OH GAWD...the birds and the bees...well sort of. It's Peytonism time!

This morning, I was post-processing some photos and Peyton was laying on the couch watching the Wonder Pets. Cosmo and Levi were snuggled on top of the blanket covering her (Macy was still cozily tucked in my bed because princesses like to sleep late). Because of the Holidays and stuff with Cosmo leaving and then coming back, we haven't gotten around to his neutering appointment yet. (WHICH I FEEL is of the most important for all pet owners unless you have a CERTIFIED champion that has won many awards in the show ring~hopping off of soap box now).

Warning the following may contain words that you MAY find offensive. My kids know the correct terminology for the male and female body parts. However, penis, testicals, vagina and butt (well, that's already slang but I can't even bring my self to type the real word here..ewwww) are not words that I ever wanted slung around in public, call me CRAZY. We've always adopted slang terms for these parts, I won't bore you with all those crazy details however I will have to share one or two in a moment.

As Cosmo was curled up right next to Peyton his Do Dads just happen to be relatively close to her face. Yeah, ummm not a pretty site. She glanced down and noticed them I guess. And she said, "MOM, we really have to get Cosmo neutered soon!" Because she does know what that means. I reassured her that yes, we would be getting him neutered soon. She then said, "I'm worried that he might have a baby!" So I explained that he'd have to have a doggie girlfriend that he loved and then God would give them the puppies. Then I told her that he doesn't have a girlfriend that he loves so we were safe. Then she wanted to know if this was true than why does her little diamond dove have eggs. Now I'm in a quandry. (Her little diamond dove lays an egg about every other day several times a year) So I told her that because she doesn't have a husband bird that she would produce eggs but that God wouldn't give her a baby. She then said, "Mom, we GOTTA get her a MAN!"

The aftermath...

I've been non-existent here in whimagesville for a bit. Sorry! I looked at my stats today and I was like "so I must BLOG tonight or I might get hate mail or something". Wasn't quite that bad but still lots of people were looking for whatever mundane thing I have to say about my life, my dogs, my kids, my ailments and my photos. So here goes

I'll start off like my deceased Polish Grandmother (bless her heart!) and talk about my crappy luck with my back. As I mentioned, I put off the next lumbar surgery (where they would be going in through my STOMACH most likely...hope your not eating a donut or something). I elected to have Epidural Steroid Injections instead. These could: a. work wonderfully and put off the surgery for a long time b. be a GREAT patch job till the surgery or C. not really work. So I had to see a pain management specialist instead of the neurosurgeon that I just love. Apparently, it's a fun thing to switch up your meds right before the holidays and put you on stuff that takes about a
week to semi kick in. AND to make it an even better GOOD TIME, don't tell me this AND don't return my frantic phone calls that started on a Friday morning. Cool huh? We are off to a great start! I spent 3 days in the fetal position on my couch but heck could have been worse. At least I have a couch. At least I can curl into a fetal position...look for the positives people! Finally Monday night I did get a call back. So next time I'm supposed to a. deal with it or b. go to the emergency room. Great options. Today I had the procedure done....I'd have rather had a real epidural, in fact...with the twins it took 3 epidurals to work (cause I was literally the SIZE of a BARN and I couldn't squish up into that fetal position ball that they like) I would have rather had the 3 epidurals again! Anyway, enough b*tching, it's over with and I feel fine tonight. I'll go back in 2 weeks for another and hopefully that will last through our Disney trip at the end of the month.

