Meet Bug

My younger cousin, Bug, is more like a little sister to me than a cousin.  We hang out, watch movies, eat junk food, and tell each other just about everything.  I like to think that I'm a bit of a mentor for her, especially since she started working for me a couple years ago.  Just like a little sister, she irritates the bejeezus out of me sometimes, but I love her with all my heart and wouldn't trade her for the world.  Just like a big sister, I mother her sometimes, but she claims she still loves me, and I think that's pretty special. 

Today we're working together and as she sits beside me, playing on her iPhone and completely oblivious to the fact that I'm writing this (we just finished putting away a huge truck; we've earned a break!), it strikes me just how lucky I am to have her around.  Thanks, Bug :)  We may harass each other, pick on each other and drive each other bat crap crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

A wonderful break from the norm

Shopping with BBS and the monkeys, followed by some one-on-one shopping with Miss Thing. Ice cream with Miss Thing and Mom. Play time with Doll Baby and Schmo. All leading up to a great dinner with awesome girls. Thanks to all involved for making this the best day off I've had in a long time!

Dinner

I had dinner with my parents and grandparents (my mom's parents) last night.  My grandpa isn't in great health (he's 91, so he's in great health for his age, he's just OLD!) but he was in a great mood and it was so good to see him like that.  He smiled, he laughed, and most importantly, when they were leaving he leaned in and told my mom he loves her.  I have such incredible memories of my grandparents growing up, but the older he gets, but grumpier he gets and it was so great to have such a good evening with him.  I hope there are many more to come! 

Conversation with my employees

Employee #1: "I can't wait to get off work to go camping."
Employee #2: "My mom is in town, so we're all going to have dinner together tonight."
Me: "I'm exhausted.  I can't wait to go home, vacuum the couch and lay down to watch a movie."
I know it's ridiculous that sweeping the couch is part of my relaxing evening, but let's be honest, if having a clean couch meant I had to give up Wolfey, I'd take my furry couch any day of the week!

Is it bed time yet?

Karaoke was awesome.  Unfortunately I didn't get home until later than I usually stay out (around midnight) and had to get up for work at 6:30 this morning.  And Wolfey woke me up at 2:30 barking.  Needless to say, I'm dragging today.  Almost time to get off work and I can't wait to go home and crash on my couch!

I Want You to Want Me

Professor Wordsmith once told me the thing he misses most about being married is knowing that he is wanted.  He said he doesn't really miss his ex, and especially doesn't miss her drama, but he misses the feeling of being sure that there is someone out there who is thinking of him, missing him, and wanting to be with him.  But I digress.

I want you to want me.  You know, the song by Cheap Trick?  I love that song!  More importantly, the monkeys love that song.  When Buddy was born, Miss Thing had a hard time dealing with the fact that she was no longer the center of the universe.  If she felt like we were giving Buddy too much attention, she'd cry, "I want you!"  You know, that pathetic little kid cry where they seem so sad it just makes your heart melt.  At first it was sweet.  Then it got a little old.  Then it got to be annoying.  So I taught her that song..."I want you to want me.  I need you to need me.  I love you to love me.  I'm begging you to beg me!"  I could go on, but I think you get the point.  Buddy is now 10 years old and that song is still "Aunt Karen's song" and every time it comes on, all the kids dance and sing along.  And every time it comes on, I'm reminded how lucky I am that I will always know there is someone out there who is thinking of me, missing me, and wanting to be with me.

BBS and I are going to karaoke tonight.  Guess what I'll be singing? ;)

Playing healthy-eating catch up

The dog had pork, brown rice and apples for breakfast today (I had Frosted Mini Wheats.  I couldn't resist!).  For lunch I had a salad and for an afternoon I had an apple.  For dinner we're having fish (salmon?).  I think I've nearly made up for falling flat on my face last night!

