A little more than just a Pupdate

Reading over Michael's last post, it's almost humorous to me now how unaware I was of his true motive for visiting the Wachusett area that weekend. Just six days after Michael's last post, Mike and I spent the weekend in central Mass with plans to partake in some of our usual fall activities (i.e. cycling, apple picking) with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants as a special bonus. Well, Michael had other plans for that weekend. . . . After the day's plans were turned upside down by an unexpected flat tire (on Mike's mom's car), we settled for a plan B. Our activities didn't work out exactly as planned but we still ended up going out to dinner that night. Michael had made reservations at Dino's. I will digress by filling in some history about Dino's.

When I look back on my childhood birthdays, the most common memory is having my "family party" at Dino's. And pretty much . . . I envision most of Erica's there as well. When I hear "Dino's", I think of it as the place where I discovered my love for fried calamari (at the very young age of 6). When playing with Barbie's, it's the place that Erica and I would have Barbie and Ken enjoy their first date at. It's the restaurant where my mom and Alex hosted their rehearsal dinner. Without any clue about this history, during our first week of dating, Michael declared that he was going to take me to "one of his favorite little, Italian restaurants". On our first "date night", Michael pulled into the Dino's parking lot. He was a bit surprised to find out that Dino's was hardly "new" to me; but, I looked at it as a sign . . .

Needless to say, Dino's has not only become a special restaurant to me and my family; but, it is now one that Michael and I have created our own memories in. So, as the story goes . . . it was only fitting that as we shared some fried calamari and a bottle of wine, Michael asked me to marry him. Yes, we are ENGAGED!!























I was completely caught off guard though. I had just graduated, and just started my new and first job. We had just acclimated to the routine of having Cooper. I have to give Michael credit though. To surprise me like that was a feat. Almost five months later and I can't say for sure that the shock has settled. Of course I knew we were headed in that direction. After all, we will be celebrating six years of dating THIS coming Saturday! It's just hard to believe that it's happened . . . IS happening. We are planning a wedding.

And what a wedding it will be! (At least WE think it will be a good one) The whole process, although overwhelming at times, is quite exciting! We dove into it right away; choosing and booking our venue, date, and church 2 weeks after getting engaged. The DJ, photographer, and videographer came shortly after that. And, most importantly (I think), I found the perfect dress. I want to share details about the wedding, but I don't want to blog about it too much - for fear of ruining surprises/making things less special. I will share our wedding website: http://jaclyn-michael.ourwedding.com which has the "major" need-to-know-details on it. And since our Save The Dates have been mailed out and received (although, I seem to doubt that everyone received them due one of the several snowstorms last month), I have posted some pictures of those as well.It's dissappointing how lax Michael and I became in our blog updates. There's been a lot to share over the past months that we have failed to post about. I'll try my best to share the highlights.

- I love my job. I wasn't supposed to fall in love with this job. If you'll remember, finding a job wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and I "settled" for working in a school. I told myself that it was my fellowship year and if it didn't work out NBD. I told myself that commuting to NH would be okay temporarily, but I would continue to look for something in MA. And then I started the job. It's a lot of stress, paperwork, meetings, etc. etc. but what job isn't? Despite that, I enjoy going to work every day. And have met some really great people ;) That said, I may loose my job in the spring due to a lack of funding.


- Cooper will be 9 months tomorrow! He survived his neutering, first Christmas, and first snowstorm. Better make that snowstormS. Despite resisting to walk through leaves in the fall, he has quickly grown accustomed (and prefers) to walking in the snow. He has successfully destroyed a dozen stuffed toys since we brought him home. Clearly stuffed toys is not the way to go. He "passed" four weeks of training classes and now knows how to "wait" and "lay down".






- We celebrated our "first" Christmas living together, engaged, and decorating our own place and tree










- Jill and Paul got engaged! (Lauren and Charlie did too - but that was back in July, I'm just not sure I formally announced it)

- We visited NYC with Michael's sister, Laura, and brother-in-law, David, as our xmas presents to each other

- Our families spent Christmas Day together

- We said goodbye to an incredible 2010, and rang in 2011 with delicious gourmet meal hosted by Josh and Sarah








- We reunited with friends for Halloween in Salem, MA, and again at Lauren and Charlie's to ski Cannon Mt. (and battle below 0 temps). Note: We were very spoiled by a superb spread of meals at L&C's - complete with meats. Note on note: L&C were strict vegetarians up until recent.


