Woman’s Best Friend

February 17, 2014February 17, 2014Leave a comment

This bundle of love was my running/walking partner all weekend. The kids have been loving life in Disneyworld between buffet meals, 70 degree weather, animated character greetings, and cool rides. Meanwhile, Rocco and I have been working it out in all this snow. We went for a total of 26 miles together over Saturday and Sunday – a marathon!
I realized how much I absorb when I run with the pup versus when I run alone. With the pup, I have no iPod. I am forced to concentrate on the trees, birds, clouds, yards. I think about writing that letter to my sis I’ve been wanting to write. I consider taking those hip-hop classes I always wanted to try. I smile at the fat robin trying to get her grip on the tiny branch bending to hold her. I am grateful for my folks and the lessons they have taught me. I appreciate all that I have been given and respectful of how fleeting it all is….

And then Rocco finds a stick and I get jerked to the right as he stops dead cold in the snow to chew away at it.

I prod him along and he eventually rips off a small piece of the stick to chew as we carry on. He loves to run ahead of me and I don’t mind it because he makes me keep a pace. However, my dog trainer and hubby continue to razz me about making him heel. What I really enjoy is taking him to the woods by our house. It is about a quarter to half mile loop. I can typically let Rocco off his leash because the only other visitors have dogs who run off-leash as well. I have been training Rocco to heel when I first let him off leash or when we are approaching the bridge and I can’t see who may be up ahead. He’s doing better each day with it. But I love when I finally say “OK” to him and he is able to run free. He runs with such force – like a stallion – and he seems overjoyed with his ears flapping.

And then he stops when he no longer sees me and waits for me to catch up. Such a gentleman. Then he lifts up his leg and pees on new territory. Such a gentleman. I love having a pup back in my life.
Ri and Mario have grown attached to him. Mario loves to wrestle with him and try to grab toys from his mouth. The last thing our trainer would recommend but it’s sweet to watch a boy and his dog play so hard (plus, Mario and Rocco get worn out, which is a blessing). Ri just loves to cuddle with him which is fairly hard to do because he is a bit of a loner when he decides to rest. But he has warmed up to Ri and often gives her kisses our of the blue.
I hope this little bundle of fur is able to see the kids off to college. I certainly don’t think we’ll have any trouble keeping him in shape after our runs this weekend.

Cone dog

January 10, 2014Leave a comment

Our poor cone-head pup. Ri, Mario and I picked him up on Monday afternoon in the freezing cold weather (the kids were off school due to wind temperatures below zero) and we all “ohhhhed and ahhhhed” over him when they brought him to us. He was pretty out of it from being sedated and the kids were able to hug all over him without him being disturbed. Maria held him against her in the backseat and Mario rubbed his back. Rocco was trembling and the kids kept demanding that I go faster.
When we tried to get him out of the car, he refused to budge. I had to scoop him up in my arms and carry him into the house. Ri and Mario got a kick out of that. As soon as we stepped inside, the kids ran upstairs and got blankets for Rocco. I sat him in the family room and they covered him up. They reached in the cone and rubbed his ears. They told him they loved him. Every time any of us moved away from him, he whined. So, we took turns sitting with him. This was easy for the kids because they got to chill on their iPads.

In the evening, we played crazy eights. I kept jumping up from the table to console Rocco who continued to whine. We finally all got up and went in the family room to be with him. He placed his head on the carpet and let us rub all over him. “He loves us!” Mario announced happily.
The next day he was up and walking around like nothing happened, except he couldn’t quite understand why he had to wear a cone. He was a bit more use to it but he continued to run into his cage and the walls, which continued to crack up the kids.

We got eight more days with this cone. I can’t wait until it comes off, and I know Rocco can’t either. The kids kinda dig it though….

Back at it again

September 8, 2013September 8, 2013Leave a comment

We got our new puppy Friday night! Jon decided on a breeder six hours away in Bad Axe, Michigan. We’ve spent the last month trying to determine whether we want a female or male. We opted for a male because we had good luck with Cy and the majority of the last twenty sights I viewed opined that male labs were better than females. Then we spent days trying to decide whether to get a light one or darker one. Pathetic. By the time Jon went to get him on Friday afternoon, I gladly turned the choice over to him.

