End of Summer

It's official. Summer has come and gone. We have been back at work for three weeks. Sad face And as much as we loved summer - every second of it - it is nice to be paid again.

I think the end of the summer was the most packed part this year. Last year I think it was the whole thing.

So where was I at the end of the last recap? The beginning of August. Crazy. I can't believe it has been that long! I promise not to let that happen again any time soon. PROMISE!

So back to August. A trip where I left my camera at home. So sad. We went up to CT to visit my family for the first time all summer. Crazy in itself. We all made it home for Shabbat dinner on Friday night. Lovely to spend time together. Saturday we were not celebrating Sarah's birthday. The ladies had mani-pedis (I am still rocking that pedicure amazingly). And my brother and I brought home fried lunch. We spent the afternoon at the outlets and then we went up to Mohegan Sun to not celebrate Sarah's birthday.

Oooh funny story. The four of us, Sarah, Dan, Matt & I were staying overnight at a local hotel that night. And we told them to get their own rooms. Dan found a deal for the same hotel but $75 cheaper than we did. Because it was in a different state. Dan spent the night on the floor next to our bed. Hehe.

So we went out for the most amazing food at Mohegan Sun Saturday night. More food than any of us would choose to eat on a normal night - extra maybe Matt & Dan. There was calamari, flatbreads, gnocchi, flounder, filet mignon, and more. And more girly drinks than Sarah, Alex (her BFF), and Matt could drink.

Mom and Dad went home and we stayed all night playing craps. My favorite. At one point everyone but Matt was up a lot of money. But we kept playing for another 30 minutes. Fun times. We each still made out with more than we put in, except Matt.

Sunday we went out for local diner breakfast - yum! And didn't eat again all day basically. Everyone went home Sunday except me. I stayed in CT until Wednesday.

Monday night I drove back up to Providence to bring Sarah her dog back and go out for dinner. Tuesday night we went into NYC to see the Yankees play the Rangers. We were going to buy tickets to take Dad for Father's Day and this was the first date we could go - and then he got us better seats than we could buy from work. No lie - it was AWESOME! Wednesday I went out for lunch with Mom and then went home.

The following week - we went back to work. Sad face. We had 5 days of teacher prep time. I'm lucky this year and I am floating. It means I don't have a classroom to decorate - my least favorite thing to do ever. YAY!!!!

That weekend - in between teacher week and the kids coming back to school - I abandoned Matt and went up to Maine to become a Godmother. I had an amazing weekend visiting with the Nuxoll-Sprague clan and I cannot wait to see them again (hopefully soon). I would have taken a ton of pictures that weekend, but there were a million cameras out. Hopefully I will get some of them???!!!!

That's how we ended the summer. It was wonderful.

Check back next week for something big... wink wink.

Mid-Summer Recap

It has been quite a while since we spoke. And quite a lot has happened since then. Although I don't have very many pictures. Hmmmm...

Last we spoke, I had just come home for almost 3 weeks at the beach and Avalyn was brand new. So let's see... where to start?

I think I told you that I didn't come home from the beach because of a nasty storm at home. There were trees all over the roads and on top of some of the neighbor's cars.

Also while I was at the beach, Tim & Sarah bought a house! WITH A POOL!!! So we spent the 4th of July with friends hanging out in the pool. The house is still under construction (thank goodness Matt has somewhere to use his skills! And it isn't in my house anymore!). But every time Matt goes over there, he finds something else that needs to be fixed, and none of them are minor... The house will be beautiful once they get it done.

We also had some friends over a few weeks ago for GAME NIGHT! I love game night. Everyone brings food and we play boys v. girls. We always play Taboo. Matt bought a new version and it felt so much harder, or we didn't know all the answers anymore. Have you heard about a new card game called Cards Against Humanity? My brother gave it to us for Chanukah. It is like Apples to Apples, only it can get very offensive if you play it right. You should check out the link - it is mighty funny.

Then, the last Saturday in July, was the neighborhood pig roast. Our two favorite neighbors have been hosting this for 14 years! Okay so think about this: huge yard, (and from the left to the right) bouncy castle, badminton, corn hole, horse shoes, the pig, the smoker, 4 grills, and 4 long tables filled with food. Think about hanging out with friends in the heat for hours. Another great night with friends.

