DIY (Dog) Bathtastic

After paying for Clifford the Big Black Dog to get bathed at the local big box pet store, and at the vet's office, and being only marginally happy with both, I decided I'd take the bull by the horns or, in this case, the dog by the collar. With the vet's grooming center, I had to drop him off early in the morning and not pick him up until the evening. For an older dog who's slightly quite neurotic, being in a kennel-type situation isn't great for him. Add in the fact that I have to sign off on a 'senior citizen' waiver each time and you can see why I'd rather just bathe my pooch in the back yard for a little peace of mind.

Later this month will mark our one-year anniversary with dear Mr. D, and I'm still learning a lot about being a pet owner. When I last purchased his food from my favorite local pet supply store, Wags to Whiskers, I asked about at-home bathing. I love the owner because her guidance has helped me have joyful walks with Dailey after being fitted with a proper pinch collar, and trouble shooting horrible gas issues and other fun things that come with having what amounts to a gigantic hairy old man living in your house.

She steered me toward a gentle shampoo that wouldn't irritate his skin and didn't have any funky ingredients or fragrances. In addition to the earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo, I got ear and eye wipes from the same line and I was off.

...That was a month ago, and I was a little nervous to do it because I could just imagine a marley-esque sopping wet dog. No, I didn't try to bathe him in my tub; I'm not that unaware of my own limitations (or those of the our indoor plumbing to handle the amount of hair that would surely shed during the bath).

With just over 15 minutes of work, I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the results. A thorough brushing, followed by wetting him down and applying a small amount of the soap, a good scrub, and then rinse, rinse and rinse some more and we were done. I had our oldest towels on stand-by, but as you can see, he gave me a good head-start on drying and after wiping his ears and eyes, he was more than ready to burst back into the gentle clutches of the air-conditioned house. The extra added bonus was that I didn't have to lift him in and out of the car, or worry that he'd leap out of the car into the parking lot before I was able to get his leash on at the pet store. Best yet, it was another chance to bond with Mr. D.

Sittin' pretty in the sun. 

Home Again, Home Again

I'm home from my whirlwind trip to the Right Coast where I got to see a ton of people (though there were still those I didn't get to connect with), drank a few too many cocktails, and got to shower our expecting friends in the picturesque town of Northampton.

Being back felt so surreal because it was almost as thought I'd never left. But then, I had. Driving through the tolls for the first time I was so lucky I actually had cash, as it was the first time in a long time I'd driven without a Fast Lane pass. Going to the Y to celebrate with my team, I accidentally drove right past and into the old apartment complex parking lot. Dunkin' Donuts was there to greet me en masse at the airport, and that brash accent wrapped around me like an old friend.

While it's good to be back in the Northwest, there is definitely a part of me that will always feel very comfortable in New England. My trip home was full of poor planning on my part, as my flight got in just after 8pm and I had to drive home the four-plus hours immediately, since J had to work the next morning at seven. By the time I dragged my sorry booty into my bed, I'd been up for almost 24-hours. My kids woke up the next morning at six to find the bag of munchkins I'd drug through the airport and crunched under the seat in front of me just so they'd have that little piece of familiarity in the place that still feels foreign to them.

Settled back in, I'm almost finished with the entrelac scarf, and also got an order for a set of five Java Jackets and am having fun with some new un-felted patterned ones. I ordered a couple kits through Knit Picks, so look for some fun pictures and a new etsy listing. I'm also in the process of purchasing the rights to make the Hannah and Josie newsboys for resale, so hope to crank a few more of those out before the holidays.

After spending several days trying to play catch-up on the cleaning I missed while I was gone, I put in a call to the local cleaning service so that I could get an estimate. A day after I got back, I hosted my dad and sister at my house as my sister was in town to have surgery. There was a thin dusting of grime everywhere I turned but I never caught my second wind to do more than de-fur the house and make sure dishes and laundry were done before they got here. Ah well, next time, right?

Aside from knitting, I still have two more stockings to make so we can have a matched set of four (well, five with Clifford's) to hang from our awesome sheet-rock mantle. Yes, our mantle is made of contoured sheet rock. At the top of our project list, behind tiling the backsplash and installing a banquette in the dining room is now 'make a real mantle, because having a mantle made of wall is weird.'

I'm also motivated to finally make the paper piecing baby quilt, a pattern for which I purchased last year. Because that's just how I roll. Actually, I can't feel too badly about it since safely in its bag upstairs, I still have the pattern book and all the fabric for the Underground Railroad quilt I purchased in Montana the very first time I went to meet my in-laws. Yes, that would be over a decade ago. I was also pouring over Amy Butler's In Stitches last night and looking at the fun throw pillows and cushions I could make for the as-yet-uninstalled, purchased or even decided on, banquette.

