Update : I just heard from BBR again and … "Leo is doing great. He was adopted by a family with older children and a lab. They love him. The mom is home much of the time and he gets lots of attention. He is doing very well."
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Leo
As I originally revealed here, we relinquished Mister Leo back to Basset Buddies Rescue in the hopes he would find that perfect home he needs to wain his stress and anxiety and obsessive need for attention. Sounds like he's one step closer.
Update : I just heard from BBR again and … "Leo is doing great. He was adopted by a family with older children and a lab. They love him. The mom is home much of the time and he gets lots of attention. He is doing very well."
Update : I just heard from BBR again and … "Leo is doing great. He was adopted by a family with older children and a lab. They love him. The mom is home much of the time and he gets lots of attention. He is doing very well."
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Discourse
So I've been hemming and hawing over whether or not to continue this blog. If hemming sits on the side of continuing, hawing has definitely been winning out. This is probably pretty apparent seeings as my posts have been few and far between. I can blame much for my absence: Team DeBoer being down with the sickness, a difficult pregnancy, a 9pm bedtime, my nagging need for posts to be perfect prior to posting … but basically, it's been my general lack of time, ambition or motivation. If I've mustered any "free" time lately, all I've wanted to do is sit down and watch TV. And by that I mean watch one of two television shows I pay attention to: The Amazing Race and The Daily Show. Every other minute of my day has been spent sleeping, working, looking after Maci, spending time with Shawn, ignoring Norman, baby-prepping, budgeting, reading, cooking, cleaning, bathing and carrying around way too much weight. Being overwhelmed with what is every day, blogging got put on the back burner. Something more important, pertinent or necessary always came up.
But then … something happened.
I discovered this little widget called, "Popular Posts." I applied it to my blog layout and up populated a post called Grandpa Miller. A couple others that followed closely were entitled Cletus (ironically one's about the first, the other's about the sequel). Still others read Challenge, Stories and Question. Even random posts titled Touchdown, Soda and Chicago appeared. Last but not least, there was a photo montage of the Mae Meister. As I reread these entries I quickly remembered why I ever bothered with this whole blogging thing in the first place: I want to remember. Things are worth recording and you know what, I'm a pretty damn good writer, and entertaining at that. I found myself chuckling out loud at my own work. I found myself tearing up, smiling, furrowing my brow and admiring my photos. I found myself hemming again.
Then, as if to compound my mere efforts to make memories a permanent part of written history, I had two people approach me in the same week asking about my issues with anxiety. It could have been a crazy coincidence or it could have been that others were grateful for my openness and honesty regarding somewhat personal or taboo topics. Others related to what I was saying and found enough comfort in my approach to ask me more about it. Sometimes I may say too much making people feel nothing but uncomfortable but other times, I unintentionally make myself an advocate. Again I remember. I remember back to what it feels like to be in the middle of your own crazy and nothing makes you feel better then learning you're not alone and that someone else knows what you're going through. Misery may love company but company is necessary to deal with misery. Thus, my hemming grew.
The last straw, we traded in my 24-inch iMac for a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Gone are the days of hibernating in the back guest room freezing my ass off to write a post. Nothing deters blogging like frigid fingers and an icicle ass. It turns out, a gas fireplace in the dead middle of a brutally long Minnesota winter can silence all hawing and once again, blogs can be written.
So here I sit, posting another blog. Vowing to renew my efforts to keep up with this hobby of mine. And I've got a doozy of a follow up post for ya … in TMI tradition, I will be elaborating on this pregnancy. If you are squeamish, shy or male, don't say I didn't warn you.
But then … something happened.
I discovered this little widget called, "Popular Posts." I applied it to my blog layout and up populated a post called Grandpa Miller. A couple others that followed closely were entitled Cletus (ironically one's about the first, the other's about the sequel). Still others read Challenge, Stories and Question. Even random posts titled Touchdown, Soda and Chicago appeared. Last but not least, there was a photo montage of the Mae Meister. As I reread these entries I quickly remembered why I ever bothered with this whole blogging thing in the first place: I want to remember. Things are worth recording and you know what, I'm a pretty damn good writer, and entertaining at that. I found myself chuckling out loud at my own work. I found myself tearing up, smiling, furrowing my brow and admiring my photos. I found myself hemming again.
Then, as if to compound my mere efforts to make memories a permanent part of written history, I had two people approach me in the same week asking about my issues with anxiety. It could have been a crazy coincidence or it could have been that others were grateful for my openness and honesty regarding somewhat personal or taboo topics. Others related to what I was saying and found enough comfort in my approach to ask me more about it. Sometimes I may say too much making people feel nothing but uncomfortable but other times, I unintentionally make myself an advocate. Again I remember. I remember back to what it feels like to be in the middle of your own crazy and nothing makes you feel better then learning you're not alone and that someone else knows what you're going through. Misery may love company but company is necessary to deal with misery. Thus, my hemming grew.
The last straw, we traded in my 24-inch iMac for a 15-inch MacBook Pro. Gone are the days of hibernating in the back guest room freezing my ass off to write a post. Nothing deters blogging like frigid fingers and an icicle ass. It turns out, a gas fireplace in the dead middle of a brutally long Minnesota winter can silence all hawing and once again, blogs can be written.
