Teary Thanks

I truly and wholeheartedly thank each of you for your kind words of encouragement regarding Luke and Evie and, well, me. It is comforting to know your opinions, good or bad. I cherish being able to talk to you all from this tiny little blog and to hear your thoughts on each and every situation.

I put Evie's 16-page application in the mail to Child Study Center yesterday. (It required four stamps!) We will hold steady with our tutoring at home and move forward.


As for Luke, well, I'm going to do some more research. Someone suggested that we examine his diet. Another person suggested that we have him tested for ADD. And still others have suggested that he is simply bored in class. Whatever it is, I need to speak more with his teacher and examine our best options.

The greatest thing about this is the way our entire family, Lindsey included, has embraced the fact that these two children need to focus more heavily on their education. Trust me, we don't rule with an iron fist at our house, so don't be concerned that they are trussed up in chains and forced to chant the alphabet all day. But, instead, we are watching less (very little) television, and we are putting timers on the tasks that Luke has to finish so that he learns time management. Evie has a letter of the day. Yesterday's letter on Sesame Street was Z. Evie and Lindsey talked about that letter all day long and we asked Evie to tell us about it when we got home.

So, all our efforts are in full gear and hopefully, we'll see progress and receive more information from teachers and consultants in the near future.

Again, thank you to each of you. Every response brought sweet tears to my eyes, simply knowing that you all care enough to post comments and to encourage our family.

Heavy heart

I'm having a bit of a difficult week and for more reasons than just the illness that befell our home. Instead I'm grappling with (and have been for a couple weeks now) my fulfillment of motherhood. Yes, I know this is a common theme on this blog, other blogs, and throughout life for any parent. That is because it is important

The thing is, kids aren't perfect. They come out all sweet and cuddly, full of potential - anything can happen. They could grow up to be the president of the United States, or they could be a janitor, but more often than not, we picture our children as bright rays of brilliant sunshine, ready to conquer the world as doctors, attorneys, or financiers. Unfortunately, we can't all be those things, and that is what has become apparent in our lives these past weeks.

Luke is almost six and Evie is four and a half right now. I've had parent teacher conferences for both of them in the last two weeks, and well, the truth is that they aren't doing that well. Luke is smart, but apparently . . . and I hate to use this word . . . lazy. I've made jokes in the past that in the high school yearbook he would be voted "Most Likely to Join a Labor Union" - admittedly denigrating the members of a labor union and drawing on the negative stereotype (well, forgive me). But the truth is, the kid will not finish his work. And I'm not sure what to do to fix his laziness. I'm not sure I can. It's gotten so bad that the teacher actually sent home a long note attached to a thick stack of paperwork that said, in short, "This is all of Luke's incomplete work from last week and this week. Please have him complete it and send it back." I sat in shock, staring at the really thick stack of papers. "What is he doing?" I was appalled. I don't EVER remember just not doing my work at school. I was always too afraid of the consequences. Yes, I was a goody-goody, so I can understand if everyone isn't that way, but still, "What the hell is he doing while he's at school? Is he just sitting there?!"

I was pissed. I was confused. I was disappointed. I was worried. And then, I was just sad. I was sad, because what if this is my fault? What if he isn't doing his work because I haven't been at home to stay on top of his education? What if I sent him to the wrong schools? What if I failed to make sure he had access to the very best? Would things have been better if I stayed at home with him? Will things continue to go downhill if I continue to work? But if I ever considered quitting my job, would I be sending him the right message? Would I be doing him and myself justice? Would I even make a difference in the situation or make it worse by coddling him and being there to force him to do the things that he needs to take responsibility for himself? I don't know the answers, but I know it is eating me up inside.

To make matters worse, I had Evie's parent-teacher conference this week and the results were worse. She just isn't getting it. At all. She can't say her alphabet on her own. She's four and a half. Most two and three year-old kids can do it. My little girl can't. She's been exposed to it. We've had her in school her entire life except the first six weeks. She has had the alphabet sung to her at least five days out of each week, if not more. We count, we read books, we play games and do puzzles. And yet, she just can't retain it. We don't know if there is a "learning difference" as they now call it instead of a "learning disability". (They obviously know a parent's heart is tender.) The thing is, and I'm not even trying to kid myself here, she really does have some smarts. I swear it. She has the Moron Test on my iPhone freakin' memorized - and that is not easy considering that she can't read. (if you don't know what this is, click here and see below).



