Ranger

This may be old news for some of you, but about a month ago, we adopted a dog from the local shelter.  I was REALLY nervous about this.  Let's just say, we haven't had great luck with dogs in the past.  But, Mark found this dog that was part Border Collie, part something else (maybe Golden Retriever?) and he was sweet.  He kept going back to visit him, and after a few visits we took the kids up to see how he did with them.  A few days later, Mark brought him home.  I was still skeptical.  But, he has been the best and sweetest dog I have ever had.  He wasn't house broken when we got him.  But, that only took about 2 days of working with him.  He is very obedient and a gentle dog.  He loves belly rubs and treats.  All in all, it's been a great experience.  Look at him:

He was very underweight when we got him--you could feel his ribs and hip bones jutting out.  But, he has quickly fattened up.  :)  The vet thinks he's anywhere from 6-10 mos. old.  

So, things have been going great with Ranger...except for this morning.  Our neighbors left their water running in their yard all night...which ran into our yard...which made a giant mud puddle around the peach trees.  Ranger decided he was part pig and went rolling in the mud.  I started to suspect something when he was outside for a long time this morning and we didn't hear anything out of him.  So, I opened the door, called for Ranger and he came running.  It took me a while to realize he was covered head to toe...back to belly...tail and all in mud.  He ran about 5 circles around the living room before I could catch him and get him back outside.  My family room looked like a dirt track.  

The funniest part of the story is that I discovered Ranger hates baths.  In fact, he hates them so much that whenever I tried to get him to take a bath, he rolled over on his back, paws up, tongue out to the side, stared off into the distance and played dead.  If I hadn't been so frustrated with him, I would have taken his picture.  It was so cute...and he did it every time I tried to bathe him.  I swear he's the sweetest dog ever...which just might have saved his life after his mud fiasco this morning.  I could only imagine what was going through his mind..."Sorry, can't take a bath right now, because I died."  Cutest. Dog. Ever.

10 Reasons I Haven't Updated my Blog in 3 Months

Three months!  It's been 3 months since I wrote anything.  Yikes.
Here are my excuses reasons:

1.  My laptop was broken.  We had to send it off for what we thought was a repair covered by warranty.  It turned out we had to get a new motherboard.  There was "liquid damage."  I'm still a bit baffled by this.  I don't recall there ever being any liquid damage, and while I don't doubt for a moment my children's ability to damage something with liquid, I do seriously doubt their ability to clean it up well enough that I would never notice.  Hmmm...anyway, it broke in June and I just got it back a little over a week ago.

2.  Anna is mobile.  In June, Anna started creeping, crawling practicing for basic training?  It's not exactly a crawl, although sometimes she gets up on her knees.  There is a lot of pushing with her feet, pulling with her elbows, rolling and sometimes pushing her face across the floor...I'm not sure what you call it, but she manages to get where she wants to go.  And, where she wants to go, is never where she needs to be. 

3.  It's summer. 

4. I have 3 kids.  wow.  I really have 3 kids.  And they need me.  A LOT.  Like, constantly...who knew?

5.  Television.  Well, not just any thing on television, but just this one certain show...I'm ashamed to tell you which one it is, because it is HORRIBLE.  I mean, it's good...the writing is good, the story lines draw you in, the characters are interesting...but I'm a little embarrassed that I like it so much.  I won't tell you what it is, but I will tell you it rhymes with "Raking Fad."  Don't blame me if you get hooked.

6. Mark.  Mark is a night owl and a bad influence.  He makes me stay up late watching TV (see #5).  Then, the kids wake me up early.  I think they're trying to break me.

7. I am going to home school Aidan.  Wow.  I'm a little terrified and a little excited at the same time.  I've spent a lot of time this summer researching curriculum.  He is really smart, so I think we can do some really cool stuff, and I think he will get a great education.  But, it's been taking up a lot of my mental energy lately.  And, I'm terrified.

8.  I have 3 kids!  (one of which just came out of her room at 10:00 at night with a puzzle that she wants to put together...she gets this from her father, see #6)
 
9. I have a stupid cat.  I don't know what that has to do with my blogging, but it's true, and I needed to get that off my chest.  Are there support groups for this kind of thing?

10. My family likes to eat.  And not just once a day either.  They like 3 meals a day, plus snacks.  Every single day.  And the little one...the littlest one, that doesn't gain weight...she eats like 10 times a day.  If they would just stop eating...or at least cut back...I would have more free time for writing.

It's good to be writing again...that first post after a long hiatus is always the toughest...and now it's done.  It's not going to win a Nobel Peace Prize or anything, but it's done.  Hopefully, there will be more posts to follow soon.  :)

The Arkansas Adventures of Sam the Wonder Dog

He may not realize it, but Sam had a big test over spring break.  See, we're a traveling family.  We drive all over the place.  Before Ella was 3 months old, she had been to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, New Mexico and Colorado.  Road trips with our kids are easy, because they don't know any different.  If you're going to fit into this bunch, you've got to love to travel and be good at it!  So, spring break would be Sam's first road trip.  We were a little nervous, because he can be a little high strung.  And, while he's mostly house broken, he still has the occasional accident.  But, Sam passed his test with flying colors.  At first, it didn't look good.  He was nervous about being in the car.  So, he paced back and forth, from my lap to the very back of the van.  But, finally, he settled in and went to sleep.

