The Bark Collar and the Lamp

I have had an objection to bark collars has long as I can remember. I have since let that objection go. Since we have moved into our current home, about 3 months ago, and my daughter has turned into a social butterfly, our doorbell never stops ringing.........

We have two dachshunds, affectionately called wiener dogs, that yip like you wouldn't believe.
I have tried telling them to hush, holding them, you name it-it doesn't work. So, I made the fateful trip to Petco and got 2 bark collars.

Well our oldest wiener, Norman (black and tan mini) has wised up and decided he will no longer be wearing that damn thing-his words not mine.

I went to go put his on and he decided he would hide. He's little so he can hide a myriad of places. I looked everywhere, and found him under the couch. As I squeezed behind the recliner to get to the couch, he darts out from underneath and goes out the front. I try to squeeze back out and trip on the dog bed. I'm okay-I rebound and chase him into my son's room where he's under the bed. I act like I've given up so he'll come out. After a few minutes he does and goes back under the couch. I say, "Ah-ha, I'll pull the couch out and grab his tail"! I pull the couch out with a vengeance and the lamp flew across the room with that same vengeance......I put the couch back-he's gone by now. Put the lamp back on the table, and I hear him near the laundry room. I sneak up and grab him. Have you seen that new Huggies commercial where the Dad goes to change the baby boy's diaper on the bed and when he opens the diaper pp goes everywhere? Well, a mad wiener dog can do that too....Pee everywhere! Not to fear, putting him outside and cleaning all that up. I waited him out. It's hot outside, he eventually wanted in. He had to have a bark collar on before he was allowed entry.

You always have to watch out for those small, wiry ones.

Who Is That In My Backyard?

So I'm sitting in the living room yesterday with a full view of my backyard. I was actually on the computer when something moved in the corner of my eye. I looked up to find a strange man in my backyard. It wasn't the guy checking the meter-he was younger, dressed in pants, short sleeve shirt, ball cap, and wore a back pack. Does this sound weird to anyone? It's July 2nd, approximately 98 degrees, no school in session. As he passes thru my yard into my neighbor's, I call the non-emergency police line and report the "incident". They assure me someone will be here shortly to check things out. I call back later to see if I can find out just what exactly is going on and am told that they made contact and it was fine. I said, "okay", and moved on. Then I gave it more thought and decided, I'm not comfortable with someone passing thru my backyard, so I call back to investigate further. Funny thing-the police dept has no record of me even calling-they don't know what I'm talking about.

Yeah, I feel safe.

Am I Happier Now That I Have Children?

There's a new report out today that states that married couples who have children, are not as happy as married couples who do not.

For those of us who have listened to the continual whining of a 3 year old for hours on end might just agree, but with those days come the hours of starring into our newborn's eyes with complete and total admiration.

I think I go in phases. You can't possibly know the heartache and the complete and udder joy of being a parent, until you have been one. My daughter (she'll be 9 in Aug) has been shall we say, less than agreeable for the past few years, and we actually started going to counseling to seek help in dealing with her. What I discovered there is that maybe, just maybe it wasn't all her fault. We love our children so much that we want them to have it all. We want them to have it better than we did, and we never want them to hurt. In protecting, and providing we create a monster. One that believes the world is their oyster, and that your main function is to provide endlessly. I discovered in therapy that it is actually okay to discipline your child. I thought over the years that if I made her friend go home, or took away her dessert I was being mean. Now I realize it's exactly what I should have been doing. Children need to learn the hard lessons we all learned. They need to learn respect for their parents and others. Our therepist recommended the book "Parenting with Love and Logic". At first I thought it was a bit harsh, but by that point I was willing to try just about anything. Well, it works. The secret-you need to find their currency. If you don't have that, forget it, it's a waste of time. Now, she's back to being the sweet person I always knew she was. So my point, is that going thru all the trials and tribulations I think I would have been happier without children, but now that I have the tools to deal with the issues, I think I'm happier with them. Sure I would like to go to the Kimball Art Museum to see the Impressionists Exhibition with out the kids, but I also wouldn't give up hearing "I love you Mommy" for any exhibition, house, car or freedom in the world.

Am I the only one who's hot?!

I know there are a lot of things that others are dealing with that are much worse than the heat. The fires in CA, the droughts in FL, flooding in the midwest, but gravy.....I'm hot! So, this new home (10 yrs old, new to us) that we are in, apparently is not very energy efficient, we learned that the hard way....and to make a long story short, we are keeping the AC on 80, day and night. Our bedroom gets to 85 during the day, and I'm feeling the heat this year. With the increase in electricity rates, one just can't afford to keep cool, unless of course you're a Rockefeller.

Speaking of rate increases, I know I speak for many when I express my anger about gas, milk, bread, veggies, well....everything! I've had it. I'm going to stop buying as many things as I can. Clothes, home decorations, stuff in general. I'm going old school. I've already started canning, and I'm now planning my first garden. I'm getting the bed prepared now and letting it rest over the winter. I think this is a good idea not only to save $, but also so I don't have to worry about food safety. Now, it's not just tomatoes, but cilantro, jalapenos and more.......what gives?

Welcome All

Hello and welcome to all.

So, as you can see from the about me section, I am a happily married mom of two. I stopped working when my oldest was three. In my past life, I was a Human Resources Professional. I loved my job, and the work that I did, but in my heart I felt that it was important to be home with my daughter. Once I started staying home, it just seemed natural to have another. My children are 5 1/2 years apart, and so many people told me that would be the biggest challenge, it's normal for us, so it seems to work.

We moved to Mansfield in Dec of 07 from the Austin area. I actually graduated from Mansfield High School, and vowed I would never return, funny how life works out.....Chandler (my husband) got a new job that brought us to the area. I miss Austin, it will always be a special place for me.