Just Shoot Me Now

Would someone please, please enlighten me about what happens when a boy turns 11? Do their brains just turn to mush and drivel out of their heads via their ears? Do they wake up one morning with "I've got a complex" living on their back? What? What? is going on with my 11 year old boy?

See my Wonder Boy has some serious insecurities where and how he developed them I have no freaking idea. We have always told him we love him, we have always supported some of his rather odd ideas (even if I don't think some of them are all that great). We have always tried to support the things he wanted to do and we have encouraged him to keep trying the things he doesn't think he can do.

Some where some how he has come across the notion that we love him less than Diva W ... seriously??? are you kidding me. We waited 10 years, 10 freaking years of trying to have him and then when he finally arrived we were never more thrilled or excited than to see him, to hold him in our arms. We were so blessed when he arrived there are just no words. All you parents out there you know that feeling you get it.

Have we used tough love? Sometimes, he can't have everything he wants and sometimes he has to work for things he wants and yes he has responsibilities. I believe that we would be failing him if we did not apply these things.

I am just so frustrated right now please someone tell me this is just a stage and dear God don't tell me it's going to get worse.....


Peace Out
Bonnie

Camping (Nuff Said)

Okay, I promised a camping post so here it is. We are going camping for two weeks starting Sunday, yeah that's right, two weeks. I've lost my ever loving freaking mind who wants to be stuck camping for two weeks with two kids (minus the dog thank G** for that), and a trucker hubby (who never gets lost ha ha ha). Me, apparently, that's who.

I love my kids there's no doubt about that and I love my hubby no question but two weeks in a truck camper on the open road headed west to Vancouver and back again hmmmm not so much. Now don't get me wrong I don't mind a weekend away and I am thankful we are not tenting (because then I would just go on strike, walk out, head for divorce court) you get the picture right. Tenting, in my humble opinion, is tantamount to torture and not for me. I am thankful we have a camper that sleeps four (squishly) and has a toilet because without a toilet I ain't going no where, no how. I would have fought for a full out bathroom with a shower stall etc but they cost waaaaaay to much money more than my pocketbook can afford.

So on Sunday we head out West (further West for us) to the great Province of British Columbia where the trees are huge the water is warm and the fruit is plentiful. I am looking forward to showing my kids sights they haven't seen before and being able to see and feel the ocean, of which, they have never done. I am looking forward to two weeks of sleeping past 5:00 a.m., reading several books and listening to an eclectic assortment of music on my ipod. I am looking forward to conversations with my hubby that don't start with "you need to do" and giving some one on one time to my children.

I am not looking forward to lowering camper legs, raising camper legs, sleeping in a small confined area, cooking on a teeny weeny bbq or in a small confined area, dirty hair, dirty bodies and dirty laundry.

However, all that being said, I have never in my 20+ years of employment, ever taken more than one week of vacation at a time. This is a novelty that is making me nervous, excited and yes even happy. I and my family really need this time to spend together to reconnect, to relax, and to have some fun it's a well deserved, well earned vacation that has been a long time coming.

Peace Out
Bonnie

The Cat, The Tub and The Effects of Water

I was going to write about going camping but we had to interrupt that post for the latest and greatest in kitty adventures. Just to give you the story behind the story, we've been renovating Nanna's bathroom and we put in a new jet tub for her but it isn't working right. We think and the company we bought the tub thinks there is something wrong with the sensor. However, before we could come to this conclusion we had to jump through hoops to try to figure out why the tub wasn't working. So we put water in the tub right up over the jets and left it there as we tinkered trying to get the tub working. Cause you have to have water in the tub in order for the jets to work right....

We not only left it there, we forgot about it last night and left it in over night as well, generally this is not a big deal but at 7:00 a.m. this morning we could hear this pittiful sound coming from somewhere in the house it sounded like a cross between a sad wail and child in tears.

