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 . . .
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
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!
Friday, July 9, 2010
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 w
ere 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)
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 w
ere 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)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Into the single digits
Our chalkboard countdown is now into the single digits. To-be-named-later will be arriving in 9 days. As prepared as we may appear, I have this underlying feeling that bringing this puppy home is going to be more of an adjustment than we are currently thinking. Sure there will be those moments of joy and excitement, but with those there are sure to come the not-so-great moments as well. We have vowed to do our best to train him from the very beginning; yet, he's only a "baby" still. He's bound to get into mischief, to ruin something treasured, and to make us question if we made the right decision. We've been wanting a puppy for years, and preparing for this one for 6 months now, so it feels like we have thought about, discussed, and read up on everything we were supposed to. But, oy . . . this is going to be an adventure!
And so, today Michael and I take off for our last vacation without a dog in our lives. Our last time to think of only ourselves and not to worry about what to bring for the dog or where he will stay. It's probably perfect timing to get away. I'm burnt out from a rigorous year and Michael hasn't had a vacation in months. Here's to hoping that we come back refreshed enough to take on all of the new moments this puppy will bring into our life!
In 7 hours (or less) we are Cape bound :)
And so, today Michael and I take off for our last vacation without a dog in our lives. Our last time to think of only ourselves and not to worry about what to bring for the dog or where he will stay. It's probably perfect timing to get away. I'm burnt out from a rigorous year and Michael hasn't had a vacation in months. Here's to hoping that we come back refreshed enough to take on all of the new moments this puppy will bring into our life!
In 7 hours (or less) we are Cape bound :)
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