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We Have a Dog Again.

I’ve started this post four or five times, and it keeps being more of a laundry-list than anything else.

But:

I now have my dog.

She isn’t vizsla (though she does have the compact, muscular body with the short hair– dark brown instead of russet), and she isn’t a Brittany (though she is that size and already proving quite trainable and perfect with the kids).

I just mention the above because those were the breeds I was researching/pursuing the most recently.

A lab-mix, Shadow displays the best of the mellow of that breed, and has learned since Thursday night several things that are very desirable to our family.

She has even managed to not-bother Jay, though that may be as much to Jay’s credit as the dog’s.

It was Jay who emphasized we shouldn’t consider the animal shelter’s 10-day exchange policy as a trial period.

“I expect the transition to be bumpy,” he said. “So we just need to commit to her and go for it.”

Amazingly, the transition has been rather smooth, so far. The girls are becoming more assertive and Shadow is learning quickly.

The one rough spot we’ve had was Friday night when the neighbor across the street brought her dog over to meet our new arrival. That deteriorated into awful barking from both of them, so we didn’t trust them nearer each other.

We neither of us lost control of our animals, but neither dog really listened to our embarrassed orders to be quiet or “nice” either. We might try again in a week or two, to see if Shadow being more settled will make a difference.

In the mean-time, I’m going to begin classes with her, and I’m hoping the presence of a more experienced dog-person will make a difference in canine introductions. There have been no problems with people.

Both girls have really embraced their role as the dog’s boss (something in question earlier in the week), and Natasha’s favorite thing right now is “walking” the dog– holding her leash and pretending to chose which direction they go in. She frequently tries to “sneak” the leash out of my hand when I’m talking to someone, but I will only let them walk together in the fenced yard.

Sometimes Shadow indulges Natasha’s preference, and sometimes Natasha is reminded the dog is stronger.

It is very fun to watch them together.

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Just Noticed…

The girls were watching me get dressed this morning and Natasha said, with some surprise:

“Your baby tummy is gone! What happened to your baby tummy?”

What I would call my baby tummy is not gone, but I felt such a sweetness from the comment, drawing as it did the direct connection between baby and belly, and my daughter’s delight in what my body had been able to do.

“Where do you think it went?” I asked her.

“It went away when Elisha was born,” She said, authoritatively. “But why?”

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Happy Birthday Elisha!

Well, Elisha turned 1 Monday.

We had a little party for him– my parents and a couple friends over for dinner.

Afterwards we stripped Elisha down to his diaper and gave him his bowl of cake and ice cream. He had his first spoon, too, and knew exacly how to use it (he was surprisingly dexterous) breaking off bite-sized pieces.

The only problem was that he couldn’t get or keep them on his spoon long enough to bring it to his mouth.

He had his first cup of cow’s milk, too, but didn’t think much of that. He made a face and pushed the cup away.

~

The next day I noticed he’s made another milestone: he’s figured out how to tip up a cup and his head so he can drink from a cup that’s not full.

He is also climbing up the steps against our bed and the kitchen counter. He’s very good at it, and will stand up there grinning like one of the big kids, but he still doesn’t know how to get down, and doesn’t watch where he’s stepping, so he will step right off the side sometimes.

Elisha still rides well in the Ergo (always on my back now) but as soon as Dad comes in the door at the end of the day: Nothing else will do.

And if Dad walks by without picking him up– all the world falls apart.

It is very freeing for me to watch Elisha develop an attachment to Jay. It make me feel less-essential in a very good way.

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Natural Storyteller

Natasha has for a while now been “reading” familiar books aloud (something that Melody is also very prolific in), but in the last couple weeks she has also begun inventing stories based on the characters or components of what she’s read, and what she’s thinking about.

I used to say I loved the girls’ original songs because they let me see the girls’ minds. Now Natasha’s stories are letting me do the same thing.

One thing I’m very thankful for is that she prefaces her stories with “I dreamed” or “Here’s a story.” She also “reads” her creations from blank or wordless books.

A friend has a son with a similarly vivid imagination, and a tendency to tell stories as if they actually happened, no matter how fantastic they are.

With Natasha there’s never been (as far as I can remember) any confusion for her distinguishing between “real” and “imaginary” in the stories she relates.

I wonder if that’s a personality thing (I distinctly remember having Bible stories and Greek myths in separate categories in my mind), or the result of reading a lot…

Most likely (now that I think of it) it’s the result of telling stories of our day and story-stories too, exampling the difference. And maybe from fracturing the story-stories, too (The three bears going for a walk and discovering a moss-covered rock).

