6 years, 6 lessons

Today Tim and I are celebrating 6 years of marriage.  I can hardly believe it!  But on the other hand, I totally can.

Real Life with the Taylors: Purses

Yesterday was a really great day.  I wasn't so sure it would be, because it started out with a cereal sneeze (not serial sneeze... cereal sneeze).  You know, that awful thing that happens when you are halfway through chewing a mouthful of cereal and you suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, sneeze?  And stuff goes everywhere?  Or you catch it on your sleeve or in your hand?  The hand is the best-case scenario here, because it's easiest to clean up.

I caught it with my hand.  That was probably a sign that it was going to be a good day.

But we're not here to talk about cereal sneezes or my good day.  It's (way past) time for another episode of Real Life With the Taylors.

First up, we have this scenario.

No, I'm not talking about the filthy storm door that I don't even bother to clean because what's the point?  I'm talking about that black plastic tubing right outside the door.  I think we've talked about this before, so I won't elaborate too much.  But this downspout extension is supposed to be attached to the other side of the house.  And it's not.  Actually, it's pretty rare to find it where it should be.

This girl likes to drag them all over the place.  I think she tears them off of the house because sometimes critters get in there, but as for the relocation... there's not explanation.


Secondly, we are going to talk about my purse situation.  Which is this.

A dirty, stained, white canvas bag.  Obviously I need to wash this thing.

Also, I've heard rumors that it's past Labor Day and I shouldn't be carrying such a light color.

I refuse to accept this.  It is NOT after Labor Day.  Because that would mean that August has come and gone.  And it is not possible that that has happened.  

But then why is it so cold outside?  Maybe it is after Labor Day, and I definitely do need to change my purse.

Gail... I know what you're thinking, but I need to stop you right now.  It is NOT time for a purse intervention.  I do not need a new purse.  Because here is the current state of my purse collection:

I know that this pales in comparison to many women's purse collections, but for me it is more than enough.  I am not of the school of thought that "you can never have too many purses."

So, I guess I will switch my purse to something less dirty and more appropriate for late October (late October!  When did this happen!?).

And that's it for Real Life with the Taylors. 

PS- Please tell me I'm not the only one that does cereal sneezes.  The worst is a cookie sneeze, when you're like "Man, that was was a really tasty cookie and I just spit it all over my shirt!"  Gross, I know, but this is Real Life with the Taylors.

Faces

Guys... I was doing so well at keeping up with Embrace the Camera.  And then  we got lazy on Friday.  And then Ellie and I started painting cabinets yesterday, but she won't let me take a picture of her, much less share it on my blog, so you won't know who she is or how awesome she is.

But enough excuses!    Here is our final camera hug.

embrace the camera: creative

Today's Embrace the Camera prompt was "creative."  Tonight we (and by "we" I mean Tim) were creative enough to get all 5 of us in the shot.

And here you have it... a camera toss.

Tim's in the black shirt, I'm in the blue.  Toby is the white blur, Tico is the dark spot between me and Toby, and Jynx is the brownish blur just up the stairs and on the Tim side of Toby.  You can see her if you really squint.

Tim didn't get home until about 8:30, so we couldn't do it outside, hence the blurred photo.

Maybe we will try it outside someday just for fun. 

Everyday Moments

Today's embrace the camera prompt is Everyday Moment.  And here you have it:

Brushing our teeth and watching the nightly video.

What is the nightly video you ask?  Well, its pretty simple.  At bedtime, we watch a video.  Usually its a funny one which gives us endless giggles and keeps us up for another half hour laughing at every funny and random thing we ever came across.  Sometimes it's just something cool, sometimes its just something we want the other to see.  Last night I made Tim watch Elizabeth and Val's tango from Dancing with the Stars this week.

If you have any suggestions for our nightly videos, we would love to hear them.  Please share your youtube favs!

For the first two Embrace the Camera prompts, as well as a little more info on what its about, check out here and here.

Embrace the Camera: Making a Memory

For those of you who missed it yesterday, we're playing along with the Embrace the Camera Challenge I heard about on Ashley Ann's blog.

Today's theme was making a memory.  Since memory-making isn't something we really do on weeknights (NO, this is not some kind of double-entendre) we had to get a little creative.  Lucky for me, Tim's good at thinking outside the box.  

Remember his faceless self-portrait from the last photo challenge I did?

Here you have it.  Making a memory Taylor-style.  On a weeknight, nonetheless!

Get it?  Making a memory?

Real Life with the Taylors: Trimming the Fluff-buckets

Tico may not have many redeeming qualities, but there are a few things I appreciate about him.

1) He is small.
2) He is easy to bathe
3) He doesn't need haircuts

Jynx and Toby, on the other hand, need regular grooming.  And they need it much more regularly than we provide it.  Especially The Jynxer.

Her very curly, very thick fur is easily matted, a problem that is only exacerbated by her rugged adventures in our yard.

Yesterday, we decided it was time to do something about it.

An hour and a half later the three of us emerged from the bathroom with this mess to clean up.  Since this is Real Life with the Taylors, I need to mention that 1.5 hours is definitely record time for grooming Jynx.  I think it beat our prior PR by a good half-hour.  When we first started cutting thier hair ourselves, it would take multiple sessions with her.  

I should probably confess that in order to achieve this PR, there may have been some "juicing."  She was itching so much, we thought she might benefit from some Benadryl. (PLEASE NOTE: I have no idea if this is actually safe to do.  I have a vague recollection of a vet recommending it at one time, but you should ALWAYS consult a veterinary professional before giving your pets medication.  Sapphire, please feel free to chime in on this).

Last night we were at our friends', and their 4 year old is going to be Turtle Man for Halloween.  He had a 4 ft stuffed alligator that he was "wrestling" as Turtle Man.  I said it reminded me of our escapades with Jynx that afternoon.  The under-carriage is definitely the hardest part to get, and always the most matted.  But we got ALL the matting.  And there was no blood.

Also, no dogs were harmed in this process.  Jynx is feeling so much better now that all of the yucky matting is gone, and she is doing considerably less scratching.

Isn't she cute?

Also, Ashley Ann brought to my attention an Embrace the Camera challenge for this week. So I figured we could play along.  Obviously I don't have kids to take pictures with, but it feels like Tim and I hardly ever have pictures together, so this week I will feature our faces.

Today's theme: Smiles



That's all for today, folks.  I will leave you with one more picture of cuteness: