The Pookie loves to watch our dog. She is great entertainment for him, and I will often use her as a distraction when he's fussing during a diaper change or some other reason. But perhaps he's been watching the dog a little too much. I'm starting to see signs that he might think he's a canine, not a human.
After weeks of effort and being so close, the Pookie started really and truly crawling just a week or so before he turned nine months old. And now he is crawling all over the place, on all fours--just like the dog.
It's not simply the fact that he is on all fours the way the dog is, it's also the way he follows me and the Pumpkin around in the mornings, the way he comes bounding down the hall to me and the way he comes when I call his name--just like the dog.
Like his sister did at the same age/stage, he is constantly trying to crawl to the water bowls on the floors for the pets. He wants to go put his hands in the water bowls, but we always tell him no and put the bowls up before he can get them. As he goes over to them, he will pause and look back at Londo or me as if to check if we are going to stop him. He gives us this sly look with a cute smile, and then turn and start heading towards what he's not supposed to be doing--just like the dog.
It's so cute to watch him go from sitting, to crawling and back to sitting. He crawls over to some toy, sits down and picks up the toy to play with. I love this stage/phase of babyhood when they are mobile and interested in everything. He's also teething and putting everything in his mouth. All this is normal, and we've seen it before when the Pumpkin went through this phase. But the Pookie does something that either other kids don't typically do or that I simply didn't notice before. He puts a toy in his mouth and then starts crawling, while the toy hangs out the front of his mouth gripped by his teeth--just like the dog!
And another thing that I've not noticed other kids doing generally is that he will crawl up to me or the Pumpkin or Londo or even the dog, angle his head down, bump his head into us and nuzzle in a super sweet way--just like the dog!
Now, I'm sure that I didn't give birth to a dog, and he certainly looks like an adorable human baby boy. But perhaps when the Pookie went around asking "Are you my mother?" our beagle told him that she was his mother! At least he's not barking at the doorbell. Yet.
Showing posts with label the pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the pets. Show all posts
Friday, April 2, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Question of the Week - Pets
Today, I and my dog are featured on Coffee with a Canine! There are pictures of my lovely beagle dog, and even one of me (sort of). It's a great blog, full of interesting people and their dogs. You should go check it out.
When you get back, you can answer this week's Question of the Week:
Do you have any pets? If so, what kind(s)?
We have a dog and a cat. I've written about the Beagle recently, and I've written about both of the pets here and there over the years. And although I am usually complaining about the cat peeing on stuff, he's pretty sweet and very fluffy in general and I plan to write about him specifically soon.
I love our pets. They were our furbabies before we had real babies. They are part of our family, and have been for a long time. We got the cat when we first moved in together back in 1999, and we got the dog in the fall of 2001. Although they can both be frustrating for different reasons at different times, overall they are very good pets and have made our lives more wonderful by being in it.
What about you? Do you have a dog, cat or turtle? Did you have any pets growing up? Do you have any good stories about your pets? There are many of you who write about your pets on your blogs, but surely there is something you want to share here, isn't there?
When you get back, you can answer this week's Question of the Week:
Do you have any pets? If so, what kind(s)?
We have a dog and a cat. I've written about the Beagle recently, and I've written about both of the pets here and there over the years. And although I am usually complaining about the cat peeing on stuff, he's pretty sweet and very fluffy in general and I plan to write about him specifically soon.
I love our pets. They were our furbabies before we had real babies. They are part of our family, and have been for a long time. We got the cat when we first moved in together back in 1999, and we got the dog in the fall of 2001. Although they can both be frustrating for different reasons at different times, overall they are very good pets and have made our lives more wonderful by being in it.
What about you? Do you have a dog, cat or turtle? Did you have any pets growing up? Do you have any good stories about your pets? There are many of you who write about your pets on your blogs, but surely there is something you want to share here, isn't there?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Our Beagle, Food and the Kids
Our dog has been real obnoxious lately when we are eating. She is a beagle, a breed of scent hound known for being extremely food-oriented and food-motivated. Before kids, we never ever gave her any people food, partly because she has some food allergies but also to help discourage the begging. But now there are kids and a highchair and food being dropped on the floor and food being left on the table within dog nose/tongue reach (she is big and tall for a beagle). The dog is becoming insane.
The rule is that the dog is not allowed in the kitchen while we are eating, but she can come in and clean up the floor when we are done and release her. We consistently enforce the rule (although the nanny does not always enforce it), but stubbornness is also a well-known trait of beagles. We constantly tell her to get out of the kitchen. She KNOWS she is supposed to stay in the family room on the carpet while we are eating mere feet away in the kitchen which is open to the family room. Yet every chance she gets, she tries to find a way into the kitchen. More than 2 dozen times each meal, we are telling her to get out of the kitchen, to go sit down, to GET OUT! Even the Pumpkin knows this, and in fact tells on the dog every time she makes it into the kitchen.
Then the other evening, she snuck in the kitchen when I was up getting a spoon or something. I turned around to see the dog's face stuffed into the highchair WHERE THE BABY WAS SITTING. As I was reaching out to the dog and telling her no, the baby let out a cry. That dang dog took the teething biscuit right out of the baby's hand! She didn't bite the Pookie--she's not a biter, and his hand didn't have any marks on it--but that is unacceptable!
So now when she doesn't listen and can't seem to help herself from trying to get into the kitchen and get the kids' food, I make her go upstairs and put her in her crate. She howls and whines, but she is at least out of the kitchen and I can let go of some of the tension from constant vigilance. I know she wants to be part of the family, as beagles are also extremely social, pack animals and generally hate to seperated from the pack. But she can't seem to help herself, and I can only take so much.
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The summer of 2001, Londo and I had been talking about getting a dog. Our cat was two years old, fiesty, sweet and, well, a cat. While I loved having the cat, I had grown up with dogs in the house and really wanted a dog. Londo was on board in theory, but maybe not sure of how ready he was. He grew up with cats and dogs, but in he lived in the country where the animals stayed outside. This would be a big adjustment for him, and he wasn't sure how to account for the house training when we were both working full days and he had grad school.
On September 11, 2001, tragedy struck. That day, Londo and I both came home early from work, sat on the couch stunned and watched news channels all day long. By evening, I turned to Londo and say, "We are getting a dog this weekend." He immediately agreed.
To me, dogs are so comforting. In times of distress and pain, the dogs I've had come right up to you and snuggle their sweet, furry faces into you, willing you to feel better. That day, I longed for that type of comfort. Our cat is not a lap cat, and though he is good for leg rubs, he does not provide that unconditional, want-you-to-feel-better, sympathetic snuggling that dogs do.
I had done a lot of research on breeds, and I felt that beagles would be the best breed for us and still be under the weight restriction of the apartments where we lived at the time. I followed up on an ad about beagles for sale and made plans to visit the breeder that weekend. We drove 45 minutes to a house in the Georgia countryside and met with a friendly woman and husband, who showed us their latest litter of beagles. We were the first to respond, and we would get the pick of the litter. We did all the little dog personality "tests" and picked out an adorable little puppy with a mostly black back, cute "tick" markings on her belly, a black/brown/white face and the softest ears you've ever felt. She was not too shy, not too agressive.
We brought her with us when we went inside the house to sign the papers. She had never been inside before, and she was overwhelmed. She scampered under the dining room hutch, and we had to pull her out when we were ready to leave. On the 45 minute ride back to our house, she rode in my lap the whole way, sleeping while I stroked her soft puppy fur.
Like the cat, we named her after a science fiction character (cause we are geeks like that). She loved the cat right off, although the cat took some time to adjust to her. She also loved the cat's food and litter box, both of which had to be put out of her reach very quickly.
She's always been very good natured, although a bit needy and stubborn. She's been a wonderful dog, and we feel so lucky to have her.
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The dog believes that the nanny comes to our house every week day for her. I'm sure of it. Our nanny loves the dog and gives her a ton of affection, though she is sure to reprimand her and try to enforce the rules of the house (mostly). The dog LOVES the nanny. She also loves being able to hang out in the house all day with her and the baby. Our beagle has some separation anxiety issues, which is common for the social beagle breed. If she is alone in the house, she needs to be in her crate where she feels safe and secure.
Every day, the beagle goes WILD from the moment she hears the lock in the front door jingling until the nanny makes her way through the baby gate into the family room, yelping and running around in circles. This at least distracts the dog from trying to get into the kitchen for, oh, a nanosecond.
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When we pulled the highchair out of the basement for the Pookie, the dog was SO excited. She knew what this meant, and she couldn't have been more thrilled. I should have known then that she was about to become a huge pain in the butt. I still had hope that she would be somewhat manageable, as she had been since the Pumpkin was out of the highchair. Beagles have great memories and are really smart dogs, but they can also be persistent and sneaky. Our dog remembered that the highchair in the kitchen meant more food on the ground, and I believe she started right then to planning ways for getting that food before any humans could stop her.
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This morning, the dog was being relentless. It was one of those breakfast times when everyone needed something at the same time, and I hadn't even had my coffee yet! As I jumped from one breakfast-making activity to another, the dog snuck in the kitchen under the table, dove into the kitchen to try to snatch up the food the Pumpkin dropped, and then snuck in again and stuffed her face into the highchair next to the baby's leg!
Keys jiggled in the front door, the dog went crazy. I sighed and put my head in my hands. The nanny came in, greeting the dog while trying to keep her from jumping up and from running into the kitchen. Once the nanny took over feeding the Pookie, I went upstairs to finish getting ready. I took the dog with me.
I did my makeup and put on work clothes, and the dog sat in front of the bedroom door whining to be let out. Downstairs there was FOOD! and the NANNY! and FOOD! Finally, I opened the door and let her out, though I stayed behind to collect a few last minute things.
As I walked down the stairs, I could hear the Pumpkin trying to get the dog to do something, or not do something, I wasn't sure. I immediately thought she was after my daughter's food, and I was getting frustrated. But when I looked into the family room, my daughter was in there, and the dog was right near her. I asked what was going on, and the Pumpkin said that she was trying to get the dog to play with her toy. Not the Pumpkin's toy, I quickly realized, but a dog toy.
The Pumpkin was throwing the dog toy so that the dog could chase it and fetch it back. The nanny was playing tug of war with the dog. I showed the nanny and the Pumpkin the best and safest way to get the dog to give the toy back so that the Pumpkin could throw it for her again. Then I watched them as I cleaned up the kitchen. The Pookie was in the nanny's lap, enjoying the entertainment by two of his favorite things to watch.
The Pumpkin threw that toy for the dog until my sweet little dog was too tired to keep playing. She plopped herself down and chewed on the toy. The Pumpkin at first tried to get her to keep playing, but I explained that she is an old dog and gets tired. She needs to rest a bit. But wasn't that fun? The Pumpkin seemed to understand, and we got her shoes on and left for school, calling out good bye to the nanny, the Pookie and the dog (and the cat) on our way out the door.
Beagles are also known for being great with kids. It was a large part of the reason we picked a beagle, knowing back then that she'd (hopefully) be around when we started having kids. She's a great dog.
The rule is that the dog is not allowed in the kitchen while we are eating, but she can come in and clean up the floor when we are done and release her. We consistently enforce the rule (although the nanny does not always enforce it), but stubbornness is also a well-known trait of beagles. We constantly tell her to get out of the kitchen. She KNOWS she is supposed to stay in the family room on the carpet while we are eating mere feet away in the kitchen which is open to the family room. Yet every chance she gets, she tries to find a way into the kitchen. More than 2 dozen times each meal, we are telling her to get out of the kitchen, to go sit down, to GET OUT! Even the Pumpkin knows this, and in fact tells on the dog every time she makes it into the kitchen.
Then the other evening, she snuck in the kitchen when I was up getting a spoon or something. I turned around to see the dog's face stuffed into the highchair WHERE THE BABY WAS SITTING. As I was reaching out to the dog and telling her no, the baby let out a cry. That dang dog took the teething biscuit right out of the baby's hand! She didn't bite the Pookie--she's not a biter, and his hand didn't have any marks on it--but that is unacceptable!
So now when she doesn't listen and can't seem to help herself from trying to get into the kitchen and get the kids' food, I make her go upstairs and put her in her crate. She howls and whines, but she is at least out of the kitchen and I can let go of some of the tension from constant vigilance. I know she wants to be part of the family, as beagles are also extremely social, pack animals and generally hate to seperated from the pack. But she can't seem to help herself, and I can only take so much.
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The summer of 2001, Londo and I had been talking about getting a dog. Our cat was two years old, fiesty, sweet and, well, a cat. While I loved having the cat, I had grown up with dogs in the house and really wanted a dog. Londo was on board in theory, but maybe not sure of how ready he was. He grew up with cats and dogs, but in he lived in the country where the animals stayed outside. This would be a big adjustment for him, and he wasn't sure how to account for the house training when we were both working full days and he had grad school.
On September 11, 2001, tragedy struck. That day, Londo and I both came home early from work, sat on the couch stunned and watched news channels all day long. By evening, I turned to Londo and say, "We are getting a dog this weekend." He immediately agreed.
To me, dogs are so comforting. In times of distress and pain, the dogs I've had come right up to you and snuggle their sweet, furry faces into you, willing you to feel better. That day, I longed for that type of comfort. Our cat is not a lap cat, and though he is good for leg rubs, he does not provide that unconditional, want-you-to-feel-better, sympathetic snuggling that dogs do.
I had done a lot of research on breeds, and I felt that beagles would be the best breed for us and still be under the weight restriction of the apartments where we lived at the time. I followed up on an ad about beagles for sale and made plans to visit the breeder that weekend. We drove 45 minutes to a house in the Georgia countryside and met with a friendly woman and husband, who showed us their latest litter of beagles. We were the first to respond, and we would get the pick of the litter. We did all the little dog personality "tests" and picked out an adorable little puppy with a mostly black back, cute "tick" markings on her belly, a black/brown/white face and the softest ears you've ever felt. She was not too shy, not too agressive.
We brought her with us when we went inside the house to sign the papers. She had never been inside before, and she was overwhelmed. She scampered under the dining room hutch, and we had to pull her out when we were ready to leave. On the 45 minute ride back to our house, she rode in my lap the whole way, sleeping while I stroked her soft puppy fur.
Like the cat, we named her after a science fiction character (cause we are geeks like that). She loved the cat right off, although the cat took some time to adjust to her. She also loved the cat's food and litter box, both of which had to be put out of her reach very quickly.
She's always been very good natured, although a bit needy and stubborn. She's been a wonderful dog, and we feel so lucky to have her.
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The dog believes that the nanny comes to our house every week day for her. I'm sure of it. Our nanny loves the dog and gives her a ton of affection, though she is sure to reprimand her and try to enforce the rules of the house (mostly). The dog LOVES the nanny. She also loves being able to hang out in the house all day with her and the baby. Our beagle has some separation anxiety issues, which is common for the social beagle breed. If she is alone in the house, she needs to be in her crate where she feels safe and secure.
Every day, the beagle goes WILD from the moment she hears the lock in the front door jingling until the nanny makes her way through the baby gate into the family room, yelping and running around in circles. This at least distracts the dog from trying to get into the kitchen for, oh, a nanosecond.
---------------------------
When we pulled the highchair out of the basement for the Pookie, the dog was SO excited. She knew what this meant, and she couldn't have been more thrilled. I should have known then that she was about to become a huge pain in the butt. I still had hope that she would be somewhat manageable, as she had been since the Pumpkin was out of the highchair. Beagles have great memories and are really smart dogs, but they can also be persistent and sneaky. Our dog remembered that the highchair in the kitchen meant more food on the ground, and I believe she started right then to planning ways for getting that food before any humans could stop her.
---------------------------
This morning, the dog was being relentless. It was one of those breakfast times when everyone needed something at the same time, and I hadn't even had my coffee yet! As I jumped from one breakfast-making activity to another, the dog snuck in the kitchen under the table, dove into the kitchen to try to snatch up the food the Pumpkin dropped, and then snuck in again and stuffed her face into the highchair next to the baby's leg!
Keys jiggled in the front door, the dog went crazy. I sighed and put my head in my hands. The nanny came in, greeting the dog while trying to keep her from jumping up and from running into the kitchen. Once the nanny took over feeding the Pookie, I went upstairs to finish getting ready. I took the dog with me.
I did my makeup and put on work clothes, and the dog sat in front of the bedroom door whining to be let out. Downstairs there was FOOD! and the NANNY! and FOOD! Finally, I opened the door and let her out, though I stayed behind to collect a few last minute things.
As I walked down the stairs, I could hear the Pumpkin trying to get the dog to do something, or not do something, I wasn't sure. I immediately thought she was after my daughter's food, and I was getting frustrated. But when I looked into the family room, my daughter was in there, and the dog was right near her. I asked what was going on, and the Pumpkin said that she was trying to get the dog to play with her toy. Not the Pumpkin's toy, I quickly realized, but a dog toy.
The Pumpkin was throwing the dog toy so that the dog could chase it and fetch it back. The nanny was playing tug of war with the dog. I showed the nanny and the Pumpkin the best and safest way to get the dog to give the toy back so that the Pumpkin could throw it for her again. Then I watched them as I cleaned up the kitchen. The Pookie was in the nanny's lap, enjoying the entertainment by two of his favorite things to watch.
The Pumpkin threw that toy for the dog until my sweet little dog was too tired to keep playing. She plopped herself down and chewed on the toy. The Pumpkin at first tried to get her to keep playing, but I explained that she is an old dog and gets tired. She needs to rest a bit. But wasn't that fun? The Pumpkin seemed to understand, and we got her shoes on and left for school, calling out good bye to the nanny, the Pookie and the dog (and the cat) on our way out the door.
Beagles are also known for being great with kids. It was a large part of the reason we picked a beagle, knowing back then that she'd (hopefully) be around when we started having kids. She's a great dog.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Because I Need More Drama...
Perhaps you will recall an off-hand mention of bunnies in our backyard. The backyard in which our dog roams free. The dog who is a beagle, a breed that is bred to hunt rabbits.
I'm happy to say that we believe our baby bunnies all made it out of the nest in our backyard. However, I'm unhappy to report that we--who am I kidding--Londo has discovered a few dead bunnies and one dead bird in our backyard. We had been keeping our dog on a leash in the backyard to prevent her killing of bunnies, but somehow dead bunnies (and the dead bird) ended up in our yard anyway. Who knows what killed those unfortunate animals (if Londo suspects anything specific, he does not tell me, and I'm glad).
