Puppy Love

Meet Darby, the newest POPrs Pooch.

My six words brought to you by Cate at Show My Face.

He's about as cute as they come, don't you think? Just what my mother-in-law needed. And as the newest puppy in the POPrs Family, he's probably going to steal some of the attention away from Rowdy.

And Darby's a soon-to-be 100-pound dog! This is when you want to wave the magic wand and keep him a puppy forever...

Aunt Julie...Mommy Blogger of the Year?

Isn't this face adorable? I'm talking about Soccer Boy, not me! But Eat Your Veggies! is being featured today on Project Mommyhood. Remember? I'm one of 12 Mommy Blogger of the Year Finalists.

Veggie Mom started this project more than a year ago, and I'm carrying on the family tradition. Veggie and I are the Dynamic Duo. All you have to do is vote. It's not that hard. Just click here and look for the poll on the right. Click Veggie Mom. Click Vote. And you're done!

Thanks to all of you for the support you've given me since I took over from Veggie Mom in July. You're the best!

All Dogs Go To Heaven...2

I am participating in Weekly Winners, brought to you by Lotus over at Sarcastic Mom.

These photos were shot with the film version of the Canon Rebel. Back when I could grow delphiniums! They are my favorites, and one of the most persnickety perennials.

Meet Trouble. Or Trouble Elizabeth, as he was known when he misbehaved. He was our first Springer Spaniel. He was liver and white, and the cutest little "speckled pup" you ever did see. He was the best $50 we ever spent. He came from a litter of 14 puppies. It took forever to choose him, but I'm sure we found the very best of the bunch.

Uncle Lynn would take Trouble out to run in the morning in the winter, and then let him into the boys' rooms to jump on their beds and wake them up. He was very bouncy and had a very cold nose, just what little boys needed to urge them out of the sack!

One morning, I was in bed with coffee and heard the most terrible screaming. I ran downstairs, and it was Trouble. He'd jumped off the foot of the bed and his leg got stuck between the mattress and footboard. He'd broken his leg! Trouble became our second dog who received top-notch medical care at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. So much for being a $50 dog!

We were about to take a trip to Florida, and Trouble had to come along, so he could have physical therapy 3 times a day. But that didn't stop him from swimming after a pelican in the Intercoastal Waterway. We all ran after him, yelling for him to come back. And when the pelican finally flew off, Trouble turned around. I don't know how many boats narrowly missed hitting his little brown head, bobbing in the water! We were terrified there was going to be an accident, right in front of the kids! But he lived to have many more adventures.

Trouble loved to go out on the boat. Here's a shot of him, with his ears blowing in the wind. Hey, spotters are supposed to watch the kids when they are tubing!

Trouble sat down on a step like people sit. He'd back up to the step and sit down, with his little doggy butt on the step and his front legs on the sidewalk, like this...

Trouble was a bird and bunny chasing machine. He couldn't help it. That was his job. He was wired to chase birds and bunnies like a fish is wired to swim. It's what he did. All the time. He couldn't help it. The door would open, and out he'd squeeze. There were days when I had to chase him two or three times! I was afraid to turn the corner, afraid he'd been hit by a car.

So we had an invisible fence installed. I doubted it would keep Trouble home. I was sure he'd make the decision one day that it would be worth it, and run. But he never did. Turns out Springers are softies. You cannot imagine the sense of relief when finally, at about 10 years of age, we could sit on the deck and have Trouble just wandering safely in the yard. Don't know how we got along without it for so many years. I know it saved his life. He could even watch a deer walk down the street, and not follow it. He would stand at the end of the yard, and hold a quivering point until the deer was out of sight!

Trouble was a dog of many nicknames. One of the last was Captain Underpants. He was dubbed this because he, shall we say "dripped" a little bit in the last year-and-a-half of his life. So I found a denim wrap at the pet store, and he wore it without complaint. He was still healthy and alert and interested and happy. He just dripped. And we could not teach our kids that pets are disposable when it gets a little inconvenient. Soccer Boy had just read the Captain Underpants book series, and the name stuck.

We learned a lot from Trubbie. That dogs are people too. That dogs can be great friends, and won't ever laugh at you or tell your secrets. And that when you get a puppy, you get a friend for life. And you owe him your best. And when he died last October, we planted an Autumn Blaze maple tree in his honor in the front yard. Bet there won't be a dry eye when the leaves change.

Wordful Wednesday: The Cornflake Monster

When we left off, we were talking about family vacations. I was telling you about ours, at the beach in North Carolina. I told you stories, but saved this one for last.

