Blurred Boundaries...

When we got the new wood floors in the master bedroom, we were warned that dog's toenails could take a toll. They could scratch the floors. With the size of our dogs, they could scratch up the floors in a hurry. We are TRYING to keep the floors looking nice. So, we have implemented a "No Big Dog in the Master Bedroom Policy." They have free reign over the rest of the house, but the master bedroom is off limits.
It was a rule that was quickly learned. Our dogs are quite smart. A few times of saying-"out" and a snap of the fingers and they understood the boundaries. But some...well, let's just say they like to push the boundaries more than others.

For example, first we have our top dog and model student- Miss Ella. She gets as close to the bedroom door as possible without actually breaking any rules...



Good girl Ella!!!

Next, the Grand Dame of the group. She knows the rules, yet pushes the envelope ever so slightly. But, what can you do...??? She's so old. Getting around is a chore. It takes all she's got just to get up or lay down; so, I cut her some slack...
Good Girl Jodie! I know you're trying to obey the rules.

Then there is Big Dog #3....
I'm really going to give her a Stearn talking to...just as soon as I can do it without laughing! :)

The Cost of Raising A Child...

I read an article on MSN the other day, about the cost to raise a child these days. Seems like the average amount spent for a second child was $221,000- or something like that. I don't know who figured the equation or added the numbers I don't know if the amount is correct or not. I truly could care less. It's only money.



I figure there might be a few people who see that figure and are scared off from having children entirely. I also think there might be a few parents who see that figure and have anxiety. Thinking maybe they aren't spending enough. Or perhaps, there will be several more, who blow that figure out of the water entirely, by spending oodles more. Again-MONEY DOESN'T MATTER!



Here's my opinion: The TRUE COST of raising a child... is your heart, your soul and your life.



You lose your heart to your unborn child from the moment you find out your pregnant. Again, when you first feel it flutter inside you. Later when it kicks up a storm. And definitely when you lay eyes on him/her for the first time. They start out growing beneath your heart...and at some point they become your heart. You truly KNOW what love is when you have a child. There is no other love like it.



Raising a child, you put your soul into. It becomes your life's work. Making sure all their needs are met. Striving to make them happy, healthy, loving, giving, sensitive, passionate people. You look into their eyes and see a soul so beautiful, feel a love so great, it takes your breath away at times. Those moments make everything else seem small and petty by comparison.



Your life is no longer your own. You always put them first and foremost. Their needs, wants and desires will always trump your own. You get up when they do, go to bed after they do. You will stay up all night when they are sick, just so they can rest easier. You may find yourself doing without, so they don't have to. You will spend your entire life trying to make theirs better. You would also, gladly give your own life-without a moments thought or hesitation- if it would save theirs or keep them from harm.



So, let's see what it truly costs to raise a child: Your heart, your soul, your life...as well as time, energy and of course a little money. I think, a child truly doesn't care or count how much money you spend on them. But, they do need your love and attention. They do deserve your heart and your soul. Yes, I believe THAT is the true cost of raising a child. I also believe there are many other parents out there who would agree with me.

Plant it and They Will Come...

My vision for our landscaping is to make it look as if our house is a little cottage built in the woods. Not the deep, dark, creepy kind of woods. The fairy tale kind of woods. Where you turn the corner and you are surrounded by trees, flowers, and nature. The vision is nowhere near complete yet. But, I think I'm off to a good start. We have lots of nature enjoying our yard. LOADS of birds. Including my little friend here: Oh I love the doves! They like to hang out on our window ledges, fence tops and walk around the yard. There are a few that come almost every evening. They are so sweet!


To give our home the "Fairy Forrest Feel" we've planted some trees...

Okay.... Lots and lots of trees. All types of trees.... Evergreens,... trees with acorns,

and trees with seasonal berries to feed the birds in the spring and winter.

We've also planted flower beds to attract butterflies.

We've given them lots of different choices to satisfy their taste buds.

There are plenty of knock-out roses....

Also, Lantana and other perennials to supply nectar through-out most of the year.