So here I sit, posting another blog. Vowing to renew my efforts to keep up with this hobby of mine. And I've got a doozy of a follow up post for ya … in TMI tradition, I will be elaborating on this pregnancy. If you are squeamish, shy or male, don't say I didn't warn you.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
December
At the midway point of January, I think it's only appropriate to now take the time to recap December … in standard photo montage form:
For the first time in the almost eight years we've lived in Minnesota, we hit up the (free) Holidazzle parade that takes place in downtown Minneapolis. Thanks to neighbor Sarah, we sat in a heated, cozy tent with warm apple cider and hot chocolate. (We are now doomed to ever do it different.) It was spectacular and I only wish I could've captured the expressions on Maci's face as the lighted floats went by … damn the darkness. She was in serious awe – exclaiming and pointing and oohing and aahing! It was child wonderment at it's finest.
Afterwards we hit up the (also free) Macy's annual holiday display on the eighth floor of their downtown store. While the display was equally impressive, the long lines to get in and the fact that Maci was flirting with bed time, made for a somewhat less impressive reaction. She still got a kick out of everything, just in a much more subdued, muted and sleepy way. Apparently I was also pretty beat because I didn't even bother to get out the camera.
Of course we made our annual, and by that I mean second, trip to see the big guy at the Rosedale Mall. Last year, Maci didn't mind the bearded stranger in the big red suit. In fact, she was all smiles. (I can't get over how different she looks just one year ago, sans curls!)
This year, we were far less certain of her reaction as she seemed a wee bit … hesitant.
While we did our best to back her up to Mr. Clause, so as to ease the transition, she still turned to take a peak once she was on his knee and immediately broke down into some seriously sad tears. Not scared, not shy, sad. Luckily, a fabulous employee got a hold of a noise-making duck long enough to divert her attention, dry her tears and at the very least, somber her expression. While the photographer was showing us all these boring, cookie-cutter, serious-faced-Maci photos, our Mae Mo started to take on an inquisitive appearance…
Shawn was like, "Take the picture! Now! Now!" And thus we got the adorable shot above. Create your own caption but my favorite is: "Flying reindeers? Really? Keep talking."
This brings us to Christmas Eve. Having zero activities planned for the day, we chocked it full of fine family fun in hopes of making memories and traditions for years to come. To kick things off, sledding at Como.
Dad and Maci were up first…
Success! (And survival.)
Next up, Mom and Maci…
When we got home (and thawed out) we watched the Grinch. Not the horrible (in my opinion) Jim Carrey version, but the Dr. Seuss animated original. It was just long enough to entertain Maci Mae but just short enough not to lose her attention. Pretty sure her favorite part was Max the dog who she kept lovingly referring to as Noh-man!
After sledding, after the Grinch, after some lunch and some family napping, we hit up church. If I do say so myself, Maci Mae Mo was just about the cutest thing I've ever seen that night but the little squirt would not stand still for a photo, so the blurry, yellow shot below is the best I could get.
Christmas Eve ended up being absolutely perfect. After Maci went to bed, Shawn and I capped off the evening with some dessert and a little National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Classic.
On Christmas Day, we videotaped most of Maci's present-opening-session but I was able to get a few photos a little later on while she got to enjoy a couple of her presents. That's right, bubble bath and foam letters folks! Man I love presents at this age! Maci took her first-ever bubble bath and was enamored! Bubbles are her jam. That Santa sure is smart…
Everything after Christmas is pretty much a blur. We rang in the New Year around 7pm with the Woodruffs and had a celebratory countdown over chicken nuggets and cheese and crackers. Pretty sure I allowed myself TWO Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Peppers and possibly a shot-glass sized portion of beer. I miss beer. Anyway, it was a good month. Cold, crisp, snowy and full of big events: Shawn's 30th, Christmas, New Year's Eve and of course, a Dad, his dog and his daughter sledding down Ruggles. I kinda really love these people…
For the first time in the almost eight years we've lived in Minnesota, we hit up the (free) Holidazzle parade that takes place in downtown Minneapolis. Thanks to neighbor Sarah, we sat in a heated, cozy tent with warm apple cider and hot chocolate. (We are now doomed to ever do it different.) It was spectacular and I only wish I could've captured the expressions on Maci's face as the lighted floats went by … damn the darkness. She was in serious awe – exclaiming and pointing and oohing and aahing! It was child wonderment at it's finest.
Afterwards we hit up the (also free) Macy's annual holiday display on the eighth floor of their downtown store. While the display was equally impressive, the long lines to get in and the fact that Maci was flirting with bed time, made for a somewhat less impressive reaction. She still got a kick out of everything, just in a much more subdued, muted and sleepy way. Apparently I was also pretty beat because I didn't even bother to get out the camera.
Of course we made our annual, and by that I mean second, trip to see the big guy at the Rosedale Mall. Last year, Maci didn't mind the bearded stranger in the big red suit. In fact, she was all smiles. (I can't get over how different she looks just one year ago, sans curls!)
This year, we were far less certain of her reaction as she seemed a wee bit … hesitant.
While we did our best to back her up to Mr. Clause, so as to ease the transition, she still turned to take a peak once she was on his knee and immediately broke down into some seriously sad tears. Not scared, not shy, sad. Luckily, a fabulous employee got a hold of a noise-making duck long enough to divert her attention, dry her tears and at the very least, somber her expression. While the photographer was showing us all these boring, cookie-cutter, serious-faced-Maci photos, our Mae Mo started to take on an inquisitive appearance…
Shawn was like, "Take the picture! Now! Now!" And thus we got the adorable shot above. Create your own caption but my favorite is: "Flying reindeers? Really? Keep talking."
