Just Say No

Owen has starting begging for a dog. Apparently, EVERY person he knows has a dog except for him. Apparently, we are very unfair parents for depriving him of a pet. I think it shows that we are sane and using good judgment, as I have never, ever had good luck with pets. From childhood, every single pet I have ever owned has been difficult, crazy, or aggressive.

First, I had the pet hamster in fifth grade. My smart parents didn't want an indoor dog, and our rental house had no fence for an outdoor dog. I started off with a hamster because I had seen one on television, and they looked small and harmless. I had visions of carrying it around in my pocket or backpack, with its cute little face looking up at me. Taffy, as I named this fur ball, was a tan and white hamster with lots of fluffy hair. He was so cute. Since I hate all things about rats and mice, I do not know what possessed me to think that I would like a hamster. I guess I was just desperate since everything but a fish had been ruled out. Taffy looked cute in his little pet store cage where he harmlessly nibbled some pellets. The cedar chips in the cage smelled good, and I was overtaken. Once I got Taffy home, I soon became fearful of handling him. He was aggressive and often bit my hands which would cause me to drop him rapidly to the floor, possibly causing some brain damage. Then, there was the fact that this was a nocturnal animal. Why don't they tell you that the hamster will stay awake all night long running on that wheel? Eventually, Taffy died of a tumor which the pet store said was a common disease among that breed. They offered me a free replacement. Umm, no thanks.

Next, there was Tabby the cat. She was a mean cat who loved to play the game of "chase Michelle around the house and scratch her feet." She seemed to know that she could intimidate me, which added to her fun. She appeared to be much more loving with my younger siblings who have these cute photographs of them holding her while she cuddles up to their chin. All I remember is leaping onto my bed and never wanting my bare ankles to touch the ground for fear that sharp claws would grab them.

Once we moved to Colorado, my parents surprised us with a Lhasa Apso puppy which we named Tiffy (see how we like the "T" theme for names?). She was actually the only pet that I have some loving and fond memories of. She was very sweet and affectionate. She would cuddle on the couch with us while we watched television, and she looked so cute after she went to the groomers and had little bows on her ears. However, she had a major bladder issue. Too bad they didn't have Depends for dogs! Every time she would get excited (happy or scared), she would piddle on the floor. I don't remember a single day when we weren't cleaning up after her! Now, I see myself as the homeowner, and I definitely don't want to buy a dog for my kids if it will piddle on the carpet all day long! All I have to do is go into my laundry room and remember how much work I put into cleaning and repairing the damage done by a dog, and I come out reaffirmed in my commitment not to have an indoor dog.

After I got married, I switched to cats for the pet of choice. We lived in apartments and had no yard, so dogs were not practical. Since I am not a "cat person," I don't know what I was thinking! Our first cat Darby was actually very loving, but that was the problem. He didn't want us to shut him out of any room in the apartment! Even if we had company sleeping in our guestroom, he wanted free access to their room. Many times, Darby would be headbutting their door, or the bathroom door, to gain access to our guests. All. night. long. If that wasn't sucessful, he would begin to tear up the carpet under the door. When we moved out, we thought we would lose our deposit in the apartment because of the large, bare holes under every door. Luckily, they were going to update and recarpet the whole apartment anyway, so we weren't charged! Darby died suddenly of poisoning after we moved into a new apartment where he must have found some bait left by the previous tenants. I was actually sad when we lost him, as he was very sweet. However, I wouldn't want a pet that I couldn't shut in a room to keep it contained. I also never want bare carpet holes around my house again.

Stuart was so sad that we lost Darby, that I finally consented to getting yet another cat. Bad, bad decision. Daisy was our last pet, and she was mean and crazy. I think she got traumatized at the vet during her first few months when she had so many flea issues and dips. She eventually began to hate all people (except Stuart), and she became very aggressive. For nine long years, we endured her. She would stalk our guests, hiss at everyone who got near her, and have to be sedated to go to the vet. We even discussed using Valium on a regular basis for her behavior! She would bite or lunge at you if you invaded her space . . . which meant even entering a room she was in. Whenever we shut her in a closed room to keep our guests safe, she would howl and bang the door with her head for hours. We eventually stopped entertaining much. By the time we had Owen, it was getting ridiculous to try to keep Daisy happy and keep Owen safe. When he was two, she attacked his face viciously with her claws and drew blood, and that was the end of that. We finally took the vet's suggestion to put her to sleep, as she was not adoptable due to her extreme aggression. It just wasn't safe to keep her in our home with a two year old and another baby on the way. After she was gone, I felt I had been released from prison and felt free in my own home for the first time in years. A cat no longer controlled our lives.

