Snapshot Saturday - German Shepherds and Invisible Balls

We have a lot of fun around our house some Saturdays...and the funnest days are the ones we do not plan or anticipate in any way.

This morning my youngest and middle daughters decided on a whim to play a game of Wii baseball.

We go through spells with the Wii.

It sits idle a lot of the time, and then, Poof, out of nowhere, somebody turns it one.

That's what happened this morning.

I was at my computer with my back turned to the girls and could hear them laughing, giggling and yelling at their players.  Not long after they began though, I began to hear barking.  

With German Shepherds, barking isn't a cute little noise they make when they want to hear themselves talk. 

A German Shepherd's bark is all business.

I couldn't figure out what in the world could possibly be so wrong until I got up, walked into the den, and watched the action for a bit.

The youngest plays softball so Layla (the GSD) is used to her swinging and hitting a ball, which Layla then races to get if it happens to hit the ground before the catcher can receive it.  Soccer balls, tennis balls, wiffle balls, you name it...Layla loves to play ball.  

What she could not figure out this morning was WHERE THE HECK IS THE BALL???!!

She was beside herself.

Every time one of the girls would swing, Layla actually looked up and followed the line of sight where the ball should have been.  She even sniffed at the fireplace, the baskets in front of the fireplace and up to the mantle where she cannot reach even on her hind legs.  She eventually became so upset that I swear she was having a panic attack.

I took this series of pictures with my Iphone...there was a lot of movement so my subjects sometimes are blurry...Layla's tail especially is blurry because she wanted to play sooooo badly.  In most of the other shots, she is either barking, waiting for the next pitch, or darting from kid to kid.

We finally found one of her tennis balls and an old practice soccer ball, gave them to her, she jumped up on the couch with them, and proceeded to tear them into shreds.  As long as she had her own balls, she never barked at the girls again.

I also shot a little video to share...

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce @ At Home with Books

Really Random Tuesday - In which I try to get my head back on straight :p

1. Today isTop Ten Tuesday day...but I just don't have a list in me today.  However, if you feel like reading lists of books with selections from blogger's TBR's for Fall, go right on over and do so.  You'll be adding to your WishList I bet :)

2. We had two days off last week due to Hurricane Isaac, went back for one day and then rested through the long Labor Day weekend...I still can't think straight :p
School started for us on August 15, but I still don't feel like we've gotten anything accomplished.  Except that there's a virtual "stack" of essays in my inbox that needs to be graded.  Volunteers?
Worst of all we found out today that we'll be making up those hurricane days during our usually but not anymore week-long Thanksgiving break.
#Gladwedidn'tplanthattriptoNYC#

3. The nutrias (kinda like big rats) are freaking me out, washing up on the beaches on the MS/LA coast and exploding after sitting in the hot sun for hours (thousands of them).  Clean-up has begun, and workers are having to wear health hazard suits, officials are warning tourists and sightseekers to stay away from the dangerous germy situation.  Yes, I did just finish reading The Stand...why do you ask?

4. Guess what? I finished reading The Stand...How did you know? All 1063 pages of it...only took me 2 months.  And, now that means I can join the It Along...but only if I don't have to look at too many pictures of scary clowns with jagged teeth or bloggers with red noses, pretending to be scary clowns while reading about scary clowns (Fizzy Jill and Trish).

5. My students think plagiarism only exists in English class.  Apparently, it doesn't. 

This makes me sad...for a lot of reasons...but mostly bc plagiarism by students don't "get it" is bad enough...plagiarism by those who we know "get it" and are in the same business as we are...well, that's just blasphemy.  Heller??

 P.S. If you don't know Madea...well, you just need to.  Try your best NOT to laugh...you will. not. win.

6. My students are working on a special research project this semester...an election themed project.  So far we've gathered articles from around the web and have had some interesting discussions about what makes a source "good" or "bad."   They are looking for articles online that share both sides and are as balanced as possible...we've actually found a lot more than I thought we'd find.   Seems lots of folks are as ambivalent about this election as I am...even die hard party members are unsure.  The students find the articles and we post them to a classwide discussion board for...bet you can't guess??...discussion :) So far I've been pleased.  After the DNC this week, they'll prepare proposals for me, discussing which candidate is right for America and why.  I have no agenda in this project.  I have been honest with them about how I feel and am going to write a proposal myself to share with them why I'm undecided.
It's my favorite class so far. :)

7.  Fat Mum Slim Instagram photo a day project...I was only 3 days late getting started this month after meaning to participate for the last couple of months...yesterday's theme was Far Away...that's where the bathroom was right smack in the middle of a 2 hour soccer game in 100 degrees and 50+ % humidity yesterday.  The 8 year old had to go...why do kids do this to us?

8. After an attack of low blood sugar :( I finally allowed myself to move into Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet...Phase 2 allows wine, but it doesn't give instructions about what to do in extenuating circumstances.

Now, I'm gonna have to move back into Phase 1 after a hurricane with 4 obnoxious and loud but loveable teenagers, a full grown man who refuses to take cover when the tornado sirens start, an 8 year old who asks 8 million questions a minute about our survival prospects, an 85 lb. German Shepherd who refuses to leave my side (she's not scared; she's protecting me...from what, I have no idea), 3 cats who yowl like the devil himself when they want to go out during the lull between rain bands and I won't let them, a Scruffy dog who's afraid of everything and everybody, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who refuses to be potty trained but won't go outside in the rain, all in my house at the same time for a solid 3 days.
Go ahead and imagine what you think my house looked like after those 3 days...now multiply that x 15.  Yep, I've still got a lot of work to do.

How was I supposed to know that on Phase 2 I was limited to one 4 oz. glass of wine per day??

Oy.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it ;)

9. Below please find my Saturday Snapshot snapshots (the Hurricane Isaac edition), which I'm just getting around to posting on Tuesday :/

Tornado sirens.

 Are we having fun yet?

Oh look! I made a list after all...that's my brain, ya'll.  Time to grade an essay or two...or not ;)

Really Random Tuesday is posted on Random Tuesday's over at Suko's Notebook.