Our Weekend

Our weekend started out nice enough, we met friends downtown at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, and then went to the theater to see the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company perform. At first Y didn't want to go, but I told him we would be seeing our friends, so he said, "Okay - if I play computer extra hour today!" Mr Negotiator. Even Y enjoyed it, once he saw how athletic the men were. Several of them did five or more minutes at a time of very intense Russian style men's dancing (where they squat down and kick out their legs) and one man did 10 'no hands' cartwheels in a row. When I looked at Y, he said, "Mama, I no can!" Afterward, we went back to the HRC for dessert and cokes. Y and I got home at about 12:30am, so I called work to ask for two hours sick leave in the morning. Believe me, the extra sleep was well worth it.

Bill was not at home when we arrived, and almost all of his clothes were gone, too. So, I locked all the doors and went to bed, and Y went to play some video games before sleeping. A little after 3am the dogs started woofing loudly. I assumed it was just a deer, but five minutes later the doorbell was ringing and ringing and ringing. Within five seconds all four dogs were in front of the door howling their happy little heads off, Y came running out of his room alarmed, "Mama, what is it?," and I woke up and went down to find Bill at the door. He apologized for waking me up, but it seems he had moved into the rent house with his friend, and then they proceeded to argue. His friend went out, and came back "drunk," according to Bill, and threatened him. Bill thought it would be better to come back to this house than risk getting into something involving the police. Saturday, Bill went back to the other house, his friend apologized, but Bill told him to have his stuff moved out in two weeks. Seems Bill can't live with anyone right now. I don't know what the guy said to him, but he's Bill's only good friend. Or, at least he was. Who knows now.

Bill left again on Saturday, but not until we had discussed what things he would be taking with him. He told me he wanted to take the TV in the living room, and the Dish box, too. I asked if he could leave them here until Sunday because Y's friends C & C were coming over to stay the night before going to the game on Sunday. He said he could wait. Now I have to get the old TV fixed. Hopefully it won't be more than the cost of a new TV.

Saturday right after work, I went over to pick up Y's friends, but only one of the C's decided to come stay the night. I met their mom, she seems very likable; and I told her that I would be back about 10am the next morning to pick up the other C. God bless her, she's got 15yr old twin boys (identical) and a 12yr old boy. I got Y and C settled into his room, and then told them I was going to get the holy grail for teenage boys - pizza and energy drinks. They were going to have a contest to see who could stay up the latest. Y won, C was down for the count just after 3am. I called work, again, at 1am or so and told a little white lie - my son was ill so I could not come in for my scheduled OT Sunday morning. They were okay with that explanation. Well, I'm not sure if they'd call having a contest to see who could stay up all night mentally ill or not, but I figured it was close enough to qualify. Plus, the Texans game began two hours before my shift would be over. Turns out, C got a bit of a fever over night, so his mom came early the next morning to pick him up. The other C didn't feel well, either, so just Y and I went to the game. His beloved Raiders were playing. Unfortunately, he had to learn the hard way that they're not really a very good team right now.

Funny thing, when we finally got up to the level where our seats are, Y saw someone going the other way with an "Icee." So, we went looking to see where they got it. When Y pointed it out to me, he was pointing directly at the margarita machine. Boy was he disappointed when I told him no way was I buying him one. And I wasn't buying one for me so that he could taste it, either.

After over two hours there, Y was anxious to go home, so we headed out about 2:30pm. Y's plan was to go over to C & C's house to visit for a couple of hours. He was so tired, he laid down in the back seat and slept for the hour + ride home. As soon as we arrived, he let Michael out of his bed and outside, then quickly got in his own bed for "15 minutes, Mama, then go C's." (We went home first because C had forgotten his PlayStation controllers at our house.) Thirty minutes later, he decided to stay home and sleep with Michael. So, I traveled by myself. After I got there, I got to talking to their mom, and happened to mention about Bill and how I needed to get home and find child care for Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. She asked what time I got home from work, so I told her midnight - 1am on Tuesdays and 10pm on Wednesdays. Then she offered to pick Y up from school (she picks up her youngest son from the 6th grade campus right next door) and let him stay with them those two nights. She'll also drop him off at school on Wednesday and Thursday morning as well. She even offered to take Y back to our house each day to pick up new clothes and say hi to his puppy before going to their house. Wow! I'm not sure if she'll be able to do this for the whole month, but that is a huge weight off my shoulders this week alone. Now all I have to work on is getting a 7am shift on Thursday. Even as it stands, I have an 11a-7p shift which means Y would be home several hours by himself Thursday and I would have to find a way to get him to acrobatics at 6:30pm. He could ride his bike if it doesn't rain, and then I pick him up afterward, but maybe I can ask our neighbors to pick him up. Hopefully, I'll just get a 7am shift.

I went to Subway to get sandwiches on the way home, and by the time I got back, Y was awake and playing his video game; although he looked a little like a zombie! It wasn't until I came downstairs to eat my sandwich and read the paper that I noticed something rectangular, black, small and electronic was missing from the living room. Bill took the Dish receiver, but left the TV because it was raining. You don't want to know what names I called him when I realized I would not be able to watch the Steelers game on the big TV. It took me almost an hour online to find a site that would let me watch the game for free on my MacBook. The picture is horrible, just like watching on a regular, non-HD TV, but at least I can watch the game. I will be calling to get the other TV fixed tomorrow and I will also call Dish to get another receiver out here and hooked up ASAP. Mama is addicted to certain TV programs, like Dexter and Bones. Darn, I'm gonna have to find Dexter online as soon as the game is over with.

Oh, when I talked to Bill, he wanted to know how long this separation was going to last. I told him that depended on him. He still hasn't done anything other than attend one anger management class (or at least he's not telling me anything).

Natalie

TX

ISS

For those of you unfamiliar, that means In School Suspension. Yep, Y got one of those today. Seems at breakfast this morning (he eats at school because the bus picks him up at 6am and they get to school more than 30 minutes before classes start), there was a kid either kicking him or kicking the table. He told the boy to stop doing it three times. The boy continued, so Y got up and pushed the boy's head to the table, causing him to have a bloody lip. Luckily, the other boy's parents said they were satisfied with how the school handled the situation.

The principal called me at about 10am (why it took almost three hours, I'll never know) on my cell phone. He had tried calling the house, but no answer. I told him that maybe Y was acting out because of the situation at home, and that we would contact our therapist and deal with it that way as well. I immediately left a message for our therapist. She called back while I was working to tell me that we needed to have that session with Y sooner rather than later. She was not surprised that he acted out this way at all. So, on my next break I called our translator and luckily both she and the therapist were able to meet with us early this afternoon. I had to take 3 hours off of work and get Y out of school 90 minutes early, but I felt it was necessary. I called Bill on my way to get Y, and learned that yes, he was still at home; yes, he had heard the phone call from the school but he didn't listen to the message; no, he didn't think there was anything wrong with that! I'm sorry, but I knew as soon as I saw the school number come up on my cell phone that either Y was hurt/sick and needed to come home, or he was involved in an 'incident.'

You have never seen a boy so happy to be going home early. Even when I told him we were going to therapy, he was happy. He said, "Good, what we talk today?" I told him we would talk about this morning. "Because I trouble?" Yes, because you trouble! I also told him we would talk about Bill leaving again, and for a longer period of time. While we drove, Y told me about his three day ISS. I asked him if he liked it. He said, "NO! No talk, just read and write. I no like." Good, you're not supposed to like it. He also told me the consequences of another infraction would be a longer ISS and/or maybe an at home suspension. He was giddy at the thought of an at home suspension. He better have been joking. He didn't realize that at home suspension means no computer, no cell phone, no TV, no friends and a sparkling clean house for Mama.

We discussed all of this at therapy. Y was very excited to see our translator again. They hadn't seen each other in about two weeks. I made sure to have her translate for Y that I knew what he did this morning was internat behavior, and that it would not be tolerated here. He admitted that it would've happened a lot more often in Ukraine. He also said that it had been six months and this was the first time he had behaved inappropriately. True. At least he's never been the instigator (he was spit on by another boy late last school year). His problem is overreactions and/or inappropriate reactions to such situations. Wonder who that sounds like?

I hope this situation is resolved and Y will either ignore it if it happens again, or find a teacher or aide to help next time.

