anything but all American mutts

So when we had to give away our beloved dog Jenna to move to Germany we decided we would not be getting another pet while we lived in Germany. That lasted a whole 4 months. We are animal lovers and a home does not feel complete to us without an animal.

As (I hope) most women do I go through baby phases. Where I wish I could have another. Those usually last until the kids start fighting. I think Jason gives in to these by letting me get a dog. LOL





So about 4 months after moving to Germany a classmate of Dalton's had a Boxer who had puppies with a Great Dane. Needless to say I fell in love with one of the puppies. She was the lightest colored and smallest puppy, I think she was the runt. From day one she has loved sleeping in the bed under the covers with any one of us who will let her. We named her Leyna (which in Indian means Little Angel).





About 6 months after getting her my mom came to visit and we took her running (about 1 mile). The next morning she was very stiff and didn't want to lay down. Took her to the vet and the vet said not to take a puppy running and gave her some medicine. LOL that is like saying not to let a toddler run.





I will save the long story and say that over the next year and a half we went to multiple vets because she would go through spells where she would stop eating, get very stiff, and would stop drinking. We would have to get water down her throat with a turkey baster and I would spoon feed her canned food because a dog that usually sits at about 55-60 pounds would wither away to about 40-45 pounds. Anybody that saw her probably thought we starved her.





We almost lost her a couple of times. We noticed something would change in her when we would have other dogs around. So we asked our Landlord if we could get a cat and off to the flea market in Belgium we went.





The only cats we could find were Persian and Jason is allergic to animals so we didn't think an ugly $600 cat with long hair would be a good choice. We took 200 Euro with us to the flea market and after not finding a new pet we grabbed something to eat and Jason bought a puzzle.





We were heading back to the car when Dalton spotted a pet store and we said sure why not. OH MY GOD, they had the cutest puppies. The sign said they were Maltese and Yorkshire Terrier. I immediately fell in love, but the price was 200 Euro. I left like a sad kid and my wonderful husband said lets see how much change I have in the car. In Euro the $1 and $2 are coins, so when you look at change you could end up having about 20 Euro easily.

We scrounge up 200 Euro (including pennies)LOL. I ran, not walked ran, back to the store and there was a lady holding the puppy that I wanted. I stood back for a moment and watched. She went to put her back in the box (I don't think the puppy's feet actually touched the bottom) and I swooped her up and yelled I want this one!

We took her home and hoped Leyna would accept her.

I think it all worked out. More on the adventures of Leyna and Molly later.

Uggg....you mean I still am not done with laundry?

I have been trying to finish the laundry for the last 13 years!

Why is it when you have children the laundry never ends? We do a pretty good job of dividing up the chores in our house but some things never end.

The kids didn't like (or do a very good job at) doing the dishes so we traded Jason and I decided to do dishes and the kids were in charge of laundry. That is until I could never find any clean clothes. So I would go down to the laundry room and find baskets overflowing!

So recently I took the laundry back (at least washing and drying). The kids still fold and put away, because I believe in chores! I have been working tirelessly at the laundry this weekend and I just went down to transfer the second to last load and breathed a sigh of relief. THEN...I walked into their bedrooms.

I give up, until they move out I will NEVER be "caught up" on laundry!

I've been tagged...

10 Years Ago (1998):
1. I had been married for 1 year
2. I had a new baby
3. I moved into base housing
4. I traveled cross country on a train
5. I was adapting to the military life style

5 Things on Today’s “To Do” List:
1. Take care of Jason
2. Watch my recorded Lipstick Jungle
3. Get clothes and lunch ready for tomorrow
4. Make a welcome packet for our classroom
5. Go to bed before 11:00

5 Things that I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Pay off bills
2. Kids college money
3. BOOBS!
4. Buy Jason a new truck
5. Go on the cruise Jason has been promising me for 6 years

5 Places I have lived:
1. Spokane, WA
2. Chewelah, WA
3. Colville, WA
4. Germay
5. Penn Valley, CA

5 Jobs I have had:
1. AAA Auto Travel Counselor
2. CNA
3. Child Development Program Assistant
4. Merry Maid
5. Medicare Claims Customer Service Rep.

My poor baby

The alarm goes off at 0430 this morning. I grumble and roll over. Jason gets up and gets in the shower. Next thing I know he is waking me up, "Come on honey, we gotta go."

I get up and get in the shower throw on some comfy clothes and out the door we go. It is now 5:30 am. I am dreading the 2 1/2 hour drive to Travis AFB. I go back to sleep in the car because I know it is going to be a long day. I had no idea how long it was actually going to turn out to be!

We check in at the Oral Surgery clinic at 8:15 and they say to have a seat. So we sit. And we sit. And we sit until 10:00 am. I MADE him go ask at the desk what is taking so long.

They said his actual appointment is at 10:00 they needed to make sure he didn't eat anything! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? The Air Force trusts him to work on its multi million dollar aircraft, but they don't trust him to not eat before surgery?

FINALLY, about 10:30 they call his name. By this time I am starving because I can't eat in front of him. I decide to just wait because I know he will want a milkshake when he gets out.