Santa came by our little abode and brought some goodies. I have LOTS of photos of my kids with their eyes shut. nice. The wrappingpaperboxstrewn room always cracks me up. The kids on the steps...it's tradition! Don't mind the BED frame at the top of the steps...the girls are changing beds YET AGAIN. This pic is of Peyton with her requisite Matilda Jane (www.matildajaneclothing.com) that was on the top of her list. Look at Levi's LOOOOONG tail in the shot. Poor guy can't even sit properly! Santa went phsycho and got Cole the phone he wanted. Santa is crazy. Callie got the UGGS. Remember the UGGS? Read the last couple posts. She hasn't taken them off. I got a really cool camera wrist wrap since I really shouldn't have the camera around my neck anymore. Matt and I don't exchange and we haven't in years! BUT read on about our FAMILY PRESENT:

Cosmo is now officially a member of our whacked household of kids, fur, feathers and fins. WOOHOO! I'm so happy for US! LOL

I just realized this whole post sounds ALMOST like one of those RAH RAH MY FAMILY ROCKS holiday letters you sometimes get. Well, minus the complaining like my Polish grandmother (bless her heart!) part. Sorry! :-)

Cobblers Son

So there is that old saying about the cobbler's son going shoe-less. I mentioned that last year too. Well...first of all a cobbler is a shoe maker and anyway...you get the idea. Well, for me it applies to my Christmas photos. I tried to do them over Thanksgiving but my husband hated them (I think I mentioned this already, maybe not) he said the children looked like Serbian Orphans (not that there is anything wrong with Serbian Orphans and I'd be more than happy to help one AND I BET they'd be MORE than HAPPY to let me take their CHRISTMAS photos). So I told the kids that they HAD to do it again on Monday. AMONGST groans and fussing I really didn't get ANYTHING I liked! LOL Most of all Callie hates all of them (so yeah, we don't hate here at the Bedsaul's so she must STRONGLY DISLIKE all of them) but she TOTALLY was NOT into it and it shows in the photo. Cole and Peyton were much more cooperative. This type of WHIPLASH emotion (Bella says something like that to Edward in TWILIGHT...don't even get me started on my TWILIGHT issues) is really becoming the norm around here
with the twelve year old set I have. Much more so with the female but it goes both ways. Here's an example: The kids usually get one larger ie: more expensive gift and then all their other gifts for Christmas. Callie wanted REAL UGGS, not fake UGGS not BEARPAWS not Payless or the ones from the kiosk in the mall. Last year, she got Bearpaws...not a good idea. ANYWAY, so I ordered the UGGS, obviously she knows she got them, she saw the box come in the mail. They are SUPER cute and chocolate brown (and I thank the Lord that her feet are now big enough the momma will be able to wear them occassionally while little miss moody-pants is at school). The next morning we have a complete and utter break-down crying hissy fit because those chocolate brown UGGS would look SUPER-CUTE with the outfit she has on and Miss Moody-PANTS will NOT tell Daddy and she will not wear them ever again until Christmas. OBVIOUSLY she went to school not speaking to me because I'm definately the meanest mom ever for not letting her wear them and ruining her day by making her resort to wearing chocolate brown suede ballet flats with her super-cute outfit.  Oh the PAIN of not having EXACTLY the right shoe!


In other Bedsaul family news...I think Cosmo aka Drano-boy will be staying. He's just such an angel pup and I love him so much. AND I love Levi McCoy so much too. Especially when he comes into the bathroom while I'm showering and pushes back the curtain while chewing about 8 pieces of mint gum with the foil intact. THAT had to taste great! Who doesn't enjoy chewing a half-pack of gum at one time, and why bother taking off the foil wrapper? Macy and Cosmo just layed on my bed during the gum chewing fiasco minding their own business. I do have to compliment Levi on his fresh breath the rest of the morning. There is a silver lining to every dark cloud people!

Pin up boy!

HERE'S MY CALENDAR BOY!!!!!!!

Chester's Calendars came in today from Toyota Marketing! Made me so happy for him! Cool thing is they are FREE at ANY Toyota dealership NATIONWIDE! If you are not familiar with Chester, he's my rescue boy who passed away from Lymphoma this summer. This photo was submitted just a couple days after he was diagnosed and I feel it's such a great tribute to a wonderful boy who touched everyone's heart.
I had/have visions this year of beautiful and bright, happy Christmas cards of my kids that just scream JOY! I purchased colorful and fun hats and have my cards all picked out. The problem is my kids run SCREAMING from me when I bring it up. I'm getting a little ticked! Lucky for me, my friend also had visions of bright happy cards too and HER kids were cooperative. Even if we did just stick them infront of my white birch right off the bus stop this afternoon they did great and look at those cute happy faces! I MUST try again tomorrow with my kids...I'm going to have to threaten them or something!