This brings us to Christmas Eve. Having zero activities planned for the day, we chocked it full of fine family fun in hopes of making memories and traditions for years to come. To kick things off, sledding at Como.
Dad and Maci were up first…
Success! (And survival.)
Next up, Mom and Maci…
Crooked success! (And swagger!)
All was going well, better then expected actually. It was colder then a witches you-know-what but we didn't seem to mind or even notice. Maci was seemingly enjoying herself, grinning and giggling all the way down and then asking for more once we reached the bottom. And then, this happened…
Yep. Dad and Maci take two or three resulted in a tuck and roll situation to which Maci was not pleased about. Everyone survived safe and sound, however, thus ended the sledding session for Mae Mo.
When we got home (and thawed out) we watched the Grinch. Not the horrible (in my opinion) Jim Carrey version, but the Dr. Seuss animated original. It was just long enough to entertain Maci Mae but just short enough not to lose her attention. Pretty sure her favorite part was Max the dog who she kept lovingly referring to as Noh-man!
After sledding, after the Grinch, after some lunch and some family napping, we hit up church. If I do say so myself, Maci Mae Mo was just about the cutest thing I've ever seen that night but the little squirt would not stand still for a photo, so the blurry, yellow shot below is the best I could get.
Christmas Eve ended up being absolutely perfect. After Maci went to bed, Shawn and I capped off the evening with some dessert and a little National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Classic.
On Christmas Day, we videotaped most of Maci's present-opening-session but I was able to get a few photos a little later on while she got to enjoy a couple of her presents. That's right, bubble bath and foam letters folks! Man I love presents at this age! Maci took her first-ever bubble bath and was enamored! Bubbles are her jam. That Santa sure is smart…
Everything after Christmas is pretty much a blur. We rang in the New Year around 7pm with the Woodruffs and had a celebratory countdown over chicken nuggets and cheese and crackers. Pretty sure I allowed myself TWO Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Peppers and possibly a shot-glass sized portion of beer. I miss beer. Anyway, it was a good month. Cold, crisp, snowy and full of big events: Shawn's 30th, Christmas, New Year's Eve and of course, a Dad, his dog and his daughter sledding down Ruggles. I kinda really love these people…
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Shawn
Since Shawn's actually out celebrating a belated birthday with the neighbor boys at Ol' Mexico, I figured I'd use my alone time to recap how it all went down for us when we celebrated him turning the big 3-0.
Let me just start by saying, it's about damn time. It's hard being the older half in a marriage but it's even harder being the older half when you're married to Shawn. He's not the type to let you forget it and he's not the type to make you feel good about it either. Needless to say I was so ready, and probably more excited then he was, to celebrate this milestone. For mine, he planned a little vacation to Chicago so for his, I planned a little stay-cation here at home. Off to Grandma's house Maci went while Shawn and I hit up a T'wolves game, a couple movies, some dining out and some less then successful attempts at sleeping in.
I dropped Maci off Friday afternoon and immediately after, we ventured to the Target Center in hopes of seeing Ricky Rubio's debut game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While we were mildly disappointed when he didn't even suit, we quickly recovered once we sat down, damn near court side, and saw a life-size K-Love. Seriously, I walked right by the dude when we came in through the players entrance. We were so close we could've spit on Alexey Schved. No joke. We were in awe. We were totally those people not even trying to play it cool. Anyway, with the best seats we've ever had, some tasty chicken strips and fries and a T'wolves win, our weekend was off to a good start.
The next day, I awoke at 6:30am (#%*!), Shawn shortly thereafter at 7am. (So long sleeping in … hello crack of dawn.) With such an early start, we decided to head off to breakfast at Keys Cafe. Bad decision. It ended up being the worst experience with the worst service and the worst food we've ever had … and … that's all I'd like to say about that. Bleh. To recover, we trotted 20 yards north to the St. Paul Bagelry, grabbed our favorites to go and hit up the movie theatre for the first of our double feature: Argo. We were elated to find it still in theatres by the time we were able to go and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It was phenomenal. Go see it. When it comes out on DVD, rent it. Then watch it again. Totally worth your time if for nothing more then it's got the greatest 70s paraphernalia ever. It also happens to be based on a true story, it was directed by and stars Mr. Ben Affleck and it's dramatic while still being hilarious. Two thumbs way up. (Fine holiday fun.)
To kill some time between talkies, we headed off to D'Amicos for a (fantastic) light lunch and then ended our double feature with another favorite: Silver Linings Playbook. Also phenomenal. I love this movie for so many reasons. It's witty, cynical, hilarious, awkward, touching, inspiring and downright genius at times. Most of all, I love it because it highlights mental illness issues in such a new, relateable way, that you don't feel the stigma of the disease in the character's flaws, you feel for them as plain and pure people instead. Truly, truly awesome. Go see it. Plus, you get to look at Bradley Cooper the whole time. Come on.
So after some bball Friday and some movies Saturday, we attempted a redemption breakfast on Sunday and headed to Colossal; a small cafe over on Como in St. Paul our neighbors are always raving about. We love our neighbors for many reasons but now we get to add restaurant recommendations to the list. It was superb, delicious, affordable and downright cozy. Shawn had an omelet stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink while I ventured old school with the biscuits and gravy. Dee-lish. We were both impressed and more then stuffed thanks to the ginormous cinnamon roll Shawn also order as sort of an appetizer. Note for next time, get the roll to go!