Once we were in Arkansas, he was in dog heaven.  He proved what a super dog he really is.  With acres and acres of woods to run through, and creeks and ponds to conquer, he was the happiest I've seen him.

Here he is showing off his lightning speed...don't be fooled by Aidan being in the front...Sam was just about to over take him in a dramatic photo-finish to one of the many races they ran together around the house:

Never fear menacing butterflies when Sam is around...or bumble bees.  Our super mutt, spent hours chasing away butterflies and protecting us all from these dangerous minions.  He is loyal and brave like that.  Here he is leaping through the woods after a particularly dangerous species of tiny yellow butterfly:

Sam, we found out on this trip, is also an expert on fishing.  I'm not sure what disasters would have befallen us down at the pond, if it weren't for Sam's careful guidance:

Sam also proved to be a water safety expert, being sure to clear all creeks of sticks, leaves and pine cones:

And, Sam never rested.  Here he is protecting the back porch from enemy air craft:

Yes, Sam really showed what a doggie hero he is while in Arkansas.  In fact, he showed himself so loyal and brave, that my mom and I decided to take him with us on a morning walk to protect us from whatever might be lurking in the woods.  When we were approached by a very large Husky, we were glad our fearless dog was with us.  I have to admit, we were a little perplexed when instead of standing and preparing to fight off anything that might try to hurt us, he took off with lightning speed.  But, it only took us a second to realize, he must have run to get help.  Just like Lassie.  However, once he was home, his super dog senses told him we had fended off the dog alone, and there was no longer any cause for alarm, so instead of getting help, Sam took a nice long drink of water and laid down on the porch.  Which is where we found him when we finally made it home.  Good dog.

Sam loved Arkansas.  In fact when it was time to come home, we expected him to hop in the car with the kids.  Instead, he sat and stared at us and refused to get in.  When Mark tried to pick him up, he trotted around to the back porch.  He wanted to stay.  He's been a little restless, here in the city, without creeks to romp through, or pine cones to demolish.  I think we will have to take him back soon...or find him some doggie therapy.  Super dogs just weren't meant to live in the confines of the city! 

Meet the Family

Have you met my family?  This is Aidan:

also known as:  Doodlebop, Punkin'-Doodle, Sweety-Cheeks, Honey-bunch, and Punkin' Head  (he's going to kill me when he's older!)

This is Ella:

also known as:  Missy Lou-Who, Ella-girl, Ella Claire-Bear, Ella-Bella-Boo and Ella-Bella-Boo-Bear

This is Sam:

also known as Sammy-boy, Sammer-Bammer and Samsonite

This is Moses:

also known as Mosey-Bosey and Mosey-Boy

This is Polly (who Mark named because he didn't want to have a pet with a dumb name!  Ha!)

also known as Polly-Wolly Doodle, and Polly girl

I would like you to note that Mark does not have a nickname, and that is because he makes fun of my nicknames...shame on him.  So he's stuck with just Mark.

Meet Sam

Samson, or Sam for short, is the newest, most high maintenance member of our family.  There is a reason that God made puppies cute.  It is to make up for their total lack of concern for the needs or rights of others.  It was so their owners did not throw them out on the street in the middle of the night when it is 22 degrees outside.
Isn't he sweet?

Sam sleeping in Aidan's lap

He's actually a really sweet dog.  But, he's a puppy.  Which means he chews and jumps and cries through the night and has to pee at 3:00 in the morning when it's freezing outside. 

The kids have been wanting a dog for a long time.  We always said no, since we already have 2 cats and a bird and 2 recently departed hermit crabs.  Aidan didn't really care for dogs very much when he was little, because he was exposed to some really wild ones that scared him.  He was more of a cat person.  But, over the last year or so, he's really been wanting a dog.  Ella has been crazy about dogs from the get go.  One of her first words was, "puppy."  I really wish you could hear how cute she was when she would say it as a baby.  It would make even the most cold hearted anti-dog parent melt.  So, over Christmas break, we finally caved and got this puppy.  Ask me in a few months if it was a good idea or not.

He's been a pretty good puppy.  But, he has separation anxiety at night and sleeps very little...and cries very loudly.  There really isn't anywhere in our house where we can't put him so that no one can hear him.  So, he not only wakes Mark and me up, he wakes up Ella.  (Nothing wakes Aidan up)  The last few days, we have spent trying our best to wear him out to complete exhaustion, hoping he will sleep.  It's helping a little.  I'm not sure if he's so exhausted that he sleeps, or if we're so exhausted that we fall into a slight coma and can't hear him.  Everyone assures me that this will pass when he gets used to his new home!  

