Piggy Guy

So Gus, our new puppy, has taken quite a liking to Max's stuffed animals. If one happens to fall into the "free zone" Gus will come happily trotting out of Max's room to proudly show-off the latest toy victim. Fortunately for Max, Gus gives them up pretty quickly and the slobbered on stuffed animal gets returned to it's home: Max's bed. It's not like Gus doesn't have toys of his own, I think he just prefers the fuzzy, well-loved toys of his people.

I decided I would sew Gus his own stuffed animal. We recently checked out this book from the library and Blue Pig was the inspiration for the toy for Gus.

I was very excited with my new creation, and before I handed it over to Gus to maul, I wanted someone else to see it in all of it's "new toy glory." Matt and Max were out on a bike ride, but I could hear Miles waking up from his nap. I strolled into his room, scooped him out of his crib and showed him Gus' stuffed animal.
"Wha'd'ya think?" I ask proudly.
"That for me?" Miles replies.
"No honey, that's the toy I made for Gus."
"No, that for me." Miles says with great certainty.
Well I can't resist Miles' big blue eyes and his charming toddler ways. So I succumb and tell him the pig is his.
"What's his name?"
"That Piggy Guy!" he exclaims happily. "You make a stegosaurus for the puppy and I have Piggy Guy."

So I went upstairs and sewed a not-as-cute-but-puppy-doesn't-mind stegosaurus for Gus and everyone is satisfied.

Stormy Night

Yesterday was a bad weather day across all of Minnesota. Dozens of tornadoes were reported, hail and gusty winds and storms hit all over the state. Fortunately for us, nothing severe came close to our house, but the night was lit with that eerie light that happens when the light of the setting sun is refracted off of all of the crazy clouds covering the sky.

Here are a couple of photos from last night. There was a yellowish/orange-y light everywhere giving the neighborhood a very Twilight Zone feeling.

First Peas

Every spring I plant some kind of vine on our alley-side chain link fence. The last 2 years morning glories climbed the fence. But this year I thought I'd try peas. They've been climbing like crazy things and last week Matt and I added some bamboo sticks with twine tied to them to extend the climbing area up about 4 feet.

The fruits (or vegetables, as the case may be) of our labor have started to emerge. I saw our first peas this morning. They taste as good as they look and I can't wait for the bumper crop to come in!

As a little extra bonus there was a little white butterfly flitting around the peas. He was about the same size as the pea blossoms. Very sweet!

Our New Baby

Yes, it's true. We have a new baby in our family. But this baby is black, furry, cute and has puppy breath. We have a puppy! His name is Gustav Arnold, better known as Gus (or as I call him Arnie) and he's a standard poodle from my mom's most recent litter. He's 13 weeks old and has been with us a week and has settled in wonderfully!

Thanks Grandma Kay for our beautiful, fuzzy, baby boy!