Crafts with the Grandkids

My grandchildren spent the last weekend with me and we started some holiday crafts to give as presents. They always enjoy making gifts for their mom and I think it gives them a sense of pride to make it themselves.

The project we did this past weekend was Max and Ruby place mats. I printed the mat off Nick.Jr. website and it had all the directions with them. The kids picked out two photos that they wanted to use and we cut them to size. The place mat is glued together and trimmed, then the pictures are glued to the picture windows on the place mat so it looks like they are looking out the windows. The kids had a great time and they did a really good job on them. It said to laminate them but we used clear contact paper because it was more cost effective. Now we just have to put the trim around the edges and then they can wrap them up!

The whole project was around fifteen dollars which isn't bad and we had a lot of the supplies left over that we can use for another project. I think the next one will be Christmas ornaments. I have seen a lot of good ideas that they would enjoy doing. Its so much fun to spend an afternoon working on crafts with the kids. We have snacks of course and hot chocolate if its cold, or soda if its warm out. Soda is a treat for them-mom doesn't allow them to have very often so at Grandmas its a treat.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Whoops!

I just noticed I have posted about my new puppy twice! I guess I have a one track mind! 

Getting ready for an addition to our family!

My new puppy was born on Halloween. She is a Brittany and is so pretty! We will get to pick her up around Dec.23. I hope the weather holds and there not snow on the ground. I will  be very disappointed if we don't get to go to Rockford to pick her up. She will be a house dog. My DOG! I love all our dogs but they are mostly hunting dogs so I am limited in how much I can spoil them (at least when Raymonds around, their master!)

I am thinking of naming her Bella. I like that name but I am still considering a few more. Brittany's are actually usually bred to be bird dogs but they make good companions too. They are quick learners and are children friendly if socialized correctly. The breeder we are getting her from does a wonderful job with that and we will continue the training when she gets here. Brittany's require a lot of exercise which means I will be spending a lot of time hiking across the fields expending her excess energy. It will be good for both of us.

I will post a picture of her as soon as I get one from the breeder. I have just seen her newborn picture so far.

Fall Back

Who decided it was a good idea to set the clocks back in the winter months? I will have to look into that and let that individual know that I don't like it because it makes it hard to enjoy the great outdoors when its dark out at 6:00 in the evening.

I like it being light out a little longer. The day doesn't seem so short and you can have a little time when its still light out when you get home. Oh well, I guess not everybody cares about that kind of thing, I just find it a little bothersome.

The days seem to be going faster and faster the older I get. I can remember when I thought time stood still while I was waiting for that age when I would get that all important drivers license.But it finally came time for me to get that document and afterwards it didn't hardly seem to matter. Funny how that works.

Hope everyone remembers to set their clocks back! Well maybe not  Everybody!

New Arrival on Halloween!

Our new puppy was born on Halloween! She is one of eleven puppies, 5 males and 6 females. The breeder sent us pictures over the week-end and we will soon get to pick which one we want. I would like to have them all but I think I will settle for just one. Now I have to think of a name for her. I had originaly thought about Bella, but I now I'm not as sure.

We will get to pick her up around Christmas time so I hope we have a dry winter here and in Rockford too. Its about a six hour drive up there and we make it a two day trip. I am getting everything ready at the house for her. We are going to crate train her until she gets out of the chewing stage. The breeder gets the pups doggy door trained when they leave so its not a huge adjustment for them when they get to their new home.

The other pups we have are getting big. We take them out for a long walk in the fields now that the farmers have all the crops out. They love to run the fence line and look for everything they can to play with or eat. Hopefully they will be trained to be bird dogs in a few months but right now they are enjoying being puppies!

New puppy!

I am getting a new puppy in a few weeks. Its a Brittany Spaniel from Winklemans Gun Dogs in Rockford Il. We got our last pup from there. She is a German Shorthair and we are very happy with her training and social skills. They do a good job breeding their dogs and preparing them for their new homes. Socializing dogs is important for them and for the owner. It makes a huge difference in the dogs behavior and their acceptance of their new environment and family. I would like to have a ten dog kennel someday. I have two adopted dogs, George and Socks. They are both strays that have become part of our family. The new puppy will be a house dog and it should be interesting house training her in the winter months. If anyone has any tips on housebreaking, I would welcome the input. It should be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it.