When we got home, we took the time to rearrange the living room to make room for the tree we'd be fetching that afternoon, whilst also fetching our daughter. After attending a birthday party for a favorite little of ours, we headed south during the first and worst snow storm of the season. Not the greatest idea we've ever had but it couldn't be helped. As it turned out, the further south we got, the better the roads were. Screw the city plows, rural was where it was at! Long story short, we made it home safe and sound, our tree strapped to the roof of the Tribute and our daughter buckled in the back with the beginnings of what we'd soon find out to be another biblical illness. Ironically, after being away from her and missing her like madness the whole weekend, we actually stayed home with her all week while she was down with the sickness.
All-in-all, I'd say Shawn's 30th birthday stay-cation was a success! But I didn't stop there. Oh yeah, just when he thought I couldn't go any bigger then a weekend at home (HA!), I went and bought him his TV! Not just any TV, the TV. The TV we've been hemming and hawing over for literally years. I'm not kidding. When I went to Best Buy to purchase the damn thing, some of our old records showed our first consultation for such a purchase was in 2008. For you non-math majors, that's four effing years ago. That's a long-ass time and a whole lot of me putting up with an obsessing-Shawn.
After my last attempt to buy him a (tube) TV, circa 2001, I should've known not to try and surprise him again but apparently I didn't learn my lesson. The first time around, Tammy accidentally spilled the beans. This time around, it was none other then Best Buy themselves that blew the cover right off my hidden mission. I took off on Saturday with the cover story of Christmas shopping for Mae Mo. I bought the TV and set up pickup with our (previously mentioned) wonderful neighbors. Just as I'm heading out of the parking lot, proud of my purchase, I get a call from Shawn asking if I had something to tell him. Playing it cool I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. Yeah, umm, turns out, Best Buy TEXT him that his order was ready for pickup! #$&*! (Reason 182 why I hate texting.) I didn't even think to ask if such a thing could occur lest I buy a TV under his Best Buy account. For the love of Pete.
It worked out in Shawn's favor though because he got the whole weekend to take it out, set it up and play. We are now the proud owners of a Samsung, 46", LED, 1080p, 240Hz, Smart, 3D, HDTV. That translates to a whole bunch of shit I don't know how to use. The only photo I seem to have is below from Maci and I's Christmas Eve Grinch viewing. It's a skosh bigger then our old bute and Mr. DeBoer lu-uves the 3D…
Happy Birthday again my husband! We've now been together exactly half of your life time and in my humble opinion, 30 never looked so good…
Let me just start by saying, it's about damn time. It's hard being the older half in a marriage but it's even harder being the older half when you're married to Shawn. He's not the type to let you forget it and he's not the type to make you feel good about it either. Needless to say I was so ready, and probably more excited then he was, to celebrate this milestone. For mine, he planned a little vacation to Chicago so for his, I planned a little stay-cation here at home. Off to Grandma's house Maci went while Shawn and I hit up a T'wolves game, a couple movies, some dining out and some less then successful attempts at sleeping in.
I dropped Maci off Friday afternoon and immediately after, we ventured to the Target Center in hopes of seeing Ricky Rubio's debut game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While we were mildly disappointed when he didn't even suit, we quickly recovered once we sat down, damn near court side, and saw a life-size K-Love. Seriously, I walked right by the dude when we came in through the players entrance. We were so close we could've spit on Alexey Schved. No joke. We were in awe. We were totally those people not even trying to play it cool. Anyway, with the best seats we've ever had, some tasty chicken strips and fries and a T'wolves win, our weekend was off to a good start.
The next day, I awoke at 6:30am (#%*!), Shawn shortly thereafter at 7am. (So long sleeping in … hello crack of dawn.) With such an early start, we decided to head off to breakfast at Keys Cafe. Bad decision. It ended up being the worst experience with the worst service and the worst food we've ever had … and … that's all I'd like to say about that. Bleh. To recover, we trotted 20 yards north to the St. Paul Bagelry, grabbed our favorites to go and hit up the movie theatre for the first of our double feature: Argo. We were elated to find it still in theatres by the time we were able to go and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It was phenomenal. Go see it. When it comes out on DVD, rent it. Then watch it again. Totally worth your time if for nothing more then it's got the greatest 70s paraphernalia ever. It also happens to be based on a true story, it was directed by and stars Mr. Ben Affleck and it's dramatic while still being hilarious. Two thumbs way up. (Fine holiday fun.)
To kill some time between talkies, we headed off to D'Amicos for a (fantastic) light lunch and then ended our double feature with another favorite: Silver Linings Playbook. Also phenomenal. I love this movie for so many reasons. It's witty, cynical, hilarious, awkward, touching, inspiring and downright genius at times. Most of all, I love it because it highlights mental illness issues in such a new, relateable way, that you don't feel the stigma of the disease in the character's flaws, you feel for them as plain and pure people instead. Truly, truly awesome. Go see it. Plus, you get to look at Bradley Cooper the whole time. Come on.
So after some bball Friday and some movies Saturday, we attempted a redemption breakfast on Sunday and headed to Colossal; a small cafe over on Como in St. Paul our neighbors are always raving about. We love our neighbors for many reasons but now we get to add restaurant recommendations to the list. It was superb, delicious, affordable and downright cozy. Shawn had an omelet stuffed with everything but the kitchen sink while I ventured old school with the biscuits and gravy. Dee-lish. We were both impressed and more then stuffed thanks to the ginormous cinnamon roll Shawn also order as sort of an appetizer. Note for next time, get the roll to go!