Pizza and cat food

Sometimes, even the most dedicated puppy feeder is just too tired to put thought into it.  After working 13 1/2 hours yesterday, I was beat; Wolfey and I junked out last night.  I had to pick him up from my parents' house (they kept him for the day so he wouldn't be alone so long) on my way home from work and when I got there, the house was empty except for pup.  I dug in the fridge (I just didn't think I could make it home without some food!) and came across leftover pizza.  That works, I can eat it in the car.  I was going to make Wolfey wait until we got home so he could have a healthy meal, but as soon as the pizza box came out he started whining and I just couldn't do that to him.  I decided to cave and give him dog food...only to find that there wasn't any!  I threw a handful of cat food at him and he ate like he was half starved (although, truth be known he's a lot like me and could live off his fat for several days!).  He was still fussing after he ate, so in the car on the way home, I offered him the last few bites of my pizza.  Bad doggy mommy, bad!  Too much junk food!  But I've never seen him eat in the car before (despite many people offering him many goodies) so he must have really been hungry.  Poor guy!  Back to the healthy food today, though - ground pork, brown rice and apples for breakfast.  Much better!

Three generations

Mom and I road tripped to see The Girl.  I love that she's willing to take an entire day to go, just because she knows it's important to me.  Not that she doesn't care about The Girl, too, just that I know she wouldn't keep up with this if it weren't for me.  It wasn't the most pleasant visit ever and I asked Mom on the way home if she'd do it again and she said yes.  I said, "Good.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm crazy for doing this."  Mom replied, "You are.  But if you really care about her, you do it, even if it's not fun."  She gets it, and I'm so lucky that even though she admits I'm a little nutso, she still supports me!

After all we'd overcome when Wolfey first came to me, a few years ago he developed new behavioral issues.  I chalked it up to lots of changes in our lives - in 2 years time, we moved three times, had my ex move in and then back out of our home and I changed jobs (meaning I changed Wolfey's schedule) twice.  Not only did we move, but we moved in with my parents (while my house was on the market) and then back out on our own (when my house sold, I bought a new one and my boyfriend moved in).  Too many changes, even for me, and I understood what was going on!  Poor Wolfey just couldn't handle it.  He started chewing on himself and had gotten to the point where he had bald patches and was starting to get sores.  The vet thought it was anxiety due to the changes (I agreed) and put Wolfey on Prozac.  I was hesitant since I don't like to use medication unless it's absolutely necessary but I didn't know what else to do.  Wolfey became completely lethargic, refusing to play or even to snuggle.  Worried, I took Wolfey back to the vet, refusing further medication and requesting a natural treatment.  We were given fish oil to help with skin irritation and make his fur stronger and healthier and I began to see improvement.  Looking back, I realize that most of the improvement was because Wolfey was settling in to our new routine and wasn't so anxious, but at the time I thought the fish oil had been our saviour. 

A few years and many changes (kids coming into and out of our house, my work schedule changing again, etc.) later, Wolfey began chewing himself again.  We went back to the vet and once again they wanted to put him on Prozac.  I protested and they agreed to a lower dose, but insisted he needed the Prozac.  This time Wolfey didn't become lethargic, but he didn't stop chewing, either.  In fact, he got worse.  He chewed his front right paw until he got a sore.  We went to the vet several times and every time they treated the symptoms but never looked for the source of the problem.  Finally, one day I was talking to my aunt, who is a dog groomer.  She recommended a vet in the next town over who specializes in holistic treatment for animals, meaning he looks at the big picture and what is causing an issue rather than just treating the problems.  One visit, a couple hundred dollars and several dietary supplements later, Wolfey was improving by leaps and bounds.  Wolfey still takes his fish oil every day, but now I know that it's so much more than just a skin issue - Wolfey has long term health issues that need to be addressed.  And we're both so lucky I love him enough to help him through this.

Puppy love

BBS and the monkeys met Mom and Wolfey at the farm this morning to pick rocks out of one of the fields.  On their way home, BBS called to let me know the kids were enjoying Wolfey's company so much they took him home with them.  She told me a story about how Princess was so excited to see Wolfey that she was barking and panting at him and Doll Baby was trying to force-feed Wolfey a bone Mom had brought for him.  Miss Thing has long called Wolfey her cousin-dog but I love that the younger ones are getting in on the action now, too.  I checked in with BBS a little later in the day and she reported that Princess loved having Wolfey around - perhaps a little more than Wolfey would have liked her to love him, and that all was going well.  She said for the time being, Wolfey was laying on their pool deck enjoying the beautiful day.

