Laural's 1st Day of School!

This certainly is a day of firsts! Laural started school today - homeschool, of course. Laural got to wear one of her new back-to-school outfits. She loved everything about the day. Wearing new clothes, posing for pictures, her new computer lessons, her muffin tin circus lunch and that she got to sit at the kitchen table and do her homework while her cousins, Kali & Austin, did theirs.

Laural's 1st day of school picture.

Our schedule today was a little off since Micah was up for 2 hours last night making for a rather tired mommy today. We started our day with the Pledge to the Christian Flag, The Pledge of Allegiance and then circle time. During circle time, we had opening prayer, observed the weather and talked about the calender and the date. After that was Bible class. We keep it pretty simple. A Bible story and song followed by a brief discussion about the story. Next we did language arts. We are doing Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read. We did the workbook and computer games for the letter A. It's pretty cute. Next we did Spanish class. We are doing Hooked on Spanish. It has a workbook and computer games. After Spanish, we had our Muffin Tin Monday lunch. After lunch, we had quiet time. Laural sat in her room and quietly looked at some of her books. Quiet time will be a bit of a challenge for her since she isn't really used to it, but hopefully, she will adapt to it quickly. After quiet time, we did math. Math took a little longer since we had to go over some definitions and learn to read math problems. She did some simple addition problems on her own and did great with them. We need to practive her number writing a little more though. We've been kind of lax on that and it shows. She makes her threes backward and her sixes usually end up sideways. We will start working on that tomorrow. After math, we did some improvised phys ed. Laural loves anything that has to do with jumping and running around! The rest of our schedule was put off until later since our day had to be abbreviated due to the Micah's night time adventures! After dinner, we had to go to the Historical Society so I could get the newsletter on their computer and get it printing.

Tomorrow, we will introduce our science theme for the week and our history theme. We start story time tomorrow too! It will be another fun and busy day.

My cousin might be bringing me tomatoes tomorrow as well. I am dying for some fresh homemade tomato soup. We also have to run to my parents' house tomorrow to check on their cat while they are away camping in New York.

Our 1st Muffin Tin Monday

I came across the cutest idea on another blog and had to investigate further. Muffin Tin Monday - you put lunch or snacks in muffin tins. I went to the Her Cup Overfloweth blog and after looking at all of the links of pics of other mom's MTM creations, I decided I had to do it. So, today we did our first MTM. Laural absolutely loved it. She said it was "the best lunch I ever had!" and "you are the best mommy for making me this wonderful lunch." She is so sweet! Micah was more interested in getting the food into his belly rather than looking at it. LOLThe cups contain: Green pepper strips; an apple head clown with raisins for eyes, red grape nose, blueberry mouth, carrot hair and strawberry hat; drink; lion shaped pb&j; popcorn and vanilla yogurt with colorful sprinkles. This was fun to make and even more fun to see Laural's face light up when she saw it.Please ignore the mess in my kitchen in the pics. LOL I've been reaaranging the kitchen and everything is out of sorts during this process. I hope to have it back to "normal" sometime next week. :)

I almost forgot to add the button for MTM!

My First Venture into Cute Food

This is not completely true. I have done cute and fancy cakes and stuff like that but today was the first time I took the time to make our lunch look cute. I decided to copy something I saw in somebody else's blog. I cut our hard boiled eggs to look like chicks hatching out of their egg.I have cut Laural's sandwiches into hearts and arranged the triangles to look like butterflies but this is the first time I've done this. Who know what's next? I want to try Muffin Tin Mondays next!

Getting Closer

Micah is getting closer and closer to walking. He will take one or two hesitant steps before going down on his hands and knees. It's so cute to watch. He does a little better when I am coaxing him to come to me, but most of the time when I call him, he plops down on his knees and hops to me. That is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He has also learned another new trick. He can now climb up on to Steve and I while we are sitting on the couch. He is getting to be quite the little toddler now!

We broke out the Wii fit & balance board last night. We were having fun, playing different games and exercises but we found one that Micah really seemed to love. He couldn't stop giggling over the soccer game where you have to hit the soccer balls with your head and try not to get hit with the shoes or panda heads. Every time I hit a ball or got hit by a shoe or panda, he would laugh even more. It was so funny! It made me laugh which caused me to get hit more which made him laugh even harder. It was hilarious! So much fun!

