I took Dani for her KIST test this morning. It's a test to determine her readiness for a Kindergarten envirnonment. She'll be starting school in 1.5 weeks...she'll be in Kindersteps. This is a program geared towards children who are 4, but who will turn 5 between September and December. It's a half-day program that follows the Kindergarten curriculum. At the end of the year, we sit down with the teacher to decide whether Dani will go to K the next year, or to 1st grade.
I asked Dani how the test went when she was finished, and she gave me some specifics, but overall, she said she had fun...which to me is really good to hear. The tester just said she did great, though with other parents sitting in the office, I didn't expect to get too many specifics. I'm so excited for her to start school!! I'm hoping to volunteer (as much as a working parent can) and encourage her as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Jam and I went to an open practice last night. It was hot and somewhat sticky, but she performed like a champ! They had a jumpers course set up, which several of us improvised on. The contacts were set up around the outer edge of the field, so we moved them a bit to incorporate them into the course. Jam's nemesis is the down dogwalk contact, so we worked hard on that and she did great! I also did some gambles in the course and she sent out nicely. She also pulled a few bars, which was a result of me giving her poor signals. I have to get better with that.
All in all, a great night and fun morning with Dani! :-)
Showing posts with label Dani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dani. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
I'm not a natural mother
This is my second marriage. I was married to my first husband for 9 years. We discovered the wonderful sport of dog agility together and acquired 4 dogs together. We always thought we "might" have kids, but it just never came to fruition. And to be honest, I was perfectly happy NOT having kids. I had my dogs...what more could I hope/ask for?
Shortly after our 9th wedding anniversary, my then husband said he wanted to move out. And there was nothing I could do. A friend once told me about a book called "Uncoupling." In this book, it mentions how the person who wants to leave has been thinking about leaving for a while and there is nothing the person left behind can really do about it. The Leaver has come to terms with it while the Leavee feels blindsided. I, as the Leavee, was most certainly blindsided. Course, the fact that he was interested in another woman (a woman I had considered a friend) was the final blow.
Regardless, a few years later I met my current husband. I met him on the internet. There...I said it out loud...I met him on the internet. We met in person at a lake with our dogs. He has a big, goofy Golden (Calvin) and I brought my then dog, Rysa (she has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge). We hit it off and started dating. During our talks and time together, he mentioned that family was important to him and that he would like kids some day. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have kids since I was pretty darned old (36 at the time) and set in my ways. Besides, I really enjoyed my life of heading to agility trials whenever I wanted and judging any trial I felt like. BUT, I hadn't completely closed the door.
We were married in August, 2001 and a few months later, we thought we'd give it a go. We got "lucky" the first time we tried and Dani came along 9 months later (I was 38). We decided she needed a sibling and before you know it, Erin was born when Dani was just 17.5 months (I was 39...I was determined not to give birth after 40!).
I had a hard time adjusting to my new life. I now found that I couldn't just head off to any and every agility trial...that I had to consider my family first. This became a balancing act to which I was unaccustomed. I muddled through, but today realize that I'm not doing so hot. Maybe it's because dog agility is a world in which 85% - 90% of the people are either childless or their children are grown and out of the house. I always find myself envying them...because after a show they can go home, prop up their feet and revel in a good day. I go home, sort out what went on throughout the day, then take over from a tired and weary husband.
I find that with my girls, I reach a boiling point much quicker than with the dogs. With the girls, I am impatient and can't stand it when they cry. With Jam, I have endless patience and encourage her to bark (I taught her "talk to me" and she does...with wild abandon!). I am not the type of mom who can think up fun, cute or craftsy-type things to do with them on a dime. I have to force myself to play with them since I truly find it quite boring. I love them and would fight anyone to the death for their rights, but I always feel awkward and unnatural when I do anything with them. It's not a good feeling and I'm trying so hard to work through it.
I seriously doubt I'd ever win any Mother of the Year contests, but for me...I'm doing the best I can. I can only hope that I'm not permanently damaging my girls.
Shortly after our 9th wedding anniversary, my then husband said he wanted to move out. And there was nothing I could do. A friend once told me about a book called "Uncoupling." In this book, it mentions how the person who wants to leave has been thinking about leaving for a while and there is nothing the person left behind can really do about it. The Leaver has come to terms with it while the Leavee feels blindsided. I, as the Leavee, was most certainly blindsided. Course, the fact that he was interested in another woman (a woman I had considered a friend) was the final blow.