I just got a call from Mom that BBS was taking the monkeys to their human cousins' house, so Mom had picked Wolfey up so he wouldn't "be weirded out" by being left alone at BBS's house (he's only there a couple times a year and he's never been alone there).  I know a lot of people think I spoil Wolfey and treat him too much like a member of the family, but I love that my family respects that and they consider his feelings in their actions.  I'm so lucky to have a family who accepts Wolfey as a part of the family!

Missing pup

We're going into the busy season at work and I'll be working long days, often 6 day per week, so I planned a 4 day weekend this week to have a little down time and get some projects done around the house before the real craziness hits.  Yesterday, in my boss called and said that after reviewing sales from the past two years, he expected this to be a big weekend and suggested that we have an extra person working.  I checked the weather and saw that it's going to be hot and dry - perfect pool weather - and agreed that a spare person would be good.  There went my Saturday, but no problem, I still had Friday, Sunday and Monday.  Shortly after I got off the phone with him, the manager from another store called asking for coverage for her store on Friday.  Her mom is in the hospital and is having surgery Friday; of course she wants to be there.  Immediately I agreed to cover her store; after all, I would hope someone would do that for me if I were in her situation.  In the matter of about half an hour, I went from a 4 day weekend to a 2 day weekend. 

I'd planned to stay at my parents' house last night and watch the season finale of Criminal Minds (and drool over Shemar Moore) with my mom, but when my work schedule changed, I realized that would mean not mowing the grass until Saturday - and it was already looking shaggy yesterday!  I called my mom and of course she completely understood, but there was still the issue of Wolfey being with Mom.  I had dropped him off on my way to work yesterday, in anticipation of staying there last night.  Mom offered for Wolfey to stay so I could go straight home to mow, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but as soon as I walked in the door I missed him. 

I went straight outside to mow and kept watching for Wolfey to come around the corner of the house.  It was so weird!  Same thing when I got up this morning - I checked the floor before getting out of bed to make sure I wasn't going to step on him, only to realize he wasn't there to step on.  This was the first time I've been at my house without Wolfey in years and I guess I didn't realize how much Wolfey is a part of everything I do.  I couldn't believe how much I missed him!  So much so, in fact, that when my mom called and said she had Wolfey at the farm, I stopped in to see them on my way to work this morning.  I'm so thankful my mom was flexible and willing to keep Wolfey last night, but I'm even more happy that I get him back tonight!

When I started my blog, it was with the intention that I would focus mainly on Wolfey's health and behavioral issues.  I hoped that I might be a resource for anyone else dealing with these issues.  As often happens, life got in the way and I veered off course.  I'm hoping to get back on track now and spend a little time talking about Pup.

Wolfey had been pretty badly abused when he came to me, and consequently we had some issues to work through.  Foolishly, I thought that one he was healthy everything would be downhill from there.  Wolfey has been with me for 8 years now (okay, it will be 8 years in July) and we're still working.  There are a lot of things he's over completely.  He no longer cowers in the corner when I take off my shoes (I assume he used to be beaten with shoes), has uncontrollable accidents every time I leave (turned out he had rip worm) and flips out when I leave my hand resting on his side (was he held down as part of a "punishment"?) but he still has some separation anxiety, intestinal issues and overall nervous behavior. 

The shoe thing was pretty easy to deal with - step out of my shoes instead of taking them off by hand until he trusts me enough to know I'm not going to beat him.  I then started by putting my hands near my feet when I stepped out of my shoes, then touching my shoes when I take them off, etc.  I moved slowly toward taking my shoes off with my hands and now it's not an issue.  The other day I accidentally knocked Wolfey in the head with my shoe (he was just too close when I was putting my shoes on for work) and he didn't even react.  What a change! 

Other issues have improved progressively as well, but there's a lot we're still working on.  As I figure out this whole cooking for Wolfey thing his behavior is improving, too; I guess it's true what they say about everything being related.  I'm lucky I decided to give this a try, because my awesome pup is happier, healthier and better behaved than ever!

