Puppies & What I Know For Sure

What do I know for sure this week? That puppies are hard work. I mean whoa, a lot of work.  

Cosi is still all "um, did we really need another dog here?" But I think they are starting to love each other.

I have so many pictures of us sleeping or watching TV with the dogs because we are soooo tired by the evenings. 

The sleepless puppy nights are making all of us a little nutty and tired. And possibly a little bit grumpy. Just when it seems like we are thinking Cosi is right and wondering if we might have made a mistake in getting another puppy, the magic (and the cuteness) of Rufus Whistle happens.

JT got sick this week and I had to go get him from school.  Rufus came with me to get him and has been snuggling with him ever since.  It is just what JT needed.

So sure, puppies are a lot of work, but I also know for sure that they are all kinds of wonderful too. (I also know for sure that this blog will not always be about Rufus and puppies and dogs and all of that. Once he starts sleeping through the night, I will start thinking about other things and writing about them too. Ha!)


Here's what else I know for sure this week:

• A morning dance rave just might be THE way to start your day.  This guy is one of my favorite people on YouTube.  Check him out at a pre-work rave.

• Pizza Hut is my favorite pizza place!  They are going to start offering legit gluten-free pizza very soon.  This is huge in our house.  Yeah we like pizza, but do you realize how many sporting events for kids revolve around pizza after the game?  Well, a lot of them.  It will be so nice for JT to say "sure I can grab a pizza with the team, let's go to Pizza Hut."  That is HUGE for him! Click here for a few details.

• Transparent is really good TV.  I have loved Jill Soloway (the writer/producer/director) since I heard her speak at a NOW convention years ago. She is funny and brilliant and an amazing writer.  On January 24th you can stream Transparent for free on Amazon Prime and you should (click here for details).  Here's Soloway's acceptance speech at the Golden Globes...you should watch it, it's beautiful.

• Speaking of TV, I'm so sad Parenthood is ending. Waaaaa. But I wrote about the 10 things I learned from the show over on Mamalode.  Click here to check them out.

• I am all about kimonos.  Since I didn't get a fur vest for Christmas, waaaa!, I am moving on and totally obsessed with kimonos.  Mind you, I don't own one, but I want one or two or three!

I mean right? Found this one on Pinterest.

What do YOU know for sure this week?  Leave a comment here or over on my Facebook page.  Got any puppy sleeping through the night advice or fashion favorites? Let me know.

Rufus Whistle

So, um, well, this weekend....we got a puppy.  Yes, we got another dog, a baby dog.  And yes, we already have a dog and four kids.  So well, yes, we might be a little crazy...crazy in love.  

Our new puppy is a golden doodle and his name is Rufus Whistle.  

I feel like I need to apologize to people for getting a second dog, just like I used to feel like I did about having a third or, holy hell, a fourth child.  I mean who does that?  Unless you are a millionaire and have help, but even then, who has all those kids AND two dogs?  

We do.  Because it's what is in our heart.  Because our kids wanted another dog.  Because our dog could use a buddy.  Because we have a lot of love to give.  Because we aren't millionaires or anywhere close and we can't take our kids around the world or even to Disney World, but we can get them another dog to love and help take care of.  

We were worried about our two-year-old lab, Cosi, liking Rufus.  Cosi isn't what you would call a calm dog. You might call her anxious and excitable. I call her misunderstood and lovable.  We can all now call her patient and amazing because she handles Rufus wonderfully.  She is calm with him, gives him a warning when he gets too in-her-face and walks away when she's had a little too much.  

I think it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

This past weekend we spent a lot of time cuddling and resting and sleeping, just like with a new baby.

I swear I have a picture of Tim like this with every one of our kids when they were babies.

Rufus got a taste of our very busy, active life, he went with us to a basketball practice and a family hockey game.

It's not all perfect.  He cries in his crate all night long.  It's a lot of work, a lot.  Right after we brought Rufus home, JT fell on the ice and we thought he broke his arm so we took him to the emergency room (just a bad bruise, no break).  We are all really tired. But we'll figure it out.  