Regardless, a few years later I met my current husband. I met him on the internet. There...I said it out loud...I met him on the internet. We met in person at a lake with our dogs. He has a big, goofy Golden (Calvin) and I brought my then dog, Rysa (she has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge). We hit it off and started dating. During our talks and time together, he mentioned that family was important to him and that he would like kids some day. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't have kids since I was pretty darned old (36 at the time) and set in my ways. Besides, I really enjoyed my life of heading to agility trials whenever I wanted and judging any trial I felt like. BUT, I hadn't completely closed the door.
We were married in August, 2001 and a few months later, we thought we'd give it a go. We got "lucky" the first time we tried and Dani came along 9 months later (I was 38). We decided she needed a sibling and before you know it, Erin was born when Dani was just 17.5 months (I was 39...I was determined not to give birth after 40!).
I had a hard time adjusting to my new life. I now found that I couldn't just head off to any and every agility trial...that I had to consider my family first. This became a balancing act to which I was unaccustomed. I muddled through, but today realize that I'm not doing so hot. Maybe it's because dog agility is a world in which 85% - 90% of the people are either childless or their children are grown and out of the house. I always find myself envying them...because after a show they can go home, prop up their feet and revel in a good day. I go home, sort out what went on throughout the day, then take over from a tired and weary husband.
I find that with my girls, I reach a boiling point much quicker than with the dogs. With the girls, I am impatient and can't stand it when they cry. With Jam, I have endless patience and encourage her to bark (I taught her "talk to me" and she does...with wild abandon!). I am not the type of mom who can think up fun, cute or craftsy-type things to do with them on a dime. I have to force myself to play with them since I truly find it quite boring. I love them and would fight anyone to the death for their rights, but I always feel awkward and unnatural when I do anything with them. It's not a good feeling and I'm trying so hard to work through it.
I seriously doubt I'd ever win any Mother of the Year contests, but for me...I'm doing the best I can. I can only hope that I'm not permanently damaging my girls.
Monday, June 18, 2007
The first lake outing, my new ride and Father's Day
We finally got the boat out on the water...woohoo!! There were a few kinks in the process, but once we got on the water, all those kinks were forgotten. It was HOT (about 110 degrees) and windy, but the cold, green lake water felt refreshing after the initial plunge into it! We were able to do some waterskiing (found some muscles I haven't used in a while) and the girls had a GREAT time swimming in the "cove." Dani jumped off the back of the boat repeatedly and even threw a frisbee around to others in the water. Erin was freezing while in the water, but didn't want to come out! Eventually, she came out and we sat on the back of the boat and watched the others play some frisbee. All in all, a great outing!!
And now my new ride! On Saturday, I traded in my 2001 blue Ford Expedition for a 2004 burgundy Ford Expedition! It's got only 30,000 miles on it and is pretty spiffy! It has a buil-in DVD player (I wasn't looking for that, but this one had it) and some other bells and whistles I didn't have before. I really do love it! We took it to the lake yesterday so it's already got it's first coat of dust on it! :) Thankfully the suspension is better so our trip out to the lake wasn't quite as bumpy. I'll take it to California this weekend for another dog show! :-)
Then, of course, yesterday was Father's Day. My husband loves the lake so for him, getting the boat out in the water was the best gift. We really don't do gifts, so the girls and I gave him cards in the morning and then headed out to the lake. When we got home, he wanted brats, so we got some brats, cooked 'em up and ate a yummy meal (the ONLY red meat I will eat is a brat...that's it!). After the girls were in bed, he wanted to sit in the jacuzzi for a while, so he took his iPod and headed out for some jacuzzi time. All in all, I think he had a very nice day!
Now we have a long, hot summer ahead of us. Hopefully between the pool, lake and sprinklers, we'll be able to keep cool!
And now my new ride! On Saturday, I traded in my 2001 blue Ford Expedition for a 2004 burgundy Ford Expedition! It's got only 30,000 miles on it and is pretty spiffy! It has a buil-in DVD player (I wasn't looking for that, but this one had it) and some other bells and whistles I didn't have before. I really do love it! We took it to the lake yesterday so it's already got it's first coat of dust on it! :) Thankfully the suspension is better so our trip out to the lake wasn't quite as bumpy. I'll take it to California this weekend for another dog show! :-)
Then, of course, yesterday was Father's Day. My husband loves the lake so for him, getting the boat out in the water was the best gift. We really don't do gifts, so the girls and I gave him cards in the morning and then headed out to the lake. When we got home, he wanted brats, so we got some brats, cooked 'em up and ate a yummy meal (the ONLY red meat I will eat is a brat...that's it!). After the girls were in bed, he wanted to sit in the jacuzzi for a while, so he took his iPod and headed out for some jacuzzi time. All in all, I think he had a very nice day!
