About that time

I've been informed that it is getting close to turkey time.

Another Activity

When I went over to visit the new granddaughter during my fall break, I took some fall cookie cutters and some fall-colored sprinkles.  Harris and I made some sugar cookies and added some sprinkles.

Some made it onto the cookies.

Lots made it onto the counter.

Lots made it onto the floor.

Just what parents of a newborn and a four-year-old want - a grandmother who comes and makes another mess for them to clean up.

Harris thought the cookies were great and they were tasty.  Boy, they were a mess, though.

Then, I got these photos the other day:

Bryan referenced the sprinkles as "the gift that keeps on giving."

Sewing Project

About a month ago I got a bag full of fabric and this drawing from Bryan and Jessica.

I asked for some window measurements and a couple of days later I got a text with this drawing:

Part of the fabric in the bag was curtains that I had stitched together for Harris's bedroom when they lived in Clarksville.  In their new house, Harris's bedroom has two windows.  So, we decided to just split the two panels I had already made and use them again in this bedroom.

I had lined them.  So, I decided to take them completely apart down until I simply had pieces of fabric and strips of ribbon.  Then, I cut them in half, making two panels for each of his windows.  Here's how that project turned out:

They almost look custom made for this bedroom!

The rest of the fabric in the bag and the drawing was for Linley's curtains.  So, that was my next project to take on during my fall break.  I really like how they turned out as well.

They are simple, sweet, feminine and work well with her coverlet and other decorations.  Next time I'm over there, I will try to remember to make photos of all that sweet girliness.

This Made Me Laugh

Bridgette sent me a text message the other day accompanied by the picture below.  She explained that on a recent fast food stop she and Lillie got the same drink and Lillie didn't want any confusion about which cup was hers...

Make no mistake!

Vocabulary

When I was on fall break, I gave Jessica a call one day and she said Harris was also on fall break.  She was trying to come up with ideas to keep him occupied.  She created a game with colored stickers, numbers, and little cars.  It took Harris only a few minutes to complete the sorting game.  She suggested that he help her scramble them up and complete the sorting game again.  Nope.  Not happening.  That was old news.

Another day, she sent me this photo and said they were trying to do some things that were calm and quiet so Linley could rest undisturbed.  She also mentioned that she may run out of ideas before the end of the week.

I gave them a call when I was on my way home from work that afternoon and complimented his craftiness.  I learned that Harris had been practicing with scissors and glue. 

A couple of days later, I got another photo and message.  This time from Bridgette.  Lillie, Lydia, and Luci had also been crafting.

Another day when I was talking to her on the phone, I reminded Jessica of the age-old craft of gathering leaves and using a crayon to create a rubbing on a simple white piece of paper.  Then, Harris could use the scissors again.  She said she had forgotten about that and right about that time, Harris returned to be within earshot.  He said, "Did Grand B have an idea for an activity?"

We both burst out laughing.  What does he know about an 'activity' and such vocabulary?

Hope all your Jack-O'Lanterns are smiling.  Happy Halloween!

Toby - Ugh!

Toby has been miserable lately.  He's been scratching and shaking his head and flapping his ears for a month.  I thought maybe he had a yeast infection in his ears and began treating them with some drops but that didn't seem to help much.  He was scratching his beard and his shoulders.  Then, he started licking his feet incessantly.  Next came biting at his hips to the point that he had bald patches and sores. 

We tried an expensive grain-free, potato-free dog food to no avail.  We put him on an all-meat diet and still no relief.  The groomer came and cut his hair down short and even that didn't help like it has in the past. 

So, on Tuesday I broke down and took him to the veterinarian to get it checked out.  Dr. Paul said we were on the right track thinking that he has allergies but he probably isn't allergic to his food.  He probably just has seasonal allergies. 

He got a close examination and a shot of cortisol.  Within twenty-four hours he was no longer scratching.  He still shakes his head, flapping his ears some but not nearly like he was doing at all.  In fact, it is almost as if he is back to what is somewhat normal for him.

Of course, there are still issues...

When Mike first retired, he said Toby would watch me get in the truck and back up to go out the drive and then would trot right into the den and jump up on the couch.  Of course, I would fuss about it and finally Mike started making him get down.  However, when neither of us are at home, he would camp out on the couch.  So, I started booby-trapping it to keep him off.

He shifted his lounging spot to the chair in our bedroom.  So, I set up a barrier to keep him off it.

Then, one day last week, I came home and noticed that somebody had wadded up the quilt that lays at the foot of the bed.  This was when he was still licking his feet, so I could see some stains on the quilt and knew that Toby had been up on the bed.  I raised a ruckus about it and Mike defended Toby saying he didn't believe Toby had done that.  The very next morning, Mike got out of the shower and there he was.  Mike told me that he looked in the bedroom and there was Toby, "up on there like it was HIS bed!"  So, that afternoon when I got home from work, this is what I found:

That afternoon, the magazines and pillows were off the couch. 

So, I'm on the lookout for a hefty crate and Toby is going to be enjoying some time in there while we are out of the house.  I do intend to win!

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Hope your day is a happy one!