Puppy Monday Happiness

Hey! It is Monday! That means....................
PUPPY PICTURES!!!!!
Everyone loves Puppy Mondays!  The puppies were very good models and did great on today's afternoon photo shoot. Look how much bigger Trixie's Double Doodle babies are this week!  They will be starting solid food now and will really start to grow. Awwwww such cuties!

Oh! I like this grass carpet!

Oh! I like this lap better!

Hey! Who is calling us?

Mr. Yesteryear Acres! You give the best kisses!

In just a few more weeks - I will be ready for my new family!

I can't wait to meet them!

Juneau's little babies didn't want to be left out. They say....

"Nap time is the BEST time!"

See you next week!

Double Trump!

Mr. Yesteryear Acres pulled the trump card on me yesterday!  Here I was, trash bags in hand, boxes at the ready, ready to tackle my son's room.  We had just got in a nice groove. At the very start of the massive excavation, my son was all, "I don't want to" and "This is so boring" and "I hate working inside".  We JUST got past that and were starting to make some headway when Mr. Yesteryear Acres called. "TIME TO GET THE HAY IN!" What???? Hay? NOW?!?  UGH! Mr. Yesteryear Acres needed our son to start mowing the hay field RIGHT NOW.  You know the ole saying about making hay while the sun shines. Well evidently this weekend the sun was shining brightly and instead of "let's tackle that bedroom" - it was, "Let's make Hay!" ARGH!  Now how can that be more important? How can Hay - which needs to be cut, and bailed, and stacked before the rain comes be more important than cleaning a room that has been a mess for months? Yes. I know. Hay IS more important. And the worst part was - the HUGE GIGANTIC SMILE on my son's face! He was SOOOOOO excited to have to go mow the hay field. Evidently that is WAY more fun that being cramped up in a room CLEANING all day.  He was gone in a blink of an eye.  I thought I would keep cleaning and working when....DOUBLE TRUMP CARD! The puppies all needed their nails trimmed and the bedding all changed and the toys all cleaned. Yes. Puppies trump room cleaning  too! Oh well. At least we got a ton done and it looks like we might get the hay in on time. There is more raking to do tomorrow and maybe we can start baling. Never a dull moment here!!!!!

Wish me Luck

Please send a squad, ambulance, fire truck, rescue division, superhero or any other supernatural power you might have available if you don't hear from me by tomorrow.
I
Am
Entering
My
Son's
Room
Yes the excavation has now made it to the border of my son's room.  I am heading in there now.  We are going to clean it.  We are going to stay there until I see carpet.  We are going to stay there until his clothes go IN his drawers.  I may never return.  I may not make it out alive. Your thoughts are much appreciated during this disturbingly dark treacherous scary time. It was nice knowing you all. Until we meet again.......

All Gone!

Lady's puppies are getting bigger and they are now eating solid food.  They have quickly adjusted from, "WHAT IS THIS MUSHY YUCKY STUFF YOU ARE FEEDING US!" to "YOU ARE THE MOST AMAZING PERSON EVER TO BRING US SUCH DELICIOUSNESS!"  This morning they ate their entire breakfast and licked the bowl clean!  They all wagged their tails at me with a big "ALL GONE!" look on their faces.  Lady was ever so helpful in cleaning her sweet little puppies up.  She got every piece of gruel and licked her puppies clean while her tail was wagging the whole time.  When her puppies were all clean - she looked at me with a big "ALL GONE!" look on her face. It was definitely a happy "All Gone" morning for us all. I had that same look on my face.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres handed me my morning cup of coffee and I did NOT set my coffee down.  I didn't let go of my mug.  I didn't inadvertently misplace my precious cup of java today. Oh no...I cherished my coffee.  I savored my coffee.  I didn't put my mug down until I had the "ALL GONE!" look on my face! All Gone.... All Happy!

TWO days in a row!

I mentioned that I was busy cleaning like a mad woman trying to get my upstairs back in order.  It is a really big task and I have been ever so devoted.  I haven't answered my phone. I haven't taken lunch breaks. I haven't even hardly taken bathroom breaks! I just wake up in the morning, throw on old working clothes and get busy. Yesterday I set my DELICIOUS cup of coffee that Mr. Yesteryear Acres so lovingly made for me on my daughter's vanity.  I planned on drinking it while I worked. It was 6:45pm....as in 6:45 in the EVENING...before I realized...I NEVER DRANK MY COFFEE!  WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was like, "what is missing in my day????? ACK! MY COFFEE!!!!!!"  I couldn't drink my coffee at that late hour as I would never be able to sleep - so I had to pour my entire cup of coffee down the drain.  Sadness!!!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres puts just the right amount of sugar in my coffee. It isn't even regular sugar. It is raw brown sugar that I love.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres puts just the right amount of cream in my coffee.  It isn't regular old cream. It is heavy whipping cream.  My Coffee is always heavenly!  Today I vowed to not make the same mistake!  I carried my coffee upstairs.  I put it down on my nightstand so I could sip it while I worked. WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It was 6:30pm tonight before I realized I DID IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!  What the heck?  Who forgets to drink coffee????!!!!  This is insanity!  Tomorrow morning, I vow to DRINK my coffee BEFORE I work.................I. Must. Have. Coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Massive Excavating Continues

All our house projects here have been on kind of a standstill as we waited for Mr. Yesteryear Acres to finish restoring the master bedroom.  We had our furniture kind of stashed all over the upstairs.  Our poor son's room looked a bit like a warehouse.  He suffered the worst of it as we had our dressers and clothes and all sorts of our belongings stacked in his room.  The kids playroom upstairs was also completely buried.  So now that our bedroom is done, and all our furniture and clothing are back where they should be, the rest of the upstairs looks a bit like a disaster area.  We kept shoving things here and there while waiting for the bedroom to be completed, and now it is just a complete mess.  We have been working diligently every day trying to get our upstairs back in beautiful order.  I have been selecting a quadrant of a single room every day.  I have my task. I have my goal. I come armed with bags and dusters and boxes and vacuums and then I get busy.  We have been making huge progress and things are finally coming together.  Today's project was the attic. UGH.  My daughter and I moved box upon box upon box and sorted and stacked and cleaned and swept.  It was an all day project.  We didn't even come down for a bite of food until after 4pm and then went right back to work.  My entire body aches.  Even my fingertips are sore!!! I hope I can walk tomorrow! If not - I might need a day off! Excavating is hard work!!!!!

Happy Tummies!

Yea! My daughter made..................COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR HUMANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes! Joy! Happiness!  COOKIES!  Last night when we were done working for the day and were completely exhausted, my daughter said she would make Mother's Day cookies.  I said, "No, you don't need to do that sweetie." I said, "I know you are tired, please don't bother."  I said, "Really, it isn't necessary." I said, "We don't need cookies."  Of course after each of those sentences I added, "But I do LOVE cookies".  And one or two times I might have mentioned that Cookies = Happy Tummies.  And there is a distinct possibility I might have added, "Cookies are my favorite dessert."  I am sure I didn't put ANY pressure on my daughter to make cookies though!  Last night, as we were watching a movie.....we had COOKIES AND MILK! They were SO scrumptious.  They were SO delicious!  They are actually calling me right now!  COOKIE TIME!!!!!!!!!! YES!

