New Babies

Ranger

Piper

We have new babies! It took us a while, yet not a while, to take the leap and get new dogs.  So to answer a few of your questions...

1.  Where did you get them?  We had been looking for a Sassy replacement for a few weeks at local shelters and such, but nothing serious.  Then one day, my mom called with a dog story.  Her friend, Karen, was riding her bike.  She came across a sweet female puppy in the ditch, near death. After going home, getting the truck, and retrieving the puppy, she cleaned it up and put it in a dog crate.  The puppy starting yelling.  Within minutes, her 2 brothers arrived.  They had come to rescue her and rumor has it that you have never seen such a happy and licking family reunion.  Sweet story....sort of peeked my interest. 

But then...the red one sent me a birthday message on facebook. Stupid dog. He knows a sucker when he sees one.

2.  Why two?  I have always heard that dogs do better in pairs; they don't get as lonely when their people are gone.  Plus, I was dead set on another black and white dog.  Abby, however, liked the red one.  So why not two?

3.  How did you pick their names?  They are named after our favorite two baseball teams.

4.  Do you like them?  Of course!  They are puppies and puppies are cute.  It was not love at first sight though.  First sight made my eyes fill with tears and made me want to reload them into their crate and send them in the next car back to Emory.  They were not Sassy.  Abby fell immediately in love though, so we have them.  And I will eventually love them...maybe...still too soon to tell.

Abby"isms"

1. "I think I pulled a bone." (pretty sure she meant muscle)

2. "We're back to that season again...the one where I have to wear tights? Ugh, I am going to move somewhere where it is warmer!"

3. While holding Stripe over her shoulder and dancing, she was singing, "Teach me how to dance, teach me how to dance, teach me how to dance...in a cat way."

Sassy Dog Mueller

Sassy Dog Mueller

April 2002 - September 17, 2011

"Our First Baby"

It has been a sad weekend at our house. Yesterday morning, Abby found Sassy in the backyard. Based on her position, she had probably had a fatal seizure but I prefer the idea that she just fell asleep and just did not wake up. Either way, we are without a Sassy and we are sad. (Jeremy just asked what I was doing. "Writing Sassy's obituary." I think he thinks I have lost my mind!)

In May of 2002, Jeremy found Sassy at the city pool in Stamford, about to be taken to the pound. He rescued her and she instantly became our (my) baby. Seriously, until Abby was born 4 years later, Sassy was it. She went all the way to Colorado for a family ski trip because I could not bear to leave her in the kennel. I made her white chocolate covered milk bones for Christmas. She slept between my legs every night. When Abby came along, things changed some. Sassy was demoted from human to dog...but still very special dog. She battled lupus and won. She battled newborn baby and toddler and won. She even battled new cat and won. (Stripe is still here; she just gave up and accepted him.) She loved to play with her tennis ball, take random unattended jaunts through the neighborhood, and clean peanut butter jars as far as her tongue would reach. Most of all, she loved to be loved; she would paw you to death for more scratching behind her ears. Sassy was a good dog and will be missed.

We were able to have a little funeral and bury her beside the shed in our backyard. We plan to make a tombstone of sorts but that will ultimately be up to Abby. If she mentions it again, we will do it. If not, we will not. The whole burial process was a little much for Abby to process as she wanted to keep Sassy's body on our front porch. BLEH!

Fortunately, we know Sas is in a better place...she went to live with God. We believe she lives with Great Grandma who is able to throw her tennis ball all day for her. In addition, Abby says that Sassy has a new pink collar to replace her blue one (we kept it) and that she gets to eat icecream all the time. (I used to share icecream with her...one bite for me...one lick for Sassy...I know...grouse!)

And for fear of really being called crazy, this is the end of the obituary.

Ready!

Are you ready for some Piper football?

I know one little girl who is!

(Our Pipers beat Anson 57-36 this week.)

Tiny Tidbits

I thought I would share a few tidbits from the first two days of kindergarten.

When I picked Abby up from school yesterday, I naturally asked how the first day was. Her answer, "Good." So much for details.

Later, though, I got more information.

They are out of white milk for a week...only chocolate and strawberry...so she had me pack her milk this morning.

She has to wear tennis shoes for PE now, but she is planning to ask if Crocs are okay.

Her favorite part of the day is playtime.

Mrs. Davis has offered her a fish. Of course, she wants it.