I love all the nature we've attracted to our humble home so far. Many different types of birds- Doves, Mockingbirds, Robins, Sparrows.
The butterflies come from near and far. As do the dragonflys. So many different types, all with beautiful colors just fluttering by. It is like a feast for the eyes. We've got tons of toads and lots of lizards as well.

But I have to admit, we have a new addition this year that has me so stinkin excited....

( Look CLOSELY to the right of the flowers-see that hint of grey with a dark spot on it's tail?) We have hummingbirds!!!!! There are two that come to our yard everyday now. How wonderful is that???!!! Now if I can just get the 7 Dwarfs to visit, the dream will be complete. ;)

More Pool Pics

Swimming can sure make ya hungry.... A snack can really hit the spot. So can this little guy...

Just look at that furrowed brow, those intense brown eyes...beautiful! He's like food for my soul.

You know what's even better than swimming, snack time or us spending our days poolside?...

When the ENTIRE family gets to swim together during the week...

With Ricardo's office being only 10 minutes away, he gets to come home for lunch most days.

The boys and I love getting to see him during the day...

We love it even more when he has enough time to come out and join us in "hydrotherapy."

I think he enjoys it just as much as we do. Family Fun Time...it definitely nourishes the soul!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

All of my boys love swimming... But truly, I think one of them is part fish.....

The other part retriever....

Labrador Retriever that is...

Just look at him drinking out of the hose like a dog! Man, he makes me laugh!!! I love you Blue Eyes!!!

Because of his love for swimming, he has mastered ....

The all important .....

CANNONBALL.....

Nice one Buddy!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with more water pics of my other two boys poolside, as we enjoy this final week of summer.

But for today, I'm gonna leave you with this final shot of my sweet Blue Eyes and the look of total bliss he gets while partaking of the pool...

Every time he gets in the pool he says: "Ahhh! THIS is the life!" I can't help but look at him, smile and say: "It sure is!!!" I Love you Blue Eyes....oh and the pool is nice too! ;)

Feeling Like Joe Pesci Today

Ricardo and I are always quoting moving lines or t.v. lines back and forth to each other. Whenever anything "awkward" comes up from our past dating lives, we will yell "We were on a BREAK!!!" (Friends) ANYTIME I put oven mitts on my hands, I always wiggle my fingers and say...."Pot Roast!" (Blast From the Past) When I'm feeling goofy for no reason, I will mutter "Oh,Tofutti. Tofutti Kline." (Overboard.) It makes me giggle. And when I'm feeling angry or disgruntled about something, I refer to yours truly up above. I love me some Joe Pesci!!!



So...We got our new homeowners insurance rates today. Have had the same insurance company since 1995. Never a single claim. Every year, we get our new rates. Every year they start off with the same greeting:





Dear Valued Customer....



Then they go on to inform us of our rates for the upcoming year. Always higher. ALWAYS!!!...Never a letter stating, "Since you are such excellent customers, with a long history with this company, who have never filed a claim-we are lowering your rates. We appreciate you!"(Okay, so they probably wouldn't type a run on sentence like that. It would be a little more grammatically correct....but you get my meaning.)...Also, I can't even imagine how much they would hike up our rates if we ever did actually need to file a claim....but I digress.



Anyhow, I also got an online quote from my little lizard friend...he was actually higher than our existing policy. Wow! So was another person who claims we would be in good hands.



So, to sum it all up....Homeowners for several years, never had a claim, house in excellent condition....rates going up, cause we are such valued customers. In the spirit of Joe and the Lethal Weapon Movies, may I just say my observation is this:



"THEY F*@% YOU AT THE DRIVE THRU!!!!!!"



Thank you very much. I now return you to your previous internet surfing website....

Insomnia and Infomercials

Do you ever get insomnia? I go through bouts of it. 3,4,5 nights in a row of waking up in the wee early morning hours. Mind overload. Thoughts and problems. Big and small. Also, the most inconsequential of musings that I just can't let go of.



Today was one of those mornings. I awoke at 4 a.m. By 5:30 I couldn't take it any longer. I decided if I couldn't sleep, and if my thoughts weren't productive...I might as well make good use of my time.