So tired today...

I don't know why I have been so tired today. I slept late but by 8 PM, I was ready for bed. I spent a good chunk of the day cleaning - kitchen, living room, bathroom, laundry, dishes. And I made a big batch of black bean veggie burgers for dinner and freezing. I was busy for sure, but I didn't think I would feel this wiped out. Maybe I should go to bed early tonight. Like that will happen. LOL

Stephanie's kids got off the bus here today after their first day of school. Their bus stopped right around 3:45PM and Stephanie's boyfriend, Mike, came for them around 4PM. Laural was thrilled to have them here. Tomorrow they will be here until 5PM. Thursday, Mike will get them when they get off the bus and Friday, Steph's ex will get them around 5PM. So, they won't be here a whole lot this week. Not sure what next week will bring. We'll just play it by ear.

Our Day

We had a lovely day today. Laural had her first exam and cleaning dental appointment today. She did so well - no fussing or squirming. She had no cavities and the only thing we need to do is start flossing. She took quite a while picking out her toy from the treasure chest. She ended up picking out a cute little toy car. They also gave her a "goodie bag" that had toothpaste, a toothbrush and a pack of floss in it. She was all excited about it. She had to use her new things tonight when getting ready for bed.

Our next stop was the Organic Store. I wanted to take her the info sheets for the new programs starting next month and I also had a diaper cover to add to the stock she has down there. We chatted a while and I ended up buying a few things - TVP, rice, cheeto like snacks, salad mix, an avocado, a bottle of tea, some apple snacks for Laural and 2 lollies. I used the tvp in place of meat in the spaghetti I made tonight. It wasn't bad. Micah sure does love spaghetti! He ate a bunch and then I had to give him seconds! After dinner, we had a few marshmallows for dessert. He loved those too!

After the organic store and before going home to make dinner, I took Laural to the park to play on the playground since she was such a good girl throughout the day. She loved it! I took a cute pic of her on the ship. It was a beautiful day to be sitting outside! I want to do it again tomorrow! I wish I had the energy and organization to take the kids to the park more often.
I tried making a microwave cake tonight. It wasn't bad, actually. It was a little heavy but I might be able to tweak the recipe to make it better. I found it while checking out a blog of a mom who does something called "Muffin Tin Mondays." Basically, it's putting creative things in muffin tins for kids lunch. Some folks get pretty cute and elaborate with it. Many of them use those cute silicone muffin cups. Last week, I was looking at bento box lunches and saw that many people use them in the bento boxes. So, I was wanting to get some then and now, even more so! Something else I need is a tortilla press so it's easier to make my own tortillas. I made them a few weeks ago by rolling them out with a rolling pin. They were SO good! They were a little thick since I had to roll them out, but they were still super yummy! I've been dying to make them again!

I need to start getting to bed earlier so I can start getting into the swing of things for school and the 2 programs and all the other stuff we have going on! I'm turning into a busy mama!

Wheely Bug Giveaway!

These things are just so cute! I saw one a while back and would have loved buying it for Laural but it wasn't in our budget. Laural and Micah would both have a ball with one of these so I really hope we win! These are available through Prince Lionheart - http://www.princelionheart.com
and the giveaway is through the Jolly Mom Blog - here is the Giveaway Post

I cannot believe how fast this month is going by! Laural starts school in a week! I think I am pretty much ready. I just need to re-organize my thoughts and get everything laid out. I need to get all of the computer stuff loaded for her too. I also need to get the stuff that's been sitting in the kitchen out of there so I can have room to have school.

Lakeview School goes back on Tuesday and starting then for I'm not sure how long, Stephanie's kids will be getting off the bus here. They should be here around 3:45 until Steph or her boyfriend, Mike, picks them up which could be right after school or 6:30ish. Laural will love having her cousins here.

