Three Kids and a Camera

Last week we went out to dinner at Applebees.

The universe having the sense of humor that it does,

my kids ended up sitting next to each other

across from me in the booth.

I can't really remember the last time they have sat next to each other.

Because close proximity seems to result in hooting and hollering

and battles the likes of World War II,

generally I like to keep them in separate rooms,

if at all possible.

So I couldn't help snapping a shot of this very rare occasion.

For some reason they were not impressed.

You would think they would be used to me by now.

Apparently, not so much.

Look how thrilled they were that I was taking their picture?

Classic mother opportunity to bug their socks off.
Diana made an attempt in this shot, but the boys, still not so much.

Well people, chances are you are going

to be together forever,

so maybe you might want to try and at least like each other, K.
I promise it won't kill you.

I don't get that a lot.

Things seem to be going well here is Utah. Surprisingly it is quite different from Las Vegas. Shocking, I know. Inconceivable even. Hmmm. It is much cooler for one thing. People all kind of look the same, for another.

Diana was able to attend a fun volleyball camp for the past three days. Check this out, my brother is the head Athletic Trainer at UVU. And so this camp took place there. My sister in law called me up and asked me if Diana would like to attend. The details were that it would cost $5 and my brother would pick her up and bring her home. Yeah, I had to really think hard about that one. Talk about rhetorical questions.

She has had a fabulous time. And today she even won a volleyball at the closing ceremony. The only downside was that she needed to be ready to go out the door at 8:20 AM. Seeing as how we have slipped into sleeping in until 10 for the summer, well yes that part was a bit difficult. But there is no such thing as a free lunch, so the piper must be paid.

Another great thing about Utah is the ice cream cones at the grocery store. Last night Diana, my sister, and I went to get some ice cream, and oh yeah some groceries. My sister and Diana both got an ice cream cone. I didn't get one, because I wasn't that hungry and I didn't really want to spend the money.

As we wandered down to the produce section, Diana offered me a taste of her cone. I took her up on her offer and told her how yummy it was. She said "Aren't you glad you brought me?" I responded "Yes, I am glad I brought you." To which she quipped "Yea, I don't get that a lot."

It is a good thing I wasn't drinking anything. I would have spit it out while laughing out loud. Are you kidding me? Where does she get this stuff? Oh that girl cracks me up.

Life is Just Nuts

I stumbled upon the following article in the NY Daily News. I am pretty much speechless about it and thought I should share with all of you. Definitely a "What the what" inducing topic. Just a warning, if you are drinking anything, swallow first, before you read. Wouldn't want to be blamed when you spit on your computer screen.

"Real, or fake? Never mind the busty woman walking her dog in the park - it may just be her pooch who's sporting implants.

Some pet owners who neuter their male dogs are opting for a surgical procedure meant to make Fido feel like he's back in the good ol' days B.C. - Before Castration.

Neuticles - testicular implants for dogs that look and feel like the real thing - are said to boost a pet's self-esteem by replacing what was lost. It's a procedure that's becoming increasingly popular in New York.

"We did it so Truman could still walk proudly down the street," says Penny Glazier, a Manhattan restaurateur, of her 8-year-old bull mastiff.
"We felt it would be good for him psychologically," she adds. "He actually still marks trees, though I'm told neutered dogs aren't supposed to do that anymore."

Made from polypropylene ($119 a pair), solid silicone ($249) or a liquid-filled "ultra-plus" model with lifelike veins ($889), Neuticles were introduced in 1995 by Missouri inventor Glenn A. Miller.

Though it took several years for veterinarians to accept the product, Miller claims more than 230,000 pets in 49 countries have been "Neuticled" at 17,000 clinics worldwide. The procedure is performed mostly on dogs, but owners have had it done for cats, bulls, horses, monkeys - even an elephant.

"People like their male dogs to look natural," says Miller. "Neuticles are strictly cosmetic. But it encourages owners who are hesitant about neutering their pets to do it, and that helps reduce pet overpopulation."

Size, by the way, does matter. Neuticles range from petite (.63 inches in length) all the way to XX-large (2.75 inches).

While the operation is safe, not every vet is sold on the idea - especially when it's more about an owner's ego than the dog's. "It is mostly men who inquire about it," says Dr. Gina Antiaris of Miller-Clark Animal Center in Mamaroneck. "I've done [the operation] before, but we don't do it here. It's sort of unnecessary."
"It's really a cosmetic thing," says Dr. Richard Green, who has performed it several times. "Dogs do just fine without their testicles."

For dog owner Edgar Rivera of the Bronx, whose Jack Russell terrier and chihuahua were both neutered, Neuticles was never an option. "Fake ba--s for a dog?" asks Rivera. "That's just nuts."

OK, is it just me, or is this idea ludicrous to the Nth degree? Holy waste of disposable income, Batman. And seriously how do they know that their dog's self esteem is worse or better? I don't get it. And I do admit that I am not a dog person in the least. But I can not imagine spending $900 to improve the self esteem of one of my kids let alone a pet. Good Golly, Miss Molly. Some people's kids. And don't ya just love the last line from the guy that said "That's just nuts." Some people are so punny. And the line about size does matter. Who knew?