After letting all the dogs out, I went to work out. Times like these, I am so thankful that I have assigned one bedroom to be "the workout room." I can go in there, turn on the television and do my cardio or weights. All without disturbing any of the other family members who ARE slumbering peacefully. But I digress. Anyhow, I am on the elliptical machine, simultaneously channel surfing when it hits me. Besides exercising, there is nothing better to cure my ills than the infomercial.



During my hour and a half jaunt to nowhere, I found a bevy of self help items...all guaranteed to dramatically improve my life....or I get my money back....minus S&H, taxes, and other miscellaneous fees. ;)



For these stubborn lbs that have made themselves more than at home on my humble frame, I found 6 different weight loss tools and techniques. I can slim down in 6 weeks, I can bulk up while slimming down with the ABC9000000 DVD's, I can target my abs and get a cardio workout at the same time, I can also get my flirt on and loose weight without making it seem like work (and if I call right now I can get my own pole for only $1 extra). I can also join a food club and have meals shipped to my home to keep me fit for life.



While getting slim, I can also concentrate on my beauty. No more feeling like an ugly duckling. I now have the opportunity to have luminescent Cindy Crawford like skin. And if that weren't enough, I can then cover up the luminescent Cindy skin with the barest of minerals to enhance my beauty and give me an airbrushed look!!!



For financial woes, I can invest in real estate. In no time at all, I can turn our debt around and be making more money than I ever dreamed of. If that doesn't work (but WHY wouldn't it???!!!) I can also buy some inspirational, motivational, self sensational DVD's from Tony who will help me achieve the edge in all aspects of my life that are lacking.



Wow! It was such an unbelievable, life changing hour and a half. You have no idea! I would like to say that in a few short weeks I will be slimmer, prettier, wealthier, and an all around achiever; but alas , I lacked the 3 most important life changing items. I wasn't "just sitting there on the couch", so I couldn't "just pick up the phone and call" and I didn't "have my credit card info handy." Guess now we will never know my true potential....such a pity..... really!!!! ;)

Mundane Musings

Not much to report of late, "slow news day(s)" so to speak. So here are some tidbits, ramblings, musings from yours truly.





Ricardo has had 2 callbacks on resumes. Both were a no-go. They were both very interested in him and his skills. They also wanted to hire him at a significant pay cut. Not feasible. Already doing that now thank your very much. So the quest continues. We are continuing to think positive. At any rate, he has been getting to brush up on his interviewing skills. :) He is also working on getting some type of certification that will put him in a very elite crowd of businessmen. It will take 6-12 months, but well worth the expense and hard work I believe. (See how supportive I am...what a good wifey! :) Now, he told me what type of certification this is, but I can't recall the exact letters...CCE...CFE....ABC...XYZ....but I definitely know, that there are 3 letters put together. :)





Been trying to adapt to life on a tighter budget. Truly, it sucks. TRULY!!! But if I were to think positively, I'd say it's building character. Ahhhh character, a much sought after trait. With any luck, I'll look like Jessica Rabbit when this is all done. Now, she's quite a character. And I can totally relate to her "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn this way!" motto. ;)





Gave the boys haircuts myself the other day. Yep, I don't believe this girl has EVER been to beauty school. Oy! Ol Blue Eyes hair turned out fine. (He held still while the clippers were going.)Brown Eyes, well...lets just say- he's sporting the Sinead O'Connor look for the next several weeks. Nothing compares to you Baby! ;)





Also brushed the dogs this week. (Told ya, thrilling news days around here.) Have any of you used the "furminator" before? We've had this dog brush for a couple of years now. It gets more hair off your pet than you even imagined possible. The commercials are no exaggeration. Loads of hair-it's disgusting! I always give out before the brush does. But if you need a good dog brush and want to be disgusted at the amount of hair accumulating on your dog...this is the one to try!