But I still tormented myself with all the same questions I had about Luke. Did I somehow cause this? Would it have helped if I wasn't a working mom? Did I put her in the wrong schools? How do I "fix" this? I'm not sure.

So, the thing is she is young. She still has 18 months until she starts kindergarten since her birthday is in late September. And, we're going to have her tested at the Child Studies Center as soon as possible. If she does in fact have a "learning difference" we can hopefully address it and get her moving in the right direction. But for now, I'm just a little sad for her (not me) that she doesn't get to learn the easy way, that she can't just pick things up the way Luke can, and that she's frustrated when she tries to learn things.




I love these two, wonderful, caring children with my entire heart and I just hope I can do the right things for them now and for the rest of their lives. (Yes, I know those aren't the best pictures of them.)

Sorry for my sappy post, but it is what is on my mind and in my heart right now. Hopefully, this naked baby picture will make you smile.

Now Lindsey is sick. It's a stellar week at our household. Right now I'm a full-time mother, part-time lawyer.

This is what my head feels like when I roll over on my bed.

I'm popping Sudafed. Ugh.

Took Nyquil last night and now I can barely keep my eyes open at my desk. So sleepy . . .

I finally did it.

I worked all weekend except when I took a break to go to the crazy school auction. It was a blast, but I remained in shock the entire time. I'll have to give you all a rundown tomorrow, but today I'm too tired to even contemplate it after my morning.

Today, I finally did it. I took the kids to the dentist. All THREE. At. The. Same. Time. In spite of that, the dentist was fantastic. Not a single tear! Can you believe it? The kids were champs and everyone at the dentist's office was beyond friendly and accommodating. Our dentist was super great too. She asked Luke, "So, is there anything that's bothering you lately?" You know, in reference to his teeth, right? Well he answered, "No, just my sister." The doctor cracked up and I had to ask what he had said. What a goofball. The two older kids got balloon animals and toys in addition to a bag filled with fun toys and toothbrushes. Their teeth look pretty good, except there is a possibility that Luke has an extra tooth - we'll know more when he turns six, and Evie is guaranteed to have to see an orthodontist because she has what the doctor called an "open bite." Here's an explanation.

Apparently she got this from her bad habit of sucking on her tongue - remember she has an abnormally large tongue. This is a bummer because neither Chuck nor I had braces.

Here is a picture of Luke having his teeth counted.
He and Evie wore sunglasses so that the "bright light" didn't hurt their eyes.
They were totally pampered!

George was ready for his turn.

George looked on as Evie relaxed and had plaque removed.

Even George got a check up.
Here's a picture of "Flash" at the dentist.
He would not sit still.

He has six teeth and two more fighting to push through. I was so impressed with everybody at the office, I will be recommending this dentist to all my friends (although I'm sure that all my friends are more responsible than me and have already located and visited a dentist of their choice by now).

She's got a mean side, right next to the sweet side

Evie: "Walter, you want some kisses? I saved some up for you!"

Fergi jumped up on the sofa beside her and she looked at Fergi in total disgust and said,
"Not you! Do you look like Walter?!"

Poor Fergi.

Over the Top

Have I mentioned how great Luke's school is?

It is a public school, but it feels more like a private school and I'm not really accustomed to that. I went to public school when I was growing up, but Chuck went to a private school. His was a small Catholic school that was always hurting for funds. Mine was the quintessential public school - nothing special, but nothing terrible.

Well, Luke's school is unbelievably over the top. I've previously explained that the parents are WAY involved and Chuck and I are both on different committees to do various things at the school - I help teach Science Lab once a month and Chuck is on the Grounds committee. Well, the most recent thing going on is the school auction. I thought this would be pretty fun. I mean, an auction is always fun, right? Chuck and I are sharing a table with three other couples that we know from football, soccer, and school. (They invited us to share, otherwise, I don't think I would have even remembered to buy tickets).

But, let me begin by saying that this "auction" is way more than an auction. This is an auction on steroids. Seriously! I received a booklet yesterday that had all the different auction items in it and there are SEVEN different auctions that are going on. They include (1) a live auction (2) Four Board auctions (I don't know what that is yet); (3) Silent Auction; (4) Wine Pull; (5) Split the Pot; (6) Teacher sponsored auction items; and (7) Parent sponsored auction items. And when I tried to figure out who had time to put all this together, I looked at the list of the auction committee in the front of the booklet - more shock. The auction committee consists of two pages of names - approximately 80 people! 80 PEOPLE!

