Grooming Day

Kai is entered in a dog show this week end here in Regina so today was a serious grooming day. Bath time was earlier in the week, but today was trim and start the poofing time. I took him over to my sister Susan's since she is way better at grooming shelties than I am. Plus it was her birthday so I figured that letting her do the grooming would make a pretty good birthday present. Not sure that she agreed. Anyway, Happy Birthday Susan!

So here is Kai up on the grooming table, partly groomed in preparation for going in the ring tomorrow.

When we were done the sun made a brief appearance between all the rain we have been having. It was good timing for the dogs as they had excess energy to burn off after being cooped up in the house for the last few days. I guess Kai forgave Auntie Susan for the grooming. Notice the swishy tail!
Kai's registered name is WillowGlyn 4 Off the Floor and this is why...

Kai is a brat. His idea of a good time is to harass who ever will let him. Or in the case of Robbie, who isn't afraid of telling him off. Robbie may look fierce with his teeth bared, but he is really having just as good of time as Kai.
Fur already partly flattened by the wet grass, Kai was reluctant to leave his play mates.

I Am Soooo Not Ready for This

I knew subconsciously that after Katie's bedtime confession last evening that I was in a state of denial. This morning reality hit me hard over the head. There was no denying it any longer - Katie was using her halter top as a bra substitue. She insisted on wearing it under her clothes to school this morning.

After school she brought her friend Stephanie home to play. Katie took off her shirt that she was wearing to school (at least I really hope that she kept her other clothes on at school) and the two of them are colouring together in a My Little Pets oversize pad. I can't be the only one to see the irony here. The halter top was definately a fashion statement as it was windy, pouring rain and blinking cold today.

I am really having a lot of trouble with this whole bra thing. She is seven, for pity sake!

But I can see Katie trying to wear this same halter top every day. She is stubborn if nothing else (and I can think of a whole lot "else"). So I went and got her some "small undershirts."

This is the smallest and least suggestive I could find. She is still going to swim in them.

God help me when this kid gets hormones.

Damn Cut Worms!

As if my poor garden wasn't in bad enough shape this year with my planting so late, I am now dealing with cut worms. I have dug out a few already and hunted around for a few more, but I can live without a radish or two. But today I found this...

When they start attacking my head lettuce, then I get angry! At least I got that sucker!

My garden really is pathetic this year. Have you ever seen a sorrier tomato?

But if you look reeaaallly closely, you will see that today it had an actual leaf forming! I love Sugary tomatoes. I special ordered the seed back in December and had it started indoors under grow lights at the proper time. And then I got started with all these beads. The seedlings took a back seat I am afraid. I never even noticed that this was the only sugary seed to germinate until it was time to plant it outdoors. So I plunked it in the dirt and hoped for the best. With my luck the cut worms will have got it by tomorrow.

I have a few pairs of socks on the needles right now. This one is Austermann Step, #18 Vulkan. It is sitting on another little sock bag that I got on Etsy from Stuck in Illinois. I thought it would be great for dog shows.

P.S. I was just tucking Katie into bed when I noticed that she had a halter top on under her night gown. Katie loves halter tops probably mostly because I won't let her wear them to school. When I asked her why she just said "Cause I'm a girl." Apparently she told Dallas earlier that it was because she "was a woman - well, not quite." Well, that explains it.

Monday

I finally crawled out of my space in the basement, plopped down in my knitting chair, did 3/4 of a row of a heel flap while the laptop fired up, and then sat here. And sat there. And sat some more. I did think while I sat, but not about much. Canadian Idol is distracting me.

Wow, she was good...

So since I haven't been doing much of anything lately that is blog-worthy I thought I would steal Kaessa's idea on her blog, My Life Has Gone to the Dogs, and do a Monday Happy List.

So in no particular order here are 5 things that make me happy:

1. Monday Happy Lists
2. Freshly bathed dogs (one dog down, one dog to go)
3. Hot, sunny summer days (come on, God, I am still waiting...)
4. Long summer evenings (16 hours and 20 minutes of day light today)
5. Kraft Dill Pickle Dip and ripple chips

Motherwell Homestead

Today Christopher's grade 3 class had a field trip to the Motherwell Homestead, a national historic site with Parks Canada. I went along as one of the parent chaperones. Although only its only 1 1/2 hour drive from Regina I had never been there before. It was a fascinating place! William Motherwell was a pioneer farmer, politician and activist. His home and farm have been preserved as it would have been in 1912. Even though the Motherwell family was extremely weathy compared to the majority of homesteaders on the prairie, the kids learnt a lot from their wonderful tour.

The barns even have animals. Here Christopher (in the red and white hat) checks out the new piglets.

The kids got to go on a wagon ride. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for the parents.

As we were waiting for the kids I couldn't resist asking our guide Colin to pose in front of the sheep with my sock. Even though he thought I was nuts he good naturedly agreed!

Just how does one explain the Yarn Harlot to non-knitters?

Picture Perfect!

I wish I could bottle up smells and post them on my blog. My back yard smells heavenly! We have 2 old and very large ornamental crab apple trees which are in full bloom.

This one is right outside both the back door and patio doors off the family room. As I am working just down the stairs from the open screen door I can smell the blooms.Of course, I am also living on a steady diet of antihistamines and allergy drugs, but it seems a small price to pay for such beauty that lasts such a short time.

Now if I could just get the rest of my yard work done. I still have bedding plants that need to be planted and the yard hasn't had its spring clean.

I've been busy making a few more lanyards for Anne in Nashville, this time for some of the doctors that she works with.

And my sock picture - another Opal (I like Opal, could you guess?), Elemente 1074.

Saturday Tournament

If someone would have told me before I had children that I would be spending time ringside, cheering on my kids as they were kick boxing I would have told them they were nuts. I'm pretty passive by nature. Fighting was a dirty word to me. It never even crossed my mind that sparring, bouts, hook punch and flying kicks would become part of my everyday vocabulary. I always envisioned my children in dance and piano recitals. But I have become a convert and this is how I spent my Saturday... Yup, at ring side cheering on my kids as they kick boxed. Just one more example of how parenthood will totally change your priorities. That is 9 year old Christopher as he is waiting to start his very first kick boxing match. He lost, by the way. Just too passive by nature also. He is my son, after all.

And here is Katie, trying to stay awake before the early morning bow-in.

The kids were in an in-school tournament and competed in point sparring, weapons matches (another dirty word!), and since they are now old enough and of a high enough belt level, light kick boxing. Katie is actually very much a girly-girl, but still loves kempo. This is the kid that asked for numchuks for her 7th birthday. If they made them in pink she would have been in heaven!

I actually got some knitting done today! The kids had to wait over an hour after the bow-in until their matches started so at least I had the forethought to take along a sock I am knitting.

I finished this sock in the winter. It's Opal Petticoat 1291 and was the 3rd sock I ever finished. I like my socks bright and colourful!