Spaghetti: It's What's for Dinner

PUPPY UPDATE: No puppy yet. I didn't get to Jackson in time last weekend to get him, as the owners were going out of town, and I was running late. So my dear friend Amy is picking him up for us and bringing him home on Thursday. If SB understood what was going on, she would be going crazy.

While I am sad that we still don't have him, there is a bright side. My camera battery charger disappeared right around the time Mr. Belding came to town. Fortunately, God had mercy on me and the battery lasted long enough for me to record that sacred event, but it died soon after. I was not even able to turn my camera on long enough to upload the pics I had already taken, let alone take any new ones. After hours of fruitless searches, I finally broke down and ordered a new one, and it arrived yesterday!!

So the special puppy moment can be recorded for you to enjoy for all eternity. I know; I'm relieved too. Since I just uploaded a ton of photos this afternoon, I thought I would share a few of my faves.

We got a little dirty playing outside last night, so SB's clothes had to come off before she was allowed inside for dinner. A bath was definitely in order, but since we were having spaghetti for dinner, I decided to let her have a go at her supper first.



And boy did she go at it. Forget the utensils; hands work much better with those slippery noodles. And her belly caught what her mouth missed.

She was only too happy to say "cheese" and show off her handiwork.

Wait, I'm not in trouble, am I?? I can use the fork if I have to!

Name that Dog

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. Claire, you were right on two points. First of all, a blog poll is in order here. Secondly, Belding and Schrute are two very viable options, though not the only ones.

Here is a rundown of our options:

1. Puppy. This is Sarah Beth's dog, and perhaps we should respect her wishes and name him as she chooses. After all, she's going to call him "puppy" anyway.

2. LT has graciously offered to let us borrow her dog's name, Max, which would be a wonderful SBTB reference. We would obviously deviate on the spelling, as MAXX is the only spelling we could possibly consider.

3. I've got two votes for Schnauzer, although I feel strongly that any dog breed other than daschund would satisfy Mere and LB. Perhaps Shih tzu would be a better choice?

4. Then there is Claire, who insists on either Belding or Schrute. This calls to mind Meredith's other idea, which she mentioned to me via phone last night: Tobias. I've got to be honest here and say that I am really leaning towards Toby. His full name, of course, would be Tobias Featherbottom Funke (pronounced fYOON-kay).

5. Murry. No explanation needed.

6. I almost forgot. Jack wants to name him Oscar.

Please take a moment and VFYF. Vote for your favorite. Also, we are still accepting suggestions through Saturday morning. That is when I am going to pick him up. Hooray!

Puppies!

Sarah Beth's wildest dreams are coming true. We are getting a puppy.

It's a daschund, and I am leaning towards getting a boy. Every time we ask SB what she wants to name him, she says, "Puppy!"

If anyone out there has any better suggestions, please help us name Puppy!

Bell Bell Ding Ding

The line was long. Excitement was thick.

Two seats were on stage?? Could it be true? Did he perhaps bring a famed guest along for the show? My money was on Slater, but unfortunately, the second chair was just for some student who was there to ask him a few questions during the show.

I didn't take a picture of her. She is of no consequence. Mr. B. was in full form, and I do mean full. He's put on quite a few lbs since the 90s.

Anyway, he talked a lot about how he got his start in the biz- did anyone know that he used to be in the music business? He was an agent and a concert promoter He actually represented GREG ALLMAN of the Allman Brothers before he got into acting! I think he also worked with Tom Jones for a while. Isn't that insane?

And he talked mostly about SBTB. He asked audience members for their favorite episodes, and I shamlessly yelled, "JOHNNY DAKOTA!" You remember, the too cool actor who came to Bayside to film an anti-drug commercial... "There's no hope with dope!"

Mr. B. laughed and gave me the inside scoop on Johnny. In real life, he was actually dating Kelly at the time, so SBTB producers gave him an episode to promote his acting career. Unfortunately, Kelly was trying to dump him and get with Slater, so it made for a very uncomfortable shoot.

I think Mr. B. remembered me later on in the evening, when he asked if anyone wanted to play SBTB trivia. He picked a few people to come on stage and try their hand at a few questions. Yours truly was the first one on stage.

There were a few guys who thought they knew everything, but it turned out, they didn't know quite as much as they talked.

Mr. Belding presents the winner:

It's me! It's me!

The question that won it all? Who was the teacher that kept detention? See below for the answer.