When we got home, we took the time to rearrange the living room to make room for the tree we'd be fetching that afternoon, whilst also fetching our daughter. After attending a birthday party for a favorite little of ours, we headed south during the first and worst snow storm of the season. Not the greatest idea we've ever had but it couldn't be helped. As it turned out, the further south we got, the better the roads were. Screw the city plows, rural was where it was at! Long story short, we made it home safe and sound, our tree strapped to the roof of the Tribute and our daughter buckled in the back with the beginnings of what we'd soon find out to be another biblical illness. Ironically, after being away from her and missing her like madness the whole weekend, we actually stayed home with her all week while she was down with the sickness.
All-in-all, I'd say Shawn's 30th birthday stay-cation was a success! But I didn't stop there. Oh yeah, just when he thought I couldn't go any bigger then a weekend at home (HA!), I went and bought him his TV! Not just any TV, the TV. The TV we've been hemming and hawing over for literally years. I'm not kidding. When I went to Best Buy to purchase the damn thing, some of our old records showed our first consultation for such a purchase was in 2008. For you non-math majors, that's four effing years ago. That's a long-ass time and a whole lot of me putting up with an obsessing-Shawn.
After my last attempt to buy him a (tube) TV, circa 2001, I should've known not to try and surprise him again but apparently I didn't learn my lesson. The first time around, Tammy accidentally spilled the beans. This time around, it was none other then Best Buy themselves that blew the cover right off my hidden mission. I took off on Saturday with the cover story of Christmas shopping for Mae Mo. I bought the TV and set up pickup with our (previously mentioned) wonderful neighbors. Just as I'm heading out of the parking lot, proud of my purchase, I get a call from Shawn asking if I had something to tell him. Playing it cool I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. Yeah, umm, turns out, Best Buy TEXT him that his order was ready for pickup! #$&*! (Reason 182 why I hate texting.) I didn't even think to ask if such a thing could occur lest I buy a TV under his Best Buy account. For the love of Pete.
It worked out in Shawn's favor though because he got the whole weekend to take it out, set it up and play. We are now the proud owners of a Samsung, 46", LED, 1080p, 240Hz, Smart, 3D, HDTV. That translates to a whole bunch of shit I don't know how to use. The only photo I seem to have is below from Maci and I's Christmas Eve Grinch viewing. It's a skosh bigger then our old bute and Mr. DeBoer lu-uves the 3D…
Happy Birthday again my husband! We've now been together exactly half of your life time and in my humble opinion, 30 never looked so good…
Friday, December 21, 2012
Leo
So obviously my efforts to do better with this blogging business have epically failed and for that I apologize. Again and again. While I have many excuses I won't bore you with, one may be obvious due to the updated look of this blog and therefore is important to shed some light on.
After two and a half years, Team DeBoer came to the very difficult decision of relinquishing Sir Leo back to Basset Buddies Rescue. I want to emphasize that in both Shawn and I's 30 years of existence, neither one of us has ever given up a pet before, dog or otherwise, so this action did not come lightly or without immense contemplation, guilt and trepidation. In fact, to be completely honest, Shawn and I never actually agreed on relinquishing Leo, but my trustworthy husband put his faith in me to make the decision because I was the one having the hardest time.
To make a long story short, Leo wasn't as good of a fit for us as we had originally hoped. He was the first dog we've ever adopted and therefore we knew he might come with some excess baggage. However, we naively thought that with time, patience and love, we could turn his issues around and he'd become a happy and calm member of the family. While we made strides in many areas, we were never able to fully eliminate his anxiety, which quickly became the crux of the problem. You see, I deal with anxiety problems of my own; I have for years. While I'm no longer taking medication for it and I've made immense progress, it's still something I deal with on an hourly basis and basically, Leo and I were the human/hound equivalent of two wrongs not making a right. Neither one of us were as happy as we could be and that's when I started to question our situation.
Leonard is the type of basset that needs 200% attention. He is not independent. At all. While we thought the companionship of Norman would help with that fact, we were wrong. Leo's anxiety took over our interactions with him, so much so that we felt like we were always telling him no, pushing him away, listening to him whine (and by whine, I mean voluminously howl, moan and cry), or instructing him to give Maci space. Although we trusted him not to harm her, despite his previous record of biting a child, we did battle his interactions with her and I personally could never guarantee that nothing serious would ever happen (like I can whole-heartedly guarantee with Norman). Suffice it to say things were not ideal and by ideal I mean in comparison to Norman's demeanor. I know it's not fair to compare the two but it's what we had for reference.
I know how selfish this may sound, but it all came down to me questioning what Leo was adding to our lives versus what he was taking away. If he could be happier and receive more attention, love and affection elsewhere, would it really be fair of us to deny him that just because we were too stubborn to admit our mistake and therefore rescind on our commitment? If giving him back meant he would be happier and we would be happier, what else was reason enough not to do it? In all my questioning, I couldn't justify denying him (and us) the potential of better circumstances so although I wouldn't have control of where he ended up, I had complete faith in the people that would. Basset Buddies Rescue straight off said they know not every dog is a correct fit for every home and that sometimes it takes a few times to get it right so when I contacted them, they were more then willing to help us with our situation. They knew and understood and that was the ultimate relief to my ears.
