Poopscapades

So you know we are potty training and we are being pretty laid back about it. The events of the past week have made me want to padlock a diaper on Blondie Boy's cute little tush.  If you don't like reading about poop, you may want to stop here so dont' say I didn't warn you.


The first incident resulted when while Blondie Boy was running around I thought I saw a brown mark on his bum, inspected said mark looked around the floor but merely found the Emma dog licking her lips.  Now the evidence was purely circumstantial and I'm sure no judge or jury would have convicted her, but needless to say I couldn't look at her the same.


Move forward a few days and Blondie Boy again is frolicking about naked as he likes to do, seriously this kid is a stripper, and I see it drop from his bum to the floor. He then sprints across the room dropping presents on the floor along the way. This time as I scream "Noooo" I watch in disgust as Miss Emma eats up the chocolate treats greedily.


His "shit and sprint" is repeated the next day but luckily this time we are able to keep Emma away.  I still can't quite look her in the eye though knowing what she's done.  We have a few poopscapade free days and then while I'm sitting in a board meeting I get this text from NBH:


"For Blondie Boy's next trick, how about pulling your nappy to the side under your PJs, shitting down the leg of your still-fastened PJs into the foot and then smushing it about with your got so both your PJ foot and foot are ingrained with shit. Had to bath him."


It took every ounce of willpower not to burst out laughing when I saw it flash on my iPhone. Also I was secretly excited because I could finally use this emoticon which I've been dying to use since I download Emoji.

So what is the point of this blog post, other than to obviously have my son hate me some point down the road? I don't know but maybe someone else has similar stories? Or you know of some scatological sporting events I could enter him in? Bueller? Bueller?

Thankful Thursday

For anyone who knows my Dad it's probably not surprising to learn that 48 hours into his trip to Scotland he and NBH started building a fence and gate. When we bought our house there was a fence along the back of our property and along the left side, but not on the right and not along the front sides.

Now Emma can run around in the backyard without a leash and more importantly have her morning constitutional without NBH needing to take her for a walk.

Thank you NBH and Daddy!

Wordless Wednesday

Some Holiday Photos from our Home...

My Menorah

Pink Tree in the Dining Room

Christmas Cards along the Banister

My attempt at a Christmasy Centerpiece

Our Tree!


Emma's Favorite Place to Hide (especially when she steals the remote)

Did you think I was kidding?

I flipping love snow! At least I admit I have a problem, right?


I especially love it when it snows around Christmas because it just makes it so much more festive and pretty. It really doesn't snow that often here, so it's kinda a big deal!

Untitled from Transatlantic Blonde on Vimeo.

It doesn't hurt that I'm not having to commute into work and don't have any other reason to schlep out in it either :)

I have a problem...

Untitled from Transatlantic Blonde on Vimeo.

Emma started barking at the back door and demanded to go out and play!

Untitled from Transatlantic Blonde on Vimeo.

The sun has set in Glasgow...

Happy Hannukah!!!

L'Shana Tova!

Have a healthy and sweet New Year!

(I hope dogs are allowed apples and honey!)

I ♥ My Friends/Family

I'm a very lucky girl! My best friend Sabrina sent me this super cool diaper bag last week. It's called OiOi, I'm not sure if it's punk or Jewish or both like me, but I love it! How cute is it???



My sister Alison also sent this super cute penguin hat from Etsy, modelled here by Gee Gee and Emma.

The Bebe is going to have a cute warm noggin' and I'm going to have a styling bag to schlep it's dirty drawers around in. SCORE!

Thank you xoxoxo

Pretzels & Puppies

For some odd reason, in the sonogram waiting area they always have American cooking magazines. I can't for the life of me figure out where they come from, but I enjoy them none the less.

During our last wait we saw a recipe for homemade Auntie Anne's pretzels. Since I haven't been feeling well NBH googled the recipe and from scratch made me Auntie Anne's style soft pretzels and sweet mustard sauce.

They were really yummy and I'm super impressed he made something with live yeast, something I've never attempted. I might ask him to try Cinnamon rolls next!

In other random news apparently Emma wanted to play Scrabble last night, too. She walked in front of me and sat down square in front of my spot.

Yes we play board games before we go to bed sometimes, so what? And for those with eagle eyes and a dirty mind, it's a male chicken, ok?

Happy Birthday Emma!

Happy 5th Birthday Emma!!!

We love you very much and I'm so glad you're part of our life!

Lemonlimealicious

Yesterday for NBH's birthday I made him a cake, icing and all from scratch. Two of his favorite flavours in general are lemon and lime, so I thought I attempt to make a lemon-lime cake. I'd never made something like this before, but I made a hybrid of recipes I found at Bakerella and Modern Renaissance.

I followed Bakerella's cake recipe exactly, except I used lemon extract instead of butter flavoring and two 22cm pans, rather than three. I also didn't have Saranwrap/ClingFilm so I put the cakes in giant Ziplocks.