I'm pretty overwhelmed at the entire process, but I have been clued in that there are things like "Spend 1/2 a day with the Principal" that will go for hundreds of dollars, if not more. They have things like putting your kid's name on the marquee for the month of their birthday, reserved parking in the carpool line, sleep overs in the gym at school, a crawfish boil party for 25 couples, items autographed by stars such as Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, the cast of Harry Potter, U2, etc., and TONS of other things. It's outrageous! It actually took me approximately 40 minutes to read through the entire booklet full of auction items and rules - yes, rules. Then I had to actually highlight stuff we might (1) be interested in purchasing and (2) be able to afford (although I have my doubts). And we have to bid on something. Really, at least one something if not several somethings. Next year, I'm going to have to save up our cash just for this freakin' auction.

To top off the unbelievable aspect of this entire thing, one of the couples at our table has hired a car to chauffeur us all to the auction and back home.

Responsible?
Yes.

Over the top?
Uh, yeah.

So, when I get over my hangover Sunday afternoon, I'll be sure to post all the outrageous, over the top items we were "forced" to purchase at this crazy-ass auction. But then I will have to remind myself that Luke's school is amazing and totally worth it. I mean, I was flipping through our local newspaper last night looking for coupons (yes, coupons - no need to start making fun), and he saw this picture (which was nowhere near this big).

He said, "Wait! Go back!"

I flipped back through the paper until he saw the picture again. He pointed to it and said, "This is our artist of the month."

Me, "Oh yeah? Do you know his name?"

Luke said with disappointment, "I can't remember."

Me, "His first name is Andy."

Luke finished with pride, "Warhol!"

Me, "Yup."

Then he explained to me that Andy Warhol's greatest work of art was a picture of a can of soup.


Seriously, he knew all that! In Kindergarten! Yeah, seriously. So, the auction is probably worth it.

P.S. I forgot to mention that there is also a raffle.

Bladder linked to Leapster?

Yesterday, Lindsey asked Luke if he needed to relieve his bladder.

He said, "Okay, I'll turn the Leapster down one more level!"

Kids are peculiar.

A post about George

This post is mostly about this little, precious, adorable boy, who is already making us laugh on a daily basis.

George has a new favorite toy. I tried to convince him to give it to me before I took it down stairs, but no luck. Then I forcibly took it from him and he screamed. I know I spoiled him, but I gave it back because (1) it can't hurt him, (2) it isn't breakable, and (3) the screaming is the last thing I want to hear in the evening. I'm certain I'll regret this eventually.

He is apparently into hygiene these days, because I also found him roaming around with Luke's toothbrush and toothpaste. At least he knows exactly what to do with it.

And here he is all snuggled up with Lola. Aren't they cute? I don't dare to hope that they will actually be friends, but it sure would be nice.

You can see that he's done this on separate occasions, although you'll notice that the toys are the same in the background. So, either, (1) we never clean up (which is quite possible) or (2) it is the same night and we just changed his clothes. Who knows.

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but George has a quirky little obsession with soft things - blankets, pillows, hair, socks, blankets, coats, pets - whatever is soft. If he sees something soft, he has to stop what he's doing and put his face on it. So, for example, when he is crawling from one side of the den to the other to get a toy, if he sees a pillow, he has to stop and put his face on it for just a moment before he can keep crawling toward the toy. It's his first sign of obsessive-compulsive behavior, but it is funny and cute, and way better than sucking his thumb.

News Headline

I heard a story on the radio this morning about this local woman who won a chance to serve a tennis ball and hit a target in order to win $1 million. She has to do it in Madison Square Gardens in front of a ton of people including Billy Jean King, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. Cool right? The radio said she originally entered the contest to win some tennis equipment for her daughter who plays at a local high school. But instead of winning tennis equipment, she won the grand prize.

Well, this story was somewhat interesting when I heard it on the radio, but when my plant lady (who waters the plant in my office once or twice a week) walked in and showed me the following newspaper article: ARTICLE from the Fort Worth Star Telegram, I said, "Hey, I heard about this on the radio." She paused and smiled, my eyes got wide and I smiled, and I said, "Oh my gosh! Is this YOU?!" She smiled wider, bursting with excitement and said, "Yes!" We went on discussing it. She's so freakin' excited and I'm excited for her! Tell me, how often does a news headline walk into your office????

