Saturday Stroll

There is nothing like a walk on a cool fall day...

...and boy, do the FIVE of us draw some interesting comments.

The Ordeal

Disclaimer: I apologize in advance as I'm well aware that this is a "had-to-be-there" moment, but even so I just can't not share the hilarity.

Dad and Lynn's reception not only included really yummy food (by the same caterer we had at our wedding), family and friends ... there were also yard games to be had.

Ladder golf was the game of choice and it never fails that one of the "balls", in a fit of rage or frustration (thank you to my cousin Andy :)), ends up in a tree twenty feet off the ground. Brilliant.As it turns out, it was OUR game, but after several (too many) failed attempts to retrieve it from the tree (hello, rope wrapped around the tiniest branch in the world) and learning we could buy more "balls", we opted to call it a loss. Or so I thought.

Fifteen minutes later I turn around to see this................My ever competitive husband wasn't going to take no for an answer ... he was standing on a picnic table with ... wait, what is that? Oh right, he disassembled the ladder itself in order to create a "tool" he could dislodge the ball with. (Mind you, this is after a handful of arrogant and determined guys threw footballs, softballs and other objects at the tree for over half an hour ... no lie.)

Well, looking like he might actually have a chance at getting it loose, I moved in for a closer look. And, what do you know? Eventually, he did.

This is honestly the best part and I'm upset that I didn't remember not to turn my camera while shooting the video (and also unhappy to report that I still haven't installed the software my brother lent me which I'm sure would have allowed me to turn the video, but I digress...)

So, my dad watches Nascar. Casey likes to give my dad a hard time about how every driver, in every interview, is notorious for name dropping their sponsor and that each driver sounds identical to the next. Hopefully you'll get it after watching the video ... I promise it's funny. (It also helps that Casey managed to flawlessly pull off the interview.)

Playing Dead

If you have a place in your heart for dogs with a sense of humor, you'll want to check out this video excerpt (on youtube) from David Letterman's Stupid Pet Tricks.

Casey hopes to teach Claddagh to "play dead" very soon. Actually...she does that pretty well already. Here's a shot of her with an impressive "drool bubble".

thank you, little girl i don't know

Thank you, anonymous little girl in the West Bend area. Thank you for outgrowing your adorable, painted, four poster bed. I'm guessing you're not little anymore and your parents (or you, since I'm sure you have an opinion) thought it was time to move into a full or queen size bed. The bigger version of a big girl bed. I promise Mallory will love it like any little girl should.

Also, thank you to your parents for donating it to the local St. Vincent de Paul. (And thank you to St. Vinnie's for only charging $35.88 for it!)
Thank you, little girl, for deciding you could do without this small dresser and fantastic-for-our-average-sized-bedrooms storage solution of a hutch. You've probably moved on to more age appropriate storage...a chic bookshelf or a practical desk. This will be perfect for Mallory some day. I imagine she will be very particular about which animals are allowed to sleep on each shelf and which toys and keepsakes are worthy of being displayed. This is all, of course, several years from now, since she doesn't yet know these things matter to little girls.

Lastly, thanks for this extremely versatile dresser/chest/oversized night table. I can see this piece living on long after the others. Mallory could re-purpose this many times over, as a catch all for crayons and trinkets or treasures from outside like week-old dandelions she thought were pretty or a rock in the shape of a heart. Oh, and a special thanks for the yellow, smiley face band-aid. I'm guessing there was no extra charge for that. (click on the picture to see it...)

I appreciate the pieces matching, though I can't promise they'll continue to look this way. I hope you'll forgive us if we paint them. It's too soon to tell how they'll end up.
.
Phone call between Casey and I the day Meme and I found these pieces at St. Vinnies:
Me: (smiling) Hi, so........I found a bed and some other pieces for Mallory's room.
Casey: (confused) A bed? Does she need a bed?
Me: (matter of factly) Well, not today, but someday she will.
Casey: (laughing because he knows I'm not asking for permission) You know she's 6 months old, right?
Me: (anxious) Yes, but how can I leave them here when they're so perfect?
Casey: (mildly sarcastic and still laughing) You're absolutely right, we need to have them. I can't wait to see them.
Me: (happy) Okay, I just wanted to make sure you felt the same way.

Chicken McNuggets

I found this on the counter when I got home from one of my shows this week.

Likely story Daddy...

Claddagh Update

Today is apparently the day of the dogs, I promise there are pictures of our ACTUAL child to follow. Here is a SIZE update on our horse, I mean, American Mastiff, Claddagh.

June 3rd - 10 wks - 24 lbs.

August 6th - 19 wks - 65 lbs.
Attempting to lift her...

November 9th - 7 1/2 months - approx. 120-130 lbs.

AND.............still growing!!!!

Another size comparison for you:

2 months - can easily walk under the table (and chair, for that matter)

7 1/2 months - can easily see OVER the table

Looking out our front window

She truly is a beautiful, beautiful dog!!

Mallory Shannon Kane

In the early morning hours of September 11th, it became apparent that Casey was right.

Mallory's due date was September 17th, but from the very first day that we knew I was pregnant Casey predicted she would arrive on September 11th. He was the only one (besides Meme) who was convinced she'd be a girl, he would have bet money she'd have a full head of dark hair (like he did) when all along I was picturing blondish curls like mine and he said she'd be under 8lbs while I was certain she'd be over.

Well...

She did.

She is.

She does.

She was.

Born: September 11th, 2008 @ 6:58am
Weight: 7lbs 6oz
Height: 20 3/4 in

End of Summer?

I do enjoy summer with all of it's festivities and outdoor activities, but fall is definitely my favorite time of year! The weather is turning cooler, the leaves are in the very beginning stages of changing colors...and what would fall be without football??

Casey and Claddagh show off their Ohio State Spirit (don't look at me, I just took the picture). Ohio State beat Ohio this afternoon 26-14.

With my due date 11 days away Casey is patiently waiting for Mallory with an Ohio State onesie in hand. I, however, am not waiting as patiently...I think this week is as good a time as any for her to make her debut. We'll see what she thinks.

The incredible growing Mastiff

I'm amusing myself by finding things to post about ... humor me.

This is Claddagh on June 3rd at 10 weeks old - she weighed in at 24 lbs.

This is Claddagh today only 9 weeks later ... drum roll please ... she weighed in at 65 lbs!!! (And yes, Casey only owns one shirt.)

My doctor would definitely be concerned if I gained 40 lbs in 9 weeks, but she's right on target!