- Michael received a VERY good performance review this year (but, he doesn't like me to brag, so I'll leave it at that)

I think that pretty much sums things up for now. I hope to me more diligent about updating as the wedding plans and 2011 progress!

5 lbs and counting

Last week, Cooper had a vet appointment to complete his round of shots and for a general checkup. We were pretty well prepared to hear that he was getting bigger, but after his last visit put him at about 3 lbs, it was a little surprising to hear that he was at 4.9! I don't want to chart this in an overly-well-designed Excel spreadsheet to try and predict his final weight, but i'm starting to get the impression that he won't be a lapdog for much longer...

To compliment his newfound weight, he's also gained a large amount of energy. He's now 4 months old (as of Sep 10), and he pretty much requires 2-3 walks per day. This isn't really feasible every day, but since he overcame is overt hatred of walking on a leash - he's suddently started to love going for long walks. As a method of facilitating this newfound passion, we've hired some help 2 days a week to make sure he can get out and get exercised on the days when I can't come home for lunch. [shoutout to Wiggles 'n Jiggles pet care].

Last weekend, Coop came with Jac and I up to Newfound lake to visit Lauren and Charlie at their new place. After hiking about 3 miles and 900' of elevation, it was clear that this dog loves to be outside, loves to walk, and loves nature. So - this weekend I arranged for him to get out for another stroll to take his mind off of the fact that Jaclyn wouldn't be around all weekend...

I'm going to interrupt my own blog to bring you this sidestory:

Every day, Jaclyn leaves for school about 20 minutes before I leave for work, so i take Cooper out for his last bathroom break of the morning, and for a brief walk. Without exception, every single day that Jaclyn kisses us goodbye and walks away, Cooper slips into a state of complete anxiety & depression. Wines, cries, stubborn resistance to other influences, and of course the occasional whelp - are heard by the entire street as i attempt to take his mind off of the separation. Eventually, he gives in, but continues to "hunt" for her around the yard, driveway, and even the neighborhood until eventually coming back in the house, where his worst suspicions are confirmed that she's left him for the day.

Back to the regularly-scheduled posting:

So anyway, Jaclyn is gone ALL WEEKEND. (if you need to, go ahead and re-read the last paragraph to get a sense of how depressed Cooper was). So i arranged a trip back home to hike Mt Wachusett with my mom and her cockapoo, Sammy. The boys got acquainted once again (they haven't seen each other since Cooper was a tot) and played in the backyard for a while until it was clear that they were friends, and ready to hike together. They both did a great job on the 2.5 mile ascent, and 1.5 mile descent, which featured lots of stone-wall walking, visits with hikers and kids at the summit, and a photo shoot at the abandoned stone cabin on Ropers Road where i got to see what Cooper would look like if he were brought to the taxidermist to be stuffed for my mantle :P

Here's a video of Coop and Sammy walking on a stone wall which has roughly a 60 foot drop-off on the right side down to a ravine. Sorry it's tilted... i suck.

As I said, both dogs did an awesome job on the hike, and slept the whole way home in the backseat together. After getting back to my parents house, we decided to take the boys to the Sterling Fair. Unfortunately, we were kicked out after about 10 minutes, since apparently we didn't see the "no dogs allowed" sign. Whoops!

Other highlights from the last couple of weeks:

Cooper's first Ice Cream Sundae at Smolek's farm (home of the delicious cider-donut ice cream)

...trying on overpriced hoodies in Salem

...and last night when we got home after our long day... He refused to get up off of Jaclyn's pillow, because it smelled like her. (good thing he's not too attached, huh?)

The Rollercoaster of Puppyhood

Today probably is not the best day to do a post on "Life with Cooper"; but, it's the first time in weeks that I have found myself with little to do. Okay, reality is that there is plenty to keep me busy at the moment (a "classroom" to plan, IEPs to read, training to complete, an apartment to organize, cookies to bake, etc. etc.), yet, the motivation to update has been sparked and I must take full advantage. That and it's the first day all summer that Michael and I do not have any set plans and we are actually having a difficult time figuring out what to do with ourselves!

