Shoe Addict Anonymous

Did you know that there really is a shoe addict anonymous group? I had absolutely no clue, but I understand why there is one! 

Hi. My name is Dee. I am a shoe addict. 

I love clearance sales, especially where shoes are concerned. If I can walk out of a store with multiple pairs of shoes all for the price of one pair of shoes at regular price, well...let's just say that I'm glad my husband doesn't say anything about all the shoes in my closet. I know why I love shoes and I admit that, so really...doesn't that make me a non addict? If I recognize the issue? Maybe? Oh, whatever. 

I remember growing up and both of my parents worked. In fact, I remember when they both worked two jobs. Talk about being a latch key kid. Yeah, I was. My brother and I were given shoes twice a year. We got a new pair when school started back and a pair of winter shoes. Oh, and we were given a cheap pair of shoes to play in during the summer. So, okay...that's three pair of shoes. That was it. If we tore our shoes up, we were just S.O.L. When I turned 16 and got my first job, I was ecstatic. I took my first paycheck ever and went to the shoe store and bought me a pair of Nike. I never looked back after that. If I had the money and saw a great pair of shoes, they were mine. 

I do buy my kids shoes as well. I don't mind spending a little more on name brand shoes because I know they will wear longer than a pair from a local mega store. My youngest daughter is a shoe addict as well, however; I got lucky because we're the same size in shoes, so my shoe collection really turns into both of ours. I can't tell you how many times I have gone looking for a pair of shoes that I want to wear only to realize that they are on my daughters foot...at school. I usually sign in exasperation and settle on a different pair of shoes. The only ones that are completely off limits to her are my Ugg shoes. Those bad boys are worn to work and on really cold days.

So, as I sign off for now. Just remember. Shoe addicts are everywhere!

Friends

How many friends does one need to feel fulfilled? I know those who feel as if they have to have a ton of friends and for them, that's fine. However; I have never been a person that had to be surrounded by a ton of people. I'm just not wired that way I guess. I've never had more than 3 or 4 close friends at a time and as I get older, that still holds true. 

I think we all have those people we call friends, but in all actuality they aren't real friends. They're the people you call when you just want to gripe about something and you don't need any real support from. They are your "fair weather" friends. We also have those people that we keep close to us just so we can keep a close eye on...a "frienemy" as the term is these days. 

I love dearly my friends I have now. My circle seems to be expanding, finding new friends in the places we go and we develop a deep bond, and even when we move away from each other we still keep in contact. We still support and love the other person and we'd move mountains to help each other if we could. My only wish is that we lived closer so that we could still visit frequently. However; because they are military and we are military, we will probably never be in the same place together again. I look forward to the day when I can visit them again. I miss them and their company so very much. We share so much of ourselves with our friends, both good and bad. 

It just seems lately as if I only share bad things. I don't like that. I am ecstatic however for all the good things happening in their lives. Two of them are expecting their second child, and I am so giddy that I can't stand myself...lol. I can't wait for them to get to the baby shower stage! I want to buy stuff for them because I know that they will be appreciative of it and not expect anything, that's what makes them great people. I really do miss them. 

Maybe some day soon, I'll reconnect with them in person one more time.

I hate generalizations!

Apparently today is my "bitchy" day. I've got an opinion and I'm not afraid to share it and I don't care who you are or who you THINK you are. I despise generalized statements that clump an entire group of people together! I read something earlier on another web page that "stuck in my craw", as we say in the South. A fellow Army wife made a statement that essentially said ALL Army wives that use "military time or words" are stupid. She is the resident expert on that because this wife is also a FORMER soldier. Gosh, I didn't realize that her being a former soldier makes her more knowledgeable than anyone else. 

What this so called expert fails to realize is that she includes herself in her broad generalized statement. Major FAIL!! If military wives use 24 hr time or acronyms ("military words"), then that does not make them stupid. A lot of the time it's because jokes are being made. 

