9 years without a dad

It doesn't even seem possible.  I remember every detail of the day he died as if it were yesterday.  Because he wouldn't want us to be sad, Jacob, Shaun and I went out to lunch and enjoyed a big dessert with ice cream.  Then, just to make sure we had our bases covered, went out for more ice cream later with Zac and Wes.  Andi was sick all day and even though she didn't feel like eating, I think Pappaw would have convinced her that ice cream would make her feel better.

I was talking to Ryan the other day and he told me that over Christmas break, while he was visiting his biological sister in Kentucky, he saw a dog that looked like Atticus. After talking to the owner, he discovered it WAS Atticus.  His sister lives in the town of the lady I gave Atticus to. Ryan did not know that, so I have no doubt he did indeed see Atticus.  That made my heart happy. 

Atticus has gone

to live in KY. The entire town population is 564, so he should be relatively safe there. He impressed his new owner by doing every trick she asked him to and they hit it off immediately. I'm sure he will be very happy.

Beware of Dogs

Here's a little glimpse into my daily life as a dog owner. After Patricia's comment, I guess I should add -- they really DO get along. This is them playing. In their more calm state, they sleep together on the couch, lick each other's wounds, race all over the yard together.... and play their own version of tag - like in the movie. Molly started off chasing Atticus, but once she caught him and they tussled, he was after her. They are the best of buds.

Oh the shame

Molly was less than thrilled with her new attire but still, we could just imagine her making fun of Atticus and his new outfit.
With good cause. But then Sophie re-dressed Molly and kept announcing, "This is my big Easter Bunny."

A rare photo

Molly, not chewing anything. She is
3 months old this week and weighed 20 pounds yesterday at the vet.

A perfect fit........

for now.

Slowly but surely

they are becoming friends.

But Atticus can only take so much before he snaps -- literally.

Keegan however, likes this plaything that's just his size. Until he starts getting chewed on, anyway. In the background you can hear Sophie asking Bill aka Baba repeatedly for more ice cream. And yes, that is a marshmallow stuck to Keegan's arm. He was saving that for hard times.

Outvoted in my own home

Every time a vote was cast for Darby, a collective moan was heard in the under 12 set. I was set to call the dog, Duo (dog of unknown origin), but a trip to the vet this morning brought the following info. Duo is between 4 -6 weeks old and is of German Shepherd descent. No chow involved unless it was Purina. Her adult size will be better determined over the next few weeks as we see how much she gains weight.

Atticus is adjusting nicely -- except when Duo tries to nurse. He's not crazy about that one little bit.

The kids were begging for her to be named and not wait for the poll results -- since it was obvious my favorite, Darby, was going to win. Nobody else was down with the name Duo and Subtracticus was too hard to spell so we let the dog choose her own name.

I wrote a name on 3 pieces of paper, folded them and tossed them on the floor. We let the dog formerly known as Duo loose and she walked around till her paw touched a paper. Quickly the kids opened the paper and were quite excited to exclaim, "MOLLY." It was their favorite by far.

Little did they know that all the papers said Molly. Sometimes Mom have to sacrifice a really cool name like Darby for the happiness of the kids.

Welcome to the fam, Molly. May you be housebroken in a hurry.

A present for me..... or Atticus?

Because life isn't hectic enough with all of the daily activity going on around here, today we added this to our family............

Any idea what kind of dog this might be? This isn't a contest - it's a question. I have no idea. Now I have to come up with a name for her. Any suggestions?

First it was the shock collar

now it's this stupid lampshade. I'm sure he's wondering what we will do to him next. Atticus just walked over and put himself in time-out.

Dog question

Atticus has a hurt paw. I don't know whether he should go to the vet or not. I talked with her at church Wednesday and she said I was doing the right thing - putting Neosporin on it. We have tried to keep it bandaged, but that dog has proven his ability to chew through many things in the past 2 days. My main concern is how the entire paw pad is red and not just the hurt spot.

Any thoughts?

I was getting ready to delete

the pictures on my memory card when I ran across this picture. I have no idea who took it, but it pretty well sums up the life Atticus has around here.

If you happen to hear

a long scratching sound, then someone yelling STOP, quickly followed by a loud crashing sound, then you will know that I had a very bad idea.

Atticus was shivering outside, so I brought him in, and got him another clean comforter and laid him on the kitchen floor. The crash will come because he is leashed to my glider rocker, which is the heaviest thing around, but I'm sure it's no match for him, should he decide to take off running.

I think I'll go sit and rock awhile.

He's sorry

Patricia felt sorry for Atticus - how bad he must have felt. It would surprise many people to know I did too. I didn't just throw the dog out. I know he would never had made this mess if he could have not. He's never messed in the house since we had him.

And without being too graphic, both piles were close to each other, reminding me of how humans- at least in our home - have been known to be sitting on the commode doing their biz, while puking in a trash can. That is how I pictured poor Atticus.

I made him a nice bed with a big comforter outside. This morning I went to the store and bought some cottage cheese to mix with some rice for his breakfast. That is what is recommended for dogs to calm their intestines back down.

I'll feed him that and if he can keep all that down (and in), then Atticus will once again be an inside dog later today.