One night after dinner, when the kids were a lot younger and the first time we were at the beach, Uncle Moker took Uncle Lynn aside and told him he was going to tell the kids a story, and to just "play along." Lynn was supposed to operate the lights, and turn them off when he got the signal. So Uncle Lynn agreed, and launched into an elaborate story about the trolls that lived under the bridges over the dune, which lead to the beach.

Mr. Pops had a rapt audience. He explained how children should not dawdle when crossing the dunes, and to be sure to hold hands and to NEVER go across the bridges alone in the dark. Lynn was giving Uncle Moker enough time to get ready, and when the story was long enough, and scary enough, the signal came, the lights went down and THIS...

jumped out of the dark!

The little ones were crying and holding their mamas. Even the big ones weren't acting all that big. It took quite a while for them to settle down.

Even the oldest of the cousins still asks for a reappearance of Cornflake Monster. Soccer Boy missed it, since he hadn't come into the world yet. Should have had a repeat performance years ago. Don't think the Cornflake Monster would have the same effect on a 13-year-old. He's waaaaaaay too cool now!

Until it gets dark.

Well, this is the first year in a very long time that we aren't having Beach Week. My two oldest boys have full-time jobs now and have not earned vacation time. College Boy is working 60 or more hours a week, so he won't have to work during the school year. And the girls have their obligations, too.

Maybe they'll sneak a week in, maybe not. Summer is fading fast. The kids have mostly grown up. Soon there will be careers, weddings, and families of their own. No matter how many more beach weeks we have together, or whether there are no more, one thing is certain...

...I wouldn't have missed it for the world! This memory brought to you by Angie and her Wordful Wednesday.

Family Summer Vacation

The POPrs Cousins in Duck, NC-1999

The summer after my Mom died, I received a phone call that changed my life. It was from my oldest brother, Moker. He invited my family to vacation with his, in North Carolina, at the Outer Banks. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and it's a short hop to the beach. We don't, and it isn't. But...

This brother is 7 years older than I am. When I was 9, he was driving. Every Saturday morning, he had to take me to my swimming lessons at the YMCA, in the neighboring town. I used to charge his friends a nickel to talk to him on the phone. I'd hang up if they didn't promise to pay the next time they were over. I was a PEST.

When he went off to college, I was only 11. I guess you could say we weren't tight. So when he called so many years later and extended the invitation for the beach vacation, I felt like Sally Field when she won the Oscar, and she got up on stage and said "You like me! You really like me!" We went.

And have been going ever since.

Soccer Boy in his Speedo (sorry)

We have stories. Memories. The time we went to the restaurant and realized, in the middle of dinner, that we were one child short (he was downstairs back at the beach house, asleep). The time I was pregnant with Soccer Boy and refused to get back in the car after a rest stop in Milwaukee, 90 minutes from home, with 16 hours more to drive. The time we went crabbing and Uncle Moker got bit when he was showing the kids the "right way" to take a crab out of the net. He shook his hand violently, and the crab hung on. Blood flew all over. The kids may have learned a few new words that day!

Reading on the beach. Getting sun poisoning, and an itch so bad it just could not be soothed. Having ice cream on the Boardwalk on a hot summer night. Then going home to walk the beach with flashlights and look for ghost crabs. Boogie boarding. Eating crab. Eating more crab. Buying T-shirts to wear 'til they wore out and we went back the following summer to restock. Sitting on the beach with a bucket of Rocks (Rolling Rock, from Latrobe, PA, for the uninitiated).

Floating in an inner tube and watching dolphins, then realizing I was too far from shore and unable to get back in alone. Being towed back to shore by a cute young college boy in a yellow kayak. The walk I had on the beach with my oldest just last summer, when he confided in me that maybe getting married in the fall might not be a good idea.

And Cornflake Monster. But you have to wait until tomorrow to hear about that!

Could Veggie Be Mommy of the Year?

DATELINE, NORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN...THURSDAY, JUNE 25...This just in to our newsroom. Veggie Mom, she of POPrs Family Fame, has been nominated as the Mommy Blogger of the Year!

Yes, it's almost too much to imagine, but Melissa B., my BBBF (Best Blogging Bud Forever), has nominated moi to receive this awesome award.

Project Mommyhood plans to crown the Mommy Blog of the Year, and nominations are now open.

I realize that there are sooooooooo many Mommy Blogs out there that getting Little Ol' Veggie Mom's hopes up on this deal is a little like spitting in the ocean, but it's worth a shot, right-O?

