We had our first big snow over the weekend. It’s always fun to watch how a puppy who has never seen snow will react to it.
It was early, like 4am early, and Mabel made it clear that she had to go outside. As I opened the door, I could see that there were about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground. Mabel stood on the porch while I walked out onto the driveway calling her. She wasn’t sure what to do. She finally ventured down the step and stared at me.
She eventually did her business (on the driveway) and flew back up to the porch. All she wanted was to go inside.
As the day progressed, she would go outside and go further into the yard. It helped that the kids went outside with her.
It has now become a chore to get her to come back in the house! There has been more than one occasion when I’ve had to chase her around the yard. I’m sure that she finds it humorous to make me run around after her.
She has had no problem adjusting to her new home. She even loves taking rides in the car. She loves taking a trip up to the school to pick up Ella at the end of the day.
In the short time she has been with us, she has become one of the family. She is growing fast, too. It won’t be long before she is as big as me.
The above photo, done by AI, probably has the look on my face correct. However, I actually fell INTO the house (and I’m not talking about inside).
On Friday, my wife ordered groceries online. She asked if I would run up to Meijer to get them. I knew the wagon was still in the back of the car, so I decided to take it out to make room for the groceries. I had my wallet and keys in one hand, the wagon in the other, and I went to put the wagon on the porch. Here is what I think happened.
As I started to step up onto the porch, the tip of my shoe must have hit the edge of the porch. The forward momentum caused me to begin to lose my balance. I could feel myself starting to fall and I had no way to stop it. As I fell forward, the wagon also caught on the porch, causing it to twist toward me. I’m sure that is how the handle ended up hitting me in the mouth and giving me a fat lip. As I tried to process that pain, I continued to fall forward. It was a millisecond after being hit in the face that I felt the top of my head slam into the side of the house.
The entire family was at the front of the house, so they never even heard me fall. I was seeing stars for a minute, but was able to get up. I picked up my wallet and everything that spilled out of it, picked up the keys and began to drive to Meijer. The more I drove, the more I began to hurt. My lip was swelling up pretty good and I had a headache. I didn’t think too much on it, until the guy loading my groceries said, “Looks like you took a nice hit to the head.”
I looked at it in the mirror and I had taken a slice or two of skin off the top. When I arrived home I had Sam look at it and she told me I should go to the ER, because it was a hit to the head. I took some Tylenol and said I would wait for a bit. My headache was bad, but there was no other sign of a concussion. Saturday I woke with a pretty nasty scrape.
On Wednesday, the kids got their early Christmas present. I went and picked up the puppy.
She is a St. Bernard and Poodle mix. So, I guess you call them a St. Berdoodle or a St. Benardadoodle. I’m not sure. The breeder was calling her Holly, which I liked because of the holiday season. However, the kids decided that she is Mabel.
She seems to be fitting right in …
I forgot how much I love going outside in the cold so that puppies can go potty! The adventure begins.
At my daughter’s school, they have a group called the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dad’s of Great Students). Dads, uncles, big brothers, grandpas and other male role models can volunteer for an entire day. You start your day with your child, then you move to another class room. Sometimes you are working as a hall monitor or out on the playground at recess. The idea is to have a male role model there for the kids.
They had a little pizza party for all the volunteers. We got a brief overview of the program and got information on how to get our T-Shirts. While we were there, I was amazed at how many people (kids and adults) knew Ella. Kids from all grades were coming up and saying hello. The dad who sat at our table said, “Oh, we hear all about Pamela every day after school.” She’s a social butterfly.
It was a nice night out with her and Sam’s dad.
My son’s preschool class (and some other classes, too) were collecting items at the beginning of the month for a local food pantry. I think they collected over 350 pounds of food for the pantry. Last week, they put all of the items in wagons and had a little parade over to the pantry to deliver the food.
We brought our wagon for his class, so he got to lead his class. The local news station was there and did a piece about it, but his class wasn’t shown on TV.
The biggest surprise of the week was a matter of debate. It’s a situation we’ve been in before and I was honestly against it. Sam was pretty set on her feelings about it and I caved.
Her Facebook post: “When the naughty little Elf on the Shelf surprises not only the kids, but also Keith with a puppy for Christmas.” That post included this picture:
Very cute – yes. I told her that I am not going through getting close to a dog for it to run away or go away again. I get attached to them. I told her that I didn’t want to be the only one out with the pooper scooper.