Oh I forgot. How could I forget!?!?!?! I missed a wedding! Matt & I used to work together at a school in Silver Spring. The school was just opened when we were there and the staff was mostly our age. It was a great time. Always. Over the last few years, we have been going our own ways to other schools and other countries. So when a wedding gives us a reason to celebrate - we all come out. Two years ago Andre moved to Abu Dhabi to teach. But he missed his girl. So he is bringing her with him, but as his wife. Andre & Carolyn had a very moving ceremony surrounded by family and friends and great views of DC. They have about a month in the states before they head back East... to the UAE.

And that was July.
August started a few days ago. We spent the weekend in Lancaster, PA. Every summer for the last few years the boys have gone up there for the first weekend in August. For World Championship of Board Gaming. Matt told me a few weeks ago that I was going this year. Oh? Alright. Okay. So we went. We went on Friday and met Phil & Lauren for some afternoon gaming. We played a few games and had a lot of fun. The main event (and the reason they all go) was on Saturday. For Settlers of Catan. I don't even know what to compare it to... but the boys have been playing it for decades (probably). Every time they see each other, they play. So Saturday, was the real deal competition. There were probably close to 100 people playing too. 3 rounds of open play. I won my first game! 2nd in the second game, and lost the 3rd game. But Matt - he won all 3 games! And made it to the semifinals!!!!! Oooooooo! And from there he came in 2nd at his game and 6th overall! So exciting!

And then today? We went out to Harper's Ferry for TUBING! Up and down the Potomac River. We went with a few friends from work and Colleen & John. 2 hours floating down the river. Then we stopped for lunch. Yum. And then 2 more hours down the river. Loved it. I don't know why we waited until now to do it! Lovely.

Sorry for the long post. And sorry for avoiding you recently. But I've been busy watching the Olympics. So there. I love it.

How big is that?

I made a decision before I went on vacation. This quilt I was working on is going to be the quilt for the XL Twin bed we have in the extra bedroom. That is huge. Way bigger than the lap size quilts I have made already. All of the sudden we are getting much bigger and quickly.

In case you are curious, an XL Twin is 39 x 80 inches. The biggest quilt I have made is 42 x 42. So this is like two quilts put together. That doesn't sound that bad does it?

Here is my sketch. Each square is 9 inches finished and 9.5 unfinished (.25 seam allowance). My quilt will end up being 54 x 90 inches if I use this sketch - which I am kind of attached to at this point. And I don't want to move things around too much...





The shaded gray squares are for my focus fabric. The blue jacks. All the white squares will be individual blocks that I am making as I type. Well not really. You can't sew and type at the same time. Not enough fingers!  


So I will need a total of 40 blocks to fill the white squares... So far? I have 14 done. 1 that is half done. It is right in the middle of the picture. It is made of scraps - and I don't have enough yet. But there will be three or four of that square - if not more. So just you wait. So I have about 26 more to make. Not bad. Plus some of the long strips of focus fabric. But that came in the mail today - so that will be done before dinner!


Long story short? I love this quilt. I especially love that it is hanging on the wall in our dining room. I adore that I have moved the blocks around so many time. I am trying to keep them looking balanced. It is fun. Every time someone comes over, the pieces move again. I also love that if I get frustrated, I can walk away from this quilt, do another project and come back to it without much consequence. 


Here are some of the newest blocks. And some of my favorites. And some of the more interesting ones to look at. And some boring ones for symmetry.

Avalyn Grace

While the power was out for most of the DC area on Sunday, a lot of my family was hanging out together, in the hospital, waiting for our "niece" to be born! After a long day Lesley & Steve welcomed a beautiful girl named Avalyn Grace (Name pronounced - A-VA-LIN - the first A is a long vowel sound.)


She is just precious! I was still at the beach until Monday. And they went home on Tuesday. Wednesday was July 4th. So I thought the soonest I could visit her was Thursday. and visit I did!


She is beautiful. I cannot imagine her being any prettier! Are you ready for a lot of pictures? Because I took a lot. Like I do. 

I mean seriously? Could she be any cuter?

Steve & Lesley are getting the hang of this whole parenting thing pretty quick! Avalyn is a very lucky lady already. 

BEACH BEACH BEACH!!!!

On Wednesday, we turned in our keys at school. Then Colleen & I went out for lunch and got mani-pedis. We spent the rest of the afternoon packing because we were going to the beach!!!! For 18 days. !!!!!!! EEKS SO EXCITED!!!! I am still so excited I don't even know where to start writing.

Okay so from the beginning. Last summer Colleen & I decided that we were going to the beach. And we were going for two weeks. And we were going when we wanted to. And then everyone could join us. In the past we have had a group and tried to make it work for everyone for a week. But it is so much hassle (no offense to our friends).

