Our Daughter... the Dog Handler?

Well, thanks to Cousin Kim, we found out about a class for "junior handlers." There is a whole different culture of people out there who breed dogs, train dogs, and show dogs (Ever seen Best in Show?) and we got our first official taste of it. I have to admit that the dogs are really cute and that Ellie is SO in her element, it's not even funny. But wow, that is a lot of time to spend with a dog on a dog and for a dog. I guess you dog lovers out there say, uhhh.. yeah, and we love every minute of it, so get over it! Ok, I will try, but the dog handlers are so serious and competive that they will hide their dog treats in get this... their mouths! See below as one handler slips a cookie in her cheek for later. Why, you ask? To save the time of digging in the pocket and to provide more instantaneous gratification for the dog who may in turn look perkier and win the coveted 1st prize! Obvious question: when will little rookie Ellie learn to perfect such a sacrificial and selfless dog handling skill? Answer: she popped the doggie doobie in her mouth immediately. Yuuuummmmmy! Here is another dog handling skill she learned: leading the dog.and here is cousin Ana leading her little dog, Hazel.
So now I come to my favorite part of dog handling: photography. I know these are not fabulous pictures by any stretch. HOWEVER, I was quite excited as I recognized EWWW, a flash in this circumstance (dark building, no natural light, funky and reflective dog eyes) would be disastrous. See below. BLECH. So I snapped my ISO all the way to 1600, put white balance on "tungsten" (what a weird word) and worked with my camera until my shutter speed was about 1/200. I have no idea if that is right or not, professionally speaking, but look at Ellie's dog Walker. Are his eyes not amazing? I got that because I did NOT have a flash on! Woo Hoo! I never thought it could be done in such poor lighting. (patting self on back) Overall, it was a fun experience for our little dog lover, and we will see where God leads her next.

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Precious Art Work Project

"Stoplight" Luke's light is ALWAYS green!!! Age 4
An Ellie Original - Age 7
This is more typical of Ellie than the other one. Most of her drawings have DOGs or other animals in them!!!

"Walking the Dog" - Age 7
Too precious. Luke's "Butterfly for Kami" - age 4

"Happy Girl Reaching the World" by Kami - age 8 Luke and Mommy at Walmart" (uh oh, I'd rather that be "Luke and Mommy at somewhere other than Walmart" This tells the sad, sad story of where Luke and I spend lots of quality time! But Luke's characters look awful happy!!!) - Age 4
"Mom at the Mall with Her Hair Blowing in the Wind" Ellie - age3 (one of my FAVORITES!)
"Goldfish" by Ellie - age 7
"Sisters" by Kami - age 3.
"Skyline" - by Kami I do not consider myself a pack rat, but yet I have drawers overflowing with stuff the kids have done. And I'm telling you, I throw loads and loads of it away! The guilt as I stuff them in the trash can!!! But I just cannot and will not bear to get rid of some of them... they are like flash drives of memory.... each one holding it's own little story, it's own set of emotions, helping me connect to a moment in our very recent, yet fading past.

So, I'm starting a project. And I will keep you updated as I tackle it. It involves a 4 X 5 piece of plywood, 2 flush mount hangers, buckets and buckets of Mod Podge (I've come to love the sticky stuff) and my upstairs hall wall. Get the idea?

If you can't picture it, it may end up looking something like this:

By the way, I totally cannot take credit for this idea. I am copying it 100% from a house I saw a few months ago. I didn't know the owner, which I guess is good. I feel a little less guilty for stealing the awesome idea and making it my own.

