Guilt

The other morning I spent 45 minutes driving around, in my jammies, looking for this dog. Even had to take Miss Thing to school in said jammies as I didn’t even have time to change my clothes when The Boy set him free when his bus showed up.

I finally found him, a block and half away from home. The dude doesn’t travel far.

I noticed after we had been home a few minutes the guilt of his decisions where weighing on him.

He wouldn’t even look at me. That’s how I knew he was sincere.

So, I decided to forgive him.

My Morning

This morning I walked into the kitchen to see this mess

Made by this person

Then I brought in the reinforcement

His Job

I've been wondering lately what I have to do to get his job.

He can ignore whom he pleases.

He gets to act all high and mighty.

And when he wants to he gets up.

Then lays back down.

Sometimes he gets up to stretch.

That can be tricky, though. If he isn't careful someone will move into his spot.

And make herself very comfortable.

Apparently that doesn't matter too much.

He couldn't care less if someone is in his spot.

His spot is his spot.

No matter who might be trying to take it over.

He is so put upon.

Such a hard job. Seriously. Where can I apply?

Be lazy.

Discovery

Jefferson, the dog, joined our family when The Boy was getting close to about 18 months. It was love at first sight for those two. Which, incidentally, secured has kept a roof over Jefferson, the dog's, head ever since.

With the two children that followed I find it interesting when they finally discover the extra family member on four legs. As babies I usually don't let Jefferson, the dog, too close. Even then he's got a big nose so he always seemed to get close enough to sniff sniff. I did this partly because he's not the lazy basset hound that I was promised when we brought him home. I guess it's the fact that they don't seem to notice him until they become mobile.

With Miss Thing, shockingly enough, while sometimes interested she only had eyes for her mother. And since her mother didn't fall in love with Jefferson, the dog, at first sight neither did Miss Thing. That pretty much explains their relationship now, when it's convenient for her then she'll play with him. But not as long as she has food in her hands, on the counter, anywhere that he might try to get it.

I'm finding Little Miss to be much more enamored with him, just like her brother. I can't say that she is just now noticing his existence. She would watch him, with interest, wander around from the safety of her high chair. Now, though, she is mobile. Getting where she wants to when she wants it. It's because of this I think that real discovery, that real friendship has begun.

In no way is it a one way street. He is just as anxious for this time of mobility to lick her face just about off.

And sit as close as possible to her. Which usually translates to being right about on top of her.

Her little bit of affection doesn't seem to bother him as he looks the other way.

Jefferson, the dog, on a day to day basis drives me crazy and helps very little with my growing piles of laundry and dishes. If he did help with the growing piles of laundry and dishes this would be a very different story. Even so how can his place in this family not be solidified when I see things like this? He is a lucky dog. One. Lucky. Dog.

Where Credit Is Due

I like to believe I'm the kind of person to give credit where credit is due. I'm not one to take on the accomplishments of another. Today is that day. Today David's dog, the dog I have found to be completely useless since the moment we brought him home a mere three years ago. The dog who delights in things like going through garbage and stealing dirty diapers and running through the yard with them and many other activities to raise my blood pressure (even now is jumping up to the table trying to eat the kids' breakfast). That same dog. Today I would venture to call him "my dog." He has proved himself useful and thus secured his place in our family. On his own has "done away with" that pesky problem that has been plaguing me since Monday.

Here is how it all went down.

Jefferson starting sniffing around the stove, a little more determined than his usual wander-around-the-house-sniff. I moved the gate thinking he might be going somewhere with this. As he rounded the corner I moved the vacuum out of the way and then spotted the little bugger. This is the point where I thought I might be going into heart failure, I think it was the presence of my children alone that kept my heart a beating. It is hard to teach your children to not stand on chairs and the like when that is the direction I immediately headed. Jefferson was able to get a hold of him (I call it a him because I have convinced myself that a woman of any species would not do this to me) and take him into the kitchen. I put the gate up and for about ten agonizing minutes my dog went to work until the end. I silently cheered him on for fear of distracting him. The whole time I was trying to figure out how to get into the kitchen to open the door in hopes that he would carry it outside. Once it was finally over the yells of my starving children were beginning to get louder, I had to get into the kitchen. Somehow. I took a step in (fighting my inherited gagging reflex) and climbed over the counter (to walk around would put me in too close of proximity) and opened the door. Jefferson ran out and so did I (back into the safety of the dining room). He never could figure out that I wanted him to finish the job and get it out of my house. I ended up calling my trusty rescuer from the other night and he came down and got it out. I feel like I'm able to breath a bit easier now, although I'm still a bit leery and will be glad when today is over.

And so here's to my dog!

Not My Thing

There are some things I just don't do.