Natalie

TX

They're In Cahoots With Each Other

Michael was misnamed, his name should be Houdini for how many times he's escaped the back yard. He's so small (by our standards 35lbs is small), that he can scoot under the gate and attain freedom any time he wants. So, we piled logs up under the gate. Big logs. Logs that took us a while to move. No way a 35lb dog can move them, right?

Well, not a 35lb dog, anyway. Goofy was enlisted to help his little buddy, and he moved just two of the logs out of the way. Now Michael has freedom again, and Goofy can only look through the fence in awe. At 120lbs it's kind of hard to scoot period, let alone under the gate.

Then, Michael learned a new trick. Our doors have lever style handles on them. Mr Bouncy Boy just jumps up on the back door handle until the door swings wide open. Not that he wants to come inside, just that he wants the option. Tigger sits quietly by until Michael springs him from prison. Then, just as Tiggy puts a little furry paw outside the door, Michael comes back out and the chase is on. (Who knows, maybe Tiggy will lose a little bit of his kitty fat with all this chasing going on.)

Yesterday I came downstairs to find the door wide open, and Tigger about 30 ft away on the edge of the porch. This morning he was braver, he was no where to be found. I called, and Y called and no Tiggy for about 15 minutes. Then Y got on the bus, and I went inside for the ultimate "Tigger Catcher" - the bag of treats. Tigger is ruled by nothing, if not his belly. Less than one minute later, he comes sauntering around the side of the house like nothing had happened.

He did give Michael a knowing wink as he passed him to get inside the house.

Brats.

Natalie

TX

Like a Bad Penny

I haven't blogged about anything too bad lately, mainly because I've gotten tired of chronicling it all, and I haven't had much break time at work lately. But, things have come to a head again, and a friend at work suggested I blog about each incident even if I don't publish it. It helped her husband to retain custody of their two kids when his ex sued them (she blogged about everything happening to the kids and their behavior after visiting with their mother and then printed it out for their lawyer).

About two weeks ago, Bill was at home with the doggies, I was at work and Y was at school. The puppy, Michael, did his business in the house several times, despite Bill taking him outside three times in 8 hours. Bill's idea of letting the dogs out is either keeping them outside for 2+ hours in the back yard, or letting them out for 5 minutes or less and then letting them back inside. Michael is still a puppy, so his first priority when going outside is to play and investigate the world, then pee and poop. He usually takes 15 minutes at a minimum, except first thing in the morning. Bill "saved" the evidence in it's place and made Y pick up after the dog when he got home. I was annoyed because then our whole house smelled like poo. Y told Bill, "I no believe you!" when told that the dog had been outside several times. Well, you'd have thought WWIII had started from Bill's reaction, screaming and hollering about how this kid will not call him a liar, etc. Bill also told him the dog would have to go back to the pound or find another family. Then I got home, and I informed Bill that threatening to take away his best friend was not an option. You can't threaten to take everything away from this kid all the time, it just keeps him in "survival mode" 24/7/365. Bill had to leave the house for a couple of hours after that, to calm himself down. After Bill left, Y asked me if maybe Bill could go live in our other house (rent house, currently occupied by one of Bill's friends). I told him I did not know if he could do that because of the current occupant. So then Y said, "Okay, Bill stay here and we go live other house. I no like here. Bill is always, "RRRRRRR!" I told him we were not moving.

Ten days ago, Bill twisted his knee, AGAIN, and insisted that I had to call the doctor to make an appointment for him. I handed him the phone, told him his fingers weren't broken and left the room. Y overheard us and bust out laughing, "Mama, you funny! Fingers no broken!" Bill's reaction to that was that he was less than pleased.

