New Arrivals-Sassy and Princess

Flamingo is totally, 100% in LOVE...LOLOL

Flamingos Soccer- 2010

Catch Up...

Well geesh-Its been awhile hasnt it....
Things and days have been flying by here.....Soccer for Flamingo has just ended. Now we are just waiting for school to get out and start Monkey with baseball...:)
I cant believe just 3 more week until school is out...yeah....we have been trying to enjoy the weather here-but its been constant rain for awhile.....the blahs....case of the Mondays all week long...;)LOLOLOL

We are all doing well though*knock...knock*

Hope you all had a fantastic Mothers Day:)

I woke up to some wonderful luvs, kisses, cards,and presents from the kiddoes and dh!!!:) Then we went and saw Iron Man 2, and stuffed ourselves with Ruby Tuesdays after:) Its so funny all of us ordered the salad bar and agn the waitress looked at our kids and were amazed that they were eating their salads and really enjoying them....LOLOL Rubys has a really good salad bar-so the kids just pile on loads of salad and all the toppings they could ever want and go to town-its funny watching them enjoy something so healthy ...LOLOL-but it continues to amaze everyone..

Dh and I have started the treadmill agn...LOLOL-Hopefully we last this time...;)

Dh has promised a kitty this weekend for Flamango-so we will have a new addition come Monday-Flamingo is way too excited abt this..LOLOLOL But she plans on keeping it in her room and everything-as its "her" kitty...LOLOLOL We shall see how Puddin likes this....

Puddin is now going on her 5th week-and still Im clueless....a new symptom though-she is having some discharge-which they say is a def sign she is carrying.....so its still "wait and see" ard here with that...its driving me crazy as I cant really plan anything though and THAT is bonkers crazy...ugh....sigh...but what can ya do?...

Everyone still wants to go camping though-so Im trying to figure THAT out...and with NOT knowing its frustrating..If she has them it would make the pups abt 4 weeks old then, getting ready to wean and start solids-so it would be okay I guess...but Id HAVE to have someone take Puddin potty and check on everything 2 times dailey at least...might be able to get a neighbor to do it..we shall see...

But thats abt the rundown ard here....

Down Home Funnies ;)

Well I know you all are just dying to know if Puddin is expecting...okay-okay...but I am...LOLOL, and no...I still don't know....

She's still acting way weird, and I feel little walnut bumps in her tuummy...so I have NO clue. Brandt says Im just making something there as i want it to be there...LOLOL..yeah..okay...maybee...but I DO feel something there...so anyway-its still a roll of the dice I guess...:)

Today though-I let he outside to run ard in the back-I don't like getting her too worked up. Its really weird-but a dogs body will retain fetuses if under stress-did you know that??I'm learning soo much from the researching Ive been doing...LOLOL. But anyway...I guess in the wild if the Momma senses she is in danger, or in a dangerous situation-her body will automatically retain the pups she is carrying if it is in the early stages of conception...I find that a tad bit interesting..so anyway -Ive bean trying to make her environment as stress free as possible...hard ard a house full of munchkins...LOLOL, but I'm trying...

A mother dog has even been seen canibilising her young if put under stress.... I guess better to be gone than in pain or being killed by something...weird -eh?

ANYWHO....I was letting her run ard outside the back and the two calves in our neighbors yard just kept getting under her skin...She'd run up to the fence line, claiming he territory and what do ya know-the one calf just kept teasing her-slowly going back up to the fence-and as soon as Puddin got wind of it-she was chasing them off agn-it was hilarious...I just cant believe that calf teasing like that-it made me laugh...

Tonight I also laughed with something Stinger did. We got these new shower soap holder things. You put the little bits of soap that fall into the drain into them and then you scrub with them....they are pretty cool-so you can use up those little bity soaps and hold on to your soap better...