Our neighborhood is literally infested with bunnies. They. Are. Everywhere. Lots of people in our pretty, suburb neighborhood have lovely flower or vegetable gardens in their front and backyards. In fact, the house to our left has had a vegetable garden in their yard since before we moved in and the house to our right just planted one this spring. Which puts us and our beagle in the yard between to very delicious gardens.
Did you know that bunnies love gardens? If you don't believe me, just ask Mr. McGregor. Did you know that the best way between two gardens is through our yard? We suspect we will have bunnies coming and going for the rest of the summer at the least.
But we can't live our lives in constant fear of the dumb bunnies. A huge reason we bought this house was to have a yard for the dog and us. We don't want to have to walk the dog anymore, especially with a toddler and a new baby. We want to sit in the backyard and enjoy ourselves, as we have before.
This past weekend, Londo spent a good amount of time cleaning up our yard, mowing, trimming and making sure there were no defenseless animals in the yard. There was a bunny, but that one was very capable of hopping through the fence to the neighbor's yard. We decided to let our dog back out in the yard without us again. We knew that she would sniff around like crazy (scent hound, you know) and probably get some good chasing in. But even when she had a baby bunny cornered a week or so ago, she just kind of nosed at it and kept it cornered until Londo could get her back from it. After all, she wasn't bred to kill the animals, just find them and corner them and alert the owners that she found them. Which she did.
Yesterday, I had a very emotionally draining day, which followed a very emotionally and physically draining weekend. As Londo was putting the Pumpkin to bed, I fed the dog and cat and let the dog out. She was taking a while, and I figured she was sniffing around the whole yard, maybe eating bunny poop (a favorite of hers). I was tired and just wanted to go to bed.
WARNING: This next paragraph is not for the squimish.
I opened the door to call her in, and she was at the bottom of the steps. As the light shined full on her, I saw a bunny hanging from her mouth. The legs were definitely bunny legs. It was not moving. And as I shrieked, my dog started to wolf the bunny down.
I will not go into more graphic details, because I can't even think about it! Ugh, I want to throw up just writing what I did!
I slammed the door because I couldn't watch or deal with it. I knew exactly what the dog was doing, because I watched her do the same thing to a dead bird I was trying to get from her once many years ago. That's the kind of image that sticks with you.
I screamed for Londo, and he came scrambling out of the Pumpkin's room and hurried out to take care of the situation. By the time he got out there, there was no situation to take care of. In fact, he wasn't sure I'd even seen a bunny. Dude, trust me. She was not across the yard in dim light. She was within a few feet of me in full light. I unfortunately know exactly what I saw. I know she left no evidence of what happened, because the same thing happened with the dead bird years ago--which I watched in horror as it happened.
So this was a long, gross post that I'm sure everyone is glad I shared. But I need to exorcise this story, and I do so by writing about it. I also wanted to point out that a woman who is 37.5 weeks pregnant is only emotionally and hormonally capable of handling so much. I think I'm at my breaking point. Let me please suggest to everyone who knows me to please just tell me good news, be supportive of me even if you don't agree and encourage me to put my feet up and rest a spell. And for goodness sake, don't let my dog loose in the backyard. I'd also love any volunteers take the dog out on a leash even in the backyard, or even just check the freaking yard for me before the dog goes out.
I'm happy to say that we believe our baby bunnies all made it out of the nest in our backyard. However, I'm unhappy to report that we--who am I kidding--Londo has discovered a few dead bunnies and one dead bird in our backyard. We had been keeping our dog on a leash in the backyard to prevent her killing of bunnies, but somehow dead bunnies (and the dead bird) ended up in our yard anyway. Who knows what killed those unfortunate animals (if Londo suspects anything specific, he does not tell me, and I'm glad).
Our neighborhood is literally infested with bunnies. They. Are. Everywhere. Lots of people in our pretty, suburb neighborhood have lovely flower or vegetable gardens in their front and backyards. In fact, the house to our left has had a vegetable garden in their yard since before we moved in and the house to our right just planted one this spring. Which puts us and our beagle in the yard between to very delicious gardens.
Did you know that bunnies love gardens? If you don't believe me, just ask Mr. McGregor. Did you know that the best way between two gardens is through our yard? We suspect we will have bunnies coming and going for the rest of the summer at the least.
But we can't live our lives in constant fear of the dumb bunnies. A huge reason we bought this house was to have a yard for the dog and us. We don't want to have to walk the dog anymore, especially with a toddler and a new baby. We want to sit in the backyard and enjoy ourselves, as we have before.
This past weekend, Londo spent a good amount of time cleaning up our yard, mowing, trimming and making sure there were no defenseless animals in the yard. There was a bunny, but that one was very capable of hopping through the fence to the neighbor's yard. We decided to let our dog back out in the yard without us again. We knew that she would sniff around like crazy (scent hound, you know) and probably get some good chasing in. But even when she had a baby bunny cornered a week or so ago, she just kind of nosed at it and kept it cornered until Londo could get her back from it. After all, she wasn't bred to kill the animals, just find them and corner them and alert the owners that she found them. Which she did.
Yesterday, I had a very emotionally draining day, which followed a very emotionally and physically draining weekend. As Londo was putting the Pumpkin to bed, I fed the dog and cat and let the dog out. She was taking a while, and I figured she was sniffing around the whole yard, maybe eating bunny poop (a favorite of hers). I was tired and just wanted to go to bed.
WARNING: This next paragraph is not for the squimish.
I opened the door to call her in, and she was at the bottom of the steps. As the light shined full on her, I saw a bunny hanging from her mouth. The legs were definitely bunny legs. It was not moving. And as I shrieked, my dog started to wolf the bunny down.
I will not go into more graphic details, because I can't even think about it! Ugh, I want to throw up just writing what I did!
I slammed the door because I couldn't watch or deal with it. I knew exactly what the dog was doing, because I watched her do the same thing to a dead bird I was trying to get from her once many years ago. That's the kind of image that sticks with you.
I screamed for Londo, and he came scrambling out of the Pumpkin's room and hurried out to take care of the situation. By the time he got out there, there was no situation to take care of. In fact, he wasn't sure I'd even seen a bunny. Dude, trust me. She was not across the yard in dim light. She was within a few feet of me in full light. I unfortunately know exactly what I saw. I know she left no evidence of what happened, because the same thing happened with the dead bird years ago--which I watched in horror as it happened.
So this was a long, gross post that I'm sure everyone is glad I shared. But I need to exorcise this story, and I do so by writing about it. I also wanted to point out that a woman who is 37.5 weeks pregnant is only emotionally and hormonally capable of handling so much. I think I'm at my breaking point. Let me please suggest to everyone who knows me to please just tell me good news, be supportive of me even if you don't agree and encourage me to put my feet up and rest a spell. And for goodness sake, don't let my dog loose in the backyard. I'd also love any volunteers take the dog out on a leash even in the backyard, or even just check the freaking yard for me before the dog goes out.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Animal Shorts
I might have mentioned before that my cat was not using his litter boxes consistently (or at all). Well, we tried many different ways to rectify the situation, and FINALLY I think we've found something that works.
We moved his litter boxes to the upstairs floor in Londo's office, got one of those self-cleaning boxes in addition to his other 2-3 boxes, and raised the babygate at the stairs that lead to the office enough for the cat and only the cat to go under. We also steam-cleaned the basement playroom's rug (many times) and scrubbed down the storage room area where his litter boxes had been located. And by "we" in this paragraph, I mean Londo. (Isn't he wonderful?) Although I did help with the ideas, planning and oversight. ;-)
As long as we are sure to keep the basement door shut and all soft objects (clothing, towels, rugs) off of uncarpeted floors (the hardwood and tile floors), and Londo is sure to keep his litter box clean, the cat goes in his litter box!! It's such a relief, and I hope to heck I didn't just jinx us!
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Outside our bedroom and bathroom window, there is an overhanging eave jutting out from the rooftop. There is a bird's nest in this eave. Every spring, the birds return and hatch their eggs in that nest. We can hear the chirping and fluttering and constant in and out of the birds for weeks and weeks, as the eggs are laid and the babies grow.
This drives the cat nuts! He sits by the windows all day and night, trying to crane his neck up so he can see the eaves and rooftop. He makes this clicking noise with his jaw as if he is vividly imagining chomping down on those birds. Every now and then, we open a window for him to sit in, which he loves and gets him more worked up. We figure he now also has smell in addition to watching the show. We call it smell-o-vision.
He's very amusing to watch.
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The dog thinks that the nanny comes every week day to hang out and play with her. It's very obvious. The nanny loves the dog very much, too. In fact, when we went out of town for a wedding, the nanny agreed to dog sit/cat sit/house sit. We couldn't have made the dog any happier! And the nanny finally got the chance to spend time with the cat and realized his charm as well (generally, the cat is no where to be found if the Pumpkin is around).
When the nanny takes the Pumpkin out in the mornings to play at the playground or go to a friend's house to play, the dog is SO UPSET that they left her behind. Even though they do this almost every day. If I'm still at home when they leave, the dog comes running upstairs to me, looking so pitiful. You'd think she'd get the routine by now, but she just doesn't get it.