Last Monday night, Y twisted his ankle at acrobatics, and I had been suffering a few days with another sinus infection, so I kept Y home from school on Tuesday and called the doctor to make appointments for all of us that afternoon. The visit started out okay with Bill joking that Y's flu shot was really going to hurt bad, then they arm wrestled while waiting in the room for the doctor (kinda funny because Y was giving it all he had and Bill kept asking, "Is that all?" and then flopping Y's arm down to the table. Y must have felt really comfortable, because after the doctor left and we were just waiting for the flu shots, he decided to ask Bill about an incident that occurred six weeks ago. It was one of those 'why did you say you were going to do - blah, blah, blah - and then you didn't do - blah, blah, blah?' questions. Bill got agitated and refused to talk about it. Bill then turned and looked out the window. Y asked him the same question two more times, but Bill ignored him. Y then asked why Bill would not talk to him. Bill innocently turned around and said, "Oh, are you talking to me?" Mr Sarcasm then came out and Y replied, "No, I no talk you. Maybe I talk wall or floor! Is stupid." I'm laughing my butt off (inside) and Bill gets all huffy and puffy claiming he will not be talked to like that by a 14yr old, and left the office. He didn't want a flu shot, anyway. Bill does not appreciate being out smart-a**ed or out sarcasm-ed. Hurts his ego a lot. They did not speak to each other for more than a day afterward.

Wednesday Bill did not make Y any dinner at 5pm. He made it at 8pm, but Y got tired and went to bed at 7pm. Bill did not go upstairs to see why Y did not come down for dinner (like he's supposed to guess when it's being served). Y complained the next morning that he did not get to eat, again.

Thursday afternoon, Y came home and played with the dogs for about an hour outside, then he wanted to set up the 60lb punching bag we had just bought for him. I told him we needed to clean some space out of the exercise room, and that we'd do that this weekend. So, he decided he wanted to lift weights. I told him he had to ask Bill to use the BowFlex. Bill was snoozing, so Y didn't want to wake him up. I told him if he really wanted to use it, he would have to wake Bill up and ask him (it was 4pm). Y woke him up and asked to use the machine. Bill started complaining that the whole thing was put away, and how much time it would take to get it usable, and his knee hurt so he didn't want to go upstairs, etc. Y said he could use the machine without Bill's help if it was okay. Bill's response, "No way, you'll break it." Pretty much his response to anything he considers "his" that Y wants to use - tractor, blender, stove/grill, pressure washer, Bowflex ... Y then said that he had used it the other day and he didn't break it. Bill went through the roof, "Then you used it without permission! I get no respect around here. I will not have you break my things just because you want to use them!," and he stormed out of the house going who knows where. What he did not wait to find out, nor did he care about, was that all Y did was pull down on the bar (with no weight attached), and then used the bench to sit on when he used his own free weights. Y kept asking me, "What I do bad? Why Bill go?" And, he said, if he couldn't use the BowFlex, then Bill couldn't use the punching bag. Fair enough to me.

Thursday evening, Y had acrobatics (he still has to go to team practice and do things not involving his ankle), and I went to my first ever parent-teacher night at school. I learned that all of his teachers enjoy him; they often have to tell him to stop talking in class (the apple didn't fall far from the tree); and that he is quite stubborn if he gets frustrated and doesn't want to do something (the apple didn't fall far from the other tree, either). Bill elected not to attend the school event. He said he doesn't like to do that kind of stuff. What stuff, parenthood? After the conference I went to McD's and bought a couple of milkshakes and then picked Y up from acrobatics. We got back to the house a little after 8:30pm, and stayed outside with the dogs for a while. Y wanted to know everything the teachers and other kids said about him. "They say Y bad?" He was surprised to find out that they all liked him. He's not so fond of his history teacher, the only male, though. When we went back inside, Y was pressuring me to allow him to stay on his computer until 11pm because he just got back home (10pm on school nights is the rule). He asked three times, and I told him 10pm three times. I reminded him that he did not have a time limit on computer use on Friday nights, and that tomorrow is Friday. He also had a test the next day, and I thought he should go to sleep earlier rather than later. I walked into the living room as I was talking to Y, and Bill overheard Y answer me with, "Thank you, Mama! 11 o'clock!" (Sarcastically, but happy sarcasm which to me meant that he understood I wasn't giving in, and that he would comply, but that he didn't like it anyway.) Bill shouted that bedtime was 10pm and Y answered rather innocently, "I no talk you." WWIII again. Bill got up to physically intimidate him (5'7" 145lbs vs. 6'3" 310lbs) and shouted that he would not be talked to that way in his own home, and that if Y ever talked to him that way again, "I'll pick you up and throw you through the (bleep) window! And you're not my son, yet, I haven't signed any papers yet!" I immediately got between them and told Bill he had to leave the house right now. Y just quietly took his dog and went to his room. I got on the phone with our therapist to request a meeting asap, but she was out of town, so I left a message with Bill raging in the background. Then I went upstairs to talk to Y. We were both eerily calm, considering Bill's state of mind. I told Y that I would be at work the next day while he was at school, and that I would be home no later than 4pm. I told Y that if he got home first and Bill was there, to ignore him and either play outside with the dogs or go to his room and lock his door until I came home. He said, "Okay." I went back downstairs and Bill was still raging because the therapist left me a message telling me to call the police. I eventually got in touch with her, and decided that I would not call the police, if Bill would just leave the house voluntarily. I was afraid that Y would think the police were coming to take him away like they did in Ukraine. Bill said he would leave if I would give him money. So, I wrote him a check for $500 and he packed a small bag and left. The whole time he was packing he kept acting like he was the victim and saying that I did not know how Y treated him when I wasn't home and I did not know what horrible things Y said to him when I wasn't there. I asked Bill which one of them was the adult? Then I went back upstairs to tell Y that Bill had left. All Y wanted to know was what time was he coming back tonight. I told him he wouldn't be home tonight and maybe not back home again. Y wanted to know what time Bill was coming back tomorrow? The way he said it was like a kid who wants to know when Papa is coming home because he worries about him when he's gone. Y kept asking if Bill was going to live at the other house tonight. I told him I didn't know.