So ... anyway ... back to the point of this post. One month and 11 days ago we welcomed Cooper into our lives. The first couple of weeks were unexpectedly easy. He demonstrated the usual puppy tendencies of chewing, reluctance to walk on a leash, sporadic barking, and occasional accidents. But, overall, we were pleasantly surprised by just how good of a puppy he was (following commands, sleeping through the night, sticking to a potty schedule). The past few posts have reflected this. Well, this post is to describe the "not-so-pleasant moments of Cooper". And perhaps, I should retract my first statement. Today is probably THE best day to post this update since Cooper has been in the doghouse all day.

The parrot co-pilot. Cooper has traveled to the Cape and back twice now. Both times he has been a great traveler; finding comfort in the backseat or on the lap of the person riding in the passenger seat. He has clearly come to understand the phrase "We're going buh-bye", as he excitedly runs to the car when it's said. However, while driving to and from my friend's house the other day, Cooper was not content to stay in his own seat. Rather, he continuously jumped from passenger seat to driver seat and scaled my body until he was perched on my left shoulder ... like a parrot (I wish I had a photo to share). I hate to even admit that I drove like this because of the dangerousness of it ... but I had two options. 1) Risk swerving into oncoming traffic each time I ripped him off my shoulder and threw him onto the other seat, and then again when he unexpectedly bowled himself onto my lap or 2) Look like the crazy lady wearing a fur scarf in the middle of summer and allow Cooper to claw the crap out of my shoulder. Needless to say, Cooper's travel crate may be getting a lot more use.

"What is he eating now?!" Ugh. I have come to feel like a broken record. Yes, just like infants and toddlers, puppies will mouth objects. But is it this incessant with every puppy and child!? He is teething. I get that. And so, Michael and I have bought him every style chew toy sold by your standard chain pet stores. This goes beyond teething though. Let's just make a list:

- baseboards
- hardwood floors
- leash
- my hair
- Michael's pajama pants
- shoe laces
- dry leaves (well, and fresh leaves)
- grass
- rocks
- pachysandra
- tote bag handles
- book case
- lint
- carpet(s)
- sheets
- acorns
- towels
- blanket
- my car seat
- cords
- horse droppings
- a bee
- pine cones
- sand
- feathers
- peanut shells
- an ant hill
- cigarette butts
- hellicopter leaves (ALL time favorite)
- tissues
- paper (including magazines, receipts, envelopes, papertowel)

to name a few. . .

Separation anxiety. This is probably our fault. Or at least my fault. Yet, it's out of control. We've become very attached to him and vice versa, he hates when we're out of sight. This has lead to the development of Cooper's whine. Not just a whimper. A full out tantrum-style whine. Hopefully this will be broken once I start working and we all get into a much different routine and schedule.

Leash Defiance. The second day (or first full day) Cooper was home with us, he walked a mile on leash. We were amazed. Then, day by day Cooper cooperatively walked less and less. He will go outside to relieve himself and then turn right around to go back inside. When we attempt to walk him, he sits down, cocks his head, and refuses to move. Kind of cruel, but at times, we have dragged him down the sidewalk. A few times he has walked with us. It goes like this ... walk five feet, stop and sit, pull on the leash and tell him to come, walk ten feet, stop and sit, pull on the leash and beg him to come, walk five feet, stop and sit, pull on the leash and angrily demand that he come, walk another five feet, stop and sit, give up and pick him up. BUT THEN, there are days when Cooper is so so good and he appears to love walking on his leash. This past Thursday night he walked two full loops at the dog park. And on Friday he hiked two lengthy trails with us. Then there are days like today. See previous description.

Sneak Attacks. There's no denying that Cooper is adorable. He is his most adorable when he contently plays by himself (his latest enjoyment - beyond eating everything insight of course - is to take out every single toy he owns and play with at least two at a time). Perhaps it is related to his need for attention that one second Cooper can be perfectly happy playing by himself and the next he is lunging at your head, ears, nose, fingers, arm, shoulder, or toes. We have recently tried to bring Cooper to bed with us on weekend mornings. He wakes at 5:30, I let him out and return him to his pen. But then he is up again by 6:30 (still much too early to start a weekend day). So, we bring him to bed hoping that he'll settle down with us and go back to sleep. Not so much. Michael and I have been mauled. It is during this time that Cooper seems to transform into a hyperactive, wild beast and while we are in our drowsiest of moments he sneaks in and attacks.

