The Denim Jacket

The denim jacket serves many purposes.  It can stretch a summer dress into a fall dress.  It can add style to an otherwise plain outfit.  It can drive a child to tears because of a sticky tag under the arm (not today though).  It can make a 6 year old look 16. 

Future Hamlin Pied Piper Cheerleader

Abby cheers at football games; she cheers in the car; she cheers in the bathtub.  She incorporates cheerleading practice into our playtime more times than not.  She teaches her babies how to cheer.  Abby Grace loves cheerleading!  And this year, we signed her up to cheer on the mini Piper cheer squad.  So if you need us on a Saturday morning, we can be found on the football field cheering on our powder puff football team.  Except that I honestly don't watch much of the game...the girls are way cuter!! 

1st Day of 1st Grade

 Ready for a new school year!

 

 

Her teacher is Mrs. Byerly and the theme for the classroom is monkeys. Pretty fitting since Abby is part monkey part cat.

 

 

Memorable moment:  On the 4th day of school, Abby was sent home sick.  After a short rest, she was perfectly normal again.  Hmmmmmm.  A few days later, I ran into Mrs. Byerly.  She commented that the year was going really well so far but there was so much to learn in 1st grade.  She said that the day Abby got sick had been a particularly full day.  Abby had been bouncing along, answering questions, when all of a sudden, she just zoned out. She had processed all she could handle for one day.  Needless to say, they slowed down a little after that.

Happy 6th Birthday

Happy 6th Birthday, Abby Grace!

Abby's 6th birthday has been lots of fun.  It started with a "dark party" with grandparents about a week before her birthday.  We have no idea where she came up with it but, in typical Abby fashion, once she came up with the idea, there was no turning back.  So we turned out the lights and used lanterns, candles, glow sticks, and glow necklaces for light while she opened presents and cards and ate cake.  I even put black trash bags on the sliding back door to make it officially dark.

 

Afterwards, we all gathered in the yard to put her new trampoline together.

 

We also had a party with the baseball boys and a party with friends at Gymnastics Sports Center in Abilene.  Theme:  monkeys, of course.



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.