P52 - Week 35 - A Minor Delay

It's been an "interesting" week around these parts as Hurricane Harvey tore its way across Texas. We are so blessed to have been spared the worst. In fact, we only had to hunker down and endure a bit of cabin fever while the winds and rain howled outside.

For the Boy, however, the biggest impact was that his summer vacation was extended by an extra day due to the storm.


He's ready to go back, regardless of what he says. He's been considerably more idle this summer than in any summer I can recall. And I know he craves routine and structure almost as much as I do. But even more than that, I know he's ready to be with his friends again.

I hope he has a FANTASTIC sophomore year!

P52 - Week 34 - The Monday Blues

This sad little face sums up exactly how I feel about Mondays most of the time:


But despite his forlorn look, he was such a cuddly, snuggly, little ball of bulldogge! He was a bit unsure about playing on the slick floors, but once he was in my arms, he was a licking machine!

It's just what the doctor ordered, imho!

P52 - Week 33 - Be Still My Heart

I'm having one of those "mommy moments." My Wonder Boy (Wonder Guy?) is on the door step of his sophomore year of high school, tenth grade; he's also a few weeks away from turning 16 years old (& all that that entails) and my heart is all mush.


I'm excited for him and I simply LOVE watching him grow and change and ... I don't know ... EVOLVE ever more into such a fine young man. It's not that I miss the days when a kiss from mom and a chocolate chip cookie made for the BEST.DAY.EVER for him. It's not that he's filled with teenage angst. But I still find myself clutching to every possible minute with him right now.

I don't want to return to the past (though I certainly like to reflect on it on a regular basis) but I'll admit that I'm in no rush to meet the future either. I truly want to embrace this particular moment that is so ripe with possibility.

P52 - Week 32 - Barbara Manatee

Barbra Manatee (Manatee, Manatee)
You are the one for me (one for me, one for me)
Sent from up above (up above, up above)
You are the one I love (I love, I love, I love)"

This week's share is two-fold. First ... look at that sweet face!

Wonder Mutt's breeder has a new litter that has just opened their eyes and they are cute and cuddly and everything wonderful that is a new pup!

As I was going through the pictures, I kept thinking that the pups reminded me of .... I couldn't put my finger on it, but I kept thinking there was SOMETHING about these sweet little beasts that struck a chord with me.

These little guys are only a few weeks old, eyes only open about 3 days. And while they have started to move around in their little nest, on top of blankets, carpet, and one another they really don't have their "sea legs" yet. So when we brought them out on the hard wood floors, the were having a hard time getting good enough purchase to stand for more than a couple of seconds. So instead, they kind of "swam" around the living room. And that got me to thinking that their body shape, heavy in the front and tapering to the hind legs, really made them look like manatees!

And I can't even start to think about manatees without recalling the days when the Veggie Tales silly song "Barbara Manatee" was a favorite in our home! In fact, I expect to carry the melody with me for at least the rest of the day now that the thought is firmly planted in my mind. I hope you will too! And if you have never had the pleasure of hearing this little ditty ... well ... check it out here!

P52 - Week 31 - All who wander are not lost

My guy just LOVES to hike! Put a pack on his back and set him off where you can no longer hear the sounds of city life and he can motor up and down the trails from dawn to dusk. It's his happy place. And thankfully, it's mine as well!


This particular snap was taken on our last full day of hiking in Colorado this summer, on the Palmer Lake Reservoirs trail. We had tried to make our way to the upper reservoir the day before, but got rained out. We were so pleased when the clouds dispersed and gave us one more day on the trail to give this hike a second go around!

The trail was not technical by any means, but it climbs almost 900 ft in elevation in only about 2 miles of trail and that makes for one heck of a workout!

We say it every year, but it bears repeating ... you just can't go wrong in Colorado! No matter what direction you turn, Nature's beauty surrounds you. While we enjoy the challenge of some trails over some others, it still never fails to take my breath away! And I really hope that we can make it four-in-a-row next summer!