Mommy's Day Stork!

We have a very smart Labradoodle Doggie!  She can read! Our cream Labradoodle Juneau looked at the calendar yesterday and thought, "Oh! It is Mother's Day!  I better get busy!" Yes, Our Mother's Day was extra special as we welcomed new baby labradoodle puppies into the world.  We have a beautiful assortment of caramels, creams and caramel reds.  Juneau did a great job!
Here are the new babies

They are the cutest little bundle of love!

Lady's Double Doodle Puppies made their first adventure outside.

They snuggled up with Mr. Yesteryear Acres and enjoyed the sunshine.

The grass is tickly!

Trixie's Double Doodle Puppies are getting bigger

And are as cute as can be

AND

If you were wondering what it looks like

when you are offered

help

in taking all the puppy pictures........

Is this helpful?????

How about this? They don't need their little faces in the picture. 

They need KISSES!

Happy Monday!!!

Greatest Love

Without a doubt the greatest love is the love that stems from being a mother. The moment my first child was born, in that instant, the love in my heart was boundless. The exact second my daughter was born, I knew I would love her with a voracity that would never diminish.  It filled my entire being.  That love only increased when my next daughter was born and then with the arrival of my son, my love grew again. To say that being a mother is the greatest joy in my life would be an understatement. It is the greatest love I have ever known and brings me the greatest joy in my life. I love them unconditionally and I am so very lucky, because they love me that much back. I have been blessed with the three most amazing, wonderful, loving, thoughtful and caring children. This morning as I was wished, "Happy Mother's Day" my thought was, every day is Mother's Day to me. I am grateful every day that I am their mother and every day I am thankful to have them in my life. They are my world. Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Mr. Yesteryear Acres mom, and to all the moms who shower our world with love. And to my own children.......no matter how big you get.....you will always look like this to me

Thanks for making every day Mother's Day!

COOKIES

I love cookies!  Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, Snickerdoodles - it doesn't matter. I love cookies!  I am like COOKIE monster how much I love cookies. Cookies are one of my favorite desserts! Today was COOKIE day. My daughter said she would make COOKIES!  Oh my. Such joy! Such happiness.  My tummy did a happy dance.  I waited all day for the cookie goodness.  I wondered with eager anticipation what kind of cookies would she make.  My mouth watered at the mere thought of my COOKIE HAPPINESS.  Finally, I heard the timer! Cookie time was here!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres was the first in the kitchen.  He grabbed a hot cookie off of the cookie sheet and shoved it in his mouth.  My daughter yelled, "NO DADDY! STOP!" He thought perhaps she didn't want him to eat all the cookies. Or maybe she didn't want him to burn his mouth. But that was not the case. My daughter said, "THOSE COOKIES ARE FOR THE DOODLE DOGGIES!"  Yes. That is right.  It wasn't cookie day for HUMANS.  It was cookie day for the DOGGIES. She made homemade peanut butter pumpkin dog treats for the doodle doggies.  Not cookies.  Not for us.  Not cookie day.  Oh well.  The doggies all said, "OH GOODIE!!!!!!!!!!! COOKIE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WE LOVE COOKIES!"  They are all very happy. The only question is....where are MY cookies!?  Oh dear daughter.... tomorrow is Mother's Day....hint hint.  HUMAN Mother's Day.  HINT AGAIN.  PLEASE MAKE COOKIES! Thank you.

Planting time

Now that we are nearing the end of May, it is time to get busy on our gardening!  We have a huge garden here at Yesteryear Acres. We plant tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, cucumbers, leeks, potatoes, sweet corn, peppers, zucchini, beets, peas, carrots, pumpkins, along with other yummy veggies.  We usually have about 5 acres planted by the time we are done.  The sweet corn takes up most of the garden space but I have to say my affinity for tomatoes also uses up quite a bit of space.  We usually plant around 125-150 tomato plants and then have an additional dozen or so cherry tomato plants.  I really love tomatoes!  In the fall, I usually can 150 quarts of tomatoes just to get me through the winter.  A tomato a day ....... or at least that should be the saying! Mr. Yesteryear Acres has already started planting some of the veggies and this weekend looks to be a garden planting weekend. We freeze and/or can all our own veggies, so we have to get busy.  The freezers and shelves are getting bare! Planting time!

Website is Down

I think this will be my least favorite blogpost I have ever written. My website hosting server has crashed! ACK! My website won't load! Last night I received several emails letting me know that my site was down. I frantically tried to fix it with no luck.  The hosting server used to have 24 hour customer service but evidently that is a thing of the past.  I had to wait until 5:30am this morning to get an actual person. I set my alarm and logged onto my computer at the crack of dawn. I tried calling. I tried chatting. Nothing worked.  It was then that I noticed that the customer service department was on PACIFIC time. ARGH!  I waited another 3 hours for the department to open only to find out that they know there is a problem and they are "working on it".  They didn't seem to be overly courteous or concerned with the fact that my website didn't load. They said, "we are working on it." In fact - that is the ONLY information I received. I asked what the issue was. "We are working on it." I asked when it might be resolved. "We are working on it." I asked how long my site has actually been down. "We are working on it."  Well dear website hosting server.....PLEASE FIX IT. When I call again this afternoon to check the status, I would like to hear, "We fixed it!" I don't like disappointing people and I don't like my site to be "unavailable." This is SO important to me and I really hope it is fixed soon!!!!!!!!!!

Is that the IRON?!?!

I don't iron.  I know HOW to iron but I don't iron. Each day I have a million things on my "To-Do" list and ironing doesn't even make the list.  I don't like to iron, I am not good at ironing, and furthermore, I am actually capable of putting MORE creases in a shirt, if and when I actually do iron. Mr. Yesteryear Acres LOVES a crisp ironed shirt.  Heck, I love a crisp iron shirt! Who doesn't?  The thing is - Mr. Yesteryear Acres doesn't have much occasion to wear a crisp ironed shirt.  I have assured him that doodle doggies do not care if your shirt is ironed or not.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I go out ....maybe once a year. We never go out to dinner. We never go out on dates. We are always home. Home with doggies. Doggies that do not care if your shirt is ironed which brings me back to my original point........I don't iron. Well today, I had to dig the iron out from its hiding place.  It is stuck in the linen closet WAY in the back.  It is buried under sunscreen bottles, washcloths, and extra pillow cases. It was a chore just to find it! My task of the day was to repair our upstairs couch cushions.  The cushions are.....how do I say this....the cushions are well loved.  So well loved in fact that the material has worn thin in some places and in other places there are actual holes. The couch is a little past its prime. It isn't a pretty sight. I bought some denim patches at the fabric store in preparation for the couch repair. Our couch is a blue denim material - so the patches are perfect. Except for one thing - you have to IRON the couch cushions first! WHAT?! ACK!  So I got out the iron and I followed the directions and, yes, after working diligently for several hours, I repaired the couch.  It actually looks really good!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres gave it a big thumbs up. He said it looked terrific.  Then he looked over on the desk and said, "Is that the IRON?!?!" Of course I had to immediately tell him that the iron was overheated. It was exhausted. It had been working all day and needed to go back into hibernation. It wasn't used to so much activity so there is NO way that it was up to the task of ironing his shirts.  The iron was just too exhausted. I made sure the iron gave Mr. Yesteryear Acres the appropriate look of despair before I put it away. In the linen closet. WAY in the back. Buried underneath the sunscreen bottles, washcloths and extra pillow cases. Just as all good irons should be!