My issue isn't so much with her bashing Army wives, although I do take offense to that, it's the fact that she uses a broad generalized statement instead of focusing on the person that she deemed "stupid". You prove just how truly ignorant you are when you make those types of statements. It shows just how much of a racist/sexist/segregationist you are, because you automatically assume that all people in whatever group are the same way. This would be like me saying "All fat people are lazy" when I know that isn't the case! Just for clarification, I was being facetious when I wrote that. When I weighed 125 lbs more than I do now, I was NOT lazy. Sometimes I think I did more then than I do now. I just look more "socially acceptable" now with my weight being "normal". Whatever. I don't do normal. 

The day that people stop making generalizations will be a great day in history! Not that we'll ever get there, but oh to dream. 

Now...go forth and spread my message that all people that make generalized statements about a group of people are bumbling a**holes that need a lobotomy. You can even tell them I said it and if they have a problem they can take it up with me personally.

~ Dee ~

My right to bear arms

The above pictures is MY gun, not my husbands, but it belongs to me. I've been hearing a lot of arguments lately about guns, gun safety, gun rights, banning guns, etc. Now I'm going to throw my two cents into the fray. Now there are a couple of topics that I refuse to discuss with anyone and those are politics and religion. However; when politics start to infringe upon my rights as an American citizen by BIRTH, then I start to get a little upset. 

First off, I am not a criminal. I have every single right to purchase and own pretty much any gun that I want, as long as it is a legal firearm. I'm not looking into purchasing or wanting under my roof a weapon that is illegal. I am not a hunter. I do not have any desire whatsoever to go out and hunt defenseless animals (if you're a hunter, more power to you, but it's not my bag.) I have legally modified my gun so that it can hold the full capacity of shells. It holds six just in case anyone was wondering. If I ever have to actually use  this gun, I will have no qualms about protecting my home and our lives. God have mercy on the person that decides that it's my house they want to break into. If my dogs don't eat them alive, then they'll have me to deal with.

I believe that every law abiding citizen and even those who have a non-violent criminal history have the right to own a gun. I believe in protecting my home, my self and my family against all terror threats, both foreign and domestic. I firmly believe that guns do not kill people...PEOPLE kill people. Guns are not the problem...people are. When we realize that, we'll be the better for it. Banning guns is in my opinion the same as banning air. Sure that may be a little dramatic but can you understand what I'm saying?

I can honestly say that I never thought I would ever have a firearm in my home. I didn't think there would ever be a time when I didn't feel safe in my house. I purchased my firearm as a means of home defense. Why? Had I been blogging last June and July then you would understand. In short, we lived next door to people who were dealing drugs out of the place they were renting. I shared a wall with them. I cannot begin to tell you the amount of traffic in and out of their residence all hours of the day and night. How many times it was my door people were knocking on looking for their drugs. The last straw came when the neighbors called their pit bull to attack while I was outside with my dog one day. My dog defended me and wound up killing their dog, but after that it became painfully obvious that I no longer felt safe in my own home. I bought that gun the following day. I stayed awake at night for weeks and kept the gun loaded and by my side, especially when the attempted breaks in started. Since the neighbors moved, I have unloaded the gun but I keep the shells close by in case I need to load it quickly. I've answered my door once with the gun in hand...but that's what happens when you awaken me at 3 o'clock in the morning by pounding on my door and alerting my dogs that there is a potential threat on the other side. Don't mess with me and don't make my dogs react threateningly and you won't be greeted with a shotgun pointed at your head.

I know there is a lot of violence in the world committed by people who have guns. Why punish and penalize the majority of us that are tax paying, law abiding citizens? Give it a rest people. I have just as much right to own my gun as a hungry person has the right to eat food. It's the exact.same.right! Completely different contexts but the same rights in the end game. 

I completely believe in gun control. It's called holding it with two hands! Or, if there's a gun involved, I want to control it. 

End of discussion.

And I couldn't sleep in why???

Oh that's right...it's because the boys needed to go outside and potty. Silly me. I thought there was another person in the house that could do this, but the pet gate on the stairs prevents them from waking the other one up. Hmph. That'll teach me to be proactive. Oh well, such as it is, I can take a nap later if I so desire...and right now...I desire that nap.