Overall insanity. I'm not quite sure how to truly describe this. This category is for all of the moments in the past few weeks when Michael and I have been pulling our hair out and jokingly discussing bringing Cooper to the pound (It will never happen. As I said before .. we are attached). This category is for the moments when Cooper appears to disregard all commands, for when he starts barking like mad for know known reason, for when he pees right in front of us despite the fact that we are holding the leash and asking him if he wants to go out, for when he sticks his face in an ant hill immediately following a bath . . . for all those moments that make up the definition of puppyhood and that could make a sane person go insane (or use an ungodly amount of profanity, as has been Michael's case).

I will end by sharing some pictures of a happier day with Cooper (as the rollercoaster would have it that day was - yesterday).

Family outing to Great Brook Farm State Park

Yet Another Transition

I've been feeling guilty for not updating when such "big" life events are occuring. However, to update on the rollercoaster of job offers, decision making, and emotions would not have been fun reading for the rest of you. Thus, I spared you from the details and will only share the end results. Yesterday morning, I signed a contract with the Derry Cooperative School District. This is a very ... VERY ... unexpected turn of events as 1.) I will be working in NH (yes, I moved back to MA in hopes of working in MA), and 2.) I will be working in an elementary schools with students K-5th grade (yes, I have focused all of my academic and clinical training in the birth-5 range, and outside of the school setting). And so, feelings of both anxiety and excitement have settled in and will probably result in many sleepless nights in the next couple of weeks. Regardless, I'm trying my best to stay positive and keep in mind that the next 9 months are still a "Fellowship Year" - another learning opportunity, another opportunity for growth and maturation, another test of my patience, skills, independence, and, of course, the sanity of our relationship :)

Luckily, I am not concerned in the least about the latter of those. Michael is such a stable and supportive piece of my life. He knows just when I need space and when it's time to step in and "guide" me. Although we've been together for awhile, it's been during the past two years that I think I've truly come to understand and appreciate how strong our relationship is. With a whole bunch of "newness" ahead of us, I'm eager to discover what else I will come to learn about us.

Looking forward there will be many new things to write about and to share photos of. Knowing this, Michael gave me a (uncessary) graduation present/"you-got-a-job" present last night.


I have been pining over this camera for months! But knew that it was just a wish-list item. I have a 5 year old Canon that works just fine. "Just fine". Apparently, Michael doesn't think that "just fine" is good enough to document my grad school graduation, the celebrations afterwards, all of Cooper's firsts, the upcoming FoxWoods reunion with my college loves, etc. etc. After telling him just how unnecessary this was and how many groceries, gallons of gas, dog items we could get for the price of this camera, I accepted the fact that this was a gift he really wanted me to have and began to test it out. I am in love (for the 4th time with a Canon). Beyond the fact that it's a coppery-orange (dece!), it has so many photo options (I may actually have to read the manual this time), it takes BEAUTIFUL pictures! Here are some from its first shoot (sorry that Michael and I look so hapazard, it was a long, humid day):

Today marks the beginning of the celebration of graduation. Mani & pedi with Jill this afternoon, lobsters tonight, Graduation tomorrow, family gathering/dinner tomorrow night, BBQ Party at Kirsten's on Sunday!

Life Changes

Our lives have been a little crazy lately . . . and I don't foresee things settling down in the next week or so. There will be many things to update on; but, for now, it most likely means a break from the blog.

Later days . . .

The First Week

It's been a whirl-wind week, as you can imagine. We picked up the puppy last Saturday and the days of housebreaking, crate-training, and spoiling him are just flying by! Our home has been transformed. Furniture shifted, puppy accessories in place, and so much more vaccuming and sweeping to tend to! It's hard to believe how many crumbs, grass clippings, and sand one little puppy can track around! Maybe it's because I'm playing directly on the floor now that I realize how filthy the floors are . . . but I swear it's gotten worse. What did I expect though, right? And surely, a part of me will eventually just come to accept that things aren't going to be as neat as they were with just the two of us. Our apartment is far too tiny to truly accomodate every toy and accessory I have decided to spoil him with. So, somehow, I will stop fighting it and there will be treats on the counters, toys scattered around, and paw prints on the hardwoods.




