She's here!!!

Mona is here. She has had a long day, and is very nervous and anxious, but we are already seeing hints of her personality shining through. She is very curious and inquisitive about the kids, although reserved at this time. She has some spunk in there, too. She was up and sniffing around the house a couple of times since she has been home, and is mostly just desperate to lie down on a lap right now. She has really taken to Adam, and is sound asleep beside him on the couch right now. We are really looking forward to seeing her shine as a part of our family. Welcome, Mona!

Waiting for Mona

Today, we're preparing. Today, we're waiting. Today, emotions are high. We add a new family member soon. In fact, Adam is on his way to the airport to pick her up right now. After so much research and deliberation as a family, we found our dog, our Mona. She is a six-month-old coated Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-eets-queent-lee). Here is her picture from her breeders:

Isn't she the sweetest? It was love at first sight for Adam and for me when we saw that face. So while I should have been cleaning today, I have instead had to do what I can to get everyone's emotions under control. For Laini, it is a little extra nursing and peeking to get smiles instead of grumps. She can sense the added emotional tension of the day.

For Max, it's just some extra "oofing," and letting him destruct things, like tortilla chips with a marble rolling pin. There's no better way for Max to get out his emotions than crushing something.

For Kane, it is a little more involved. After a short outburst of negative emotions where I had to chase him around the yard to get ahold of him and bring him inside after he refused to come in, he spent some time in his bed. After he was calmed some, he was throwing stuff all over the room. Yes, that was calmed down. So I grabbed a pillow and smacked him upside the head with it, and a fierce family pillow fight insued. That took care of it for him.

And for Bella, there are the conversations. We are talking a lot about what to expect, and what we're going to do with dear Mona. And then there are the running-around-the-living-room-in-circles times, which I think I'll have to do with her soon, as she's dangling off my chair arm and breathing in my ear, jumping up and down and swinging my chair all over the place.

Makes it hard to get a post done. I've been working on this for hours. But, hey, I have to do what I need to get out those emotions as well. So now it is off to finish our whole-house puppy-proofing and get some much needed sunshine before we all have to settle down so Mona can join our family.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Have a blessed and happy weekend.

Learning

 

I'm learning::

::knitting projects will get done, even if it happens just one row at a time.

::striving for manageability is much more fulfilling than striving for perfection.

::I can change my mind, and be okay with it.

::living a divided life in two "homes" is not as bad as I thought it would be.

::falling in love with a land before you reside upon it is beautiful.

::bumps, bruises and busted noses can be savored as growth if your perspective is adjusted, even on a one-year-old.

::spring cleaning as a family affair may take a little longer, but it can also be fun.

::Carolina Wrens are highly opportunistic, especially in old farm houses with no windows.

::because of said Carolina Wrens, I won't be reupholstering quite yet.

::taking the time to smell the flowers is divine, especially when it's a sea of Narcissus.

What are you learning about yourself or your situation these days?

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Have a blessed spring weekend!

The Girls Take A Trip

Our last trip to the homestead property had me involved with a lot of clean-up around the mostly demolished old farmhouse. Which meant Bella spent some time with Helena. I heard her, in the midst of pushing the wheelbarrow around the side of the house to gather scrap metal, say "Laini, wanna' go meet Sarah Turtle?" (Sarah Turtle is our lovely female turtle that is ever-so-slowly coming out of hibernation near the old railroad tracks below the house. Adam found her when she was flooded out of her hibernaculum, sitting just above the rushing water after a rain storm, waiting to dig back into her soft muddy winter home. We have since named her Sarah after the previous inhabitant of the farmhouse. She is a real beauty of a turtle, and we look forward to seeing a lot of her over the years.) I rounded the west side of the house to see the two of them, my girls, sitting together checking on the "durt-DOO" as Laini calls her. I must confess, I teared up for the second time this trip - the first was when we pulled up and the kids jumped out of the car and went running toward the creek to meet up with Adam. We are so blessed.

Bella had carried Laini down the hill to see Sarah Turtle, and I had to snap some quick photos before getting back to work. I have my priorities set straight, you know. So I walked down to find Bella holding Sarah up for Laini. "Durt-DOOOO" Laini says over and over. "Oooooo."

Then she would motion for Bella to put the turtle in her lap, and she would rub and rub her shell.

"Do you want me to put her back?" Bella would ask as Laini would start pointing to her hibernaculum and jabbering.

Then point, jabber, Bella would get her back for Laini.

I stopped the process after a couple of rounds and plenty of good pictures. We want Sarah Turtle to be as non-stressed as possible, with this new introduction of humans into her environment again. We'll be starting a journal soon of wildlife on our farm, and we want to be able to know Sarah when we see her by her tell-tale shell markings. She'll go in our journal, along with the Barred and Saw-Whet Owls, Pileated Woodpecker and Ravine and Two-Lined Salamanders, just to name a few exciting ones. Walking was the only way of distracting her from durt-DOO, so off they went.

Next stop, Daffodil Ocean.

Just the girls.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Here's to a simple weekend leading into a heartening April!