Today, I go to my first courtroom observation as part of my required in-court hours for the CASA program. I'm so excited to volunteer in a way that will involve me in the Child Welfare world without the same levels of stress and case management, and a fractional commitment of time. I'm nervous, though, about learning another juvenile court system. They all seem to be vastly different, from the lingo to the dress code.

And that's my little slice of life for now!

All In The Family

Tonight, I got out my Kitchen-Aide, buttermilk, softened butter, eggs, German chocolate...yes, it's birthday cake time again. This weekend, I'm headed to the family abode to celebrate my mom and oldest sister's birthdays. I have been making the birthday cakes for the last few celebrations because I love to bake. This time, my sister requested the cupcakes I made for H's party (Billy's Bakery Vanilla Vanilla), and my mom said she would love a German Chocolate cake.

The weekend we celebrated my dad and niece #2's birthday, I'm sorry to say I punked out and made cakes from a mix. Not this weekend, said I. So, right now my kitchen smells divine as the first round of cakes is baking.

It has been busy, busy, busy over the past month. I have been at H's school for everything from random check-ins at recess to collecting money for a fundraiser and punching cards for a fun physical fitness program that a parent created for kids to participate in during recess a couple days a week.

Now that the play room couldn't be mistaken for a Chernobyl fall-out zone, I hosted the very fist play-date at our house this week that was just for Charlie. I have been having so much fun with him, as H is in school, and have to admit that even though I have a large soft spot for him; he's going to be 'the one'. He is stubborn. I know. My child? Stubborn? Get out!

On to the next. J completed his third half-marathon two weeks ago, and last week I went to Boise to visit my college room-mates and ran in the Barber to Boise 10k with one of them. Before I left, I finished the Serenity blanket, and have scheduled a post for November 7th (after it's given to its intended) so stay tuned. I'm so happy with how it turned out. It's definitely the most complicated pattern I've completed thus far, while being so simple at the same time.

Recent reads include Ape House by Sarah Gruen, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (highly recommend it), and am in the middle of Run Like a Mother (love, love, love and follow them on facebook and their blog) and The Graveyard Book, which is aimed at children 10 and up, but so was Twilight, so hold your comments.

I have discovered how much I love having a dog. He is essentially me in dog form; afraid of the dark, needs to be with people, and has gastric issues that he's not afraid to share with the crowd. Getting crop-dusted by him has become a regular part of my morning coffee routine. Mmm. Good to the last drop.

I'm smack in the middle of a pair of socks (my first with a pattern other than ribbing) for that same patient friend, and next up is the Josie Newsboy, an uber-cute child's version of the Hannah newsboy hat. Both of which I need to complete before I head out to visit my besties in Woouhstuh the first week of November.

I am SO excited to run with my group again, I can't even stand myself. It's been very bittersweet to watch them train for the Cape Cod Marathon for the last four months, being so proud of them, but also knowing I'd be right there with them if I were still in Massachusetts to be swept up in the whirl of comraderie and suspended disbelief. Alas, I am where I am, and happy to be here; time to organize my own Walla-Mamas running group. If Moses won't come to the mountain, right?

Halloween is right around the corner and, of course, I volunteered to head up the party for H's class. I've got visions of sugar cookies and cupcakes dancing in my head. Yes, each child will have little pumpkin cookies to decorate with their own little portioned out ziploc bags of frosting. I. Am. Out. Of. Control. I know.

And, la piece de resistance: Charlie peed in the potty for the first time tonight! M&M's for everyone! (except me, who's smack in the middle of a round of the Game On! diet with my sistahs and best friend)

Whoops, the timer's dinging so that's all the time I have!

Photo of the Josie Newsboy is by Heidi Hennesy of Pepperberry Knits, designer of said pattern who hails from Boise, Idaho. (yay for local artists!)

Sweet for a Sweet

This week, I made enchiladas for dinner. One of my shortcuts, which always yields excellent results, is to buy a rotisserie chicken or turkey breast and then cube the meat that I pick off of it. Tender, juicy and ready to layer into the enchilada 'casserole'. This was my first time with a bird at home, while I had a dog at my feet. I remembered that he gets sick from people food, but also that dogs are supposed to get lean protein in addition to their dry kibble, so I figured a little bit couldn't hurt. The big black dog loved it. I emailed my friend later that night to ask if she'd ever done the chicken or chicken and rice thing, and she assured me it was fine. She also mentioned that she would occasionally make peanut butter 'cookies' for him, and that if I googled it, I'd find lots of recipes for homemade dog treats.

What?! A new baking project! I was on it!

First of all, I had to go to the store to buy natural peanut butter because I use Jif in my kids' sandwiches. What?! I'm going to buy natural peanut butter for my dog while I feed my kids a sugar and salt laden preserved glop? Yes. But, then, if I felt that there was a threat that my kids would vomit or poop on my floor for me to clean up if they got too much salt or it would otherwise mess with their sensitive system, I'd probably be building up my tri-ceps stirring up the jar of Adams for them too.

