Gathering More Evidence

A while ago I posted about a suspected alliance between Monica and The Dog. Well, let's just say the suspicion is confirmed, or at least there's quite a bit more evidence for it.

Last week, Monica and I went to lunch at a friend's house. They have a dog, and while we were there, Monica poined at the golden retriever and said, "Da! Da!" a number of times. It was most exciting because most likely, she was saying "dog." (Monica has said "Mama" and "Dada" a few times, but has not been quite so pointed as she was with the dog.) Since then, she has continued to say, "Da!" and there are many times when that obviously refers to Buck.

Fast forward to Wenesday. Monica is eating lunch in her high chair. Toward the end of her feeding frenzy, she grabbed a chunk of potato, threw it on the floor in a very purposeful manner, pointed to the ground (where the dog usually lies, waiting for such an event) and said, "Da! Da!" My first thought was, "Nah. She's not calling for the dog." But then, she did it again. The dog was outside at the time, so I let him in and he careened over to the high chair and inhaled the potatoes. Monica just grinned.

Partners in Crime - The Plot Thickens

Kevin and I went to a family wedding this weekend. Good times had by all. Monica had her first Bouncy-Bounce experience, though she can't really bouncy bounce as of yet. She smiled for this ridiculously cute picture, but then promptly got rather fussy when Dad-o started bouncing around.



Here's a picture of The Baby-Dog Alliance:



I've definitely seen Monica purposely drop her food on the floor so she can watch the dog trot over and slurp it up. More evidence for the unspoken deal between them: toys for food.

The Not-So-Altruistic Gift

Has anyone else ever given a gift to someone, namely their spouse, because you would benefit from it, at least in part? I fully admit that I have. I bought a 1988 Little Caesar's Red Wings Commemorative glass with Steve "Silk" Yzerman and Gerard "Spud" Gallant on ebay in order to get a dog. (See Buck's story) I admit that gift was 80% selfish. The other 20% was guilt from having broke the glass.

One of Kevin's more creative ideas for my 29th birthday was to pay off my student loan. We were a few payments away from being done and he thought it would be "so great" to pay it off on my birthday as some sort of gift to me. Here's an email he sent me today:

Here is a screenshot of your student loan page. Note that all the amounts say “Paid in Full”!!!

Congrats on your college education!



Now that piece of paper is all mine. Ha ha!

Thick as Thieves

I'm pretty sure Buck and Monica have formed an alliance against me.

As you'll recall, Monica and Buck have taken to sharing toys, much to my chagrin. While I've resigned myself to the fact that a baby playing on the floor usually means a baby eating things off the floor, I just can't handle her mouthing Buck's nasty licked and chewed stuffed animal. I made a pact to prevent it at all, well, most costs.

Yesterday, I was cutting watermelon in the kitchen and keeping the occasional eye on Monica (who is very mobile now) when I saw the dog skitter through the dining room. I peeked around he corner to see what was going on and caught a glimpse of Monica with her hands all over the mangy Garfield. Her little tongue was about to make contact when I yanked the slimy, crusted thing away and put it in the dog toy basket on our raised hearth. I knew she couldn't get it there, at least. She was less than pleased but soon scooted off to other amusement.

I went back to my watermelon and saw the dog streak by. I peeked around the corner and found the mangy Garfield in Monica's mitts, again! That crazy dog went to the basket, got the Garfield, dropped it on the floor in front of Monica, and fled the scene.

Now, I really hesitate to believe that this was premeditated, but you have to wonder. Maybe I should just give up my quest. I am outnumbered, after all.

You Always Want What You Can't Have

Monica is getting better at crawling/creeping, and her main motivation has been Buck's toys, namely this mangy thing:



That is Buck's Garfield toy that gets mauled and licked on a daily basis. As you can see...



...it is a toy coveted by those who get around the house on all fours. At least they're sharing I draw the line at food and drink, though.

When Dogs Get Lonely...Really Lonely

I must admit that we've been a bit more neglectful of the pooch since Monica arrived on the scene. However, when he started cuddling with this thing...



...I started to wonder if he needs a little more TLC.

