Pets...

We told the boys yesterday that we (meaning I) will be bringing our newer dog Lucy back to the Humane Society next week. We got her in February as a companion for our dog Tex. Well, although she is a lover and a great dog, she is not the dog for us! She is really needy and won't let anyone give Tex or the cat, Penguin, ANY attention. If one of us even starts to talk to Tex, she runs over and starts biting at his ankles (do dogs actually have ankles?) and his head. She's also bitten at Ethan's face a couple times, and although he was probably being too rough with her and somewhat deserved it, that still won't fly with me. She's also really active (read: hyper) and desperately needs to go for long walks everyday to get some of that pent-up energy out. Unfortunately, we don't walk our dogs on any regular basis. I'm lucky to remember to "walk" our kids! She will be a great dog for a couple with no kids, no other pets, and that likes to take her for daily walks.
That's two dogs now we've had to test-drive and return (remember our brief stint with Charlie the severely UN-housebroken cutie?). I always feel like such a tyrant bringing home new pets only to send them away once everyone is attached to them. Fortunately this time (I keep telling myself) no one seems to be really attached to Lucy and mostly seems to be annoyed by her. Except of course, Brad, who loves all of God's great creatures and still dreams of owning a kennel full of crazy, wooly, barking maddness. Yesterday he even suggested getting a sweet, little PIT-BULL pup. He was only HALF joking. He has a great heart.
Unlike me. I will probably be taking Lucy back next Tuesday while the kids are at school. I'm preparing myself now for the sideways glances from the animal lovers standing in line to rescue that new, unwanted pet while I arrive to add to the list of available adoptees. I'll probably cry on the way home and then move on. I did reassure the kids that we would never return THEM, unless of course they start biting or peeing on our bed...

First day of school. 1st and 2nd grade. Yes, I made them bring an apple for their teachers! Does anyone do that anymore? Maybe it's not P.C. ...Oh well, too late now!

Day One...and then some.

Well Mindy, aren't you proud of me. I am trying out this blog thing. I feel so...current! I realized the other day that music that I still think of as my "newer" collection of CD's is actually more like 10 years old. When did this happen? When did I suddenly fall out of touch with pop-culture? I'm sure it happened somewhere around 7 1/2 years ago. Hey, that's funny...Noah's 7 1/2!...

The kids are back at school and I'm, well, I'm procrastinating going to work. The house is so quiet. It's almost eerie! Ethan was throwing up on Sunday evening and I was trying to figure out how he could not miss his first day of school. Fortunately he woke up feeling fine so I sent him off to 1st grade loaded down with 2 bags of required school supplies and a lunch box full of bananas, applesauce, crackers and gatorade. He made it through the day fine and then threw up one last time when we walked in the door afterschool. He did okay yesterday too and today hopefully the worst is behind us.

My heart broke for him today when I dropped him off in the drop-off circle. He and Noah have always walked in together, giggling, skipping, and schemeing I'm sure. But not today. Noah's class is in a "classroom cottage" this year (aka...trailer) behind the building, so I pulled out of the car line and dropped him off by the playground closer to his room. Then I pulled up and let Ethan out at the regular door. He just looked so lost walking in all by himself. I'm sure he was fine. I'm sure I'm projecting my own worry on him. I'm excited to see Ethan finally start blossoming into his OWN unique, zany, wonderful little person. Man, those old people weren't kidding...they DO grow up fast.