So on Thursday morning, we woke up and finished packing. At 11:30 Colleen came over and we finished packing the cars and had lunch. Then at 11:56 we were off!!! We had a wonderful drive over the bridge and to the shore. We stopped at Elmer's farmer market for tons of fruit. And then it was onward to Grandma's house!

Colleen's grandmother is one of the nicest grandmother's I have met. She was so great about the dogs staying with her for a few days. The dogs made themselves at home in the living room. Thursday evening we rode our bikes down to the beach and around Bethany. We bought Fisher's popcorn and walked the boardwalk.

And then the days started blending together... in a wonderful way. On the first Saturday, we spent the day at the beach. Then Colleen went and picked up the KEYS TO OUR HOUSE!!!! The house was great. The upstairs had two big bedrooms with queen beds. And the living space was awesome! A nice kitchen with more counter space than I have at home, and a big living room. No big space for eating, but that was what the dock and porch were for. We made it work every time.

So let's see here. It was just the two of us while we were at Grandma's house. On Saturday, while we were unpacking, Colleen's BF joined us. He "chaperoned" us for three days. During which, we did nothing noteworthy... We went the grocery store, the beach, the boardwalk. On Saturday, we went crabbing off the dock. John was super successful! 

And then we had crabs for dinner. Not the same ones we caught. They tossed those back. Yum. Crab dinner.

We completed our first puzzle and blew up an outlet. I was cooking dinner, and we smelled smoke - but not from my food... it was strange. We couldn't find the smoke for a little while. And then there was smoke coming from a cabinet? Nope. The back of the fridge?!?!?! Nope. The can opener? Yup. From the outlet where it was plugged in? Yup. Oh. Okay. Colleen called maintenance and they took the outlet apart. They had to break into the garage to find the breakers. Smart people. Seriously. The next morning an electrician came and fixed us up good. 

John left us on Tuesday. We had about 6 hours before my hubs showed up. We spent the day on the beach and we each got burned... and at some point a frozen pitcher showed up on the beach... and the bike ride home was questionable at best. 

On Wednesday, two of Colleen's brothers joined us. One biological and one less so. With their ladies. We spent the day at the beach and had a great time playing cards late into the night.

On Thursday, Leela & Rachel joined our group. Matt & I went to visit family who were 30 minutes away. We finally got to see our cousin Adam's new home. It was such a nice treat to be with family.

Friday. It rained all day. All day. All day. So the ladies took a trip to the outlets. Colleen did a great job spending all the monies!

For the weekend, we had a full house. Lots of people joined us on Friday. Karaline, Meaghan, and Jackie. John came back on Saturday. And Alicia joined us too.


We spent another Saturday on the beach and then had crabs for dinner. After dinner we played corn hole and had midnight canoe races. Colleen's Dad and Alicia smoked everyone else's times! They were quick.

Sunday was another day on the beach. There was a pattern here I think. And then most of the ladies had to leave.

Leela, Colleen, John, Matt, & I were left. But John left on Monday. And Roxy & Scott joined us that night. Shenanigans.

On Thursday, Matt & Leela went home in the morning. Roxy spent the day on the beach with us and then took Scott home. And Alicia came back with her roomie for dinner! Alicia was trouble! She could not drink her drink to save her life. But boy could she wear it. So we gave her a sippy cup.

They were gone Friday morning. And then it was just us again. We took the dogs to the beach. As expected, Misty went in the water with me (not with Colleen) and Bones was fine until he realized that the ocean was made of WATER!!! We spent the rest of morning cleaning up and getting ready to move out. And then we spent the day reading on the porch.

Saturday we packed and left our house. It was hard to say goodbye to the house. And then we spent the day on the beach. That habit was sure hard to break. We were biking home when we realized that we left our magnets on the fridge. So I went and knocked on the door only to realize that I knew the people staying in the house. WEIRD! It was my student's family. Hi. That's awkward. I thought I had seen the father earlier in the day around the house but doubted myself until he let me in the house. And there was my student in the kitchen with a box of cereal suspended in the air - like what is my Spanish teacher doing here?!?!?!? But that was fun.

Sunday, we had every intention of going home. But there was a huge storm at home Saturday night. And we didn't have any power. But Grandma did. So we stayed another night. Which meant another day on the beach!!!

We ended the trip the same way we started it - on the boardwalk watching people trip on the sidewalk while drinking beer.

Monday we came home. And we started planning for next year!

SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!!!!