Looking around my very full living room full of kids of all ages, an exhausted but handsome husband trying to nap on the floor and our two dogs, it all just makes my heart feel so full and my world just feel right.  

No more apologies, it's not everyone's dream, but it's ours.

If you want to see more pictures of Rufus come follow me on Instagram- @JumpingWithMyFingersCrossed

I don't really know how it happened, but I became someone who loves her dogs. It's kind of crazy, but also kind of great.

Not Giving Up

I was sitting downstairs, listening.  It was night time.  There was a knock at the door, muffled voices.  They were being quiet on purpose.  I felt nervous and confused.  

"We'll take good care of the dog," I could hear a woman saying.  And then quiet.  Nothing.

I cried before I knew what was really going on.  Then my mother came downstairs and told me people had come to take Smokie, our puppy.  "It was just too much, we couldn't take care of her," she told me lovingly searching my eyes for understanding.

"You gave away my dog?," I asked in shock.  I knew she was trouble, but my god, giving the dog away?  That's serious.  That's forever.  I was horrified, devastated, nervous and confused.  I felt guilty (I was an advanced 8-year-old and felt guilt and anxiety like a boss).

"How could you just....give up on him?," I begged for an answer through my tears.  "I'm sorry. I'll walk her more.  I'll play with her more.  I'll be better."

For the past 30 years, I've thought about that night every now and then with such sadness and judgement.  "How in the hell could my parents have done that?!" I thought.  I've thought that until we got our new puppy this spring.  And now, I have a whole lot more compassion for my parents.

Cosi is our puppy.  She does puppy things.  She chews on everything, she nips, she wants to play all.the.damn.time.  She sheds, she whines, she smells, she needs to go out a lot.   She's just being a puppy, a dog.

Being the only one home all the time and in charge of her along with the four kids has made me pretty grumpy.   I've texted my husband so many times saying "getting Cosi was the worst mistake of our lives" and "I'm not an animal person."  I've sworn more in front of my kids in the last three months than the last 11 years.  I do a lot of complaining.

After eating a 500 million berries that fell from a Mullberry tree we didn't realize we had in our backyard and getting an upset stomach (that's a nice way of saying she couldn't stop pooping), it was just too much for all of us.

"I put feelers out to give Cosi away," my frustrated, tired husband informed me.  "Someone wants her and they want to pick her up tonight at 6:30."

I was speechless.  It was 1982 all over again.  I was horrified, devastated, nervous and confused.  I cried.  "Oh my god, I'll walk her more, I'll play with her more, I'll be better," I told my husband through tears.  "I just complain to vent, I'll be better.  We can't...[sob, sniffle, sob]...give up on her."

JT and Cosi, best friends.

My mind raced. I wondered if I was doomed to repeat patterns, repeat history.  Shortly after my parents gave my dog away, they got divorced.  In my arrested emotional development's point of view (which arrested around the age of 12), they gave up on us.  Yeah, there it is, spoken like a true product of a broken home.  Waaaaa.  Was this how it all started?  With a really unruly puppy?  (There's that 12-year-old over simplification thing I do really well.)

I took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "We are not giving up on this puppy or us."  

Tim looked at me funny, like "us? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay, I didn't see this coming, but okay," he said.  "And hon, we're fine."  And then he hugged me. And we both made a plan to be more patient with Cosi and make more time for her.

The kids had overheard most of what happened.  They were all relieved that we weren't giving away their puppy.  I was relieved I didn't have to have that oh-so-memorable talk with them.  

"This is a good thing Mom," Peyton said to me.  "I mean, Youngbloods don't quit, isn't that our thing?"

Years ago, Tim had said that was our family motto in a moment of trying to be Super Hero/Motivating Coach/Hard Nose, Yet Loving Dad.  And I guess it sort of stuck.

This experience has made my compassion quadruple for people and families that have to give up their puppy because of life circumstances and whatever reasons.  It's not an easy decision and I can't/won't judge.  Sometimes people have to give up, let go, quit their jobs, their pets, their marriages.  Sometimes it is what has to happen.  Sometimes it is better, of course.

