Sunday, May 29, 2011

Lucy Lou Halker



Rest in peace my sweet, Lucy. I had to say goodbye to my beloved Basset Hound today. She was just under 15 years, and lived a life full of joy and happiness.

I surprised my parents with her in 1996. My brother and I drove to Riverside, and pulled a "best to beg forgiveness than ask permission" move. And really, who can resist a puppy. We had just lost our cocker spaniel, Ginger, who lived to the ripe old age of 18.  I decided I couldn't live a day without a dog.  I still feel this way, but thankfully I have 3 furry faces at home so no new pet has been purchased.  She was truly a chosen pup.  Every other animal we had ever had, kinda found us.  The first and last dog I will ever get from a breeder.  I picked her because she was the only tri colored basset with a black head. Her head immediately turned brown, I suppose that serves me right.  She was this roly poly little puppy, and I'm pleased to say she maintained her girlish figure.  

If our parents were displeased they got over it quickly.  Lucy was very charming in that way.  She bonded with Callie, our Calico right away.  I guess by bonding I mean Callie wrapped her arms around Lucy, and rabbit kicked her in the chest.  The two of them would run around the backyard chasing each other, which was fine, until we came home and Lucy playfully had Callie's whole head in her mouth. It was time for Lucy to have a playmate, and luckily, my friend Carrie knew just the dog, Daisy.

Daisy was a french basset just slightly older than Lucy.  Her daddys were splitting up, and Daisy needed a home.  She became Lucy's new side kick, or maybe her mentor, it was kinda hard to tell.  She definitely saved Callie, and Callie seemed to know it.  She was often found sleeping curled up in Daisy's legs.  Daisy kinda put Lucy to shame in the looks department. Lucy was the Jan Brady to Daisy's Marsha, but Lucy never seemed to hold a grudge. Lucy loved one and all, as long as you were not another dog.  She pretended not to like cats, but we often caught Blackie, our appropriately named black cat, cleaning her face.  She would give us an embarrassed look, but never protested.  She was always with people and loved to announce their arrival.  Running, barking, and constant tail wagging.  She would also announce the arrival of a new day by running the perimeter of the backyard, and then standing in the dead center and barking her head of for 10 minutes straight.  That bark kept us safe.  She scared of two burglars attempting to break into a window.  I'm hoping she really was trying to kill them, but wonder if she would have just rolled onto to her back for a tummy scratch if they had been inclined to give her one. 

She made it through many family milestones.  High school graduation for Steve, College for us both. Two retirements. Numerous boyfriends, she was a great listener.  One marriage, one soon to be married, and the end of another.  One grandkid, three furry cousins, two cat siblings, and one Daisy.  I think she looked for Daisy until the day she passed.  You have never seen a sadder dog than Lucy, after Daisy disappeared.  She helped re-abilitate her dear uncle Jon.  Although she "loved" pulling him in his wheel chair, she was much happier having him walk with her.  She loved her auntie Donna, who lavished her with gifts and attention.  She could always be found at her side when she was visiting.  Although she wasn't an immediate fan of Henry's, when she learned that he often dropped food, she lightened her dismissal.  She could then be found perched next to his high chair at all meals, and he loved his "woocy".  She never wanted to miss anything.  Up until her last day, she was the first one up, and the last one to go to sleep.  There were many naps in between, but she always waited with the last person up.  

She wasn't always the easiest to live with.  Her nails were always too long no matter how often you cut them. She did bite the hand that fed her...cookies.  It became apparent that the grass was no longer the only toilet for Lucy.  And the barking.  The incessant barking whenever you got home, or any other noise for that matter. It could drive you a little crazy.

But, today I came home to a quiet house.  I miss her.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Witching Hour

Every afternoon, there is a moment when everyone runs around in the backyard. The dogs get up after 20 hours of sleep, and Henry gets his last little bit of energy out. As a bonus, the light is usually perfect for pictures. :)
It's Henry's world, we just live in it.
Banjo makes an excellent cup holder!
Amazingly, she stayed put.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

and they're out

Wedding invitations, coming to a mailbox near you. Well, if you know my brother.  It's been a busy week.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Smile

He's got an awesome little life.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

The Orange Chair

Thanks to Groupon, I finally put together a book of Henry and his Orange Chair.  I may end up editing it a little more, but this baby had to be ordered by the 18th, I had 10 minutes to spare!  Whew!



Sunday, May 15, 2011

measure up




We pulled out Henry's measuring stick, and he's just under 3 feet. The kid is growing like a weed!  An inch since January!