I think maybe tomorrow I'll not set the coffee maker to brew BOLD coffee. I love my coffee, but not this strong. It leaves a yucky aftertaste in my mouth. There's not enough sugar free flavoring or cream to lighten the taste. So lesson learned. The coffee maker does indeed make bold flavored coffee and I do not like it. 

Right now I am in the process of attempting to quit smoking. I'm not sure how I'm doing at it, whether I'll be successful this time or not, but I seem to be smoking less. I don't know if the companies have changed their formula, but they just don't taste the same. I can actually taste the icky stuff we all know is in there. Or it could be the medicine I am on makes them taste that way. Whatever; all I know right now is that they are starting to taste really gross. 

I'm a little concerned right now over payday as well. Usually we'll get paid on Friday if the 30th falls on a weekend. Well, we didn't. So I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow morning and see if we got paid. If we didn't, we are so screwed. We depend on my husbands pay, that's what pays the bills around here, because Lord knows that I hardly make squat to even count as working! I do have a job though and for that I am really thankful. So I'm hoping that when I wake up in the morning there will be money in our account. Because I don't want to have to call my husband, who is overseas, and say "Get DFAS on the phone and find out where the heck our money is." I'd be calling the bank and our other creditors saying that we didn't get paid and if they could just give me a few days to get it sorted out so that we could pay them, well that would be awesome. Let's hope I don't have to do that.

Oh good! The youngest daughter is awake and moving around. I know this because I hear some type of food being prepared in the kitchen. I.E. there are bags being opened and crinkling noises and the sound of the microwave being used. Unless the boys have somehow grown thumbs on their paws and have learned how to walk upright, then it must be the child. I wonder what she'd like to do today. Maybe we can go for a walk with the dogs or take a drive somewhere. I just need to get out of the house for a bit and reconnect with her. 

For now though...I think I am going to go take that nap I mentioned earlier.

Raising a bipolar child

Bipolar disorder: A mood disorder sometimes called manic-depressive illness or manic-depression that characteristically involves cycles of depression and elation or mania. Sometimes the mood switches from high to low and back again are dramatic and rapid, but more often they are gradual and slow, and intervals of normal mood may occur between the high (manic) and low (depressive) phases of the condition. The symptoms of both the depressive and manic cycles may be severe and often lead to impaired functioning.

Both phases of the disease are deleterious. Mania affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that may cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, unwise business or financial decisions may be made when an individual is in a manic phase. Depression can also affect thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that may cause grave problems. For example, it elevates the risk of suicide. About 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6 percent of the population aged 18 and older, have bipolar disorder.

Above is the "definition" of bipolar disorder. Now, let me explain to you what it's like living with someone that has this disorder. In short, it's Hell. 

In all actuality, it really is. The reality and dynamics within the family are sporadic at best. The family has to bend in order to support the extremely rigid and structured lifestyle that one with bipolar disorder has to have. You walk on egg shells to keep from disrupting the gentle psyche of the person with the disorder. Their mood swings can happen daily. Imagine constantly being on a roller coaster...one minute you're at the apex and the next minute you've pulled 4 G's into a downward spiral drop. They're your best friend one minute and your worst enemy the next. They'll stab you quicker than you can take a breath. In their worst phase, they become physically violent. You will fight for your life...literally. 

Now, imagine this is your child. The one you carried within your body for 9 months, the one you nurtured as an infant and you love them more than life itself. Imagine having to worry every second of every day if that is the day they are going to kill themselves, or worse, they'll kill you. It's a domestically abusive home environment, but not from your spouse, from the child. I can't tell you the number of times that members of my immediate family have been hit or injured by my child. I've been transported to the hospital a couple different times from injuries received from my child. The court system is now involved. My child lives in a foster home because the home environment has become too unstable and is not safe enough for them to live with us. It's now a safety issue for ALL parties involved. 