I know there will be a lot less "me time" once school starts. So, I've been putting in a couple of hours a day working out. Go Momma!!! Hitting it really hard. It feels sooooo goood! Helps the stress just pour out of my body. The numbers on the scale aren't really moving much; but, the body seems to be changing shape a little. I'm going with the "muscle weighs more than fat" theory. Sounds much better than "girl can't lose a lb to save her life" theory. Yep, pure muscle! It's there....lovingly protected by some generous, dimpled layers of .....um..."muscleguard tissue." Yeah, that's it....MUSCLEGUARD TISSUE. I believe that is the scientific term....back me up on this one girls! ;)





Got the boys registered for the school year. Blue Eyes got to choose his first elective ever this year. Remember the excitement of getting to choose what you wanted to take?! Like typing or Drivers ED???!!! Okay, maybe that was just me, I'm a dork. The elective(s) of his choice were.....Business Math and Music Education. What a scholar!!! The B.M. (that sounds tacky huh?...hee hee) is all about budgets, insurance, checkbook reconciliation, price comparison, etc. Should be useful. Next year we will be tackling foreign language...Polly Vu France??...Habla Espanol??... me neither! At any rate, school supplies should be arriving soon. Summer,... I miss you already!!!





Discovered that Brown Eyes' rash was not a food allergy. It was a reaction to too much chlorine in the pool. He's much better now, Thank goodness!!! And, we have replaced the old kit with a new chlorine reading kit- to avert this stupid kind of blunder in the future. Hopefully in a few years, we can convert over to the salt water pool system. Much less room for user error with it.:)





Finished "The Devil's Punchbowl." Wow... Talk about suspense! Made me glad my lifestyle is so dull....and sheltered! May have to go back to reading Dr. Suess for awhile to quiet my nerves. ;)





Well, I'm off to the gym. The home gym that is. Hmmm,... home gym....home school....home cooking.... homebody....is anyone else starting to see a pattern here?!





Yours truly,


Ree Khluse ;)

Astrology: What type of friend are you?

Here's something fun and frivolous for the end of summer, an astrological guide on what type of friend you are. I think my sign hits pretty close to home. (Taurus) I definitely am the type of person who doesn't let a lot of people into my "circle of trust". I'm guarded. Truly more of a few good friends type of person vs. numerous frivolous friendships type of person.

It just takes a minute to read your sign. Judge how accurate it is for yourself. Leave a comment and let me know if yours rings true or not.

As for me, I'm off to let Tom Cruise know that we are meant to be the closest of friends. It's written in the stars. ;)

Free Astrology Article by MSN Astrology

Ricardo Update

Well, Ricardo went to the sports doctor today. He injured his right arm back in April playing tennis. He's been to a doc in the box twice. They have given him a steroid shot in the keester and drugs-all to no avail. Today the specialist gave him a shot directly in the elbow and said give it 6weeks. He thinks it's just tennis elbow. If not better by then, he said "we have bigger problems than tennis elbow to deal with." Ricardo just said okay. Me, I'm like what does he mean bigger problems?! You didn't ask him any questions?" I like to know everything-even remote possibilities, so I can wrap my head around it and research everything. Ricardo, he is more of a don't want to know/worry about it later kinda guy. Guess it really is true what they say about "Opposites attract." ;)

The salary reduction has started...so has conservation. We're trying to really watch our spending. Living within our means, that'll be something different. LOL! Maybe THAT in itself will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. :) Ricardo's been plugging away with the resumes. He's gotten several requests for resumes from headhunters as well as sending resumes off to job ads. We'll keep our fingers crossed something positive happens. He's got the talent and skill, I know it's just a matter of time.

Great Summer Read

Summer is winding down. School will be starting soon. Just a couple more weeks and we will be back to the 4 "r's"...reading, 'ritin, 'rithmatic and ritas.......MARGAritas..Ha! But that doesn't mean we have to throw in the towel just yet. The boys and I have been trying to soak up every last bit of summer that we can. In the mornings, I have been getting all my housework done. As well as getting a workout in. (Go Momma!) Then we have been spending all afternoon in the pool. ALL afternoon.

