48 hours. Of minor mayhem.

Hello to all!

For those of you who know me, you probably know that I love animals. I learned the unpleasant and hard way the ultimate truth of NOT caring for animals when I was in elementary school--they were hamsters. I regret that due to my ineptitude they became ex-hamsters sooner than they should have. But again, I was 9 and I learned a valuable lesson: domesticated animals can't take care of themselves.
We currently have 2 cats and I have been lobbying for a dog since Aaron and I got married.
I would say let's get a dog!
And he would say NO! I have been bitten by dogs! On the butt!
And I would say but that was years ago! And you do have a very cute tushie!
And he would say my tushie is quite awesome, but we're not getting a dog!
And I would say but I love dogs!
And he would say but they are terrifying--teeth out of nowhere!
Then I would list all the dogs with which he has had a good teeth-free relationship.
And he would go yeah, but we can't have a dog now because a) we have babies b) we are renting c) dogs are terrifying.

Well, we are no longer renting.
And Adrian is 4.
And the apple of his eye, Fiona Leigh, keeps saying "i need dogs". He has been outnumbered, outvoted, and has given in. (hooray!)
Thus the great dog search of 2009 has begun. Last night we went to the animal welfare league shelter. Rows upon rows of dogs, leaping at their cages, barking their fool heads off. The whole time, Adrian has his hands over his ears and Fiona is clapping her hands exclaiming "yay! dogs!". We met 3 dogs that we thought might be a good match. The first dog was a one and half year old male hound dog mix. He was the size we wanted and was reported to be good with cats and children. It was hard to tell because his tail was tucked between his legs the whole time, and the look on his face was "please don't hurt me". It was so sad. The second dog was a 4 year old female, she was friendly, playful and sweet...and had been handed over because she had snapped at her previous owner's child. And the last was a large male black lab. He was a giant spazz and kept knocking Fiona over. She didn't mind, but I could just see him inadvertently destroying the whole house.
So that trip was a wash. We looked again on petfinder and contacted a few rescue groups, but as Aaron says we aren't looking for A dog, we're looking for THE dog.

And then there was today. I went to the dentist. I like my dentist. Sadly, he only does root canals now....so I have a new dentist. He looks like a cross between Jason Bateman and Rod Stewart. But he filled a cavity and I'm scheduled to go back next Thursday and get 2 more filled. And then, because I have hit the dental jackpot! I have to get a root canal/crown and I need my wisdom teeth extracted in the next 12 months. I am a lucky lucky girl!

As a result of todays novacaine, I spent the better part of today looking like a lopsided chipmunk. Aaron spent the better part of today trying not to laugh at me. He was mostly successful.

Where oh where oh

Where did my safety glasses go?
I need them b/c I have some glass cutting and soldering to do.
I am crafty like ice is cold.

I love me some flamey burney hot molten metal.
(With appropriate safety precautions and emergency fire extinguisher at the ready)

Although there are days when the idea of walking around weilding a flamethrower does hold a certain appeal on a primal level.

Yeeee haw!

And other exclamations!
We are most pleased to see the era of Bush & Cheney to come to an end. Now maybe we can just get our soldier friends home (hi jesse!), make a little cash, and mend all of those damaged relationships across the globe.

A funny:
We were watching the inaugural proceedings on tv and every time Obama was on the screen Adrian anounced: There's our emperor!

I hate winter.

And Old Man Winter knows it. He's taking it personally. Let me say this: a high of negative 4 is not the way to win me over, Old Man.

Ice! And Snow! And frosty frosty doooooooom!
(Photographic evidence to follow)

Awesome.

Hey! It's really cold here. And there's snow. Lots of snow. And it's warmer in Oslo (Norway) than it is here. It's so cold, in fact, that they have cancelled school tomorrow. Enjoy some pictures of our snow, taken through the windows of our house.

The sunset out the dining room window. It was the most color we had all day.

This is the snow engulfing Adrian's tricycle, as taken through the kitchen window.

Our lamp post out front, wearing a hat of snow.

The railing on the front steps. Note the wicked looking icicle.

Winter white everywhere. brrrr.

Hey! It's 2009!

Farewell 2008--you were bittersweet, memorable, and left quietly.
No, really. This was the first year in the 4 that I've lived in Chicagoland that the New Year wasn't marked by gunfire. I love my new house. My neighbors rang in the year banging pots and pans. At this point, they could fling dog turds into my yard and I'd be ok with that because it doesn't involve firearms.
I am excited for 2009. New president! Adrian goes back to school Monday! Fiona turns 2! And I am a bread-baking fool. I love that book! Witness the first loaf from the oven:
It was delicious, smeared with marmalade. The kids had theirs with Nutella. And we ate the whole loaf. Nom nom nom.

From our family to yours:
May 2009 bring you awesomeness like...

trees made of playdoh and...

crazy hair.

Peace.

Christmas--part 3.

Hunh. I guess I loaded these backwards. Bear with me. So, Saturday after Christmas was the Puetz Family Christmas. An event, in my opinon, not to be missed. It's an 8-10 hour event, which revolves around food, food, food, and more food. And if you're of age there's booze, too. And once we've eaten until we may very well burst, there's presents. And after presents? Dessert! It's basically Thanksgiving with presents. A smattering of photos for you:

Shana, Alison, and Adrian with tiny electronics.

Fiona and Shana, relaxing on the couch.

Adrian with his new love: a Leapfrog Leapster. And hooray for that thing--it keeps him from asking to play the Lego Indiana Jones on the XBox ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

Fiona with her new love: Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba! You'll note that she has both the large, fully animated one and the smaller one. It's like original and travel size!

Adrian and Fiona in front of the downstairs tree at Nana's house. We took 6 pictures, this was the best.

In summary: we had a 4 part Christmas. I am exhausted. Thank you and Goodnight.