So I wait. And I wait. And I wait, until 12:15. I finally asked if they knew how long. They said at least 30 more minutes. So I go get a drink and smoke 1 cigarette which is about 9 less than I wanted at this point. They have my cell number, but I want to be there when he comes out.

I get back to the clinic and the nurse saw me and said, "You Jason's wife?" I said yes. "That tooth is stubborn." I looked at her puzzled. See, Jason had a baby tooth up until a couple of years ago and they pulled it expecting the adult tooth to come down. Needless to say it never did. So for the second time in his adult life he is wearing braces and for the second time in his adult life he had surgery to uncover this adult tooth. The goal was to uncover the adult tooth and hook a bracket to it, to screw a hook into his bottom jawbone and later they will use that hook to pull on the tooth to tempt it to come down.

I say tempt because in my "professional" opinion it aint goin' nowhere!

At 1:30 I was freaked out! I asked at the desk "Is my husband okay?" They probably didn't like this question very well considering there were other people in the waiting room. They said he had just been wheeled to recovery and I should be able to go to him shortly.

So, finally around 2:00 they tell me I can go to the recovery room. Now anyone that knows Jason very well knows he is silly. Let me tell you what a little anesthesia does to him! LMAO

I walk thru the door and he is hollering "over here." He looks so cute and yet so pitiful with his ice packes tied over his head around his face. The nurse gives me the info for aftercare and says let me close the curtains so you can get dressed. HAHA! Little does she know how unmodest my husband is. He rips the gown off like it was nothing. I try to take the stickers off his chest that the monitor was connected to but he wouldn't let me. I didn't even ask.

We finally get to the car and get headed home about 2:15.

He is starving, as am I, at this point. So we get through Sacramento and I deicde to find a KFC so he can have some mashed potatoes with his milkshake. I go into KFC and ask if they serve milkshakes and I am told "This isn't A&W." I was in awe. I love customer service!

Luckily there was a McDonald's nearby. We get about 30 minutes from home and I realize it is 4:30 and I do not have nearly enough energy to cook so we have to stop again!

We get home and I feel that I am finally done. Then I realize Kaitlin has Youth group tonight! MAN! Is the day of a mother never done? I have finally figured out the answer to that question is NO! But I wouldn't have it any other way! Hopefully after a couple days of rest my hubby will feel better. Bust as for me, I am finally heading to bed. right now.

Can I contain my excitement?

NO!

So, after being out of the field for awhile I went back to child care. Of course starting over you are at the bottom of the totem pole. Regardless of all the experience and having a current background check.

Today, after 3 months of employment, I was offered a classroom! The classroom is pre-tods (12-24 months) which is "my" age group. I cannot contain my excitement. The other teachers in the classroom are almost as excited as I am and we have big changes in store for the kids. Might be a little rocky until we get everything organized but I am right back where I want to be and now I can get started on my C.D.A.

Sunday Football tradition

How many households in America tune into Football on Sundays? I don't care. The only one I care about is mine. Let me tell you a typical Sunday in my household.

7:30 am - Alarm clock goes off I get in the shower while everyone else sleeps
8:15 am - I get out and wake up Jason who grumbles the whole way out of bed to the shower
8:30 am - Wake the kids up get ready for church
9:30 am - Leave for church
12:00 pm - Arrive home from church to hope that the whole game recorded
12:05 pm - Kiss Jason goodbye because I won't have his attention again until about 9:00 pm

The kids and I do our own thing usually this does not involve watching football.

Today was only a little bit different. The Vikings were playing the Bears and Jason has a friend who is a Bears fan. So the kids really got involved with the friendly rivalry. They got all dressed up in Vikings gear, Dalton even built a Lego statue as a tribute.

The best part of the day was that I actually got out of the house with another adult! We headed to a store in Roseville, where I found a few bottles of my favorite wines and even bought a couple of cigars. Yes, cigars. Jason and I were introduced by a friend of ours to cigars and we really like them.

"Mom, did you know you don't have a cerebellum?"

So, anyone that knows me knows I am clumsy! Let me set the stage by telling a little story. My family loves to play practical jokes and the most common one in our house is cold water while you are in the shower.

Shortly after we were married I thought I would be funny and get my husband. I filled my large plastic cup with freezing cold water in the kitchen and proceeded very quietly to the bathroom. I successfully sneak in without his knowledge. I 'gracefully' step onto the toilet lid and reach for the shower curtain rod which is directly across from the toilet.

I guess I didn't take into account that the bathroom was nice and moist at this time. My foot slipped and I landed on the floor on my back with the toilet seat making a perfect ringer around my right leg.

Knowing this tidbit of information I can tell you my 13 year old daughter came home from school the other day and said, "Mom did you know that you don't have a cerebellum?" Of course my reaction was what in the world are you talking about?

She said, "The cerebellum is the part of the brain that controls your balance and coordination. You don't have either of those."

Of course I couldn't help but giggle and my husband all out hysterically laughed. I didn't think it was that funny.