We've had a pretty easy going day. After church, we came home and had some sandwiches. Micah slept through lunch. At about 4 PM, I started getting a headache along with dizziness. I decided to lay down for a while to let it pass. Micah was still asleep but soon after I laid down Steve rolled on his side and started snoring SO loud. It woke Micah right up but I was still feeling so dizzy that I couldn't get up. Poor Steve had to get up with him. I feel a little bad but at the same time, it was his snoring that woke Micah up. Our evening was pretty mellow. I was still a little headachey and dizzy, so We just kind of hung out in the computer room and then in the living room watchin Harry Potter.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I need to get loads of laundry done and get the kitchen cleaned up and Laural has a dentist appointment at 1:50 PM. Busy, busy, busy!

Hot Dog Giveaway

Here is a giveaway for a coupon for free Hebrew National hot dogs. Yummy!
http://ridingwithnohands.com/supermarket-guru/
Also included is a coupon for a free bottle of BBQ sauce. Free food! Awesome!

My First Couponing Outing

I did my very first couponing outing this evening. I was so excited! I was also a little worried though. The last time I went out with internet coupons (to County Market), they told me they don't accept internet coupons. Since most of my coupons tonight were internet coupons, I was a little afraid that they might not take them. But, they took them and all was great! Here's how I did:

Total bill (not including tax): $61.79
Coupon total: $50.46
Total out of pocket (not including tax): $11.33
Savings: 82%


Breakdown:

4 Dove Ultra Deodorant @ 3.99 each
- 4 mfg coupons $2 off each (doubled)
= FREE

2 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel @ $3.50 each
- 2 mfg coupons $2 off each (doubled)
= FREE

4 packs Trident Gum @ $1 each
- 2 mfg coupons $1 off 2 (doubled)
= FREE

2 3.5 lb bags Beneful Dog Food @ $5.49 each
- 2 mfg coupons $2 off each (doubled)
= $1.49 each

1 Edge Shaving Gel @ $2.79
- 1 mfg coupon $.75 off (doubled)
= $1.29

2 Renu Contact solution @ $5.09 each
- 2 mfg coupons $2 off each (doubled)
= $1.09 each

1 Children's Pronamel Toothpaste @ $2.99
- 1 mfg coupon $1 off (doubled)
= $.99

1 Skintimate Shaving Gel @ $2.99
- 1 mfg coupon $1 off (doubled)
= $.99

1 Suave Shampoo and 1 Suave Conditioner @ $2.45 each
- 1 mfg coupon $1 off 2 (doubled)
= $1.45 each

All I can say is WOW! I really hope I can continue doing this because that was awesome!

Yes, another giveaway!

This one would be great to win! It's an HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web printer given away through Mommy P. R. The contest is here: http://www.mommypr.com/?p=8332#comment-41128

I Love Giveaways!

I've been sitting here, for far too long, signing up for giveaways. Here is another I just found: It's the Baby Dipper, a cute trangular shaped bowl with a spoon. It allows one handed feeding of babies and helps toddlers learn to self feed. That is something I need to work with Micah on. The giveaway is at Go Graham Go.

The baby dipper site is:

Splashmat Giveaway!

I just stumbled upon another cute giveaway. It's a splashmat from Mimi the Sardine http://www.mimithesardine.com, given away through The Jolly Mom http://www.jollymom.com
There are several different designs and they can be used under the highchair or for little ones to play on when doing messy things. I hope I win this one since my little man is a messy little man! Actually, I think I need a couple dozen to put down on all the floors in my house. LOL

Giveaway at Mama Must Haves

There is an adorable organic baby set giveaway going on at the Mama Must Haves blog.



This is such a cute little romper and hat set. I really hope I win it since there is a new baby and 2 more coming in our family. If I am lucky enough to get pregnant in the near future like I want, I might just keep it for myself if I win!

This is the link directly to this giveaway post:
http://www.mamamusthaves.com/2009/08/polarn-o-pyret-giveaway.html

Family Dinner

After being at the funeral home for 2 hours, we decided to go out with the rest of the family to Hoss's for dinner. Grandpa & Grandma, mom & dad, Aunt Sue, Grandpa's sister Alleen and her husband Bill, Lee & Paula (Uncle Russ's son), and their sons, Jimmy & his wife Shona & Mike plus the four of us shared a long table.

