Anyone who knows me is probably a little confused right now. I have a reputation for not being an animal person. I do like animals, a lot! I think its more that I just don't gush over anything, dogs, babies, the newest, cutest YouTube video. I am low key. Geoff has been itching for a dog for years. Owen is a little nervous about dogs, but excited and Noah would love a wrestling companion. I started thinking I would like a running and walking partner (besides my lovely sister, Andrea!). So, we have started a quest for a dog.
I think a dog would be great for Noah. A large study done in Great Britain (http://bit.ly/vI9Pny) demonstrated that dogs can help children with Autism with their social skills, self-care skills, provide comfort and reduce stress and anxiety. Well, I'd say we could all use a little of that! Noah would also love all the tactile sensation of petting a dog. I have visions of the perfect "Nana", the dog/nanny in Peter Pan who lovingly cared for Wendy, John and Micheal.
We saw a cute one on the Oregon Humane Society website and took the long drive out to the pet shelter to meet him. Going there is a little like going to the Olive Garden, you check in and they give you a beeper and beep you when your dog is ready. While waiting for our dog I was walking Noah around. Noah started running. Too late, I noticed a man kneeling down looking at leashes. Side note about Noah, he loves men and he loves when they are crouched down because then he can dive on them. I knew I wasn't going to get to Noah before he reached the guy. So, I started calling out pre-emptive "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again. Noah dives on the guy's back and nearly knocks him into the leashes. I issue one more apology while I scoop up my kid and thankfully our beeper was going and we were ushered to our room to meet our potential doggy friend.
In comes Oscar. He is an 18 month old beautiful black lab. The handler with him is giving us all sorts of information that wasn't on the website. The handler is saying that he is "mouthy" and likes to give "bear hugs". While I am kneeling down petting him, I am instructed not to look at Oscar in the face because he will take it as a "challenge". This is so not the charming guy we saw on the website. The handler also keeps emphasizing that Oscar is being abnormally good with us right now. So, I have to say to her that he is beautiful but maybe not a good fit with the kids. What I am thinking is "no to psycho Oscar". She seems relieved to tell me that she "110% agrees".
We walk around to look at the other dogs held there. We saw a cute little Dauschaund. I have a fondness for these little guys because my Grammy had one when I was little. This guy hated Noah. Every time Noah ran by his cage he barked and growled. We visited with two more dogs. But didn't find our perfect boy or girl today. We are going to take our time to find a good match for our family. My "Nana" is out there somewhere!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Adventure #14: Get the Hunt Family Christmas Tree!
Every year we drive out to the country to cut our own tree down. This involves a long drive in fog that wasn't there when we left the house but is now so heavy I am worried we are going to drive off the road. Each Christmas tree farm just doesn't "feel right" to Geoff, so we pass countless ones until he finally settles on the farm that has whatever magical combination of attributes he needs. Mine just need trees for sale, I still have no idea what he requires of his. We all get out of the car and find ourselves ankle deep in mud. Noah refuses to walk because the ground is uneven and its cold. So I carry my 50 pound child while we troop around the farm.
Just like Geoff requires some unknown formula to stop at the "perfect" Christmas tree farm, there is also some combination to create the "perfect" tree. As my hands are falling asleep and my back is killing me hauling Noah around we look at trees. We find countless ones that seem great to me. But somehow they just aren't "right" to Geoff. We continue with him pointing out trees, me saying, "let's get it", and him deciding its just not "quite right". We keep looking as I am getting more short tempered by the moment. Finally, after a good 20 minutes the tree is selected. Oh, the joy of a U-Cut, Geoff realizes he is going to have to lay in the mud to saw down the tree.
Once we get the tree to our car we are forced to acknowledge that it will not fit in the back of our small SUV. Even if we had remembered to remove Noah's push car before we left the house. Another 20 minutes pass us by while Geoff wrestles the tree onto the roof. After many swears and some cut up hands, we are ready to take the treacherous foggy path back home.
Once home the real battle begins. Our standard operating procedure is Geoff trying to screw the tree into the stand while I hold it steady. Geoff lays under the tree while critiquing my holding of the tree. He likes to argue that the tree isn't straight. At this point my holly jolly holiday mood is gone replaced by something much crabbier. I have to say (yell), "HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE TREE IS STRAIGHT!? YOU ARE LAYING UNDER IT!" After far too long we have the tree up. At this point decorating the tree while listening to carols and sipping hot cocoa is far from my mind.
I had been thinking maybe it would be OK to let go of the Christmas tree farm experience. Last year after the tree collapsed on me and I was stuck until Geoff got home from the store. I decided I really am done with the tree farm experience. Honestly it is a hassle we don't enjoy.
This year we packed the kids into the car to get our tree. We drove 5 minutes on a blissfully fog-free street to our local Target. Putting Noah in the cart we strolled through the store and browsed the ornaments. We looked at their lovely assortment of trees while we were warm and I wasn't holding a heavy child. Picked out our tree, conveniently boxed small enough to fit in our car even though we again didn't remember to remove Noah's push car from our car. It is also light enough for Owen to carry it. Erecting the tree took 10 argument-free minutes. Forever I have fought the artificial tree. But I am now a convert.
Just like Geoff requires some unknown formula to stop at the "perfect" Christmas tree farm, there is also some combination to create the "perfect" tree. As my hands are falling asleep and my back is killing me hauling Noah around we look at trees. We find countless ones that seem great to me. But somehow they just aren't "right" to Geoff. We continue with him pointing out trees, me saying, "let's get it", and him deciding its just not "quite right". We keep looking as I am getting more short tempered by the moment. Finally, after a good 20 minutes the tree is selected. Oh, the joy of a U-Cut, Geoff realizes he is going to have to lay in the mud to saw down the tree.
Once we get the tree to our car we are forced to acknowledge that it will not fit in the back of our small SUV. Even if we had remembered to remove Noah's push car before we left the house. Another 20 minutes pass us by while Geoff wrestles the tree onto the roof. After many swears and some cut up hands, we are ready to take the treacherous foggy path back home.
Once home the real battle begins. Our standard operating procedure is Geoff trying to screw the tree into the stand while I hold it steady. Geoff lays under the tree while critiquing my holding of the tree. He likes to argue that the tree isn't straight. At this point my holly jolly holiday mood is gone replaced by something much crabbier. I have to say (yell), "HOW CAN YOU TELL IF THE TREE IS STRAIGHT!? YOU ARE LAYING UNDER IT!" After far too long we have the tree up. At this point decorating the tree while listening to carols and sipping hot cocoa is far from my mind.
I had been thinking maybe it would be OK to let go of the Christmas tree farm experience. Last year after the tree collapsed on me and I was stuck until Geoff got home from the store. I decided I really am done with the tree farm experience. Honestly it is a hassle we don't enjoy.
This year we packed the kids into the car to get our tree. We drove 5 minutes on a blissfully fog-free street to our local Target. Putting Noah in the cart we strolled through the store and browsed the ornaments. We looked at their lovely assortment of trees while we were warm and I wasn't holding a heavy child. Picked out our tree, conveniently boxed small enough to fit in our car even though we again didn't remember to remove Noah's push car from our car. It is also light enough for Owen to carry it. Erecting the tree took 10 argument-free minutes. Forever I have fought the artificial tree. But I am now a convert.
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