A Fox Tale: We're Baaaack!

After a two-month period of our very unthoughtful, neighborhood wireless providers using passwords and/or moving away, I finally complained enough until Steve agreed to getting our own access. Tadah! I was definitely missing my daily internet fixes. How else could I find out about all the good entertainment gossip and shopping oppurtunites. : )

In the last couple months we have been very busy, but I'm not sure what we've accomplished. I've been out of school for almost 3 weeks. Maddie got sick at the end of the school year, so I had to miss a couple extra days. I had planned on leaving her in daycare for an extra week, so I could do some big projects, but her fever just wouldn't go away. She has been home with me for the last 3 weeks and I think she is loving it. We go on daily walks or bike rides. There is usually a trip to the park in there somewhere, plus lots of rock throwing and weed pulling around the house. The good news is that she has been healthy for 2 straight weeks. Yippee!

We sent Maddie to her Nana Julie's for an overnight visit Memorial Day weekend. We were informed that she had a ball, but I think Nana probably had the most fun. Steve and I used our time alone to till and plant the garden, sand and stain the front porch, and other outside activities that she can complicate. We also fit in a date night, which we hadn't realized we had been missing until we took it. Steve decided we should send Maddie off more often....not that we weren't happy to see her the next day. We're not that horrible!

Now for the interesting news.....Maddie updates. She is growing up, but not really growing. Doctor is still concerned she is under the 10% mark for her weight. I don't know what to tell him, other than her parents are shrimpy. She says 'hi dad', and can sign more, please, and all done. I also think she says a lot of other things that I haven't been able to verify yet, like 'see dat'. She has never been one to say the typical 'uh-oh', but she says 'whoa'. I find that a lot more funny, anyway. If she falls down or gets excited, she'll say 'whoawhoawhoa'. She is starting to do a lot of playing on her own. She isn't interested in too many toys, but I did get her a stroller for her baby and that keeps her pretty busy. Also, she never be pushed in a swing for too long. I think she would stay there all day sometimes. She is also in love with the dogs, and spends a lot of time watching them or chasing them or hugging them. I'm sure they love it! She is still very interested in her little swimming pool and dirt, so our upcoming trip to Florida ought to be fun....as long as the drive doesn't kill us all!

My friend of forever, Ashli, had a baby boy, Payne, in April. Then in May she found out that she and her husband were approved to go to Ethiopia to pick up their adopted son and daughter. They arrived home about 2 1/2 weeks ago, and are absolutely adorable. Carter is 4 and Adiana (Adi..rhymes with Maddie) is 2. I've been to their place a couple days to help with Ashli's dog boarding/grooming/training/daycare business and to babysit. They don't speak much English, but they are so much fun. I've been informed I will get to help out more this summer, which makes me happy. I have decided that I do not want 4 kids under the age of 4, though. I think Jealous Maddie would agree with that. I didn't want to post any pictures of them without Ashli's okay, but she will be posting at some point on her website dogsbydesign.net. I know that Payne is already available for viewings. It will be a lot of fun to watch them grow up together. At one point, Adi, Maddie, and Payne will all be at the junior high, and later the oldest 3 will go to high school together.

I know I had mentioned that Jezz was not doing well, but much to Steve's dismay, she is back to her old tricks. After all our vet visits and medication, she was able to keep her eye; however, she has lost all vision out of it. When the vet was talking to me after one of her appointments he said she would keep it, but it would be '0% pretty' and he wasn't kidding. The eye on her left is lovingly referred to as 'skank eye'. Poor, old girl turned 12 on Tuesdsay. Steve thinks she turns 12 every year and will never go away. She might stick around forever, just for spite.