A case of the anti-Mondays

I met Bestie for lunch and shopping yesterday.  After a particularly rough weekend, it was just what the doctor ordered!  She lives about 2 hours away, so we met half way, had lunch at Applebee's and spent HOURS shopping - at WalMart, of all places!  It was nothing special and I didn't buy anything particularly interesting, but it was so nice to spend time together and catch up.  It's really incredible to me how something so mundane becomes something special when you do it with someone whose company you truly enjoy.  It didn't hurt that her baby is an angel and slept almost the entire time we were together.  Bonus - she woke up twice to eat and I got to feed her both times :) 

I didn't get home until late (I hit the grocery store on the way) and really didn't feel like making dinner.  I had a (raw) sweet potato sitting on the counter and decided to just go simple.  I needed a grain and protein to go with it for Wolfey, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and make Quinoa.  I had never tried it before and had my doubts but it's supposed to be really good for you and for animals, so I gave it a shot.  I ended up mixing it half and half with the sweet potato and it was DELICIOUS!  Wolfey gobbled his up, too, so he must have agreed.  A simple, cheap, vegetarian dish we can both enjoy?  I'm definitely on board!

Post-foster life

In my experience, DCS encourages foster parents to stay involved even after a case ends and I believe that is the best thing for the child.  Why create another loss for a child who has already gone through so much?  I knew when I chose to foster that I planned to stay as involved as possible but sometimes it's just not an option - sometimes the biological or adoptive parents don't want the ex-foster parents around, sometimes the child would rather not have contact, sometimes the child moves far away and visits just aren't feasible.  What I didn't realize before I started fostering, though, is that this is a life long commitment, even if you're not still in contact with the kids.  

My kids have been on my mind a LOT lately.  Each missed birthday, each event's anniversary (a child being placed with me, a child leaving, a special thing we did together), and of course, communication with anyone else involved in the case, makes me miss my kids that much more.  An old friend recently contacted me wanting to know how my kids are doing and it broke my heart that for one I was able to give a full update (obviously omitting any identifying details) but for another all I could say was "I hear Xxxxxxxxx is doing well" because I haven't seen the child, heard from the adoptive parents or gotten an update from DCS.  This time last year I had a beautiful little one tell me, "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"; late this month will be one year since I've had any kids in my home.  What a change.  They say time heals all wounds.  I'm waiting.  As I was getting ready for work, an old Carrie Underwood song came on.  As I listened to the words of "Temporary Home," I started thinking about my kids, how much I miss them and how I provided one of their temporary homes and my heart broke a little more for them.  As I sit here writing this I'm tearing up again, hoping that they know that no matter where they are, what they do in life or how often (or if) we see each other, they have a forever home in my heart.

Bittersweet

Sometimes you do things that you know are for the best but they still hurt like hell.  Sometimes you celebrate a happy event that no one realizes is breaking your heart.  Sometimes the glass is nearly full but because of the circumstances, all you can see is that little empty space.  As you celebrate this Mother's Day, please remember those who are not mothers.  Sometimes it's not by choice.

Meet the Best Big Sis (BBS)

This was supposed to post yesterday but somehow I forgot to hit "publish" when I finished writing.  Oops!

My sister is awesome.  I have to love her because she's my sister.  I don't just love her, I like her.  BBS (and her husband, but he works 9 days a week, so I won't have many stories to tell about him since I don't get to see him much) has blessed me with 5 incredible nieces and nephews.  She's a stay at home mom (and I can admit that I think I'd go crazy doing that!) and she is the best mom those kids ever could have hoped for.  She's supportive, firm but loving and always positive.  Seriously, she's one of the happiest people I know.  She's such an inspiration!

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff and on to the real introduction.  My sister is three years older than me, although growing up everyone thought I was the older one because she was so tiny.  I was, of course, the annoying little sister, but BBS always tolerated me tagging along with her friends.  She took me to my first concert, taught me to drive a stick shift and sent me balloon bouquets every birthday.  None of this is to say that we had a perfect relationship.  After all, we're sisters!  We didn't really become friends until after BBS got married and had Miss Thing.  Suddenly we realized how much we needed each other.  She needed the support and friendship that only family can provide while you're learning how to be a wife and mother and I needed access to my niece!  With the passing years, her growing family and my ups, downs and upside downs of fostering, we have continued to grow closer than ever and I am now very lucky to love a woman who is not only the best big sister, but one of my best friends.

