Category Archives: Artie

Bloated

Kevin is still here.  Yippee!  Things are delayed so his trip has been pushed back for a bit.  He has no idea what is happening so we are living day by day which is fine by me.

Today Liza and her girls came over for a play date.  It was actually nice enough that they could play outside for a bit.  I think I’m going to start working on the yard this weekend.  I have tons of weeding and cleaning up now that spring his finally here.  I hope.  With my luck it will start hailing again.

For lunch with the girls I decided to make a loaf of fresh bread.  I am a big fan of the no knead bread so I whipped a batch together last night and this morning I left it on the counter to rise.  Since we were out of milk, I loaded up the girls and we did a quick Safeway run before Liza arrrived.  When we got home, we were greeted with a horrible sight.  Corn meal was strewn about the kitchen floor.  My giant ball of dough was nowhere to be seen, and Artie was curled up in a miserable guilty ball whining.  Yup.  He ate the entire ball of uncooked bread dough.  I can only imagine what his stomach feels like right now.  Can too much yeast hurt a dog?  I dunno but we are going to find out.

The entire batch of dough, gone.  What am I going to do with this dog????

A Girl And Her Dog

For the most part, Leina does not like having her picture taken.  I suppose this is my fault.  I may, perhaps, have taken slightly too many pictures of her when she was little so now when she sees the camera she flees in blind panic.  There are, however, a few exceptions to the general aversion she holds to having her picture snapped.  She is more than willing to have her picture taken if it 1) involves making a funny/obnoxious face; 2) involves trying to capture her while running/jumping/rolling; or 3) involves Artie.  So, lately we have lots and lots of shots of her and Artie.  This, I don’t mind at all and the latest photo session revealed this beautiful photo.

 

Could they be any cuter????

Poor Old Man

As you can see, I’m busy with a new creation. I have a couple little girls on my Christmas list that live very far away. I have absolutely no idea what they like or what toys they have. Personally, I think the biggest let down is getting a present that you already have. All the excitement of a present and then… it’s something old. What a bummer. As an adult, we know it’s the thought that counts but try telling that to a 3 yr old on Christmas morning! To get around this trouble, I’ve decided the best plan of attack is to make a present. That way, I’m 100% sure it’s something new. (Also, it’s a lot of fun for me!) During the year, I’m always on the lookout for something fun and easy I can make come Christmas time. This year, it’s fairies. Yes, this mess on my desk will hopefully resolve itself into a fairy or two. How am I going to do this? With a little magic of course! But for now, it’s just chaos. Lots and lots of chaos.

While I am messing up my desk, I’m vaguely aware of my children pattering back and forth around the house. So long as they aren’t too quiet or too loud I try to give them free reign. But on my last trip downstair for fresh coffee, I came across this.


Seemed harmless enough so I walked on by. However, on my next trip for a coffee refill – fairy magic requires copious amounts of caffine (who knew?!?) – Artie’s status had upgraded to this…



Leina just came in and asked me how to make a tent. Poor old man. The worst part is, they eventually tire of this play and wander off leaving him locked up somewhere. Eventually I remember about him and dig him out of whatever mess they’ve left him in. I won’t post the more undignified pictures I have but let’s just say, he looks pretty darn cute in a bonnet and beaded necklace.

Half a Tail

When I’m tending to Kulia, Leina has learned to amuse herself. Today, while I was nursing, burping and diapering the smallest McLaughlin, I happened to watch Leina at play.

She had a small bowl full of goldfish crackers and was munching away. At her feet sat Artie, drool flowing freely from his large black jowls. He watched her with big pathetic dog eyes as her hand went from bowl to mouth and back again. Leina sat quietly, watching Artie watch her.

“Honey, why don’t you share with Artie?” I asked.

“Sure, mom,” Leina replied.

Carefully, she selected a fishy and held it forth. The drool began falling at an even more rapid pace and Artie’s tail began thumping. Then, Leina popped the fish into her mouth and sucked on it for a moment or two removing all the salt. Once properly de-salted, she removed the fishy and held it loft again. Artie, who saw his chances for a tasty, if somewhat soggy and saltless treat, revived and the drool began gushing at an alarming rate. But Leina wasn’t done yet. Next, she very carefully placed the head of the fishy between her front teeth and bit the head off. With great purpose, she slowly chewed the goldfish head while holding the tail remnant between her fingers. Artie began scooching in place. Surely, that tail was for him! Sure, it was soggy, de-salted, and deheaded, but gosh darn it, it was coming his way!