The pup has yet to arrive at the house, but it should be this week. She is a Bernardadoodle. A Poodle/St. Bernard mix. So I’m guessing this thing will be as big as me. I asked Sam, “Why can’t you bring home a normal size dog?” She refused to answer me.
I’m saying a prayer for patience and understanding about this ….
I found today’s photo in a stack of pictures I found in a box.
Growing up, we always had dogs. The two we had throughout most of my childhood were Lucy and Daisy. Daisy was a beagle and we got her when she was a puppy.
Lucy would bark. Daisy would howl. We had never heard a dog howl before. She would also go after birds, rabbits and other critters. She would have been a good hunting dog.
I remember when Lucy got old, my dad “took her to the farm” to get better. Well, that was obviously code for “putting her down.” She was very sick at the end and there was nothing that could be done. She was in a lot of pain, so the decision was made.
Daisy was around for quite a few years after Lucy. At some point my mom brought another puppy home and called it Sassy. I remember her playing well with Daisy, and at the same time she reminded me of Scrappy Doo. I can’t tell you why.
Thinking back, we had this one dog named Pepe that grew to be very large. They had told my folks that she would be a small dog. They lied. One time we were going to be gone all day. Dad thought he’s put the dogs in the garage so they wouldn’t go to the bathroom in the house. When we came home, Pepe had white stuff all over her face. She had been eating the drywall in the garage. Another time she had found a D battery and ate almost half of it. It is a wonder that dog didn’t kill itself with all it would eat.
When I moved out, someone gave me a kitten. From that time on, I think I’ve always had a cat. Currently Maizey and Bitsy are the felines in our house.
I know some folks aren’t pet people, but I’ve always been. I loved the companionship of our dogs and love when the cats decide to sit on my lap. Pets are truly family.
We woke up today to about an inch and a half of snow. There is more on the way before the week is done. It’s been fun to see how Daisy reacts to the snow.
She is not quite sure what to do with it. She sniffs it. She rolls in it. She eats it. It’s quite a scene.
When she is out by herself it was fun to watch. When the kids came outside, it was even more fun. The kids could not wait to get outside.
They were making snow angels, throwing snow up in the air, and running around like crazy. The puppy was loving every minute of it.
The puppy was hilarious. I would grab a bunch of snow and make a snowball. The pup would see it and get excited. I would throw it and it would explode as soon as it hit the ground. The pup would run to where it landed and would look around for it. If a snowball remained a snowball after it hit the ground, she’d go to pick it up with her mouth. Naturally, it would crumble immediately.
The more I threw snowballs for her, the funnier I found it. Sam came outside and I said, “Hey, watch this dumb dog!” I threw a snowball and she’d run after it it and go crazy when she couldn’t find it. She’s be digging around the snow. I was cracking up.
I did this for quite a while and karma came back to get me. I reached down to grab some snow for a snowball only to see that I had also scooped up with it a semi-fresh bit of dog poop! It was all over my gloves. No more snowballs for me.
Ok, Karma, I won’t make fun of the puppy anymore. I got your crappy message – literally!
It’s lunch time at work. In just a few hours I will punch out and head home for the holiday weekend. I am truly looking forward to four days with my family. It’s been a very busy year for all of us.
I was ready to write that my son had his last appointment for the year today, but I remembered he still has one more. Today we saw his neurologist. We discussed the results of his sleep study, the MRI, and his EEG. It was a long appointment and we have some direction and a plan of action.
I left the appointment and went right to work. I’m only a mile or so from the doctor, so I punched in early knowing I will be able to leave early. I was able to get most of my work done before lunch, so I thought I’d blog.
The other appointment, incidentally, will be to pick up his AFO leg braces. This is something that will help eliminate the toe-walking. Hopefully, he won’t need to be in them too long.
I recently blogged about our family tradition of getting a new Christmas ornament at Bronner’s. We had yet to go this year, but someone (maybe someone who read my blog) did the work for us. We received a Bronner’s box in the mail and the message inside said, “It looks like Daisy needs an ornament for that tree of yours!”
This week, I found out that McDonald’s has adult Happy Meals. Sam took the kids to get lunch and they brought me back one. Ella apparently said that mom and dad needed a toy, too!
How silly is that?!
Money has been a bit tighter this year than in the past. Normally, I would try to get something small for my boss and co-workers for the holiday, but I just couldn’t swing it. One of my coworkers got bags for everyone. There was a small gift and some chocolates. My gift was socks! Go figure, right!? Well, they are actually pretty cool.