I'm still learning

I don't quite have Wolfey's feeding schedule down.  Most of the books I've read about cooking for your dog agree that 50% of their protein should come from poultry, 40% from red meat (pork and beef) and 10% from organ meat.  Additionally, each week a dog Wolfey's size (about 30lbs) should get one egg, 1T plain yogurt and one serving (1/3 of a cup for a dog his size) of fish.  This sounds a little confusing, but I figured out that if Wolfey eats twice a day, this means he should eat poultry for one meal each day and his other meal each day should rotate: beef, pork, beef pork, fish, beef, pork, beef, pork, organ, and so on.  It's not exact, but it's close enough.  Of course, unless I'm completely anal and write Wolfey's meals on a calendar, I can never remember what he ate the day before!  But the real problem comes in on days like Wednesday and yesterday.  Wolfey and I spent the night at my parents' house Wednesday night, meaning that he ate turkey "pupcakes" (I bake balanced dog meals in cupcake pans and freeze them for Wolfey to eat later) for three meals in a row.  I'm so lucky my parents love Wolfey and welcome him into their home, but now I'm trying to figure out how to get him back on his schedule.  I'll get the hang of this some day!

Buck

Driving home around 8:30 last night, I passed my neighbor's house and saw her dog lying very still in her side yard.  This is very unusual, as the dog is generally pretty active, and if he's lose, he's often at my house, waiting for Wolfey to come out and play.  I slowed way down and he didn't react.  Also weird.  I got Wolfey and walked over to my neighbor's house to see if Buck was okay.  As Wolfey and I approached, Buck didn't respond and I became even more worried.  Wolfey walked up and checked Buck out, but Buck remained still.  He was breathing, but that was it.  I knocked hard on my neighbor's door but there was no answer; it was then that I noticed two notes on the door, both saying that the writer had found Buck in the woods and he wasn't doing well.  One of those people must have brought him home and tied him up to be sure our neighbor found him.  I walked down to another neighbor's house (let's call him Alex) and asked if he knew how to get ahold of Buck's person.  Alex walked back to Buck's home with me, checked the dog out and said he would call the landlord, as they would be certain to have a way to get ahold of our neighbor.  In the mean time, I walked next door to ask if anyone over there knew how to get ahold of Buck's person; they didn't.  We were standing between the two yards talking about the dog when Alex drove up in his truck.  He had called the landlord but no one was answering so he decided to drive out there.  I asked Alex to let me know if he found anything out and headed home.  I felt awful, but there was nothing more I could do, so I threw together a quick dinner and spent some time loving on Wolfey, hoping we're never in that situation.  I left my front lights on until 10:30 last night, hoping Alex would stop by and tell me Buck's person had come home and rushed him to the vet but never heard back.  When I left for work this morning I drove past that house very slowly but there were no signs of life.  No neighbor, no Buck.  I hate to think what that means, but at least I know that I am lucky to have neighbors who care, and who will do everything they can to reunite a person with their sick pup.

UPDATE 5/15/12: I still hadn't heard anything, so I stopped by Alex's work this morning.  He said Buck died the next day, reportedly just from old age.  I'm so sad Wolfey lost a friend and my neighbor lost a companion, but I hope Buck is more comfortable in puppy heaven.

The "weekend"

I still haven't mastered the art of pre-writing and scheduling when a post will publish and my internet connection at home is so poor that I can sign on to blogspot but when I click "new post," I go straight to a blank white screen and can't write.  So bear with me while I catch up on the weekend.  And yes, I had a 3-day weekend!

Saturday was awesome.  Wolfey and I spent the entire day at home.  We did laundry (meaning I did laundry and he laid at the top of the stairs watching me, since he's scared of the basement) and hung it outside (meaning I hung the laundry while he chased birds) in the beautiful weather.  We did yardwork (meaning I pulled weeds while he barked at the neighbors, who were out walking their dogs).  We cleaned the house (meaning I did dishes, ran the vacuum, etc. while he shed all over the place).  But mostly, we snuggled on the couch and watched an entire season of Will and Grace (meaning I laid on the couch and he sat on my chest, forcing me to pet him).  It was a wonderful, Wolfey-filled day!