Where is my PHONE?

This afternoon I could NOT find my phone.  I looked everywhere and it was NO where to be found.  I checked like a mad woman upstairs, downstairs, in the car, in my purse, in the kitchen, in the laundry room....nada.  And then to be sure I was utterly mad - I checked all those places again.  Don't you love losing things?  Isn't it awesome to look in the EXACT same places over and over again, all the while thinking, "maybe I didn't see my phone on this completely clean kitchen counter the first 10 times I looked"....or "maybe it is in the car! Even though I JUST looked there!" Yes.  I know the actual definition of insanity is doing the EXACT same thing and expecting a DIFFERENT result, yet I still checked my car 3 times and emptied out my purse twice.  My son is away at a track meet and I was so afraid I would miss his call. Finally Mr. Yesteryear Acres came in the door and I asked him to call me.  I told him my phone was lost! Forever!  I had searched the entire house and it was missing!  He was sure I threw it away as I had been working all day upstairs cleaning.  As he dialed my number, we spaced ourselves out so we could perhaps get a small glimmer of hope in hearing my phone.  When Mr. Yesteryear Acres calls my phone it sings, "But I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more, just to be that man who walks 1000 miles to fall down at your door." It is a very fitting ringtone because as we all know - Mr. Yesteryear Acres IS that man.  As we crossed our fingers, straining to hear, hoping ........BUT I WOULD WALK 500 MILES was glaringly loud.......as if my phone were RIGHT there.  I turned around.  No phone.  Still the phone kept singing.  I turned around again. No phone.  The music was SO loud.  My phone must be SOMEWHERE right near me.  I MUST be getting warm!  Yes.  It is then that I realized............

my phone

was

in

my

back

POCKET!

Surely there must be some sort of prize for this! Winning!

Monday....SMILE!!!!

It is time for MONDAY PUPPY PICTURE TIME!  Our little double doodle puppies are all doing great.  We have the nicest assortment of light caramel, red caramel and red double doodle babies with beautiful silky soft coats.

Cute little Caramel Boy with light Caramel highlights

Puppy Pile!

Sleepy little Snuggle Bears

Dark Caramel Girl

So Soft and So Snuggable!

You didn't really think we would ALL look at the camera at once did you?

Caramel Boy with Blue eyes

See you Next Week!

Blackie

For the past few weeks Mr. Yesteryear Acres has been telling me about a black squirrel that has been enjoying our oak tree. Evidently our acorns are delicious!  Up until this morning, I had yet to see the squirrel. I would run to the window in eager anticipation only to have "just missed it". I was beginning to wonder if Mr. Yesteryear Acres was making the whole thing up. The first time I ever saw a black squirrel was the first time I ever vacationed up north in Michigan.  I ran to the window screaming, "OH MY GOSH!  YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!  THERE IS A BLACK SQUIRREL IN THE TREE!"  My dad just sat in his chair.  As if seeing a black squirrel was not the most fantastic thing he had ever heard. As if seeing a black squirrel wasn't some sort of miracle!  I said, did you HEAR me???  THERE IS A BLACK SQUIRREL OUTSIDE!!!!  It was then I learned that almost ALL the squirrels up north were black.  Evidently it was NOT a miracle. I still gazed out the window staring at the squirrel in deep admiration. It was so silky looking. It was so different. It was so beautiful. It wasn't too long before that squirrel was visited by a few more black squirrel friends and I could see that perhaps someone from up north might vacation down here and run to the window screaming, "OH MY GOSH!  YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!  THERE IS A GREY SQUIRREL IN THE TREE!" No matter how many times I see a black squirrel - I am always as excited as the very first time I saw one.  I think they are awesome. Well this morning, Mr. Yesteryear Acres yelled that the black squirrel was out front - AND I SAW HIM!  I said, "Oh he is SO CUTE! We have our very own black squirrel!  We should name him!"  Mr. Yesteryear Acres informed me that he already had a name.  His name is Blackie.  Welcome to Yesteryear Acres Blackie!  I am so happy you are here!

Seafoam Green Cords.....um no

Today I took on the arduous task of going through every single item of clothing I own. Every single one.  Winter and Summer. Now that we have a brand new bedroom, it is time to declutter and not put everything back as it once was. It is time to streamline our possessions. It is time to let go of the clothes I wore when I was in high school.  I was determined to keep only the clothes that still fit and look good on me.  I spent all day making piles.  Good shirts. Work shirts. Good pants. Work pants. Pants that used to fit me.  Shirts that used to fit me.  More pants that used to fit me. WHY DON'T THESE PANTS FIT ME? Why don't these shirts fit me? SERIOUSLY?  How can these Pajamas be SO small?!?!  HOW CAN ALL OF THESE CLOTHES BE SO SMALL?  The "How Can My Clothes Be So Small" pile was winning by a landslide.  No really.  The tower of clothes was so high - they were falling over in a landslide fashion. At no time did it occur to me that I was too large for my clothes - clearly - all my clothes shrunk.  They are simply too small.  I finally had everything down to reasonable size piles and started folding my clothes. I was almost ready to start putting them in my drawers when my daughter came in. She walked over to a pile of pants and pulled out a pair of corduroys and immediately fell over, laughing hysterically.  She couldn't stop laughing.  Tears were rolling down her face.  She said, "WHAT ARE THESE!?!?" Evidently, unbeknownst to me, sometime between 1980 and 2012, Seafoam Green Corderoys fell out of fashion. Evidently they are so out of fashion that the mere sight of them can reduce someone to tears and hysterics. "So I guess you are saying, 'NO' to the Seafoam Green Cords?"  I am quick to pick up on subtle hints like that.  My clothes were then further streamlined.  Purple pants are evidently out as well.  So was the matching purple top.  Matchy Matchy colorful exercise outfits also fell victim to the streamline process. The good news - is that my clothes are nice and neat and EASILY fit in my drawers. I have room to spare. This can only mean one thing.  TIME TO GO SHOPPING!!!!!