She went to the library...and gets to bring the book home! First book = "Just Me and My Babysitter" by Mercer Mayer (one of the Little Critter books)

She describes one of the little boys in her class as "a mess."

First Day of Kindergarten

My baby started kindergarten today!

We are blessed with a child who is excited about her new adventure.

Here she is with her friend, Jadeyn. They are seated at the same table in class!

Natural Hot Spring

One of my favorite parts of our recent vacation was our stop along the road between Purgatory and Durango where we found this beauty...a natural hot spring.

I love them. I think they are some of God's best work.

I loved watching Abby climb and explore it. I loved her commentary as she compared the temperature of the water at the top to that at the bottom, and later, to that of the river water.

I loved the picnic we enjoyed at the bottom under a shade tree. I could have stayed all day.

The pictures I took are some of my favorites of the trip also.

Durango, Colorado

We are back from vacation! We went to Durango, Colorado for a few days and rode the train from Durango to Silverton,

rafted down the Animas River,

played in the nippy water,

did a little rock climbing,

and did a little real climbing.

Abby"isms" continued

• When referring to death, Abby will ask, "How did it get dead?" or "When (insert pronoun) gets dead..." Last week, we came across an injured, yet still alive, butterfly. "Mama, be careful! We don't want it to get more dead." I guess there are also degrees of death.


• After admiring a photo on my camera, Abby said, "Maybe you can picture frame it."


• "Which is more betterer?"


• "There are no more dinosaurs. I read it in my Bible." "We are going swimming today. I read it in my Bible."

Baseball 2011

I know I say this every year, but what an amazing baseball season we had! I feel so honored to be part of such a program...from parents to players...they are the best! The year was full of successes and lots of wins, with us ultimately playing until the weekend before the state tournament and making the Regional Finals.

(pictured: Kyle T, Tyler L, Cody B, and Jakob C)

Abby continued to love the guys and they loved her...or at least they humored her...all of them. She knew the whole roster after the first game and could spot Kyle T a mile away on the field. River gained her friendship immediately by always shouting, "AAAABBBBBBBBBBBYYYYY!" when he saw her. Any of them would pick her up and carry her, not always right side up, but definitely above the ground. And Branson was always interested in her latest commentary and high five that went with it.

Thank you Hamlin Pied Piper Baseball!

New Addition

Meet Stripe (aka Stripey...aka Cat...aka Kitty). Abby has been wanting a cat for, let's see, since she was born. No, seriously, she has been really wanting a cat since about this time last year when we were in the process of moving and the neighbors in Amarillo got two new kitties that visited our yard on a regular basis. But Mama sometimes said no and Daddy always said no and Sassy said she would leave home. Then, it happened. Daddy was cornered in church one Sunday morning and told the perfect kitten was ready to come live with us. He caved, and within hours, we, the self proclaimed "not cat people," became "cat people." I am not sure who is more smitten, but I am sure who is less smitten...she posted an ad in the paper this morning for a new owner...only specification...one without a cat.

I Want a Doughnut for Breakfast

This morning Abby woke up wanting a doughnut for breakfast, but guess what...Hamlin does not have a doughnut shop...yet. Therefore, doughnuts for breakfast were out of the question. Doughnuts were not out of the question for Abby though. She hopped off the couch, announcing that she was having a doughnut and that she did not need help. So, while I took a catnap, she made herself a doughnut. I wish I had taken its picture but photography was not at the top of my list at 7:15 this morning. Anyway, her doughnut consisted of a hamburger bun smeared with strawberry cream cheese and topped with rainbow sprinkles. After one bite, she proudly proclaimed it was, "just as good as a red (cherry) doughnut."

In other Abby news, every playtime sentence right now begins with, "Let's pretend that..." It makes my job as a playmate pretty easy because I usually just have to follow the brief instruction that is given before my next "Let's pretend that..." instruction is given. Sure is easier than the days when her idea of playtime was watching me weave incredible tales with her Little People. Except that, sometimes, I like to say "Let's pretend that..." too.

Birthday and Baseball Boys

Abby had her 3rd annual birthday party with the baseball boys this year.

We could not possibly ask for a better group of guys to be part of her life! Not many little girls have so many big brothers.

The Cost of Love

I had the privilege of participating in our church's Easter musical, The Cost of Love. It was an amazing experience getting to work with such a talented bunch of people and spread the message of God's love at the same time.

Icecream Sundae Party

For Abby's 5th birthday party, we had an icecream sundae party, and I personally can't think of a better party theme for a little girl who would eat icecream for every meal of every day if given the opportunity.

