Wordless Wednesday -- Trip to the Beach

First trip to the Matagorda Beach beach for Heidi.

Life Is Full of Adjustments

I knew when we decided to get a dog (okay truth when I decided I wanted a dog and Robert consented) our life would be different. Then before this sweet puppy could join us POW Robert is terminated from his job.

Yep, life is full of adjustments.

We are adjusting to having a wee one to look after, worry about, fret over and play with. She seems to consume a lot of time and energy even when she is sleeping, which she does a lot of except at night when we want her to be sleeping.

After the first night of literally getting very little sleep because we put her in the kennel/carrier/crate/room/den/home/bed that we got her right there in our room. She whined, cried, whimpered, and begged to get out all night. The next night Robert insisted she sleep with us. Wonderful idea. No whining, crying, whimpering or begging. Only problem, Robert slept because puppy was up against me all night. Pushing and sighing. Then I had the best idea ever -- put her in the guest bathroom. Small, nothing she can hurt (except maybe the back of the door), tile floors -- yes, a perfect solution.

The first night in the bathroom she cried and whined quite a bit, but being across the house from us and behind two closed doors the whining and crying didn't seem so loud nor did it last as long. The next night we decided we still want her to think of the kennel as her place to sleep so we put it in there and I sat with her until I thought she was asleep. Oops she wasn't, then I decided to leave the door open so she could come and go as she wants. That seems to have worked. She only seems to be crying now when she needs to go out.

We have had to make several adjustments as to what we are doing, and I'm sure we have several more that we will have to make before Heidi reaches adult dog. And even though I have a book to help with things, there is no teacher like experience.

Starting tomorrow we make another adjustment in our life. Robert doesn't get up and go to work. It will seem strange. We have decided to look on the next few weeks as a vacation. Time for him to relax and refresh. He should hear something about the job at a local bank before the end of June. If that doesn't work out then we'll adjust our hopes and expectations and decide what path we will follow.

Thing is we'll just keep adjusting because life is full of adjustments.

New Addition Is Now With Us

I picked Heidi up yesterday afternoon from the breeder, my friend Anita. My what chaos that puppy was used to. Five adults and eight puppies climbing over each other and playing. Anita seemed perfectly at ease as the we walked in and was greeted by all this. She opened the sliding glass door into the back yard and said,"Big dogs out, little dogs stay." The were was confussion as the big dogs went out and the puppies were trying to decide what to do. Some went out (I guess they thought they were big) and some stayed in. After a few more seconds they were all sorted.

Anita scooped up Heidi and handed her to me as she scooped up a couple of other pups sweet talking to them while all the time giving me instrustions about my little miss. And telling me how this dog and that dog acted.

I then signed a couple of papers for her. Wrote a check, wrapped Heidi in her snuggle blanket -- a gift from Anita to all her pups as they leave and headed out the door.

Heidi was secured in her carrier which we call her den and away I came. I was serenaded by a whining, crying puppy nearly all the way home -- a 30 minute drive.

It was a rough start for us --- We both had a long night and I'm a little concerned because she isn't eating or drinking like I think she should and right now she is just curled up sleeping but shivering. Is that normal puppy? Should I be concerned? Oh, so much to learn and that darn book doesn't answer these questions. I think we'll be fine, but this is much like bringing a baby home from the hospital. No matter how prepared you think you are ----- YOU AREN'T.

Wordless Wednesday -- I Celebrated a Big Birthday

My birthday was May 22 so I began the celebration on the 21st with my sister. Lunch then shopping.
Then on Friday there wasn't much celebrating going on. The big plans were for Saturday. Lunch, pedicures and more shopping with my girls.

Finally the big surprise. Supper with ALL the family. Here are three of my favorite members Preston, the oldest grandchild, Holliday and Abigail. Twenty-five people helped me feast on Mexican food, margaritas and ....

of course birthday cake. Mine was a triple chocolate beauty! Thankfully they forgot the candles.

A is for Apple or Abigail

Heads or Tails the Tuesday meme (it is still Tuesday isn't it?) has the theme of *A* today, and because it is heads the writer can post anything about *A* that catches their fancy. *A* may be for apple, but the apple of my eye is my granddaughter Abigail. Also known as Abby, Abs or Miss A.

This little girl captured my heart a six and a half years ago.

Meet Abigail Marie just a few moments after she was born. She was the first child I had actually watch be born. (My girls were each born when mom's was half out of it and presented to the mother in a state of near clean.) I found the whole process of birth and her fascinating.

This is Abby one year later on her first birthday. By then we were pals. She knew I was hers. She was happiest when I was sitting in the floor with her and she had my undivided attention. Yes, I indulged her every whim whenever I got the chance and today I indulge as many as possible.
This is Miss A as you might find her today. Riding bikes and being all of six. Ready to graduate from kindergarten. She is in the top of her class, an eager learner and a ready reader. She still likes for me to play with her and we spend time with books, at the park where she wants to swing higher and higher, or doing girly things like her giving me a make over or doing our nails. Tom boy and princess rolled into one.

A Mother's Brave Acts

May 19th edition of Heads Or Tails

This week the coin landed on "Tails" and the topic is brave. The assignment tell about a time when you felt brave or showed bravery. (This is TAILS so it needs to be a true/real post from your own life.)

Bravery is being able to stay calm in the face of adversity. To make rational decisions when those around you are falling apart. Bravery is what firemen exemplify and what soldiers are. I am neither a fireman nor a soldier but I am a mother and I have had to be brave on numerous occasions.

The day I heard my daughter's blood chilling scream as the door slammed on her finger. When I saw the arch of blood arch across the ceiling where she had yanked it out of the door slicing the tip of her right index finger off on the metal weather strip. Calm kicked in. I grabbed her, insisted she stop screaming, then wrapped her finger in a clean wash cloth and ushered her out to the car while giving directions to her two younger siblings to go stay with the neighbor until I got back, and to tell Debbie to call Robert.

Those evening when lighting would flash and thunder sounds right on top of it and you can feel the electricity in the air. When I want to scream and cry because I hate thunderstorms like that, but instead I gather three little girls up and hold them then laugh when they start to cry and sing silly songs and talk about how pretty the candle light is. And secretly cringe with each rumble and crash.

When a big icky spider crawls across the ceiling or down the wall and stops to survey the room and one person in a room of 20 spots it and begins to point and then the room burst into squeals of fright or laughter, but chaos has gained reign. Even though it is a small, but really ugly spider I face it down. I take a shoe and smash it when I would have rather it just crawled away.

When everyone in the house is sick. Every trash can has been a receptacle for vomit. When every toilet is splattered with diarrhea and the only one to do any cleaning is Mom. Mom is calm. Trash cans are cleaned, toilets are cleaned, beds changed. Brows are smoothed, medicine is dispensed. Quiet is restored, health is regained.

I'm not a fireman nor a soldier. I'm just a mom, but I can be brave when facing the challenges of all those little things in my role as such.