He Face Timed me for a few minutes when he got there so I saw the yellow one and the white one. They were both adorable, of course. Jon spent an hour running around with them before he chose our honey boy.

He was the most mellow of the group; he didn’t bark a lot and was just playful enough. He whimpered just a tiny bit on the way home for Jon. The kids and I waited anxiously on the front lawn waiting for the newest member of our clan. We rushed the truck when Jon pulled up. He opened the back door and there was this little chunk-a-lunk pumpkin seed boy curled up in his kennel. I did not expect him to be so small but I also didn’t realize he was only 7 weeks old. He flopped around in the grass and allowed all of us to pet his belly and rub him all over. His eyes are little almonds and his puppy fur slightly hangs over them. He’s got a honey waxy coat with patches of light streaked throughout his tiny body. He’s got the shiniest black pads on his paws and when he lays down on his belly and spreads out his legs, we all melt. In sum, he’s gorgeous….
And he’s tiring. I stayed up with him all night just like I did with the kids when they were newborns. I went to sleep at midnight. He whined a bit and I of course stayed up to surf the net about crate training. I fell asleep only to be awoken at 1:30 to more whining. I waited until he stopped and then I got him out of his crate to go outside. He peed and I was ecstatic (just like I used to get when Ri and Mario burped – what a life!). I crated him immediately and heard nothing. Alleluia. I went upstairs and checked on the crew who were all sleeping soundly. I woke Jon and he told me to just go to bed. But I was awake because I heard him whimpering. I went downstairs and laid on the couch waiting for him to stop. He finally stopped about fifteen minutes later. I woke him at 4 am and took him out again and he pooped. And pooped. And dragged his butt on the ground. And dragged it again. I’ve had too many dogs to not know that’s a sign for the dreaded worms. Sure enough, I walked back in with him at 4:15 and lifted up his tail and a little white worm was waving at me. I was at once disgusted and validated.
I went upstairs to tell Jon who was anything but caring at 4:15 am, and laid in bed beside him hoping worms weren’t lethal (knowing very well they weren’t but having nothing more to fret about).

The kids woke at 6:15 ready to see their pup. We took him outside as the sun was slowly rising and watched him do his business. The kids tumbled around with him and held him like a baby. They are already seriously hooked. Jon and I met eyes and didn’t have to speak. It’s happening all over again. Interrupted nights, early mornings, constant pee breaks… just when we had the kids potty trained and fairly independent we turn back the clock. But it’s all worth it.

Skippin’ Football Sunday

January 9, 2012Leave a comment

The family woke up on Saturday and got working on cleaning our rooms. It caused much heartburn in Maria on Saturday night – she worried that she would be bored cleaning her room. “How can I make it fun, mom?”

“I used to listen to music and dance around my room while I cleaned,” I told her.

A while later, she headed to her room to go to bed. Jon and I were sitting downstairs when we heard Justin Bieber’s voice coming from upstairs. A few minutes later we heard crying. Jon went upstairs to see what was wrong. Maria stood in her room with tears down her cheeks and told Jon “I am trying what mom told me to do but it isn’t working. I am still not having fun.” Poor thing….

That is why when we woke up on Sunday morning, I jumped out of bed and made cleaning fun! I smiled and laughed and skipped around as I helped Maria pick up her room. Mario jumped right in, too, picking up barbies and folding clothes. Maria picked up a book here or there, made her bed and then moved on to getting dressed. She is going to be one that takes two hours to clean her room on Saturday morning. When we moved to Mario’s room, he lost interest in cleaning. He was more concerned about jumping off his loft bed and doing kick stands around his room. Maria helped me check the clothes on his floor to determine whether they were too little for him anymore and if they were dirty. He somehow still does not understand where the laundry basket is located.

