Camera Critters - 9.6

Finally! I've been waiting a week to post these! Last weekend we took the kids to the zoo.

Ok fine. They really didn't want to go. I did. I have such an obsession with animals that no matter what city we go - we have to go see their zoo (if they have one, of course!). In all honesty, zoos make me sad. I don't like the looks on the animals faces because they look so... well, sad. I hate seeing them caged up, but yet - where else am I going to see them?

Thee demons wanted to go to the big zoo - the MNZoo down by Minneapolis... why? There is a really cute little zoo with a handfull of animals within 1/2 hour from us! There's never a lot of people (fear of crowds, ya know) - I think there were 5 cars in the parking lot Saturday morning? It's a great zoo.. it's advertised as free, and it used to be, but now they ask for a certain amount in a "donation". Whatever - I'm not complaining. All 4 of us got in for $15. I think thats the cost of one ticket at the MNZoo.

I wanted to post these all week, but I was saving them for (my favorite - have I ever said that?) meme - Camera Critters. My favorite animal at the zoo, the tigers, were sleeping and we could barely see them in the shadows, so I didn't get pics of them. Last year when we were here they came right up to the fence. That was amazing!

Anyway.... you didn't come here to read, did you?
First were the prairie dogs. They are so fun to watch. We went right away in the morning, so they were hungry. We put our quarter in the food machine and they all came running - made for some great shots!
As I said, I didn't get to see my tigers, but I did get to see the cougars. I love watching big cats (hence the whole "kittilicious" or "kittyobsessed" screennames I go by). As soon as we walked up to the fence line of this cougar one of the demons blurted out "Great. Now Mom's gonna stand here for a 1/2 hour!".

It would have been worse at the MNZoo, my loves. More cats.
Every zoo has a petting zoo part, doesn't it? This guy was pretty friendly... and really seemed to be interested with the monkey holding the camera.
I guess the downfall of going to the zoo right away in the morning is the animals that sleep in... the big black bear (and he was big!) was sleeping in a corner and all we could see what his butt and his paw. I didn't want a picture of a bear butt (it was kinda cute, though) so I took a picture of his paw instead.
His cubs, however, were enjoying the morning with lots of playing! (The mama bear was in another pen and was totally out of view - she was sleeping, too. But with these cubs, I don't blame her! They were LOUD and obnoxious. That thing he's standing on is probably at least 10 feet high - the 3 cubs would go up and down and up and down and yell at each other.... it was pretty entertaining!

I really wish I could lie and say I got this one in the wild, but if you look close you can see mom's tagged ear in the corner. They have a GORGEOUS area for the whitetailed deer. It took us awhile to find the small herd (a few does, only saw one fawn and never found the buck(s) ) because they were hiding so well. But we finally found them and this little one especially was pretty curious. I didn't realize until we got home how funny of a shot I actually got! My first thought of "this is my feelings about living in a zoo!" - which goes back to my mixed feeling of zoos.

Hey Saki, wanna bath?

It's been awhile....

A bath? Water? I like water! Are we going to the lake? The lake has water... I like to splash in it and chase things in it.. water is fun!

Whoa.. wait a minute... this isn't the lake. What is this?

I don't know if I like this.....

Ok I'm pretty sure I don't like this. There's the door... what if I make a run for it?

Maybe if I lay down... hey, this ain't so bad...the bubbles taste sorta good.
(notice how dirty the water got? She NEEDED a bath BAD!)
Ok now you are just making me look stupid.
But it's sorta warm.. I think I'll walk around the house with it on. All clean.... but next time can we just do it in the lake?

Thursday Thunks 9.4

Welcome to the Thursday Thunks! Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

This week we will answer:

Since this is the week that most kids go back to school... I know some of you are last week or last month, but this is my meme and my demons went back this week... so there! LOL
This week lets think back to our school days... way back in time. Pick a teacher and tell us about them. Were they your favorite? Your least favorite? Something spectacular happen to them while you were in school? Whatever the reason is that that particular teacher just popped into your head - tell us about it.

And because school started this week and with Labor Day and all... I totally forgot it was Thursday.... so I'm sorry for this not being set up before hand. Forgive me?

.... and tell your friends!


Don't forget to link back to us and visit other's Thursday Thunks and comment!

Wordless Wednesday 9.3

Today is the day!

The demon got a little upset that I wrote in her planner, but I can't help it... I was excited!

I'll be interested to hear how today goes. Demon #2 lost her class schedual already and we tried to peice together her day as much as possible. First day of Jr High and you aren't 100% sure where you are going.. we've all been there, but this might be one of the worst. Luckily Demon #1 is just a grade ahead of her and their lockers are right next to each other.... big sister is going to help push her in the right direction.

At least she better. *sigh*

So here's to a new school year...

*UPDATE*

Well, the school day is over and all went well. Demon #2 walked into the wrong math class, sat down and sat through roll call. Only then is when she figured out she screwed up. Worse could happen, I suppose.

Demon#1 went to her locker in the morning only to find that someone else had occupied it. She shared with her sister (wasn't the big sister supposed to be watching out for the little one?) and they will get it figured out tomorrow.

They both came home smiling... and with homework. Krissy started right in on her art homework. Draw something that you are good at drawing. What to pick.... she's good at drawing everything! My little artist already has plans on applying to the Art Instruction Schools when she's 14 so she was tickled pink to see the art room!