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If it's not raining on Saturday mid-morning, we are going to take the Pumpkin to Green Meadows Petting Farm in Frederick, MD. We went last spring and fall and had such a great time! I see that they are also going to be open in June-July and again (as always) in October. They've got great animals, all of which are very domesticated and used to be handled by adults and kids of all ages. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful. And I could just rave about it all day. If you are around the area, I highly recommend going with your kids. It's worth the reasonable price and time to get there.
We moved his litter boxes to the upstairs floor in Londo's office, got one of those self-cleaning boxes in addition to his other 2-3 boxes, and raised the babygate at the stairs that lead to the office enough for the cat and only the cat to go under. We also steam-cleaned the basement playroom's rug (many times) and scrubbed down the storage room area where his litter boxes had been located. And by "we" in this paragraph, I mean Londo. (Isn't he wonderful?) Although I did help with the ideas, planning and oversight. ;-)
As long as we are sure to keep the basement door shut and all soft objects (clothing, towels, rugs) off of uncarpeted floors (the hardwood and tile floors), and Londo is sure to keep his litter box clean, the cat goes in his litter box!! It's such a relief, and I hope to heck I didn't just jinx us!
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Outside our bedroom and bathroom window, there is an overhanging eave jutting out from the rooftop. There is a bird's nest in this eave. Every spring, the birds return and hatch their eggs in that nest. We can hear the chirping and fluttering and constant in and out of the birds for weeks and weeks, as the eggs are laid and the babies grow.
This drives the cat nuts! He sits by the windows all day and night, trying to crane his neck up so he can see the eaves and rooftop. He makes this clicking noise with his jaw as if he is vividly imagining chomping down on those birds. Every now and then, we open a window for him to sit in, which he loves and gets him more worked up. We figure he now also has smell in addition to watching the show. We call it smell-o-vision.
He's very amusing to watch.
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The dog thinks that the nanny comes every week day to hang out and play with her. It's very obvious. The nanny loves the dog very much, too. In fact, when we went out of town for a wedding, the nanny agreed to dog sit/cat sit/house sit. We couldn't have made the dog any happier! And the nanny finally got the chance to spend time with the cat and realized his charm as well (generally, the cat is no where to be found if the Pumpkin is around).
When the nanny takes the Pumpkin out in the mornings to play at the playground or go to a friend's house to play, the dog is SO UPSET that they left her behind. Even though they do this almost every day. If I'm still at home when they leave, the dog comes running upstairs to me, looking so pitiful. You'd think she'd get the routine by now, but she just doesn't get it.
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If it's not raining on Saturday mid-morning, we are going to take the Pumpkin to Green Meadows Petting Farm in Frederick, MD. We went last spring and fall and had such a great time! I see that they are also going to be open in June-July and again (as always) in October. They've got great animals, all of which are very domesticated and used to be handled by adults and kids of all ages. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful. And I could just rave about it all day. If you are around the area, I highly recommend going with your kids. It's worth the reasonable price and time to get there.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Question of the Week - Help a Mama Out
I have so many random questions I want to ask around about, so many areas in which I would love some advice and opinions. How can I narrow this week's question of the week down to just one? So...
This week's question of the week is:
Can you help caramama out with answers or advice in any of the following areas?
(Hehe. See what I did there? I'm totally cheating!)
1. My daughter keeps singing some words to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle (or ABCs or Baa Baa Black Sheep--all of those have the same tune), and the words of the second line go something like, "Where you going in the night?" I have no idea where it is from, which means it probably was on some TV show I didn't watch with her (last time we had a mystery song, it turned out to be the Wonderpets song). She is singing the same words over and over, so I'm pretty sure she didn't make it up. Does anyone have any idea what she's singing? It's driving me crazy to not know!
2. I was looking at beds for the Pumpkin's new room, and most of the ones I like with drawers or trundles under have just the platform that you put the mattress on. No box spring. Londo is concerned that just a mattress might be bad for her back. Also the only ones we've slept on like that were super uncomfortable, but I think that has more to do with how hard the mattresses were then the fact that they didn't have box springs. Does anyone know anything about mattresses without box springs? I just know that the bed frames look cute.
3. I know I've gotten sibling/new baby book recommendations before, but I'm totally blanking on all of them. I keep meaning to buy some, but haven't been to a store on made an online order for a while. I'm going to REALLY soon. So, does anyone have any good recommendations for us to read to the Pumpkin to help her prepare for the new "baby brudda"?
4. Does anyone know how to safely (and hopefully easily) get cat urine out of antique fabric on a chair? I won't get into the story except to say, "Grrrrrrrrr!!!"
5. Londo and I were planning to buy a cheap dresser for the Pumpkin's new room because we are sure she will draw on it and put stickers on it and what have you. But my dad mentioned that if it's a cheap dresser it might not be that sturdy. And it is well known that my child LOVES to climb everything she possibly can. My dad was worried she's try to climb in or on a drawer (highly likely) and it would break and she's get hurt. Does anyone have an opinion on cheap vs. sturdy or a good idea to get both? (No need to recommend IKEA. I really like the idea of IKEA and the things I see other people have from there, but I can never find things I like/in my style there, unfortunately.)
6. The Pumpkin LOVES music. She also loves to push buttons, and she loves to turn on the music box attached to the crib in the nursery (where she is currently). So we would like to get her some sort of kids radio/(maybe) CD player for her new room. However, her love of climbing includes standing on toys. Also, she is not really careful with things yet, although she is learning. Anyone have any suggestions on a radio/CD player that would be good for her?
I'm sure I had more, but that's probably enough for now. I hope someone can help us out with any of these!!!
This week's question of the week is:
Can you help caramama out with answers or advice in any of the following areas?
(Hehe. See what I did there? I'm totally cheating!)
1. My daughter keeps singing some words to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle (or ABCs or Baa Baa Black Sheep--all of those have the same tune), and the words of the second line go something like, "Where you going in the night?" I have no idea where it is from, which means it probably was on some TV show I didn't watch with her (last time we had a mystery song, it turned out to be the Wonderpets song). She is singing the same words over and over, so I'm pretty sure she didn't make it up. Does anyone have any idea what she's singing? It's driving me crazy to not know!
2. I was looking at beds for the Pumpkin's new room, and most of the ones I like with drawers or trundles under have just the platform that you put the mattress on. No box spring. Londo is concerned that just a mattress might be bad for her back. Also the only ones we've slept on like that were super uncomfortable, but I think that has more to do with how hard the mattresses were then the fact that they didn't have box springs. Does anyone know anything about mattresses without box springs? I just know that the bed frames look cute.
3. I know I've gotten sibling/new baby book recommendations before, but I'm totally blanking on all of them. I keep meaning to buy some, but haven't been to a store on made an online order for a while. I'm going to REALLY soon. So, does anyone have any good recommendations for us to read to the Pumpkin to help her prepare for the new "baby brudda"?
4. Does anyone know how to safely (and hopefully easily) get cat urine out of antique fabric on a chair? I won't get into the story except to say, "Grrrrrrrrr!!!"
5. Londo and I were planning to buy a cheap dresser for the Pumpkin's new room because we are sure she will draw on it and put stickers on it and what have you. But my dad mentioned that if it's a cheap dresser it might not be that sturdy. And it is well known that my child LOVES to climb everything she possibly can. My dad was worried she's try to climb in or on a drawer (highly likely) and it would break and she's get hurt. Does anyone have an opinion on cheap vs. sturdy or a good idea to get both? (No need to recommend IKEA. I really like the idea of IKEA and the things I see other people have from there, but I can never find things I like/in my style there, unfortunately.)
6. The Pumpkin LOVES music. She also loves to push buttons, and she loves to turn on the music box attached to the crib in the nursery (where she is currently). So we would like to get her some sort of kids radio/(maybe) CD player for her new room. However, her love of climbing includes standing on toys. Also, she is not really careful with things yet, although she is learning. Anyone have any suggestions on a radio/CD player that would be good for her?
I'm sure I had more, but that's probably enough for now. I hope someone can help us out with any of these!!!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Hugs and Kisses
I've been really thinking deeply into a few things, like parenthood and blogging. I have these deep, thoughtful post all written--in my head. I want to write them out and hit Publish Post, but it's Friday... and... well... it's Friday!
How about I save the thoughtful posts for next week and instead tell you some more cute Pumpkin stories?
Since the Pumpkin was just a wee little babe, we have been trying to get her to give us kisses. She went through one all-to-brief stage where she would give a kiss when asked, but usually she's not that interested. She'll let us kiss her, but generally doesn't want to kiss back. We'd take any kiss, even those open-mouth, drool dribbling out kisses that she's best at. But no, she is stingy with the kisses.
Instead, she LOVES hugs. If fact, if you ask her, "Can I have a kiss?" She will often counter with, "Hugck?" (That's how she pronounces it, with a "ck" sound at the end.) And we oblige, because who would turn down a sweet, full-bodied, head-on-shoulder hug from this adorable little girl? No one, that's who. She also instigates a lot of hugs on her own, which we respond to every time. Also, I gave up on asking for a goodnight kiss which was a nightly struggle and instead I ask her for a good night hug, which she happily turns and gives me.
But she does not give out many kisses.