Maria and Alana outside of the hospital with the flying pig

After cleaning, we got ready for the day. Jon scooped up Mario under his wing, and headed to Dover, Ohio to visit Big Mario and Vicki for a day of pasta and wrestling. I scooped up the Maria and Alana and headed to Cincinnati to visit my grandma in the hospital and to play at Aunt Julie’s house. We listened to Big Time Rush for most of the ride and then colored pictures for grandma. The kids were anxious to see grandma – I think they were more anxious to see “sick” people and the devices and instrumentalities of the hospital. Neither of them remember a hospital. They peered at the people in the hall and in the beds entranced by the fragility of life. When they got to grandma’s room, they greeted her skeptically not quite sure if they should get near her. As time went on, they got better at engaging with her eventually singing Christmas songs to her and talking to her about school. Alana must have sung her 10 religious songs that she learned in Catholic school. When Grandma asked Maria to sing a song, Maria belted out Jingle Bells! My grandma looked at me and said “you need to get Maria in Sunday school.”

After grandma’s, I took the girls to a delicious bagel shop in Blue Ash. I grew up on these bagels and cream cheese. They are fabulous. We got toasted bagels with a load of cream cheese and sat at the bar. Heaven. Next, we headed to Julie’s to see her dogs and visit Grandma Lolo. The girls LOVE to walk Julie’s dogs because they are just right for them. Both are maybe 25 pounds and do not pull on their leashes. They allow the girls to drag them anywhere. A win-win situation for all.

I went back to the hospital to be with grandma. We had a pleasant conversation about her friends, card parties, and needing solitude. Us Menkedick brood all have that solitude gene in common – we need alone time to be our best. We picked it up from grandma, I learned. When I returned to Julie’s house, the girls were downstairs listening to records on a Fisher Price record player. Yes, records! Maria was amazed at the looks of the record player, laughing at how I used to have to listen to music on such an antiquated device!

We hopped in the car to head back to Columbus. Alana’s parents are much more strict than Jon and I and wanted Alana home by 7:30 since it was a school night. We raced up I-71 in order to hit McDonald’s Playland for ten minutes (it has become a staple with each Cincy trip). We got Alana home 1 minute late and proceeded to Orange Leaf for a frozen yogurt treat before bed.

Mario walking up the long hill.

The boys met up with us at the house – they were exhausted from four-wheeling and wrestling all day. Little Mario also decided that he was old enough to walk up the long hill from Mario’s shop to Mario’s house all by himself. He got tired of waiting for Jon to finish his conversation with Big Mario and informed Jon that he was big enough to take the trek himself. Jon agreed, not sure if he would make it or not. But that boy has determination and will when he needs it and he made it.

We all gave each other kisses hello, got in our pjs and headed to our beds – no time to watch football on this jam-packed Sunday….

What did we used to talk about?!

January 8, 2012Leave a comment

My girlfriends and our talking points!

I drove down to Cincy today to take care of my grandma. On the way down, I got the chance to make all of my phone calls that I usually never have time to make. I called my girlfriends in Cincy and my former colleague at the law firm. The conversations all went something like this:

“How was your holiday”?

“Great, INSERT KID’S NAME was so cute. He unwrapped his presents and had a big smile on his face. He’s been starting to talk. Do you think he should be talking more? He hasn’t learned how to go to the bathroom yet. Do you think I should be potty training him yet?…

Before kids, the conversations would have went something like this:

“How was your holiday?”

“Great. I went out dancing. Remember that dance club we went to last week? Saw that cute guy there, too. I hit that running trail that we love. It was so nice to get a ten mile run in and then hit the sauna….”

Why is it that once we have kids, they are all, or at least a majority, of what we talk about? I am positive that I had a full life before M&M but the way that I talk, you would never know. Dance club? More like Kids Club anymore. Workout class. More like Toddler Gymnastics class. The Onion wasn’t too far off when it parodied this dilemma. It has become a game for me and my girlfriends now. As soon as we notice that we are talking only about the kids, we struggle to find at least one other topic to discuss. It’s just that a majority of our lives are spent with these little munchballs so a majority of our conversation turns toward them. But I do feel bad for the poor souls who don’t have kids and have to hear us drone on about our little darlings. Even though I must say that those other poor souls without children tend to spend a majority of their time talking about their dogs….