So Mr. B. autographed my prize, we posed for photos, and thus ended my brush with fame.

Mr. B. autographs my prize. Notice the look of disappointment on the face of the girl in the background. She musta forgot.

Me with prize.

A glossy, black and white 8x10 of the cast. It says:

To Emily

#1!

"Mr. Belding"

Dennis Haskins.

Truly, a night to remember.

Mr. Dewey: algebra teacher, taekwondo enthusiast, keeper of detention

The Balding Eagle Has Landed

I don't have time right now to do this post justice. I will go ahead and give you the basics, with a full follow up to come soon. Here is what you need to know:

We go there just after 7. The line was already snaked through the corridor and backed up against the main entrance. I TOLD you we should have gotten there at 5:30.

The doors opened soon after, and we were able to make a mad dash through a side door and get 4th row seats, front and center.

The show finally started, once Mr. B. finished texting on his Crackberry (his words).

It did not disappoint. He was brilliant, and I, for one, am motivated.

Finally, to answer your most pressing question, yes, I did get to go onstage with him during the show. I got to meet him, shake his hand and even acquire a hug from him at the end. I will explain later AND show off my newest most prized possession, but let's suffice to say for now that Mr. Belding knows a true fan when he sees one.

Hey, hey, hey, hey! What is going on here???

Oh my.

Are you ready for this?

It's only the biggest thing to come out of Mississippi since Lance Bass. Maybe you should sit down.

Tomorrow night, 7:30 pm, the world-renowned actor, singer and performer extraordinaire, the one and only, THE BIG BOPPER, the great Mr. Dennis Haskins will be appearing at Mississippi State University.


You may know him better as Mr. Belding, everyone's favorite principal.

I couldn't believe the news when I received a text just moments ago from fellow SBTB fan Laura. Fortunately, her mother called her with the news just in time! I was ready to go, but Laura acted like she was too cool for school, until I reminded her that this was indeed the opportunity of a lifetime.

Silly Laura. Like we could sit at home watching Idol, pretending Mr. Belding wasn't performing at our alma mater, like there was nothing better to do but watch a bunch of primadonnas strut around stage while lip synching, like we could afford to MISS the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the most famous principal of them all, like Ryan Seacrest could trump the big bopper! That's what Tivo is for. Can you Tivo Mr Belding performing at Lee Hall, Laura? Can you? I think not.

So I am charging my camera, bringing an extra battery pack, packing my 1st edition SBTB VHS series in case of autograph opportunities, and I am working on a list of things I want to say, in case of meet and greet.

So much to do, so little time. If you want to catch a ride ( as I'm sure parking will be a NIGHTMARE), get here early because this carpool is leaving on time! Show is at 7:30, doors at 7, so I figure we will need to get there by 5:30 at the latest, so we can get in line.

My head is still spinning.

Bopper, Bopper, Bopper, Bopper...

I wonder if it's too late to make t shirts??

I want JUICE!

Shortly after arriving home from Texas, SB had another surprise in store for her father and me. We were standing in the kitchen when she ran up to us and announced,

"I want juice!"

Her first sentence.

Prior to this occasion, SB had never even put two words that she knew together, like "Bye Daddy" or "Please Mommy", even with great coaxing. She just wasn't ready. But she was ready now.

Jack and I just stood there in shock for a minute. Jack looked up at me and said incredulously,

"Did she just say, 'I want juice.'?"

Me: "I think so!"

Jack: "Well, then she should have some juice!"

SB drank juice all day until it was coming out of her ears. And ever since, it has been a constant string of "I wants" around the Redwood home. Her favorites? Juice, cheese and shoes.

Every morning when we get her out of bed, the first thing we hear is, "I want shoes, I want shoes, I want shoes, I want shoes, I want shoes..." until we put shoes on her feet. It's not enough for her just to hold them. They must be worn. She has learned that in order to go outside, she must be wearing shoes. So once she gets her shoes on, she gets her hat and coat, then makes a break for the door.

In the high chair, it's constant begging, switching back and forth between " I want juice" and "I want cheese." And heaven forbid you take her shoes off during this marathon.

I'm working on a more varied diet, as cheese and juice are only a small portion of the pyramid. Sometimes she can be convinced to eat chicken, but don't come anywhere near my child with a vegetable.

Anyway, I've got to run as it is time for dinner. Looks like cheese.