I like to think that we have to have a strong grounding in what is before we can play with it, and maybe that makes the play more fun and at the same time keeps reality secure.

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One of Natasha’s Stories

She told this to me and Melody during lunch on Friday 4/14. We were at the church that morning for Jay to do some work, and sat longer together than we would have at home, having other things to do.

Once there were 9 children, all in the same family.

One day they they all made hot chocolate for a snack and decided to go for a walk in the woods, because it was too hot.

While they were out walking…

THREE BEARS came into their house and drank up all the cocoa!

When the 9 children got back they saw all the cocoa was gone, but the Daddy said, “That’s okay, we can make some more.”

But the teapot was out of water, and there was no cocoa in the box.

“That’s okay,” said the Daddy. And they all went to the store to buy some more.

But there was no chocolate at the store either!

So they all went to the Easter palace to visit Papa, and found chocolate easter eggs all over the yard.

Before the children ate them, they found Papa and told him about their day, and he told them about his day.

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Getting closer to 3

Melody is talking more, more fluidly/understandably, and sleeping-in when she’s been up too late. All things I (because of Natasha) associate with being three.

She continues to have both a larger need for time alone and a greater (or at least more vocalized) need for one-on-one/touch/”snuddle” time.

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Got it.

Went to ride the bike for the third time (confirming which I wanted) and bought it tonight.

I told Jay it could be my birthday present, and he said, “Great. I had some other ideas, but hadn’t ordered anything yet.”

Sounds like me right before his b-day.

I’m silly-excited about the new bike, and looking forward to getting more familiar with it.

I’ll be riding to our monthly women’s meeting tomorrow morning, only, I have no idea how long to expect it will take and will probably leave way-early.

Realized I have a list now, of other thing I need to buy.

  • A floor-pump from a bike shop (the valve is a style used only on bicycles, thinner than that for a car tire).
  • A helmet (I suppose…)
  • A U-lock. (We were regaled with stories of stolen bikes before we left the shop: “No cables!”)
  • A pant leg strap might be nice, though a rubber band’s working fine for now.

Jay chose not to get one for himself “for financial reasons.”

I know he also hopes getting me a bike (a means of outdoor exercise) will reduce my immediate desire/use for a new dog as a running partner (I won’t go out running/walking alone).

He’s half-right in this.

I still do want a dog, but with a bike and Jay not leaving for Antarctica in the next year my main two reasons to get a dog this spring are dissolved.

If we don’t get a call from one of the breed-specific rescues before fall, we’ll probably end-up waiting again until spring and reevaluating.

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New Bikes This Year?

Jay and I are looking at road bikes. The skinny-wheeled, self-propelled kind.

Visited all three of our local bike shops today. Interesting how each of them have their own personalities….

I thought the one I test-drove was just *amazing* and probably would have bought it on the spot if dividends came in spiring.

Jay says I could have ridden anything in that shop and it’d feel better than what I have.

Really, I just went with Jay at first in a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses sort of way. I don’t dislike my bike as much as Jay does– I’ve just only ridden it 5 times in the last two years.

Interesting to me, that shop had the least-expensive bikes, but the least-expensive was still nice quality.

At the next shop the sales guy assured us that nothing came cheaper than $100 over what we’d already seen, and was nearly junk at that price.

I refrained from asking if he ever checked out the competition.

The second two places suggested hybrid bikes as being more suitable for Fairbanks, but those are 50-70% more expensive too, and don’t have the rams-horn handlebars we both wanted.

I’m ready to go with the first bikes at the first store.

I rode something from the mid-range rather than bottom (as Jay did) because that was what they had built-up that would fit me.

If I decided I was serious (something Jay’s not yet sure about) I’d need to call the shop back and have them build up something in my size, so I could see if what I’d be buying was as good as I expected.

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Three Steps Forward, One Step Back

Last night Elisha was down in 15-minutes.

The two nights before were only 35-minutes each, and two night-wakings (one each night– I was anoyed and convinced– because of whiny sisters).

Truly, he ate heartily both times, so it was probably needful.

He still hasn’t been eating many solids, and was actually getting a nursing blister for the first time since he was brand-new.

Down in 15-minutes last night. Utterly exhausted.

Then up at 3, and 5, and 6:30, and from there sleeping and waking on Daddy’s chest in the living room. (“You still holding me? Okay, life is good.” Zzzzz)

Elisha’s pushing his front teeth through swollen gums today. The meds wore off about 3 a.m. (I’m guessing) and we just weren’t able to get back on top of the pain.

He’s been comfort-nursing today more than he has in a while, and I really can’t blame him. Really, I’m glad to have something to offer him.