Not a Typical Tuesday

I'm working a bit different of schedule this week which is not fun as far as getting up early. But it is nice that I will be off work on Friday. And then I've already taken next Monday off to recover from the busy birthday weekend and enjoy a whole day with just little Elly (Evie is going to stay Sunday night with her grandparents) to sorta celebrate her day.

Cannot believe that in just 7 days my baby will be one!

I just cannot believe it. I wonder at times if she were really walking if that would make her feel older? Evie by this age was pretty much running everywhere. She was starting to climb already and chasing the dog around the yard. She FELT like a toddler. Watching her wasn't watching a baby anymore. But Elly still chooses to crawl. I swear I think she CAN walk. I just haven't found the right motivator for her yet. Maybe cheese puffs...hmm, need to investigate that further.

The whole new puppy thing is going so well.

The puppy pad form of potty training is SO much easier than all the puppy house training that I have ever done before. I don't know why I have never been taught this. Plus, it's so much healthier for the dog. Since puppies are so susceptible to Parvo and Distemper and even when they have been vaccinated they have the chance of being exposed to a strain that they weren't vaccinated against. Parvo is much like the flu in that there are several different versions out there. Also Parvo can live in the ground for about 5 years. So there is always a chance that a sick dog has been on your property even if your dogs have always been healthy. So not taking Maiko outside means no chance for her to get sick.

I know they say that parents always think their children are smart or pretty or funny or what have you. And I know that a lot of people have the same feelings for their dog. But I don't think I have ever thought that Mushu or Emily (our beagle which resides outdoors) was that smart. Mushu isn't a moron...not all the time. But I would certainly never accuse him of being overly smart. I mean, the dog attacks trash cans. And freaks out over doorbells ringing on TV. And cries when he hears the Darth Vader music. Seriously. CRIES. And Emily...well, she's a hound dog. You have to really lower your expectations.

But Maiko seems to be pretty smart. She grasps that to get out of her play pen she needs to go potty. And she only pottys on the puppy pad in her play pen so far. She has had a few accidents on the floor when I wasn't paying close attention. But I consider that more my fault than hers. I mean, she's a baby. She is also already learning the way our schedule works. And knows that when I turn on her heating pad in her box that it is bed time. And I just cannot believe that she prefers to pee on the pad rather than anywhere else. She won't mess in her crate even! Just cries to get out. It's amazing. So I'm totally sold on puppy pads.

Another thing that makes this easier I think is the fact that I have now potty trained a person. And really, a puppy just doesn't compare. Once you have changed diapers for two years and taught a 2 year-old to go pee-pee and poop in the toilet...teaching a dog to pee on a pad in the floor is child's play. Pun not intended. I remember how frustrating it was in the past to try an house break a dog, but I'm just not experiencing any of that this time. And I know part of it is the different method, but part of it is definitely that I'm a much different person that I was the last time I had a puppy.

Speaking of which, Happy Birthday Mushu. I think this past weekend was his birthday. He is now three! Officially mature and no longer an adolescent! Go him. hehe. And he got a puppy for his birthday! What a lucky boy he is.

This is especially funny because Mushu is TERRIFIED of the puppy. He has spent the last four days skulking around the house with his tail tucked...trembling with terror. Yes that is right. My full grown dog is terrified of the puppy that doesn't even weight 2 lbs soaking wet. It is quite sad. Sooner or later I'm sure he'll get over it. Just a matter of him adjusting and getting used to the new dog.

It's going to be a busy week. Need to get taxes done. Need to get everything ready for Elly's party.

Blogs coming up this week: Update on my New Year's resolution and a couple of recipes!

My High Hopes for Maiko the Puppy

Although I was a bit older than my girls are now, when I was little we acquired a throw away puppy who was named Otis. He was a lab, boxer, something sort of mix. Just a mutt. He was, like all puppies, precious. Floppy brown ears, a brown spot over one eye, ever-wagging tail. If you've never had a throw away dog you cannot understand how appreciative such a dog is. People may think dogs simple, even stupid, but they aren't. They KNOW that you saved their life. And they'll thank you for it every day. 