In order to try to entice her to give us a kiss when we want one, months ago we started going, "Mmmm... mmmmm... mmmm... mwah!" We thought it would be a fun game that would get her to give kisses. She loves the game, and makes the "Mmmmm" noised and we come running for kisses, but she almost always turns her head just as you get there to give her a kiss. So much for that. But at least she associates the "Mmmm" and "Mwah" with kisses. It's a start.
The other day, I was in the kitchen and she was in the family room toddling around. I watched as she toddled up to the dog who was lying on her stomach on the floor with her head up watching the Pumpkin. The Pumpkin went right up to her face, put a hand on each cheek and went, "Mwah!" right on the dog's mouth! I could not believe it! (Londo later told me he'd been teaching her this, but I had no idea.) And then I was laughing too hard to get the camera for a repeat performance. Of course, the dog licked her right in the mouth, she giggled and then toddled back off to something else.
Also for months and months, we've been blowing kisses to the baby when we leave as well as saying "bye bye", and she's learned to blow kisses back and say "bye" back. It's really cute. The other day, she put a little bag she has over her shoulder, started heading toward the babygate that leads to the hall to the front door, and said "bye." I was looking at her all surprised, and then she put her hand to her mouth and blew me a kiss, "Mwah!"
It was hysterical! Whenever any of us (Londo, the nanny, me) leave the house, this is exactly what we do. Put our computer bags or purses (or both in my case) over our shoulders, head that direction, say bye and blow a kiss. She had it down perfect!
So apparently kissing the dog and blowing kisses are fine activities. But still only rarely does she give kisses to her parents. But the hugs? They are constant and always appreciated. And I'll take what I can get!
How about I save the thoughtful posts for next week and instead tell you some more cute Pumpkin stories?
Since the Pumpkin was just a wee little babe, we have been trying to get her to give us kisses. She went through one all-to-brief stage where she would give a kiss when asked, but usually she's not that interested. She'll let us kiss her, but generally doesn't want to kiss back. We'd take any kiss, even those open-mouth, drool dribbling out kisses that she's best at. But no, she is stingy with the kisses.
Instead, she LOVES hugs. If fact, if you ask her, "Can I have a kiss?" She will often counter with, "Hugck?" (That's how she pronounces it, with a "ck" sound at the end.) And we oblige, because who would turn down a sweet, full-bodied, head-on-shoulder hug from this adorable little girl? No one, that's who. She also instigates a lot of hugs on her own, which we respond to every time. Also, I gave up on asking for a goodnight kiss which was a nightly struggle and instead I ask her for a good night hug, which she happily turns and gives me.
But she does not give out many kisses.
In order to try to entice her to give us a kiss when we want one, months ago we started going, "Mmmm... mmmmm... mmmm... mwah!" We thought it would be a fun game that would get her to give kisses. She loves the game, and makes the "Mmmmm" noised and we come running for kisses, but she almost always turns her head just as you get there to give her a kiss. So much for that. But at least she associates the "Mmmm" and "Mwah" with kisses. It's a start.
The other day, I was in the kitchen and she was in the family room toddling around. I watched as she toddled up to the dog who was lying on her stomach on the floor with her head up watching the Pumpkin. The Pumpkin went right up to her face, put a hand on each cheek and went, "Mwah!" right on the dog's mouth! I could not believe it! (Londo later told me he'd been teaching her this, but I had no idea.) And then I was laughing too hard to get the camera for a repeat performance. Of course, the dog licked her right in the mouth, she giggled and then toddled back off to something else.
Also for months and months, we've been blowing kisses to the baby when we leave as well as saying "bye bye", and she's learned to blow kisses back and say "bye" back. It's really cute. The other day, she put a little bag she has over her shoulder, started heading toward the babygate that leads to the hall to the front door, and said "bye." I was looking at her all surprised, and then she put her hand to her mouth and blew me a kiss, "Mwah!"
It was hysterical! Whenever any of us (Londo, the nanny, me) leave the house, this is exactly what we do. Put our computer bags or purses (or both in my case) over our shoulders, head that direction, say bye and blow a kiss. She had it down perfect!
So apparently kissing the dog and blowing kisses are fine activities. But still only rarely does she give kisses to her parents. But the hugs? They are constant and always appreciated. And I'll take what I can get!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
My Waking Nightmare
Last night was a waking nightmare. I didn't go to sleep until 11:00. I know you want to say, "But caramama, why didn't you go to bed right after you put the Pumpkin to sleep?"
I did.
Do you see what I'm saying??? She didn't go to bed until 11:00!!!! She usually goes to bed between 7 and 8, and I started nursing her at 7:30 last night. There was refusal to stop nursing, waking up fully when I tried to put her in her crib, trying to play in my lap or in my bed, flailing, kicking, crying, screaming and Mama losing her sh$t. More than once.
Finally, after trying EVERYTHING I could think of, she fell asleep while I paced her nursery for 20 minutes. In case you were wondering, it takes me 1 minute to do 8 passes across her room. Also, she is 23 pounds. Do whatever math you'd like with that. Just know that my back, arms and legs are so sore, but she finally did go to sleep and I put her in her crib. What kills me is that I know that if Londo was home, I would have called him to take her after that first hour of nursing when she woke up when I put her down, and it would have taken him 20-30 minutes to get her back asleep and in her crib. I know this because I've seen it happen again and again. She just wouldn't do it for me.
And then she got up at 5:00. I was able to nurse her lying down for about an hour, so I could drift in and out of sleep, but it was mostly out. She is exhausted, so I hope the nanny is able to get her down for a good nap this morning. I really don't want her to be this overtired!
I didn't take the dog to get the surgery today because the night was so bad and so much stress on the dog, I didn't think it was a good idea. I've rescheduled for tomorrow. I'm trying to take a positive attitude about tonight. My goal is to be more zen, have more patience, and call my sister to come over and help if I'm about to lose it again (she has graciously offered). Also, if she won't go to sleep and wants to play again, I'm thinking I don't fight it. I just bring downstairs and let her play while I do dishes and get online. It's not worth it to fight her for 3.5 hours.
All I wanted was to put her down in her crib at her bedtime, do some yoga, take a shower and maybe get online for just a short while before going to bed by 9 or 9:30. All I wanted was to relax last night. I got the completely opposite and was barely able to wash up for bed.
Tonight, if all else fails, someone please send the Gypsies to me. I can make them a great offer...
I did.
Do you see what I'm saying??? She didn't go to bed until 11:00!!!! She usually goes to bed between 7 and 8, and I started nursing her at 7:30 last night. There was refusal to stop nursing, waking up fully when I tried to put her in her crib, trying to play in my lap or in my bed, flailing, kicking, crying, screaming and Mama losing her sh$t. More than once.
Finally, after trying EVERYTHING I could think of, she fell asleep while I paced her nursery for 20 minutes. In case you were wondering, it takes me 1 minute to do 8 passes across her room. Also, she is 23 pounds. Do whatever math you'd like with that. Just know that my back, arms and legs are so sore, but she finally did go to sleep and I put her in her crib. What kills me is that I know that if Londo was home, I would have called him to take her after that first hour of nursing when she woke up when I put her down, and it would have taken him 20-30 minutes to get her back asleep and in her crib. I know this because I've seen it happen again and again. She just wouldn't do it for me.
And then she got up at 5:00. I was able to nurse her lying down for about an hour, so I could drift in and out of sleep, but it was mostly out. She is exhausted, so I hope the nanny is able to get her down for a good nap this morning. I really don't want her to be this overtired!
I didn't take the dog to get the surgery today because the night was so bad and so much stress on the dog, I didn't think it was a good idea. I've rescheduled for tomorrow. I'm trying to take a positive attitude about tonight. My goal is to be more zen, have more patience, and call my sister to come over and help if I'm about to lose it again (she has graciously offered). Also, if she won't go to sleep and wants to play again, I'm thinking I don't fight it. I just bring downstairs and let her play while I do dishes and get online. It's not worth it to fight her for 3.5 hours.
All I wanted was to put her down in her crib at her bedtime, do some yoga, take a shower and maybe get online for just a short while before going to bed by 9 or 9:30. All I wanted was to relax last night. I got the completely opposite and was barely able to wash up for bed.
Tonight, if all else fails, someone please send the Gypsies to me. I can make them a great offer...
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Few Thoughts I Can Produce
I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm not getting enough done. And I'm sick of complaining.
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I wanted to write about how that 60-Day Ask Moxie Challenge went (pretty well), but I just can't find the time or energy. I wanted to talk about the new 60-Day Challenge and what I'm doing, but I think I can't do more than list them:
1. Eating 3 servings of fruits/veggies a day.
2. Starting to chart my cycles in mental preparations for when we start trying to conceive.
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Londo left today for a business trip and won't be back until late Thursday. Which will be nice, since the Pumpkin has been extra fussy and up at least 1-2 times a night. I'm really looking forward to the nighttimes all on my own.
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Work is crazy lately, and the next couple of weeks will be especially busy. So if I don't post everyday, you know why.
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Oh! The nanny started at our house full time with one-on-one care for the Pumpkin yesterday. So far (1.5 days in), it's going really well! Most importantly, Londo and I feel really good about this decision.