It's happening.... it's really happening...

12 hours from now the demons go BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!
I'll be able to get some work done again!

(and maybe get a nap or two in....)

Camera Critters - 8.30

It's that time of week again.. time for my very favorite meme - Camera Critters! I love critters .. much more than people because no matter what you say to them, they act like they are listening. Ok, well maybe not cats. Cats will just walk away from you.
But my favorite critter in the house (shhh don't tell the others) will listen to anything and everything I have to say, when I say it.

Maybe it's just that Golden Retriever personality... they are so expressionable and I absolutely love taking pictures of Saki. I don't think I've ever gotten a bad picture of her.. each shot has some type of emotion.
I do have to share with all of you critter lovers out there who visit each week the best news ever... yes, you guessed it - the tumor was non-malignant! Serena does not have cancer! We beat those 85% odds. The vet was shocked and I, like you could imagine, spent the day bouncing off the walls... I was so fricken happy. I was close to tears I was so happy.

Thank you all again for your wishes & prayers - THEY WORKED!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

The tumor was non-malignant! Serena is gonna be fine!!!

Can we all do a little happy dance for me... just because? Ok fine, I'll do it myself!

And now I must go turn the faucet on "slight drip" for Princess Serena... she's screaming at me that she wants her water!

*edited:

thought I was kidding, didn't you?

Thursday Thunks 8.27

Welcome to the Thursday Thunks! Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!

This week we will answer:

You have your choice! Pick one (or two... or all 3) of these questions to thunk about.

If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they stick Teflon to the pan?
How do they get a deer to cross at that yellow road sign?
Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?

.... and tell your friends!


Don't forget to link back to us and visit other's Thursday Thunks and comment!

Wordless Wednesday 8.27

I screwed up and linked the Sept 3rd WW to this one. Wake up, Berleen! Geez. Here is this weeks Wordless Wednesday. Sorry.

If you don't participate in Wordless Wednesday... you should.

10 on Tuesday - 10 Things You Didn’t Like About School

10 Things You Didn't Like About School

This meme seemed appropriate today since Demon #2 is going to her Jr High Open House this afternoon! It's not the same Jr High I went to (that one has long since been torn down) but they added to my high school in 1996 so she (as Demon #1 already is) going to my old high school!

And whats even more ironic about this subject is that, thanks to Facebook, I have suddenly been "reunited" with a bunch of people from my graduating class. One in particular I was surprised to find out has a baby! We were good friends in high school and, like most high school friends, we lost touch in adulthood. What ever happened to "that won't happen to us!"?

Anyway... on with the meme. 10 Things That I Didn't Like About School.

1. Math class. I sucked at math (still do) and I hated every single one I had to take. I loathed it. I despised it. I hated it. I just didn't like it. Don't you understand? MATH SUCKED!!!!!
2. Being cool. Always having to worry about if your clothes were in fashion, if your hair was big enough... I acted like I didn't really care, but I did. You didn't want to be talked about, after all.
3. Big hair in the winter. I walked to school on Minnesota winter mornings. It was cold. I couldn't wear a hat, no matter how much my father insisted that I did, because even AquaNet couldn't cure hat hair. My head got cold! I also had ripped jeans so my knees were cold, too. Damn 80s.
4. Mr. Krogman. Yep, I didn't like him... never did. Everyone else did, but I didn't. He hated rebellion and I was his poster child of rebellion in 9th grade. Neither one of us got over that.
5. Friend fights. I had a pretty small group of friends, but we still had our fights. I hated them. They sucked and they made your stomach upset and I hated that feeling. I hated my friends being mad at me.
6. Rules. Didn't we all?
7. Lockers never big enough. Back to #3 - we had winter coats, plus books, plus.. whatever else. The lockers were just never big enough.
8. Swimming. I hated when swimming came around in gym class. I really did. I don't know what part I hated, but I could never wait until it was over!
9. Homework. Enough said.
10. That it had to end. Don't tell anyone I said that and I wouldn't have said that in a million years on graduation day, but I actually yern for being back in school... life was so simple then.

Camera Critters - 8.23

Today we are sharing Oliver. AKA "Oliver Buddy", "Buddy" and "Mr Personality". We joke that he is so laid back that if he ever got out of the house he would lay in the road and watch a car run him over. He is the poster child (poster cat?) for the Persian personality. He is lovable, vocal, cuddly and... well, look at him... how can you resist a face like that? (he's also very photogenic!)


... and for those of you who gave me your best wishes last week... Serena went through surgery fine. She's home and back to her normal self! I posted a "to know or not to know" the other day and I finally made a decision - the test is being done. I still won't put her through chemo if it turns out to be malignant, but at least this way I'll know.

Cross your fingers for a good result! I should know the end of next week.
Somehow Saki just knew that there was something wrong... this was the day Serena came home. She was very gentle with Serena... curious, but never chased her or anything. It almost seemed like she was protecting Serena every now and then. In fact, I was laying on my bed watching tv with Saki along side me the day after Serena came home, when Serena walked into the bedroom. Saki got up, walked over me and laid down on the other side... Serena jumped up and laid down where Saki was. Saki was, afterall, in Serena's spot!

Thats something she's never done before. Both dogs always try to lay in Serena's spot.

Anyway... go play along in the Camera Critters meme!