My Little Hammy Models

I realize I haven't taken many pictures lately. Mostly because as soon as I think to grab the camera the kids are off onto the next great adventure or about to beat each other over the head. This morning the kids and I split an orange and I told them they had to stay in the kitchen so the juice didn't get all over the house. When the last slice was handed out Tyler started wandering into the dinning room and when he got to the door he looked back at me to see my reaction to his antics. I asked him if he thought he was getting away with something giving me that sheepish little smile. He then proceeded to lay on the ground with his feet in the dining room and his face and more importantly the orange in the Kitchen. Giggling at me as if to say 'oh yeah? I'll show her'. Just too flippen cute, even if his was testing me. I had to grab the camera to capture the moment and to my surprise he waited for me to return and even indulged me by not biting into the orange slice just yet. He then insisted I keep taking his picture. Leah then had to join in.

Leah's Little Obama

I don't know what it is about Obama but every one I know comments on how much their kids love him. Is it the name? I know I certainly wasn't into Reagan this way. In fact I remember crying when ever I saw Reagan on the TV because he was always talking about the cold war and I was convinced the end of the world was near. Well my kids seem to have a fondness for Obama. Tyler even joins in the excitement. When he sees him on the news he points to the TV and yells in his jumbled little voice "Barack, Barack". A few weeks ago Inside Business Magazine had an article about extending the wear of a mans wardrobe in a tough economy. Leah saw the graphic included with the article and insisted she needed to cut out the little man and cloth him. After a few minutes of playing dress up she decided the man looked like Barack Obama and colored his face and hands brown then dressed him in a suit. I had to laugh when she included the jacket. Maybe it's an early start to being civic minded individuals. Either way kids imaginations are just so much fun to watch grow.

Saying Goodbye

Last weekend we had to say goodbye to our original baby. It became apparent that she was ready to go and we felt it was the responsible thing to do . This week we've been reminded repeatedly of how empty the house feels without her presence. Each night when we come home we don't have a wet nose greeting us at the door. We don't have a crumb picker upper after meals or her growling randomly in the middle of the night. I've even thought I've heard her barking from the basement. I was sure once she was gone I would have no desire to get an other puppy in the near future but I've found myself longing for a little fluffy friend. I long for little puppy teeth nibbling on my fingers and clumsy puppy feet slipping all over our hardwood floors. We've been offered lab puppies and an adult shepherd which were in need of homes but I'm trying to be realistic and keep in mind that our house (between the construction and Snow) is no place for a new dog right now. I happened across a picture of Shadow as a puppy. The good ole days before kids. We were fresh out of school attempting to start careers, living in a tiny little lake cottage in Euclid. We had nothing but had everything we needed.