So, now when Owen asks for a pet, I envision it being like the movie "Marley and Me" where the dog pretty much destroys everything in its path and rules their family routine. I just don't think I can go there again, not yet.

So, for now, I'm just saying no.

All Ears

Arden still has a double ear infection! Unfortunately, shortly after we finished the first round of antibiotics which were prescribed from the ER visit, she began to act sick again this week. The same symptoms of sleeplessness, fever, irritability, and crying started on Tuesday, so I finally took her to the pediatrican today.

This is the first time that I have gone to a new doctor's office in seven years! I went to Little Rock Children's Clinic ever since Owen was a newborn, and I loved it there. I drove in from Cabot, even after we moved, and all my children used that clinic. I could always get an appointment within a few hours, I never had to wait a long time, the doctors were all board certified pediatricians, and they offered extended hours at nights and on Saturdays for sick kids.

When we moved to Northwest Arkansas, I asked around a lot to decide which office to visit. Several people recommended Northwest Arkansas Pediatric Clinic in Fayetteville. I was reluctant to have to drive to another town again, but I finally felt it was the best option. They have 13 pediatricians and offer the same after-hours clinic for sick kids that I had in Little Rock. This morning I called at 8:00, and I was given a 10:00 a.m. appointment. That was the first good sign, since I was a new patient. I drove to the clinic, and it only took me 23 minutes which wasn't a bad drive down the interstate. I was in a waiting room and talking to a doctor by 10:14 a.m.! I was checking out and in my car by 10:35! Everything was so similar to the Little Rock clinic that I loved, and the facility was amazing. I liked the first doctor we saw, and I am glad I went there. We left with another prescription for a stronger antibiotic, and I realized how blessed I am to have the option to go to a clinic like this for my children!

When I hear stories about how doctors' offices can't get a sick child in that day, or a parent and sick child are in the waiting room for hours, it really upsets me. Don't even get me started on those clinics that only have one waiting room where all the sick kids are mixed in with the well children! If that is your situation, you need to voice your dissatisfaction to your doctor or change doctors if all else fails. I would rather drive a bit further to get the service and treatment that I think ALL kids should be given in a pediatric setting. Don't settle, parents! We need to expect great service, convenient hours, and same day appointments for sick kids! There are clinics like that out there, if you look around. If insurance is the problem, then complain to them and try to get them to give you a waiver to an alternate facility based on your problematic experience; it doesn't hurt to try!

I'll get off my soap box now . . .

Craftiness

Here is a current craft project that I just completed. I got the idea from several other blogs. Find a used, cheap silver platter. It doesn't matter if it's tarnished because you can clean up the edges. Mine is scratched up a bit, but I still like the "shabby chic" look. Then, paint the center with chalkboard paint. Voila . . . an inexpensive and neat looking display board to write messages or verses! It can be hung on the wall, if your platter is lightweight or put on an easel like mine.

I spray painted an old wooden easel I already had black. Then, I found the platter at an antique flea market in town for $7.00. It is pretty large and made from pewter. I was looking for a silver platter, but in a way this is better because it won't tarnish on the edges. However, it's very heavy and probably can't go on the wall very easily. I used Krylon chalkboard paint in a spray can from Wal-Mart which was only around $4 for the can. Other platters I've seen used the "paint on" chalkboard paint which they applied with a brush. I felt the spray can would be easier and provide a smoother finish with no brush strokes. It was also cheaper than a quart can, but if you already own the can of chalkboard paint, use what you have! I taped off the center of the platter to get a clean edge, and I covered the other edges with paper before spray painting. It took two coats of paint with dry time in between.