The lying is out of control. They can't tell the truth if their life depended on it. Lying about things that they don't even need to lie about. I don't understand it and I've lived this life for 15 years now. Had you asked me 15 years ago if this is where I thought I'd be, I would have laughed at you and said you were crazy. I now look back at the last 15 years and question just about every decision ever made in regards to the mental health of my child. I know that I've done all I could do, but the nagging guilt is still there. The "what if's" and "if only's" will more than likely plague me until the day I die. We've done so many different mental health placements, from mental hospitals to group homes, all to no avail. Special education services at school to help have also been to no fruition as well. 

This morning was yet another yearly ARC meeting to review, make changes and implement a new IEP (individualized education plan) for my child. After the meeting was completed, we talked to my child about several lies we had caught them in just from this morning, and we explained the consequence for that action. Their cell phone was taken away. Not a huge consequence, but because the lies involved the use of the phone then that is what was taken. No sooner than I could snap my fingers then my child flipped out, started yelling and then got angry. Their glasses were broken because it was the closest thing they could get to. So then it was explained that because they broke their glasses, they would be responsible for the money to replace them. I'm not paying for them. The phone is still gone and they will get it back when I am told to return it to their grandmother. If looks could have killed, I would have been dead three times over. Even with other adults in the room, my body still prepared to defend itself and take whatever necessary action needed. What kind of parent needs to react like that? I'll tell you...the ones that have emotionally and mentally unstable children that resort to violence as their preferred method of output.

I love my child, with everything in me I love them. I have fought long and hard for their mental health and making sure they have anything and everything they need in place to ensure a positive outcome. I fought a losing battle, but I still continued to fight. However; I have come to a point in my life that I needed to weigh and consider the health, safety and well being of my other family members. In the process of doing that, it was determined that my child could no longer reside in our household. My child has lived with my parents for the past year, but even in that, they haven't really lived with them. Due to behaviors exhibited, they have gotten themselves into more legal trouble while in the custody of my parents...hence why they are now in a foster home and under court supervision. I don't know that my child will ever really be a functioning member of society. I don't know it would be safe for the general public in all honesty. I don't ever see them being able to reside outside of a rigid and structured setting. Knowing this about them, breaks my heart. 

For those that are fighting for your children...keep doing so. Know that you are trying to ensure that your child has a future ahead of them. Maybe your outcome will be different than my own. I hope you never have to know this kind of pain.

Holy blazes it's early!

It's 5:30 am and I am wide awake, have been for the last 30 minutes. Can I blame the dogs? They did alert me early that they needed to go potty. I mean, come on...they usually let me sleep until 6:30 and then I can lay back down for a little longer if I need to. Not this morning though. Oh no no no no no...uh uh...I guess my brain decided to kick in and start working too. Fine! Just because I'm awake does not mean that I have to enjoy it. Oh, but I do need to brush my teeth...hold on.

Okay, so not only did I brush my teeth, but I also woke up the youngest daughter and got her in the shower as well as starting coffee to brew. You didn't really think I'd forget the coffee, did you? If so then you must not have read some of my previous postings and my talk of how delicious Baxter's coffee is. Yes, I also buy my ground coffee from them as well. Oh and I fed the boys too...all three of them. So there shouldn't be a mutiny on my hands this morning.

I did have a really odd dream. I don't remember all the details, but I do remember wedding gowns, weddings, a school bus and my former mother in law and former husband. I kept telling my former husband to not touch me and that if he wanted surgery then he had to prove that he was willing to get all the pre-operative measures done, otherwise he was wasting everyone's time. Yeah, someone decipher all that for me and let me know what it means. K? Excellent. Moving on now...

So as I sit here and type endlessly to a blank screen, hoping to make a connection with someone out there in cyberspace, it makes me wonder how many others do this? I know there are a lot of bloggers out there, but who really reads all of it? I know that my life is quite boring in comparison to others, but it is still my life and I'm trying to make the most of it. Of course, my stomach is now telling me that I should make the most out of some kind of breakfast food. 

Yes, you'll learn that sometimes my brain takes a quick left turn. Sometimes we have to take that little detour and then we'll continue on with what I was previously talking about. Breakfast. Oh, coffee is done! 

And we're back! The above picture is my morning staple. Now that I have some go go juice, I can finish the rest of the day. Not that I'll be able to finish my thought...oh yeah...breakfast. 