Me to Trucker Hubby (who just happened to be home last night): Shhhh do you hear that?
Trucker Hubby: Hear what?
Me: Wait, I heard something I know it
Insert Unknown odd sound hear
Trucker Hubby: Shhhh.... What the h*** is that?
Me: Maybe one of the kids
Trucker Hubby: Nah

So we went looking for the source of the noise and found the cat wading (as close as a cat can get on tiptoes) in the water in Nanna's tub not exactly howling and not exactly meowing. Not even trying to get out but looking extremely sad and agitated just moving back and forth and back and forth. We have to assume that he was trying to get to the water when he fell in as you can see in the kitty pictures he does love to try to get to water no matter whether it's in a bucket the toilet, a glass or the sink. Getting him out was a joy and you know the most sad thing about all this is I didn't have my camera handy.

I'm going to start sleeping with my camera the photo ops I miss because I don't are just to good to be true. Stay tuned for Let's go camping

The Puppy

So this is the puppy he's a Bichon Yorkie mix, isn't he cute? His name is ... wait for it... "ZEUS" yup pretty big name for such a bitty dog. Yeah, Yeah I know there are "Real" dog people out there who would not consider my puppy to be a real dog. Take my sister for instance she loves my puppy but she has "real" dogs, a German Shorthair Pointer and a Springer Spaniel.

However, I am not really a dog person, it's not the dog per se it's the poop issue. I can change poopy diapers, I can clean up vomit I can do all that but my gag reflex when it comes to puppy poop is huge, HUGE ergo small dog small poop less of an issue so that's my reason for a small dog and I'm sticking to it.

We got the puppy because for the last three years my son, Boy Wonder, has begged and pleaded and begged some more for a dog (all you parents know what's about to happen don't you ... I can see the smirks on your faces oh yeah). I have denied this request for three years until this year when I figured he was old enough now to handle some responsibilities of owning a dog. Have you ever explained how much work a puppy would be to a 10 year old? For some reason they think (no matter what you tell them) that the dog is going to come fully trained and be just like "Lassie" (insert laughter here).

Boy Wonder does not think he has to walk the dog or train the dog he should just "know" not to pee or poop inside ummmm yeah so not happening. Boy Wonder is paranoid he thinks the dog is out to get him because Zeus nips at him and tries to attack his legs (well hello don't run from the puppy son and he won't chase and nip at you). Everything, everything we have told him has gone in one ear and out the other Boy Wonder gets exceedingly upset with Zeus and has decided the puppy does not like him. Boy Wonder also doesn't realize that Zeus feeds off his emotions so that every time he gets upset the puppy reacts even more. Since it is Boy Wonders responsibility to walk the dog (I am the lucky person who gets to get up with the dog in the morning to let him out to pee) he needs to learn how to do this and there is a valuable and important life lesson involved in accepting the responsibility of the dog he's not going to get off scott free not in this house. So what's a good mom to do?

I hired a dog trainer to come in and give us tips and tricks and help show the kids how to handle Zeus. This is always a good idea it helps reinforce (from an outside source and someone with apparently more authority than you, the parent) what the kids should be doing to teach the dog how to live in your home. So she came yesterday, a lovely lady, with some good common sense advice, some of which we have already put into place and some which we have to adjust to. However, the upside to all this is Boy Wonder actually listened to her and so did Diva W now we just have to reinforce all the lessons she taught the kids (and me by the way did you know you shouldn't pick up that really cute adorable lump of fuzzy fur and snuggle it like a baby (I knew that) but really he's cute and those eyes are killers but no more snuggles I need to be the pack leader here, the boss) oh the fun we will have.

Boy Wonder walked the dog yesterday and didn't come back to the house angy and upset, this is a good start.

So a little piece of advice if you are thinking of getting a puppy for your children.....DON'T, Don't do it, not unless you want job of caring for the dog on your own or you are willing to fight tooth and nail to have your children learn the responsibilites of owning a pet.

Peace Out
Bonnie