We had vanilla icecream with every topping imaginable...oreos, strawberries, sprinkles, hot fudge, M&Ms, baby marshmallows, whipped cream, Reese's peanut butter cups...just to name few. I think, in total, there were 20-something toppings. Then, the kids got to build their sundae how exactly how they wanted it. Abby put a little of everything on her sundae.

We also had a pin the cherry on the sundae game with free icecream certificates from Dairy Queen for those who got the closest.

And what 5 year olds birthday party is complete without a jumpy castle?

Finally, here are a few other random shots from the big day...

Piper with hula hoop; Lucy enjoying sundae; opening presents; Mama cutting the cake; Dane's masterpiece; Jadeyn and Katie loved the drink choices; playing in the sandbox

Happy 5th Birthday!

Happy 5th Birthday, Abby Grace!

Cute Picture

Abby took this picture following one of our Piper wins...I think it is cute.

Spring Project

One of our early spring projects was to plant strawberries. And now we are beginning to reap the benefits. We have had two tiny, yet ever so sweet berries to sample.

Not My Child!

On Friday of Spring Break, the Damrons and Jeremy took the kids to the zoo. I later met them at a hotel in Abilene for swimming and more fun. That, however, is not the point of this post. This picture is the point...

Do you see what is beside my daughter? And do you see the sheer look of "let's torture Mama" on her face? This all occurred mere seconds before she called to tell me of the snake that tried to eat her head. Do you see what I deal with?

Stick Horse Parade

In early March, Abby's teacher sent a note home that read something like this:
"The Friday before Spring Break, we will be having a stick horse parade to end our Texas unit. Please use the attached pattern to create a stick horse for you child. Awards will be given for the best horse, the best cowboy(girl) costume, and the best hat. All children will receive an award for participating."

Somewhere within the first 24 hours, I mentioned to my parents that Abby was going to make a stick horse for school. Mom said they had several ideas on how we could do it, but I dismissed her, saying that Abby really just wanted to color it. So, she colored and glittered and allowed me to help make a cute mane out of yarn. It took a long time, and we were both very proud of her accomplishment. We even made a slight attempt at a cowgirl costume (thanks to a friend that let us borrow boots). Abby was not interested in wearing a hat, though.

As Abby rode off to school on Friday morning, I didn't really think she would win the costume contest but thought she stood a good shot at the best horse portion. Don't you agree?


When I picked her up that afternoon, I couldn't help but notice the other horses as they came out. Of course, there were a couple of store bought horses and a couple that were only colored with nothing else, but then, I saw the beauties. There was a pink stuffed horse with sparkles, glitter, and pink tafetta for a mane. There was a paint horse with a leather bridle attached to a fancy stick. There was a horse made of felt with real felt ears, google eyes, and a rope for reins. And then, there was Abby's horse...on a yardstick.

Needless to say, Abby did not win any awards that day and I certainly did not win Mother of the Year. Or maybe she did. Abby had spent a little time each day for the better part of 10 days working on her horse. The ideas were hers and the work was hers, other than a little help on the mane and hot glue gun. Anyway, Abby never seemed to notice or care that her horse was any "better" or "worse" than any of the others (and I most definitely did not point it out). She was beaming when I picked her up and could barely get in the car before she showed off her prizes and chatted all afternoon about how fun it all was.

For future projects, though, the term pattern means just that...pattern. My mother was right.

I will leave you with a little riding entertainment...



Untitled from Laura on Vimeo

Montessori in Action

When we left Amarillo, one of the last things I did was meet with a couple of teachers from Abby's school and get ideas for how to continue the Montessori curriculum at home. This is just one of the ideas they shared.


We do not do it often, but when we do, it is a hit and it entertains for about an hour. Perfect for a long afternoon at home!!


Oh, and if you are worried about the water mess, just leave the water out. It is equally as fun.

A New Language

While in line at the deli in Walmart, Abby and I overheard the conversation in front of us. The lady asked the man, in Spanish, where the spoons were and made a hand motion to sort of deomonstrate. I had enough clues to know what she was talking about, so trying to be helpful, I pointed them out. In awe, Abby exclaimed, "How you know what she was talking about? She was speaking Yippish!!"

Happy Valentine's Day

This was supposed to be the picture for our Valentine's Day cards...you know...since I didn't send Christmas cards. But guess what? That did not get done either. So...on to the next attempt. St. Patrick's Day? Easter? Abby's birthday? How about the 4th of July?