That said, I did get the big jar with the intent that I'd phase out the Jif, since I was feeling a touch guilty about this conundrum. Then, I licked the spoon after stirring... blech! I'm sorry, I'm like the Beastie Boys when it comes to sugar. I suppose I could aquire a taste for it, and I will use natural peanut butter in baking and in oatmeal so that you're not adding sugar where you don't want to, but a good ole PBJ calls for Jif and homemade jam. But I digress...

With the kiddos romping in the yard, I busted out a pyrex bowl, whisk and spatula...that was all I needed for these Peanut Butter Goodness treats.


Whisk 1c. water, 2T oil and 1/2 c. peanut butter. Add in 1.5 c. Whole Wheat flour, followed by 1.5 c. flour (which I thought was too much, and would cut down to 1 c. regular flour next time as there was a lot of flour that failed to incorporate in). Knead the dough to form a ball. A very stiff, tough ball I might add. Basically think of the texture that would make you cry were you attempting a pie crust, and you've got the perfect consistency for dog treats. Roll the dough out on the counter to 1/4 inch thickness. The directions say to cut into 3-4 inch pieces, but I actually used a cookie cutter, because that's just how I roll.

I didn't have to flour the counters or wash my hands aggressively to get off cemented blobs of four and dough. I'm assuming it's because of the oil in the peanut butter, married with the 2 T of oil that you add, but this is the easiest dough to work with, and work with it you must; a lot of kneading in what I think is slightly too much flour and cutting, rolling then cutting again (and again).

All ready to go in a 350 oven on an ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes.

Again with the olfactory disappointment, I was expecting a yummy whif when I opened the oven door as the timer dinged, and that's just not what you get, it's not that pungent smell of regular dog biscuits, but it's also so not warm peanut butter cookies. Ease and speed of preparation paired with the fact that the cost is significantly less than a gourmet or 'green' commercially packaged treat, and I think we've found a winner. There are a ton of resources online for homemade dog treats which incorporate vegetables and fruits, so bon apetit to your friendly pooch.

I sure wish I had me a treat...

She read my mind! (When I get my beloved SLR you'll be able to see his face as I rapidly click-click-click the frames...)

Circular Logic

It's Day Four of Clifford the Big Black Dog, and I feel so relieved. I was getting pretty nervous about the unknowns of dog ownership, but he's a fantastic companion and the hair issue isn't really much of one. If I wasn't swiffering everyday, I'm sure it would build up and be gross, but so far, it's not so bad. My kids love him, Clifford loves J and we're all happy he's part of our family.

Of course, as of night one my 'I'll Never' of having him in carpeted areas of the house was out the window when he spent the night sleeping by my bed (and every night since). He's a great dog and I feel so good about our decision to make him part of the fam.

Now that's all settled, let's get down to business; knitting. Houston: We have a sweater. After starting the Radiant sweater in March for the Ravelry Knitting Olympics just in time for my sister's birthday, I promptly failed to finish and sent her some custom bookplates from the Expressionery instead. However, once we got settled here, I knew I'd need to start knitting again post haste. With the hats for my friend under control and ready to be assembled, I moved on to getting the body of the sweater knitted so that I could attach the sleeves with the new proposed deadline of my dad's birthday weekend to deliver the sweater to my sister. Also, I found out that Walla Walla has a weekly Stitch 'n Bitch at a coffee shop, so I'll be able to have some dedicated knitting time that will double as time to myself.

Here are some pictures of the progress so far; now I'm just working on decreasing around the yoke and, thanks to an in-the-round construction, I have only two underarm seams to sew upon completion.

(Wo)Man's Best Friend

We're headed over to the West Side for a family reunion this afternoon and when we return, we'll have added another member to our own little family.

For some time now we've been carefully planning, carving out space in our new home, our family and our lives for the newest member. That's right, the HP family is taking the plunge and getting a dog.

We have somehow stumbled upon what I feel like couldn't be a better fit for our family; a friend who has a great, older lab and needed to find a home she felt comfortable with paired with my own lack of interest in having a puppy in a new home or with such small kids. He's gentle, great with kids and a great opportunity to train old Sally on how to be a dog owner. Is he rowdy on the leash? Yes. Is he Clifford the Big Black Dog? You bet. I've never been a small dog person (sorry Coop), so it just feels right. I'm looking forward to the companionship, and having something that forces me to get outside each and every day (in addition to my kids that is) for a nice walk. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I'm also looking forward to the added feeling of security with J's crazy schedule and the very real prospect of deployment.

I've had lots of advice from fellow lab owners on how to control the hair in the house issue, but one of my best friends summed it up for me; you're going to hate the cleaning, but you're going to love him.

Of course, about now I have the same feeling you had when you were nine months pregnant and the cold grip of fear had you in its clutches asking an inch from your face 'WHAT are you thinking?!' But I know what I'm thinking, and I couldn't be more excited. What's one more loud and boisterous boy, after all?! Stay tuned...