Prior to officially saying good-bye to Leo, it was suggested by BBR that we start separating him and Norman for periods at a time to see how they each handled breaking the bond. They wanted to help us prevent any possible separation side effects. Our first attempt was unsuccessful merely because we made the mistake of letting Norman see us leave with Leo on a leash and to deny Norman a walk is like smearing peanut better on his nose and telling him not to lick it. After learning our lesson, the next several attempts went much more smoothly and the following Sunday, we officially said good-bye to Mister Leo. Tears were shed, last pets were given and hugs and kisses were included as we wished him well with his new adventure. I am 100% confident in BBR and their resources to help give Leo the best life possible. I cannot say enough about them as an organization. They made sure this whole process was successful because they care about the dogs they take on and want to see all parties involved happy.
Even though this was one of the hardest and most personal decisions I've ever made, I know some will still judge my decision as lazy and self-serving, but I'm okay with that because I feel I made the right one for my family and for Leo. With Cletus the Fetus coming in June, Team DeBoer isn't going to magically inherit more time, energy or patience so I feel we've headed off a potential storm at the start. Plus, deep down, I know simplification for me is best when it comes to my ability to flourish with my family. In regards to the basset that remains, Norman has been doing just fine. In fact, he's probably gotten more attention lately then he has in the past couple of years. Somehow he inherited an old soul that simply needs some food and a fireplace to be happy. I guess he, too, benefits from a little simplicity.
Update : I just heard from BBR. Leo is doing great at his new foster home and has already claimed the lap of his foster Dad. He's already one step better then our house … getting to sit on laps!
After two and a half years, Team DeBoer came to the very difficult decision of relinquishing Sir Leo back to Basset Buddies Rescue. I want to emphasize that in both Shawn and I's 30 years of existence, neither one of us has ever given up a pet before, dog or otherwise, so this action did not come lightly or without immense contemplation, guilt and trepidation. In fact, to be completely honest, Shawn and I never actually agreed on relinquishing Leo, but my trustworthy husband put his faith in me to make the decision because I was the one having the hardest time.
To make a long story short, Leo wasn't as good of a fit for us as we had originally hoped. He was the first dog we've ever adopted and therefore we knew he might come with some excess baggage. However, we naively thought that with time, patience and love, we could turn his issues around and he'd become a happy and calm member of the family. While we made strides in many areas, we were never able to fully eliminate his anxiety, which quickly became the crux of the problem. You see, I deal with anxiety problems of my own; I have for years. While I'm no longer taking medication for it and I've made immense progress, it's still something I deal with on an hourly basis and basically, Leo and I were the human/hound equivalent of two wrongs not making a right. Neither one of us were as happy as we could be and that's when I started to question our situation.
Leonard is the type of basset that needs 200% attention. He is not independent. At all. While we thought the companionship of Norman would help with that fact, we were wrong. Leo's anxiety took over our interactions with him, so much so that we felt like we were always telling him no, pushing him away, listening to him whine (and by whine, I mean voluminously howl, moan and cry), or instructing him to give Maci space. Although we trusted him not to harm her, despite his previous record of biting a child, we did battle his interactions with her and I personally could never guarantee that nothing serious would ever happen (like I can whole-heartedly guarantee with Norman). Suffice it to say things were not ideal and by ideal I mean in comparison to Norman's demeanor. I know it's not fair to compare the two but it's what we had for reference.
I know how selfish this may sound, but it all came down to me questioning what Leo was adding to our lives versus what he was taking away. If he could be happier and receive more attention, love and affection elsewhere, would it really be fair of us to deny him that just because we were too stubborn to admit our mistake and therefore rescind on our commitment? If giving him back meant he would be happier and we would be happier, what else was reason enough not to do it? In all my questioning, I couldn't justify denying him (and us) the potential of better circumstances so although I wouldn't have control of where he ended up, I had complete faith in the people that would. Basset Buddies Rescue straight off said they know not every dog is a correct fit for every home and that sometimes it takes a few times to get it right so when I contacted them, they were more then willing to help us with our situation. They knew and understood and that was the ultimate relief to my ears.
Prior to officially saying good-bye to Leo, it was suggested by BBR that we start separating him and Norman for periods at a time to see how they each handled breaking the bond. They wanted to help us prevent any possible separation side effects. Our first attempt was unsuccessful merely because we made the mistake of letting Norman see us leave with Leo on a leash and to deny Norman a walk is like smearing peanut better on his nose and telling him not to lick it. After learning our lesson, the next several attempts went much more smoothly and the following Sunday, we officially said good-bye to Mister Leo. Tears were shed, last pets were given and hugs and kisses were included as we wished him well with his new adventure. I am 100% confident in BBR and their resources to help give Leo the best life possible. I cannot say enough about them as an organization. They made sure this whole process was successful because they care about the dogs they take on and want to see all parties involved happy.
Even though this was one of the hardest and most personal decisions I've ever made, I know some will still judge my decision as lazy and self-serving, but I'm okay with that because I feel I made the right one for my family and for Leo. With Cletus the Fetus coming in June, Team DeBoer isn't going to magically inherit more time, energy or patience so I feel we've headed off a potential storm at the start. Plus, deep down, I know simplification for me is best when it comes to my ability to flourish with my family. In regards to the basset that remains, Norman has been doing just fine. In fact, he's probably gotten more attention lately then he has in the past couple of years. Somehow he inherited an old soul that simply needs some food and a fireplace to be happy. I guess he, too, benefits from a little simplicity.