If they only made socks with the Miser Brothers on them …
I’m looking forward to Christmas for many reasons. One of them is that the Elf on the Shelf goes back to the North Pole! It becomes work to do something with it each day. Some people really go all out! It’s crazy. My favorite one from this week ties into the last bit of news to share …
I don’t care if I use this one every year! Here is Twinkles, the elf, reading from the Bible. I said that it ties in with my last bit of news.
This week, I finished my 1st semester of the second year of my Bible classes. I will have three tests to do over the next week or so. Then I will move on to the second semester. I feel like I have really accomplished something. Actually having a lunch hour (which we really never got when I was on midnights) allows me to watch an entire class and take notes without any real interruptions. I’m hoping to keep it up and press toward the mark.
I know many of my blogger friends are taking a break over the holidays. I’ve got plenty of things lined up over the weekend, I don’t know that I will not blog, but just in case I don’t, I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. As we get ready to wrap up another year, I find myself grateful for you. Your own personal blogs, the comments you share here on my blog, and your friendship has brought me much happiness.
I look forward to a year of sharing experiences with each other.
“It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree that’s important, but rather who is around it.”
“The best Christmas gift is to realize how much you already have.”
“The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much.”
“From home to home and heart to heart, from one place to another, the warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other.”
I am so glad for the short work week. I’m looking forward to family time. Sam and I have Friday off and we are going to the Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo. We did this almost every year we have been together, but haven’t ventured through it with the kids yet. This will be their first time and we’re excited!
Even through all the bad years, I have been a Lions fan. Yesterday’s game was an amazing comeback. If you haven’t seen it, all you need to watch are the highlights from the last 3 minutes of the game. Detroit was down 12 points and in those 3 minutes, they put up 17 points to win the game. What a game!
As a bonus, for the first time since the 1960’s they have an 8-2 record.
Had a virtual appointment with my ADHD doc today. I told her how I was feeling. I had told my therapist how I felt and she asked me to ask people close to me if they noticed a difference. When I asked my wife, she was honest, as always. “Since you started this medication, you have been a complete A-hole.” So there you have it, I wasn’t wrong. It isn’t working.
We discussed a lot and she knows what med she wants to try, but it might boost up the blood pressure. She wants a baseline EKG, which I think they will do at my physical this week, to check my heart. Then, if all looks ok, she’ll order up the medication. Fingers crossed that this new med works.
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For those of you who asked just how big the puppy is …
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I mentioned that I put that tree up on the side porch. Lit up it actually looks good.
I’m forcing myself to write today. I have some funny things to share, and these are the type of things that have kept me going the last couple weeks.
Feeling … not right
When I got the diagnosis of ADHD recently and began the new medication, I had hoped that I would start to feel some things change. They did, but not in the way I expected. Now, I’m told that it takes 4-6 weeks for this new med to really do what it is supposed to do, and I have only been on half of the dose for a month. They are supposed to up the dose the next time I see them. I have an appointment with the place where I got my diagnosis this week, so I hope to get things sorted out.
I should not be feeling more depressed than I was before the medication, but I am. I am supposed to have my yearly physical next week and I am embarrassed to go in. All the weight I lost is back. Bad choices and emotional eating are to blame (ok, I am to blame, too!). There is no motivation. I have tried to psyche myself up to no avail. There is a program through work that I just stopped doing because I wasn’t feeling like myself and didn’t think it was helping. I have to go get bloodwork tomorrow and I always fret about what that is going to show.
I’m not saying meds are the answer, but something isn’t right. Here’s hoping that we figure it out.
Vet Visit
Daisy had a vet appointment today. She is 21 pounds already. The vet seems to think she will be bigger than we anticipated. “At least 100 pounds” Sam said.
She is totally puppy and chewing everything in sight. Housebreaking remains a challenge, but she starts her “Puppy Obedience” classes after Thanksgiving.
Ella went to the vet with Sam. When they got home, Sam says, “Hey Ella, tell daddy how they had to take Daisy’s temperature.” Without skipping a beat, she yells, “They used a butt thermometer!”
She’s still giggling about it.
Holiday Decor
While Sam and Ella were at the vet, Andrew and I put together the 8 foot arch that we got for out front. It wasn’t as difficult as I anticipated and I was able to get it up in about 30 minutes. Each bulb and the Merry Christmas sign have LED lights, so I cannot wait to see how this looks at night.
With the construction finally done, and our yard being semi-put back together, I need to get out and get some of the leaves out of the way. They have that hay with the netting all over the lawn so the grass will grow back, so I’m not sure just how much I can actually rake.