Friday was okay without Bill there, and I quickly made arrangements for Y to stay at a friend's house Friday night because I had to work Saturday morning. The managers at work act like they're really trying to help me out, but they really don't help me with anything. I told them I may not be able to come in the next two days if I couldn't arrange child care. Luckily friends stepped up to the plate, and at about 8:30pm Friday we met half way between our homes. Y got to spend that night visiting and playing a few video games, then they were up just after 7am to go to his friend's soccer game. Y spent much of that time playing soccer with some other kids there, so he was very tired that afternoon. He even slept in the car on the way home. You've never seen a boy and his dog so happy to be back together again, either.

Unfortunately, Bill returned home Saturday afternoon while we were both gone. I guess $500 wasn't enough for more than two days. He said he came back because he forgot to take enough insulin with him. I told him he could come home, get it and then leave again. But, he 'fell asleep on the couch,' so he decided to stay. Y would not talk to him, and I don't blame him. I sat down to talk with Bill, and he immediately said that we needed to change therapists (the entire family), because "things aren't working with her." Well, not for him, but quite well for Y and me. I told him that he needed to find his own therapist, and that we would not be changing therapists. Y and she already have a relationship. I also told Bill that he needed anger management therapy, personal counseling, a parenting class or two and that I wanted him to be formally evaluated for ADD and bi-polar disorder. He scoffed at the idea of bi-polar disorder. I told him he could stay until Monday if he kept his temper in check, but that if he did not contact a therapist and have an emergency meeting either Monday or Tuesday, then he was no longer welcome to stay in the house, and that I would have him removed by the police if that's what it came to.

Y needs to know that 'home' means 'SAFE,' and if Bill keeps acting the way he has been, then I will make him leave the house permanently. I have an appointment with a lawyer tomorrow afternoon to discuss our situation. I want to have things in place, legally, to force Bill out immediately if anything even remotely like this happens again.

I'll post about what wonderful, caring people the management at work is in another post. I'm sure y'all need to use the rest room now, just like me.

Natalie

TX

New Bikes for Everyone

Finally broke down and got us all new bikes today. Y has been needing one for quite a few weeks, since he outgrew the old one. My old bike died a tortuous death with its bent rims and grinding gears (when I could find them). Bill - well, he hasn't had a bike in over 13 yrs.

So, off to Academy we went, Y and I. Bill had to go to the old house to pick up tools he left there last week. He hasn't had a bike in so long, he assumed they still came in boxes and that he would have to assemble all of them tomorrow. It's a good thing he didn't come with us, as he would've had no where to sit on the way home. An Escape only fits three bikes when both back seats are put down. Bill would've had to have ridden on top of the car, or Y would've had to sit in his lap the whole way home.