First Book

Untitled from Laura on Vimeo.

Shortly after Christmas, Abby came home with her first homework assignment...a list of sight words to practice. This is actually a story of its own. After Abby had gone to bed that night, I just happened to read on facebook where one of her friends was so excited about finally having homework. "Abby, did you have homework tonight?" "I don't know." After checking her backpack, I quickly discovered that she did. So out of bed she got to do it. Ohhhhhh, it may be a long 13 years in the Mueller household!

Anyway, a couple of weeks later, Abby brought her first "book" home to read! This video is of her reading page 3 of the book. As I write this, they have worked their way through page 5 and have added the words help and not. We are so proud of her accomplishment and are even prouder that she loves to read. Or maybe she just loves to color the mitten or heart every time she reads to us. Either way...I'll take it!!

She Can Do It!

Untitled from Laura on Vimeo.

Just a little evidence that Abby did learn to ski on our recent trip to Sipapu. Just don't let her get close to the edge of the mountain!

The video is almost halfway over before you can really see Abby. She starts on the right hand side of the cones and is wearing a pink coat.

Before I forget...

Last night, I was cold when I went to bed...like cold to the point that I could not get warm. So Jeremy went to get Abby, aka my heater, out of her bed for me. Finally content, I snuggled up beside her, found some warmth, and fell asleep. Pass an hour or so, and, WHACK! I was hit in the head by an arm. A minute later came an "Ow!" from Jeremy's side of the bed; he was also wounded. Abby continued to flip, flop, and moan. Finally, upon asking her what was wrong, she grumpily and sleepily responded, "I am airing off!"

Ready for Baseball Season

Thanks to a little (or a lot) of blood, sweat, and tears, we here at the Mueller household are ready for baseball season.

But is baseball season ready for us?

Abby"isms" Part 2

• Jeremy was encouraging Abby to take a nap and said, "Abby, close your eyes." She promptly responded, "Daddy, it does not work that way. My brain falls asleep...then my eyes go to sleep." Oh so true, Abby Grace, oh so true.
• While pink is still Abby's favorite color, she will often choose green instead. Know why? "Because of my Hamlin Pied Pipers."
• And finally...just to help me remember in 10 years...she is sooooo picky when it comes to clothes. She wants no part in anything that is scratchy, tight, too loose, or too long. She despises having to layer when it is cold, yet loves to wear a cami under her shirts. Socks are a battle of their own as she has recently become convinced that they have a right and wrong foot. Shoes...yet another issue...if they aren't her crocs...she is negotiating when she gets to wear them again. Her hair...she wants to do it herself and would prefer that I keep my hands and especially my suggestions to myself. All of this being said, Abby truly desires to look nice and is always asking if things match and look cute together, leaving Mama wishing for a mild sedative most mornings of the week...no telling who would actually take it. Kidding people, kidding.
• Which reminds me, guess who can swallow a pill? Correct! And on her very first attempt. Considering my profession, that is a pretty huge accomplishment.

Tea Party

Let's have a tea party...

Abby"isms"

Here are a few of the latest Abby"isms" we have heard (forgive me if I have shared any of them before):

• After hurting herself, "That hurt like the chickens!"
• After spending the day at the stock show with friends, "Mama, you know cows lift their tail when they poop?" Me: "Yes, I think I knew that." Abby: "Hmmmm, I just learned that today."
• To Jeremy, "My tongue hurts. I think I have a loose taste bump."
• When she was a baby, she would sign when she got mad or frustrated...like we would look in the back seat and there would be sign language flying everywhere. Now, she spells. E-B-P-S-O...and usually ends her random spelling with P-I-P-E-R-S...
• If she is not singing and dancing, she is cheering. If she is not cheering, she is sleeping.
• If she wants me to hold or carry her, she asks, "Mama, you need some extra lovin' from me today?" It works every single time.
• Her other technique is, "Mama, you want to cuddle bug?" I love that she is still so cuddly and snuggly.

Still loves them...

In case you were wondering, Abby still loves her babies. New babies are sometimes added to the mix, but Abby and these two are inseparable. And if you doubt me, just come visit us; people in town may not always be able to tell the babies apart, but they know that whoever is in tow is either Liz or Braelyn. Braelyn even rides to school in Abby's backpack a couple of days each week...not because she always gets out, but because she likes to listen to Abby play with her friends.