He's Baaaaaack!

A little over 24 hours later and Cosmo is back home. The other boxer at his placement home couldn't adjust to having another boxer boy there. We are all so happy to have him back...I can't even tell you. That's Cosmo on the bottom and Levi resting his head on his homeboy! (did I use that slang correctly? I dunno!?) I think he looked at the whole experience like a playdate that went awry! :-)

Birthday princess and a Peytonism

We celebrated my little neice's 3rd birthday over the weekend. She had a pony party and a bright colorful cake and lot's of fun! She said it was her best party EVER! LOL I think they always say that!

This morning I was showered and dressed to take Peyton to the bus stop early because I needed to run to the grocery and also go to the Children's place to get a plain shirt to match something Peyton will be getting for Christmas. I just had on Jeans and a long sleeved brown t-shirt. Since it's now so cold I put on my fake UGGS that my husband and sister hate. Peyton looked up at me told me I looked pretty. That's only because half the time I go to the bus stop in my PJ's but so do a lot of the other moms! I told her thank you and how sweet it was for her to say that. I then reminded her that Daddy really didn't like my boots and she said, and I quote..."MANS never have any fashion sense!"

About my surgery, if you are wondering. We've decided to try injections in my lumbar that are sort of like an epidural block for a couple months to block the pain. In the meantime my doctor is looking at all of the possibilities for my back and is considering a flexible polymer fusion instead of the titanium. When all is said and done, I'll be made up of all kinds of new-age contraptions! LOL So no surgery for me before Christmas which is a relief as long as these injections work. I start physical therapy again too. I really like doing that! LOL

Cosmo went to his new home yesterday. A few tears were shed here all around but we KNOW that he will have a great home there and be well loved. I talked to the mommy last night and she said he had a FUN filled day wrestling with Bo, their boxer but by evening he
sorta looked like he thought he was only there for a playdate! I'm wishing him well!

Bittersweet

First of all, let me say my husband would NOT be happy if he saw that I posted this sleeping photo of him...so no one call him, K? I took the photo of Macy and Cosmo yesterday and the one of Matt and Cosmo about 10 minutes ago.

Mr. Cosmo, aka: Drano Boy, will be moving to his new family this weekend. I've never fostered for more than a day or so and this is why. I think if the dog came from a normal home with a loving family that just happened to have extenuating circumstances that caused them to rehome their furbaby and that furbaby became my foster, than placing said furbaby in a new home after fostering would be easy. Yes that was a run on sentence...I had a couple glasses of therapeutic Champagne with Tina so I'm not sure how this post is going to turn out. You are warned.

Cosmo on the other hand (just like Chester-more on that in a minute) came from a home that was obviously dsyfunctional. (Wow, I can still use big words after Champagne. I rock.) He has Demodex mange which is often caused by
stress. It's more than obvious that this little man HAD been stressed. He's afraid of strangers that come into our house especially men. The poor guy practically jumped out of his skin the other day when he was outback and a squirrel caught his attention. He couldn't get inside fast enough. Given ALL that is known and UNKNOWN, his delightful loyal boxer spirit shines through and he's not willing to give up on loving humans. He didn't let his past break him, and I love him for that.