Y picked out a 20" BMX style bike. I kept telling him it was too short, but he insisted. He actually found one with a longer wheel base, so that the handlebars do not hit his knees every time he turns. When Y asked how many speeds his bike had, I told him, "One. Yours." He thought that was cool, and he couldn't stop telling me how expensive BMX bikes are in Ukraine. His bike was a whopping $120.

My bike is a 26" teal colored Mongoose mountain style bike (straight handlebars and big tires). My bike says it has 21 speeds, but in reality it has 22 speeds: 21 from the bicycle itself and one from Goofy. Half the time I only need to steer the bike away from those pesky mailboxes. I don't even need the first five gears, Goofy can take care of that all by himself. Price tag - $130.

Bill got the el-cheapo bike. I figure he'll stop riding with us in a few weeks, so why spend boo-koo bucks on his bike? His is a 26" 18 speed blue Huffy mountain style bike. They had a 28" bike, but it was more of a racing style with very thin tires that did not look like they could support 300lbs. Cost: $75.

Maybe Y will want to ride that bike sometime when he doesn't want to try stunts. I sure hope the weather is nice tomorrow so that we can all take a ride together. The puppies will be ecstatic to all be "run" together: Michael with Y and his bike, Goofy with me and my bike, Squirt with Bill and his bike, and Miko bringing up the rear all by his lonesome. He's so old now, that he doesn't need a leash. He just follows us like a good little puppy dog should. Of course, you have to keep stopping and letting him catch up. At 11 yrs old he's a senior citizen.

Y was so excited, that when we turned on to our street, he asked me to pull over so that he could get his bike out of the back and ride it home. As I pulled away sans one bike and one son, I saw a boy that lives on that block and rides the bus with Y in the morning riding his BMX style bike. I drove home (took all of 3 minutes), let the puppies outside, pulled the other two bikes out of the car, suited Michael up for running and still no Y at home. Almost 15 minutes went by before he came back and took Michael for a run. Seems he had to stop and converse for a while. Not a bad thing at all.

The sun was about to go down, so we quickly headed out with only Michael and Goofy. They played "run like the wind till you catch up" with the other dog for almost 20 minutes. Michael is not quite big enough to be the only steam engine pulling Y and his bike (he's only 35lbs), but Goofy was the equivalent of two steam engines. I barely got any exercise, because I only had to pedal when we were in front of Michael and Y.

Hopefully this will be something else that will keep Y from wanting to play video games all weekend. Note - Y told me today that he was playing on a European server and one of the players told him that he spoke Russian with an American accent. Too funny.

Natalie

TX

Goofy's Great Escape - Episodes 1 & 2

Episode 1 - The Great Race

Last Monday as I was preparing to go to my new chiropractor's office, Goofy decided he didn't really want to come inside. Instead he meandered his way to the front yard, where he startled a deer and the chase was on. A 115lb lab chasing a 200+lb deer. Guess who won that race? Instead of going to my doctor's office, I jumped in my car and spent almost 30 minutes riding around our neighborhood and the next calling for Goofy. I tried calling home, but Bill did not answer the phone. I decided to head back to the house to see if he had returned to our yard. Goofy beat me there, because he was already in the house. Bill said he came home just a few minutes later. When I asked why he didn't call me, he said he thought I was at the doctor's office. Like I wouldn't have appreciated a message!

Episode 2 - Nature vs Nurture

Thursday afternoon, as soon as I got home from work (around 4pm), Y asked if we could take all of the dogs over to the lake to swim. We know Michael doesn't really like the water, but Y thought if he saw Goofy enjoying it, maybe he'd come in for a swim. So we walked the half mile or so to the lake, and let everyone off leash. Goofy, being a lab, immediately went into the water. Y picked Michael up and took him a few feet out into the water, but all Michael did was swim to the shore and stay there. Seems he doesn't like swimming too much. Unfortunately after a few minutes, Goofy caught sight of the six or so ducks that swim on our lake.

Game on.

Usually he just gives a half-hearted attempt to chase them, but not this time. Absolutely nothing was going to stop him from getting a duck. Goofy happily chugged his way out into the water and spent most of half an hour swimming after the ducks. He almost caught one once, but he's just not that lucky. As Y put it, "Mama, you see Goofy bite duck, and duck bite Goofy!"