I wanted to give my POPrs Pals a little taste of the past year at Eat Your Veggies! so that you might be inspired to pop on over to Project Mommyhood and second the nomination. Or "third" it, if ya want to!

• Let's see...where do we start? Well, what about my very First Post? I had no idea what I was doing, but I think I deserve some kudos for jumping into this Bloggy Business, don't you?
• Then, of course, there's that Patriotic Shot of The Wild One celebrating the 4th in style...
• And, lest we forget Blog Around the World, I brought you Moker's Guest Post about Wisconsin, and it wasn't the least bit cheesy...
• I've always been partial to my post about Empty Nesters. The photo alone is enough to bring me to tears...
• We've shared sooooooooo many super POPrs Family shots this past year, but Aunt Julie's rendering of Soccer Boy is more than a keeper...
• I've featured both giveaways and recipes, but combining the two? And featuring Beer Cheese Soup? Sheer genius...
• And then there was Aunt Julie's tale about the bad, BAD puppy...
• Veggie Mom kicked off the New Year with a poignant post, if I do say so myself, about family and making time for yourself...
• Since Eat Your Veggies! is still a work in progress, February brought bright new changes, c/o Susie's Homemade...
• And yes, Dr. Seuss probably grimaced from the grave, but I thought that poem was pretty darn good...
• Of course, I'd never leave Uncle Lynn, The POPrs King, out of the mix. Especially on his birthday...
• Hello...did someone say "gardening"? And "Mother's Day"? I featured both~at once~in May...
• What about some of the other pet posts? Does a playful Cat-and-Mouse Game count?

There you have it, POPrs Pals! Not to brag or anything, but these are only a few of my favorite things from one-year-plus of coming to you through the miracles of cyberspace. So if you have the time, please stop by Project Mommyhood and send some love my way. You'll be glad you did!

SWS: She's the Hissy Fit Queen!

Just one thing to do this morning, and that's jump right into Six-Word Saturday:

She's definitely the Hissy Fit Queen!

Yes, this is a shot of The Wild One, at the lovely age of two. The child who used to bang her head against the wall.

This is one of my favorite portraits of TWO during her Hissy Fit Phase. I can never figure out if that's the face of an angel or a demon.

Thankfully, she's learned to use her words. But we recall some monumental storm clouds that rolled through our household in years gone by.

Cate at Show My Face hosts Six-Word Saturday every week. Please come along and join in the fun!

So, angel or demon? Which do you prefer?

Soccer Boy's a Surfer Boy

First of all, to enter my One-Year Blogoversary POPrs Giveaway, click here. I'm announcing the winners tomorrow on the actual date, so please stay tuned!

Second of all, to read a Really Rad endorsement of POPrs from my Bloggy Friend Marrdy, click here.

Third of all, who's that in the shot above? None other than Soccer Boy. Of course, he was just a Wee One, back in the day, and the skim board pretty much towered over him. But he loved to stand there by the edge of the ocean, watching his older brothers do their thing.

We called him Surfer Boy back then.

I saw him at our Family Reunion (don't worry, pics coming soon!) this past weekend, and Soccer Boy's no longer a shrimp. In fact, I think he's taller than I am. And I'm not tiny, towering over most of my friends at 5'9".

Northeastern Wisconsin had its own brand of Beach Weather over the weekend. Temps in the 80s, and pelicans on the river.

What could be sweeter? Well, there is that matter of the POPrs Giveaway...

Introducing: The Incredible, Amazing, Diving Dog!

Several members of the POPrs Family went Up Nort to a cottage on the lake over Memorial Day, and look what they discovered...

...Rowdy the Puppy knows how to dive. Puts me in mind of an old amusement park down in Texas, which featured Ralph, the Swimming Pig. If memory serves, Ralph also knew how to dive. My Nana, who lived in Central Texas, took us to Aquarena Springs in San Marcus quite a few times.

The Springs was converted a while back to an environmental center for a local university. Which leaves us with Rowdy. He's pretty entertaining, though, isn't he?

You Can Have Britain's Got Talent...I'll Take Big Bear, Any Day!

"Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed." ~Buddha~

The POPrs Family Archives are yielding the funniest shots, aren't they? Here is Big Bear, showing off his amazing talents. He'd put Susan Boyle to shame, I tell ya!