Stinger was in the shower for abt 1 half hr... I thought to myself what the heck is he doing in there....LOLOL, so I open the bathroom door and call out to make sure everything is okay. He peeks out from the shower curtain with an exasperated look on his face and I ask him what is wrong. He procedes to tell me that he doesn't like the new soap holders(he had been so excited to use them-as the soap is always slipping out of his fingers again and again)...but now he doesnt like them. I question him as to why and he says he cant get the soap to stop coming through, that he is done washing and it wont stop... Seams for a half hr he had been trying to stop the soap from lathering through the scrubby...LOLOLOL, hadn't washed his hair or anything as he just couldn't get it to stop-and he thought he needed to wash it clean(get the bubbles off)which we all know wont happen when you are holding it under the shower...LOLOL-how cute is that?LOLOL, he was really embarased when I explained to him it was okay-that they could just stay there-that they would just go away on their own...that he could just lay it down and be done-LOLOL My Stinger-My funny guy-eh?:)

Anyway-it had me laughing as I closed the bathroom door behind me....My Funny for the night:)

Pan Bread Sticks:)

These look and taste just like those nummy Pizza Hut breadsticks-nummY!:)
Quick and Easy Pan Breadsticks

3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon SAF yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups hot tap water
4 tablespoons butter, melted (divided)
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
Johnny's Garlic Seasoning (or other garlic and herb dried spice blend)

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook combine bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt - stir a little to combine. Add hot tap water and mix until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, you can add a little more water if the dough is too dry (just add a tablespoon at a time). Knead at high speed for 5 minutes. Cover bowl with a towel and let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Spread 2 tablespoons of melted butter on a large cookie sheet with a rim. Place dough in the middle of the pan and let sit uncovered for 3 minutes. Spread dough out flat until it reaches all of the edges of the cookie sheet - use a rolling pin and your hands to spread the dough out. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top of the dough, spreading the butter around evenly with a rubber spatula or your hands. Sprinkle garlic seasoning evenly over the dough, then sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the dough. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into 3 even strips down the length of the dough. Then cut the other way into 12 rows so you end up with 12 rows with 3 breadsticks in each row.

Place the cookie sheet of breadsticks into a 170 degree oven and turn off the oven. Let the breadsticks rise in the warm oven for 15 minutes (breadsticks should rise about 1 inch). Turn oven back on and set to 350 degrees, bake breadsticks for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. During the last 2 minutes I covered the tops with foil and placed the pan on the bottom rack just to brown the bottoms of the breadsticks a little more.

Piggy Bows by Jenn:)

How cute is this???!!!

Puddin-Plain Pooped.....

Someones exhausted doing absolutely nothing...LOLOLOL
Hmmm-week #3 sign: "She may also stretch out a lot due to her movement in her abdomen." Hmmmmmmm.....


THis is what dad looks like-more white with black patch on eye though-but Aussie Shepard:)

Puppy Research continued:)

Okay-so I am driving everyone nuts here-asking "She looks pregnant...Is she pregnant?!!" LOLOL Dh says he doesnt know-me and the kids say yes-LOLOL maybe there is a little bias as we all WANT her pregnant-LOLOL;)Dh says its in my head...so maybee it is...but its not stopping me from learning and researching all that I can...I just HAVE to...HAVE to be prepared for this type of thing..but we really wont know I guess until abt the 6th week-so 3 more to go....sigh...

Dh said he didnt want to hear anything more abt it until we were sure...then he started talking abt the whelping box-LOLOL-how funny is that?!LOLOL

Puddin is crazy affectionate these days-when dh gets hoem she abt pounces on him on teh couch and wont leave him alone-this usually only happens when he is eating something, but lately she is all over him-and following me ard even to the restroom-which is not normal. But dh is loving this affection-ist reallyweird if you actually watch her-she is the funniest girl-LOLOL

At night and during the day she acts as if she has just ran a marathon-and plops down exhausted-LOLOL-Shes soo tired and sleeps ALOT more so than usual. Which is NOT normal fro her either.

Her teats are enlarging every day-not too big or swollen, but def a change in that area as well-along with her private region...........her stomach looks like it is a bit bigger-which I still need to measure behind her last rib(*update-just measured-shes a slim 29 inches:))-then at day 40 I will measure agn-if it has grown-she is carrying...