How about this corner?

Last night we finally got to sleep in our new bedroom, in our new bed, in our new happy wonderful beautiful place.  So did our doodle doggies. Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I laid our heads on our pillow, said goodnight to the doggies, and were asleep within seconds.  One doodle doggie however had different plans.  While Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I thought, "OH MY.....THIS IS WONDERFUL" one of our doodle doggies thought this..........
Oh MY!  Where am I?  I have never been in this room before. I have never slept in this room before. This room smells different.  I see my blankie. I see my doggie bed.  I will go lay down on my doggie bed. OH I don't like my doggie bed HERE.  I think I will pick up my doggie bed and toss it in the air and see where it lands.  Oh yes.  This is a good place. I will go lay down on my doggie bed. OH I don't like my doggie bed HERE. I am going to pick up my doggie bed again and toss it in the air and find a NEW place to go to sleep.  Nope. This place is not a good place.  I wonder what the corner smells like.  Oh that smells nice.  I wonder what Mr. Yesteryear Acres smells like. Oh he smells the same as always.  Let me walk all the way around this big big bed and see what Mrs. Yesteryear Acres smells like. Yep. She smells the same too.  Oh Mr. Yesteryear Acres, I miss you already! Let me walk all the way around this big big bed and see if you still smell the same. Yep.  Oh Mrs. Yesteryear Acres, I miss you already! Let me walk all the way around this big big bed and make sure you still smell the same.  Oh wait what does THIS corner of the room smell like. Hey where did this mirror come from? GRRRRRRRRRRR! Why is that doggie who looks just like me growling at me? GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!  I don't like that doggie. Mr. YESTERYEAR ACRES!!!!!!!  THERE IS ANOTHER DOODLE DOGGIE IN THIS ROOM!  Let me nudge you so you can SEE that doggie!!! HEY - look! It is my doggie bed!  I think I will toss it in the air again!  Oh? Is that the alarm?  Time to get up?  I am too tired. I am going to go to sleep right here on my bed.  See you guys later! Night!

King Size Sleep

For 25 years Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I have shared a full size bed.  Yes that is right.  A full size bed. As in a bed that is just slightly larger than a twin size bed.  In case you were wondering....Mr. Yesteryear Acres is not a small man.  He has kind of a stocky muscular build. This comes in handy when our daughters bring friends over as Mr. Yesteryear Acres looks a little intimidating. We all crack up over this - because if you know Mr. Yesteryear Acres, you know he has the softest heart. We just don't tell any teenagers who happen to be at our house that! They are always afraid they will do something to make Mr. Yesteryear Acres mad so they are extra polite. I think our favorite quote from a midshipman who visited us is, "I would not want to do anything to make you mad SIR!"  Of course, Mr. Yesteryear Acres does nothing to dissuade this thought.  So I am sure you get the idea.....Mr. Yesteryear Acres = NOT small.  I sadly must admit....I am not as small as I once was either.  I am much more fluffy than I was back in my younger days. sigh.  Darn Ice Cream! So there we are...two people...side by side....both slightly fluffy....and one very small bed. For 25 years. Plus we always have several doggies joining us in the bed as well so it is really one crowded small cramped space! When we decided to restore the bedroom, we agreed we would get a new bed.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres was actually against the idea for quite a while.  "Why do we need a new bed?  This bed is just fine."  I was more like "wouldn't it be nice if we BOTH fit on the bed?" "Wouldn't it be nice when we are covered in doodle doggies that there would be room for the HUMANS in the bed?" When it came time to go shopping, Mr. Yesteryear Acres wanted the Queen size bed and I wanted the King. The King size was actually on sale and Mr. Yesteryear Acres STILL wanted the Queen.  At the end of the battle, the King Size bed won. Last night we finally set up the new King Bed and IT IS HUGE!  We both stood there with our mouths agape wondering WHY DID WE BUY SUCH A MONSTROSITY!??!  How will it fit? Why is it so tall?  Why is it so big?  We had serious doubts about the bed and we both thought about returning everything.  It is just GIGANTIC.  After staring for hours we decided to make peace with the big behemoth and I put the sheets and comforter on.  Around 2 am we crawled into the humongous bed and..............."OH MY!" and "Ahhhhhh" and "THIS IS SO COMFORTABLE!"  Mr. Yesteryear Acres said, "Oh wow! My whole body fits on this bed!" We have both been used to sleeping right on the edge of the bed with half our body hanging over the sides -- we were shocked at all the room.  We actually scooted towards the middle and STILL had room.  We both decided that this was a King Size Sleep....

That was just right!

And of course Doggie Approved!!!!

The Big Moment

Three years ago (yes seriously - the date was April 13, 2009) Mr. Yesteryear Acres started the arduous task of restoring our bedroom. It was in really bad shape.  There were layers of old wallpaper, no electricity to the room, water damage, leaking ceiling - you name it.  It needed an entire overhaul. Well the big moment has arrived and Mr. Yesteryear Acres is FINISHED!

 It. Is. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

Here are some before pictures:

Look how little my son is!  He is now almost 6'4"!

And don't you love the glue lines on the old wallpaper? So chic!

You can see a little of the water damage above the painting.  We had to keep buckets on the floor to catch the rain. Ahhh the sound of "plink, plink, plink" while you sleep. 

One wall has old wallpaper...one has bare plaster. OOOH how can one decide which look is more chic? 

The best wall of the room 

The flooring is extra special isn't it?

I love a room with scaffolding.  It is so Architectural Digest!!!!

NOW

ONTO

THE

BIG 

MOMENT......

I know. I know. You are speechless.  Me too!  Mr. Yesteryear Acres made our bedroom heavenly!!!! 

Look! Look!  We have Electric Outlets!!!!

Look! Look!  We have LIGHT! And a ceiling fan! This is the same wall where my son was sitting in the "before" pictures.

Mr. Yesteryear Acres even redid the entire fireplace mantle.

The best wall of the room "After"

Ahhhhhhhhh

Perfect!!!!

Tomorrow.....FURNITURE!

Big Project Day

In what seems to be an unthinkable unfathomable unbelievable turn of events......the restoration project for our Master Bedroom is actually almost done!!!! I can't even believe it.  It has taken F O R E V E R.  Here at Yesteryear Acres we are all about our sweet doggies and our sweet puppies.  They always come first.  We accept that, we love that, we are devoted to that, but of course that means that a special project takes a million times longer than it does for most people. No matter what, every single time, without question or hesitation - the doggies come first.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres works so hard every day and is 100% devoted to our four-legged furry family members.  He usually doesn't sit down at night until way past 10:00pm.  He tries to put in 15-30 minutes every day working on restoring our bedroom back to its original 1823 glory, but it just is so painstakingly long and tedious and the million interruptions make it even more so.  Well today we are moving things in our ROOM! We have a helper here for the whole day so Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I are spending every second to make the Big Project Day a success!  We are working straight through the day (not even a dinner break!) and my guess is we will still be working into the wee hours of the morning. Tomorrow I will post lots of pictures and I will be sure to answer all my backlogged email.  This is SO exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh No! Maybe I am Goldilocks!