Gobble Gobble

November 27, 2011November 27, 20111 Comment

Showing off Sarah's mac-n-cheese

We successfully hosted the first Thanksgiving in our new abode. No injuries, no serious screaming and only one dish of slightly burnt food. Even the diverse family members homogenized and got along great. Most of the family consisted of Jon’s side: his mom, dad, three brothers, their wives and kids. My mom and sis showed up to represent the Heile/Menkedick side. Jon woke up at 6:45 am to start the turkeys with his brother who drove over from Hilliard at 7 am (we can’t have any meal without Patrick’s input – he is a master chef). They grilled one turkey and smoked the other. Maria woke up exclaiming “I can’t believe Thanksgiving is finally here!” The day may have been better than Christmas for her – she loves having the family over and entertaining. She proudly showed off her place mats that she slaved over for the three weeks prior to Thanksgiving day (Megan, her sitter, and I prodded her more than a few times but she did a first-rate job on them and everyone enjoyed having a handmade mat in front of them).

My sis, Sarah, came over at 8 am in order for us to get in our Turkey Day run. We had contemplated running in the UA Turkey Race but decided that we may be pushing our luck trying to cook and run a race that started so late (9:15 am). Besides, 5 miles is wimpy – we went for about 8. We tore through the hills of Grandview and ran through donwtown back to our home. Sarah’s dogs kept us at a clip of a pace – they are like Iditarod dogs running through the tundra – they never stop! Little Sarah, all 95 pounds of her – held onto “the reins” the entire run. When the pups spotted a squirrel, they darted and pulled so hard on Sarah that she had to buckle down into a squat position and yank them back with all of her might. It is quite a sight to see this petite sister of mine take complete control of two dogs. She may be under 100 pounds but she is mighty.

A walk to the railroad tracks

When I arrived home, Maria and Mario were ready for everyone to arrive anxiously pacing around the house asking “how much longer?” Finally, Alana and Giovanni arrived and the screaming and insanity began (relegated to the basement, which continues to be such a godsend!). The kids had the basement destroyed in less than 15 minutes. A good reason for me to take a break and walk them down to the woods. I was getting antsy anyway because it was so gorgeous outside and I had been indoors preparing for the feast. “Anyone want to take a walk?” All of the kids jumped up and grabbed their shoes and coats. We walked down the road to the railroad tracks that are hidden behind a row of trees and bushes off the road. Is there any more fun than playing on the railroad tracks on a beautiful November day? The boys threw rocks into the trees and the girls danced around on the wood slats (on the outside of the track!). We thought we heard a train whistle at one point but it was merely wishful dreaming. The kids’ eyes popped out at the thought of seeing a train whiz by. Gio made me promise I would run back down with him if we heard the whistle at the house, and sure enough we heard it right when dinner was starting. Next time, Gio. Maria and Alana sang songs on the way back and Mario and Gio acted like “old men” by leaning on their sticks and hobbling up the hill.

When we got home, Maria and Alana begged for me to keep the boys out of Maria’s room so they could play barbies in peace. Mario refused to budge until I told him that the girls would beg to come to his room because of all of the cool toys he had so he better run in to it with Gio and keep those girls out. Maria and Alana caught on to my plan quickly and started to beg to come in Mario’s room. Mario and Gio slammed the door and refused to allow them in the room. The plan worked.

Meanwhile, the adults got to chat downstairs without children nagging at their ankles. Actually, I should clarify: Jon and I got to chat with out kids at our ankles. Patrick and Carrie have Alana and Gio pretty well-trained and Jon’s other brothers’ kids are grown. I was so bummed when I took the tablecloths out of the plastic and they were really wrinkled. If you buy new tablecloths they should be wrinkle-free – that is what you are buying, too, isn’t it? And what is the trick to getting those wrinkles out? I spent 20 minutes with the iron on them and still didn’t make much of a dent. But with the place mats and plates and silver on the table, you could barely tell. I had bought orange gerber daisies and purple flowers at the market the day before and they bursted out in the dining room against the brown walls.

Ready for seconds

We made enough food for a small army, as always. Thirty pounds of turkey, regular and oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes, chipotle mac-n-cheese, rolls, creamed corn casserole, gravy, and fruit salad. Sarah’s mac-n-cheese dishes were a nice touch and Patty’s creamed corn casserole is always to die for. I had dreamed of all of the food being laid out on the tables, everyone sitting down, and a beautiful grace being said by me. Maybe the dream will happen next year. THere were too many dishes to put them out on the tables, and it would have been a form of torture to make the first people in line wait for the last since it took about 15 minutes for everyone to get through (you know how that is “Oh, what are these? How did you make them? They look great!” all the while holding up the line!). Patty did give an impromptu grace while we stood in line giving thanks for family – those with us and those who have passed – and appreciating the day we had together. It was short but beautiful. Patty and I are a lot alike in our love for family connection and every hour or so that day we would knock elbows and smile happy with the way the day was going.