Now we have a long, hot summer ahead of us. Hopefully between the pool, lake and sprinklers, we'll be able to keep cool!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Life is a roller coaster...
...And it's getting pretty crazy!
We are still in the depths of tonsilectomy recovery with Erin. She is getting better, but not by leaps and bounds...more like fits and starts. She and Dani start "club PeeWee" today...a program offered by the Parks and Rec dept. I'm hoping she'll make it through the 2 hour timeframe without any issue.
Yesterday we just found out the sad news that one of Jeff's Aunt's died unexpectedly. She wasn't in the best of health to begin with, but apparently she laid down for a nap and never woke up. Jeff's entire extended family lives in Iowa, so this morning Jeff's mom and sister (who live near us) got on a plane to fly there for the funeral. Jeff hasn't decided whether he'll go back yet, but will hopefully sort through everything soon. The funeral is on Friday.
And of course I'm supposed to head to an agility trial in San Diego this weekend! Soooo, I've already talked to a friend who is willing to take the girls Friday night for a sleepover. Jeff would catch a late flight back Friday night and pick up the girls Saturday morning.
CRAZY!!!
Oh yeah...and Jeff is having an abcessed tooth extracted today!
I think what amazes me most is how calm I've been through all this. Erin's surgery was a big deal, but I didn't let myself get all worked up. The recovery has been difficult, but I've held it together for the most part. The death of the Aunt...I went into a mode in which I wanted to find solutions that would work for everyone. I got online and got a good airfare for Jeff (should he decide to go) and I talked with my friend about possible childcare...all without losing it or shedding a single tear.
Hopefully this means that I can take lemons and make some pretty sweet-tasting lemonade! :)
We are still in the depths of tonsilectomy recovery with Erin. She is getting better, but not by leaps and bounds...more like fits and starts. She and Dani start "club PeeWee" today...a program offered by the Parks and Rec dept. I'm hoping she'll make it through the 2 hour timeframe without any issue.
Yesterday we just found out the sad news that one of Jeff's Aunt's died unexpectedly. She wasn't in the best of health to begin with, but apparently she laid down for a nap and never woke up. Jeff's entire extended family lives in Iowa, so this morning Jeff's mom and sister (who live near us) got on a plane to fly there for the funeral. Jeff hasn't decided whether he'll go back yet, but will hopefully sort through everything soon. The funeral is on Friday.
And of course I'm supposed to head to an agility trial in San Diego this weekend! Soooo, I've already talked to a friend who is willing to take the girls Friday night for a sleepover. Jeff would catch a late flight back Friday night and pick up the girls Saturday morning.
CRAZY!!!
Oh yeah...and Jeff is having an abcessed tooth extracted today!
I think what amazes me most is how calm I've been through all this. Erin's surgery was a big deal, but I didn't let myself get all worked up. The recovery has been difficult, but I've held it together for the most part. The death of the Aunt...I went into a mode in which I wanted to find solutions that would work for everyone. I got online and got a good airfare for Jeff (should he decide to go) and I talked with my friend about possible childcare...all without losing it or shedding a single tear.
Hopefully this means that I can take lemons and make some pretty sweet-tasting lemonade! :)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tonsil Removal
Erin had her tonsils and adenoids removed on Tuesday. I think I was more nervous than her! We were both worried about how she would deal with not being able to eat in the morning, but thankfully she understood that she couldn't eat and didn't even ask! The only thing she asked for once we got to the hospital were popsicles!
She went into pre-op and seemed a bit overwhelmed, but she happily put on her pretty pastel orange jammies and her purple surgery hat. A child advocate person stopped by to show pictures of the OR to Erin and to give her a mask (the one they use to put her to sleep) to play with so she wouldn't afraid when they put it on her mouth. She initially shunned it as well, but ended up putting stickers on it and holding it over her nose! They eventually came and wheeled her off to surgery in a wagon.
25 minutes later, they came to get me from the waiting room...surgery was over! In the recovery area, they wheeled in a recliner for me and I held Erin while she slept. When she woke up, she had a green popsicle waiting for her...she wolfed it down happily! She then dozed a bit more. They ended up admitting her so we were soon whisked off to her room in the pediatric ward.
Throughout the day, she ate several popsicles, a few containers of ice cream and some jell-o. She was so happy to be able to finally eat that stuff!! She was an awesome patient. She only complained about the pulse ox monitor attached to her toe. By the end of the night, she wanted to go home, but understood that she had to spend the night. She slept well, even though they woke her throughout the night to take vitals and give her meds. I slept very fitfully since a hospital at night is a VERY noisy place!