Last Saturday morning it HAILED here at Yesteryear Acres.  You know...hail... the ice balls that fall from the sky.... in WINTER?! Yes we had hail.  And it was cold all weekend. Really cold. The "I need a sweatshirt and a jacket" cold.  The dogs all looked at me like, "I don't want to go out there...it is COLD outside!"  I turned up the heat in the house and was grateful to have my winter things still available to wear.
Even though.....
It is late April......
Which is considered Spring time.......
When flowers bloom......
Because it is almost May.......
In Ohio......
Where it is almost garden planting time.......
Anyway - I was just getting used to complaining about how darn cold it is, when all of the sudden - today it is sweltering outside!  What the heck?  It is SO HOT outside today.  I had on a long sleeve shirt with a t-shirt over it because I am so used to layering...and I about died of heatstroke. I had to eliminate the long sleeve idea and even with just a t-shirt...still hot! The dogs all looked at me like, "I don't want to go out there...it is HOT outside!"  Every time I let the dogs in today, they come in panting and barely crawling back up the steps.  The last outing had one of the dogs trying to dig a hole in the yard just to find some cool dirt. Of course, I stopped that idea right away, but the doggie just looked at me like, "Hello? I am HOT!"  Okay. Okay. Too Hot. Too Cold........Maybe I AM Goldilocks!!!!  Can tomorrow please be JUST RIGHT?!

Goldilocks

For some reason for the past few days - Mr. Yesteryear Acres likes things one way and my son likes things the other.  For example - last night my son came to me on the verge of death due to severe starvation.  I believe it had been a whopping 90 minutes since the last time he ate. He crawled into the kitchen, barely alive, and asked, "How long until dinner?" I responded that dinner would be ready in 15 minutes.  He said, "THAT LONG? ARGH!!!!" My son didn't know if he would be able to last an entire 15 more minutes without eating. When dinner was a mere 5 minutes away from being ready, my son was barely breathing.  Death was imminent.  Mr. Yesteryear Acres walked into the kitchen and said, "Why is dinner ready so early?????? I don't want to eat now!" Are you serious?  I do not think 6:15pm is particularly early and where are all the thank yous?  Where are all the accolades of appreciation?  Here I made Roasted Chicken and stuffing and gravy and fresh green beans!  I even made a pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.  I mean it was a very fine meal!  Instead I got...."Dinner is too LATE" and "Dinner is too EARLY".  Hurumph.  This afternoon I made my son and Mr. Yesteryear Acres soup for lunch. The other night I made Cream of Potato and Broccoli Soup and thoughtfully heated the leftover soup for their lunch.  I ladled the soup into 2 huge matching mugs.  I warmed them in the microwave for exactly 3:00 minutes each. This is what I got....

Mr. Yesteryear Acres......"Ack! This soup too cold.  I like it hotter"

My son......."Ack! This soup is too hot. I almost incinerated my face!"

Evidently I am living the Goldilocks Fairy Tale.  Maybe....just maybe...Tonight will be just right.

So Real

This afternoon I had the chance to video chat with my daughter.  There she sat in her full camouflage uniform having returned from a Marine Corps exercise.  Just a little 6 mile "hump" along with various obstacle courses.  You know - a typical Saturday morning. As she told me about her Marine Corp field exercises, I couldn't help but think.....where did the time go?  There she was, hair pulled back, in uniform, returning from a difficult training exercise, confident, smiling, ready for anything. I had to think - so this is how it will be.  This is a sneak peek into our future.  She will be off on dangerous missions and I will wait for our video chat all the while never thinking about what she is ACTUALLY doing.  You can't really think about what they ACTUALLY do - because it is way too mind-boggling when it is your sweet little baby out there.  Today my little baby didn't look so little.  Today my little  baby looked all grown up. She has less than one month until she graduates from the Naval Academy and then she is off to Quantico for Marine Corp Basic School training. All of the sudden.....this is just so real. I think.....my baby...is no longer....my baby. Semper Fi.

1000 Words

I am sure we all know by now that I am quite capable of writing 1000 words in my blog with no problem but since a picture is worth 1000 words - I figured you just might like that better.....
Our New Double Doodle Puppies are here!

Lady and Barkley had 6 babies. Here are the 4 boys.

And their 2 little girls.

Trixie evidently thought....anything my sister Lady can do....I can do better!  So she doubled Lady's babies and gave birth to a dozen new double doodle puppies!

We have the cutest assortment of reds, caramels and light apricots.

Cute Little Red Pup

Snuggle Pile!

They are so little and so precious

Now we get to watch them grow! 

Awwwwwww!

Why How Thoughtful

We have a rather large house here at Yesteryear Acres.  We have room, room and more room. We have a nice size kitchen with plenty of floor space.  In fact, our kitchen has so much room, we can fit a kiddie wading pool on the floor, have room to lay down next to the pool, and have cute little puppies born right there in our kitchen. See?  Lots of room. We even have room upstairs.  There is a bathroom with a floor that is easily cleaned.  We have stairs that are also easily cleaned.  We even have a full size basement.  That is a lot of floor space! I am sure you are wondering why I am going on and on about the amount of room in our house. I am sure you are wondering.....just what IS the point.  Well let me get right to it. Today, after staying up all night, I thought, "doesn't a small, teeny, weeny, little nap sound delightful?" What if I were just to crawl into bed for a 20 minute nap?  What if I were to just lay down and pull the blankets up under my chin and close my little eyes? So I quietly crept up the steps, I started to crawl into my bed when......ACK! ACK! ACK!  Gross!!!! EWWWWWWWWWWWW! Given ALL the space in my house, given all the areas that are easily cleaned, given the ENTIRE basement and 2 full floors of living space....WHY, oh WHY, did my cat PUKE up a wet and yucky hairball ON MY BED? Seriously?! She couldn't have done that someplace OTHER than my bed? It wasn't the kind of mess that was easily cleaned either! Soooooooo guess who washed the comforter, sheets and all the bedding instead of taking a nap? Wasn't that thoughtful of me? And even though I am slightly sleep deprived, I would never forget to share the eagerly awaited puppy news....WE HAVE BABY PUPPIES!  I will have newborn pictures and all the details posted tomorrow.  They are all SO CUTE!

Pool...check! Ice Cream...CHECK!