Now, this is almost a 30 acre lake, and it's about 20-30 feet deep in the center. The entire time I had visions running through my head of either the dog drowning or Y drowning trying to save the dog. After about 15 minutes of trying to get Goofy's attention away from the ducks, Y decided to strip to his skivvies and go in after him. He swam out about 20 feet from the shore, but the ducks got spooked and turned around to swim the other way. Goofy just did a 180 and followed them. Darn it! So, Y returned to shore and stayed on the peninsula with the other three dogs, while I huffed and puffed to the other side of the lake, about a quarter of a mile away. I called from one side and Y called from the other, but only exhaustion, and a snip from a duck beak allowed Goofy to focus on us and not the birds.

Y then jumped back into the lake a second time and swam out to touch Goofy's collar. Goofy began to follow him back to the shore, but Y was getting tired so he high-tailed it to high ground. Goofy being tired, swam quite slowly, and I could see that he had lost sight of Y when the dog began swimming in circles in the middle of the lake. I kept yelling to Y to stop swimming and talk to Goofy, but Y could not hear me. Fortunately, Goofy could. He then began swimming in my direction, so I continued yelling for him at the top of my lungs. I said, in a rather pleasant voice, "Get over here you little brat, so I can kick your butt!"

It was more than twice as far for Goofy to swim to me than it was for him to swim to Y, so I kicked off my shoes and put my eyeglasses on the grass and waded out into the lake about 20 feet (my feet could still touch bottom there). Mama was not going to strip to her skivvies. That would've been a horrifying sight and the dog would've run away in disgust. I did bring his leash and chain with me, so when he got close enough I slipped it around his head and waded next to him to the shoreline. All of my yelling caught the attention of someone else, because when I got back to the shore Michael was standing there wagging his whole body waiting for us. Apparently he was unleashed (since Y jumped into the lake), and just decided to run back down the trail/shoreline to see what all the commotion was about.

Michael may not be completely potty trained yet, and his "stay" is quite optional, but he sits on command, gives "five," and has an awesome "come!" Goofy, after more than a year, still has an optional "come." Y redressed, and as we walked back home soaking wet, Goofy still had enough energy to try and run into the water, again, to chase the ducks. Luckily his leash was firmly in my hand at that time. Then it was home to bathe everyone, and now we have four lovely clean smelling puppies.

Now, if I could just get every being with testosterone in my house to behave, I'd be quite happy!

Natalie

TX

The Newest Addition to Our Family

Well, Y held up his end of the bargain (doing his jobs and no complaining about controls - well, not much), so Monday afternoon we headed over to the Humane Society to add to our fur family.

Without further ado, here is "Michael," a six month old boxer mix with his new best buddy:

Since all of our other animals have Disney names, I guess we'll just have to find a Disney movie or something with a character named Michael in it! He is a sweetheart, and I'll post more when I get the chance.

We have had a few good/okay days in a row. Can't have too many of them, tonight Y needed Bill to fix something on his computer, and Bill was either unable to understand Y or unable to fix it, so Y got very fussy and Bill got fussy and left the room. Don't know if they talked to each other again, but I haven't received any phone calls from either since 5:30pm.

The fur members of the family are getting along just fine, after a small mishap during the first meeting. We let our pit mix Squirt out front first to greet Michael, and they liked each other after about five minutes, then we let our white-yellow lab Miko (I know, Miko and Michael!) and he could've cared less that there was another dog in the family. Then came Goofy. Apparently Michael needed to know ASAP that this was Goofy's yard, and Goofy's house, and Goofy's staircase, and Goofy's boy - so Goofy tried to use Michael as a bowling pin several times during the first evening. We immediately took them for a walk together, with Michael and Y in the front, so Goofy would know he's not in charge any more. Then Goofy spent several hours in his bed/cage downstairs. Every time he got aggressive, he went to doggy time out until he calmed down. Sometimes he only stayed calm for two minutes and was put back in his cage. But, it seems to have worked, and he only claims me when I get home from work. Other than that he's okay with the new puppy. Tigger and Daisy aren't really sure, yet. Give them a few more days.

Bye now.

Natalie

TX