Update : I just heard from BBR. Leo is doing great at his new foster home and has already claimed the lap of his foster Dad. He's already one step better then our house … getting to sit on laps!
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Cletus
That's right, Team DeBoer is expanding.
Cletus the Fetus the Sequel is due June 2nd, 2013 and is the real reason for all things procrastinated. I've been too tired to bathe let alone keep up with other meager details, such as this blog, so I apologize but at last you know why. There are no words to describe the exhaustion although hopefully, now that we're entering week 13, it will subside and energy will once again enter my bones. As with Maci Mae, our doctor was unable to find a heart beat with the fetal doppler so we got to have an early ultrasound again and got to see and meet our baby early again (note the Forrest Gump tone), this time however, with a little toddler in tow.
God bless gender neutral clothing, summer babies with teaching Daddies, a Mae Mo that is more fun then ever and currently obsessed with babies and a Mama who has an excuse to eat around the clock. Life is full and good and for that we are very thankful.
Cletus the Fetus the Sequel is due June 2nd, 2013 and is the real reason for all things procrastinated. I've been too tired to bathe let alone keep up with other meager details, such as this blog, so I apologize but at last you know why. There are no words to describe the exhaustion although hopefully, now that we're entering week 13, it will subside and energy will once again enter my bones. As with Maci Mae, our doctor was unable to find a heart beat with the fetal doppler so we got to have an early ultrasound again and got to see and meet our baby early again (note the Forrest Gump tone), this time however, with a little toddler in tow.
God bless gender neutral clothing, summer babies with teaching Daddies, a Mae Mo that is more fun then ever and currently obsessed with babies and a Mama who has an excuse to eat around the clock. Life is full and good and for that we are very thankful.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Autumn
So I just remembered I have this here blog and after more then a month of existing under the radar, I was kindly reminded to get some shit posted. The best I could do for now? That's right, a photo montage. It's this photo montage, however, that's gonna explain why I haven't had time to blog. We've been busy dammit.
First off, there was the annual (obligatory) trip to Wisconsin for apples and cheese. We've been making this trek for as long as I can remember and recently I found the photo to prove it:
Fast forward a couple decades:
Next, Team DeBoer visited Axdahl's pumpkin farm for a tradition we started last year. Unlike last year, however, Maci Mae was much more mobile and interactive and was absolutely fascinated by the pumpkins, the animals, the people…
Finally, there was Halloween. Unlike Maci's pink eye costume of last year, we actually put her in something fuzzy and fun. That's right, she went as the world's cutest giraffe.
Hopefully that's enough to wet everyone's appetite… you can't really go wrong with a solid photo montage. That being said, I vow to do a little better with the blogging business… hopefully.
First off, there was the annual (obligatory) trip to Wisconsin for apples and cheese. We've been making this trek for as long as I can remember and recently I found the photo to prove it:
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| I'm on the left, showing a little midriff and Mandi's on the right, sporting the pink, HA! |
Fast forward a couple decades:
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| The husband, the Mae Mo and me. |
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| Toddler + bucket + pumpkins = cuteness. |
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| A little Michael Jordan action. |
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| Someone's adorable hiney climbing the barn steps. |
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| Said hiney, full of hay. |
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| Improving on my goal to be in more photos… |
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| Someone took our baby (2011)… |
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| …and gave us this toddler (2012)! |
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| Pick a punkin, any punkin… |
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| "We're getting the special one, Dad." |
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| Toothless, evil laughter. |
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| Peek-a-boo! |
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| This ones already up in the house. |
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| That's right, that's my husband. Hands off ladies. |
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| Maci was SO over pumpkins (and pictures) by the time we wheeled away our bounty. |
Finally, there was Halloween. Unlike Maci's pink eye costume of last year, we actually put her in something fuzzy and fun. That's right, she went as the world's cutest giraffe.
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| This was post daycare party, post Trick-or-Treating, post playing with the neighbors… post happy about being in a costume. |
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| This photo comes courtesy of Bree at daycare, where apparently, giraffe's came in pairs. |
Hopefully that's enough to wet everyone's appetite… you can't really go wrong with a solid photo montage. That being said, I vow to do a little better with the blogging business… hopefully.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Chick Flicks
Is it me or has the caliber of the good ol' stereotypical chick flick seriously fallen by the wayside? It's like they have been added to the endangered species list or worse, have gone extinct altogether. Now, I watch a lot of movies, always have. Previously, more of these movies were watched at the actual theatre but I can no longer afford neither the cinema nor the babysitter needed to watch the Mae Mo so I've developed a new relationship with Mr. Redbox. For $1.29 the hubby and I can enjoy a flick on our semi-new iMac. We literally cannot hear the movie if we watch it on our old DVD+TV tube combo setup in the living room so to the computer in the guest room we go. Anyway, there we've sat on many a recent weekend watching movie after movie after movie and what I can report is that my movie-picking privileges have officially been revoked. I am not a fan of gore and guts so Shawn obliges my semi-girly requests in between picks of general consensus. Well, up until recently that is. My second to last choice broke the camel's back: The Lucky One.