Can you imagine anything more fun than staring at a doggie's behind all night long? I mean doesn't that sound AMAZING?  Why watch TV when you can stare at a doggie's butt?  Why sleep in a comfy bed when you can stare at a doggie's butt?  Why do anything other than stare at a doggie's butt?  Yes, this is the exciting life we lead at Yesteryear Acres.  We get to sit on the kitchen floor, by a little kiddie wading pool, with a pregnant doggie in the pool who is happily snoozing away, waiting for the big moment to arrive.  Our doggies never like to do the quick puppy deliveries.  I have heard from other breeders that their doggie delivers 8 puppies in 1 hour or something like that.  Not MY doggies.  My doggies are evidently so happy, so comfy, so enamored with the pampering, that they take their own sweet time.  A puppy every 2-3 hours seems a good pace.  That way there is time for a good nap in between. Time for lots of praise and accolades. Why rush the process?  Also why deliver a puppy in the waking hours when delivering a puppy at 2am is WAY more fun!!!! The only thing that works to keep me awake on nights like these is....ICE CREAM!  Lots and lots of ice cream.  Oh and yes while I prefer coffee ice cream....the mommy doggies like vanilla.  Ice Cream all around!

Oh BOY! MORE STUFF!

I am not blatantly referring to a dear beloved family member, child, daughter, first born....who is currently at the United States Naval Academy, who is graduating in May....who I just saw over the weekend. I would never want to specifically call attention to one specific person but just in case you ARE my first born child, dear daughter, dear midshipman, at the Naval Academy...THIS BLOG IS FOR YOU. Dear sweet daughter of mine, I cannot tell you the joy and happiness I feel as Mr. Yesteryear Acres, aka your dad, unloads our SUV which is currently FULL of your stuff. Imagine my delight to find your room ALREADY full of stuff, so full in fact, that we get the privilege, no wait, complete and utter joy, in stacking all your belongings...in our living room. OH MY!  What an interior decorator's dream come true!!!  All your uniforms - stacked to the ceiling! Your box upon box upon box of chemistry books, teetering in a mountainous pile! I love the look of smashed cardboard boxes to complete the ambiance of a room. It feels so warm and homey. I am almost in the complete hope that you do not find time to clean out your room when you come home, so that your dad and I can just sit and stare....not at the television...but at your gigantic pile of belongings.  I am really glad that you had to move out of your room so soon and that I was there long enough so you could load the SUV to capacity.  I feel really happy here buried beneath your many accumulated possessions.  How someone who arrived at the Naval Academy with only one toothbrush could amass such an abundance of STUFF is beyond me. I don't think I can adequately express the building anticipation and excitement I feel knowing that more stuff is coming. Oh Boy! MORE STUFF!
Signed,
Your loving and ever so sarcastic mother....who is looking forward to the day when you move your boxes...OUT of the living room.
ps....I love you.

Yes, Window Stickers can make you Cry

This past Saturday, I found myself alone for most of the day. I had planned on spending the day with my daughter, but she had military obligations that kept her from visiting with me.  So there I was alone in Annapolis, while my daughter was busy running the O-Course and the E-Course and going to a mandatory March-On /Lacrosse game.  What to do? What to do? Well believe it or not - in all 4 years that my daughter has been at the Naval Academy - I really haven't been too many places.  Our normal visit goes something like this.  I arrive.  I pick her up.  We hide out in my hotel room all weekend long.  We never go out.  I make all kinds of goodies from home, bring her all her favorite home-cooked meals and we just hang out together eating good food and enjoying each other's company.  We are like little hermits. Well here I was on a beautiful Saturday morning and I thought - I will go out walking in Annapolis!  I walked all along the sea wall at the Naval Academy and admired the sail boats out in the bay. It was a beautiful sight.  I took time to admire all the buildings at the Academy and all the young men and women who walked by, dressed in uniform, devoted to their school and country.  I took time to be thankful for the opportunities my daughter has been given at the Naval Academy. I walked up the streets in downtown Annapolis and went in and out of several little shops located on Main Street.  I felt all the pride and patriotism of the Naval Academy and of Annapolis and I am happy to have been a part of that.  I will miss my trips to the Naval Academy.  I will miss the beauty of the school and the surrounding area.  I bought one small souvenir while I was window shopping. It is a window cling/sticker for my car.  It says, "My daughter is a Marine".  I admit... my eyes were quite watery as I paid for my sticker.  I guess it is time to say goodbye to one chapter and hello to the next.  One month until graduation and then....My daughter is a Marine.

Snow WHAT?

Mr. Yesteryear Acres called me early this morning to tell me that snow was coming my way.  As in real snow. As in 1-2 feet of snow. WHAT?  SNOWSTORM?  It is APRIL.  It is almost the end of April!  I got up and checked the weather maps and yes, there it was, in bright red and pink - a big snowstorm....right...exactly....precisely where I would be driving tomorrow. The mountains were really supposed to be hit hard.  Oh no. I really really really hate driving in snowstorms especially through the mountains! I had planned on staying in Annapolis until early Monday morning because I didn't get any time with my daughter.  We were going to spend as much of today together as we could. I had to let her know that I had to leave early and head on home.  sigh.  Thankfully the people at the hotel were so nice and cancelled my stay for tonight without charging me and I quickly began packing up for my trip back home.  I said my sad goodbyes to my daughter and in the pouring rain, started my long drive home. Despite the constant rain, I made pretty good time and am now home safe and sound. Alright snow....I am ready.

What are these things in the little pink case?

I have my little travel computer with me so I can keep up with my emails while I am away from home.  All morning I kept thinking, "GRRRRRR  I hate this little computer.  It is SO hard to work on. I can't see anything."  I was so frustrated because normally the smallness doesn't bother me.  Normally I am so happy to have something so compact and lightweight.  My big gigantic 20" laptop died a slow and painful death last year and I replaced it with an All-In-One computer.  Well, I can not take my big All-In-One computer with me so I just have this little companion. I tried to work on it last night but it was so difficult and laborious, I decided that I must be exhausted from my long trip and decided to go to bed. I figured that when I woke up in the morning my difficulties would all be gone. WRONG. I was still frustrated this morning.  Why is this so hard? Why am I having so much trouble with my computer? Why can't I see anything?????? Oh.  I know.  What are these things in this little pink case lying right on the table? Are they.......reading glasses!?!?!?! Why, yes, yes they are. Let me put on my reading glasses. I CAN SEE! I CAN SEE!  OH!  My computer screen is SO much bigger now!  There are WORDS on my screen!!! Note to self.....Your eyes are old. You need to use your reading glasses. Get over it. Second Note to Self.....you are mere steps away from wearing your reading glasses around your neck 24/7.  Third Note to Self.....realistically speaking, you should already be wearing your reading glasses around your neck 24/7 because your arms have shrunk and you cannot hold anything far enough away to actually see what it says. Fourth Note to self.....Read Notes 1-3 because obviously memory impairment goes hand in hand with vision impairment.  Final Note - Gave a mice say!!! ..... or if you had on your glasses.......Have a nice day!!!!

But Who WIll Clean The Puppy Mobile?