I don't think that students have any real sense that we are counting down until summer vacation long before they are. But we are. I put the calendar up on the wall in March and I have been crossing out the weeks and counting down the days since there were 67 days to go.

And then it was this week! And I finished grading my exams! I cleaned and packed away my room! I turned in my radio and keys! And then I did my happy dance!

I don't like to talk about work here, because well, who cares about work. Who really wants to read about someone else's problems at work? Be a big girl, pull up your big-girl-pants, and find a solution.No one is interested. And it's unprofessional. 

But I love summer vacation! Last summer there was a World Trip. We went all over and visited some well-loved and missed friends. This summer is looking to be more low-key. We have been saying that for years, but this time, it will come true!

Right now? We have plans for the next two weeks... and then my lovely Mom is coming to visit. And there is a bridal shower and a wedding this summer. And my amazing sister turns 26 and we are celebrating like it's hot!!!!!!! There might be a bachelorette party later on too.

See? Low-key! Do you know what that means? I AM GOING TO QUILT ALL SUMMER! Those are my big plans! Doesn't that sound lovely?!!!

So I'm sorry that when you graduated from college and got a job you were not smart enough to realize that by not being a teacher or working in the schools you would not have a summer vacation anymore. I am. I am sorry you were not inspired by a teacher to teach and continue getting your summer off. And for that, I am going to rub it in your face. Today, I slept in until 8 am. Normally I woke up at 5:30. NOT ANYMORE!

Sorry to gloat. Have a wonderful summer. Even if you have to work through most of it. 

Well, that was scary

We have had a very scary few two days (it has felt a lot longer than that).  For an unknown reason, the dogs decided they were going to sleep upstairs on Tuesday night. They just went. Misty first, and Bones followed. Strange for a school night. But we went with it.

In the mornings, when they are upstairs, Misty sits with me in the bathroom and watches me get ready. Wednesday morning, she didn't. when I put her collar on, she felt dopey. Then she tried to stand up. She fell down. Repeatedly. Now I was scared. It was not even 6am. I carried her downstairs and took the dogs outside. She fell again. And again. And now I was calling the vet. I called the emergency care number.

Misty is a 13 year old mutt. We have been together for 6 years. She is dizzy. She is falling down. She can't support herself to poop. She is drooling. Her eyes are twitching. She threw up twice at home.

I woke Matt up. He didn't have an exam to give for finals. So he took her to the emergency room. I called my mom. I thought the worst. I said a tearful goodbye before they left. Somehow I made it to work in one piece. Then I lost it again. I walked straight into the office, and I started to cry all over again. I told them after my two exams, I was going home to be with my dog.

10 minutes before my first exam started, my wonderful husband called me. He had a diagnosis. She was drunk. Like a skunk. Whole-bottle-of-Patron-on-your-own drunk. Not in real life, just in her head. It made her nauseous beyond belief. And gave her a lot of the symptoms of vertigo (an inner ear problem that caused dizziness and balance issues. So she came home(!) and was put to bed with some dramamine.

When I got home, I curled up on the floor with her and cuddled. And then we slept for 2 hours. We had stressful mornings. By last night, she was eating and walking around (still stumbling) but stubborn about doing it herself. She does NOT like to be carried at all. Although, she was okay about being carried down the stairs.

This morning. She was lethargic again. And did not get up to say good morning to Matt - very strange indeed. But we went with it. She ate her breakfast while we were at work. And has been drinking. We are not worried about that.

And the eye twitching is mostly gone. I saw it a little at some point today. But only briefly. When Matt got home, she didn't want to get up yet. That worried him (but don't tell him that) because he immediately called the hospital and started looking for things for us to do to help her (that don't involve a CAT scan - just ain't happening). And then he called me, and I panicked and came right home.

So what we are dealing with?  A dog who is struggling to walk straight. She can walk. She does better on carpet and in grass - because of the traction and gravity. She is okay on the hardwood. She spends more time in her crate and laying in the sun on the porch. Her head is always cocked to the side. She cannot look directly at you, like the world has spun 90 degrees to the left. Her tongue hangs out. Her eyes are slightly out of focus, but she can still see you and find you.

No worries. She did NOT turn down pretzels, bacon strips, or a rawhide today. I think we are going to be okay. I think it will take us awhile to recover. But we will. That stubborn dog just decided she was going to climb the damn stairs herself to get back on the porch (with me spotting her, but not allowed to touch her).

Thank you for all the kind words, thoughts, and prayers. We are still a two dog family. Thankfully.

The best news? Matt & I can respond quickly in an emergency. And we are working together to find a solution to take care of our sweet girl.