Baby Shower Invitations



The shower invites are out!  I guess they have to keep her now!  We can't wait to meet the Mcmillan baby, but will just have to party it up 'til she gets here!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Mother's Day

Mother's day was pretty darn perfect! I woke up with Henry, and made up for some of my much missed cuddle time from the previous week. Mark fixed a very California omelette, complete with avocado and fresh salsa. What a guy!  Then he grabbed the kid and took him out for a bit so I could do the finishing touches on Jeff and Liv's baby shower invites.  

Later, Mark set up to making me a plaster of paris hand print. It was my big Mother's day request.  It turned out perfect!  I can't wait till it's sealed so we can hang it up.

We had a potluck style dinner with all the moms: my mom, and grandma, and Mark's mom and sister Lori.  We all brought something, which made the meal a breeze.  In all, it was a lovely day!


Thursday, May 12, 2011

Milk!

Henry will drink anything from a cup, except milk. And this kid loves his milk. I know, i know, he's 2 and should have retired bottles long ago. He loves his bottle, and i suppose I've indulged his vice, it's his last "baby" trait. We haven't pushed real hard on getting him off the bottle. I set a deadline for the middle of June, so I've been a little lazy with my push towards the cup. On Friday, he did it on his own! When given the choice of milk from a cup, or no milk, he put up a fuss, and then grabbed the cup! Hooray! A small break through.

Living up to the Masters

First off, I can't even come close to the originals, but I'm attempting to fill our art classroom with modern, and classic artist's masterpieces. My days substituting, and 8th grade retreat allowed me to start and almost finish Warhol's Marilyn Monroe. I started the cabinets in January. Carrie, the previous art teacher, and my "sister" did our art supply closets. I wanted to finish her legacy. The kids are pretty excited about it. Hopefully, I'll get the whole set of cabinets done.

Oh, and while we are on the topic of school. My fellow teachers, and soon to be principle have reassured me, adding "never trust kindergardeners". :)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Full time?

Last week I filled in for the 5th grade teacher, so I ended up working all week. Leaving Henry was hard, and I definitely missed my little guy, but teaching one class for a whole day was actually fun. Granted, we have a particularly well behaved 5th grade, but for the most part, it was easier than teaching art. No clean up is a big plus! I even taught math! Me? Who knew? I guess it's good to know I can still factor down to prime numbers! Regular academics are also much quieter than art. I did like it, but don't think I would trade. It's kinda nice being most kids favorite subject! Plus, I think they tell the art teacher more. While making mother's day cards this week, I asked them to write nice things about their mothers. His response was "my mom is only nice when we have company." I told him not to write that.

Coming off my high of fun teaching week, I just had another very honest kindergartner, who's mom works in the office, tell me "my mommy said art is cancelled next year, don't you go to the meetings?". Well, I didn't go to THAT meeting. It was hard for me to contain my tears, but I did manage to make it until the kids left. I'm still hoping they can find the budget to keep me, but have to admit that comment kinda sucked the wind out of me. I guess as much as I know arts in school are the first thing to be cut, today is the first day I really accepted that my job is in jeopardy. I don't think anything is set in stone yet. Come on enrollment! I just sent the soon to be principle some promotional material, hopefully it will be good for recruitment. Anyone in the La Mirada area looking for an excellent elementary/Jr high?

Sunday, May 8, 2011

How a 2 year old brain works.

He wanted to put his feet in the pool.

Oops

I'm a bat!

Spaceship!

Thanks for a fun evening Nolans!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Happy Anniversary

This week has been crazy busy, hence the lack of posts. We did make time to celebrate our anniversary. We went to the Original Fish Company, a few days before the actual day. We had gone there after Mark proposed, and have made a bit of a tradition of it now. 5 years in the blink of an eye. Who would have thought?

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Henry and the pups

Henry loves his dogs. And for the most part, they love him. They are certainly more than tolerant of his antics. It's sweet to see him stop to give them hugs, in addition to sitting on top of them asking for rides. I'm sure there will be many more posts just like this, because it astonished me everyday.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Preserving History

My dad loves classic cars. Mark loves classic cars. Henry is being groomed to love classic cars. I don't think this will be met with much resistance. The classic car show was in Seal Beach, yesterday. Henry loved all the shiny wheels, and Mark and my dad enjoyed pointing out the subtle differences between different years on pretty much any model of car. I think Mark impressed my dad with his knowledge. Three peas in a car filled pod. If anyone has a '49 Ford they are looking to get rid of,I have a husband who will take it off your hands.