1.) I am so grossed out

2.) If only someone had taken me up on my offer....
3.) Of all the things I've seen in my life...
4.) Thank God for Pergo floors.......
5.) Never in a million years.......

Any of these could have been the title of this blog post, so I think I'll just start if off by saying --- If only someone had taken me up on my offer on Facebook when I openly invited anyone to come steal the dead deer hanging from the tree in our yard yesterday, then I wouldn't be writing how never in a million years would I be thanking God for Pergo floors like I am today because I am so grossed out by what I saw when I came in from basketball practice and of all the things I've seen in my life, this was the grossest.

I walk in and all the kids had gone in ahead of me and are standing around IT - in a circle of puzzlement looking between IT and me. So I asked what they were doing since it resembled some bizarre ritual and then they part and I see what they see -- only I recognized it immediately for what it was.

Pounds -- and I literally mean pounds of dog puke and crap on the floor. Not just dog puke mind you, but deer meat puke from the deer leg that Billski thought Atticus would enjoy gnawing on. Had I known this, you can be sure the dog would not have been in the house -- perhaps ever again.

I will spare you the picture (except for Andi and Heidi) because frankly, it was disgusting, as you can well imagine. Poor Jacob held the bag as I shoveled --- yes, SHOVELED --- the kitchen floor clean with a snow shovel. Then we scrubbed it clean. For some bizarre reason which I can only attribute to the goodness of God, none of it had any smell and that was the best thing that happened to me today. Not the mess - but the lack of smell. Trying to find the positive in the midst of the crap. Such is life.

Edited to add: In Bill's defense, when he got home from work, he said he just gave Atticus a small bone and the dog must have gotten into the remains when he got out of the fence. Seems Atticus had his Thanksgiving feast a week early. Normally, the "remains" would have been in the back of the truck, except they weren't because I was driving the truck since my van is once again in the garage. Hopefully getting fixed, but the check engine light was flashing, the engine coolant light was on, and it had a top speed of about 35 mph. I'm thinking that can't be good.

Andi, I apoLOgize

Andi's friend, Layne, always cracked me up when he was around. Once, when he was made to apologize for something, he did it with a very dramatic flair -- truly emphasizing the LO in apologize. As in, "I apoLOgize." Over and over he said it, using different accents, but always a very long, loud second syllable. Thus, we now use Layne's version of apologize when perhaps we aren't really sorry - it's just something that happened. All that being said....

Andi -- I apoLOgize if Sophie's hair falls out by the handfuls. Truly. I mean it. I really apoLOgize. Here's what happened. Grandmama is on her way over to spend the night and since she is even less of an animal lover than me, I was going to give Atticus a bath.

Then I got the brilliant idea to give him a shower instead. Removable shower head and all that. It was truly inspired. Except that Sophie also wanted to be in the shower with us. And would stop at nothing to be in there. Did you know she can completely undress herself if she wants? I do. Now.

So there I am, in the shower with my 50 pound dog and suddenly the shower curtain whips open and in steps Sos. Alrighty then, we will all shampoo the dog. I was leaned over working on the dog's front leg, Sosie was SUPPOSED to be doing the back leg but instead, she was shampooing her own hair -- with the deshedding shampoo.

So if two years of growth falls out when you comb it, I sincerely apoLOgize.

So instead of a waffle, it was a woofle

A dog treat that Andi brought back from her trip for Atticus. I just "forgot" to mention that to Jacob when I asked him if he wanted a bite. It wasn't until he was chewing it that I remembered it was for the dog. I'm sure that's a common mistake. See the missing corner? That was Jacob's bite. I'm so forgetful sometimes. Bad momma.
Edited to add: Jacob thought the waffle was "OK tasting but hard to bite", but Atticus loved the chicken flavor.

Keegan & Atticus

OK, now, I'm going to pretend I want to pet the dog.

So I get him to roll over on his back and then

I tug his ear and crawl away, satisfied that my job is done.

The grandkids this morning

Sophie, Keegan and I started out our morning at McDonald's having pancakes and sausage. We can be found there most Saturday mornings as it is somewhat our "thing" we do together. Keegan will easily eat an entire pancake and added sausage to his diet this morning.

After watching Luke at football practice for awhile, we took Atticus out to Sherie's to "play" with the goats and cows. He enjoyed running around everywhere, but he's not much into other animals.

Everybody that meets my dog

has offered to take him. Seriously. I may have to have a tracking device implanted under his skin. Sherie told me tonight that if we decide to get rid of him, she would like first dibs on him. That's pretty much the same thing 2 other people have also told me already.

I've never fancied myself a dog lover, but Atticus and I have a special relationship. He follows me everywhere. He waits outside the bathroom door for me. He lays under my recliner when my feet are up in the air. He sleeps with his paws slapped over my teddy bear at night right beside me. If my car windows are down, he jumps in my van and waits on me to take him with me.

I'm tellin' ya - the dog loves me and I'm not exactly sure why. He is the smartest dog I've ever been around. Perfectly behaved. 100% housebroken. Non destructive. Stands still while you bathe him. Great around kids.

I've got a great dog ----- or he's got me. Still figuring that one out for sure.