A boy, a dog, and a hot day

... Some our favorite reasons to love summer.

Poo Patrol-- Reporting for duty

Lately my life has been full of poo-- No joke!

Here, let me explain.

The last few weeks it seems stinkiness has been placed in my path from all directions. First, both my dogs went through separate bouts of nighttime horror that left an awful mess for me to find and clean in the morning. I have no idea what set off their systems nearly simultaneously, but it wasn't pretty.

Then there is my toddler who refuses to do anything in the bathroom other than play, play, and sing. And while I'm wise enough to hold off on cloth diapers until the morning poo duty is done, he has recently begun (it seems) waiting for the cloth to hit his bottom before making a deposit. Often, just moments after being released from the changing table.

Whyyyy???

The most recent addition to my constant clean up has been with our foster dog, Lotus. All has gone remarkably well with her-- that is until this week. All thankfulness that she is housebroken has now been doused. Following her spay surgery she has been a constant mess of upset stomachs and backward explosions. And thanks to daily rainstorms, I've been forced to coop her up in the kennel for the safety of our rugs. But even the few times I have whisked her outdoors, she refuses to stay off the deck which means I still have a mess on my hands.

Sigh

Who knew motherhood held so much... poo? It begins in infancy with leaky diapers and a shower of sprinkles every now and then, continues for the next few years with various degrees of messiness, and culminates with an attempt to potty train which means a wet bed and multiple clothing changes, then rushed searches for the nearest bathroom when they "gotta go" pronto. I've almost become desensitized to poo at this point-- almost.

It's a good thing that "daddy" was given the weak stomach and not I. Mothers need all the strength of stomach and nostrils that they can be given. It's part of the job description that poo, and vomit, and fluids you never imagined dealing with appear on your daily agenda. And on you. And even though I do wish all hands could be on duty right now, it's still nice to know I can handle it on my own if I have to.  

Still, I've been thinking... there has to be an upside in all this. Yes, tomorrow I shall buy stock in Bounty and Lysol anti-bacterial cleaner. I'm sure our house is solelyy responsible for soaring sales.

A breakfast hike

This morning after my daily run, we attempted to meet up with the Mom's Club for a group walk at a local state park. I normally walk the dogs every day to wear out my four-legged energizer pooch (aren't dogs supposed to slow down by age 9?)-- so I put our Australian Shepherd in the car and brought him along for his daily exercise. With breakfast packed, we headed out bright and early for our little adventure.

Unfortunately, our plans took a detour when we discovered the park was not "dog friendly." We were forced to leave since the signs posted clearly stated that pets were not permitted on the walking loop.

Ahhhhhhhhhh no! So much for some time outdoors, time to talk with other moms, and new scenery.

On our way to the main road, there was a sign marked outside the park for another trail so we decided to stop. This trail was more of a hike-- not paved. Thank goodness for jogging strollers!

We navigated through the trees, up a hill, and around a small lake. It was a beautiful morning and the weekend rain made the greenery glisten. Maddox and I ate breakfast while admiring the beautiful place we live, something we don't often take the time to do.

My only advice to other adventurous mommies? Be sure to wear bug repellent!

"Hello world!" Sonogram photos have arrived

We had our second sonogram today to double-check and make sure everything looked good. Baby was perfect-- weighing in over a pound-- and even made an appearance this time in a 3-D photo.

It took a little prodding and a bathroom break to coax the little one out of the corner of the uterine wall (so the image would show up), but we finally got a clear glimpse.

Baby's been busy this afternoon, trying to feed a thumb into the mouth and sticking some toes in one eye. This one certainly kept the room entertained.

The latest PR project launches: "Bring 100 Home"

Talking with my favorite rescue coordinator recently, we began brain storming ideas. There are SO many great dogs dying in shelters here in Tennessee and rescues up North willing to take them. Transports are already scheduled every month. The only thing holding back rescuing more is a shortage of foster homes.

Why not come up with a new campaign with a goal to sign up 100 foster homes to save 100 dogs?

A few days later I created our website and quickly followed by launching the official start to the campaign "Bring 100 Home." 

You can read more about at "Local Campaign Launches to Save Local Dogs and 'Bring 100 Home."

And so begins the work ahead to reach this goal!

Learning to jump

... Because that's what trampolines and summer are for

A strawberry pie affair

Hot summer days are perfect for savoring the sweet taste of pie-- especially since right now we're on the farm. Out here, nearly every meal is followed by a home-baked treat. The Midwestern women are proud bakers and seem to always have something fresh from the oven on hand.

So today I dusted off my pie-making skills and made this creation. All it needs is some whip cream and it's ready for any friends or family that decide to drop in. (Somehow we always end up with a crowd, especially if the word goes that that food is being served!)

Here's the basic recipe for my off-the-cuff creation:
Flaky Pie Crust
2 cups flour
1 stick butter, softened
6-8 TBS water
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the flour and sugar in a chilled bowl. Cut butter into pieces and cut in with a pastry blender, potato masher, or fork until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2-3 TBS water at a time and stir until the dough becomes soft and pulls away from the edges. Roll into a ball and set on a floured surface. Flatten dough slightly into a disk and sprinkle with more flour. Let sit for 10 minutes before rolling out and placing in a pie plate. Flute the edges, prick the bottom, and cover the bottom of the crust with tin foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until slightly firm.

Summertime Strawberry Pie
4-5 cups berries, cut into quarters
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp water
3 TBS flour or corn starch

Cook berries, sugar, and water over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture thickens slightly and the berries soften. Add flour and continue cooking and stirring 1 more minute. Remove from heat and pour into baked pie shell. 
Bake for 20-ish minutes at 350 degrees until edges of pie are browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Serve chilled with whip cream.