The majority of the holiday decorating is done, however, there are still a couple small things I need to do. I have those light nets for a couple of the bushes I need to get up and some lighted garland that I will put around the front door. Normally, when that is done, I am done. Not this year.
Sam wants to put an artificial tree out on the side porch this year. We didn’t want to buy a new one, so we kept an eye on Facebook marketplace for one. I asked a coworker if she knew anyone who was getting rid of a tree and she actually said she had one that had been sitting in the garage since they got one from her parents. At some point this weekend, there will be another tree to decorate.
Grades
Over the past two weeks, I finished up three tests for my Bible classes. This semester, we are in the books of Romans and Matthew. We are also in an Old Testament Survey class and a Preparation and Delivery of Sermons class.
I aced all three tests. They were tough. I plan on using my lunch break at work daily to watch the classes and take tests. It’s a nice, because usually no one is in the building, so it is uninterrupted.
Brotherly Q & A
My brother, who has written a couple times for this blog in a “guest” role contacted me and said he really enjoyed it. So he thought it would be cool to think of some holiday themed questions to ask each other. He sent me his, and I was surprised that I had a lot of the same questions on my list. I combined the two lists into one and we’re going to share with each other. Some of the questions are more personal or family oriented, but I may share those answers here. We’ll see.
So much testing is happening with our little guy. Yesterday, Sam took him in for the Barium Swallow study. He’s been choking a lot and while it may be because of low muscle tone, they wanted to see it in more detail.
Next test is his EEG to check out the Neuro stuff. One of the things they told us was that he needed button up pajamas for the study. Sam found a few pair and I’m not going to lie – I think they look cute on him! Of course, the slippers and my reading glasses make him look like a little old man!
He was handling things pretty well and is loving having his own backpack. He and mommy are playing with playdough, coloring and snuggling.
Hoping for good news after these tests. Next up – MRI.
We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. It means so much to us.
Oh, before I forget, Dave asked for more puppy pictures. So here is Daisy in a totally weird sleeping position …
My last blog was a “throwaway.” I’ve had a lot going on, yet I was struggling to find something to write about. I stepped away for a couple days and now I have a few things worth sharing.
We Have a Street!
They finally blacktopped the street this weekend! They finished the driveways and sidewalks a couple weeks ago. They were out yesterday laying the final coat.
Of course, every one of us now has that “hay” on our lawns in hopes that it will grow into grass by next spring. They better be back to lay our walkway bricks back down. They took them out to dig up our yard and they are still stacked next to our porch.
Puppy VS Table
Those who have been following this blog know that before Ella was born, we turned our dining room into her room. The huge dining room table was moved to the basement for a bit. We brought it up for a short time, but with all of the toys and such in the living room, we took it back downstairs.
The kids have a little picnic table they eat at. Well, the puppy can jump up and grab all their food, so I mentioned that the old table should come back upstairs so the pup couldn’t jump up there. Sam reminded me of how big that table was and how we hardly have room, so we went out and bought a smaller table, which works fine and doesn’t take as much room.
Putting that table together was project #1 this weekend. Naturally, it is all put together with those Allen wrenches. The instructions said not to use power tools to put the table and chairs together, but I did anyway! I cannot stand what those wrenches do to my hand!
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like ….
My wife decided that since Halloween was over, it was time to put up the Christmas tree. So I dug through the boxes and such in the basement and found the tree. I drug it upstairs and put it together. No ornaments yet, but I did string the lights.
With the puppy, the cats, and the kids, I had to find a way to keep them away from and out of the tree. Sam reminded me that her dad bought us this play pen type thing that is meant to keep babies in when you’re outside. The tree fits perfectly!
Book Ordered
Finally, Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges gets a book! My pal, Geoff Dale has completed it and it is now available. Larry, Moe, and Curly all have books, and I cannot wait to read this one. He was, as the title proclaims, much more than a stooge! He starred in many solo shorts and appeared in many Abbott and Costello movies. This should be a very interesting read!
Testing, Testing
I haven’t talked much about it because I’d been so busy with other things (a poor excuse), but I have been back in my Bible classes. Over the past week and a half, I worked on tests for two classes. I was so glad to see that I passed both of them. Just started a third test today, and will chip away at it over the next day or two. Praying for similar results. I won’t be but a couple more weeks and I move on to the next semester.
Upcoming
The next Turntable Talk topic has been selected and I will be participating in it again. I’m not quite sure what angle I am going to take, but hope to know soon.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 