Otis grew into a good sized dog, with a big ole pit bull looking mouth, but was always the sweetest dog with the best smile ever. He lived to be old enough to vote. Saw both Ethan and I through middle school and high school. Was still there after I graduated from college. He even got to meet one of my babies before he passed away. This was dog that brought strays home for us. Hungry, thirsty, lame, injured...Otis would bring them to us to tend and mend and possibly to take up residence. From stray cats, to an injured part-coyote mix. He loved all domesticated creatures, be they cats, dogs, horses or goats. He might get out and run a deer from time to time. Or dig up a ground hog's den. But you couldn't really expect any different from a dog. Once he even killed a momma skunk, orphaning her babies, but he didn't touch the babies. We ended up raising one of them and releasing it back into the wild. He brought baby rabbits home in the spring, wanting us to tend them. Let any number of animals share his food bowl or his house. He protected his family though. I remember him jumping a Rottweiler once (that was much bigger than him!) because the Rottweiler threatened me and my brother at a horse show once. He had the Rottweiler pinned in about half a minute.

Otis was one of the best dogs. A good yard dog. A great porch dog. A phenomenal companion.

It is what I hope my kids will get out of Maiko. I mean, obviously she isn't going to serve as a pillow while laying in the yard day dreaming and watching clouds float by. She'll be a bit small for that. And she won't be able to take out Rottweilers. But she'll be a companion for them for the next 10 to 15 years at least, barring any problems. She'll be there through elementary school and high school. They'll dress her up for Halloween and drag her to show and tell. She'll be privy to sleepovers, pillow fights, misadventures and unshared secrets. She'll share snacks and meals, laughs and tears with Evie and Elly. Their friends will all be on a first name basis with her and will reminisce about times spent and funny things done. They'll teach her tricks (Hopefully) to show off. When they're grown they'll be able to laugh, and maybe cry a little, about the memories made and the good times had with their very first dog. 

I want her to be their Otis. I suppose. If my mom reads this I'm sure she'll scoff at how impossible of task that is. This teeny dog has HUGE shoes to fill for sure. But my little girls don't know Otis. And I'm not going to tell Maiko how daunting my expectations for her are. I think it'd be setting her up for failure if I did!

And regardless of how the lil thing does when compared with my own childhood dog, she will be everything she's supposed to be for my children. They will fall in love with puppy breath and the wagging of a tiny tail. They'll learn the heart flutter of happiness you feel when something that you love, loves you back. They'll feel bad about having to leave her home when she wants to accompany them somewhere and the shared joy of being reunited. She will teach them responsibility. What it means to feed and water and clean up after another creature. She will teach them kindness and humility, through her own kindness and humility (which all dogs have as a rule). They will learn how to be kind to her and earn those sweet kisses and tail wags. They will learn what discipline really means and how to reward good behavior. That all actions have consequences because they will see that in their dog. Both good and bad.

All these things I foresee in a 1.8 lb dog.

If nothing else, I hope she brings us all some enjoyment. That she'll play with both the kids and Mushu, both of which desperately want play companions for fetch and tug-of-war but for some reason Mushu refuses to play with the girls. I hope she isn't miserably difficult to housebreak. And doesn't destroy too many of the kids' toys.

So, I'm off to pick up the lil orphan. Wish us luck! It might be an interesting weekend!

We are SO ready for this...

So I have made lists and double-checked them and I do believe that we are ready for our new lil lady coming home this weekend. I feel like I'm nesting all over again. haha. Only this time it's a furry baby...for my babies!

 Maiko is supposed to come home tomorrow night. She had her vet visit today for her first round of shots and was in good health. They said she weighed 1.8 lbs. Teensy! We've got her crate all set up, her puppy pads, some toys and chewys, blankets and a heating pad, small ceramic bowl, tiny collar and matching leash. We even found a medium sized play pen online that is made for critters, so we have something to put her in quickly if we need to leave the room to keep her safe from toddlers that don't know any better.

And I talked the husband into this whole litter box for the dog idea. We will see how long it takes her to get the puppy pad thing and move forward from there. I've done a lot of reading online about how to's and tips on litter box training and feel like I'm fairly prepared.