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I'm taking my dog to the vet to have a lump removed tomorrow. I'm really nervous about it because the last time we had three lumps removed, and one had cancerous cells. It's like skin cancer, though, in that it didn't spread through her system, we caught it early and had it removed, and we are supposed to watch for more lumps. Like we one we found and has gotten bigger. So it will be removed and sent off for testing. I'm trying not to think about what that could mean, so only cheerful responses on this, k?
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I have not been able to keep up with my blog reading lately. Too much going on at work and home. I'm hoping that with Londo out of town, I will have times in the evening to catch up after baby goes to bed, but I might be so exhausted that I have to go to bed by 8:30. We'll see. But I miss knowing how everyone is doing, so I'll catch up soon.
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I wanted to write about how that 60-Day Ask Moxie Challenge went (pretty well), but I just can't find the time or energy. I wanted to talk about the new 60-Day Challenge and what I'm doing, but I think I can't do more than list them:
1. Eating 3 servings of fruits/veggies a day.
2. Starting to chart my cycles in mental preparations for when we start trying to conceive.
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Londo left today for a business trip and won't be back until late Thursday. Which will be nice, since the Pumpkin has been extra fussy and up at least 1-2 times a night. I'm really looking forward to the nighttimes all on my own.
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Work is crazy lately, and the next couple of weeks will be especially busy. So if I don't post everyday, you know why.
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Oh! The nanny started at our house full time with one-on-one care for the Pumpkin yesterday. So far (1.5 days in), it's going really well! Most importantly, Londo and I feel really good about this decision.
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I'm taking my dog to the vet to have a lump removed tomorrow. I'm really nervous about it because the last time we had three lumps removed, and one had cancerous cells. It's like skin cancer, though, in that it didn't spread through her system, we caught it early and had it removed, and we are supposed to watch for more lumps. Like we one we found and has gotten bigger. So it will be removed and sent off for testing. I'm trying not to think about what that could mean, so only cheerful responses on this, k?
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I have not been able to keep up with my blog reading lately. Too much going on at work and home. I'm hoping that with Londo out of town, I will have times in the evening to catch up after baby goes to bed, but I might be so exhausted that I have to go to bed by 8:30. We'll see. But I miss knowing how everyone is doing, so I'll catch up soon.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Her Dog Days Are Numbered
I was going to post today about how we are feeding the Pumpkin, but something happened this morning that I'm quite upset about and I need ideas/advice. I'll post the one about feeding the baby tomorrow.
This morning, the Pumpkin climbed up onto the bed where the dog was lying, not asleep but resting. I was right there supervising the whole thing, and telling the baby to be "gentle." But either the baby wasn't gentle or she surprised the dog when she tried to pat her ribs. And the dog snapped in her face.
I have never been more mad at that dog, and that's saying something.
The dog didn't bite her, but when the dog is surprised or hurt, she snaps her jaws at the person/thing that did it, and it happened to be the baby's face that was there when she turned. She has never ever bitten anyone or thing, no matter how hurt or surprised, so I'm not worried about the dog truly hurting the baby. In fact, the dog puts up with a lot and is really extremely gentle in most cases.
But this is unacceptable. I will not let the dog snap in her face. But I don't believe in punishing the dog physically, especially in front of the baby who were are trying to teach to be gentle with the dog. I don't think it would teach the Pumpkin to be gentle with the dog if we are then rough with her for defending herself from the baby's rough handling (did that make sense?).
So, any advice? I actually know a lot about training dogs and understanding them, but I'm so upset about this I can't seem to recall much of my knowledge. Any ideas or advice would be appreciated! I don't want to have to kill her or sell her to the gypsies...
This morning, the Pumpkin climbed up onto the bed where the dog was lying, not asleep but resting. I was right there supervising the whole thing, and telling the baby to be "gentle." But either the baby wasn't gentle or she surprised the dog when she tried to pat her ribs. And the dog snapped in her face.
I have never been more mad at that dog, and that's saying something.
The dog didn't bite her, but when the dog is surprised or hurt, she snaps her jaws at the person/thing that did it, and it happened to be the baby's face that was there when she turned. She has never ever bitten anyone or thing, no matter how hurt or surprised, so I'm not worried about the dog truly hurting the baby. In fact, the dog puts up with a lot and is really extremely gentle in most cases.
But this is unacceptable. I will not let the dog snap in her face. But I don't believe in punishing the dog physically, especially in front of the baby who were are trying to teach to be gentle with the dog. I don't think it would teach the Pumpkin to be gentle with the dog if we are then rough with her for defending herself from the baby's rough handling (did that make sense?).
So, any advice? I actually know a lot about training dogs and understanding them, but I'm so upset about this I can't seem to recall much of my knowledge. Any ideas or advice would be appreciated! I don't want to have to kill her or sell her to the gypsies...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day and All Done
Here is the news of the day just for Burgh Baby's Mom: It's Valentine's Day! If you don't get something sweet from your sweet, you get to give him an earful!
I hope you all have lovely Valentine's Days. We don't really celebrate it ourselves. Londo has this thing were he calls it a made-up holiday by Hallmark in which they try to guilt bad significant others into doing something nice for their partners. He does nice things for me all the time, and therefore is annoyed that Hallmark tries to tell him he has to do something on THIS day. I have no problem with that, because he really does do nice things for me all the time. Like two nights ago when we went out on a date? He first bought me flowers and candy. And this isn't unusual. He will randomly bring me home flowers or candy or other little thoughtful gifts. So how can I argue with him?
But I also understand that if someone's partner does not normally think of these things, they really should be reminded and if it takes a made-up holiday to remind them, than Valentine's Day serves a useful purpose.
Okay, moving on... I wanted to relate a cute little story, but it requires a little set up.
We have a beagle. She is super cute, and very sweet. But she, like all beagles, is crazy for food. We thought that she would really love the Pumpkin once she was in a highchair and dropping food on the floor. And she does. But she tries to love her a little TOO much, and really is loving the food. After a couple times of the beagle trying to jump up and get something out of the baby's hand, we had to take a new tact with the dog.
We now make the beagle sit at the edge of the kitchen and wait there until the baby is done eating before she can come in and clean the floors for us. We have to use a squirt bottle in order to keep her there, and she will eventually start whining if there is something good on the floor or it's taking too long. Also, she tries to come in the kitchen anytime anyone walks into it, out of it or across it--as if that signifies that it's okay for her to now enter, which it isn't. It can be very frustrating, and she is so stubborn!
Well, as I've mentioned before, we are trying to teach the Pumpkin some sign language, including "all done" when she finishes something. So at the end of the meal, we ask the Pumpkin, "All done?" And she sometimes shakes her jazz hands as the sign for all done, and sometimes she keeps eating, and sometimes she just laughs at us. She's still not stellar with the sign language yet (although she is still a supergenius). When she is done, we push back the highchair, wipe her face off and let the dog in the kitchen for clean up duty.
The other day, Londo and I noticed that the Pumpkin seemed to be pretty much done eating. We asked her, "All done?" At that point, the beagle jumped up and hurried into the kitchen! Apparently, she now understand that "all done" means we are about to let her in. She did jump the gun a bit, and we had to send her back out. But Londo looked at me and said, "At least someone is learning the sign language!"
The beagle may be stubborn, but she is also very smart and a quick learner. I guess she is a supergenius dog.
I hope you all have lovely Valentine's Days. We don't really celebrate it ourselves. Londo has this thing were he calls it a made-up holiday by Hallmark in which they try to guilt bad significant others into doing something nice for their partners. He does nice things for me all the time, and therefore is annoyed that Hallmark tries to tell him he has to do something on THIS day. I have no problem with that, because he really does do nice things for me all the time. Like two nights ago when we went out on a date? He first bought me flowers and candy. And this isn't unusual. He will randomly bring me home flowers or candy or other little thoughtful gifts. So how can I argue with him?
But I also understand that if someone's partner does not normally think of these things, they really should be reminded and if it takes a made-up holiday to remind them, than Valentine's Day serves a useful purpose.
Okay, moving on... I wanted to relate a cute little story, but it requires a little set up.
We have a beagle. She is super cute, and very sweet. But she, like all beagles, is crazy for food. We thought that she would really love the Pumpkin once she was in a highchair and dropping food on the floor. And she does. But she tries to love her a little TOO much, and really is loving the food. After a couple times of the beagle trying to jump up and get something out of the baby's hand, we had to take a new tact with the dog.
We now make the beagle sit at the edge of the kitchen and wait there until the baby is done eating before she can come in and clean the floors for us. We have to use a squirt bottle in order to keep her there, and she will eventually start whining if there is something good on the floor or it's taking too long. Also, she tries to come in the kitchen anytime anyone walks into it, out of it or across it--as if that signifies that it's okay for her to now enter, which it isn't. It can be very frustrating, and she is so stubborn!
Well, as I've mentioned before, we are trying to teach the Pumpkin some sign language, including "all done" when she finishes something. So at the end of the meal, we ask the Pumpkin, "All done?" And she sometimes shakes her jazz hands as the sign for all done, and sometimes she keeps eating, and sometimes she just laughs at us. She's still not stellar with the sign language yet (although she is still a supergenius). When she is done, we push back the highchair, wipe her face off and let the dog in the kitchen for clean up duty.