For the most part, he is rarely referred to as "puppy", "Frankenstein", or "to-be-named-later" anymore. The difficulty Michael and I faced with choosing a name for the puppy became almost a joke amongst our families and friends over the past few months. Even on the day of picking him up we still had no idea what his name would end up being. After he was home for a few hours, Michael decided that it was time that I just chose my top 3 names and he would pick one of those. Mind you, this was after he told me "you just pick it" and I refused, arguing that this was something we were supposed to do together. Oy! So it was that Michael and I decided upon ... Cooper (or Coop Coop - which seems to be my preference these days).

Adjusting to life with Cooper hasn't been that difficult. I think we are fortunate that he seems to have adapted to our routine and expectations rather easily. From his first day home he has slept through the night (10:00-5:30) and remained dry! He has had limited accidents in the house, and has respected all barriers we have given him. Yet, he is still a puppy and has his moments of reeking havoc and defiance. Michael is convinced that Cooper is out to test every ounce of patience he has. For those of you that know Michael well, then you're aware that patience isn't his strongest quality. Not to discredit the efforts Michael has put in to training Coop, but it's obvious that this addition has been a little more of an adjustment for him than he was counting on. Sorry, hun, but I don't think you'll disagree. I can't say that I don't have moments of frustration. Despite taking a half mile walk on his first full day home, Cooper has since then refused to walk on his leash for purposes other than relieving himself. During the day he doesn't like to be left alone in his pen and will let out the most high-pitched bleats, squeals, and squaks for ten-fifteen minutes before calming. But, I'm hopeful that these are behaviors that will soon be faint memories.


There's no denying that Cooper has brought a new element of enjoyment to our life (and, probably to his two sets of "grandparents" as well - who all seem just as smitten and eager to spoil him as we are). He's adorable and spunky. His curiousity is beyond entertaining as we watch him explore every aspect of our home (well, within the 2 rooms that he is allowed), and begin to figure out the world around him (he is enamored with the jets and planes that fly over the house). At this point, he's not too sure about other dogs. We're unsure if this is because he was from a single litter, because he is anti-social, or if he just isn't ready for interaction. We brought him to a puppy class this past Tuesday where his first true interaction went horribly wrong. A 6mo. old yellow lab decided to wack Coop in the head. Needless to say, we asked for a refund and won't be bringing him to training for a little while longer. Tomorrow, we're going to try a play-group instead (assuming that smaller breeds are present) and hope that this goes better.

Yes, I promised that this next entry would be posted by Michael. Clearly, that hasn't happened. Michael was supposed to be on vacation this week; but, as things go, deadlines and meetings required that he spend most of the week at the office. Even when at home he's been busy with work things . . . so, I just couldn't put the pressure on him to update the good ol' blog! Especially since I don't have much else to do these days . . . . The job hunt continues with three more interviews under my belt this week. I don't want to say too much because I am superstitious like that. When not interviewing or scouring the internet for jobs, I've been spending my time babysitting, reading, and of course playing with my little Coop Coop.


Tonight, Michael and I have a special date night planned. If all goes according to plan, we're taking Cooper with us for a good old fashioned burgers & shake date at Sonic!

Cape Highlights and A Little Bit About Puppy

I've been begging Michael for days to post an update about our mini-"vacation" over the Fourth of July weekend; but, he's been busy or just not in the mood to write it all out. The consensus, however, from the few folks that actually read our blog is that Michael posts are far more entertaining to read. Although I consider myself a strong writer, I have to admit that I just don't have the ability to include the humorous descriptions that Michael does. So, until he regains the motivation to write . . . you're going to have to suffer through my dry recap. of our Cape Cod "vacation".

Perhaps you have noticed that vacation is in quotes each time that I have referred to it. Why is that? Well spending time at my family's summer home is never truly a vacation. Although time there usually results in going to the beach, good meals & drinks, going out for ice-cream, biking, window-shopping in quaint Cape Cod towns, and spending time with friends and family; it also means a lot of family time. Which for my family means things like planning ALL meals in advance, completing yard-work while the "team" is present to help out, playing musical chairs so that we can ALL watch a movie on a 27" TV, "sleeping in" until 7AM, and knowing where and when everyone is going at all times. I swear I'm not complaining about all of this. All that I'm saying is it doesn't make for the most relaxing of get-a-ways. Overall this trip was better than past visits. My grandparents are sometimes hard to take, and typically after a long summer of continuous family time, there is an air of ... let's say, irritation ... within the Cape house. This was a good visit though. Michael and I hadn't been down the Cape since last August; and because we were unsure if we would make it down again this summer we decided to cram many of our usual Cape activities into 3 days.

