Honey - October 27, 2006 -
We had Buddy for over a year, and things were just not working out with him.
He grew by leaps and bounds, and was just huge. The kids could not go in their own backyard without Buddy knocking them down in his innocent attempt to shower them with love.
Buddy is a wonderful dog. He has never, ever shown his teeth, growled, or attempted an act of aggression on any of us. He just was…….enthusiastic. He jumped on the kids, slammed his head into theirs (major ouch), scratched them with his bear sized paws, and after knocking them to the ground, would try and copulate with them. Ick.
He had become, what I call, a “zoo dog”. We could only love on him through the fence, and that is just not right for a sweet dog like Buddy. He needed someone who could handle him without getting a concussion.
I called the place where we got him and asked if they would take him back. They are a non-euthanasia animal rescue center, and LOVE their animals, so I was comfortable with Buddy going to them.
We took Buddy back yesterday. They will be getting a professional obedience trainer to donate her time with Buddy for the next 4 weeks before they place him for adoption. I hope it works, but at the same time does not stifle his genuine love for people. I AM (was) a professional animal trainer, and I could not get Buddy to mind. To take him back,  I had to drive over 50 miles with him in the van. He probably weighs about 80-100 pounds. I put the passenger seat all the way back and drapped a quilt across the floor and seat, and Buddy jumped in and sat on the floor. On the drive down there, he chewed a huge hole in the quilt and then tried to climb in my lap as I drove down the highway. I had to pull over three times, yelling “Sit Buddy. I said SIT. SIT YOUR ASS DOWN NOW. Sit. Sit. Sit. Shit!!!”
Needless to say, I was very ready for Buddy to get the hell out of the van.
There is a magnificent trianing manual called “Don’t Shoot the Dog” written by Karen Pryor. It is the bible of animal trainers world wide. Any dog can be trained, it states.
I wanted to shoot the dog.
While at the animal shelter, I spied a little dog that looked very much like a minature pincher (dogs I used to show), so I asked if we could visit with her.
She!!!is!!!splendid. We named her Honey. She is gentle, loving, calm as all get out and just plain clever. Last night, I let her out and she did her business, came back in and we crawled into bed. Honey jumped onto Mia’s little daybed that is at the foot of our bed, and there she stayed all night. In the morning, Bill got up and let her out. She peed and pooped, then came back inside and went with him to wake the kids up. She jumped on their beds and licked them and wagged her tail. They laughed and hugged her and she just let them….all the while with her little dog smile on her face and her tail wagging like mad.
My 12 yo was devastated yesterday. He really loved Buddy. So much so that he would not even speak with us until this morning. He cried many tears yesterday and it broke my heart. He would not touch Honey yesterday, but this morning was petting her and talking to her.
The shelter assured me that Buddy will find the perfect family meant for him. Maybe on a ranch or farm.
Or with a family of giants in the Amazon.
Honey:
She is just the right size
Taking the boys to school
Stellar moments in parenting - October 25, 2006 -
You know that you have dropped one of the balls (or several) that you have been juggling high in the air when:
1) After doing 6 full assessments on the medical surgical floor, you admit 2 OB patients, labor one of them, deliver her, move to next room, assist delivery again, sit down to chart in a sea of paperwork, glance at the clock and realize that it is 5pm and you forgot to ask someone to pick up your kids from school.
2) Your 12yo son is sick with the virus from the depths of hell, and must stay home from school. You head in to work with the plan of assessing patients, then heading back home, but, well…see #1. Said child spent the whole day in misery alone.
3)Â As an aside, on said day you also forgot to call your in-laws to see how the major carotid artery repair, that FIL was scheduled to have in the morning, turned out. Major repair that included grafts etc. Yes, he is alive and well and I want some of his pain meds to dull my mind a bit more.
3) You arrive at home to find kids bathed, fed and in good spirits. They head into den to watch TV, and you sit across from your husband and tell him all about how you suck as a parent and daughter-in-law. Husband sits silently listening, and after you pull the self inflicted knife out of your chest, he slowly rubs his hands down his face and blurts out “I forgot Mia today”*******Stunned silence***** He continues, “I came home, picked up the boys, took Cody to scouts, and Quinn to soccer, watched the game, then Quinn and I picked up Cody, went home and as I walked in the door my stomach dropped and my mind flashed ‘Hey, where is Mia’. It was 7pm and I had forgotten to pick her up from daycare. I rushed over to Nannies(the kids just call her this..she is not related) house and she said ‘I was so worried, I thought something happened to you’. And I thought, ‘It did…my mind exploded’.”
In other, good news, 12yo had a birthday yesterday, and I did not forget it. Go me!