Kevin's mom visited recently and left a bag full of his old stuffed animals. That green thing was in there. We don't know what the blobby thing actually is, but our best guess is this. Apparently, that is all that Kevin has left to show for his time in 7th grade home ec. Serious sewing skills.

Chipmunk Chomper

Warning! Sad picture of little rodent!




Generally speaking, Buck is a gentle beast, but, we were reminded today that he is still a beast. Here is what he caught in the yard this evening



May it rest in peace.

Cleaning Out the Old Digital Camera

I'm finally getting to Craigslisting the old digital camera. Here are random pictures I found:


What's so strange about this picture? The fact that I'm actually ironing? Nope. The dog is laying underneath the ironing board, of which he is definitly afraid. When we bring it out, he normally retreats to another room. However, that evening there was an extended period of lightning and thunder. I guess we found out that he is more afraid of booming thunder than the ironing board, and felt the need to draw near to me, no matter what stood in his way. You've gotta do what you've gotta do.





Here's Pope Benedict XVI in his Popemobile at Yankee Stadium this past April. That was a great day with so many blessings!





A belly picture from the end of April. The baby has grown, along with my belly, by leaps and bounds since then. I think I've nearly forgotten what it feels like to be without the belly!

Nesting?

I think Kevin's paternal instincts are starting to kick in. The other night, he decided to tuck the dog in. Yes, that's weird, even for him. He really does love the dog, as evidenced here and here. My only explanation is that he's preparing to do the same for the baby. Though I promise that we will not be crating our child at night. Cribs and bassinets only!

Happy Independence Day

Better late than never, I always say.

Kevin and I spent the weekend at my mother's house. The weather was beautiful and the days relaxing...minus the occasional dog kafuffle. Here's a picture of my mom's dog and Buck in action. They've reached a truce of sorts since then.



Here are some pictures from fireworks at the beach. We got a new camera a few weeks ago and it has a "fireworks" setting which gives you a longer exposure. Kind of interesting, but I missed the first few minutes of the show trying to capture a good picture.



I hope your weekend was fabulous and a celebration of what it means to be truly free!

Kevin and Buck...They're tight.

So most people know that chocolate is not good for dogs. Kevin is one of the "most people," but decided to let Buck lick fudgy chocolate frosting off his spoon anyway. I told him not to let the dog lick the nasty doggy poison, but Kevin's a softy and replied, "He likes it!"

Kevin didn't give Buck the chance to lick all of the frosting off the spoon, and you can't leave perfectly tasty chocolate frosting on a spoon, right? I know I would if it was covered in Buck slime. But Kevin, being the sweet-tooth that he is, couldn't resist the delectable frosting still stuck to the spoon. With almost no hesitation, he too licked the spoon--slime, chocolate and all.

His only comment post-chocolate-slime? "Ha ha...that was kinda gross."

Kinda??

Winter Wonders

As much as I lament the cold weather, today is especially beautiful. Snow falling and coating tree branches; flakes sticking to my eyelashes and the whole collection of them damping all sounds to make the outdoors soft and quiet. Excellent.

Buck is intently staring at three mallards paddling around the pond. If he weren't leashed, I guarantee he'd be bolting...but not through the pond. Probably around it. He's quite afraid of water. Odd, for lab-mix, you say? Buck's no ordinary dog. More on that later...

Steve Yzerman's Greatest Feat

In February, it will be two years since we took Buck into our home. There are many things to love about this dog: big brown eyes, paws that are slighty too big for his body, and an affectionate disposition. He is easy to love, but it certainly was not easy to convince Kevin that getting him, or any dog for that matter, was a good idea.

Not long after Kevin and I started dating, we had a conversation around our feelings and opinions about pets in the home. I grew up with a dog, and I have very fond memories of companionship and cuddling with man's best friend. Kevin, on the other hand, grew up in a nearly pet-free home, needless to say a very clean and fresh-smelling home. So, while Kevin has no problem with the idea of keeping a goat in the back yard to eat our trash(I'm totally serious), the idea of a drooling, fur-shedding animal romping around the house was less than appealing.

Fast forward to married life in our first home. This is our place to do what we want! No apartment rules or surcharges concerning pets, a decent size yard for a dog to run; obviously this was the perfect time for our first four-legged friend, right? Not when your husband is vehemently opposed. Even tears could not melt his frosty heart.