SO...all this leads me to believe that she is with child!!!Right?? So nayway-tahst what Ive been doing-driving myself crazy-learning as much as I can so I can be confident if she is pregnant .;)

Flamingo has started Soccer agn-so we are running ard 3 times a week for that-but she LOVES it:) Monkey boy will start baseball in May , which he is excited for:)

Puppy Research Going On....

Well this is what I have found and this is what I am planning on sticking to for awhile...I researche dteh optimal time and ..BINGO..we hit it right on....yigh...so looks pretty darn for sure we will be having puppies..Grami has spoken for one already...
Puddin usually follows me ard -is my shadow, unless Grami is here-LOLOLOL So she wants one if we do end up having puppies :)Puddin is REALLY particular ard anyone but family....she gets REALLY teritorial...but shes got a very friendly loyal devotion to us and we love her so much:)But she has a few outside favorites-Grami included:)
Anyway heres the schedule-shes going on 2 weeks now come Tuesday. She sleeping alot more, I can see a difference in her personality-a bit more attention seeking....etc...


Pregnancy Timeline

Week 1

* Fertilization occurs.
* 2 cell embryos are in the oviduct.

Week 2

* Embryo will be 4 cell at start of week and 64 cell by end of week.
* Embryo enters the uterus.
* Feeding small amounts of high protein supplements, such as eggs, lean muscle meats (not pork) or liver is a good practice..

Week 3

* Embryos implants along uterus wall.
* During the next two weeks the important organs will develop.,
* Her nipples begin to turn pink and enlarge.
* May loose appetite during this week.
* Morning sickness may occur -She may also stretch out a lot due to her movement in her abdomen.

Week 4

* Morning sickness should go away and appetite return.
* One of the early signs of pregnancy is for the dam to ‘adopt’ a toy.
* Development of eyes and spinal cord and faces take shape.
* The fur on the belly and around the nipples thins.

Week 5

* The doctor may be able to detect pregnancy (85% accuracy) by feeling the abdomen. Diagnosis by x-rays is usually possible after 45 days (95% accuracy for determining the number of puppies).
* You may be able to feel the little puppies -they whould be the small bumps in the abdomen.
* Develpment of toes, whisker buds, and claws.,
* Eyes now close and gender can be determined.
* The puppies are now considered fully developed miniature dogs.
* She may be showing… She may also gain a little weight particularly if she is going to birth more than 1-2 puppies..

Week 6

* During the last several weeks, your dog’s nutritional needs nearly double. Feed small meals several times a day.
* We recommend feeding puppy food through the end of lactation (nursing)..
* Increase water.
* Enlargment of mammary glands as nipples darken and enlarge.


Week 7

* She may shred papers, blankets or bedding in an attempt at “nest building” in the last weeks.
* During the last 2 weeks, your pet may become irritable and should avoid contact with small children.
* Moderate exercise is the proper approach. Neither forced rest nor strenuous exercise is a good idea. Short periods of gentle play and short walks are good..
* You may feel the puppies now but counting them may be a bit more difficult.
* Definate abdominal enlargement.
* Abdomen hair will start shedding.

Week 8

* Dam begins to spend a lot more time grooming herself.
* Her breasts become swollen as her milk forms.
* Nesting begins as she looks for a place to have her puppies… Make sure you have her box or spot ready..
* The dam may not have as big of an appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies.
* You can feel the puppies move now.
* See if you can get her used to her whelping box

Week 9

* Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.
* She may express milk from her nipples.
* Watch for her temperature to drop. You may take it rectally if you want but she’s just plain old cool to the touch compared to what she has been the last 8 weeks.
* She may also become restless, seek seclusion and in the last few days, soil the house.
* She will be ‘nesting’ 12-24 hours before the birth

Expected Date of Whelp.