3 dogs  in a house with 3 kids and a bunch of miscellaneous kids that show up here, 4 birds and a 1/4 acre lot is probably more than a little chaos.  My heart said, Cosmo should stay but the stupid realistic part of my brain said $$$$ more dog food, $$$$ more vet bills no grass and more poop for the kids to clean up and my GAWD do they complain about that everyday as it is.  I honestly haven't been looking very hard at all for another family.. Or at all for another family. But several weeks ago a friend of ours who also has a beautiful boxer (he's pictured on my whimages site) inquired about Cosmo's story. I decided then, weeks back, that if Cosmo had to leave that I would LOVE for him to go to that family. They have many acres of land, grandchildren that live on the farm and another handsome boxer boy and a sweet senior lab. Of course, several weeks later now, he has settled into our home and deeeeep into our hearts. He is the SWEETEST and most soulful pup I think I may have ever met. He wears his heart tatooed on his sleeve for everyone to see his emotions. He's loving beyond BEYOND what a normal boxer is and if you haven't had one before you can't imagine. Love so boundless that sometimes they can't bear to be without you so much that they poke (all three heads sometimes) into the shower just to make sure you didn't magically dissappear in the mist behind that curtain. Cosmo's favorite place to sleep is ON you. His favorite place to be? With you. I know that he will have SO much fun with his new family and will be SO loved. This is a GREAT family and I feel better for having met them. Over the past year they have proven to be some of the nicest and kindest people I have met.

I don't think I'll be fostering anytime soon.

I'm a stupid lamb...

If you haven't read or seen TWILIGHT, then this title will be lost on you...sorry but then again, maybe that will make you READ it! I'd be a stupid lamb...I'm just SAYIN'!

Yes, I've been absent from the blog universe. However,my butt has been plastered to the computer and I'm happy to say that by the end of the week ALL of my shoots will be post-processed and in client hands! WHEW!

Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is FULL STEAM AHEAD! JEEEZ! What a fall! Not one I care to repeat next year, lol

I started making dinner again this past week. Exciting huh? My family was pretty happy! LOL I didn't do T-day, altough I LOVE to do it. Just didn't think I could keep it in my repetoire this year. Last night I made a delicious new recipe, 3 cheese chicken florentine pasta bake! It was yum! Today, I made Buckeye bars for my Father in law's birthday...altough I wanted to try them out and he just happens to LOVE Peanut butter anything. Maybe I'll try to post the recipes here this week.

overwhelmed

Warning...if you don't want to hear my pity party...please move on.

Yes, these ARE unrelated photos, however, I'd love to be back in Disney right now, sigh.

I have been given my next surgery date on my lumbar..Dec. 15th. My mother in law's birthday. Poor thing...we've asked so much of everyone lately but most especially her and she doesn't even get a decent birthday! :-)

Like an idiot, I packed in toooooo many sessions before this last surgery. Unfortunately (unfortunate in only that it takes me so long) I treat each clients session very personally. As a mom, I always look at the photos and think,"this one MIGHT have special meaning" and I post process WAY too many photos for each session. I know I have clients who are very patiently waiting for me and some who are wondering what the heck I'm doing with my time. I love them both~! If you are a client waiting for your disc, thank you for your extreme patience. I PROMISE to never take on sooooo many shoots prior to a major event in my life again. As I told a wonderful client and now friend, Shelby: Even if I have to have my shutter finger amputated, I will NEVER overbook again! :-)

Also, if you remember Drano Pup from a week or so ago, who was going to my sisters. Well....Mr. Drano himself is curled up on my couch with my other two boxers. :-) Mr. Drano proved tooo much puppy for my sister with the almost 2 year old and almost 3 year old. A boxer puppy is certainly more energetic, mischievious and high maintenance than her 9 year old chocolate lab Wilbur. So I'm now Mr. Drano's foster mommy but MAN I love this little guy. He's snuggly and loveable and as cute as a button!

Brothers and Sisters...

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring-quite often the hard way! ~Pamela Dugdale

These 2 groups of siblings were so much fun to shoot. I LOVED how they LIKED each other! That's always so nice to see. REALLY nice! They had me laughing at their silly antics and love for each other.

I'm feeling better everyday! THAT'S a plus! LOL My surgeon is on the cover of Baltimore magazine this month...that's pretty cool!