Because you never mess with Mama Bear - October 17, 2006 -
On Friday we had to pick up the kids early from school so we could head on down to G-town for our cousins funeral.
When Cory got in the car, Bill noticed that he had a scratch and bruise on his face, so he asked him how he got it.
Cory replied “T tackled me, then his brother D kicked me in the face”.
Yes, you are correct. I just about exploded. These 2 kids have been giving the other children nothing but trouble.
We talked to Cory, and he told us that he did NOT want us to talk with the teachers about it. He did not want to be a tattle tale.
Today was report card day, and I had to go to school and pick them up from the teachers. On my way out, I happened to walk by “D”, so I stopped and said “Hey! Aren’t you D?” and he said “Yes” and I cheerfully said “D, I understand that you kicked Cory in the face.” and he said “No I didn’t. I don’t know what you are talking about”.
Little shit.
I leaned in real close and said “Yes you did D, and I have somethig to say to you. Don’t you DARE*EVER*MESS*WITH MY*SON*AGAIN. Got it?”
He just glared at me, shrugged his shoulders and walked off, glancing back at me nervously.
I just stood there and glared back at him.
Mama bear is on patrol. Watch it!
Role reversal - October 17, 2006 -
My husband was home for 2 weeks prior to starting his new job. He took over all home responsibilities, including laundry, cooking, cleaning and nurturing. In addition to the usual, he painted the walls, rearranged furniture, carted the kids to here and there, and in general was fanflippintastic as a stay-at-home dad.
And Mia fell in love with him. Deeply and heartbreakingly in love.
Everyone told me this would happen. They said that little girls fall for their daddies at around 2.
Me, I think she shifted her attention to the one who was most available to her needs (dagger through my heart). Not to mention that he is soft spoken, loves to snuggle and she fits just right in his arms. Who couldn’t fall in love with him!
It does give me pangs. Pangs of guilt. Pangs of longing to be home with her.
Bill started his new job yesterday, and we are back to our usual routine. It felt good for him to wake me up, instead of me being the one to rouse him. He asked for coffee as usual. He dressed in slacks and a button down dress shirt and tie. I stared at him and drank it all in. I love how he looks dressed for work, and I had missed it.
He does this thing every morning….he tucks the end of his tie into the front of his shirt so that it does not fall into his cereal. As he leaves for work, I pull his tie out, pull him toward me by it, and kiss him. It is our private, sexy little exchange. I watch him walk to his truck and drive away.
Yesterday, as I did this routine, a small little girl pushed her way between us and Bill reached down to pick her up. He kissed her goodbye, whispered “I love you” in her ear, and I took her from him so he could head to work. It was then that our quiet morning routine was shattered by a blood curtling scream. The tears flew from her eyes and she sobbed, “My Daddy. I want my Daaaaaaddddddy” as he walked away from us to his truck.
She flung herself from my arms, would not let me pick her up, and cried for 30 minutes.
I have been replaced, and it really sucks.
The only thing I have that he doesn’t is boobs. Ha Ha! Take that Daddy’s Home!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
And now for a survey. All of you wonderful lurkers, please don’t be shy. Jump out and have your say.
Should I:
a. Quit my job
b. Go down to part time (2 days a week)
c. Buy Geico
d. Hang in there and give it more timeÂ
e. Have a beer and chill
f. Keep her favorite candy in my pocket at all times and flash it at her when Bill is in the room
Ack. I am jelllllous. My preshus baby doesn’t luv me anymore!
The restoration continues - October 16, 2006 -
If I can get the kitchen walls painted today, we might be able to hang the beadboard this weekend.
So far, the ugly paneling in the kitchen is GONE!! Whoo hooo!
In the photo below, the beadboard will go behind the shelves, and the backsplash.
The backsplash will be painted beadboard.
What you see above is the primed, textured walls. I will paint them, then glaze them with a darker color to give them an aged, Tuscan look.
The hall is now painted. No pink left at all (that big wall of cabinets was the last remaining “pink” area to be painted over) Just a nice, soothing cocoa color with a cream boarder!
And the boys room is a now a deep blue,
Once we get the backsplash up, our contractor will be back to transform the ugly slide closet in the kitchen into a desk with cubby shelves for bills etc.. That will happen in January.
Then, we….will…….be…..DONE!!! with the renovations.
Well, until I talk Bill into adding on upstairs. He would rather stick needles in his eyes.
A clock for the time-challenged individual - October 16, 2006 -
Guesstimation works for me!
We found this clock on the Strand in Galveston after having sampled a few imported beers. It is sooo me. The beers were delicious, and we were LOAO over this clock……it was one of those “you had to be there” moments. We both spied it at the same time and started rolling.