This morning Jeff came to relieve me so I could come to work. She was released by 9:30 AM and has been home with daddy and Dani all day. Hopefully her recovery will go well...only time will tell!
All in all, she was a model patient and a very good girl! :)
She went into pre-op and seemed a bit overwhelmed, but she happily put on her pretty pastel orange jammies and her purple surgery hat. A child advocate person stopped by to show pictures of the OR to Erin and to give her a mask (the one they use to put her to sleep) to play with so she wouldn't afraid when they put it on her mouth. She initially shunned it as well, but ended up putting stickers on it and holding it over her nose! They eventually came and wheeled her off to surgery in a wagon.
25 minutes later, they came to get me from the waiting room...surgery was over! In the recovery area, they wheeled in a recliner for me and I held Erin while she slept. When she woke up, she had a green popsicle waiting for her...she wolfed it down happily! She then dozed a bit more. They ended up admitting her so we were soon whisked off to her room in the pediatric ward.
Throughout the day, she ate several popsicles, a few containers of ice cream and some jell-o. She was so happy to be able to finally eat that stuff!! She was an awesome patient. She only complained about the pulse ox monitor attached to her toe. By the end of the night, she wanted to go home, but understood that she had to spend the night. She slept well, even though they woke her throughout the night to take vitals and give her meds. I slept very fitfully since a hospital at night is a VERY noisy place!
This morning Jeff came to relieve me so I could come to work. She was released by 9:30 AM and has been home with daddy and Dani all day. Hopefully her recovery will go well...only time will tell!
All in all, she was a model patient and a very good girl! :)
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Bermuda, agility and life in general...
Simply put...Bermuda is one of THE most beautiful places on this Earth! When you fly in, you see the white-roofed houses all painted in different colors of pastels. It is so pretty! The water is turquoise blue and oh so inviting. And to think I was headed there with my husband and my dog!! We stayed with friends I had made on a previous trip...Frank and Kathy. They have a 200 year old house with an incredible view of the ocean off their back patio. It was spectacular!
We arrived on a Wednesday and within 3 hours of touch down, my husband was off diving and I was off with my friends practicing agility on their beautiful agility field. Oh, and we had already had a dark 'n stormy or two! :) Five of us traveled from the states to show our dogs, so we enjoyed a lazy afternoon with our dogs and our Bermuda buddies. At night, we had dinner at one of the Bermudian's houses.
Thursday I went shopping in Hamilton and at the Dockyards with agility friends, Darlene and Jane. We had fun "power shopping." We ended up missing two ferry's because my watch was 5 minutes too slow! :) My husband went diving with Frank again, though the water was a bit choppy. That night we had dinner at the Bermuda aquarium. I got to pet a grouper (!) and dance with a skeleton (long story). Many rum swizzles and dark 'n stormies were available.
Friday we woke up to a pancake breakfast cooked by Frank and Kathy. We then headed to the show site (the Botanical Gardens) for the first day of the show! The first day was the Team event. I was on a team with Jane and her dog Tizzy and Rose and her dog Kelly (Rose is from San Diego but has been living in Bermuda with her husband for the past 8 years). After the first two classes (there are 5 total) our team (Two Tollers in a Tizzy) was in last place. By the end of 4 classes, our team was in 1st place!! The last class is Relay in which all three members of the team are running at the same time. All of our dogs ran clean and we ended up winning the gold and qualifying to run in the National competition in Phoenix, AZ!! :) I was elated! :) Friday night we went to Rose and Jonathan's for a wonderful dinner and swizzles!
Saturday we woke up to rain...LOTS and LOTS of rain. It rained all day. Despite that, Jam and I ended up earning 3 of the 7 qualiying scores towards our first USDAA title! She Q'd in Snooker, Jumpers and Pairs. We crashed and burned in the Grand Prix, but that's OK. She is a baby dog after all! Saturday night we were supposed to have a beach party, but the rain prevented us from doing so. We ended up at a Bermudian's house for BBQ chicken, burger and dogs...and more swizzle! :)
Sunday it was misting in the morning, but then cleared up by afternoon. Jam and I earned 2 more Q's towards our title!! We Q'd in Gamblers and Standard. She needs only 2 more Standard legs at the Starters level to earn her Agility Dog (AD) title! :) I couldn't be more proud of my baby dog. She is awesome!! After the show, Jane and I walked the dogs down to a small beach and let them play in the water. Jam barked and bit at the water and had a blast! Sunday night was the big farewell party. More swizzle, stormies, good food and dancing with the skeleton! :)
Throughout the weekend, my husband was diving and eventually earned his Advanced Open Water Scuba certification!! He was thrilled to be able to do so...especially since his cert. card will say he did it in Bermuda! :)
We left, grudgingly, on Monday. We had a nice leisurely morning of sitting on the back patio and taking in the view before departure. Leaving was so hard, but I also missed my girls and was anxious to get back home to them.