Maria and Alana with their drawing "If It's Too Loud, You Are Too Old!"

Within twenty minutes of putting my plate down to eat, I had to unbutton my jeans and stretch my arms. Always a true sign of a good meal. Maria loved the creamed corn casserole and the turkey. Mario liked nothing and opted for an oreo yogurt. Jon loved the creamed corn casserole, too. I loved everything – seriously, I can’t pick a favorite. I love all of the side dishes mixed together with the turkey. Heaven. When Mario was finished, he asked to be excused instead of stating “I am done.” The family was quite impressed, as was I! He informed me later that the school teachers make him ask to be excused because it is a more polite way of saying “I am done.” Thank god the school teaches him some manners!

After dinner, Maria and Alana acted like vampires pulling naive aunts and cousins upstairs to the attic to “take a bite” out of them. Josh and I were one of the firsts who got a “bite” in the hand from the vampire girls. They had a hoot with that game for a while. Then they chased after Peter for quite some time – poor Peter, our 17 year-old cousin who was “one of the kids” for so long that now even though he is grown, he is the honorary playmate. We really need to slip him some cash next holiday.

Getting ready for dessert and celebrating Patty's and Alana's b-days!

The desserts enticed even the most full of us. Pumpkin, pecan, cherry and peanut butter/chocolate pies with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. With all of that, the kids played a game of who could spray the most whipped cream down their throats. It took us nearly an hour and a half to wash dishes – definitely the most obnoxious activity that you have to perform after a big meal like Thanksgiving but at least it gets you on your feet. Sarah ran over to get her pups when it got dark out and brought them back over for an early evening walk. We had hoped for a relaxing, serene walk around the block but a mad dash of kids flew out the door and we spent the entire walk trying to ensure that they remained together and didn’t cross the street and held their voices down (yeah, right). As rowdy as they are, I love seeing all of the cousins together having a good time. The older ones take care of the younger ones and the younger ones love the attention.

When we arrived home, we began the pack-up,stuffing leftovers into plastic bins and sliding pie slices onto paper plates. I tried to get rid of all of it but somehow ended up with my favorites – pecan and cherry – sitting in the fridge. How is it that one minute I can be stuffed silly and within an hour, I am ready for another slice of pie? Life is cruel that way. When the last of the family members walked out the door, Maria looked at me with the saddest little face. “I want Thanksgiving back. Why do good days have to end?” “I agree, Maria. But instead of being sad, we should be so grateful to have such a warm, loving, fun family.” She still looked sad so I took her to the second step of our stairs and sat her down next to me. She leaned her head on me looking out the door. I held the moment and told her that the second step was our resting place – a place that she could take me to talk about anything she wanted to talk to me about. I imagined her at age 16 with all of the teenage woes a girl faces. I told her that I want her to always feel she can tell me anything. She looked at me and said “I know I can, mom.” Please, Lord, let her continue to think that way.

We swept up the remaining scraps from the dining room and living room but left the food that had been dug into the floors by random feet stepping on them. Those would have to be wiped up on Black Friday; we were not heading out to the shopping mall so we had all day. Of course, we chose to ignore all that mess one more day and head down to Cincy on Black Friday to visit our aunts and cousins. A little procrastination never hurt anyone!

The city mice head to the country

September 1, 2011September 1, 2011Leave a comment

The kids and I traveled out to Noble County last weekend to see Mama Meg and Peepaw and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jorge. And just as importantly, Stella, Mona and Rosie (the pups). We jammed the last twenty minutes of the ride to Uncle Jack’s Alpine Ghost CD. The kids love the first two songs of the CD because they are fast-paced and provide a beat that is easy to dance to wherever you are (car, bedroom, back yard). Both of the kids break into dance while listening to the tunes but in completely different fashions. Maria dances around like a nymph and Mario bangs his head and pumps his fists.