Shabbat Shalom & the Floors

This post is going to have a lot to say. So keep reading. There are at least 3 different stories about to happen.

Let's start with the floors. Every day when I come home I am surprised by how much of the floors are done! So much has been going on with them. Matt is a flooring-MACHINE!

Recently, the living room was finished. You saw that. And put back together! YAY!!!!! Then it was on to get the dining room and kitchen ready. While Matt was installing a new sub-floor and fixing the squeaks, he discovered that one of the beams supporting the kitchen had a huge crack in it. So he fixed it. Like, duh. He bought a new beam and supported it. I got to help.

Then we opened up the boxes of knotty (I thought it was naughty, just kidding!!) wood that we got on clearance. In the store it looked really good. They had a little 3x3 area sample on the floor, and we liked the variations a lot. Then we opened up the boxes. They were all 12 inch pieces with 1 or 2 2 foot planks thrown in. No wonder they were clearance priced! Garbage. So we returned them and bought more of the beautiful wood from the living room.

Then it was Memorial Day weekend! I thought I would give Matt the house to himself to be able to keep installing the floors to his content. But the wood had to acclimate to the house, and it was delivered on Friday. So by Sunday, he was happily back to work. And by Tuesday night, the dining room was done!

And now it is Friday. And Matt was hard at work all afternoon. He finished half of the kitchen, then installed molding in the dining room and one side of the kitchen. I hope that this is the last weekend of floors! HOPE HOPE HOPE!!! He told me we could put the dining room and island back tonight! Oh wouldn't that be a Friday miracle!

Which leads me to Story #2. Recently, we had a disturbance in the force. The disturbance is not important. The outcome is very important. We are at that point in our lives where things that haven't really mattered are becoming more important. We are deciding what rituals are important and how we want to deal with them. 

Tonight I brought home dinner. And dessert. But most importantly Challah. Tonight we celebrated our "First" Shabbat. We are going to be more observant. This was important (wow how many times have I just used that word) enough to me to stage a small war between us before we got married. We will be raising Jewish children. It was important to both of us to raise children in one faith not both.   




Both is too confusing and makes children choose between their parents. We are not okay with that for our children.

Before I tangent too far off, we had a picnic tonight. On the new floors between the kitchen and the dining room. We ate burritos. And Challah. And Mondal bread. And B&W cookies. I lit the candles (first duh) and said the blessings. We didn't bless the wine (or beer) because Matt would be using more power tools after we ate, and that just didn't seem safe. And we sat on the floor and talked about the day.

The weirdest part? After dinner, and after we welcomed Shabbat, I was able to sit down and relax. It felt natural. It felt right. It felt like coming home.

Good Shabbos. May your life be blessed with joy, love, and happiness.

This one is for Matt.

I've been writing this post in my head for the last few days. Each time I write this (in my head) I think about how much I need too share this. I have told Matt directly, but there are other people in the world who should know just how amazing my husband is on a regular basis.

Ps - I'm writing this in the car on the way to New York City. We are going out to lunch and then to see Rock of Ages on Broadway. My mom wants to edit this in case I say awful things about her. Ummmm yea right like I would let her see this before I post it.  Oh and she is pretty awesome so I don't know what she is worried about.

But back to Matt.

I normally complain that my husband is not the touchy-feely type. And it's true. He is NOT one to hug for no reason or want to cuddle. EVER. It's not that he hates me (because I love cuddling and touching all the time - not in the nympho way... just in the I-like-to-cuddle-all-the-time kind of way) it's just that he doesn't want that much touching, he likes to have his-own-space be near my-own-space. 

However, recently, he has more than made up for everything by being the most supportive person I have ever met. Including my mother. She didn't let me move to Philadelphia. But because of that I met Matt, so. Mom - I forgive you. But back to Matt.

Recently, we have survived a serious of unfortunate events. And no I will not tell you what they are. They are none of your business. Except I think everyone knows that we have been struggling to make a baby. And before you explain the logistics of baby-making, yes we know how, no we haven't been effective. So please don't share your baby-making success stories here. We are not even remotely interested in your sexcapades. We have run the tests on each of us and everything checks out. Neither one of us is to blame. Except maybe my uterus which just can't seem to orchestrate the whole event. Each month that we have not made a baby, we have been able to talk about it and return to our happy place of "maybe next month." There are tense moments but each time we have come out of them together. Matt is even making plans for Baby #2 and what we will do differently that will be better for me and my body.