Evenings we have either done a family movie night or Wii. And before bed, I've been indulging in a little guilty pleasure of my own. The past week I've been spending about 30 minutes to an hour every evening in bed with Greg Iles. Okay, not the man himself. His newest book, "The Devil's Punchbowl." Greg and I go way back. I've read most of his books. Have you ever read any of his work? He's a great author. His latest, is one of those double edged swords kinda books. I'm too scared and nervous for the characters to read it for very long at a time. Yet, I don't want to put it down. I want to hurry up and find out what happens,... but I'm scared of what will happen next. Have you ever experienced this when reading a book?

Greg Iles is definitely one of my all time favorite authors. His writing is just so riveting, exciting, all engrossing. His latest book is no exception. I just love it! (In a oh too suspenseful, heart racing , almost pee your pants kinda way.)

So, if your wanting to get one last book on your summer read list, I highly recommend this one. You'll find yourself staying up late and into the wee hours of the morning with Greg Iles too. Trust me, it's time well spent! ;)

Happy Birthday to my Sister

Happy Birthday to one of the most talented, generous, kind hearted, gorgeous, intelligent, charming and enchanting people on planet earth- My little sister.





As a baby, I got to feed you bottles and teach you silly games. I remember playing with you for hours. I would go into your room early in the morning. I was never allowed to get you out of the crib, so I would just put a pillow under your head and cover you up, making sure you were comfy cozy. Then I would talk to you or read to you, until it was time for you to be fed. You were like were my very own "live doll." You always had a smile on your face, so either I was very entertaining to you-or even at a young age you were extremely polite....we'll go with polite. ;) I soooo wanted to drop out of school rather than attend second grade, because I didn't want to be away from you. ( You probably don't remember the conversation we had about that, you were pretty young at the time. ) I guess it's good that I continued my education, cause I had a lot more to teach you....







When you were a youngster, I remember showing you the ropes. I would push your little "eggmobile" around the backyard for you when you couldn't maneuver it very well...until one day you were doing it yourself. We played on the swing set together until you could slide on your own and swing like a pro. And lets not forget the always useful, "how to clean your plate trick." I believe that came in handy more than once. ;)













When I was a teenager, I remember helping you with homework. ( Amazingly, you still passed. :) I also recall giving you much useful advice....okay, advice. As the older sister, I also paved the road of mistakes and wild behavior; thereby, making your teen years much easier by comparison. (No need to thank me. ;) Not that I needed to, you were always a good egg....






You are one of the sweetest memories of childhood that I have. It was an honor to do time with you...I mean spend time with you, while we were doing time...or something like that. Anyway, I'm glad we always had each other's back. I'll always be your wingman-whatever, whenever, forever. Also,...Even though we are grown, you will always be my favorite cellmate,... I mean sibling. :)





Although I am older, you far surpass me in every other aspect. Your prettier, classier, more refined, more generous, more talented, more... well, everything. (except- perhaps funnier....or maybe... not even that! ;) You are extraordinary! I marvel at how exceptional you are....




Your humanitarian nature and efforts are to be applauded. Your talent in your profession is awe inspiring. Your grace under pressure is like none I have ever witnessed before. You are one of the kindest, most generous, loveable people I have ever known. And one of the most beautiful also. Your physical beauty is only rivaled by the beauty of your soul....





Yet, with all that you are...I don't feel even an ounce of sibling rivalry. Nope, not one iota. I Never have. I Never will. I am, as I have always been, honored to call you my sister. Blessed that you are also my friend....






So on this special day, of your 29th year...;)....I wish you for you, what you have given to so many others: happiness, utter joy, peace, bliss, friendship and above all else, I wish you Love. I love you. I will always love you......




Wait!!! Is anyone else singing Whitney Houston in their head about right now? Oh man. That just won't do at all! I would hate to end this beautiful, celebratory blog with that song stuck in your head all day. I couldn't live with myself if I did that. But I could live with myself if I did this.....












Ta.. Ran... Ta... Rah....,Ta....Ran...Ta....Rah....,Ta ran ta rah, Ta ran ta rah,Ta ran ta rah, Ta ran ta raaaah, Ta-Ran-Ta-Rah!!!!




I can definately live with THAT. Yep, Funnier...that's all I've got. ;) Happy Birthday Sweet Sister! I love you!!!