'The Artist' Formerly Known As....Kaiya?

I think everyone kind of just sat there and blinked silently when the entertainment news media announced that the Pop/R&B icon, Prince, had officially changed his name to simply, "The Artist".  I mean, what were we supposed to feel at that time....shock?...confusion?...outrage?.....a foreboding feeling that all in the world will never be right again?  Well, I am sure the world breathed a tear stained sigh of relief when he graciously changed it back to Prince. Once again, all was right with the universe! For goodness sake!!  I wish these people would think about the trauma they put us through before they follow their creative natures and disassemble the constructs of our well ordered worlds!

Indeed, history repeats itself.  So, I walk into the playroom to observe the latest chalk mural designed by Kaiya.  She has written everyone's names on the walls....including, what I can only assume, is her own?  "Chaiya."  Really?  Already establishing your renegade identity?  At 6?  No, I couldn't resist:

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"Honey! Is this how you spell your nickname?"

(thoughtful pause) "Yes, Mommy."

"But, Mommy spells it with a 'K'........don't you like the 'K'."

(thoughtful pause) "Not really."

"You prefer the 'C-h'?"

(thoughtful pause) "Yes, Mommy.  'C-h' is really me."

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For all of you breaking into a cold, deja vu sweat, I'll keep you posted on this development...

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Hey.....What time is it?  PUPPY TIME!!!

Firstly...let me say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to take proper pictures of three 4 week old puppies all at one time!  ARE YOU KIDDING?  The first thing they did was anoint the carpet with liquid joy!  Enoch even took it upon himself to bless us with puppy poo while Eli and Eve distracted us with hide and go pee!
Let the montage begin...

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The pack hangs together...

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Enoch is happy to be here!

"Look out!  That blankie looks dangerous..."

Starting to stack!

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Elijah following his nose!

"Shhhh!  I'm stalking my prey..."

Preparing for his big entrance...

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Eve, the little princess...

"Don't let the highlights fool ya!  I'm just as tough as the boys!"

Pretty Profile!

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Even big bro can give kisses now and then!!

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Guess who is stricken with puppy love?
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Amy: "How Deep is Your Love?"

Lots of our friends and family wonder how in the world do we keep things half way in order with as much as we have going on in our lives.  Well, the answer is simple...we have a 5'2'' secret weapon:

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This, my gracious readers, is Amy Zapata!  The original Thrilla from Manilla!!!  Amy has been a member of this family since 2008.  Forget the NBA....SHE is where AMAZING really happens!!  Her pet name in the house is Ate (pronounced 'Ah-Tay') which means "Big Sister" in Tagalog.  It is a term of endearment and great respect, and Amy has earned every drop of it!  The children cry for her when she is not here....heck, I cry for her when she is not here!!  Let's keep it real...SRB would be a hot mess without her! 

Having house assistance in the Turks and Caicos is a cultural norm.  But Amy transcends just being a "Nanny"...she is truly our Big Sister with comfort, organization, advice, laughter and a "Can Do" attitude that just doesn't stop.  If there is a need, Amy knows how to make it happen.  And that is a fact!  The truth is, she left her own family of 4 beautiful daughters and a husband behind in the Philippines to seek gainful employment here.  So, each day she labours with my family, I think of her family and pray that the Lord is guarding over her family the way she guards over mine. 

Now, before you get all gooey-eyed with the sentimental tributes, understand this:  This chick is no pushover!  She is one firecracker!  My favorite sport here at SRB is to start some mess between her and Devon...and then disappear!  One thing is for sure, we love her very much and owe her more than words can say.  It is because of her that I can devote my entire day to home therapy for Josiah.  What more can I say...that is more than most ever give in a lifetime.  "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

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Ok, puppy addicts: Week 3 Updates!!

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Oops! Wrong puppies!!

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It is KILLING me how cute these kids are getting!  (Yes, I mean our little pumkins as well!) The eyes are all open and sensitive to light and dark. They are definitely recognizing specific scents and their hearing is begining to open as they respond to random noises with curiousity.  It is so incredible to watch.

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Enoch is nothing if he is not a bundle of trouble waiting to happen!  He completely thinks that he is born to run things! Nail clipping and a comb through was complete AGONY.....for ME that is!  He grunted and wiggled almost the whole time!  Finally when the deed was done, he was more than content to waddle around sniffing at everything and everyone...I guess he was looking for more loyal servants to bring him milk if momma starts trippin'!  He is a go getter for sure...but what is so funny is watching him drag his pot belly across the floor as he shuffles over to push someone off a nipple to steal their turn at the milk bar!  A fat little gangster!

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Eve, on the other hand, was more than happy to be pampered at her first beauty treatment!  The perfect little lady, she allowed me to clear out any dry skin and trim her nails with no complaints.  Devon has decided that he loves her coloring best of all.  The chocolate sable tan point combination is really unique.  She has a sweet temperament but is no pushover as she holds her own against the boys on many occasions when bitter family feuds break out over milk rights!

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Now for our star of the Big Screen and Golden Globe Nominee: Elijah!  Eli knows how to bring the drama and has the looks to back it up!  He is definitely the most vocal in the whelping box and when he gets what he wants he has more facial expressions than any dog I've ever seen!  So, his screen name for this week is Idris Alba!  He also has the strut to back his acting chops.  He was the first to walk fully on all fours and is definitely the most athletic.  Only occasionally is he out powered by Enoch's weight or out manuvered by Eve's cleverness.  But if it is a clean race, he is definitely the front runner!

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"My Favorite Favorites!"

So, life at SRB is as it should be...just on the fringes of sanity!  The girls have Devon wrapped around their sweet pinky fingers and Jojo has developed a new phrase that he uses on occasion: "Favorite, favorite!"  It's super cute because it just pops up at random times and we are never really ready for it!  "Jo, can I play train set with you?"  "Yes, trains are my favorite, favorite."  "Jo, do you want bananas or apples for snack?"  "I want bananas, please!  Its my favorite, favorite."  "Let's watch Dora, Jo."  "Oh, no! Dora is not my favorite, favorite!"  LOLOL!!! 

Well, I am gonna post up my "Favorite, favorite!" thing right now...week 2 of the puppies!  Eyes are opening, the legs are working hard to lift those fat bellies off the ground to get to momma and the yelps are getting much stronger when the milk isn't flowing fast enough!  It is amazing to watch how fast these babies grow.  Changes happen overnight...

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Here is Eve catching a lovely cat nap!  She didn't even stir when I moved her for her photo shoot!

Her Tan Points under the Chocolate overlay blend so nicely on her back and give this really pretty reddish brown glow.  It makes it easy to tell her apart from Elijah.  Such a pretty girl!

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Eli was NOT in the mood to take pictures tonight! Someone told him he was leading man material and it went straight to his head! He has really put on some weight and that lovely solid Chocolate coat of his is going to be absolutely striking.

By this time our little Denzel Washington was ready to go back to snoozing next to mom so we decided to cut it short and hope the A-lister is in a better mood next week!

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Big daddy Enoch was a sugar pie tonight!  He should be after all the yelping he did today demanding his poor mother get back in the kitchen and bring him some more grub!!  He was the first to open his eyes yesterday, once again establishing himself as the leader of the pack...just incase anyone gets any bright ideas!

Here he decided to give a quick glance to make sure that all was right with us.  Afterwards, he was perfectly content to resume his dreamtime...

What a sweet life!