One of the most interesting things about our dinner, was Laural's meal. The waitress asked Laural's name so they could carve it on her hot dog. I don't think I have ever seen anything carved on a hot dog before... So here it is. Laural's name on a hot dog.

Tomorrow, I am venturing out to do my first attempt at what I have dubbed "radical couponing." I have found several coupons online and plan to go to K-Mart tomorrow to take advantage of their double coupon special. I should get some free stuff or at the very least, very cheap stuff. I can't wait to check it out!

Not sure why...

I'm not sure why I was so weepy today on the way to the funeral home for the viewing for my Great-Uncle Russ. I really didn't even know him. I've only seen him at a handful of times - mostly at funerals or weddings. Death always makes me sad. I know that Uncle Russ was pretty sick at the end too. I think it's probably because he was my Grandpa's last brother and there is just him and his baby sister left. I know that his death has really made my Grandpa sad. But, I think that the reason this has made me so sad is that my Grandpa is only 3 years younger than his brother - he just turned 86 last month. He's not such a young man anymore and I know that we probably don't have a lot of time left with him and this makes me so sad. I love my Grandpa so much! He and my Grandma have always been such important people in my life and we are quite close. I don't want to even imagine my life without them in it. I know it will be like that some day, I just hate thinking about it. There's nothing like a funeral to start you thinking about the worst.

Tribute to my Great-Uncle Russ

In Loving Memory

Russell W. Wilson
6/14/1920 - 8/16/2009

Russell W. Wilson, age 89, of Franklin, died at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2009, in Lickingville, Farmington Township, Clarion County, at the home of his son, Russell, with whom he had most recently made his residence.

Born June 14, 1920, in Slippery Rock, Butler County, he was the son of Bert W. and Clara Mabel Wimer Wilson.

He was a 1939 graduate of the Emlenton High School.

Mr. Wilson served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was stationed in the South Pacific. He was wounded on the Philippine islands of Leyte and Mindanao, and was a recipient of the Purple Heart Award.

He was a member of the American Legion Post 32 in Oil City.

Mr. Wilson was a member of the Calvary United Methodist Church in Oil City.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, and cooking. He also enjoyed spending time with his family and friends at the camp on Sandycreek.

He was employed as a surveyor in the geological department with National Fuel, retiring in 1984 after 33 years of service.

He was married on June 8, 1944 to Eloise M. White, who preceded him in death in 1985. He then married the former Freda R. Bell on July 17, 1986, and she survives.

Also surviving are two children, Russell L. Wilson and wife Paula Wilson of Lickingville, and Sharon A. Faunce and husband Larry of Phoenix, Arizona; a daughter-in-law, Linda Wilson, of Severville, Tennessee; two step-sons, Harold Bell and wife Susan of Franklin and James Bell of Florida; four grandchildren, James C. Wilson and wife Shona of Toccoa, Georgia, Michael J. Wilson of Dempseytown, Thomas A. Hunter and Ryan R. Hunter, both of Phoenix; two step-grandchildren, Brianne Bell and Michael Bell of Franklin; and two great-grandchildren, Nathaniel T. Wilson and Michael Drake Wilson.

Also surviving is a brother, Ray Wilson and wife Barbara of Fredonia, a sister, Alene Heeter and husband William of Rockland, and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and first wife, he was preceded in death by a son, Richard S. Wilson; two sisters, Pauline Wilson and Ruth Vergis McClelland; and two brothers, Edwin and John Wilson.

Friends will be received Friday (Aug. 21st) from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. in the Hile-Best Funeral Home, Inc., 2781 Rte. 257 in Seneca, Cranberry Township.

Funeral services will be held from the funeral home Saturday (Aug. 22nd) at 11 a.m., with Rev. Bruce Davis, pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Oil City, officiating.

Military funeral honors will be accorded by the V.E.T.S. Honor Guard of Franklin.

Interment will follow in Sunset Hill Memorial Gardens, Cranberry Township, Venango County.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 5455 North High St., Columbus, OH 43214, or to the American Cancer Society, 10 West Front St., Oil City, PA 16301.

