Beginning of summer shenanigans

The beginning of the summer season has brought with it some terrific storms. Luckily, we have not had to take shelter yet; the tornadoes, while close, haven't made their approach to Lincoln.

I'm anticipating this summer is going to be packed with a variety of exciting events and I keep talking with Charlie about what might be in store for him and us. Recently, he and I had been counting down the days for his grooming appointment that was scheduled for this morning. I think I was more excited than him. Matted, tangled hair under his ears and on his legs were growing into massive lumps. Last time this happened, we had to make an emergency vet visit, because Charlie was accidentally cut while trying to trim out the knots. As a result of that tragic event, we now leave the grooming to the professionals. Here is Charlie's "before" picture:

 
And this is his "after" picture:

Charlie takes one heck of a glamor shot. He could be a show dog if he wanted to be, however he wasted little time when we got home to roll around on the rug and mess up his perfectly new manicured coat.

It must have been a rough appointment because he slept on the kitchen floor all afternoon.

Recently, I have taken advantage of some quality time with my niece Katelyn. She and I discussed a variety of worldly events, from the deliciousness of hot dogs, to the varieties of colors on the spectrum, and planning our day together this coming Thursday.

I quickly found out that she is quite adept at using an iPhone and we began to take pictures to document our fun. First, I told her that we were going to take a serious picture:

Then, we took a happy, smiling picture:

When we were flipping through the pictures we took, Katelyn was very adamant about her dislike for the serious picture. She shook her head back and forth furiously every time it showed up on the screen. I'm determined to keep working with her, teaching her my ways of how to make faces right before the photo is snapped. I'm confident her distaste will turn to pleasure as she develops a more nuanced palate for all things Uncle Todd.

We just need a little more time together...