As we drove up the gravel drive to the farm-house, we all sang loudly out of our windows to alert the crew that we had arrived. The dogs took care of our arrival, also, by barking incessantly until we stopped the car and got out to acknowledge their presence. They could not withhold their excitement; they knew that the kids would beg to get them out of their pen so they could play with them. Little munchkin saviors. And sure enough, within ten minutes of arrival, Mario was tossing a ball to Stella and Maria was trying to get Mona to do tricks for treats. When Mona failed to adhere to Maria’s commands (she has only one leader – Aunt Sarah), Maria headed to the chicken pen. She tried like mad to hold a chicken but they were in no mood to be touched. She has the trick down – approach them quietly and calmly – but they still sense her presence and flee. There is one female that loves Peepaw and Maria keeps her hopes up that if she stands around Peepaw long enough while he holds her, she will fall in love with Maria, too.

We took a hike up to the swing a while later. It still floors me after three years that my folks live on a farm with 40+ acres of land. We can go out there whenever we want and hike through the woods looking at flowers and trees and mushrooms and caterpillars. We can skim through the creek streaming alongside the trail and admire the slate soaking up the sunshine through the leaves. We can study the circles on a fallen old oak tree to see how old it is and we can find all sorts of acorns and sticks to carry. I love that the kids get this experience growing up. I am a pure city girl so when I head into the woods with the kids, I feel like one, too. I get excited at seeing a caterpillar on a tree limb or a big white-capped mushroom alone in a pile of clovers.

After the hike, we ate a yummy wholesome meal and then visited the horses. Taz and Sabe. They are the most regal of creatures but I am still rather frightened of them. I remember being eight or nine and being scared to death to ride on one by myself. I still harbor that fear today when I saddle up. I get nervous thinking about Taz trotting away. But not Maria or Mario. They saddle up on Taz and ride her around the ring like it is their business. Mama Meg asks if they want to trot and there is no hesitancy: “YES” they reply. What a treat for a six and three and year old. The experience of riding and grooming and loving a horse – that has got to instill some seriously awesome life-long skills and lessons, doesn’t it?! Seriously, I do feel like it raises their confidence and may push them to take on opportunities and challenges that they face as they get older. Riding a horse is no easy task but they have always had the encouragement and patience of Mama Meg and Peepaw and now it is a rather easy task for them.

We got to start a fire in the evening and make some yummy s’mores. I could never tire of burnt marshmallows and chocolate and graham crackers. Maria and I were going to town on the marshmallows while Mario “roasted” graham crackers. The little guy found some way to actually get the spears of the tongs in the cracker without breaking it. What a freak. After we stuffed ourselves on those little sandwiches or goodness, the kids and I went down to our tent to call it a night. Maria and Mario were adamant that they were going to sleep outside alone, especially Maria. But within five minutes of wrapping herself in the sleeping bag in the tent, she allegedly got leg cramps and wanted to come inside. Dad went outside with Mario and I rubbed Maria’s legs. Within five minutes fo that, Mario wanted to come in to be near me. He begged me to sleep with him outside so dad and I switched roles. I am learning that it is much harder to sleep on the ground than it used to be ten years ago. I was hurting and at about 1 am, I decided that it was time for Mario and me to hit the bed in the house. I scooped him up while trying to hold the two pillows and flashlight and waddled up to the bed on the second floor of the house. He was out cold. I was not. I could not get back to sleep for some crazy reason.

Morning came and I heard tiny little voices. Mario was asking Mama Meg if they could see Duke’s grave (their dog that died). Maria was talking about something I could not understand. I looked out the window at the meadow and at the morning sky and I felt happy as if everything was perfect for those few seconds. Life was good and there was much for which to be grateful. I breathed in that moment and remember it still. I promised myself I would try not to forget it because it is a helpful talisman during those days of chaos and stress. We packed up later in the morning but only after two rides on the bulldozer and backhoe from a neighbor who had them at the farm in order to build a riding ring for Meg-pie. The kids were in heaven sitting in those big ol’ machines and moving gravel all over the place.

We headed back to the house and gave kisses and hugs to Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jorge and Mama Meg and Peepaw. We showered the dogs with treats and love. We waved good-bye to the chickens and horses. And we headed back down the country roads towards our city home packed full of country goodness.

"MOM!"

Adventures in the Life of a Working Mama

Tag: Dogs