In the midst of the ongoing Dog Debate, tragedy struck. Kevin is not a pack rat, but he does have a few prized possessions: a U.S. State quarter collection, various foreign currencies from his father's international travels, and a 1988 Little Caesar's Detroit Red Wings commemorative glass picturing Gerard "Spud" Gallant and one of Kevin's childhood heroes, Steve "Silk" Yzerman. While washing dishes after dinner, I broke the glass. I didn't have time to react, to hide the shards. Kevin saw them and mournfully cried, "Steeeeeeeeeeeve!" There was nothing we could do. Kevin's prized possession was gone. We ceremoniously disposed of the glass in the garbage can, and I did my best to forget and never utter Steve Yzerman's name again.

Not long after the Steve Incident, we ran a 5K race and bumped into one of Kevin's co-workers at the finish line. During our conversation, the Dog Debate came up, and on a whim, Kevin made a vow. "If you find me another Steve glass, just like the old one, I'll get you a dog." With Kevin's co-worker as a witness, the deal was sealed. It was up to me and Providence to find that glass!

Upon returning home that day, Kevin did yard work and I secretly set to finding that glass. I feverishly searched eBay and there it was: the 1988 Little Caesar's Detroit Red Wings commemorative glass picturing Gerard "Spud" Gallant and Steve "Silk" Yzerman. God bless that man in Sterling Heights. For $12, I was going to win the rights to a dog. I knew I had to keep this a secret until the glass arrived. This was an event worthy of all the pomp I could muster. I won the glass and payed with money order, so Kevin wouldn't find any suspicious checks or credit card charges. Two weeks later, the glass arrived during a Saturday afternoon cleaning session. As the UPS truck rumbled away, Kevin looked at me inquisitively, "Do you know what this is?"

"No. No idea. You can go ahead and open it." I could hardly contain myself. This was it! The moment I've been waiting for. Kevin pried open the box flaps and took out the paper and bubble wrapped bundle. He unwrapped the glass, and as soon as he recognized it as THE 1988 Little Caesar's Detroit Red Wings commemorative glass picturing Gerard "Spud" Gallant and Steve "Silk" Yzerman, he lifted it above his head and cried joyfully, "Steeeeeeeeeeeeve!"

Then came the questions:

"How did you find this?"
"Who sent it?"
"Did you know what was in this box?"

Then came the realization of what this glass really meant:

"Oh no. The dog."

All I could do was smile. I was speechless. This was probably one of my greatest triumphs ever and I fully expected to reap the rewards.

I won't get into the gory details, but the victory went sour quickly. It took four more months of pleading, heated discussions, and covert communication with dog rescue organizations to get Kevin to agree to go to one of the dog adoption clinics. I assured him that this trip would be to "look," but anyone who has ever gone to "look" for a dog knows that there really is no such thing as "looking". More often than not, you come home with a dog.

This trip to "look" was no different. We walked into the pet supply store where the adoption clinic was held and we were immediately accosted by a ridiculously excited mutt named Dutch. He jumped, pawed and proceeded to circle me, wrapping his red leash around my legs. One of the volunteers, probably the one who should have been man-handling this dog, exclaimed, "You'd love Dutch! He's the sweetest pup!" I grabbed a nearby table to keep myself upright and broadcast a message with my eyes clearly saying, "Sweet is not the word I would use to describe Dutch."

After untangling myself, we continued to run the gauntlet of dogs. It wasn't long before the cutest black dog I had ever laid eyes on came into view. He was sitting placidly in front of the man holding his leash. I bent down, looked into his velvety eyes, looked back at Kevin and said, "I like him. I want him." I was smitten.

It became clear very quickly that we were not the only people interested in this dog. Two different potential households were showing interest in what I was already thinking was my dog. After a half hour of heated discussion and debate, we agreed to take him. Nearly two years and many adventures later, he's still with us and he's still winning hearts.



I think I owe a debt of gratitude to Steve Yzerman. The time he spent setting records and wowing crowds on the ice brought the admiration of many, namely my husband. Little did I know that this admiration would, in some small way, make one of my dreams come true.

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