a quick pizza puppy tale

I was told by a couple of my readers that they miss my Ace stories.

So here's a little puppy tale for you guys.

I'm still calling Ace a puppy.

He's not quiet 11 months now.

And I have to blame his escapades on puppyhood.

Otherwise, it's just bad training...which would be my fault.

Anyhoo, this escapade involves pizza.

One of the things my family really misses about kzoo is the pizza.

See, there is no cheap pizza around here.

And I'm cheap (there I said it).

When you have four kids who eat a ton, and usually have a friend or two over, who also eat a ton, feeding them pizza can make any wallet cringe.

Needless to say, since we moved here we haven't order pizza very often.

It has become a treat.

At this stage in our household everyone has different work schedules so most nights dinner is usually set out and you eat when you can (if there is any left when you get home).

It was a busy Friday night and everyone was coming and going. The Hubby and I were the first to eat and left to run some errands.

After that the story gets a little hazy.

No one wants to take the blame for being the last one home.

The last one home is supposed to put the food away and put Ace in his kennel.

And somehow that didn't happen.

When the Hubby and I got home we found empty pizza boxes. Some on the floor, some still on the counter. Along with greasy puppy foot prints every where.

And a very guiltily looking Ace.

Everyone was pretty mad. Especially me. I'm usually guaranteed leftovers since none of the kids like mushrooms on their pizza.

Not this time.

Ace was pretty thirsty that night and I grudgingly had to get up a couple times to give him water and let him out.

But what really made me mad was the next morning.

I'm sitting on the couch enjoying my morning cup of coffee when I hear Ace chewing on something.

I look over behind the coffee table and see Ace finishing up a piece of pepperoni and mushroom.

He doesn't notice me watching him because he reaches his nose under the chair and pulls out another piece.

And happily continues his picnic.

After searching the living room I found three separate "stashes" of pizza under chairs and couches. Most of which was the remainder of my pepperoni mushroom pizza.

Well, at least he know how to savor a good pizza.

ps...I just looked on google and saw that mushrooms are toxic to dogs....it's been a couple weeks, he should be okay...right?

where's the delete button on this thing?

I was invited to a lovely garden Bible Study last week.
I was invited by this nice woman that I met at one of the dog parks Ace and I visit.

I was telling Mac about it the other day and she asked me who I went with.
"Kathy" I said.
"Kathy who?" Mac asked.

Blank.
I got nothing.

And adding to my distress, it seems the harder I concentrate on what I'm trying to remember, the father it gets sucked back into the depths of my murky mind.

She told me her last name the day I met her.
She said her last name when she called me.
I heard her last name a dozen or more times that morning while people introduced themselves to each other.

What is it with my memory?

It wouldn't be so frustrating if there was this general forgetfulness for all things.
But what really drives me crazy are the things that I do remember.

Completely useless things.

Like my address and phone number of the house I grew up as a little girl.

Or the word for word conversation of an old high school boyfriend pointing out my "flaws".

Or pretty much every annoying song from the 80's. (and some 70's songs....who needs to know all the words to Copacabana anyways?)

Things that I wish I could just delete.

You know make some room up there for the important stuff.

If anyone out there knows how to do this please let me know.

21 years ago today...

Today is the anniversary of my sisters death.

I'm thinking about her a lot today.

I have some new readers since I wrote this post in October so I thought I would just re-post it.

My sister Alex <--click there

Have a good weekend everyone!

learning from my kids

A friend of mine keeps reminding me that I need to "live in the moment".

See, I'm a bit of a worrier.

I know I shouldn't.

I know it doesn't help anything.

I know it takes away my joy for today.

But I still do it.

I won't even tell you the things I worry about.

It would be too embarrassing.

But I will tell you that most of my worry revolves around my kids.

Obviously.

What mom doesn't.

My kids are healthy and happy right now.

That is huge.

So today I choose to live in the moment.

And not worry about what might (or what I know will) happen tomorrow.

I will enjoy watching them making their own choices.

Having fun.

Living.

Laughing.

Loving.

And maybe I can learn to follow their examples....

why I love Cedar Point

I just got back from my annual trip to Cedar Point.
My brother and I have been going there every year since 1979 (I've only missed a couple times).
We are both roller coaster fans.
Not over the top kind of roller coaster fans~ otherwise we'd probably be going to other parks just to ride different coasters.

Both of us have been to other parks, but there is something that keeps us going back to Cedar Point each year.
For me, other than number of great coasters, it's the sentimental feelings I get from going there (another aspect of my warped sentimentality?...).

Jason and I always have fun reminiscing as we walk around the park.

Remembering the year the Gemini opened. The thrill of that huge wooden coaster. Racing friends in the other car and reaching out over the tracks to slap hands. Laughing at how everyone ducks their raised hands when you go under that one set of tracks that you would never really touch anyways. How we had to wait in line for 3 hours for a coaster that you can now walk right on.

