Roads, Take me Home.....

We are on our way to Kansas... Dave is driving, so we're going to do a little interview along the way:

Jill: Why are we on this trip?
Dave: Turns out, Lyndon finally popped the question - after 5 years of dating Erin.
Jill: How do you know Lyndon?
Dave: He's my best friend since about 6th grade - he was my best man.
Jill: What is your favorite Lyndon story?
Dave: When we were in 6th grade, Lyndon came over after church to play on the farm. It was summertime and we were playing in the feedlot.
Jill: The cattle feedlot?
Dave: Oh, sure. So - there was a big pile of manure that was dry on top..... so, it looke like a big sandpile. Lyndon went running over as fast as he could so that he could play in the "sand" - I truly couldn't stop in time - and he jumped in and was waist-deep in manure.
Jill: Do you rememer in "Back to the Future" when Biff had the manure truck dumped on him?
Dave: Yes - but this was much worse - it was pig manure..... it is really hard to wash out. My mom had to wash his clothes three times before he could head home.
Jill: Was Lyndon mad at you?
Dave: He was very mad. He always asks why I didn't warn him - but he was just running too fast before I could get the words out.
Jill: So, we're driving home to Kansas - what are your favorite scenes along the way?
Dave: I'll be checking out the wheat crop to see how it is looking this year.
Jill: You know that song by John Denver - "Country Roads?" - Does that song remind you of home?
Dave: No - thinking of John Denver actually reminds me of another John Denver song - "Rocky Mountain High" - it is one of my favorite scenes in "Dumb & Dumber."
Jill: How does that scene go?
Dave: Well, they are supposed to be on their way to Denver - and arriving by morning. But, somewhere in the middle of the night they miss their turn and end up in Nebraska. (Unbeknownst to them) So, Lloyd wakes up and see's the NE flatlands, and says, "I thought the Rocky Mountains would be a lot rockier than this!" "That John Denver doesn't know what he's talking about!" [paraphrased]
Jill: Cool - are you going to get up Friday morning and feed the cattle with your little brother?
Dave: Weeeeeelllllllll - I'm on vacation.
Jill: True. Since you are the Best Man on Saturday, are you going to give Lyndon any advice on married life?
Dave: Is this a trick question?
Jill: Good point.
Jill: So, are you going to drive through the Illinois Toll Booth again on this trip without paying?
Dave: It's a rental!! . .....just joking. Alright let's reverse this interview.

Things overheard in dressing rooms.....

We went shopping together yesterday! Quite an adventure. We do not usually go shopping together simply because Dave gets bored rather quickly. To be fair, I get bored as well - but sometimes you just need to go shopping!

I had a coupon for The Limited, so while I tried on several different outfits Dave sat in the "husband chair". I'm sure you've noticed the husband chair before - or perhaps you've sat in it. At The Limited it is an oversized black leather chair - quite comfy. Dave waited patiently in the chair, surfing the internet on his new Kellogg-issued Blackberry. It was really great for me because I could drop off the things I wanted at his chair......including my purse!

While I was in the dressing room I overheard several conversations amongst friends, family, etc.... My favorite conversation was between a mother and her very little girl. It went something like this:
Daughter: Mom, I see your buttcrack!
Mom: Be quiet!
Daughter: I see your buttcrack, I see your buttcrack, I see your buttcrack, I see your buttcrack!
Mom: Be quiet, I'll fix it in a minute.
Daughter: Ok, but I do see your buttcrack.

Oh - how much "fun" it must be to shop with a child.... or do anything with a child. You never know what might come out of their mouths.

The same sort of things happens with dogs - just not as often. I see it happen several times a week in my daily travels. You take your dog to the vet, you're hoping that he/she will be on his/her best behavior while there. And it never fails - you're standing there talking to the lady at the desk and unbeknownst to you your dog hikes his leg - and you know the rest - right there on the floor. Quite embarrassing for these owners. Snickers has, of course, never done this.... he was fixed at a very young age, so he doesn't even hike his leg.

Anyone have any stories of "Kids Say the Darndest Things?"

Toasted Peanut Butter & Jelly

I have discovered Dave's new favorite meal - toasted peanut butter and jelly. Last week upon arriving home from work and the gym, I realized that we had nothing substantial in the refrigerator or the pantry to prepare a meal. SO - peanut butter and jelly would be the meal of the night.

Now - back in the day, I am pretty sure I invented this. (At least in my house.) Simply toast the bread, and prepare a PB&J as usual. TRY IT! It immensely increases the tastiness of a PB&J.

After his first toasted PB&J, Dave immediately went to the toaster to prepare his next sandwich. And to add further evidence to my case - he went back 2 more times after this.

Another night this week we were discussing dinner, and he actually requested the toasted PB&J.

I also invented the chip sandwich - you can probably guess what is inside. Some people like to add cold cuts, cheese, and mayonaisse to their chip sandwich - but, me, I just like the chips and the bread.

Anyway - SNICKER UPDATE: He has been shocked a total of 2 times - one time was a mistake. Since then he has been fully trained!! He is now outside at his whim all by himself!! Happy Dog (sort of - he'd rather be roaming); Happy Owners; Happy Neighbors