* Expected date of whelp. Average is 62 days but may take place from the 58th to the 68th day.
* Keep watching for that cool to the touch.. if you’re actually taking the temp, it does drop from 101 to 98 degrees.
* Appetite will disappear as whelping approaches.
* May see a clear discharge from the vulva.
* At onset of labor may pace, dig, shiver, pant and/or vomit.

First fetus will be delivered within 4 hours of the onset of labor.


*so Ive calculated and ard the 14 of June is what we are looking at :)

Whoo!!Spring Break ;)

We started our Spring Break here on Friday-ist a very weird Spring break-going from this Friday through Tuesday-weird-eh?
But we have been having alot of fun-playing outside, getting the soil ready for our garden again:), playing baseball, riding bikes, going for walks-now that the weather is FINALLY cooperating:)LOLOLOL

Today we went out to eat at Rubys-we all got salads and burgers-they have the BEST salad bars and all the kiddoes where so happy as they could load their plates full of everything THEY liked:)LOLOL, we all left plum full:)

Then we headed over to the movie house to see what was playing. We got there just in time to see Clash of the Titans-it was REALLY, REALLY good:) I usually get bored with that sort of thing-but this one is a buyer!!LOLOLOL Maybee the Pegasus had something to do with it-;)0LOLOLOL, no really, it was REALLY a good movie. Reminded me of the Sinbad shows I watched as a child-as Papa was always into those. Dh says its a remake of an older version-I remembered the owl, but that was it-so Id obviously seen the older version, but cant really remember it...but it was good-Papa you will LOVE it!!:)

Then we came home and had more fun playing outside-and weeding my flower beds-LOVE it!! Man!!! I have SOO missed the warm!!!!!

3 Bun Pony-Too cute!!

How CUTE is this.....again!!!!!
Of course-taken from Adopt a Do-Mindy :) Thks Mindy-Flamingo will love this!!

OOPS........

WEll...well.....well....

We might have a litter on the way.....

Puddin has been in heat for the past 2 weeks. We have been keeping her in the kitchen and taking her out on a leash whenever she goes out front. We have never had a problem with other male dogs coming ard when she has been in heat before, so I didnt even think twice when she bolted out the door before I had a chance to leash her and to the side of the house(this is the normal place she usually goes pottty)

So I follow her over there and there is this big male farm shepard dog,(you know those farm dogs that heard sheep and are really good at those agility training things on TV))whom I had never seen before.

I realized in just that second I am too late and its done....yigh.....I tried to shoo him away and he would have none of it-there was nothing I could do:(

So I guess we are trying to decide what to do. We had called the vet abt 2 weeks ago and they had said they wouldnt spay until 2 weeks after heat cycle, so we were just waiting for her to stop and then we were going to have her spayed.

But I think we have decided to see if it has taken, as there are alot of variables such as:
1. She is at the end of her cycle
2. The male might have been neutered?
3. It might not have taken just because...

At any rate dh has thought abt it and I guess he has decided that another Puddin woulndt be SO bad-so he is okay with just waiting and seeing...so Im thinking that is what we will do...

Puddin is the best dog that we have ever had, and Ive been looking online and theres always a chance of something going wrong and something happening to the momma...so Im not 100% sure we should do this....although-you know my love for animals and Id love a litter of pups too..so Im torn,I dont know....

I guess we will just see what happens-if she is pregnant we will be okay with it, if not then we will get her spayed...

I havent said anything to the kids yet-only Stinger-as I dont want their opinions persuading me......as I know what they would say-they would love it....

So I will keep a close eye on her and watch for signs and act and treat her as if she is...and we will be ready either way then....

The gestation period is 61 days...so abt the middle of June Im figuring.....

I get excited then I get worried, excited, then worried agn....LOLOLOL

I know Puddin would be a great Momma-and I know dh wants a litter-as he has already told me we are keeping one-LOLOL, Dh even considers Puddin apart of our family. I just think it worries him too abt possible problems...but I will research EVERYTHING-you know Im good at that one;) LOLOL, and we will be 100% ready for whatever comes our way....