Breakfast is a tricky meal for me. See, I had gastric bypass surgery 16 months ago. So my digestive system is not like most any longer. Some mornings I can eat one whole egg and some mornings I can only eat half of it. Then I have days where I can have one packet of oatmeal and others where I just want some high protein yogurt (yes, there are such things...Kroger...Carbmaster yogurt...they are "da bomb"). This morning I think I might try to have a waffle. I found some Kashi waffles in the frozen breakfast foods section of the store yesterday while I was looking for french toast sticks for my daughter. I love Kashi and even though the carb count is a little high, I can balance out the rest of my day by consuming a little more protein than normal. Plus, it has blueberries in the waffle and I love me some blueberries! I'll leave you all for now, but I know that I'll be back later. 

Toodles!

Eh...I'm stumped

It's the end of the day and I'm simultaneously blogging and chatting with my husband on Skype. I'm a pretty good multi-tasker, so I should be able to type and talk at the same time. We'll see how this goes and decide if I can do this again another time. 

It's been over a year now since my husband left for his overseas assignment. Actually, we're coming up on 13 months since he's been there and not here. Do you ever stop to think about all the things that actually happen in a year? Over this past year I have retained two attorneys. One to do battle with my husband's ex-wife over his daughter and one here locally to get the adoption paperwork filed and finalized so that my husband can adopt my youngest daughter. I've also been in and out of the juvenile court system with my oldest daughter. Dealt with multiple case workers in two different states over a couple different issues...all with no resolution currently. The adoption has halted until my husband gets back stateside. Our attorney in Illinois wants more money. I've dealt with skin cancer and had a hysterectomy...all in the course of one years time. 

It's a lot when you stop and think about it. However; as I was going through it, as overwhelmed as I felt, I also felt as if there was nothing happening. How is that possible? There is a lot of things that happen over time and unless we really stop to look back and think about it, we don't quite realize all of it. 

Don't forget to stop and be thankful for the blessings you have in your life. Also be thankful for the trials you have endured because through those trials we gain wisdom and knowledge.

Oh the dreaded grocery shopping

Yum, all the fresh veggies and fruits! I had to do some grocery shopping today and walked up and down our local grocers fresh foods aisle for about 15 minutes debating on which foods I was going to purchase and ultimately bring home. Most of our food I have been getting on the perimeter of the store, you know, the area where most of the "good for you" foods are kept instead of wandering aimlessly up and down the canned/boxed food aisles. Oh sure, I go down those aisles if we need cereal or pasta, but I really try to keep us with the fresh foods. I always have a goal on what I'd like to spend in the store, but I have yet to actually meet that goal. Today I was hoping to keep it at $100 or less, however; 2/3rds of the way through the check out, I decided that if I could keep it under $200 then I'd be happy. So, I'm glad I upped my limit, made me less disappointed when I left. 

Have you noticed that the cost of groceries and household supplies has risen lately? If not, I suggest you start paying closer attention to the things you buy. Keep track of what the cost was today and in another couple months, double check that cost. I guarantee that you'll be paying more money for the exact same item and maybe even getting less for more money. The economy is in the tank, the cost of everything is going up, yet our paychecks are not getting larger. I know that my own paycheck has definitely gone down because the hours at work have been cut. It's at times like this that I'm glad my husband has a job and he makes decent money, because if we had to rely on MY check...we'd be screwed, royally. 

Sure, there were some things in my cart today that weren't grocery items, but they were items needed at the house. Shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush, household cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, etc. I think if I could have just purchased groceries then my total would have been less than my first goal. It's the "miscellaneous" items that really jacked the cost up. I even buy store brand cleaning supplies and it doesn't matter. Store brand vs. name brand...they are both expensive. Maybe if we all wrote enough letters to corporations saying "Hey! Our paychecks aren't getting larger here! Lower your prices, please" then we might see some kind of resolution. ~ And if we all believe that, then we all are sharing some kind of happy pill and have become delusional. 