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Full Circle Moment

I thought that on Wednesday, I had experienced a full circle moment. But then I began wondering about that term, where I heard it and if I could possibly be tinkering in the New Age beliefs being preached by Oprah and others.... SIDENOTE: I watched for awhile today an Oprah episode "Overcoming Fears" and it was focused on finding out who you were in a past life to help you deal with fears and phobias. Sorry, but I am just not that openminded. But I digress.... so to fight my fear of becoming New Age (I must have had some kind of negative experiences with New Age beliefs in a past life), I looked up the term "Full Circle Moment" on Google. There is actually an entire website devoted to Full Circle Moments, and here is how they are beautifully and accurately defined by Jane Genede: "I believe we have all experienced Full Circle Moments. They deepen our lives and, once shared, enrich the lives of others. They are at once personal and universal. Full Circle Moments happen when we revisit a situation or circumstance in our present life that occurred in our past. (NOTE: NOT A PAST LIFE!!!) The event of the second experience creates a circle in which we view both perspectives — past and present — simultaneously. Viewing the “there and then” and the “here and now,” seeing their relationship and connection completes the circle and creates a richer, fuller life experience." Many years ago, I worked at Kanakuk, a Christian sports camp in Missouri. Though I say "many years," it only seems a hop and a skip and a jump ago. My camp experience is as fresh and clear and beautiful as a splash of water from Table Rock Lake. Although I absolutely loved my experience there, I never dreamed of sending my kids there at that time (I was completely unattached, light years away from meeting Tommy Boy.) And since then, the camps around town have totally satisfied me and my kiddos. But a window came open and Kami crawled through. So as suddenly as an unexpected stoplight, I found myself, 16 years later, dropping my precious daughter off at a place that meant so much to me. As much as I loved it as a Kitchikomo (yes, I worked my buns off in the kitchen with my hilarious sidekick and current close friend Jessie), I can imagine that being a camper (or Kamper as they like to put it) must be absolutely fantastic. You should have seen the place. I can't wait to see her and hear all about it next week!

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Unintended Insult

Luke (to mom as she was tucking him in one night):

Mom... come closer.

Sniff.

I want to smell you.

Sniff. Sniff.

Mom...

(what? she asks, feeling loved and adored)

Mom... you smell like asparagus.

You really smell like asparagus.

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Luke, Lauren, and Lincoln Logs

Some days, it seems that we could take up residence on the top floor of FAO Schwarz and the kids would still be bored. They'd still walk around, shoulders down, sighing, "I dooooooooon't haaaaaaaaaave anything to dooooooooo." GRRRR. As a mom, this goes all through me. But then are those magical moments when the air is just right, no one is tired, and they are feeling creative that they get started on something and just GO. Such was the case when Luke and Lauren got into the Lincoln Logs and became little architects, making a model of..... can you guess? Look really closely and think back a month or so....

It's BIG CEDAR!!! They worked for hours and hours to recreate the cabins, the stables, registration, and even added some creative touches like a shelter (in case of tornado) and a rock climbing wall.

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Dad's Day

Is there something about doing the same things at the same times each year that make it extra special and cement it firmly in the mind? Oh yeah, it's called tradition. This is our 3rd year of going to the club with Kim and Scott on Father's Day and having a super relaxing, absolutely enjoyable, wonderful time of fun with Dad and the kids. So, the pictures are pretty much the same as last year, but for a few differences. 1) Luke got up the guts to jump off the high dive. Afterwards, he pulled his dripping body out of the pool and did a funky dance, using his hips a little eye-poppingly too much, singing, "go Luke.. uh-huuuh...that's awesome." 2) The picture I captured of Dad this year was from a moving car.... of a moving car. Sometimes, it's awful hard to get a pic of that guy. I feel like the paparazzi. 3) Maggie is walking this year and more beautiful than ever. It's impossible to take a bad picture of her.

Thank you Lord for the Fathers in my life.

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A Father Missed

I know it sounds weird to say you miss someone you never knew. But with every cell in my body, I miss Tom's dad. I know him only from pictures and stories, but David, or Grandpa David, as the kids may have called him, is very much in my mind and heart.

There are times when I smile at his mischievous personality as I did the other night when Tom told the kids a Lucky the Fox story, a brand of stories about a rascal of a fox....a brand of stories concocted by Tom's dad and told to Tom and his brothers when they were little.

There are times my heart aches as it does the times that Tom has to again explain to the kids that he lost his dad when he himself was a little boy. They always want to know more about his dad.

There are times when I am alone driving in my car and I begin reflecting on all the special times we are missing with his Dad. I then feel like a ridiculous, emotional woman as I find myself crying tears over a man I never met! I think he would have loved going to the kids' sporting events, and I can just picture him teasing them and loving them. I miss him for the kids. I miss him for Tom. I miss him for Carolyn. And I miss him for myself.

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