Sunday was a bit crazy.  The Girl's other foster mom and I had planned a road trip to take her out on a pass.  We agreed to meet at my house at 10:00, for an 11:30 pass (it takes an hour and a half.  This math works, no?) but then she scheduled the pass for 12:00.  No problem, this just gives us a little cushion in case either of us is running late, there's traffic or we have to stop for gas.  Then she showed up more than a half hour early!  I was piddling around the house finishing up some last minute morning things (like eating breakfast!) when there was a knock at the door.  Yikes!  I tried to kill time, but there's only so much running around the house pretending you're not ready you can do when someone's sitting in your living room.  We ended up leaving about 20min early, when we already had a 30min cushion.  Needless to say, we arrived nearly an hour early, the facility made us wait and everyone was irritated.  NOT a great way to start a pass!  There was drama, anxiety and tears, but in the end, there was love, togetherness and a pretty good time :)

Monday was FUN!  The Best Big Sis picked me up from the shop to get my car fixed and I had an entire day of BBS, Doll Baby and Princess!  Seriously, does it get much better?  Oh, yes.  It does.  Because we also stopped to visit Dad, bought and planted Mom's Mother's Day flowers and hung out at BBS's house for a little while so I got to see the older monkeys when they got home from school.  I swear, Schmo gives the best hugs EVER!!  Then Mom picked me up, we visited for a little while and Dad took me down to get my car.  Seriously, I have an amazing family and I am so lucky to have so many people who could help me out yesterday!

So here I sit, back at work.  Strangely, I was kind of looking forward to getting back to my routine, but as I look back over the past three days, I wish every day could be like that!  I am so lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life!

Why don't I do this more often?

When I first moved out on my own, I had scrambled eggs with stuff in them (my version of an omlette, since I'm never successful at keeping the eggs together in omlette form.  Doing it this way saves me a lot of frustration!) for dinner about once a week.  I was always trying new mix-ins, and loved that it was so cheap and easy and relatively healthy.  For some reason I have gotten away from doing that, and within the past few years, if I'm looking for an easy dinner, I tend to go to the freezer and pull out something I made a few weeks ago, or frozen junk (think chicken fingers, tater tots...yummy, but so bad for you!).  I knew that cooking for Wolfey was going to force me to cook more often, which is one of the things I like about making my own dog food, but I didn't even consider that it would bring me full circle, to cooking like I did when I was younger.  Last night, we had scrambled eggs with wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms mixed in.  I topped mine with a little grated cheddar (Wolfey didn't get any cheese since he's trying to lose a little weight)and I must say, I quite enjoyed myself.  Wolfey did, too :)  I have to wonder why I ever stopped cooking like this.  It's cheap, easy and way more healthy than a frozen meal!  I'm so lucky to cook for my pup, because it reminds me to step outside my cooking comfort zone and into something yummy!

Lesson...mowed?

Several circumstances converged and made it so my mom was unable to mow her yard this week.  Being the dutiful daughter, I volunteered.  No big deal, right?  It only takes about two hours out of my 168 hour week, that's really not much.  Then it rained.  And rained.  And rained.  Last night I finally got to mow, but the yard was still a little wet and very slippery.  I fought with her super heavy duty mower, stopped several times to clean out the clogged chute, leaving piles of cut grass along the way and nearly lost a toe to prune-foot.  Then it got dark.  Really, Honda, why is it that only the riding mowers get a headlight?  It's so unfair.  It was a headache, to say the least.  Driving home at 9:30 last night, I thought back to all the times my mom couldn't play ball or take us to the mall because she needed to mow the grass.  At the time, I thought it was just an excuse to stay home and do what she wanted, but as I get older and have these responsibilities of my own, I see the commitment she made to providing a happy, healthy and well-kept home.  It's hard work and not much fun, and I am so lucky to have such an incredibly strong woman who made it all look easy as my role model.  Hopefully tonight, as I'm mowing my own yard, I can channel a little bit of her strength and energy and remember that I'm not just mowing a lawn, I'm keeping a home.