Here's the game plan: step one, assign a couple of pee pad locations for the puppy. One will be in the play pen. One will be somewhere else in the living room/kitchen area. (lol haven't decided yet!) The next step will just be getting the puppy to USE the pad consistently. These initial pee pad spots aren't where the litter box will end up ultimately. I'd like for the box to be somewhere out of the way, but obviously I can't put puppy pads out of the way or she will NEVER use them. So after she gets decent about using the puppy pads, then I will try moving them into a more out of the way area of the house. I may just add extra pads, one in the usual place and one in what will be the litter box place. Get her used to seeing one there. Get her to use it some. Then eliminate the one in the living area. After a couple of weeks of using the new puppy pad then I will put the litter box out with a puppy pad in it next to the puppy pad. And over the course of a week, gradually work the litter box ONTO the puppy pad, with a puppy pad in the box. Then remove the puppy pad from under the litter box. Once she seems really comfortable about using the litter box with the puppy pad I will start gradually adding litter (probably the paper stuff that they use for Guinea pigs or rabbits, since I don't want to risk puppy or toddlers eating it and getting sick!).

Eventually it will just be a litter box full of litter getting cleaned out daily or every other day. Depending on usage and odor and what not. Dog pee is not nearly as odorous as cat pee. And poop is poop. I have baby poop hanging out in my house already. haha. Dirty diapers certainly don't go out daily. So we'll just see how the odor situation goes! Either way, I will probably invest in another Glade plug in for the litter box room. Which humorously, may be the girls' play room...since it has spare space. Is that weird?

This whole plan is assuming that the puppy cooperates. Which I'm sure she won't. But I'm really excited about not spending 30 minutes every night standing out in the February chill waiting for a puppy to pee so we can all go to bed!

There will be plenty of pictures and I am going to document this whole litter box training thing. Let everyone know how it goes! And I'm hoping it will be a good and easy transition from litter box to outside once she's grown and trained and everything. We shall see!

I'm afraid I'm losing my mind

It probably happened about 20 months ago when I found out I was pregnant the second time. But what little sanity I still had left I'm afraid is rapidly fleeing. Why for, you ask?

Well, this weekend, we will be bringing Evie and Elly's new puppy home. Little Maiko, as we're naming her, is 6 weeks old this Thursday. She'll be going to get her shots then and Friday night she'll be coming home with us. So this will be a busy weekend I'm sure.

I'm also strongly considering litter box training this puppy. No. Really.

This is going to be a small dog. Right now she weighs less than 2 lbs. I'm hoping she grows minimally and stays tiny. But she'll probably max at around 10 lbs. Maybe 12 if she gets big.

So, you're probably thinking "what the...?" right. I know. It seems more than a little perverse to litter box train a dog. I mean, that's a cat thing after all. And it's kinda icky. I mean, it is an animal pooping and peeing in your house. Even if it is in a dedicated, odor-eliminating sort of area.

But there are a lot of great reasons to litter box train a puppy. And apparently it can be done.

Here are some sites detailing it:

http://kturby.com/litter/litter.htm

http://www.wikihow.com/Litter-Train-a-Dog

http://isabellasnow.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Litter-Box-Train-Your-Puppy

http://tracy-rose.suite101.com/litter-train-your-puppy-a16448

This will not mean our puppy will not be going outside. I hope that she is well behaved and will go outside with us and hang around and play in the yard. I'd like for her to learn to go outside and use the potty once she's bigger. But this just seems like a brilliant notion!

First off, as a tiny dog, taking them outside to potty when they are a puppy seems a bit ridiculous. I mean, this dog isn't even tall enough to see through the grass! She's teensy. How overwhelming is it going to be to drop this lil thing out in the grass? Then I expect her to relax and go potty? I have house broken NUMEROUS dogs. This is an exercise in frustrating. You take the puppy outside and you stand around waiting. And waiting. And waiting. And nothing happens. So you finally go inside and the moment you set them down they pee in the floor. Outside it was big and scary. But inside is warm and familiar and cozy. I certainly don't like to pop a squat out in the middle of a big field where who knows what might be. So I don't know why I expect the dog to be different. Heck, we coddle and cozen to our children when potty training them. But expect a house dog to be so much different!

Next, as a small dog she will have a small bladder. Like, needs to pee every couple of hours (once she's grown and able to hold it!) kinda bladder. So, trips to Walmart, car rides, etc all have to be catered to this need. It's a constant problem with Mushu. He can hold it only so long. So if we're gone too long and he's left inside then we risk him having an accident. And if we leave him outside we risk something happening to him. I mean, the lil man weighs 9 lbs. A hawk could scoop him up if it was determined. So litter box training would mean if we wanted to go out to supper or a movie or something we could without worrying about the dog messing in the floor.

