Quite Possibly The Best Halloween Ever

I love Halloween. We hand out candy during trick-or-treat hours. This year, we had a few friends over. I made a gigantic "cauldron"of  my "famous" corn chowder with bacon. Three different kinds of homemade bread...plain, rosemary and molasses. Pumpkin bread. Harvest vegetarian soup with beans. Decadent pumpkin whoopie pies. My version of Halloween Moose Munch. Adult beverages.

A Little Pre-Nappy Bickering

While rolling and cutting dog biscuits earlier today, I heard Sophie and Coco "talking" to each other in the bedroom. Back and forth. Back and forth. It's as if they were having a conversation. Sophie would speak. Then Coco. Never at the same time. They do this once in a while and it intrigues me.

Our Kids Love These Pet Pillows

In February, when we adopted Lobo, our friend (also the ACO of the pound that rescued Lobo) donated a Pet Pillow crafted by the Ledyard CHAIN Inc Crafters. It was big, generously stuffed and made with a soft fleece material. Having a special needs kid meant making some adjustments...one of which included having more beds on the floor. Lobo is unable to jump on the sofa, chair or bed to lounge and nap.

No Blankets For Mama

After working 5 hours at my desk in our home office, I was going to switch to writing a few columns while sitting comfortably on the sofa with a throw blanket. A change of scenery always helps. It breaks up the monotony of working at home.

Dog Parks Are Kind Of A Bad Idea

On occasion, we've been invited, by other dog parents, to meet up at one of the local dog parks. We appreciate the invite, but no thank you We've never brought our kids to the dog park. And, we won't. Ever. We're not against dog parks. For a lot of pet parents, dog parks are convenient. It's a fenced in area, or allotted space, where the fur kids can run and play and get their exercise. Not everyone has a fenced in yard, especially those who live in the city. Some dog parents don't have yards at all.

We Don't Need A Vacation From Our Life

Our life is often times busy and chaotic. Between work, Bodacious Biscuit Love, delivering biscuits to our local shelters, fundraisers, 3 fur-kids, crazy schedules, etc, there is very little down time. People have told us we should take a vacation. Get away. Book a weekend at a Bed & Breakfast. While we appreciate the compassionate advice, we have no desire to do any of the mentioned. We simply don't need a vacation from our life, home or fur-kids.

The Kids Made The Final Decision For Us

A few days ago I mentioned we were having our annual Fall Bodacious Yard & Bake Sale today. When I wrote the post I was exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed and off balance from the chaos in the house. Between the numerous boxes stuffed in each room, the kids reacting to the clutter and knowing something was happening, I was in the batshit crazy zone. While it felt good to vent, I was convinced our decision that this would be the last yard and bake sale was based solely on my current state of mind.

We're Not Fans Of The Term "Foster Failure"

Two weeks into fostering Lobo, we made the decision to adopt him. When we made the announcement, and the news spread, that's when it started. The infamous term "foster failure" was thrown at us. While this term is used in good humor and common jargon among the rescue community, we don't much care for it. To begin with, I don't like the word failure. It's a negative word and represents a lack of success. Our decision to adopt Lobo, and eventually Sophie (whom we had fostered for almost a year), in no way, shape or form, represents failure.

This Will Be Our Last Bodacious Yard & Bake Sale

In four days we'll be hosting our Fall Bodacious Yard & Bake Sale. In the past 2 years, we've had 3 Bodacious Yard & Bake Sales. This will be our 4th...and final. While we enjoy these events immensely, it's a lot work that extends over a period of time...especially the week prior. The living room, the home office and the biscuit room are jammed solid with boxes. As one who hates clutter, it's driving me batshit crazy.

One Of Our Kids Had A Play Date. First Time Ever.

Lobo had a play date today. He's the only one of our kids where play dates are an option. Sophie doesn't do well with most dogs. If they're her size or smaller, she tolerates them. She's a girly girl. Feisty at times. Moody. She surprisingly does well with cats; especially kittens we've fostered in the past. However, big dogs? Nope. We've tried. Coco is uncomfortable with multiple dogs and humans. He likes a peaceful environment. Any type of excitability or over-stimulation makes him nervous.

13 Things They Don't Tell You About Being A Dog Mom

When you become a dog Mom, people come out of the woodwork with tips and advice. What kind of pee pads to use. The best dog toys. Which foods to avoid. Their preferred dog groomers and trainers. How much play time your fur-kid should get. Veterinary Hospital recommendations. What shampoo and conditioner to use. The list goes on. And on. And on.

Our Kitchen Floor Now Resembles A Patchwork Quilt

A little over a week ago we tested out non-slip scatter rugs to minimize our kids wiping out on the kitchen floor. It wasn't so much an issue with Coco and Sophie as it was with Lobo. Our 3-legged boy, with limited mobility with his single hind leg, was wiping out quite a bit as of late. The scatter rugs proved to be a huge success. Now, it was time to solve the problem in its entirety.

This Is Our Crazy Life

This evening, after dinner, I attempted to nap. Five minutes after crawling into bed and snuggling with Sophie (Lisa had the boys), there was a knock on the door. The kids barked. All of them. When someone knocks on our door, we put Coco in the bedroom. Sophie and Lobo are gated in the living room. It's a process. There I was, in bed, with Coco and Sophie in the room with me. Barking.

It's Almost Safe To Say We Dodged The Hurricane Joaquin Bullet

It looks as if we're going to dodge the Joaquin bullet. A hurricane. For the past couple of days, we were sitting on the edge of our proverbial seats. There was a time when Joaquin wouldn't have been a concern, however, in the past few years, we've had our fair share of doozie storm systems.

The Guilt Laden Piece Of Pumpkin Pie

When I was a little girl, around 3-4, I can remember my mother's adoration for Fanny Farmer chocolate. Back then, which was almost 4 decades ago, she'd get her fix at the Fanny Farmer store nestled in the mall. She ordered one thing and one thing only. Plain milk chocolate pieces. These pieces resembled large triangles from a massive milk chocolate bar that had been broken up. They were placed in a small white paper bag.