It is one of those “keep forever” purchases that the story behind it makes it priceless.
The colors of my world, sometimes they blind me with their beauty. - October 13, 2006 -
My job, that thing that has been eating me alive, is finally becoming what I had hoped it would be.
For the past few months, I have been running my ass off on the medical surgical floor, going back and forth between it and OB, and trying to remember things that I have done in the past, and learning new things as well. I have felt….stressed to put it mildly.
The fact of the matter is, I am an L & D nurse. That is what I love doing. I am NOT a med surg nurse. Almost all of my experience is with OB. If you specialize in one area, you pretty much loose your skills in another area. Floundering around on the med surg unit SUCKS to put it mildly.
Yesterday, my fellow L & D RN put her foot down, so to speak, and with the blessings of our director of nursing, took charge and made some firm plans for me. I will no longer be doing med surg, and can fully immerse myself into L & D.
I feel like a huge, gigantic weight has been removed from my back. It was just too much to go from having patients on the floor, to rushing to a delivery, then rushing back to the floor to continue care of my patients. Just….too…damn…much.
So, although L&D is super stressful, it is a stress that I want to handle….KWIM?
Okay, so on to some bullet points:
*my husbands cousin was hit by a car and killed while riding his bike earlier this week. We are attending his funeral today. It is very very sad. He was only 24 years of age and an only child. His mother lost her husband 2 years ago. Just devastating.
*Bill’s father has a 90% block in his carotid artery and will be having surgery on in a week or so. Major surgery. They will open him up, cut out the area of the artery that is damaged, and graft in some new artery. Prayers please. His name is Bill as well, and we love him so much.
*Cody got his cast off and is very happy…. and I am too. The stink from it….people. Gah! I got him in the tub and scrubbed the hell out of it. Then I scrubbed it some more. Then Cody said, “Hey! Look! A bone! How cool that you scrubbed off all of my skin and muscle! Thanks Mom!” Now he can stand in my personal space without me gagging from the smell of that cast!
*My house has had a makeover, and I have lots of pictures to share. It all looks so great, and came together just as I hoped it would. Pictures to follow after we return from the funeral.
*If Mia changes clothes one*more*time*today! I will go nuts. This female gender thing….my boys would wear a potato sack and be happy. Mia must have “pretties” on at all times. Oh, and Plip Plops (flip flops for those who don’t speak toddler). Plip plops must be on her feet every second of the day.
*The cat still has hair balls.
*The trailer is still sitting in the driveway…all lonely and stuff.
*I am ready for my husband to start his new job on Monday. Love the togetherness, but it is time. Nuff said.
*I am now going to take a shower and be on time for something! Yea! me!
Here is just a little sample of the colors that brighten my world:
My house is a tiny snake magnet - October 9, 2006 -
This has to be the smallest snake I have ever seen. It is obviously a baby, but dayum.
I am thinking it is a very, very newborn garter snake.
For everyone out there who officially has the heebie jeebies and will NEVAH enter my house….it was actually found in the front yard. Yah!! for not finding it in the bathroom like the last one!
In other more pressing news, it appears that Quinn might have RSV. We actually made plans as to who will take him to the hospital and who will stay home with the other kids if the need arises tonight. Hopefully the nebulizer etc. will work and we will not have to do that, but I wanted to make the plans so that we are not trying to decide in the middle of the night while I am a frantic, spastic maniac, wringing my hands and chanting “He is so sick Bill. Oh my God” over and over. Pray for Bill.
Nite nite!
Hello Fox viewers!!! - October 9, 2006 -
Larger Families is in the news!! It is on Fox news, MSNBC, etc. etc. via the Associated Press.
My latest post is up over there as well. Late, but finally up.
The site has had over 3300 hits this morning. Whew!
So, now I suppose I need to get something up here????
I hear the makings of a bullet list!
Happy Fall…from Texas, that is - October 7, 2006 -
Pumpkins and spice….so nice!
And a little smooch from Mama Mia
What I need - October 2, 2006 -
You wanna know what I need?
I need a weekend away with my family in the trailer.
I feel like I cannot breathe.
I feel like hiding.
I need some space……………….yes, the trailer gives me space.
When I am in it, I can breathe again.
I find myself wandering out to it daily.
I sit, and listen to the quiet.
I play with my daughter on her bunk bed…..we have a basket of “trip toys” and it is a treat for her to play with them.
I open the cabinet that holds all of our food, and I smell the smell of the beach. I smell the spices that I throw in with our fresh Gulf shrimp.
I go to our room and lay on our bed and close my eyes…..I think about our nights and reading stories with my kids in the big bed in the trailer.
I need to get away so that I can feel like me again.