The puppy mobile was loaded and ready for action early this morning and I got off to a nice early start.  The weather could not have been more beautiful for my long drive.  The trees are now all in bloom and the mountain drive was gorgeous.  I found myself smiling as I looked out into the distance at all the shades of vivid green.  At one point there was a huge line of darker clouds and then some really white cloud peaks.  It looked just like a snow mountain landscape. It was just lovely.  Unlike my past trips through the mountains, I saw no bobcats, no eagles, no ice fog, no blizzard conditions, no fatal accidents, no traffic snarls and surprisingly...no car sick puppies. It was a perfect trip.  I was hoping to make it in time to see my daughter in her formal parade at the Naval Academy but sadly, I didn't make it there.  The trip took longer than I had hoped it would.  I am still holding out for the chance that I can see her for just a few minutes tonight but it looks like I might not see her until late tomorrow afternoon.  Guess I better get busy and clean out the puppy mobile.  No matter how hard I wish.....it just doesn't clean itself.......and yes, my dear son, who so wanted to come with me.....I MISS YOU!

BATHTIME! ....or bath time.....

Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I got up super early as we had a list a mile long of things that needed done today. We have done a pretty good job so far of scratching things off our respective lists, but it looks like it will be rather late tonight before we are done.  The biggest thing on my list was Puppy Bath Day!  Both Lola and Autumn's puppies are going home this weekend so that means....every one needs to be beautiful, and clean, and smelling good, and have their nails all trimmed, and have their hair -you know where (under the tail) - all trimmed, and be all ready for their big adventures this weekend. Some puppies were like this....
"Oh boy! Oh Boy! BATHTIME! What is that? Bubbles? I love bubbles!  What are you doing now? Oh you are trimming my nails!  Let me help you!  Let me lick the clippers!  Let me kiss your fingers!  OH what are you doing now????  COMBING ME? I LOVE THAT!  Let me help you!  Let me lick the comb!  Let me kiss your fingers!!!!!"
And then some were a little more like Eeyore.....
"oh boy.....bath time.  I am going to get wet.  I am not even going to look at the faucet because then I will get even wetter.  Here comes the nail clippers.  She just loves those clippers.  I bet the scissors come out next. Yep. I was right. I am going to lose my tail now."
Of course all the puppies were very grateful and thankful for the attention and now we have a kitchen full of clean and happy puppies. Puppy weekend is here!

Where are the keys?

As you can imagine, we have a TON of puppy toys here at Yesteryear Acres.  We have soft toys, hard toys, rubber toys, fleecy toys and bones, bones, bones galore.  We buy puppy toys all the time and have a gigantic box overflowing with them.  Every day we give the puppies a "new" toy to play with.  One day might be a Nylabone key ring, the next day an octopus, and the day after that a chew toy shaped like a fetching stick.  We rotate through the toys so that every morning the puppies all think, "WHAT TOY DID YOU BRING TODAY!"  They are always so excited to investigate the new toy. From time to time we have to throw away the poor eviscerated cow, or the mangled no longer recognizable rooster, but the toys usually make it through a couple of rounds before they are sent to the big recycling bin in the sky.  Even if the puppies have seen the Nylabone teething key ring before, the fact they haven't seen it for a week or more, makes it all new again. Actually it makes it better than new because it now has permanent puppy smells on it which is SO enticing.  Lately the scenario at our home has gone something like this....
"Where are the Nylabone Teething Keys?"
"Where is the Octopus?"
"Where is the Cow, Rooster, Pig, Lamb, Puppy, Blankie??????"
I keep finding our toy bin EMPTY.  No toys! No Rooster!  No Bears! NOTHING!  WHERE ARE THEY?  Then I walk over to the puppies and .... will you look at that.....TOYS TOYS TOYS!  As in ALL the toys.  Every single one.  The puppies look at me like..."What?  What's wrong?  Doesn't this look like fun???"
I have yelled at Mr. Yesteryear Acres.  He says he didn't do it.  I have yelled at my son.  He denies moving the toys as well.  I know without a doubt that the puppies are unable to climb the puppy gate and walk to the other room (all while leaving the floor spotless) and reach into the 3 foot high box to pull out toy after toy.  It is a physical impossibility.  How in the world am I missing all the toys every day?
Well.......I have found the culprit.  The culprit weighs about 40lbs.  She has four legs.  She is very furry and fluffy and cute. I caught her today in the act.
This is what I saw......
"Why hello little puppies!  How are you doing?  OH you don't have enough toys. Poor little puppies.  Poor poor poor sad little puppies. I am so sorry you don't have enough toys to play with. I will go help you!"
Then my doodle doggie runs to the other room, puts her paws up on the toy box, grabs a toy, then runs to the puppies, puts her paws up on their play area and drops the toy for them to play with.
Then she looks around, quite proud with her accomplishment, and the puppies all yip and squeak with joy. She is their HERO!  In fact she is SO much their hero she thinks....
"Oh little puppies. That is not NEARLY enough toys for you to play with. I am so sorry you don't have enough toys to play with! I will go help you!"
Then of course she repeats this over and over until the toy box is empty and the puppies are surrounded by mountains of toys.
Well, at least it keeps them all busy! Who knew I had a doodle Nanny??!!  Now.... if I could only train her to load the dishwasher.... Look Doodle Doggie, a sink full of dishes!  Poor poor empty dishwasher.  It has no dishes. I wonder if that could work!!!

Last "awwww" before they go home

The puppies are all going home this weekend. We have one last "awwwwwwww" look at our sweet puppies. See how much they have grown?

Mr. Yesteryear Acres WAIT FOR US!!!!

See? That's better!  You LOVE company!!!!

Where are we going now? Where are we going NOW? Mr. Yesteryear Acres, we will HELP you!!!!

Oh, I see. PICTURE TIME!

How about if I pose for you right here?

I am going to dazzle them with my, "Aren't I a cute snuggle bear" pose

I am using the, "Look at my adorable loving eyes" pose

To all our new families.....See you soon!!!!!

And don't worry about missing your cute puppy picture fix .....we have new puppies due soon so more adorable baby puppy pictures will be posted on the blog and there will be more "awwwwww" smiles on the way!

Which Alarm is Better?