Friday morning began with a trip to Grumpy's (http://www.grumpyscapecod.com/index.html) our FAVORITE breakfast place on the Cape (Yes, I am a traitor to the breakfast place at which I worked for 8 years). Even though I couldn't get my first breakfast of choice, neither of us had complaints and left plenty full. After a divergent trip to TJMaxx (someone needed a new bathingsuit. . . .) and reporting home, we headed to the beach. Finally, we were able to truly test out our new backpack chairs and YES, they were worth EVERY penny. No need for a beach bag and no complaints about walking from the municipal lot. So far, best purchases of this summer (well, besides the soon-to-be-here puppy of course). The beach was perfect. The 4th of July crowds still hadn't arrived allowing us space to breathe and relax. Until, that is, an irrate man began yelling at the 4 irresponsible lifegaurds that had completely neglected to see a woman being pulled away from shore by the tide. Not to worry, the irrate man had called the harbor-master, who pulled the woman back in to shore before the lifegaurds even comprehended what the man was telling them. Ohhh, Bank St. Beach.

Friday evening was spent at the fireworks. Yes, it was only July 2nd. Michael and I both found this extremely odd; but, we HAD to stick to the tradition of going to the fireworks at Rock Harbor whether they were on the 4th or not. Waiting for the show we were eaten alive. Finally, Michael and Alex agreed to walk the 1.5 miles back to the car to get the bug spray (thanks again, guys!). Their trek meant that they missed this gorgeous sunset (right), but we were saved from hundreds of bites. And so, Michael and I had to take our traditional Rock Harbor photo this year sans sunset.

Late Saturday morning and early afternoon were spent kayaking a pond in Harwich. This was an exciting adventure since none of my family had kayaked at this spot before. Typically, we kayak Bass River which allows you to follow a path of sorts. Obviously, in the pond it's wide open paddling. Michael and I disagreed about which was better. I prefer the openess of the pond. To me, it's more relaxing and allows you to feel truly away from everything. Michael prefers the river. Always a man-with-a-plan he likes the idea of having a destination and a set way to get there. To each his own. This outing was especially adventurous in that my grandparents actually came along. Yes, they usually try to get involved in every activity we do down the Cape, except for biking and kayaking. They've never shown an interest. But, this time they did. They came to watch and particularly enjoyed talking to any person that walked by (of course). My grandmother actually gave the kayaking a try! There were some nice family moments (below).

Saturday evening Michael and I revisited an old hangout: The Squire. We enjoyed some popcorn shrimp, quality people watching, and probably too many beers. From there we headed to Michael's favorite ice-cream establishment: Dairy Queen. Despite the fact that we now live within 15 miles of 2 DQs, he was extatic to finally be getting a DQ down the Cape again. Even though it was obvious that they were closed due to the pitch-black drivethrough board, Michael insisted if he drove through the drivethrough the boy working there would still sell him a cone. Michael's smooth talking failed this time and he settled for icecream at home.

The 4th was a quiet day at the Cape house. With the humidity settling in, everyone stayed cool reading and lounging around. Later in the day we celebrated with clams casino, steamers, and burgers. In the evening Michael and I took a walk on West Dennis Beach and shared a red-white-and-blue sundae at Sundae School (www.sundaeschoolicecream.com).

After an extended weekend, it was back to reality for both of us. Not too much reality though. Today marked the end of my final clinical practicum, which means ALL of my graduate requirements are completed. Two things left to do: officially graduate (Aug.7th) and get a job. For Michael, he's on vacation next week. We'll just be hanging around N.Andover, training the new puppy and getting ourselves adjusted to a new routine. Things are pretty much ready for Puppy's arrival. His crated area is set up, we have food, treats, and toys, etc.etc. The name list has been updated. There's not much else we can do now but enjoy our last night as "just the two of us" and get some quality sleep.

(7 weeks)