34 Year Olds Can Have Temper Tantrums Too! At Least I Have Rock of Ages and Wine

The last couple of weeks have been full of ups and downs.

Down:

Last week I had a full-on, three-year-old-style temper tantrum. I couldn't find my keys. Now typically I put them in the same place...always...to avoid self-induced trauma. But I obviously hadn't done that.

So, instead, I looked in my purse. Now I was pretty sure I could hear them in my purse--jangling to mock me---but couldn't find them.

Meanwhile, one dog was whining, the baby was whining, I hadn't slept because of a cough, I hadn't had nearly enough coffee, and I. Was. On. The. Edge.

So what happened next wasn't really that uncalled for.

I threw down the purse...no wait...I put the baby down...THEN

I threw down the purse, cussed a blue streak, watched all the miscellaneous items explode out of the purse, and sat on the ground in a huff.

Deep breath.

Bug was sweet enough to start handing me lozenges that had been strewn on the floor, and I grabbed a tampon before it made its way into his mouth. One dog cowered, one ate stale Triscuits.

The keys were sitting on the table in front of me. Good to know that Bug will be good at throwing tantrums. He comes by it honestly.

Now the Up:

Wine tastes fabulous in mini, three-inch high plastic cups. (Ignore the blurry picture and check out the cool cups!)

My friend and I scored tickets to Rock of Ages and the pre/post/intermission party thrown by an affiliate of my company. Two hot mommas on the town with no babies and free wine.

Good stuff.

Stuff a Saturday morning hangover is MADE of!

But we had a great time, got to meet the cast and during intermission when our wine hadn't been finished, the bartender was sweet enough to fill up a little three-inch high plastic cup (complete with lid and straw) so we could take it in to the show.

Because nothing says 80's like drinking wine out of a straw, right??

Bet You Haven't Seen Dogs do This

My puppy, Lucy, has a very weird habit. I promise I did not teach her this, nor did anyone else in my family. I have only seen anything like it once while watching some kind of documentary on Africa...

She likes to eat the food between CJ's teeth. (Lucy is 5 months and CJ is 3 years).

Lucy's on top, CJ's teeth are bared to be licked...

And he seems to like it.

Obviously I understand the attraction, for her. There is food in there. For CJ, it is like going to a slobbery dentist.

Now I know there are some animals that live like this. Isn't there a bird that lives by cleaning a hippo's teeth? (I probably didn't watch that Africa documentary all that closely). But it grosses me out.

She could go to town on his mouth for like 15 minutes if I would let her. He lays on his back and she straddles him and nearly puts her mouth into his. Okay now this is sounding sexual...maybe that's the attraction for him?

Ok now even grosser...I'm done thinking about it.

Puppy, Puke and a Cheerleader

As many of you know--my lovely little Toyota, that I bought myself for my 21st birthday, is dead.

So let me tell you what happened...

It all started Saturday morning with Little Lucy throwing up. Now we had been fighting a case of diarrhea with her since the third day we had her. She'd eat, have some diarrhea, we'd make her fast, she'd get just rice to eat, then finally mix in food...then have more diarrhea. Our fat little puppy was no longer fat at all.

Then she threw up inside her cage. And she wouldn't eat.

Bad, very bad. In the world of puppies this could mean a disease called Parvo.

As I found out when I finally got a hold of a vet that was opened on Saturdays. Parvo could be deadly if not treated, they told me, right before they said they could not possibly get us in.

So, in my head I am thinking I have killed my new puppy because I was too cheap and laid-back to get her to the vet at the first signs of diarrhea. I frantically search the web for every vet and vet hospital within a 50 mile radius, my fingers flying on my phone trying to find someone, anyone that could see us on a Saturday.

Thank god for the PetSmart here which has a vet hospital in it. Pretty handy and open 7 days a week!

So you are wondering what this has to do with my car--I'm getting there.

I get off the phone with PetSmart hospital and they say bring her in RIGHT AWAY. No appointment needed. Which leads me to a mad dash into the bedroom to get dressed and tell my sleeping husband we needed to go to the doctor. I had already had 2 hours to work myself into a major tizzy and his slow movements out of bed and into the bathroom were NOT fast enough for me.

So, I run into dining room, put on a shoe, then see Lucy throw up again. At this point Honey comes out of the bathroom to see me trying to hold back Lucy, clean the puke with a giant wad of paper towels while muttering, "Where the hell is my other shoe?"

In between laps of the house where I am searching for my shoe, while wearing one and grabbing my purse, keys, etc, Honey stops me. As I struggle to put my coat on upside down, he asks what the problem is and why I am in such a rush. I yell to him about "Parvo" and "dead puppies" and "hurry" as I run back into the bedroom throw off the one shoe and put on a full new pair still muttering, "Where the hell is my other shoe?"

Finally we are in the car with the dog, and both shoes, headed to PetSmart. Halfway there a little Jetta decided to make a U-turn...without looking...and slammed into us. Honey swerved, we spun, Lucy shook, we avoided a tree, and stopped facing the destroyed Jetta.

And out steps a very upset little high school cheerleader all dolled for a big competition that day. We realize everyone is fine but I start crying anyway because now we can't get to the vet and my puppy IS GOING TO DIE. So Honey gets a car that pulled up to take me to the vet and he dealt with the car. This could be one of the greatest/sweetest/most wonderful things he has ever done. And he even called the insurance companies too! This is why I married him.

Anyway, I am bawling in a stranger's car answering the incessant questions of the 5 year old next to me between sobs, but make it to PetSmart. And...of course...Lucy doesn't have Parvo. I mean, she could have had it, but she doesn't. She's fine and on upset tummy meds. And wanting to eat everything in sight.

My car, on the other hand, is not fine. You can't open the passenger door and there are shards of the Jetta inside the quarter panel. But you should have see the Jetta, her whole front was gone. Makes me love Toyota!

This week we should find out what the next step is but I needed a new car anyway so it may just happen sooner than expected.

And yes I finally found my shoe--on the dining room table.

Dogs and Middle Names

We have officially made the addition of a new little puppy to our family, which is why I am awake early and lucky enough to have time every day devoted to working on my blog. Lucy is a ten week black lab who looks just like CJ did when he was a puppy. In other words, freaking adorable. She does have floppier ears which drag in her water bowl while she drinks...even more adorable.

In talking to my mom, she asked all the good questions a grandmother needs to know about her new grandpuppy. Crate training going well...check, going to the bathroom outside...check, playing well with her new big brother...check, freaking adorable...check, check. But then she asked what Lucy's middle name is and I made a I-don't-have-any-idea face into the phone. I had forgotten about giving her a middle name.

Little Lucy

CJ when we brought him home

I realize we do give dogs a phrase as a name, and I know I'm not the only one. My brother and sister-in-law have Zoe who is really Zoe Bananas. Is Bananas her middle name, I really don't know?? In that case Lucy would be Lucy's middle name because she is know as Little Lucy. But what kind of horrible puppy parent would I be if her first name was Little? What a complex she'd get? And God knows she won't end up being little in the end.

I am in the south now where people have numerous names: Billy Bob, John Ray, Carly Sue...Honey {my hubby who wants to remain nameless} even has friends named Redneck Phil and Uncle Jerry (no relation to Honey or to anyone else). I guess Little Lucy could be her full first name.

So what should her middle name be? Suggestions?

Big Brother teaching Lucy to tug.