The big day for her is March 1. I would LOVE to see her win. She's a great lady who always smiles and always has a kind word for me and the pictures of my sweet babies in my office. Oh, and I made her stand there while I took her picture. Here she is!

Look how happy she is!!!

Mr. Gaga

Got a video of Mr. Gaga. It's a little forced because I was trying to get it on film. As I mentioned, George is fascinated by the camera, so it's almost pointless to try and record him doing anything other than reaching for the camera.

Comments vs. Reactions

Okay, guys, I need your input. I added that section at the end of each blog post that has reactions that you can check. I think the three options are (1) funny, (2) interesting and (3) cool. Just so you know, I did not hand pick the options that are there, but just posted them on the blog to give it a whirl. So, what do you think? I'm trying to figure out if it is just one of those things that when you see a button you have to push a button. Mostly, I've come to this hypothesis because two people checked "funny" for my last blog post that was really not funny, interesting or cool. So, tell me, are you pushing the buttons just for the sake of utilizing the buttons?

Secondly, do the buttons prevent you from commenting? Because I seriously LOVE comments. I know every blogger does, but as a mom of two (who talk) and one who doesn't talk, and a back-office lawyer, I am glad to know that someone is actually listening to me. It's nice to hear if you think I'm being stupid or justified or amusing. I really, REALLY like comments. So, if you comment, I hereby promise to respond to the best of my ability. Plus, if you ask me questions, I will absolutely answer. I don't care how outrageous the question is, because, well, I'm basically and open book as it is. Seriously, look at this face. I don't hide anything.

(Evie took this picture, then she followed it up with a picture of her foot.)

(I don't know why. I guess that's the mind of an artist.)

Anyway, let me know what you think. As always, I'm glad to know that there are people out there who read this so that I don't constantly feel like I'm talking to myself in my own little delusional world. I also adore my kids and my family and it is more fun to share something you love with others. Thanks for reading and commenting. (Although I'd probably keep talking to myself even if no one was reading.) It's always a pleasure!

Just the ordinary.

I had my first parent-teacher conference yesterday with Luke's teacher. She was complimentary of him. Said he is sweet, smart, social, and easy-going - she emphasized the easy-going part of it several times. But, she also said he is having trouble focusing when he is working independently. Although he is above-average with his academics (yay, for that), she is concerned that he could fall behind in first grade when they do more independent work simply because he doesn't focus and finish his work when he has to work on an assignment on his own. We are going to start working on having him focus on a particular task at home and setting a timer on it so he can learn time management. We hope it works. Let me know if anyone out there has any other suggestions.

Walter is finally getting groomed today. I can't wait to post his before and after pictures. He is such a mess! As for all the pets, well, they are testing their boundaries and each other. They are trying to establish who is the dominant dog. Quite frankly, Walter has them all beat. First, he's the biggest, and second, he's REALLY protective of his food. Lola is super annoying - as all puppies are, and the older two lack patience to take her puppy shit. She jumps on them and bites them and barks at them in that puppy playful way. Let me just say, it is pretty annoying to me, so I imagine it is even worse to poor Fergi and Walter.

Nothing exciting to post today. Sorry. Hope you all have a kick ass Fat Tuesday!

This is a first for me.

Our little man George has become obsessed with music and dancing. I personally think this is a great thing. If you don't live with us (like Lindsey) then you probably don't know that our family occasionally engages in "Dance Party USA" moments. Yes, I put on some music, turn it up really loud, and we rock out in the living room - all of us doing our own crazy dance moves - even Chuck sometimes. It is only somewhat embarrassing to do it in front of a new person (i.e. Lindsey) for the first time, but then that person learns to get over it and enjoy the show, even if she doesn't join in the fun. But George - well, he loves to dance and it doesn't matter whether I'm singing or if he hears a commercial with a catchy tune, or if we're at church listening to an upbeat hymn. He loves to dance. Loves it. And I love to watch him dance.

