Spiked Piñatas of Doom

Raúl the Third's books are a visual treat with action and humor galore.  This is one of my favorite spreads.  I look at it often and laugh every time I see it.

river rafting and napping

I left Robert alone last Sunday morning and naturally, since he was left unsupervised, he bought a river raft.  A thousand pound river raft to be exact.

Our lovely ladies weigh about 80 pounds or so and there have been moments that one completely disappears in the raft.  

I asked Robert if we're going to get rid of one of the other dog beds so we can still walk through the living room.  He looked at me like he was questioning our entire 18+ years together.  

The next day I came home and nearly tripped over a dog bed at the bottom of the stairs.  So now we can walk through the living room but have to squeeze past the dog bed to get into the house.  All you hot lava fans, it's official.  Our house is now the easiest place to play the hot lava game.  You wouldn't even need to jump most of the time.  You could just take a leisurely stroll on dog beds as you laughed at the slivers of hot lava and shouted, "Take that, hot lava!"  

Needless to say, the girls have been very relaxed.  It's exhausting choosing a dog bed.  They have also been handling the hullabaloo that comes with holidays and the end of the year shenanigans the same way they always handle it.  By sleeping and basking in our adoration.  They know that the greatest gift they can give is themselves.  Unless we can't find them because they've disappeared into the mighty river raft.

self-love, feelings galore, and pool floaties

Who I Am by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Picture Book)

A beautiful, self-affirming book that encourages us to stand up to the sometimes unkind voice in our heads. It's slightly wordy, but written as straightforward as possible with little fluff to clutter up the important message. The cover radiates such warmth and self-love, you won't be able to resist peeking at all the illustrations before you even read the book.

Sometimes I Cry by Jess Townes and illustrated by Daniel Miyares (Picture Book)

Wow, what an outstanding way to talk about feelings and acceptance of feelings. The illustrations are soulful, earnest, and tender. The details of the child's life are rich and complex, and the tears don't always solely belong to him but are sometimes shared with his loved ones. And the language is simple and poetic: "Sometimes my feelings fill me up like a water balloon that stretches and stretches and stretches until I think I might burst but when I let my tears out my feelings fit perfectly inside my body all my feelings together and I know it's okay that sometimes I cry."

Pool Party by Amy Duchêne and illustrated by Elisa Parhad (Picture Book)

It's November in Kansas, so naturally I find the perfect summer storytime book! The rhyming text is a blast to read and there's just the right amount of it. You can feel the sunshine and smell the chorine radiating from the exuberant and beautiful illustrations. And there are pool floaties galore! This book invites so many fun conversations - what makes the best floatie? What's your favorite floatie in this book? What's your favorite pool activity? 

Cuddles

I had a calm and relaxing birthday.  Robert made lots of fuss - pancakes for breakfast, homework help, giving the girls a really long walk so I could play tennis.  There were two nights of games with Robert and his mom, Audrey, and some much-needed reading and loafing.

The best present came from the dogs, however.  Rose and Ella, our furry loves of the past, cuddled all the time.  They flopped all over each other, snuggled, and smooshed themselves together in some pretty small places just so they could be as close to each other as possible.

Margo and Josie do not cuddle.  I think Josie would cuddle anything with a heartbeat, but Margo gets up the moment Josie gets close.  Margo appreciates the pets and will tuck herself into my legs when I'm sleeping at night, but that is the extent of her cuddles.  

Until the night before my birthday.

Robert takes care of the evening dog duties - letting them out and brushing their teeth.  Then it's a race to get to the favorite pillow.  Whoever loses ends up getting in bed with Robert and I.  We have the second favorite bed.  The fact that our bodies are in it is just a minor inconvenience. 

The favorite pillow battle started a few years ago when Robert noticed Josie was sleeping right next to his side of the bed.  First, he added a pillow, which she was very thankful for.  Next, he added a blanket because she's one of those dogs that likes to make a nest.  Margo eventually realized Josie had the best spot, and it's been a nightly contest ever since.  

The night before my birthday Margo claimed the favorite bed first.  Then Josie did something we've never seen her do before.  She climbed into bed next to Margo, and neither dog moved.  They stayed that way until after Robert and I fell asleep.  Perhaps Josie finally had enough of Margo taking her bed.  Perhaps Margo refused to move no matter how much cuddling she had to endure.  It was a battle of two stubborn dogs, but it didn't matter.  Robert and I reveled in the cuteness, and I saw it for what it truly was.  A birthday present that couldn't be topped.  I also didn't have to fight fur and elbows for a place to sleep that night.