But it's not for us.  I am on a path to make my own mistakes, my own patterns, my own history with my own family and my own puppy--giving up ain't my story.

Whether Cosi likes it or not, she's part of this wacky gang.

Cosi can't leave, she has a buddy next door!

We're keeping her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't owe me an apology for the sh*t she chews up.  Here's what I have to say about that:

Puppy Apologies & Mama Kat Vlog Prompts

Who gets mad at puppies? Um, me, I do.  I'm sorry.  My puppy drives me crazy.  Whose idea was it to get a puppy anyway?

I'm linking up with Mama Kat's vlog prompts this week and talking about apologies.  Talking about who needs to say sorry to me and in first place it is my puppy, Cosi.  Check it out:

  
(If you are an email subscriber click here http://youtu.be/4jQbnocVwHc
to watch.)

Let me know what you think, here or on Facebook.  Speaking of Facebook, what do you think of Facebook birthdays?  Here's what I think about it:

 (If you are an email subscriber click here http://youtu.be/ZwrOWNm9_Ds to watch.)

Share or subscribe to my YouTube channel.  I'm trying to get to 100 subscribers by August 1.  It would be crazy wonderful to be in the triple digits, seriously. 

In case you missed it, here's the vlog from last week where I talk about censoring your kids' music:

(If you are an email subscriber click here http://youtu.be/1FLnpqbhD_Q
to watch.)

Check her out and the other funny vloggers over on Mama Kat's Losing It.  Click here.

Come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

Come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood

A Blurry Week, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

Life is a little blurry right now.  (No, it's not the amount of tequila I've had tonight.)  It's a busy and scattered and who's taking who where and what time's practice and oh my gosh I forgot that was today and I have no idea how that's getting done and I didn't have time to go to the grocery store so you'll just have to eat rice and frozen peas for dinner kind of week.   It's a so what kid, you have two different sandals on your feet at least you have shoes on kind of week.

Wade went to school like this. Neither his teacher nor he seemed surprised or disturbed.

Next Wednesday is the last day of school and summer will finally be here.  Life will slow down, maybe too much for some of us, but I can't wait. The countdown is on, I know that for sure (this week).


Here's what else I know (this week):

• Even though it's been busy, the girls had some time to hang together. All us girls in the house--Lucy, Cosi and me.

• I love having a big family.  One of the many reasons I love having a big family is that when I'm at my wit's end with a fit-throwing preschooler, a big sibling comes to the rescue and makes everything better.

• Lean in, lean back. Stay home, work. It's complicated and personal. I love what Ali Wentworth says about motherhood and career. I'm a huge fan of hers.

• I can't stop bragging about my new table made out of a door on my porch that is now where I spend most of my time.  I love it.  Click here for details.

• Watching celebrities play games equals a fun night for me. Maybe that's incredibly sad, but it's true.  I can't wait for this summer show, Hollywood Game Night.  Remember watching celebrities play Win, Lose or Draw? I loved that show.

• Popsicles are awesooooommmme! Or at least that's what Wade thinks in this color coordinated Popsicle moment.

• Going back in time can be pretty telling or not.  I read from my diary (circa 1990) on YouTube and discovered I haven't changed all that much in over 20 years.  Here's the latest vlog in case you missed it this week.

  

• If I know nothing else this week, I know that bubbles + a puppy + my Lulu=adorable-ness.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. What's your week been like?  What are you looking forward to this summer? Tell me about it. Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

  Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

I'm linking up today with my good buddy Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Sarah at SundaySpill.com for the #iPPP link up.  They host a link up where they encourage people to share "your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite photos of the week" from our phones.  Check them out.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood, subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here and follow my Pinterest boards here.

Puppy Love Post #1: Snake Bit

Since getting a puppy over a month ago all I can say is....I'm tired.