Lindsey, albeit not a dancing fool, does enjoy playing music on her ipod or listening to music on tv on a regular basis. It is for this reason that my little man started singing before he started talking. He does not currently say "mommy" or "daddy" or any other recognizable words, to our disappointment. However, he can sing one particular song. And we all listened in wonder the first time we each heard him sing some lines from Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." Nope, I'm not lying. This is the first time I've ever heard of a kid singing before he says his first word. I've tried to catch this on video on multiple occasions, but every time he sees the camera, he becomes totally distracted from singing the song and focuses on the camera in silence or dives for the camera like you see here.


It is totally frustrating, because this is one of the funniest things I've ever seen and when Lindsey first told me about it I didn't believe her until I heard it for myself. So, I guess you may not believe me, but he totally does it and it cracks me up.

Now, for the older, possibly unexposed readers out there, here is a link to Lady Gaga's song so you can hear what it sounds like. My sweet little man, bops up and down while he sings, "ga ga ooo ma ma." The lyrics are:

Roma roma-ma
GaGa
Oh la-la

He doesn't have the words exactly right, but when he sings it, you know exactly what song he's singing. It is hilarious. He's listening to Lady Gaga in this picture.



And this picture:


All you have to say is "Oh ma, ooh la la" and he'll repeat it and bop up and down. Then Luke will correct us when we get the words wrong and he'll sing practically the entire song. At least we have something that we know will cheer up George anytime - a little Lady Gaga goes a long way with him.

A bottle to soothe.

Working today, but this little one's picture is cheering me up.


The beer bottle was empty, but he wouldn't let me take it away from him. He started screaming and throwing a fit right after this picture was taken when I tried to pry the bottle out of his hands.

12 Inches

No, it's not what you're thinking. You have dirty minds. Shame on you.

It's how many inches of snow we got yesterday! Isn't that ridiculous? We have several tree branches breaking under the weight of the snow and there are two cars in a ditch down the street from me, but it is still a freakin' winter wonderland here.

Picture of downtown Fort Worth, taken from my office this morning:

Picture of the kids with their snowman. It looks "fluffy" because it snowed another six inches after they made it. You can see the snow stacked up on the nose (made out of a celery stick).


Here is a picture of the park down the street. Tons of branches down and one BIG tree toppled. You can see it in this picture, but you have to look closely.

And here are some pics of the new family members. I know you guys are getting tired of the pets, but we'll get back to normal again one of these days, and you'll get bored with pictures of my actual children again.


They're still sweet, little shits. It's been a shitty week, literally and figuratively. Glad to end it with some pretty snow. Just wish I didn't have to be at work today.

Hmmm.

I don't know what is going on here in North Texas, but we are expecting between 4-7 inches of SNOW today! What the hell? I've never seen it snow so much here. I woke up at 3 a.m. and there was already full accumulation on our roof. And this morning, there was a solid 2-3 inches on the ground and on the cars. Unbelievable! And for the first time I had to warn my kids not to eat the yellow snow. Who would have ever guessed?


Here's Luke munching on a block of snow that fell off the car. He started eating it before I figured out where it came from. Sorry, it's a bad picture. I was driving in the snow while I snapped it with my phone. Probably not a good idea, but since I went to such great lengths to take the picture, I'm not going to let it go to waste.

Yesterday, Luke's school celebrated the 100th day of school. I never celebrated this when I was going to school, but apparently it's a big deal. So, each of the kindergarteners had to come up with a project where they put together 100 of something into a presentation. For example, 100 pennies on a poster board, 100 cottonballs, 100 goldfish, etc. We made similar suggestions to Luke while he was debating what to use in his project, including the suggestion of our extra wine corks that we've been saving for no particular reason. He nixed the idea and decided to use . . . dog food. Yup, dog food. Cool project, right? I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Al-righty."

So the next day I got a poster board at Walgreens and came home ready to help him complete his project. I got out my lo-temp hot glue gun and set up shop. (Eat your heart out Martha Stewart!). I told Luke to go gather up the dog food that he wanted to put on the poster board and he surprised me by saying, "No mom. I want to use corks."

I creased my eyes in confusion, "I thought you said you wanted to use dog food."

Luke, "No. I changed my mind."

Me, "Okay, let's start counting the corks"

We pulled out 100 corks, alternating with our counting.

Luke moved one cork to the board, "One."

I moved the next and said, "Two."

And so on.

Then we had to come up with a pattern. I was at a loss, but eventually we came up with this, so that Luke could count it by fives.