I also added grated lime zest to my cooled sugar syrup which I later strained off.

For the icing I followed the recipe and used very little milk. I added some green food dye and lime juice to about 1/3 of the icing for a surprise in the center in honor of NBH's favorite football team Celtic, who play in green in white hoops/stripes.

All and all it was a very tasty cake and NBH had a great birthday! Even more exciting is we actually got a good photo of the two of us!

Oh and Emma got to sit up in the window and yell at 3 year old boys for pooping in the street and their mothers for leaving both the poo and wet wipes on the ground (yes, that's a story for another day).

Merry Christmas!

Few of my Favorites

Ask and you shall receive! I apologize for the quality of the pictures, but if it's the last thing I do we are getting a new digital camera in Cincinnati. This is our first full size tree so it's a collection of ornaments we've gotten over the years and a set we got at Ikea. I personally like some ornaments (like our Ikea ones) that are vaguely consistent mixed with random mismatchy ones.

Our tree (no lights at the bottom just incase Emma wants a chew)

My Aunt Patti made me this Nutcracker ornament in 1986 when I was in the Cincinnati Ballet Company's performance of "The Nutcracker."

I love my dreidel because it makes me think who decided to make Chanukah ornaments? Works great for Cashews like me though :)

Tartan Santa is new this year and I love him!

Elvis is new too (and was free!) and I include him since his glasses played a role in how NBH and I met.

Emma like to sleep under the tree

I'm a lumberjack & I'm okay.

Growing up my sister, Dad and I would drive out east towards Bethel, Ohio and cut down our Christmas tree. It was a fun filled day filled with hot chocolate, looking for the perfect tree (with enough space underneath for presents) and lunch at BJ's Lake where if the lake had water in it (it was drained sometimes) you could catch & cook your lunch; we never chose that option.

This year I was able to find a choose and cut Christmas tree farm here in Scotland, which is basically unheard of in the UK. We drove about an hour north to Wester Auchentroig farm on the boundary of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park near Buchlyvie.

NBH's Mom, NBH, Emma and I all made the journey a few weekend ago. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more Emma, who was a very, very dirty and tired girl afterwards or Arlene who has in her own words "the most perfect tree ever." Trees were £5 a foot and as our tree is taller than me, but not taller than NBH £25 is a steal!

Here are some photos from the day. There was some snow on the ground, but mostly just ice; still it was the only snow we've seen so far this year. Please ignore NBH's questionable mustache; it has since been shaved off and forgotten.

Pub Pup

We sometimes take Emma to McPhabb's the pub across the road from his Dad's house. She likes it because they give her ashtrays full of water (clean ones) and raw carrots. Maybe that's why I like this story so much; that or the picture is ADORABLE!

A dog barred from a pub for chewing beer mats has been allowed back in - but only if she wears a high-visibility vest.
Nigel McLelland, the landlord of the Jolly Sailor in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, said Hatty, a Lakeland Terrier, must be seen at all times.

He relented on his ban after he found out his regulars were going to start a petition to let her back in.
"I'm going to lose trade so I let her in," he said.
Hatty's owner Jeff Hughes said his pet started chasing and chewing beer mats after the pub's assistant manager threw one to her.

"One night we went in there and it was packed, there had been football on or whatever. She just went berserk," said roofer Mr Hughes, 35, who got Hatty from a rescue centre and takes her to work every day with him.

"Everybody was throwing them (the mats), they were just all over the place. He (Mr McLelland) got a bit annoyed about this and basically put her on the pub watch scheme."
Hatty was banned last year but Mr McLelland said she can now come back in the pub if she wears a high-visibility vest, which she usually has on when accompanying Mr Hughes to work on building sites.

"I think it's just so he can see where she is because she disappears and climbs on the tables and gets them (the mats) herself," added Mr Hughes.

He said his dog loved going to the pub after work with him and would "sulk" if he left her in the van or took her home while he went there during her ban.

"A soon as we pull up (at the pub) she's out of the van," he said.

"If the window's open, as soon as we stop she's straight out the window to the door.

"She loves it there because everyone plays with her."
Mr McLelland said Hatty had often been encouraged by his regulars, who would throw her the mats.

"I came down one night and all the regulars were throwing beer mats for her so really speaking, we shouldn't be blaming Hatty, we should be blaming the regulars," he said.

"I'm saving a hell of a lot on beer mats but the regulars need her (the dog) to come in and I'm going to lose trade so I let her in."

He added: "I think the regulars were going to get a petition so rather than lose trade I'm going to let her back in."

Of the vest he said: "I can see her better now if she's hiding away."

Mr Hughes's young daughter Annie said: "She (Hatty) likes everyone playing with her with the beer mats and shaking them about and throwing them.

"Nigel let her in because she's nice and because she had a glow vest.

"She should be allowed to stay because she's a nice and kind dog."

ⓒ BBC Wales http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7720192.stm