I'm realizing that this post is as random as it gets so I'm just going to go with it! :-)

I know a lot of you know about this but maybe some of you don't. PANDORA No not the beads and bracelets that are so insanely popular in my area (maybe every where, I don't know). It's a FREE internet radio station that you make your own station with your own favorites PLUS it pulls similar music and plays that too. If you don't like a song, you just "thumbs down" it and it will skip it and never play it for you again. I leave it one the entire time I'm post-processing or blog reading or facebooking. It's just www.pandora.com IT ROCKS! pun intended

And with Christmas shopping around the corner, I'm going to mention www.etsy.com yet again. I LoVE to support small companies or individuals. You basically could do ALL of your shopping on there, except for kids toys. It's awesome!

Who could ever hurt this face?

I just needed to add this photo to the previous post...please read below.

The face of CRUELTY

It's the first face not the second...if you are wondering. Although Peyton does think if I don't have her toaster strudels hot and waiting and her school clothes warmed in the dryer before school that I am cruel but I beg to differ.

This little guy doesn't have a name yet although Callie is calling him Rufus. He's going to live with my sister Brandy. He's just 7 months old. He has splayed paws because his owners left him in the crate without the bottom. Standing on a crate for hours on end will do that to the paws of a dog...it makes their feet look huge and elongates the toe. His owner decided he didn't want him anymore and was going to have him put to sleep. He also said if no one would put him to sleep because of his age that he would just use a syringe of DRANO. Nice. I am trying really hard not to call that idiot things like SOB here but I want to keep my reputation of being NiCE but if anything ticks me off, it's people who are MEAN to kids and animals. Ticks. Me. Off. Luckily one of my neighbors stepped in (the guy was like the friend of a friend of a friends brother in law) So he ended up at my house last night. Levi McCoy was thrilled to PIECES to have someone to join in his non-stop capers. Levi actually wore the poor pup out and that is SAYING SOMETHING. Macy is just like "what the heck are you doing MOM!" She gets sick of the dogs that have been coming in and out of here lately. She tries her best to handle it with her ladylike behavior but even Grace Kelly had her limits.

And if you are wondering, no I think rescuing dogs is probably NOT on my short CAN DO list of things post-operatively but you know. The can do list basically consists of
1. stay on the couch
2. walk
3. stay on the couch
4. go potty
5. stay in the bed
6. go to post- op appointments

But what's an animal lovin girl to do?

SPEAKING OF BOXERS...Now this next picture is little Ms. Peyton yesterday. The OTHER front tooth is about to come out so it too had to be documented. She certainly is going to look like Leonard Spinx in a couple days. (Notice my super awesome segway to boxers!)

I'm WAAAAYYY behind! AND a Peytonism!

I'm just now blogging Halloween so that might be some indication of the piles of work I'm under that I tackle between my medically induced naps! LOL

Okay, Peytonism first!  I had a friend come over this afternoon to keep me company and we giggled and laughed like goons and facebooked like we were 16 and had a glass of wine like the wine-needing mommies we are.  Another wonderful friend let Peyton stay at her house the ENTIRE day from 10:30 in the morning till like 3:30!  (JULIE M, you ROCK thank you and I owe you BIG TIME!) I napped during the day and pretty much did NOTHING but chillax (see even though I'm like old and stuff, I like to use the words my 12 year olds do.  I don't know, it just makes me cool or somethin!).  Yesterday and Friday I did waaaay too much and today my body said this morning, "look lady, we DON'T know who the H*ll you think you are but, we will not stand for this!  Get your flabby buttocks on the couch and STAY there".  I decided I better listen because I ignored that voice my body has for a while now and obviously my back has gone on strike and I really don't want any other important parts like that getting the same idea.  About the PEYTONISM.  Tina and I were chillaxin (see...cool word AGAIN) and Peyton came in ramblin about the super fun day she had and this and that and everything.  Then she said, "I think I need a glass of wine!"  I think she must have picked that up at JULIE'S because I NEVER say that! ;-)

Halloween...Peyton was obviously Jasmine.  She was totally TICKED off at me because I made her wear a nude body suit underneath the costume because I was afraid she'd be cold.  She wore the same costume to a party a couple weeks ago with out the leotard and she liked the look much better (of course!)  Grace and Mason came down to Trick and Treat with our kids.  Grace wore the Chicken costume I made for P when she was 2.  Except she wore different chicken legs, hers were more practical.  Peyton wore yellow tights and yellow rubber dish gloves over her shoes.  GAWD I LOVE this costume...I bought soooo many white feather boas to make it!
Mason was a little Vampire and because of my incredible obsession with all things "Twilight", I think he looked EXCEPTIONALLY dazzling!  Lookout EDWARD!