Weekly Winners: Flower Power

Shot by Aunt Julie with a Canon Rebel XTi

Weekly Winners are brought to you each week by Lotus, over at Sarcastic Mom. Aunt Julie had The Boys digging in the dirt in the other day, and all the activity put me in mind of these beauties, which graced her garden last year, and are starting to renew their presence this time around.

Tree Peony

Stargazer Lily

Delphinium

Big Bird Day Lily

Lupine

Do you have a favorite flower?

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta: Reading is Fundamental

In March, those of us who love to read commemorate this joie de vivre by celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday and National Reading Month. I'm sure there's a month for everything and every cause under the sun, but reading is fundamental to me.

Why do I bring this up now? Because I just uncovered this cute shot in the POPrs Family Archives. Meet College Boy in his younger years, showing off one of his favorite authors. Mine, too!

I can read in red. I can read in blue.

I can read in pickle color, too.

I can read in bed, and in purple, and in brown.

I can read in a circle and upside down.

I can read with my left eye.

I can read with my right.

I can read Mississippi with my eyes shut tight.

There are so many things you can learn about, but

You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.

The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

If you read with your eyes shut, you’re likely to find

That the place where you’re going is far, far behind.

So that’s why I tell you to keep your eyes wide,

Keep them wide open ... at least on one side!

~From I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, by Dr. Seuss~

This Seussical Tribute is brought to you by Candid Carrie, and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

Happy Birthday, Shark Boy!

Another trip down Memory Lane for all you POPrs Pals today. We're celebrating Shark Boy's Big Day, and want to do it in style!

In this "vintage" 1991 photo, meet Big Bear, Uncle Lynn, The Birthday Boy and College Boy. Oh, and Mr. Gator. Aunt Julie conjured this Green Masterpiece as the young lad's birthday cake.

While the Black-Tipped Reef Shark Adventure was exciting, Shark Boy has much Bigger Fish to fry these days, including helping Mr. Pops launch the new retail line of POPrs - Coming to a supermarket near you, fingers crossed!

So, Happy B-Day, SB...May you live long and POPrs...er, prosper!

May Day: The Perfect Storm

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

~I Must Go Down to the Sea, by John Masefield~

Brought to you by "fellow-rovers" Aunt Julie & Veggie Mom.

Time for Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, and we're playing along!

Happy Birthday to The POPrs King!

I was gonna go all retro today, and show ya a photo from Back in the Day. But instead, I'm getting to the heart of the matter. Today's a Special Day for the POPrs King, which deserves a Front Page Headline. So, I thought we could celebrate Uncle Lynn's Birthday with a little ol' POPrs Giveaway. Whaddaya say?

Here's the dealy-O:

All you have to do to enter this Birthday Bash is to leave Uncle Lynn some Birthday Comment Lovin' today. That's right, just Comment up a Storm!

This is a one-day contest, and closes tonight at 11:50 p.m. EST. Tomorrow morning I will announce THREE WINNERS, chosen by Random Drawing, of course:

First Place:
A box of POPrs--all 8 flavors!--plus POPrs T-Shirts for the whole family AND my services as a "guest blogger" any one time you choose in this calendar year!

Second Place:
A box of POPrs--all 8 flavors!--plus POPrs T-Shirts for the whole family.

Third Place:
A box of POPrs--all 8 flavors!

Alternatively, if the Random Generator Thingy picks YOU as a winner of one of the Top Two Prizes, and you already own POPrs-wear (yes, that's right ~ previous POPrs Giveaway Winners are eligible), then I, Veggie Mom Herself, will offer you the POPrs ~ who in their right mind could pass up those scrumptious delicacies? PLUS my services as a "guest blogger" up to five times in this calendar year. SUCH a deal, huh?

All you have to do to enter is to wish Uncle Lynn Happy Birthday today. For five extra entries, I'd LOVE for you to blog about Uncle Lynn's Birthday and the Contest. Follow me, for another five entries. Follow me on Twitter for another five. And, finally, post this cute little ol' Birthday Button at your place today, with a link back to this post, for five more entries.

Well, we're in Full POPrs Party mode now! And all Uncle Lynn has to do is just sit back, relax, and wait for all that Birthday Lovin' to come rolling his way. Happy Birthday, Pops!

Friday Foto Fiesta Finish: A Quilt to Remember

In addition to being the POPrs Queen, Mom Extraordinaire and the owner of two rambunctious hounds, my SIL, Aunt Julie, is a quilter. You've seen quite a bit of her handiwork over here, most recently her Big Bear Creation.