The Lucky One is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel and stars Zac Efron and Taylor Schiling. I naively assumed, based on the enticing previews, that this would fall inline with other previous Sparks-novels-turned-movies, a la The Notebook. It didn't. Ryan Gosling Mr. Efron is not. It was terrible. TERRIBLE. Horrible acting, horrible plot, horrible production. I think Efron had like 25 lines total. Apparently his only job was to stare off into space or look at the camera lens a time or two. Seriously, it was bad. And what's more astonishing, 67% of those that viewed it actually claimed to liking it according to rottentomatoes.com. Clearly they were drunk. This movie fell right inline with another doozy I suggested a while back, Just Wright with Queen Latifah and Common. Both of these movies have now formed a category I like to call, pornos sans the sex scenes. You know the type: bad plot, bad acting, bad soundtrack.
What to Expect When You're Expecting wasn't terrible, but it certainly was predictable. There were moments of laughter, which unlike a few others, made this movie tolerable. Wanderlust was pretty funny too actually, but also a bit raunchy (moving the needle more towards the manly movie side) and at some parts, over-the-top. Friends with Kids = horrible. It's basically the cast from Bridesmaids but not funny at all and at most times, very, very awkward. I will say though, one diamond in the sand we came upon was Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. It sparkled for two reasons: 1. Emily Blunt and 2. the dialect. Not only did the main characters have whimsical and contrasting accents, but their conversations were brilliant and beautiful to listen to. Call me old fashion but this mere fact alone made the movie for me. So I guess all my recent attempts haven't been total losses, but the odds are not in my favor.
Therefore I'm declaring that the classic chick flick era ended with Julia Roberts. I think I own nearly every movie she's ever been in and I still, to this day, watch them from time to time, on my VCR. BOOM! The world needs a new Julia. Something present-day to rival the timeless Pretty Woman, which Miss Roberts was nominated for an Oscar for by the way. I point this out because it just goes to show a good chick flick can also be highly acclaimed. The two are not mutually exclusive. I had high hopes with Katherine Heigl but it's been a while since 27 Dresses and Life as We Know It. Also, her most recent release, One for the Money, got a whopping 2% freshness on rottentomatoes.com. 2%. That's the lowest I've ever seen which says allot because we religiously refer to Rotten Tomatoes for most movie recommendations. Which begs the question, why are we watching such bad movies in the first place then? Well… sometimes you want a movie to be good in spite of it's reviews. Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it. Sometimes a good chick flick is hated by the critics but loved by the masses. Sometimes… you just hope you found a hidden gem. Well I haven't and I'm killing my husband in the search.
Someone help. Have you seen something recently I should check out? Do tell. Me and my glass of wine will be waiting. Same goes for a good book although I'm having far more luck in that arena so let's talk talkies…
The Lucky One is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel and stars Zac Efron and Taylor Schiling. I naively assumed, based on the enticing previews, that this would fall inline with other previous Sparks-novels-turned-movies, a la The Notebook. It didn't. Ryan Gosling Mr. Efron is not. It was terrible. TERRIBLE. Horrible acting, horrible plot, horrible production. I think Efron had like 25 lines total. Apparently his only job was to stare off into space or look at the camera lens a time or two. Seriously, it was bad. And what's more astonishing, 67% of those that viewed it actually claimed to liking it according to rottentomatoes.com. Clearly they were drunk. This movie fell right inline with another doozy I suggested a while back, Just Wright with Queen Latifah and Common. Both of these movies have now formed a category I like to call, pornos sans the sex scenes. You know the type: bad plot, bad acting, bad soundtrack.
What to Expect When You're Expecting wasn't terrible, but it certainly was predictable. There were moments of laughter, which unlike a few others, made this movie tolerable. Wanderlust was pretty funny too actually, but also a bit raunchy (moving the needle more towards the manly movie side) and at some parts, over-the-top. Friends with Kids = horrible. It's basically the cast from Bridesmaids but not funny at all and at most times, very, very awkward. I will say though, one diamond in the sand we came upon was Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. It sparkled for two reasons: 1. Emily Blunt and 2. the dialect. Not only did the main characters have whimsical and contrasting accents, but their conversations were brilliant and beautiful to listen to. Call me old fashion but this mere fact alone made the movie for me. So I guess all my recent attempts haven't been total losses, but the odds are not in my favor.
Therefore I'm declaring that the classic chick flick era ended with Julia Roberts. I think I own nearly every movie she's ever been in and I still, to this day, watch them from time to time, on my VCR. BOOM! The world needs a new Julia. Something present-day to rival the timeless Pretty Woman, which Miss Roberts was nominated for an Oscar for by the way. I point this out because it just goes to show a good chick flick can also be highly acclaimed. The two are not mutually exclusive. I had high hopes with Katherine Heigl but it's been a while since 27 Dresses and Life as We Know It. Also, her most recent release, One for the Money, got a whopping 2% freshness on rottentomatoes.com. 2%. That's the lowest I've ever seen which says allot because we religiously refer to Rotten Tomatoes for most movie recommendations. Which begs the question, why are we watching such bad movies in the first place then? Well… sometimes you want a movie to be good in spite of it's reviews. Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it. Sometimes a good chick flick is hated by the critics but loved by the masses. Sometimes… you just hope you found a hidden gem. Well I haven't and I'm killing my husband in the search.
Someone help. Have you seen something recently I should check out? Do tell. Me and my glass of wine will be waiting. Same goes for a good book although I'm having far more luck in that arena so let's talk talkies…
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