Also, having a dog with two toddlers is going to be a challenge. One that I fully understood and was prepared for when I committed to take this poor homeless mongrel into our home. (haha! Like my arm was twisted!) But doing litter training would make the whole thing much simpler. I wouldn't have to worry about leaving my girls to take the puppy out. It might help reduce some of our accidents. And from some of the blogs and what not I have read, it seems like it will be pretty easy to do. Easier than house breaking one to go potty outside. So maybe it will make the whole process less stressful.

Am I crazy? Yeah. Probably. Now that I've been convinced I need to talk my husband into it. Then I need to fix something up to use as a puppy litter box. But I've already got some ideas.

I think I might actually be more excited about the girls' new puppy than they are! haha.

Happy Monday every one!

Announcing: A New Addition

No. I am not pregnant.

Thank goodness.

We're getting a new puppy!

Well, specifically Evie and Elly are getting a puppy but in all honestly, I will be getting a puppy. Because I know who will be house training the puppy and keeping the puppy from the destroying the house and probably doing most of the care taking of the puppy.

So, now we are waiting for the puppy to get big enough to take home. They are currently being hand fed by my mom because their mom's milk dried up and the girl who had them wasn't able to take care of them. They are 3/4 Chinese Crested and 1/4 Longhair Chihuahua. But the two my mom has just look like chihuahuas. They'll probably be around 10-12 lbs full-grown. I'm hoping they're smaller than that, but I'm okay with a bit bigger. I just don't want a medium or big dog. I just don't like them in the house. They're messy. They chew things up. When they have an accident it is MESSY. I have two children and a full-time job, I really have plenty to do without adding a really destructive four-legged baby to the mix. But Mushu's size is perfect and he's about 10 lbs.

So, you're probably thinking that I just said I had enough on my plate. Why on earth are we getting a dog?

Well, several reasons, none of which are very good though they sound good. Everyone loves a puppy. The puppy needs a home. Evie has asked for a puppy.

Mostly, I want to get the girls a dog to grow up with. A dog for them. That'll be their buddy. Play with them, chew on their shoes, pee on their toys and sleep in their room. One that will be as much a sibling to them as their sister is. A sibling that will teach them the real meaning of love and adoration and responsibility and eventually loss. And please don't think I'm horrible thinking about a poor little puppy's death 15 years from now. But it's life and everything that lives has to die. And it's an important lesson for a kid to learn. Everyone gets old and everyone goes home.

A dog can teach a lot of lessons.

So we're taking in a little homeless puppy that conveniently showed up after Josh and I had discussed getting the girls a puppy for Evie's third birthday. And I figure now's as good a time as any to get a dog. Evie's potty trained. And the puppy will be house trained before I start potty training Elly. Then I will get Elly potty trained and next spring we will use our tax refund to replace the carpet in the living room. Because I'm sure after two babies and two puppies (Mushu was house broken since we put that carpet in) that carpet will be seriously overdue for replacing! Honestly, it could use replacing now but I'm not even going to bother when I have another girl to potty train.

Also, I want a dog that will actually PLAY with the girls. Evie wants so badly to have a game of fetch with Mushu and that boy will NOT play. He will guard her, kiss her face and occasionally snuggle her but he doesn't want to play with her. He's not really big on interacting with her honestly. So I'm thinking if we get a puppy that grows up with little people instead of being grown and suddenly having two little people added in a short period of time, maybe the puppy will play. Mushu's problem isn't that he doesn't want to play. He drives me crazy trying to get me to play fetch long after I'm bored with playing fetch. Just not Evie.

So, next week the puppy's are five weeks old. The week after they'll go get their shots. Then after that it'll just be up to my mom for when she lets us take the puppy home.

I'm excited but apprehensive. I know it'll be a busy and difficult first couple of months getting her trained and adjusting our lives to a two-dog-household. But I look forward to getting past the bad days of puppydom and into Evie, Elly and puppy being best buds.

Now, we need to figure out puppy's name...Mushu is named in part after the dragon on Mulan and the Chinese dish. And I have looked around for cute Chinese names and cannot find one. However, there are several Japanese names that I like and Evie says she likes. So we'll see.

Wish us luck! There will be numerous puppy updates!