Meeting with a Friend

Today, I got to see Mel from FF again! She was in the area doing some shopping and white water rafting with her son, Kyle, his best friend and his Mom and found out that she was going to be close to where we live so we made arrangements to meet at the outlet mall for a little while. The last time we met up was 3 years ago in Canada when we met them at the Upper Canada Mall on our way through to Matachewan. We browsed around for a little while and had lunch at the food court before they had to go. It was great to see her again. I've met up with 3 of the Miracles girls to date - Mel, Cayley & Tabi. It would be nice to get more of us together. We all talked about a trip to Florida at one point but that never came to fruition. Maybe some day.

Once we got home, we hung out in the living room for a while where Micah decided to practice walking a little bit. He managed to take 3 steps - a bit slow and jerky but he did it. He then went down on his bum. Then he really impressed me! He got back up on his feet without using anything to help - just the floor and his own balance. Awesome job! He took 3 more steps and then he was done for the night. He was really pleased with himself as I was lavishing him with praise. I love his sweet smile!

In other news, I discovered a few blogs tonight that are awesome. Besides some of the homeschool blogs I've been following, I also found a couple of coupon and frugal living blogs that are wonderful! Thanks to them, I printed off a ton of coupons which save me a load of money - with many items being free or around $0.25 each! I added 2 of them to my favorite blogs area to the right -> Honoring the King and The Krazy Coupon Lady. LOVE THEM!

I've also discovered a lot of giveaway blogs and have been signing up for those. Very cool. Maybe I will win something. I better watch out, this can be addicting!

Need Money

I am a little depressed tonight. Laural and I took our 2nd Tae Kwon Do class earlier tonight. It was lovely and intense! I got a rather good workout from it. I really enjoyed it! I would really love to continue with it. There's just a little problem with it - the cost. For a year, for both Laural and I, it will cost $1152. We would have to put $231 down and then pay $84 a month for the next 11 months. The reason I'm depressed is that I really enjoyed it and I feel like it would be a great way for me to be able to lose weight but I don't see any way we can afford it. I finally found something that I think I can stick with and it doesn't look like we will be able to do it. I guess I am doomed to be fat forever.

Tae Kwon Do

Laural & I took our first Tae Kwon Do class tonight. I was a bit nervous at first. I was afraid it would hurt. I took some ibuprofen before the class. So, we got there and first we sat with Master Dunworth and talked about why we were there and what we hoped to gain. He explained some about Tae Kwon Do and the Do Jang. He had to stop to take care of some business, so there was a little bit of time before we actually got started. He found us each a do bok (mine didn't fit ) and showed us where we could get dressed. Laural looked so adorable in her do bok!


So, we went out and Master Dunworth tied Laural's belt. I had to do the class in my street clothes. At least I wore my yoga pants and shirt. He ordered me a larger do bok. Then we went out into the classroom. When you step into the classroom, you must stop and bow to the American and Korean flags on the wall and also to Master Young Kong Bo's picture. That felt a little weird but I can deal. You also have to do that when you leave the classroom. Master Dunworth lined us up and showed us some basic moves. We started with the Cha-Ryeo stance - the attention stance. Then we did several other stances that I am not even going to try to spell since I can't find them online. LOL From there we did some punches, kicks and blocks. Laural did so well! She picked up on the stances and moves pretty easily. She needed a little instruction when it came to how to hold her hands but she did great. We didn't get a real long lesson since we got started late and there was a class waiting. I got a little self-concious since there were a bunch of parents sitting there waiting. I felt like such a cow - especially since I was in my street clothes. Overall, it was quite fun and I think we will continue after our 2 initial classes as long as it isn't too expensive. Our next class is Tuesday at 4:30 PM. After that, we will go to the family class which is Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:55 PM. I actually can't wait until the next class!

Micah stayed with my Grandparents while Laural and I were at class. He seems to really enjoy it there. Grandma said he kept going over to Grandpa, wanting Grandpa to pick him up. Grandpa really seems to enjoy having Micah there. Grandma too.Micah eating cheese at my Grandparent's house.