We came home (to Wisconsin) when they were asleep. The next morning, Dani opened our bedroom door and her face just lit up! :) Erin was right behind her. It was Erin's 3rd birthday so we had a small celebration with cake and presents. We flew back to Phoenix in the afternoon. My parents were thrilled to be able to spend a birthday with one of their granddaughter's!
All in all, the trip was a HUGE success for everyone. I got to show Jam in her first USDAA show and qualify for Nationals, my husband earned his scuba cert., my girls had a ball in Wisconsin, and my parents got some much-needed/wanted bonding with the girls. We didn't get to go for that romantic walk on the beach, but that's OK...it'll give us another reason to go back!
We arrived on a Wednesday and within 3 hours of touch down, my husband was off diving and I was off with my friends practicing agility on their beautiful agility field. Oh, and we had already had a dark 'n stormy or two! :) Five of us traveled from the states to show our dogs, so we enjoyed a lazy afternoon with our dogs and our Bermuda buddies. At night, we had dinner at one of the Bermudian's houses.
Thursday I went shopping in Hamilton and at the Dockyards with agility friends, Darlene and Jane. We had fun "power shopping." We ended up missing two ferry's because my watch was 5 minutes too slow! :) My husband went diving with Frank again, though the water was a bit choppy. That night we had dinner at the Bermuda aquarium. I got to pet a grouper (!) and dance with a skeleton (long story). Many rum swizzles and dark 'n stormies were available.
Friday we woke up to a pancake breakfast cooked by Frank and Kathy. We then headed to the show site (the Botanical Gardens) for the first day of the show! The first day was the Team event. I was on a team with Jane and her dog Tizzy and Rose and her dog Kelly (Rose is from San Diego but has been living in Bermuda with her husband for the past 8 years). After the first two classes (there are 5 total) our team (Two Tollers in a Tizzy) was in last place. By the end of 4 classes, our team was in 1st place!! The last class is Relay in which all three members of the team are running at the same time. All of our dogs ran clean and we ended up winning the gold and qualifying to run in the National competition in Phoenix, AZ!! :) I was elated! :) Friday night we went to Rose and Jonathan's for a wonderful dinner and swizzles!
Saturday we woke up to rain...LOTS and LOTS of rain. It rained all day. Despite that, Jam and I ended up earning 3 of the 7 qualiying scores towards our first USDAA title! She Q'd in Snooker, Jumpers and Pairs. We crashed and burned in the Grand Prix, but that's OK. She is a baby dog after all! Saturday night we were supposed to have a beach party, but the rain prevented us from doing so. We ended up at a Bermudian's house for BBQ chicken, burger and dogs...and more swizzle! :)
Sunday it was misting in the morning, but then cleared up by afternoon. Jam and I earned 2 more Q's towards our title!! We Q'd in Gamblers and Standard. She needs only 2 more Standard legs at the Starters level to earn her Agility Dog (AD) title! :) I couldn't be more proud of my baby dog. She is awesome!! After the show, Jane and I walked the dogs down to a small beach and let them play in the water. Jam barked and bit at the water and had a blast! Sunday night was the big farewell party. More swizzle, stormies, good food and dancing with the skeleton! :)
Throughout the weekend, my husband was diving and eventually earned his Advanced Open Water Scuba certification!! He was thrilled to be able to do so...especially since his cert. card will say he did it in Bermuda! :)
We left, grudgingly, on Monday. We had a nice leisurely morning of sitting on the back patio and taking in the view before departure. Leaving was so hard, but I also missed my girls and was anxious to get back home to them.
We came home (to Wisconsin) when they were asleep. The next morning, Dani opened our bedroom door and her face just lit up! :) Erin was right behind her. It was Erin's 3rd birthday so we had a small celebration with cake and presents. We flew back to Phoenix in the afternoon. My parents were thrilled to be able to spend a birthday with one of their granddaughter's!
All in all, the trip was a HUGE success for everyone. I got to show Jam in her first USDAA show and qualify for Nationals, my husband earned his scuba cert., my girls had a ball in Wisconsin, and my parents got some much-needed/wanted bonding with the girls. We didn't get to go for that romantic walk on the beach, but that's OK...it'll give us another reason to go back!
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