I did the glue, and Luke put the corks on the glue. It turned out pretty well.

We tried to come up with a catchy title for our creation, but all we could think of were jokes about our drinking habits.

For example, "The Month of December", "100 Wonderful Days", "The Tip of the Iceberg", etc.

I asked Luke what everyone thought of his project and he said, "They thought it was . . . interesting." Great. I can just picture Luke's teacher saying, "Wow, Luke. That's interesting." and then muttering to herself, "That explains a lot."

The New Family Members

We changed the new dogs' names to:

Buyer's

and

Remorse

Trust me. The little one looks sweet here, but she is a pain in the ass (as I anticipated). I did actually change her name to Lola by telling Luke that she won't respond to the name Maggie. It worked. She is officially Lola, and I can't count how many times I've already said, "No, Lola!" and "Dammit Lola!" I can't remember ever cleaning up this much shit and pee at one time.

The other dog is actually as sweet as he looks. Seriously. He's really skinny and stinky, but I can't get him groomed until his stitches come out. Yuck. Also, he does not respond to the name Walter or any of the other names I had picked out. I keep trying out random names to see if I can catch his attention. So every once in a while you hear me saying, "Come here, Bob! . . . Joe! . . . Larry! . . . Donald!" No response, so I'll try again, "Come on, Shaggy! . . . Merv! . . . Shooter! . . . Fred!" Nothing. I think we might end up just sticking with Walter since I have no idea what his name was before.

Glutton for Punishment

Hey there peeps! Here's the update.

Fergi is home and very sore. They cut a great big hole in her stomach, removed the skin, pulled the remaining skin together and stitched her up. She looks and feels terrible. So pathetic, but she was still able to bark at the pizza delivery guy last night.


Today, I pick up the new dogs. I have decided on the name Walter for my dog (I like the story of Walter the Farting Dog - good call Lisa), and Luke and Evie are dead set on the name Maggie for their dog, even though I rallied for Stella or Lola this morning. (I love the name Lola!) Anyhow, I'm getting myself ready for a long night of puppy whining and trips to the potty (aka the yard).

As for my real kids: George is recovering from his weekend illness (did I even mention that? - Yup, an ear infection + drainage = more antibiotics). Evie was coughing like crazy yesterday and started running at fever of 102 late last night. Her temperature is normal this morning, but she started trying to throw up. Lucky me. Luke is well, but making me shake my head.

A while ago, Luke asked me where George came out of me. I gently explained that there is a special hole that George comes out of. Luke, "In your bottom?" Me, "Yes, around my bottom." He seemed satisfied.

This morning he was peeing and I was waiting for him to finish so that we could get him dressed and rush out the door. As he finished peeing, he looked at me and said, "Mom, these are cheeks." He pointed to his butt cheeks and grinned.

Me, "Yes they are."

Luke replied with pleasure, "We have two cheeks! Cheeks on our bottom and cheeks on our face."

Me, "That's right."

Luke continued, "And our butt is in between the cheeks where there's a line."

I was already growing weary of the discussion as I waited for him to pull up his pants, "Yes, now pull up your pants and flush the toilet."

Luke paused and then he asked, "Mom, when can I see the hole that babies come out of."

I paused, "Uh, you can't see mine."

He looked at me with that smart-give-me-a-break look and said, "It comes out of your bottom, doesn't it." As if I've been lying about there being a "special hole."

Me, "Nope. It comes out of a special hole for babies."

Luke, "Well, when can I see it?" (Mind you, he's still standing there with his pants down and his junk hanging out freely.)

Me, "You can never see mine, but maybe I'll get you a book that explains it."

He seemed put out, but I switched the topic quickly, "Luke! Pull your pants up. I don't need to see your bottom and your private parts, and we need to get you to school!"

End scene. Seriously, that kid wears me out.

P.S. My apologies to my friends Jack and Ashley because our dog is going to have the same name as their daughter. Please take it as a compliment that we like the name so well. When George and your daughter Maggie get married, I'm sure our dog Maggie will probably not be around anymore.

What have I done?

