I Plead Insanity

July 18, 2012July 18, 201213 Comments

I plead insanity.

After a sleepless night, I’m trying to remember why it was such a great idea to get a puppy and I can’t come up with anything other than I must have been insane. Our little bundle of fur is thirteen weeks old today. He’s spent four weeks of his life with us and we’ve been pretty good about setting up a consistent routine, as much as we can manage being summer and all. So why, oh why, did he suddenly decide that instead of going into his crate and sleeping, like he’s always done every other night, that he would stay awake crying, whining, and barking? All. Night. Long.

By 5:30 this morning, I got up and shooed him outside, a little too late to get sleep, but if I didn’t get a break from the barking then I was going to start screaming and/or do something I’d later regret. I’m not exactly brimming with patience, you see, and it’s taking everything I’ve got to manage him during the day as it is. I need those precious nighttime hours to recuperate and if I don’t get them, gosh darn it, I am not going to be a girl you want to face in the morning.

So then, what are we doing wrong? Is it just a one-off bad night with quieter nights ahead?

Oh, darling doggie, curled up and sleeping peacefully as I type, don’t you get it into your head that I’m going to let you sleep all day. Ooooooooooooooooooh no…. I have very different plans for you today. If we’re going to make this thing work then things will need to change. Don’t think those cute puppy dog eyes are going to change a thing either.

I can’t complain too much. As far as puppies are concerned, he’s been pretty good so far. As long as he doesn’t potty in the house (so far, so good) and he doesn’t eat the children (still working on that one) then I consider it a good day. The icing on the cake would be no barking but well, he is a dog, and I understand sometimes it’s going to happen. I like to think I’m pretty easy-going for the most part. I didn’t even freak out when muddy paws raced across my kitchen…

But this nighttime thing is a different story. I need my sleep. No other way around it.

If you don’t see me around, it’s because I’m taking the dog for a walk or chasing him back and forth in the backyard. (That would be a sight to see, I’m sure.) The writing will get done, eventually, but first things first… I must secure a good night sleep ahead or Mr. Doggie’s days are numbered…

Gosh darn it, why does he have to be so cute though??

Holy caterpillar, Batman!

June 28, 20125 Comments

So, I had some rough ideas about what I might post in my blog today, most of which didn’t seem particularly interesting, even to me. Then, as I finished filling the little plastic toddler pool for my guys to splash around in on this hot day, I saw this from across the yard…

Now first of all, let me explain that (1) I’m not normally skittish around bugs and (2) the photo does not do this thing justice.

It’s a caterpillar of some description and I’m sure with a little Google effort, I’ll be able to find out exactly what kind and (gulp) what it might later turn into. Right now, I’m a little too freaked to find out. I didn’t let the kids touch it, explaining that not every caterpillar is okay to touch – some are poisonous. I didn’t say it to them, but in the case of this one, I suspect it might be sizing us up for lunch. I did the only sensible thing a person in my situation would do – I ran and grabbed the camera.

The more I look at it, the more curious I become. I’m trying to imagine a gigantic butterfly landing on my flowers. What if it’s a monster and it’s going to come after me while I’m sleeping? This could be the creepy thing lurking in the closet when I was a kid for all I know and now here it is crawling nonchalantly through my backyard. I might not sleep tonight knowing this is out there … somewhere … waiting for me…

The caterpillar isn’t moving very quickly. I’m half tempted to catch it and put it in the butterfly enclosure that the boys got when we watched our tiny little monarch caterpillars change into cocoons and eventually to butterflies. Now, those things were cool. I loved watching them grow and I had just as much fun as the kids did when we took the butterflies outside to let them go. We each got to hold one before we said goodbye.

But this monstrosity in my yard? Eeeeeekkks…. I’m fairly well convinced now that it’s all true. The end of the world is near. There are portals open to parallel universes, alien life forms are invading our planet, whatever. This is my proof.

I couldn’t help but to share it with the world. Your thoughts?

Tuesday Photos – Living Treasures

June 26, 2012June 25, 20122 Comments

Hello! I’m happy to see you. Can’t you tell by my big, cheesy grin?

No matter how many times we visit Living Treasures Animal Park, I always bring the camera and I always take a lot of photos of the animals. The same goes for the zoo. I guess I like taking photos of animals, even when I’ve seen it all before. You never know when you’re going to get a particularly close view or capture something unusual. Our visit in May was no exception and so I’m sharing a couple of my favorites from that visit with you today.

This guy displayed his feathers just for my camera, I think! How beautiful … and impressive.

I like the way the light filters down on this guy. He’s beautiful in his own right, of course, but more so because of the time of day and the light through the trees.