Blood Test Results

Linda Mattocks called bright and early this morning with my blood work results. I was a bit surprised that they came back so quickly. My sugar was good at 109, liver and kidney function were good and CBC was normal with no signs of leukemia, infection or such stuff. I was totally correct about my thyroid is was high meaning I was hypo, even on my meds so they changed my dose to 150 mcg. I should start to feel more normal soon. My cholesterol numbers, while still high, came down which is awesome. Unfortunately, my HDL went down too which isn't so good. I'm sure the reason for this is my decline in exercise since my knee has become worse. I think since my synthroid wasn't high enough, that has caused some of my increased pain issues. I'm hoping that my joint pain will get better as I start getting the thyroid under control. I just have my ultrasound on Monday to check the aorta and I'll be done with the doctor for another year. After gettin my results, I decided to call Grove City Medical Center to see if I could get Micah's ultrasound scheduled around the same time as mine. Mine is at 8Am and they said they could work Micah in at 8:30AM. That will be nice - 2 birds, one stone. :D

I got a lot of stuff done today - sorting, cleaning, clearing, minor purging. I put a few things up on freecycle. One was my old police scanner. I got nearly 20 hits on it! Wow. Nobody is interested in my glucometer though. I also put up some old stencil paints up and I have a kitchen scale to add too. I seriously need to get rid of a lot more stuff! We are too crowded here.

The cable guy is coming tomorrow to disconnect our phone and the digital cable boxes. It should save us at least $50 a month. We need to cut back on spending as well. I have been getting some of Laural's school stuff together and that has meant some purchases. I still need to get an abacus and a globe. The abacus isn't expensive but globes are pricey! At least it will be a one time purchase and both kids (and maybe future kids) can use it. I'm really looking forward to school starting. Just over 2 weeks to go!

Seeing the Doctor

I had a doctor's appointment today. It was rather uneventful. I told them that I thought my thyroid was off. We discussed that and I brought up my concerns about our family history of aneurysm along with the troubles with my feet. They ordered a bunch of blood work. Thyroid panel, cbc, sugar, cholesterol, liver panel. Can't say as though I'm looking forward to hearing the results to some of them. We also scheduled an ultrasound to check my aorta for any signs of aneurysm. It's next Monday. I'm thinking I should call the u/s department to see if we can get Micah's u/s done at the same time. They now have a mini lab in the doctor's office, so I didn't have to go elsewhere for my blood draw. Now, I just need to wait for the results. I hope my synthroid gets bumped up. I need it!

Other than that, it was quite the dull day. I really didn't do much. It gets so hot in here during the day that I don't feel much like doing anything. It sure would be nice if we had a window upstairs that an air conditioner would fit in. Oh well.

I forgot to write about something Micah did the other day. On Monday evening, we went to my parent's for dinner. They had leftover meat from their trip and invited us, Rob, Amy & the kids and my Grandparent's over for dinner. We had dinner and afterward, prepared to play blotto. While we were sitting at the table, Micah was behind me and stood up, holding on to the chair. I couldn't see him. My grandma was watching him as he let go and took 2 steps toward another chair! He wasn't quite close enough to the chair so he reached way out. The only problem was that there was a blanket on the chair that he got hold of first. It slid off the chair and he went down with it. He landed neatly and didn't get hurt. It was pretty neat that he decided it was time to take some solo steps though. I was wondering if he was ever going to try.

I need to get to work and get our school schedules up here. I'm not sure how I'm going to format it yet though. Do I want to try to put it in a blog post or in a spreadsheet with a link. Decisions, decisions.