In honor of Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, Julie Eliz wanted me to exhibit one of her creations from a few years ago. I love the simplicity of this schoolhouse design, don't you?

Candid Carrie Helps Big Bear Celebrate His Birthday

A few years back, when the world was slightly younger and so were we, Big Bear entered this crazy world. Today's his birthday, and Candid Carrie is helping him celebrate.

Aunt Julie and I were going through photo albums the other day, and came up with this precious shot. She's the New Mom in this photo. B-Squared was a cutie, wasn't he? Still is!

This celebration brought to you by Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Happy Birthday, Big Bear!

Quilting with Candid Carrie

Here's a Friday Foto of Big Bear and one of Aunt Julie's latest creations. But before I explain, I want to remind you about The Great New Pop'rs St. Patty's Day Giveaway, featuring Pop'rs Prizes AND a $100 Target Gift Card! For more info on that, please Click Here.

Aunt Julie got in the mood to make another quilt a while back.

"It is the same pattern as College Boy's," Aunt Julie explains. "Called Texas Hold 'Em. My boys went through a poker phase, and I made the first one then. They are all the same pattern, with subtle differences. All three share the same plaids, with different borders and backgrounds.
Still need to make one more for Soccer Boy. And I have another one almost done and ready to photograph. All it needs is the binding!"

Thanks to Candid Carrie for hosting her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Our Pop'rs Pal Jammin' will be back tomorrow. And don't forget my giveaway!

Wordful Wednesday: A Birthday Poem, AND a Winner!

Hey, all you Pop'rs People! We have a Winner in our SITS Spring Fling Giveaway! Shannon, from Welcome to the Nuthouse, Come On Down! And please send me your contact info~we'll get your Prizes, including Pop'rs and Pop'rs T-Shirts for the whole family, out to you right away!

Thanks, BTW, to the SITS Girls for hosting the Spring Fling. We can truthfully say that A Good Time was Had by All!

In the meantime, you know that Uncle Lynn and Veggie are hosting another Giveaway this week, right? It features Pop'rs Prizes AND a $100 Tar-Jay Gift Card! For more info on that, Click Here. And don't forget to comment on all of my posts this week, for more entries!

Now, Veggie Mom, being the ever-vigilant SIL, wants to commemorate Aunt Julie's Birthday today, with a little ditty she penned just for the Pop'rs Queen. Sorry I didn't bake a cake, Julie Eliz...but this Faux-Veggie Cake's good enough, isn't it?

Ode to Aunt Julie,

On the Occasion

of Her Big Day!

There once was an Auntie named Jules

who often chose to break the rules;

She quilted and baked

and gardened and raked,

as if trained at the finest of schools.

She had a SIL name of Vee

who wrote verse with profoundest of glee;

Vee wrote and she wrote

'til she had a whole boat-

load of limericks, most worthy, for free!

Vee picked up her good friend, named Jammin'

the times they had always were slammin'.

Although Jules had not met

Jay, Vee thought she could get

these two together, no scammin'!

So Vee got a birthday-type cake

from Google, don't make a mistake;

The cake featured carrots, beans, peas,

and strawberries, you see;

fruits and veggies won't cause bellyache.

You probably must realize by now

Jules' birthday is here, oh and how!

So the Vee and the Jay

will come over to play

with Aunt Julie, please take you a bow!

Jules requested a poem for today

like the one that Seuss got, but say, hey!

I just don't have all the brain

power, it is such a drain

to create silly verses all day.

So we are here partly to say

that Aunt Julie's the Girl of the Day.

She doesn't have Seuss

but could this be a deuce

of a present to celebrate her birthday?

Please check out Wordful Wednesday, over at Seven Clown Circus. Also, this Birthday Poem was penned not just for Aunt Julie, but for the Random Complexity Writing Challenge: 219 Words!

Meet the Beatles!?!

Well, really, I want ya to meet Aunt Julie's side of The Pop'rs Family from a few years back. Auntie J. always does Creative Christmas Cards, and this was no exception. But somehow this little gem got stuck up on the fridge with a Beatles magnet...and you do see the resemblance, don'tcha?

In the phun photo on the left, clockwise (from left): Big Bear, Shark Boy, College Boy, Trouble Elizabeth, Moses and Soccer Boy. In the other phun photo, clockwise (from left-Geez Louise, I feel like this is a yearbook!): Ringo, John, George and Paul, sans dogs.

I don't know. Did the Beatles have dogs? Playing along with Candid Carrie today and her Phriday Photo Phinish Phiesta!