The other day, Londo and I noticed that the Pumpkin seemed to be pretty much done eating. We asked her, "All done?" At that point, the beagle jumped up and hurried into the kitchen! Apparently, she now understand that "all done" means we are about to let her in. She did jump the gun a bit, and we had to send her back out. But Londo looked at me and said, "At least someone is learning the sign language!"
The beagle may be stubborn, but she is also very smart and a quick learner. I guess she is a supergenius dog.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Cara Bambina - Just You and Me, Kiddo
Cara bambina,
Well, Daddy's gone off with the guys for the weekend. You and I are going to have special Mama-Bambina time. This means you better be on your best behavior so Mama doesn't go nuts and pull out all her hair. I'm still losing so much hair since your birth, I can't spare to lose any more, so work with me here.
Yesterday evening--heck, all of yesterday when I had you, you whined pretty consistantly. I know your teeth are bothering you, but now that the 8th one (OMG! 8?!?!) finally poked through, I hope it will feel better and you will be less fussy. A mama can dream, can't she?
After I put you to bed, last night went pretty well. I heard you cry maybe twice around 1:30, but when I checked the video monitor, you were lying down and had already fallen back to sleep. That. Is. Awesome. Keep that up, please. I had hoped you would do the same at 5:45 this morning, but no luck. You cried, sat up, lied (layed?) back down, cried a little more, and then were standing and crying. That was my cue, and we were up for the morning. But at least it wasn't 5:00 like it was yesterday morning.
We've had a great morning. We played and had breakfast and you went down for your nap a little early. You and I are doing well so far. Just the two of us. Oh, plus the dog and cat, both of whom are also behaving very well. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that the rest of the weekend and Monday go this well. But I fear that I've totally jinxed it.
When you get up, we are either going to run errands or hang out with your aunt, uncle, older cousin and the twins. Maybe we can do both! And after your second nap, we are going to your other cousin's 2-year birthday party! It should be a fun day. You tend to be less fussy when I keep you busy, so hopefully this is a good plan.
We both miss Daddy, but he'll be home soon. I hope he is having a good time and getting lots of sleep. He needs it!
Ti amo,
Mama
Well, Daddy's gone off with the guys for the weekend. You and I are going to have special Mama-Bambina time. This means you better be on your best behavior so Mama doesn't go nuts and pull out all her hair. I'm still losing so much hair since your birth, I can't spare to lose any more, so work with me here.
Yesterday evening--heck, all of yesterday when I had you, you whined pretty consistantly. I know your teeth are bothering you, but now that the 8th one (OMG! 8?!?!) finally poked through, I hope it will feel better and you will be less fussy. A mama can dream, can't she?
After I put you to bed, last night went pretty well. I heard you cry maybe twice around 1:30, but when I checked the video monitor, you were lying down and had already fallen back to sleep. That. Is. Awesome. Keep that up, please. I had hoped you would do the same at 5:45 this morning, but no luck. You cried, sat up, lied (layed?) back down, cried a little more, and then were standing and crying. That was my cue, and we were up for the morning. But at least it wasn't 5:00 like it was yesterday morning.
We've had a great morning. We played and had breakfast and you went down for your nap a little early. You and I are doing well so far. Just the two of us. Oh, plus the dog and cat, both of whom are also behaving very well. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that the rest of the weekend and Monday go this well. But I fear that I've totally jinxed it.
When you get up, we are either going to run errands or hang out with your aunt, uncle, older cousin and the twins. Maybe we can do both! And after your second nap, we are going to your other cousin's 2-year birthday party! It should be a fun day. You tend to be less fussy when I keep you busy, so hopefully this is a good plan.
We both miss Daddy, but he'll be home soon. I hope he is having a good time and getting lots of sleep. He needs it!
Ti amo,
Mama
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Daddy's Take: Day 1
Londo's Diary, 23 January, 2008.
Taking care of the pumpkin by myself has started off well. Mostly.
There was 1 incident of significance that made me wish I had 10 arms and the ability to multitask like a chess computer.
I was cooking dinner for me and the Pumpkin (rotini, sauce, bread, little puffed wheat thingies) when about 14 things happened at once. The pumpkin was on the floor, playing with her toys. The dog was in the floor, waiting for food to fall. I will try to give you the exact order in which it happened:
1. Londo in apron (hey sauce splatters and I like this shirt) is merrily stirring a pot of pasta and another pot of sauce.
2. dog gets up and sits next to back door - this is the universal sign of, "let me out or I will pee on something in here!"
3. Pasta begins to boil to the top of the pot.
4. Timer goes off, letting me know pasta is ready (breep-breep-breep, etc.)
5. Toaster oven dings, letting Londo know that bread is ready and will be burned to a crisp in exactly 10 seconds.
6. Pumpkin heads towards the cabinet where we keep the dog food (making the dog very interested indeed).
7. The phone rings.
8. Londo pauses, makes a judgment call on how to proceed, then proceeds.
9. Seeing Cara's cell on the caller ID, I grab the phone while heading for the toaster oven.
10. "Hello?"
11. A high-pitched scream, closely followed by the silence that every parent dreads, closely followed by whimpers and screams alternatively. Pumpkin had gotten her little fingers stuck in the cabinet door, and was leaning on the same door with her other hand (making things unbelievably worse).
12. Cara: "OMG, what's wrong?"
Londo: "Gottagocallyoubackinaminuteloveyoubye-click!"
13. Londo freaks.
14. I swept up the Pumpkin, and began kissing her fingers while I turned the stove-tops off and flung a towel over the timer (breep-breep-breep, muffle, muffle, breep)
15. I bang my head (really friggin hard) on the edge of another cabinet (the one over the toaster oven) as I reach into the hot device for the bread (I should have mentioned earlier, I was wearing an oven mitt on one hand, just to make this whole thing more challenging:)
16. Londo curses. This makes the Pumpkin stop crying and actually giggle at daddy (rubbing his head with an oven mitt and a piece of hot bread).
17. I put her down in her high-chair, let the dog out, push the button on the timer (breep-bre...), and sit down.
This whole experience took about 1 minute.
The rest of the night was awesome. I fed, bathed, and played with the baby and put her to bed at 7:50. She woke up at 5:50 in the morning (I usually get up, or try to, at 5:15, so this was no hardship). I showered while she played in the jumper in our bathroom, put on my suit, and dropped her off at Nana's house.
Other than that 1 minute of crisis, we had a pretty good night.
Thanks Pumpkin, sorry about the fingers.
-Londo
XXX
Taking care of the pumpkin by myself has started off well. Mostly.
There was 1 incident of significance that made me wish I had 10 arms and the ability to multitask like a chess computer.
I was cooking dinner for me and the Pumpkin (rotini, sauce, bread, little puffed wheat thingies) when about 14 things happened at once. The pumpkin was on the floor, playing with her toys. The dog was in the floor, waiting for food to fall. I will try to give you the exact order in which it happened:
1. Londo in apron (hey sauce splatters and I like this shirt) is merrily stirring a pot of pasta and another pot of sauce.
2. dog gets up and sits next to back door - this is the universal sign of, "let me out or I will pee on something in here!"
3. Pasta begins to boil to the top of the pot.
4. Timer goes off, letting me know pasta is ready (breep-breep-breep, etc.)
5. Toaster oven dings, letting Londo know that bread is ready and will be burned to a crisp in exactly 10 seconds.
6. Pumpkin heads towards the cabinet where we keep the dog food (making the dog very interested indeed).
7. The phone rings.
8. Londo pauses, makes a judgment call on how to proceed, then proceeds.
9. Seeing Cara's cell on the caller ID, I grab the phone while heading for the toaster oven.
10. "Hello?"
11. A high-pitched scream, closely followed by the silence that every parent dreads, closely followed by whimpers and screams alternatively. Pumpkin had gotten her little fingers stuck in the cabinet door, and was leaning on the same door with her other hand (making things unbelievably worse).
12. Cara: "OMG, what's wrong?"
Londo: "Gottagocallyoubackinaminuteloveyoubye-click!"
13. Londo freaks.
14. I swept up the Pumpkin, and began kissing her fingers while I turned the stove-tops off and flung a towel over the timer (breep-breep-breep, muffle, muffle, breep)
15. I bang my head (really friggin hard) on the edge of another cabinet (the one over the toaster oven) as I reach into the hot device for the bread (I should have mentioned earlier, I was wearing an oven mitt on one hand, just to make this whole thing more challenging:)
16. Londo curses. This makes the Pumpkin stop crying and actually giggle at daddy (rubbing his head with an oven mitt and a piece of hot bread).
17. I put her down in her high-chair, let the dog out, push the button on the timer (breep-bre...), and sit down.
This whole experience took about 1 minute.
The rest of the night was awesome. I fed, bathed, and played with the baby and put her to bed at 7:50. She woke up at 5:50 in the morning (I usually get up, or try to, at 5:15, so this was no hardship). I showered while she played in the jumper in our bathroom, put on my suit, and dropped her off at Nana's house.
Other than that 1 minute of crisis, we had a pretty good night.
Thanks Pumpkin, sorry about the fingers.
-Londo
XXX
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Evil Genius Cat
Londo: The cat is the smartest thing in the house.
caramama: If he was so smart, he wouldn't be peeing on stuff.