No here's the thing, puppies are cute, but they are a lot of work.  It's like parenthood on speed.  You only have a few short months before the puppies are full grown and full of bad habits.  If anything, my puppy is making me appreciate how much more time I have to make up for all the mistakes I make with my kids.  But all of it is a lot of pressure.

And really, I didn't need more pressure.  I didn't need yet another reminder that I don't have it all together.  And that's what having my puppy can feel like sometimes, like the sometimes when I'm trying to get all the kids out the door to school and she pees on the floor.  Or the sometimes I'm reading a story to Wade and she whimpers and whines that no one is on the floor with her.

Honestly, I was at my wit's end, ready to wave my white flag and give up.  I was ready to admit to what a lot of people were thinking, I couldn't handle four kids and a puppy. Waaaa.

But then, I watched my kids with our little puppy Cosi.  I put my flag away and committed to raising this puppy.  Because Cosi is part of our family.  

Honestly, she fits right in with us.  Thankfully no one else is peeing on the floor, but we are all trying to get attention, be loved, show love, enjoy life and be a part of everything just like our little puppy.  

To make it easier to remember why I love my sweet little Cosi, I will be doing a monthly Puppy Love Post.  A post where I share a warm and fuzzy story about Cosi.  A post with a sweet picture.  I mean, puppies/dogs in general could use more space on the kitten/cat-obsessed-focused Internet. 

"That boy is snake bit," my husband said the other day sounding like a character from a 1950s coming-of-age cowboy novel or movie.  

He was referring to our son JT and what he said is a little bit true.  If something bad happens in our family, it usually happens to JT.  Autoimmune disease? Check.  Broken arm while picking strawberries? Check.  Speech delay? Check.  Being in the wrong place at the wrong time when your baby brother is swinging a curtain rod wildly and it hits your head? Check.  Concussion after the basketball game? Check.  And I could go on and on.

JT is also the kid in our family who has connected most to Cosi.  When he gets home from school he tells her he missed her.   He plays catch with her after the other kids have had enough and go inside.  He hugs her good-night before heading upstairs to bed. 

In some ways, the story of JT and the puppy is like a 1950s book.  It's a story of a boy and his dog, loyal pals.  I love that even though he might indeed be a little snake bit, he's always got somebody (else besides Tim and me) in his corner giving him unconditional love.

Got a puppy story? Want to share?  Let me know if you'd be interested in sharing your Puppy Love Post.  Leave a comment or send me an email to youngbloodsix@yahoo.com.

Les Mis DVD Day, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

Happy Les Mis on DVD and BluRay Day!

Since I saw the movie back in January, I have been just a wee bit obsessed with it. It inspired everyday revolutions even at Chuck E. Cheese and we even named our new puppy after Cossette. 
It wasn't just the movie but the music, the story, the moral of the story.  Love. Faith. Compassion. Mercy. Fighting for justice.  I mean COME ON.   

There's nothing wrong with love, I know that for sure.  And in the spirit of Les Miserables and love, I want to give someone a copy of the Les Miserables DVD.  Just leave a comment about either what you loved about Les Miserables or what you love about your life. (the winner will be announced next Tuesday!)

Here's what else I know for sure (this week):

• Disney songs + dancing=super fun for the family.  Snow on the first day of spring couldn't get us down with this fun family game.  Seriously, we all love it.

• Living in a cold climate makes kids resourceful.  Can't play baseball because it's snowing outside?  That's okay, my kids can make a tee out of anything, even a drum.

• Karma is real.  Usually the things that bug me end up being things that I do. I hate to be a hater, but....I do have a few pet peeves. Uh-oh.  Here's my latest vlog where I talk about my pet peeves in case you missed it.

• Having a puppy is hard as hell, but seriously the moments with the kids are so precious.

• I hope Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake do History of Rap forevah!

Don't forget to leave a comment to get a chance to win a DVD of the amazing Les Miserables.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know.  Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

  Come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood and subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here.

I'm linking up today with my friend Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Sarah at SundaySpill.com for the #iPPP link up.  They host a link up where they encourage people to share "your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite photos of the week" from our phones.