Or the year the Top Thrill Dragster opened.
If you don't know about this coaster, it's called a "Strata Coaster" because it is the first coaster to top 400 feet (420 ft actually), and it has a hydraulic cable launch system that launches riders from 0-120 mph in less than four seconds. It takes you into a 90 degree climb up a hill, twists you 270 degrees and drops you down the other side to hit 120ish miles a hour again. The whole ride last a whopping 17 seconds. Here's a little video of it.




Anyhoo, my brother and I had just entered the park and we were at the base of the ride watching it (it's even fun to watch). The coaster launched and went into it's climb up the hill. As the car climbed the hill you could tell it wasn't going fast enough. It didn't make it to the top of the hill it just hung the on there for a second and started falling backwards. My brother and I both started screaming thinking that we were witnessing some horrific death scene you see in the movies.

We didn't realize the coaster did this sometimes (actually quite a bit the first couple of years that the coaster was getting it's bugs worked out).
But we laugh about the terror we felt that day.

We also like talking about the rides that aren't there anymore. Like that round ride that you stood against the wall and it spun and the floor dropped down and you just hung there.
It had a metal floor and a hose nearby...I have never seen so many people throw up on a ride as that one.
Ah, the memories.

Every year we wonder if the park splurged and bought new uniforms for the kids working there. And every year the answer is 'no'. I think they have had the same hideous blue and red jumpers since 1979. I have never seen an employee that actually looks good in it.

Maybe they make them wear them to cut down on the kids fraternizing with each other.

People watching is always fun at Cedar Point. Every year I think that I have now seen it all, only to be shocked by something new the next year.
Kinda like going to Walmart or the county fair but because of the water rides inside the park there's even less clothes.

A couple other things....the roar of the coaster as it goes by....my once a year treat of an elephant ear....

But my biggest reason for going every year is spending time with my brother.
I can honestly say the thing I look most forward to is hearing him giggle as we go down that first big hill of a coaster.
It's the same giggle as when we were kids.
I actually close my eyes and take it all in and suddenly I'm a preteen again and life is simple and carefree.

another one of those "duh!!" moments with Ace

I admit, I make a lot of stupid mistakes with Ace.

Usually, it's something I decide to do without thinking it through completely.

And most of the time, I have some lovely image in mind of how things are going to go that are completely unrealistic.

Call me naive.

Like the time I thought it would be fun to take Ace to one of Tony's track meets.

I saw a lot of dogs at the first one that I went to.

In my mind I pictured Ace sitting there watching all the kids run around, Tony bringing his friends over to show off his cute dog. A nice, peaceful day sitting on the grass with Ace beside me, instead of him being locked in his kennel while I was away.

Problem is, Boarder Collies are herding dogs by instinct.

There happens to be a lot of kids "running around" at a track meet.

um. yeah.

It was like torture for Ace (and me as I struggled to restrain him).

Duh!

I could give you quite a few other examples, but I won't embarrass myself.

But I will tell you my "duh-moment" this weekend.

There was a dog show in town.

Nae went and saw it the day before and said a lot of people brought their dogs to watch.

I thought it might be fun to bring Ace.

This is what I pictured in my head.

Ace watching the show.

Taking notes.

Thinking to his doggie self~"hey! I bet I could do that!"

then we'd go home and he'd be eager to learn a bunch of new tricks.
(I'm kidding...please tell me you know I'm kidding)

There were lots of cool tricks....like this.

or this (look at the height on this one!)



Instead our time at the show was chaos.

The hubby fighting to hold him back (the picture doesn't do it justice)

I'm pretty sure Ace thought he was going to a new dog park and couldn't figure out why we wouldn't let him off leash so he could go play with the other dogs.

People were starting to look at us funny.

Ace was actually flipping in the air and twisting on his leach as he tried to get over there.

The Hubby did get him to settle for a few minutes and watch.

but this lasted just long enough to take a couple quick pics.

by the end we were all hot, sweaty, and exhausted.

I'll just add it to the list of my duh moments.

yes...I'm that easily manipulated

I'm a little surprised that my two older kids didn't figure it out first.

Nae is pretty smart and Bud has the ability see into the heart of anyone.
But it was Mac who stumbled on my weakness.

She is, after all, my third child who I'm blindly stumbling leading through this jungle called teenager life.

And Mac is especially good at putting on the charm and talking me into doing what she wants.

Let's just say that she "has a way of putting things".

Today she found a whole new way to manipulate me.

The unborn grand kids.

Yep.

Today she teasingly told me if I let her do what she wants I can have extra time with the grand kids.

Mac: "Come on Mom! Let me go PLEASE!!! I'll let you see my kids twice a week."

Me: "What?!!" (I was a little shocked. I had to take a moment to collect myself...I had never thought of tactic before) That's all I get?! How much do I get if I don't let you go?"

Mac: "Once a month."

Me: "What?!! I was planning on living next door to you and seeing them everyday! How could you do this to me?"

Mac: "Ha! yeah right!" (she thinks I'm kidding)

You will all be proud of me. I didn't give in.

I'm holding out for at least four days a week...