Summer monsoons here have been busy and loud and sometimes crazy.
The dog has decided that in his old age, he's now an inside dog (he just celebrated his 8th birthday by binge eating a bone and mesquite beans...you know it's a GREAT birthday if you puke it all back up!).
But, let me preface this with the fact that I also got tired of looking all over the neighborhood to find him. Plus...since he has a "My Name is Hank, call my mom at 555-0000" (not my number), I found that I was running out of excuses as to why he was wandering ...AGAIN. So that has been a plus.
Add to that, he was often so far that I had to put him in the back of my truck. And he would leave a mess like this:
Those are saliva drips - and they are all over my stadium seat and carpet, as well as the back seat where he hung his head. SO gross.
The biggest problem is that EVERYONE LOVES HIM. He makes people feel sorry for him. One lady was like 'I gave him some food and water...he looked so hungry, like he'd been out for a while'...lady, you were TAKEN, totally snowed over by my overweight chocolate lab. He is NOT hurting for food. He gorges himself mesquite beans every chance he gets. Is he pathetic? By all means yes. Starving? I think not. The Vet was not super impressed with his 3-year weight loss achievement of 3lbs. He's a big boy, we've heard it many times.
If the neighbors would stop letting him hang out with them and giving him snacks and juse SEND HIM HOM, we might be able to drop another 2lbs next time he goes in!
But that is neither here nor there.
The point is, he loves going for walks on his own. He is not swayed by our new state-of-the-art-in-the-ground-high-voltage-shock-for-stubborn-dogs electric fence. His neck fat protects him from any sort of shock impacting his large frame. OR - No pain, no gain.
Either way, there is no lesson learned in the small shock he gets if he chooses to leave the yard. I cannot fence in my property, it is just not a feasible option.
So, back to the storms. Which was the original storyline that I have only slightly deviated from.
This summer has been unusually loud and thunderous. Hank has decided that he's actually terrified of thunder and would like to be with the family during these very scary times.
Ok. Fine.
The first time I was like 'it is a really bad storm'...and let him in.
The second time I was like 'it's not that bad, but his ears are more sensitive'...and let him in.
The third time I was like 'I think that storm is actually about 40 miles east of here'...and in he came.
Now, he just comes in whenever I am home. Apparently he doesn't bother my sweet husband and is just FINE laying outside. But as soon as I get home, he just can't believe his luck! He jumps up and down and is so happy to see me!!!
Then ends up here:
Which really is better than here:
Cheers!
I was in Target the other day, stopping off at the in store Starbucks (beyond handy, let me tell you), 'rewarding' myself for making it through the store unscathed and somewhat sane.
Except I was alone, so justifying the 'reward' was slightly more complicated, but I managed to come up with a good reason why I could still get my Mocha...it wasn't all that complicated really - I am very good at self reward so I have a top 5 list of reasons "Why I Need a Reward" but that is certainly for another time.
It was then that I realized.
I just went shopping.
Alone.
While the kids were in school.
I used to be the girl (we will say girl cuz lady sounds old and I don't want to be in that category yet) who had to take 3 kiddos shopping with me.
ALL. THE. TIME.
Back when the twins were still in a stroller and there were no carts at Target for small kids, so I had to purchase only what I could carry or stack on top of the stroller. I was NOT going to drag a shopping cart behind me, push a stroller and keep track of a toddler. Not this girl. There is nothing strong enough at Starbucks to justify that amount of ridiculous.
As they got older - and by older I mean 3 - I let them walk. That was nearly fun 1 in 10 times.
Then Target invested in the "I have more than 1 kid that needs containment" carts...we tried that. Once. Y'all, do you know those have kid seats that FACE each other? So yes, they could just sit and kick each other. Boy THAT was fun.
Walking it is.
But the other day while doing my 1 cart shopping I noticed 2 different mom's trying to juggle and struggle with not only the kids in the 'kick your sibling cart', but with driving of the actual cart itself.
I just stood and thanked my lucky stars that I never really got on board with using that cart. We evolved. I bribed bought popcorn to keep them occupied while we shopped and frankly it became easy and routine (yet, still I rewarded myself..obviously...)
But it made me realize just how drastically my life has changed in the last 3 months.
I am no longer home schooling. It is bittersweet.
We no longer read our read-alouds on the couch each morning in pjs. I don't write curriculum or spend time inputting and researching next weeks work. We no longer go to the library and bakery on Fridays together. I no long can get laundry done regularly because I am at work 3 days a week and the other 2 seem to fill up with stuff. I have to wear something besides shorts or yoga pants to work. We won't even discuss dinner and when or what we eat...
But I am a girl making a transition. Our life has changed and the path is what it is supposed to be and adapting is all we can do!
But just so you know, this is what it means to be an adult...(by Mini P age 6.5yrs)
I think I have accomplished that :)
Cheers!
This really bothers me.
 |
| 1st day of Junior year |
I mean wasn't this just last year???
 |
| ADog age 8.5 |
Maybe the year before.
I am bothered that time flashes right before me!
I am proud of the person he is...but he is growing up so very fast.
This year, he is allowed to drive to school. Only Juniors and Seniors can get parking permits at school...
So, he drove off...
I know many people struggle with the teenage years. Moody kids. Disrespect. Bad behavior. Homework issues...
But I can say with all honesty, we are enjoying this time with him as a teenager. He is fun and interesting and level headed. He is great to talk to and listen to him talk about his passions. He has goals set for himself and has taken on leadership roles in several areas of his life. And I never have to ask him if his homework is done...he just does it. Crazy right???
If only the other 3 were paying attention to this... :)
Cheers!