Goodbye Jiffy

He was the last of our original three and today, we had to say goodbye to him. When Steve and I first met back in 1992, he had 2 cats, Jiffy & C.K. and I had one, Flash. When we were married and combined households in 1994, the cats weren't thrilled about it, but they tolerated each other. Flash had the toughest time since he was the new cat on the block. Jiffy and Flash were the same age, both having been born in April of 1989. C.K. was the baby, born in 1992, I think. It was sometime in 1997 (I think) that Flash was outside and was hit by a truck while crossing the road. I can't remember what year it was, 2003 or 2004 maybe, that C.K. got sick with diabetes that couldn't easily be controlled and he died not long after. Jiffy was the tough guy though. He was full of attitude and let you know he was the boss. He was also so sweet and loving. He was as independent as a cat can get but still demanded affection from his people. I have to admit that I am surprised that he made it as long as he has. For several years, he has been dwindling in health. He barely ate and for the past year, he has had trouble getting to his litter box. He didn't seem to be in pain and he seemed content enough. The past couple of months seemed to be the worst for him though. He would get sick for a week and then be fine for a little while before getting sick again. These past couple days, he would hardly eat, fell over when he tried to walk and really seemed to lose interest in living. We spent a little time with him today, loved him and stroked him until it was time to take him to the vet's office. Steve stayed with him while the vet gave a large dose of tranquilizer to make him sleep, followed by the injection that stopped his heart. It was very fast and very peaceful. After a wonderful and long 20 year life, Jiffy is no longer with us. Goodbye Jiffy. Rest peacefully kitty. Good boy.

Jiffy decided to sleep in the bathtub.

Close up of Jiffy in the tub. He was soaked underneath.

Steve having a few last minutes with Jiffy before heading out to the vet's office.

A Day of Books and Animals

We started our day with the summer reading program picnic and recital. I'm not sure I would call it a recital but a program, but calling it a program was a bit redundant. Anyhow, the program opened with each of the groups doing a little something. Laural's group did A Tooty Tah. I have no idea how to spell it. It was pretty cute.After each of the groups did their thing, all the kids did a couple of songs together, led by Steve. Laural really enjoyed that. She danced around the whole time.

After the performance part of the day, we went outside for a Tae Kwon Do demonstration. It was pretty neat. After watching the demonstration Laural and I decided to give Tae Kwon Do a try. We signed up and will take our first class sometime next week.After the Tae Kwon Do, it was time to eat. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, cookies and ice cream. I was surprised that they didn't have anything like chips. Oh well. Micah enjoyed the picnic.
It would seem that we had quite the busy day already but we had more to come! Even though there was the threat of rain, we decided to go through with our plans and head out to The Living Treasures Animal Park. It did rain on and off while we were there, but not enough to make us have to leave. The good thing about the rain was that it wasn't crowded at all. We bought a bucket of dry food and a bag of carrots to feed the animals. We came upon deer first. Laural loved that they would eat right from her hands. There were a lot of smaller deer - not sure what kind they were.














We saw kangaroos, lemurs, hyenas, a fox, a leopard and black leopard, lions, tigers and bears. Oh my (Yes, I had to do it). One of Laural's favorite things to feed was the large camel. Wow, those things are so huge! It really liked the carrots and would stretch it's neck waaaaay out over the fence to try to get to the carrots I had in my hands. It was kind of scary! Laural would put food down the pipe they had rigged up there and the camel would catch the food as it came down the pipe. She loved that!
I think we all had the most fun in the petting zoo though. We started off with ponies and llamas. The llamas were quite anxious to get the food we had. There was a feisty pony too. While Steve was feeding it, Laural tried to pet it. It nipped Laural on the side. Pretty hard. She didn't cry, but I could tell it scared her. The llamas were fun though. One stuck it's head through the fence really far to try to get to the carrots we had on the stroller. Micah got all excited over that. It's long neck was right over his head. I like llamas. In this pic, it doesn't look like Micah is too thrilled with the llama, but the truth is that he just wasn't happy that I kept calling his name to take pictures.
I think our favorite animal of the day, though, was the baby zebra. It was so sweet! It would follow you along the fence, looking for food. The baby camels were sweet too. They had stinky breath which wasn't much fun when they got right up in your face looking for some food and attention, but they were still cute.















Laural decided to use some of her allowance money to buy a couple of souvenirs - a white tiger pen, a flashy thing and a hobby horse. I think that's what they are called. It's one of those broomstick things with a horse head on it so kids can pretend to ride a horse. If you press it's ear it makes galloping sounds and neighs. We got Micah a stuffed giraffe. Just what we needed, huh? Another stuffed animal. We had a pretty good day. Nobody got hurt and it was fun to watch Laural and Micah get so excited over the animals. Great day!