So in choosing the perfect alarm, one guaranteed to get you up at the crack of dawn....which scenario is better?
Scenario Number One..... "Gag, WHAAAALLL, Gag, WHAAAALL, BLEEEEEEEHHHHH". Oh yes.  That is the sound of one of our doggies throwing up this morning at precisely 6:30am......in the morning....in our room.....UNDER the BED! Mr. Yesteryear Acres and I looked at each other and said, "well this morning is starting out on a bright note!"
Scenario Number Two....."Mommy PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE will you get up and "sit with me" while I schedule my fall classes online?" Translation - Mommy, will you set your alarm for 6:30am, and then log on to Skype so you can watch me sit in the dark, and not talk to you because I cannot wake my sleeping roommate, while I type in my class selections for Fall Semester 2012? Because what if I am closed out? What if I need an alternative schedule to the backup schedule to the Plan B schedule that we already picked out????
The answer to which alarm worked best this morning is.....BOTH.  Yes BOTH. Ahhh the peaceful sound of a dog puking mixed in with the loud ringing of my alarm to gently wake me from my slumber. Joy.  Happiness.  Peace.
So of COURSE I got up.  And of COURSE I sat there in front of my computer and "watched" my daughter type in her schedule. And of COURSE she got her Plan A schedule because we only went over it a thousand times to make sure it worked. And of COURSE I cleaned up the dog puke under my bed.  Here at Yesteryear Acres we have what surely should be a "Patent Pending" system of dog puke removal and/or dog poop removal. We are certified experts in this area!
Supplies:
Paper Towels
2 Vinyl Gloves
Scissors
Stiff Paper Plate
Grocery plastic sack
Carpet Cleaner
Procedure:  Cut paper plate in half with scissors.  Put on pair of gloves.  Hold each half of the paper plate in your hands and then SCOOP up the offending doggie mess with the plates.  VOILA! Paper plates make the BEST doggie yucky mess scrapers in the world! Throw paper plates in plastic sack.  Scrub small remaining smear mess with cleaner and paper towels.  DONE!
What a lovely morning.  And for all of you that are wondering and worried and fretting over why the doggie puked and if the doggie is okay - the answer is yes.  My doggie just thought that perhaps leaving behind a little bit of a .....how shall I put this.....Cat "Fudgesicle" that she decided to eat late last night would be a loving and adorable way to start my morning. Aren't I blessed to have such awesome alarm systems???!!!! Please let me know if you would like me to share!

Errands for Two

Today I had a thousand errands to run.  Okay, okay - so it wasn't really ONE THOUSAND but my list was really long!  I needed to go to Mr. Yesteryear Acres parent's house, then go get dog food, return purchases, go warehouse club shopping, go to my parent's house, etc.  It was a really full schedule!  Much to my delight and surprise, my son offered to go along with me for the day.  What was going to be a really long drawn out day of running errands turned into a super fun day spent with my son.  He was really glad to visit with both sets of grandparents and he was just the best company.  He even went in with me for my return purchases errand which went above and beyond the call of duty. I had to go to a store where they sell WOMEN'S CLOTHING. Can you imagine the torture?  He held up well under the pressure and I was a really good mommy and didn't shop at all.  I didn't even look at the new spring purses!  It took all I had to resist the spring clothes calling me.  We ended up getting everything crossed off our list and now have to play catch up after being gone all day long.  My son thanked me for such a fun day. Errand shopping? Fun?  YOU BET!

"T"A DA!

Yes let the celebration begin. I. am. finished.  All done!  Signed, Sealed, Delivered! Whew.  Another agonizing tax preparation season behind me! I hereby promise to do much better this year in organizing and filing all my receipts and paperwork.  Okay wait.  I hereby promise to TRY to do much better this year in organizing and filing all my receipts and paperwork.  Okay wait. I hereby promise to try to do much better this year in THINKING about organizing and filing all my receipts and paperwork. There!  That is a legitimate promise I will keep!  I am so glad to be done. I am so glad to be released from my exile. I was hoping to spend a lovely day outside this afternoon playing with the puppies but it is raining.  Yuck!  Where is my sunshine reward???? I think I deserve it.  Maybe tomorrow.  I guess I better get busy on allllllll the other work I have to do.  Seems as if I am behind on one or two things. In looking around, "Laundry Mountain" is waiting for me.  So is "How many dishes can Mr. Yesteryear Acres and my son fit in the sink".  So is, "Stack O' Mail".  Alright.  Guess I better get busy. Dear Laundry Mountain....oh how I missed you!

5:39am

"RING.....RING......RING"  Yes that was the unpleasant sound of my phone this morning ringing at 5:39am.  The Superintendent of our schools called to let us know that, yes - we did have school. Gee.  Thanks.  The elusive escapee that caused schools to be closed yesterday was caught in some bushes not too far from where we live around 11pm last night.  It made headline news on all the 11pm broadcasts.  Since they caught "the bad guy" naturally I assumed school would no longer be closed. I would think that the members of our community would also have the same assumption... YES Bad guy on the loose = NO school. NO bad guy = YES school.  I told my son that before he went to bed. I also told him that HOPEFULLY they will catch the guy because no one wanted him running around loose.  Evidently his friends were all hoping for one more day of "ALERT ALERT ALERT!" so they could have a 4-day weekend.  Thanks to the diligent efforts of our police force, the bad guy is no longer loose and no one was injured or harmed during his escape and subsequent capture. So this morning when our phone started ringing - of course my son RUNS to the phone assuming it was a call to say, SCHOOL IS CANCELLED, but instead he got SCHOOL IS OPEN. The anticlimactic nature of that phone call cannot be adequately described.
One - We do NOT wake up at 5:39am on school days.  That's just mean.

Two - We do NOT expect phone calls to tell us what we already know. "RING...Why Hello. Today is Friday. You have School." That's just mean.

Three - We do not like to witness (at that hour especially) our boy go from complete joy to complete misery in less than 30 seconds.  That's just mean.

Four - The dogs do NOT know it is 5:39am in the MORNING when the phone rings and people DASH out of bed.  The dogs' only thought is, "YAYAYAYAYAY the humans are UP!  IT IS MORNING TIME! YIPPPEEEEEEE!"  That's just mean.

Five - Getting up at 5:39am when I still have work to do on my taxes means I have to start working at 5:39am.  Again - MEAN!

Six - anyone want to guess my mood today??????

Yes. You are right. Mean. Tomorrow my son has to be at the school at 6:45am for a track meet. If my phone rings at 5:39am to tell me that my son has a track meet.........SO HELP ME!

What? Is there Hail? A Blizzard? What?!!

Early this morning our phone rang just as our son was heading out to the bus.  School had been cancelled. What? I looked outside to see if by chance a blizzard had struck or ice storm or some other calamity.  Nope.  Blue skies.  Checked our electric. Working.  What is going on? Well as it turns out, some dangerous psychiatric inmate had escaped from a nearby holding facility and was on the loose. Great. Of all the reasons we have had school cancelled - THIS was a new one! Evidently the escapee is considered extremely dangerous and has still not been captured. Last year, we had the dangerous wild animals escaping, this year we have violent criminals escaping.  What's next?  Remember when we were young and the only time school was cancelled was for a big snow storm?  And it had to be REALLY big because back then - we all went to school when there was snow on the ground.  No way did a 2" snowfall cause schools to be delayed.  No school meant sledding and hot chocolate and pajama day.  I guess those days are gone.  Now we have lockdowns and all kinds of crazy sad situations.  As for my son, like any boy his age, he was delighted with the school cancellation. Mr. Yesteryear Acres was delighted as well. He has our son out working on the tractor before 10am this morning. What a lucky boy. Always something to do here...because you know, Yesteryear Acres work is never cancelled!