Sam and Ella, resting after a nice long walk

Other than that, we are really excited about Sam.  He loves to go on walks and ride in the car.  He chases the kids all over the back yard and around the kitchen table.  He falls asleep in your lap and makes funny faces when he dreams.  He has that wonderful puppy smell, and a soft puppy belly.  Ella and I have a lot of fun taking him on walks during the day, and all of us walk him to the park in the evening so he can play with the kids.  He loves going down the slide in Aidan's lap and will run to the top of the slide over and over again.  He tries really hard to play basketball, but usually just ends up rolling all over with the ball.  He makes the kids laugh big belly laughs and makes our cats walk around with huge puffy tails and looks of disgust on their faces.  He's scared of Aidan's tiny pink dinosaur and growls and barks every time he walks by it.  If you turn on the vacuum, he starts shaking and will hide behind my legs.  He has big ears and bright blue eyes, and we love him...during the day...not so much at 3 am!

Hermit Crabs

     Right now there is a dead and dismembered hermit crab on top of my TV.  Apparently, being a hermit crab is risky business.  All hermit crabs molt.  And when they molt they are very vulnerable.  It seems that when our little hermit crab named Sleepy was molting, his buddy, Speedy, attacked him and tore him into pieces.  There are claws, legs, eyes and other unrecognizable parts scattered all over their cage.  It looks like the remains of a Hermit Crab Horror Movie in there.  I always liked Speedy too...until I found out he was a hermit crab murderer.  I know I need to clean up Sleepy's remains, but I just can't seem to make myself do it.  Have you ever seen a hermit crab out of its shell?  It looks like an alien.  I really don't want to touch it.  It's one of the hazards of being a mom of boys.  Being the mom of a boy has caused me to have a snake party, where the guest of honor was a live ball python.  It has caused me to have numerous rocks in my purse and pockets at any given time.  It is the reason I now know more about snakes, lizards and frogs than I ever cared to know.  It is why I now scour the earth for good deals on legos.  It is also the reason I've wasted more hours than I care to admit playing video games.  And now, it is the reason I will be removing a dead hermit crab from a cage, piece by disgusting piece.  I hope Speedy doesn't take my hand off while I'm cleaning up his kill.

Unexpected Visitor

It's never boring here.  We had an unexpected visitor yesterday.  It started right after church.  I was making the kids lunch when my parents showed up.  They had bought a cage and a stand for our pet parakeet, Sugar...but that's not the unexpected part.  As Ella and I were standing on the front porch waving good bye to my parents I saw something flying straight for my face.  I realized it was a bird, but thought surely it would change direction at the last minute.  But, no, it flew right into me and then landed on my rose bush.  I was sure it was a mockingbird.  The mockingbirds around here are pretty aggressive, and will even go after our cats if they feel they are threatening their nests.  But, to my surprise, it wasn't a mockingbird, or any kind of wild bird at all.  It was a green parrot.  He flew up onto my shoulder and started whistling and saying "pretty bird."  It was someone's pet!  

We had no idea where the bird came from.  We did, however, have several theories.  There was the logical...someone's pet escaped (thank you Kevin) to the not so logical.  As usual in this family, the not so logical far out weighed the logical.  Aidan's theory (mind you he really wanted to keep the bird and not find the owners) was that the owners of the bird were really old and died.  And, the owners' children were killed by snakes.  But, the bird escaped to come live with us.  His other theory was that the bird was my long lost childhood pet of which I had no memory (I do forget things a lot).  It had finally found me after all these years.  My mom's theory was that it had fallen out of a plane.  She was kidding, I think.  Mark's theory was my favorite.  He could not get over the coincidence that a bird mysteriously showed up on the same morning my parents just happened to bring us a bird cage.  He believed that my mom was throwing the bird out the window as they pulled out of the driveway.  He holds my parents responsible for all of the pets that we have acquired.  

We put the bird in the new cage, determined to find the owners (if they were still living!).  I have to say, I was really scared that we would end up with this bird.  Mark went to the pet store and started looking at larger cages.  Aidan started referring to it as his new pet.  The bird immediately attached himself to me, which was cute, but annoying.  She also pooped on my shoulder 3 times.  I was flattered that the bird bonded with me so quickly, but honestly, there is not a shortage in my life of clingy, pooping creatures.  

To top off our day of unexpected visitors, the doorbell rang around 9:00 last night.  Mark was not home, so I wasn't going to answer the door.  I didn't recognize the car out front.  But, they kept ringing the bell, and then started pounding on the door.  Aidan and I were both a little scared.  We tried calling Mark, but apparently, he had finally managed to pry his i-phone out of his hand because he was not answering.  I called our friend Linda, who just happened to be nearby, so she drove by the house.  She said it was a little girl.  It was the bird's owner.  Believe it or not, Kevin was right, the bird had escaped while she was taking out the trash.  The bird was very happy to see her friend.  And, I was very relieved to have one less thing to clean up after!  I was also relieved that the owners had not been killed by snakes.  It was a happy ending for everyone involved.  (except Aidan...he really wanted to keep that bird)