Okay. So, I dropped Fergi off at the vet this morning and they rushed her back to get her started. I read up on mast cell tumors, and it seems much less frightening than it did Saturday. Apparently, it is common and the survival rate is high, so no worries yet. I'm not entirely sure of the process, but they are going to remove the tumor with a wide margin and see how invasive the cancer cells are around the lump. My understanding is that the presence of cells in the margin will indicate whether chemo is necessary. Chuck and I have decided that if chemo is necessary, we will not proceed. I just can't imagine putting my poor angel through that without a guarantee that she will survive. So, for now, we're just hoping that there will be one surgery and they will release her with a fairly clean bill of health.


With that said, the family had already decided to adopt at least one pet at the time that Fergi was diagnosed. And so, we will be adding not one, but two dogs to our family tomorrow. I'm not really comfortable with the timing, but I find that I can rationalize just about anything these days. So, anyway, we are adopting from the pound two dogs. The first one is a puppy. (I'm not thrilled with the prospect of a puppy, but (1) they didn't have an adult version of this dog available; (2) Luke and Evie really wanted a puppy and wouldn't consider any other dog; and (3) she is really super cute.) She's a retriever mix and three months old. We haven't decided on a name yet, although the kids have discussed the following possibilities:

• Aggie
• Odie (think Garfield)
  
• Maggie
• Gilmore Girl
• SugarSnap
• Pancake

My choice name is Stella, at the moment. Here's a picture.


Then, completely on accident, I fell in love with this dog.

Isn't he adorable, in a shaggy, pathetic kind of way? He's three and a half years old and sweet as he could be. I seriously fell in love on the spot, even though I wasn't looking for this dog. It was just meant to be and I couldn't leave him there. Chuck and Lindsey are making fun of him because he looks old. They keep calling him the "geriatric dog", but he is seriously sweet and adorable. The names I have picked out for him include:

• Walter (Cronkite)
  
• Phineas
• Albert or Finney (as in Albert Finney)
  
• Emmett
  

Tell me what you think. The kids want to call him "Pooperbang" because he pooped and pooped and pooped when we took him out of his cage and let him run around so we could get to know him. He had apparently been holding it in for a while. That alone, put him high on my list since he's obviously house trained and good at it. Give me your thoughts.

All three pets are having surgery today. The two from the pound are being "fixed" and Fergi is getting her lump removed. All three will meet tomorrow, but they should be drugged up and feeling weak so they won't be aggressive - at least, that's my hope. We'll keep them away from each other, but I just have this feeling that it's all going to work out perfectly. And if there's one thing you learn in the Army, its to be optimistic. (Consider that Movie Quote 55).

Oh, just got a call from the vet. Fergi did fine, but we probably won't know anything about the spreading or extent of the cancer until next week sometime.

We'll have to dress her in pink.

Our dog Fergie has a lump on her belly. We took her to the vet today and the vet said it was probably just a fatty lump that is common in dogs. She decided to go ahead and do a needle aspirate just to confirm, but she called me less than an hour later to say that it is malignant. My sweet puppy has cancer. She turned nine years old Tuesday. The doctor wants to remove the lump on Monday by working her into the schedule. Poor baby girl.

Freakin' bring on the weekend already.

Lindsey and I are headed to the rodeo tonight sans Chuck and the kids. Should be a fun girls night out. I have passes from my firm, so I'm looking forward to actually seeing the rodeo. Then tomorrow night we are going to eat at the Backstage Grill at the Rodeo (I think that's what it is called). It's fun to eat dinner in a restaurant that is kind of like a suite at the Rodeo. I'm looking forward to it, but worried about what to wear - I'm such a girl.

Today, I'm stuck in my least favorite suit and I'm ready to go home and trade it for a pair of jeans, some boots, and a comfortable (but stylish) shirt. I'm so ready for the weekend! I woke up this morning and could have sworn it was Saturday. Imagine my chagrin when I figured out that it was, in fact, only Friday.

Rain

Luke asked me this morning, "Do you know why it rains?"

I paused, "Uh . . .no?"

Luke continued, "Well, God picks up a chair and when he lifts it up it causes the lightening. Then God drops the chair and that makes the thunder. And when He drops it on his toe, that makes it rain."

Me, "I had no idea."

Luke, "Mmm-hmm. Really, mom."

Me, "ooo-kay."

Honorable friends

I have two friends currently running for judge, and a few friends who are actually judges already. It is a very strange sensation to have their signs in my front yard and see their pictures on signs around town. This is a byproduct of being an attorney that I didn't really expect or anticipate.

Cool but weird, right?