Leina swallowed and studied the fish tail in her hand. Then, she very carefully placed the little soggy tail piece between her teeth and….chomp. She bit it in half. I’m surprised Artied didn’t just lunge at her right there but no, he’s a good dog. He sat all a quiver, intently focused on that one….. last….. nibblet. It was tiny. It was soggy. It had all the flavor sucked off it but Artie didn’t seem to care. If anything he was more excited to get his big old teeth on that tiny little half of a goldfish cracker tail than ever.

Leina regarded the remains of her small cracker and magnanimously tossed that sad little bit on the ground. Artie lunged. He gulped. And then he returned to the foot of the sofa to watch Leina select another fish and oh so carefully pop it into her mouth and begin to suck.

This routine was contined for several goldfish. Finally, I took pity on Artie and gave him a piece of bread to eat because Leina’s idea of “sharing” seemed more akin to torture to me. However, Artie didn’t seem to mind. He was happy so long as that last nibble was for him.

Sometimes, I feel so much like Artie. It seems like as soon as I get one kid settled the other has an issue. Kulia blows her diaper, Leina can’t find her blankie, Kulia needs nursing, Leina wants milk in the red sippy cup NOT the blue one, Kulia decides to spit up all over herself, Leina demands an episode of Jojo. On and on. Yesterday, I had 12 precious minutes to myself when their naps happen to overlap. Yes, that’s right. Twelve minutes alone without a child. My very own soggy, niblet of a goldfish tail. But like Artie, I didn’t look a gift in the mouth no matter how miniscule. No siree, I grabbed a magizine and headed for the bathroom for some luxurious 12 minute alone time.

Like they say, dogs and mommies can’t be choosers and half a tail is better than nothing at all.

Poor Artie

Well, with the family (Chrissie and Leina) away on business (Cousin Sammy’s
b-day party). The house is very very quiet. It’s amazing how 1 little
munchkin and a much bigger momma can fill a house with noise and life. I
think the person who misses them most, though, is Artie. I have my work to
go to everyday and fill the void but Artie only has the couch. Usually his
day is filled with following Leina around, trying to snatch her crackers, or
generally getting mauled (aka petted) by her. It doesn’t sound like much
but it keeps him busy in between walks. Now, with his main source of action
out of town, he’s reduced for waiting for me to get home and take care of
him (much like my wife ;). At first he would bound off the sofa with a
“where have you been” look on his face and an anxious, “let’s go out NOW”
growl. But now, when I walk through the door, he barely looks up from the
couch with a, “oh it’s just you” look. Poor Artie, he’s the one who suffers
the most when his little terrorizer is out of town.

Daw-ga

Leina loves Artie.

LOVES.

More than the boobies, more than momma and dada, more than her blanket or even the cats. Artie is her first true love.

Every time he wanders by she goes crazy. She’s like a cheer leader trying to catch the eye of the star football player. She bounces, she waves, she screams at the top of her lungs.

But lately, there has been something more. She is trying to say “dog”.

Not dog as in “hot dog” but “dawg” as in that slang term of “you go dawg” only she can’t say the “ga” part. Instead, she belts out (very loudly) “DAAAAW…DAWWW.” Even more hilarious, she pitches her voice very low, much lower than her normal baby babble. So she’ll be in her exersaucer playing away cooing “ba..ba..ba..” when suddenly she’ll hear the clatter of Artie’s unclipped toenails on the wooden floor. Her head will whip up, she’ll zip around to face the sound, and as soon as Artie’s snout comes around the corner of the sofa she’ll break into a very loud and low refrain of “DAAAAW, DAAAAAW, DAAAAW!” Artie, appreciative of this effort, will usual lick her face while he walks by which just makes her day. Even after he passes, she’ll sit for a while, practicing her one and only true word over and over and over.

“DAAAAW…..DAAAW….DAAAW”