Sometimes when I get upset, I cry. It is one way of dealing with my stress and letting it out. Matt is not a fan of any tear (unless they are because I was laughing so hard that I cry). Matt has a wonderful way of making me feel better instantly. He knows that I need a hug, and to be held for a quick period of time (shorter than my ideal time, but good nonetheless). And he talks me through it.

In short (hahaha) I love my husband. He is the best husband I could never have imagined him becoming. Through all the tough times, we have learned how to comfort each other. We have learned how to respect each other. We have become a better team because of it. 

Truly. I think that if we had gotten pregnant a year ago when we started trying, we would have been worse parents than we will be because of this past year. This past year has brought us together time and time again. In the face of hatred, stress, tears, and disappointment, we have prevailed. And I have Matt to thank for it.

QCC - a happy quilting update

Would you like an update on my most recent Quilting Course? The Complete Course? QCC - Quilting Complete Course. I thought you would.

I have gone to 4 classes so far. We have learned how to:

1. Start a project. Picking fabrics that coordinate to make a cohesive quilt. I started with three of my accent fabrics (because I had them and liked them). Then I found the blue jacks. The reds and polka dots were part of the same line as the jacks. It just seemed meant to be.
2. Straight cuts using the rotary blade. We made 9 Patches, and Strip Sets. Super easy. Just need to remember to measure after every step.   
3. Half Square Triangles (HST). We made the Anvil and Churn Dash. There are a lot of variations you can make using the HST. There are a few more that I want to try for this quilt. So more updates to come I guess.
4. Curves. Oh Geez.  This was new. Seriously new. And hard. Although, as Annette promised, it got much easier with practice. And then I saw a quilt top made entirely of polka dots, and kind of fell in love a lot. So originally I was saying never again. And now... not so much. It might be on the to make list for the summer.

The first three weeks were hard for me. Not because the content was hard, but because I knew a lot of it. I am not saying that I know everything there is to know. Because I don't. HELLO?!?!?! I just started quilting less than a year ago. I don't know half of everything there is to know.


I have learned a lot. I have also gotten a lot of patterns that I can make using each skill. The class has been great about showing me other things I can do using the same skills.

I am making a lot of blocks this weekend. There are a few variations I want to try that will add some pizazz to my quilt. I thought it was going to be a lap quilt, but if I add more blocks, it will get bigger. Same with my butt and cupcakes. Not that its relevant today... Focus. So check back in a few days for more pictures and blocks. Maybe even some how to's.

SUCCESS FOR MISTY!

As you know, we are in the middle of big, noisy, dirty, renovations. Matt is redoing the floors on the main floor. Bones is fine with it. He just stays clear of Matt and the noise. But Misty, my poor girl. HATES IT! Her anxiety is through the roof! She shakes and drools, and is impossible to console. There is nothing we have been able to do. It is sad and a mess. But mostly sad. And we have not found anything we can do to help her. In fact, last year she ran away from home when Matt broke out the nail gun. She jumped off the deck and Matt found her on her way to the grocery store. And she wouldn't get in the car with him. It sounded like a dog abduction to me.

Anyways. I came home from work today (like I do) and Matt said he was going to start ripping out the tile (that I love!!!) in the kitchen. So the dogs and I were on our own. We had to fend for ourselves and survive! Like in the jungle. That's how it feels to Misty. The last time he was doing work, we went outside and lay in the sun on the porch. But today. It is POURING! Huge, heavy (lovely) gallons of water.

So we tried the basement. That was an epic fail. Matt was banging and making noise right above us. To hell with Misty - I was going to have a migraine. So we scurried upstairs to the bedroom. Bones brought his Bestie. They wrestled for awhile. They gazed longingly into each others eyes too - right until Bones bit his nose...


Which brings us to the moment of success! Last week I bought Misty a Thunder Shirt. Matt said I was crazy. I agreed. That's not news. But remember, I am willing to try anything if it makes the world a little friendlier for Misty. She has worn it a few times. Nothing remarkable happened while she was wearing it.

But today. Today would be the day to try it out. With anxiety. Bring on the shakes and drooling! WRONG! After a few minutes, she was asleep! Passed out! Dead to the world - but in the good way! She was giving me the stink eye for taking her picture! And the whole time Matt was hammering, and drilling, and making all sorts of anxiety inducing noises!

That's right. We have found a wonderful solution to Matt's hammering! Thank goodness! We have a winner! And for once - its Misty!!!!!!

And because Bones was confused about why his picture wasn't all over the blog today, here are some shots of Bones.

Nap time. Turn off the camera.