As I am known among members of my family, I don't do mushrooms so well. I just have a heard time with the thought of eating fungus. I don't do olives (that's inherited), but I do olive oil. I do not like a shortened-nickname-version of my name, that I went by when I was younger and now just makes my skin crawl. I don't do bugs in general, if they are outside they don't bother me but inside I just can't stand them. I have a very brave husband who takes care of all of these things, including spiders, for me. One big thing I do not do is mice, especially the kind that come into ones house. And here is the reason for this post...

Last night I had just gotten kids to bed and was watching a little T.V. when I see some movement out of the corner of my eye, I looked down just in time to see a little brown mouse run from the entertainment center to the couch. There are so many reasons why this just is not a good situation for me, the main one being that my brave husband is not around at the moment. I immediately got on the phone with his dad who promised to bring over some traps. Then I called that brave husband who sat with me on the phone until his father arrived. He kept trying to take my mind off the situation but I couldn't get away from my present circumstances. Perhaps sitting up on the counter helplessly was what was making it hard to forget why I was up there in the first place. My rescuer came and set up some traps and started to instruct me on what to do if we caught the little sucker. I didn't even let him finish before I instructed him that I don't do these things! He laughed and promised to come if I called. After he left I quickly went to bed, only to realize I had left the porch light on. I quickly got out of bed (while talking to my mom on the phone, somehow that made me not feel so alone. If the mouse attacked me I would be on the phone and would have proof) ran like lightening to the back door to turn the light off. After talking on the phone, or really listening on the phone she did most of the talking, I said my goodnight's and fell asleep as quickly as I could. I woke up a few times thinking I was hearing something, perhaps a trap was going off! It was not to be, each one sat in just the same manner as they were left the night before.

So here I sit. Paranoid in my own house. Pathetic, I know. I have learned that I do much better in the daylight. And I will say this, my trusty watch dog is enjoying his new found freedom. I've picked up everything off the floor (to eliminate any more hiding places) and swept the floors. The next thing I need to tackle is the couch, it is a den for all things The Boy tries to keep away from all of us. It needs to be pulled out and cleaned under, but I can't seem to find the bravery to do it by myself. I am making David's parents come down for dinner tonight so maybe with them holding my hand I'll be able to conquer that one. I'll be grateful when Friday is here...

So much for the watch dog...

One Fine Day (Kind of)

Tuesday seems to have become my "blogging day," and what do you know that it is Tuesday again. Throughout the week I often try to look for things to blog about. Last week nothing too significant happened (there is only so much to say about Thursday Laundry Day) and then we had Saturday...

The day started somewhat early as we had decided to have a yard sale. This is a first for me. In my effort to establish this new "normal" in our lives I've been going throughout the house and clearing out the cobwebs. I was able to give away most of my boy clothes to friends. I've also been going through my clothes and pulling things out that I don't wear and made David do the same, including the silvery shiny shirt that should not have even been made let alone purchased (by him not me!). The sale probably wasn't much of a success measured in monetary value but we did finally meet our new neighbor and the two of us had some time to just sit outside (it was the perfect day for outside sitting) and visit. Our neighbor is 77 and one of the first things she told us was her son is a policeman and so that is why there occasionally is a police car sitting outside her house. She wanted to make sure we knew that she has no problems with the law, good to know. We also enjoyed her telling us all about her family (she has 7 kids) and her health. We gave her some of our tomatoes, peppers and apricot jam. It was all kinds of fun.

After the sale we loaded everything up in the truck and David took it to Goodwill and then went to his parents to pick up the kids. About ten minutes or so before he got home I had let the dog outside. Once he got home I had gone outside to meet everyone and low and behold the gate was opened. Thinking he had just opened it before he started getting kids out I told him that I had let the dog out. It was at that point we realized Jefferson (the dog) was gone.

Before I go on I suppose I need to explain a little bit about this dog. He came into our lives because David really thought we needed a dog. I had grown up with dogs so I was open to the idea. He had a Basset Hound growing up and was convinced that that is the kind of dog we needed, his argument "they're lazy dogs and he will just lay around the house all day." So I went along with it. I have to admit as we were going to pick him out I was getting excited and even had fun picking out his name. We had more of a debate picking his name out than we did any of our three kids. Anyway when we first met Jefferson it was love at first site, for David. And so he came home with us. We've never gotten along that great (much to my mother's dismay, she loves almost all things with four legs) and we have come to a mutual understanding to just co-exist. Having said that...

So there we were Saturday afternoon with a dog who had gone AWOL. My immediate thought was "oh brother." Since it hadn't been that long David set out on foot to look for him. He came back not too much later and got in the car. I spent my time putting together new beds for William and Ruth. I had visions of sitting drinking lemonade while David put together the beds but that was not to be. Three hours later the dog had been found (down the block and around the corner) and the beds were put together.

Moral of the story? While everything doesn't always workout like we think it is going to, often times we can still arrive at the desired destination!