So now that all the groceries are put away and I have cajoled the pre-teen daughter to sweep the floors, I believe that I'll go mop the floors. Maybe even clean up the garage. Okay so maybe not the garage today, but it will be done soon!

Dream

I have to get this down before I completely forget what it was I dreamed about. It's not often that I remember the dreams I have, but the ones I do remember usually have some kind of meaning behind it. I think the meaning behind this one is obvious, but I still need to get it written down somewhere.

In this dream, we (meaning my husband and I) were house hunting. Not to rent, but to buy, which is so not us. We were looking at condo's (also a little weird for us) and trying to decide what would be the better deal. In the meantime, while I'm talking to a realtor, we learn that someone has given us three million dollars to help us out. (Just so we all know, I don't have a rich uncle anywhere that is going to leave me anything, much less that kind of money. I don't think my husband has one either...so the money is coming out of someone's butt, just not sure who.) Moving on now...

We are looking at a condo that the kitchen needs serious updates done to, but the master bathroom is to die for and find out that we can purchase two condo's for $739,000. (I don't know where my brain comes up with these numbers...so just go with it.) Then I'm trying to convince my husband that we should purchase two of them and get into the real estate market, since we have the money to outright buy both units, we wouldn't have a monthly mortgage payment and we can live in one unit and rent the other unit out. Oh yeah and the location of these units...ocean view, view of Fisherman's Wharf, fine dining restaurants near by...it was a once in a lifetime chance to buy and be able to make money off of a good real estate investment. (For those that don't know, the setting for this particular dream was in Monterey, CA.)

So we purchase both units and the next thing I know is that we are sitting outside on our walk way and staring out  at the water, and there is a little boy that is all excited because he can visit Grandma and Grandpa (my husband and I) and Grandpa is going to go scuba diving with him and bring him home a sea lion. 

Needless to say...I think we are going back to California. I don't ever foresee us purchasing any kind of ocean view property there for that amount of money and I guess we're going to be grandparents to a little boy some day. 

Don't ask what I ate before going to bed. I really don't know why I had this particular dream. All I know is that it seemed very real. Now, if someone has any clue as to who is going to give me $3,000,000,000...please share  that info with me so I know who exactly to kiss up to...LOL

Mornings in our house

Good morning everyone! I guess we can still call it morning, it's only 10:30 am. Since there is no school, yet again, today I decided that we could all sleep in. The boys (you'll eventually realize that I call our dogs and cat that) did need to be taken out to potty around 6:30 am, but don't you worry...I was back in bed and sleeping right after that trip. Tiberius did not want to come back in the bedroom after using the restroom, so instead he curled up on the futon and stayed there. Ash followed me back to the bedroom and he curled up at the foot of the bed in the floor and promptly fell asleep, which allowed me to get another 3 hours...he's such a good boy...LOL

I love waking up and being greeted by Ash. He gets so excited to see me up and moving, he'll wag his tail so hard that his whole body moves! He's kinda like "Yay! Mom's up! Oh I'm so excited, I haven't seen her move in 8 hours!" He'll walk with me, or more like trip me up, as I begin my morning commute to the coffee pot to get my daily fix going. He'll pant in anticipation of me just bending down to give him a good scratch behind the ears. Ti however; is just like "Dude, whatever. It's just Mom." Ah, I feel the love from my boys.

Coffee...oh the blessed elixir that has been sent from some god somewhere. Coffee is my jumper cables in life. Without it, I don't think my battery would start and get me going. I hope to never have to know what I'd do without coffee. I'll blame my husband for getting me started on it. Then I'll blame Baxter's Coffee in Somerset, KY, for getting me addicted to it. This coffee shop is so good that when Staryucks opened in this town, they closed shortly after because their business was so low. Goooooooooo Baxter's!! (Of course the corporate owned store could have failed because of the economy as well, but I really don't think so.) 

I'm not real sure what this particular day will hold in store for us, but I plan on attacking it like I do everything else. From the sidelines in a defensive stance.

