Pete and Re-Pete

Life is never boring at my Zoo.

Today, I pulled up to the house around 3:45.  As I was parking the car, a dog crossed the street in front of me.  And it was my Bantley.  He had slipped his collar or wiggled out of it.  Either way, he wasn't wearing it.

I got out of the car and called him, and he just looked at me.  He came a little closer, but then he bolted.  And that isn't like Bantley at all.  Heathen #2 went into the house to find his collar for me.  He immediately came back outside and told me, "Mom, that isn't Bantley.  Bantley's inside!"



Bantley is on the right.



This is the stray.

Can you believe how much they look alike?  We coaxed the stray inside finally around 5 pm.  None of us recognized him from the neighborhood.  So we now have a house guest until tomorrow afternoon when I can run him up to the SPCA.

Right now, the three of them are having a ball playing together.  Poor Duchess won't be able to move tomorrow.  She's getting a little old for this.  But at least Bantley has someone to keep up with him!

Costume Hunting in March

On Friday of last week, Heathens #2 and #3 came home and announced that they had to dress as their favorite storybook character on Wednesday of next week for school.  Ummm.....  okay.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to throw together two storybook character costumes for BOYS with almost no warning?  It was definitely not a fun experience.

First, there were the discussions of (these are all my lines):
Who do you want to be?
That's not a storybook character.  That's from a cartoon.
No, that's not a storybook character.  That's from a movie.
No, that's a TV show.
(Repeat this conversation in your head for 3 DAYS with 2 Heathens who are NOT getting the picture.)

My mother-in-law did have a Peter Pan costume that would possibly fit Heathen #3.  But I didn't have anything for Heathen #2.  Finally, I went to the local costume store and spent an obnoxious amount of money on a costume for #2 and a fall-back costume for #3 in case Peter Pan didn't fit.

Here are the Heathens dressed for "Read Across America" Day:

Heathen #3 as Peter Pan

Heathen #2 as the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz

Heathens #2 and #3 at the bus stop on "Read Across America" Day

Pink Vest Guy

I've always known that I'm married to a very social guy.  I've always known he has a good heart.  But I love it when drunk women take a shine to him and he's too nice to escape them!

Saturday night was the Pink Ribbon Ball.  I had found "the" dress the Thursday before, we rounded up another couple to go with us, I had found a sitter at the last minute, we were going to have a great time!

The Asst. Zookeeper met this lady in line for the bar and she just adored him.  She kept calling him "Pink Vest Guy" (for obvious reasons).  She was very polite about asking me if she could dance with him since "it is SO hard to find a man that dances.  You are SO lucky.  Are you SURE you don't mind?"

The Pink Vest Guy and his admirer

The theme was centered around birthdays and they gave everyone a hat.  This is the only picture of the Asst. Zookeeper and his hat that I would publish.  I have another one the simply SCREAMS "Madonna!"

Heather and I had a great time watching the boys dance and cut loose!

Dress Shopping

Last week, on Thursday, my mother and sister and I went dress shopping to choose a bride's maids dress for my sister's wedding in October.  We found one!  You can't tell very well from this picture, but it is a very nice dress!

Ali and I (in the bride's maids dress)

Because I behaved SO WELL while we were trying on dresses, Ali told me I could pick out an ugly dress to try on (which I love to do!).  While looking for a really ugle dress to wear, I found this dress below:



"The" Dress

As soon as I put it on, I decided that I was buying and that the Asst. Zookeeper was taking me to the Pink Ribbon Ball that weekend.  It was Thursday, and the Ball was Saturday night.  We weren't going to go this year, but "the dress" said we were!

Gram Flys AGAIN!

On February, I put my grandmother in the car and headed for the airport.  I had talked her into joining me on a weekend trip to Texas to see the newest Zoo addition!  This was quite a feat considering that she had sworn she wouldn't EVER fly again.  All I had to do was dangle a chance to see the baby in front of her, and she caved!

We spend a great weekend visiting my brother, his wife, and their new addition.  When we arrived, Ozark was wearing his "My Auntie is AWESOME!" onsie that I had mailed him.  (I have the same onsie in the next 5 sizes also, that way he can continue to proclaim how awesome I am.)

While Ozark was absolutely adorable, I think my grandmother may have been cuter.  I had a great time watching her hold him and talk to him.

I know Gram was exhausted when I got her home late Sunday night, but I think she had a wonderful time.  And so did I.

Gram and baby Ozark (her great-grandson)

His Auntie is AWESOME!

This is my favorite of all the photos I took that weekend.

Me and the Ozark!

Mom Broke My Nose!

This past August, I purchased a pair of black cowboy boots for Heathen #3 at the thrift store for part of a pirate costume.  He fell in love with them and wore them practically every day since, regardless of the weather.  They were starting to look pretty rough and he had slipped on the ice while wearing them several times.  But they were his favorite shoes.  The only day he would wear some other footwear was for church, or on school days when he had gym class.

At the beginning of February, as we were getting ready for school, he dragged out this beat up old boots (again).  I told him that he should probably wear snow boots because it was icy outside.  I was informed that he WAS wearing boots and they were his FAVORITE boots and it was NOT a gym day.  He was polite, but he was firm.  He wanted to wear the boots.

Fine - I didn't feel like arguing with a 5-yr-old at 8 in the morning.

It was then time to head out to the bus stop.  Heathen #3 couldn't find his coat.  We tracked it down in the laundry room.  Then he couldn't find his hat.  We tracked it down in his bedroom.  Then he couldn't find his gloves.  At which point, I'd had ENOUGH!  I told him to put his hands in his pockets because we were going to miss the bus.  And we headed out the door with him mad at me (cause I was mean!).

We were only at the bus stop about 30 seconds, when Heathen #3 slipped on the ice in his favorite boots.  Normally, not a problem.  However, his hands were in his pockets.  So he couldn't catch himself as he fell.

So he caught himself with his face on the asphalt.

I picked him up off the ground and turned him around so that I could see him.  He was covered in snow from head to toe and he was crying.  I brushed the snow off of him in time to see the bridge of his nose start of puff up.

And at this point, the bus pulled up.

I put Heathen #2 onto the bus, and then put Heathen #3 into the car for a trip to the ER.  I was not sending him to school so that the school nurse could call me to tell me to come get him.

When we walked into the ER, the triage nurse asked Heathen #3 what happened.  He told the lady that he fell, because, "My MOTHER made me put my hands in my pockets.  She wouldn't let me wear my gloves."

Definitely one of my proudest moments as a mother.

New Zoo Member

 On February 8, the Zoo welcomed a new member.  Bantley joined us from the local Humane Society.  He's a great addition!  Bantley is an 18-mo.-old Lab mix.  He joins Duchess, who is a 6-yr-old Huskey Shepherd mix.  They are getting along great, but they do squabble over who gets the first belly-rub when the Asst. Zookeeper gets home from work.



Duchess and Bantley



Belly Rub Time!