Londo: That's the thing. To get him to stop peeing on stuff, we are doing everything he wants. We're giving him extra treats, buying him toys, giving him extra attention, playing with him...
caramama: Keeping his litter box really clean, leaving the baby gates open as much as possible...
Londo: It's genius really.
Londo: I wish I could get what I wanted by peeing on stuff. I could be in a meeting at work, and just start peeing on the conference table until everyone agrees with me. Hmmmm.
caramama: haha.
caramama: If he was so smart, he wouldn't be peeing on stuff.
Londo: That's the thing. To get him to stop peeing on stuff, we are doing everything he wants. We're giving him extra treats, buying him toys, giving him extra attention, playing with him...
caramama: Keeping his litter box really clean, leaving the baby gates open as much as possible...
Londo: It's genius really.
Londo: I wish I could get what I wanted by peeing on stuff. I could be in a meeting at work, and just start peeing on the conference table until everyone agrees with me. Hmmmm.
caramama: haha.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year and My Love for Neil Gaiman
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2008 has started off better for you than it has for us. I know you're thinking, "Did that baby keep you guys up all night again?" After all, I did state that the only way I would be up at midnight was if the baby woke us. (Am I an amatuer at this? Don't I know by now not to tempt the God of Sleep?!?! What was I thinking?) It turns out, that wasn't true. We were woken shortly after midnight by my mom's dog, who is staying with us while they are visiting other relatives.
That's right, my house currently contains an upset cat who is peeing on stuff, a whiny dog who keeps trying to lick the baby in the face, a visiting dog who wants to chase the cat (making the cat more upset), a 9.5 month old baby who is in a fussy period, and two very grumpy, very tired adults.
Happy New Year!
The Pumpkin actually slept until 4:00, went back to sleep pretty easily with me (have I mentioned how much I love nursing lying down?), but then woke up at 5:50 and wouldn't really go back to sleep, due to another round of The Fidget Hour. I'm surprisingly not exhausted, but Londo is more crotchety than ever, thanks to visiting dog!
On a much brighter note, today begins the To Be Read Challenge 2008! I'm really excited to start this, and I have high hopes and a lot of good books that have just been sitting around waiting for me to read! For January, I'm going to read Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. I did say there was a story behind each of these books, so I will now relate the story behind this one.
I love Neil Gaiman. I've loved Neil Gaiman for longer than I've known my husband. I discovered Neil Gaiman through my brother, who has introduced me to so many good writers, books, movies and comic books. That's right, I said comic books (I'm a bit of a geek*). Or in the case of Neil Gaiman, graphic novels. Neil Gaiman wrote The Sandman comic books/graphic novels (speaking of the God of Sleep), which are incredible. He has also written quite a few novels, including Anansi Boys. Neil Gaiman is extremely imaginative, coming up with new and unique plots, and he is dark, delving into places of the mind and psyche that many dare not go.
Even if you don't like the science fiction/fantasy genre, there are a few sci-fi/fantasy novels that are such amazing books that they transend the genre and are just great books period**. The way Battlestar Galactica is more than just a great sci-fi show--it's a great show. One of these books is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. It's one of the best books out there, and I recommend it to everyone.
So, my point is I love Neil Gaiman and everything he's written. This book came out in 9/2005, and I bought it shortly after. That's right, over 2 years ago. Londo read it right away and proclaimed it another excellent book by Neil Gaiman. But I still haven't read it. Why not? Why wouldn't I read one of my favorite authors? It was because I Wasn't Myself! This was one of those things I simply wasn't in the mood for. Now, I'm back to being mostly myself, so it's the first one I've selected from the stack to read. Cause I missed me, and I missed Neil Gaiman!
*Before ImpostorMom argues, I will just fess up that I'm a HUGE geek, especially in the area of sci-fi/fantasy/comics. Those of you who are not into these things, I challenge you to expand your horizons and discover the amazing stories that reflect our world in the form of other worlds. I've got a whole schpiel, but this isn't the time for it.
**My number 1 example of this type of book is Orson Scott Card's Enders Game, which I've recommended to many people who look at me skeptically because they don't like sci-fi and come back to me within the week saying they stayed up all night finishing the book. It's that good. Hmmm, I should re-read that.
That's right, my house currently contains an upset cat who is peeing on stuff, a whiny dog who keeps trying to lick the baby in the face, a visiting dog who wants to chase the cat (making the cat more upset), a 9.5 month old baby who is in a fussy period, and two very grumpy, very tired adults.
Happy New Year!
The Pumpkin actually slept until 4:00, went back to sleep pretty easily with me (have I mentioned how much I love nursing lying down?), but then woke up at 5:50 and wouldn't really go back to sleep, due to another round of The Fidget Hour. I'm surprisingly not exhausted, but Londo is more crotchety than ever, thanks to visiting dog!
On a much brighter note, today begins the To Be Read Challenge 2008! I'm really excited to start this, and I have high hopes and a lot of good books that have just been sitting around waiting for me to read! For January, I'm going to read Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. I did say there was a story behind each of these books, so I will now relate the story behind this one.
I love Neil Gaiman. I've loved Neil Gaiman for longer than I've known my husband. I discovered Neil Gaiman through my brother, who has introduced me to so many good writers, books, movies and comic books. That's right, I said comic books (I'm a bit of a geek*). Or in the case of Neil Gaiman, graphic novels. Neil Gaiman wrote The Sandman comic books/graphic novels (speaking of the God of Sleep), which are incredible. He has also written quite a few novels, including Anansi Boys. Neil Gaiman is extremely imaginative, coming up with new and unique plots, and he is dark, delving into places of the mind and psyche that many dare not go.
Even if you don't like the science fiction/fantasy genre, there are a few sci-fi/fantasy novels that are such amazing books that they transend the genre and are just great books period**. The way Battlestar Galactica is more than just a great sci-fi show--it's a great show. One of these books is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. It's one of the best books out there, and I recommend it to everyone.
So, my point is I love Neil Gaiman and everything he's written. This book came out in 9/2005, and I bought it shortly after. That's right, over 2 years ago. Londo read it right away and proclaimed it another excellent book by Neil Gaiman. But I still haven't read it. Why not? Why wouldn't I read one of my favorite authors? It was because I Wasn't Myself! This was one of those things I simply wasn't in the mood for. Now, I'm back to being mostly myself, so it's the first one I've selected from the stack to read. Cause I missed me, and I missed Neil Gaiman!
*Before ImpostorMom argues, I will just fess up that I'm a HUGE geek, especially in the area of sci-fi/fantasy/comics. Those of you who are not into these things, I challenge you to expand your horizons and discover the amazing stories that reflect our world in the form of other worlds. I've got a whole schpiel, but this isn't the time for it.
**My number 1 example of this type of book is Orson Scott Card's Enders Game, which I've recommended to many people who look at me skeptically because they don't like sci-fi and come back to me within the week saying they stayed up all night finishing the book. It's that good. Hmmm, I should re-read that.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Post-Christmas Wrap-up and Not Killing the Cat
Well, I'm feeling a lot better about Christmas since talking with others who had way worse times than I did. Suddenly, my Christmas looks pretty good! ;-) I am having some post-Christmas epiphanies, too. I've gotten some good advice, and from now on I'm going to do only that which I think is fun and worth doing, and let the other stuff go. Londo and I talked about it, and we are also going to do more earlier. And that's enough about that (at least for now).
Today, my major gripe is the cat. I may very well kill him one of these days. You see, when the cat isn't happy, he pees on stuff. Usually it's a bathmat or a rug, often it is right exactly where you step without thinking. But yesterday morning, it was on my good coat, which had slipped onto the floor. And this morning, it was the changing pad that's on the ground in the Pumpkin's bathroom.
I have had it with this behavior!!! I'm ready to strangle him! This is not an appropriate way to show his displeasure!
And we've pretty much figured out what his issue is lately. It's the baby gates we've put up. Londo thinks he has trouble getting over the one that is on the basement stairway and he can't get to his litter box in the basement. But it was wide open this morning, and he still went and peed in the baby's bathroom. I think he is just upset that there a gates blocking where he once roamed free. But he can jump over them. He is a cat. And we have to keep them up because of the baby. So he needs to get over it and STOP PEEING ON STUFF!
I can't kill him, though. The Pumpkin's first word was cat ("ca") and she loves to say it everytime she sees him, so he lives at the mercy of the baby.
Today, my major gripe is the cat. I may very well kill him one of these days. You see, when the cat isn't happy, he pees on stuff. Usually it's a bathmat or a rug, often it is right exactly where you step without thinking. But yesterday morning, it was on my good coat, which had slipped onto the floor. And this morning, it was the changing pad that's on the ground in the Pumpkin's bathroom.
I have had it with this behavior!!! I'm ready to strangle him! This is not an appropriate way to show his displeasure!
And we've pretty much figured out what his issue is lately. It's the baby gates we've put up. Londo thinks he has trouble getting over the one that is on the basement stairway and he can't get to his litter box in the basement. But it was wide open this morning, and he still went and peed in the baby's bathroom. I think he is just upset that there a gates blocking where he once roamed free. But he can jump over them. He is a cat. And we have to keep them up because of the baby. So he needs to get over it and STOP PEEING ON STUFF!
I can't kill him, though. The Pumpkin's first word was cat ("ca") and she loves to say it everytime she sees him, so he lives at the mercy of the baby.
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