Callie was an exotic bird.  She made it up her self and borrowed the mask from my friend Julie.  So I think that's Callie's empty bag for trick or treating on the floor there next to her.  I usually don't have random foil pieces in my foyer...occassionally drums from the husband but not foil unless Mr. Levi McCoy tore up the neighbors foil like in the previous post, then YEAH I might have foil in the foyer.

Cole (not pictured because he's too cool for that) wore all black and a panty hose over his head!  He looked CUTE even as a mean robber.

Hodge Podge

The last week has been a whirlwind of sleepy haze and some pain, huge help from family and friends and processing photos when I can. The pain I had prior to surgery in my neck and upper back is gone but it is replaced by the post surgical nusence pain which is completely tolerable because I KNOW it's getting better everyday. I am SO completely thankful for the WOnDERFUL family and friends I have who have continued to support me even though I'm a PAIN IN THEIR NECK! LOL Yesterday I went to have my incision checked and they took off the bandages...right now it just looks like I have a hickey with a line through it. It looks like I had a wild time! LOL Afterwards my father took me to the mall to do a bit of Christmas shopping. I have to have it all done in bits and spurts because I'm not getting out. DANG I got some great bargains! If it wasn't for my shopping adrenaline kicking in I never would have been able to do it! I took my father to Anthropologie and of course he LOVED the displays...as I knew he would. I'm a HUGE sucker for a GREAT display and that store sure has them. I big fuzzy heart Anthropologie! I can't buy much there because it's all big bucks but I just like to wander around! I came home and took a 3 hour nap!

My neurosurgeon made the cover of Baltimore magazine this month...that's pretty cool! Especially since we hang out so much together now you know? :-)

Anyway, I did so many sessions before my surgery, I'll be able to keep this blog happy and full of fun pics till I start shooting again! None of these shots are from the same shoot. This first one is my neice and nephew....I LOVE it! How stinkin cute are they! I am working as hard as I can on everyones sessions...so THANK you for your patience! I love all my clients...YOU ROCK my socks!

Busy Bee...well sorta!

I'm back! Pun intended! I started working on photos again today when I'm lucid (I think) and the pain pills are doing what they do so well. I'm so far behind...forgive me please!

On Thursday I had a discectomy, replacement (with a polymer not cadaver...thank goodness) and a fusion with titanium rods on my neck region. They went in through the front (just like my lovely sister described). Luckily my age folds in my neck, um, er wrinkles, will cover the scar eventually. Other than post surgical pain in my neck ( and the pain in the neck that I am to my family) the neck pain that I was having and radiating into my arm and shoulders seems to be gone. WAHHHHOOOO!

I'm going back ONE more time for surgery either right before Christmas or right after to do more bionic schtuff on my lumbar. Yeah, so like I'm cool now and have the frequent customer punch card and everything. I think I get a snowball or something when I fill it all up. Awesome. I'm now on a first name basis with all my nurses and everything. So I'm all like, "how's baby Susie?" when they are doing my IV and everything. It's fun.

This will be my 3rd and last surgery in the past 6 months. Wow! Who'da thunk that when I stepped out of bed that fateful morning at the beach, or picked up that can of cream of chicken at the grocery that it would turn me into a regular at the spine center! Well, there are worse places to be a frequent customer.

I'm busy working on all the shoots I did in October when I'm able, so I will have them to you as soon as possible. Don't forget, my canvas company is having a BLOWOUT sale on canvases so if you need Holiday gifts...check out www.pixel2canvas.com and then call me. I can upload your images and everything...easy peasy pumpkin squeasy. Okay, now you can tell I'm drugged. I. better. stop. typing.