- The Toddler has determined the best way to wander the house at night without having to fear what the useless watch dogs will do: Yell "Mommy" over and over and over as you walk around. Useless dog #1 and useless dog #2 recognize that shriek no matter how sleepy they are. The smart one hides when she hears it.

- The not-so-smart one has had her breed rise to the Top 10. This is not a good thing. Bulldogs are not an easy breed to care for at all and over-breeding would be disastrous. While Meg is certainly the sweetest dog of all time and makes a Lab puppy look evil, she is high maintenance. Our pup is rare in that she has very few allergy problems (it's not unusual for a Bulldog to need a special diet or to be on numerous allergy meds), but that doesn't stop her from having the "nose thing" that they all have. That wrinkly cuteness about her nose is a dark little crevice of skin on skin. Think about where you have a dark little crevice of skin on skin. Now think about what would happen if you didn't clean it every day. Much stinky, no? That's what happens if you don't wipe out the butt crack on her face as well. It gets moist, stinky, and just plain gross pretty quick. And if you let it go too long, it will turn into an infection. To make it more interesting, it's rare to find a Bully that doesn't mind having it's wrinkles cleaned out. A 50-pound bowling ball with legs can put up a serious fight if it wants to.

Anyway, if you're thinking of getting a Bulldog, do your research. Make sure you are OK with the worst-case scenario because that might just be what you get. Then research breeders until you are blue in the face. If someone is asking less than $2000 for a puppy, I guarantee that you are asking for trouble. If price is your deciding factor, I strongly suggest you rescue an older dog so that you know exactly what you are getting into. On a related note, a Bulldog breeder would only sell a puppy to a pet store if they knew they couldn't get top-dollar for the pup on their own. I have never seen a Bulldog puppy at a pet store that didn't have obvious genetic problems.

- Another Public Service Announcement: If you STILL have Jingle Bells or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as your cellphone ringtone, please change it immediately. The next time I hear it, the calendar better say November or I'm stealing your phone and throwing it into the river. I won't feel bad if I have to punch you to get the phone out of your hands either.

- The Toddler has slept through the night four nights out of the past seven. The whole thing is quickly leading me to believe that the best form of torture for terrorists truly is to lock them in a house with a bunch of Toddlers. If the screaming and chaotic insanity of the day doesn't get them, the sleepless nights most certainly will.

- Old Navy currently has all their clearance marked down an additional 50% off. I found three pairs of pants, a t-shirt, a sweater, and five pairs of socks for Alexis today which cost a grand total of $23. Score one for the cheap Mommy!

- Alexis turns two in exactly one week. I have zero plans so far. Procrastinate much? Why yes, I do.

(Sorry for the craptastic posts two nights in a row. I'll be more on my game when I have a bit more time. Oh, and the photo is reflections refelecting on reflections. Cool, no?)