Vintage stores and thrift stores often sell various silver platters from $2-10, so you can make this little item for a bargain.

I plan to use mine to announce special events and write "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Father's Day" etc. and have it out on those days. And, I'm sure I will be looking for some more platters to whip up some cute gifts for friends!

Laundry Room Makeover

After we bought this house in Bentonville, I realized the laundry room was terrible! I knew the size was smaller than my previous one, but I must not have paid any attention to the cosmetic issues in our whirlwind house tours. However, on the day we arrived to move in, I was unpleasantly surprised. It was dirty, and it smelled like a wet dog. It appeared a dog had occupied the space from time to time based on the extensive scratch marks, chew marks, dirty walls, stained tile, etc. I just wanted to cry when we moved in, and I could see how dingy and dirty it looked. The insulation strip was ripped to shreds on the inside of the garage door, and both door frames were covered in huge scrapes in the paint from moving out large pieces of furniture (in a not-so-careful way).

My handy-dandy handyman (no, it wasn't Stuart! But I love him anyway!) was hired to fix my problems and make everything better. He repainted all the walls, filled and sanded all the damaged trim, and then repainted all the trim. Then, we had the tile and grout professionally cleaned (it really makes a huge difference!).

Then, I got inspired by Shannon's blog by looking at her laundry room pictures. She had real furniture in her laundry room . . . and cute apocathary jars filled with powdered detergent!

So, what's a girl to do? . . . I copied her (with her blessing!).

Since I had a limited budget, I had to use my same old washer/dryer. (I won't show you a picture of the washer because it is soooo old and doesn't even have a knob anymore; I have to turn it on each time with a wrench!).

I also tried to "repurpose" items I already had for the rest of the decor. I moved my Pottery Barn wool rug in there which really warmed up the space. Then, I was able to get my old foyer table to fit in the gap by the dryer (table is turned sideways). It was a free solution to give me more "counter" space and a display area. I was actually going to sell the table once I got my new foyer unit, and I was glad to find a way to continue to use it. Then, I got an apocathary jar (filled with OxyClean powder which I use all the time), a topiary, and a bird's nest. Owen helped me find a matching vintage sign to go above the bulletin board, and I hung some photos and old oil paintings that I already had. I splurged and bought a blue/tan tassel from Nester to finish it off.

Now, I am really happy. It's still not any bigger, but it's more functional and cute. It feels more like a real, homey room now, and it's a place I enjoy being. And most importantly, it no longer smells like dog!

Praying for Stellan Today

Today, we are all wearing ORANGE. I found a shirt for each child and myself that had some orange in it because that is the color people are wearing to show we are praying for baby Stellan as he is in surgery in Boston at Children's Hospital this morning. He has SVT which is the same diagnosis that Owen had at birth; unfortunately, Stellan's case has not been controlled with medication as Owen's was, so he is having a risky procedure called an ablation done on his heart today. I follow this blog daily, and it is so inspiring. You can click on my button to the right that says, "Praying for Stellan" to read his mother's blog and check on his condition. We're praying, Stellan!

Foyer Organization

Here is my new front foyer! I am really happy with it. Due to the fact that my laundry room in my new house is so small, we decided to use the large wall in our front foyer for a mudroom. The laundry room and garage entrance are actually on the back side of the wall where the cubbies are, so it is still very convenient for grabbing our stuff before we head out in our vehicles.

The modular unit, cushion, and baskets came from Pottery Barn. The jute rug came from Target and was a recent birthday gift from my brother.

We've been enjoying the organization of the cubby units, and each child has a cubby with hooks for backpack/diaper bag and jackets. Now, my laundry room is only for dirty clothes and not a catch-all area.

What do you think?

Life with a Girl

Happy, happy, happy . . . not!

Here are some recent pictures of Arden! She's now almost 16 months old. I had to include that last one with the crying face because that one is so funny! She does that face several times per day! She's running, jumping, climbing, and starting to use quite a few words now. Unfortunately, she still calls Stuart "mama" most of the time, much to his dismay! ha ha