Sweet potato fries

As I was driving home from work last night, my best friend (we'll just call her Bestie for now, since I haven't done a proper introduction yet, nor have I put any thought into a blog name for her) called.  We chatted for a while, catching up, venting about our most recent frustrations (mine was with buying printer ink.  Seriously, hp, how many different sizes of ink cartridges do you really need to make?) and rejoicing in the fact that her baby is learning to have a "normal" sleep schedule.  As we were talking, she was making dinner - pulled chicken barbecue and sweet potato fries.  Yum!  In fact, so yum that she inspired me to stop at the grocery store and pick up some sweet potatoes!  I went straight home, pulled some chicken out of the freezer and sliced the sweet potatoes, promptly slicing open my thumb, as well.  Ouch.  Please, someone remind me to splurge on the mandolin with the finger protector next time :(  But dinner was awesome!  I added some coleslaw to the meal and Wolfey and I stuffed ourselves :)  Of  course, Wolfey didn't get any slaw dressing since it has sugar in it, but from the smile on his face, I don't think he even noticed it was missing! 

I'm still learning how to handle this whole cooking for the dog thing, though.  Wild dogs establish a hierarchy in which the higher up dogs eat first and the lower dogs get what's left.  Most dog trainers will tell you that the people should eat first and the dog(s) second so the dog knows where s/he stands in the hierarchy.  Makes sense to me.  But Wolfey knows he's going to get my leftovers and whines the whole time I'm eating.  I hate to hear my baby cry and it makes it really hard not to give him little scraps here and there.  I'm reading a training book right now, but so far it's NO help.  I'm open to input!

Job hunting?

I don't want anyone (namely my employees!) to worry, but I am job hunting.  Of course, I have been for close to 2 years now.  It's not that I hate my job (actually, I quite enjoy it) but I know I don't want to stay where I am the rest of my life, so I'm always open to checking out an interesting opening.  My awesome aunt is about to lose her job (her company is closing 9 branches, one of which happens to be hers) and is on the hunt.  In the process of applying for a job with a certain government agency (where I would LOVE to work), she came across a job in which she thought I'd be interested.  She not only thought of me when she read about the job opening, but she took a break from her own intensive search to call and let me know about it.  I'm so lucky to love an aunt who lets me know when she's thinking of me...and lets me know about potentially awesome job opportunities!

My awesomely amazing sister (you'll "meet" her later, but for now, let's call her BBS for Best Big Sis!) and I planned to go shopping yesterday.  We both need summer clothes, she had a return to make at Target and I needed something from Bed Bath and Beyond, which is right next door.  We planned to make a day of it and have some girlie, sister time.  I was excited to spend the day with her and gush over the two younger monkeys, who are both, thankfully, too young for school.  Friday I realized I had double booked myself and had a meeting for a not-for-profit for which I'm an officer at 4:15.  No problem, BBS would have to be home in time to get the older monkeys off the bus anyway, so my meeting only meant that we'd have to be home about a half hour earlier.  No big deal.  Then Sunday evening I got a call reminding me that I had another commitment (foster related) at 2:30.  How had I managed to not only double book myself, but to triple book myself for that day?!?  Oh, and did I mention that BBS was going to pick me up from the auto shop so my car could be worked on while we shopped?  Quadruple booked!  I called BBS in a tizzy and, as usual, she took it all in stride.  She suggested I call the shop first thing in the morning to see if they could get me in earlier, then she'd pick me up early, we'd cut our day a bit short and be back in plenty of time for my other obligations.  And wouldn't you know it?  It was an awesome day full of girl time, monkey snuggles and fulfilling all my commitments.  I am so lucky to have a sister who is level headed and comes up with logical solutions to my freak outs!

Oh, and did I mention that Princess wanted me while we were shopping?  At one point, I pulled her stroller up to BBS, said, "stay with Mommy for a minute, I'll be right back" and stepped away and she started bawling!  I came back and asked her if she thought I was leaving her and she gave me the most pathetic little poopy lipped "Yes" I've ever seen.  I love that little girl so much, and I love, love, love that she loves me too! :)