At any rate-the little peep chickey plans are out the window for now-LOLOLOL

This had me crying tonight :( A NON VERBAL AUTISTIC 5 YR OLD people!!!!!! Makes me discusted, sad, then discusted agn....and "they" say that nothing needs to change, that we need to put our children in PS- A cold day in H*** is what I say!!

Updates On Stinger:)

Well alot of updates on Stinger......

I guess the first thing to mention is that I cant find his B-day pics.......sigh....Dont know where they have gone...but maybee they got deleted...yigh...hope not, but as soon as I find I will post:)

Second is that Stinger will not be with K12 next year. We have decided to enroll him in a small Private school that uses the same Curr that I taught him last year that we loved. The Science is amazing and FUN-unlike K12 has been...yuck:P

Its going to cost some money, but not too bad as it is just really small and we know the gal teaching and so does Stinger. I ha doriginally thought no-but as I started thinking bat it-I realized that I love teaching him-and that keeping him here with me is for me-not what is best for Stinger:(

Home is the best place, I agree, but with a special Stinger who does not like to be ard any kids, or do anything socially with any outsiders-I think this is a must for him...something-besides relying on Mom, and being comfortebal in our protective bubble at home-ya know...Gosh it has been hard making this decision. :( I DO NOT like letting go of him-AT ALL:( But I think it needs to be done.

Stinger was firmly opposed to the idea at fist, of course, but after I talked with him and Dh explained things to me abt how he felt, I think both of us are willing to give it a try.

So we will start him off slowly-1/2 days and see how it goes....its basically a whole school day: 8:30-2:30, which dh thinks is too much to start him off with-so we have a bit to work out with that, but I KNOW Stinger will love her if he just gives her a chance. She's a really fun, crafty lady that loves teaching, and loves the Lord-and I know her really well..so I trust her-so its perfect for Stinger(and I)LOLOLOL

I guess teh thing that worries me is if it all falls apart and doesnt work.....but I WILL keep positive and have Faith that this will work-it would be sooo good for him...

So that is the Big news ard here, or big decision that we have made....

I also wanted to put in a plug fro a new show that is NOW my fav TivO'd show. Its called Parenthood and it comes on weekly. Its about a family and all the kids are close to each other and have kids and get together with each other and their Grandparents-each struggling with their own issues in raising a family-it is SOOO AWESOME!!!! One of the couples has a little boy abt Stingers age that has Aspergers-so its been really emotional watching it for me as I can sooooo relate to practically EVERYTHING going on with them.....WATCH IT DAD and MOM!!!!:)Anyway-this show portrays it to a "T"-which is rare :)

Easter Fun Pics:)

Customize your own free photo slideshow

We Are Having Wonderful Weather Today......APRIL FOOL'S(itssnowing...sigh)

Okay All you Moms out there-you have GOT to make these tonight for your kiddoes!!!!!


Aren't they just the cutest darn things??!!!!!

My kids will be tickled silly with these on their plates tonight:)-LOLOLOLOL

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Potato Frosting..

Basically you just follow your fav meatloaf recipe-ours here happens to be from Mrs C(yes its still a fav here girl:)!!)

-So you get your meatloaf recipe all made, spray a muffin tin and scoop some meatloaf into each muffin cup ,(make sure you put a somewhat hill on top-as they wont rise-LOLOL)Bake for an hr at 350*

While baking-make your fav mashed potato recipe. Ours is just basic-milk,butter a little bit of garlic salt. Make sure you make it really smooth. You can leave this white, or put in some food coloring to make it dif colors. I think Ill make Flamingo's pink, Monkeys blue, and Stingers I will just play it safe and keep it white:)

After the little meatloafs are done cooking-get your potatoes(frosting) and put into a sandwich bag and cut tip off-so you can make it swirly and nice like on a cupcake...and VOILA!!Proceed to swirl on top to make a cupcake :)
Cupcakes for Dinner----APRIL FOOL'S!!!!!! Nummy!!:)