Let's talk Huskies

Tiberius, my first dog as an adult, my first Siberian Husky. I can tell you his birth date and I can tell you that I fell in love with him the first moment I saw him. He had such a serious looking face and he still does. He comes from excellent breeding stock and has the papers to prove his lineage and the accomplishments of his ancestors. I can honestly tell you that for all that, I really couldn't care any less about what his lineage is. He is AKC registry eligible, but I have never sent in his paperwork because I never plan on "showing" him. Tiberius is my "pretty boy" without a lick of sense in him. Well, now that's not really accurate either. He does know when he senses a threat to his Momma and at that point, whomever or whatever is causing the threat will realize quickly that my seemingly docile Siberian really is a force to be reckoned with. Whatever wolf instincts are bred deep into their genes are still there and they can be unlocked when he perceives a threat. 

Ash, my second Siberian, my rescue pup. I saw his picture online, read a little of his story and called the woman who had posted the ad on Petfinder. Her and I talked for almost two hours and at the end of the call, I knew I was making a trip to Tennessee with Tiberius in tow to let these two boys meet and see how they responded. The trip was a success, obviously, since he now resides with us. Ash did not have the luck that Tiberius did as a pup. Where Tiberius has never known a day where he isn't loved and adored, Ash got shit for brains owners, who beat the dog out of him. When I first brought Ash into our home, he cowered for days until he was brave enough to start sniffing around and checking things out. We had to take it easy with him, and we still do, because any movement in his direction with your hand out made him cower in fear of being hit. I think he realizes now that he won't be hit in our house because his personality is starting to shine!

Tiberius & Ash - combined together...these two are some of the biggest joys in my life these days. They play and they romp and they run (boy do they ever run!) and they chase our cat, Seamus (pronounced SHAY-mus) relentlessly. Seamus is not without fault though. I swear somedays I think he has a death wish because he will hide behind a piece of furniture and jump out to attack which ever dog walks by him first...and then he dashes off...with the duo twins hot in pursuit. Tiberius is teaching Ash what it means to be a dog and I love watching Ash's progression and improvement day after day. Ti will bark at Ash if he thinks he is on something of his and Ash allows Ti to eat first, but he will protect his bone from him. We've had a couple of good fights between these two over bones. Tiberius does not like to share...at all. So sometimes Ash will climb up into my recliner and lay in my lap. I really think it's more of a "ha ha" in Ti's face than it is anything else, because he knows that if he is in my lap then Tiberius cannot do anything to him. They are both my boys and I am so proud to have them. 

I will say this though. Not once did I ever anticipate owning more than one dog, much less having two Siberian's under one roof. However; I realize that I probably should have gotten two pups at birth so that they could have grown up together and been trained together. Then I realize that had I done that...I never would have found Ash and he would still be with the rescue group (who are great people by the way!) and searching for his forever home. So, I have no regrets over how I have gotten to this point with my boys. I love that Ti has a playmate...someone his size that he can rough house with...be a dog with. I do enjoy taking them for walks, even if most people that see me walking two of them at the same time do a double take because their first glance gives them the impression of two wolves on leashes. We get some odd looks some days, but I wouldn't have it any other way. 

These are my boys.

I am Momma.

New Year...New Blog

Yeah, so it's now the end of January, so technically it is no longer New Year, but I think we'll skip the small details here and just focus on the fact that it IS a new year. Pat has officially been gone for over a year now and I'm hoping that he'll be home sooner rather than later, but seeing as how we still don't have orders, I'm not going to hold my breath. I do still get to see and speak to him via Skype, so not all hope is lost yet. When I lose that then I'll worry. 

I joked the other day that I was going to start a new blog and call it "Random Conversations with Britney" because of the extreme randomness that falls out of her mouth sometimes when she speaks. For example, this morning she spouted off with "Did you know that whales have to sleep with one eye open? They have to because if they close both eyes then their brain doesn't tell them to breathe, so they always sleep with one eye open."
I didn't know whether to laugh because it was a joke and she just forgot the punch line or to sit there dumbfounded because she really believed it. I wound up going with the second choice. She's old enough to know she needs to fact check certain things she hears, but it's like her brain malfunctions sometimes and short wires her intelligence factor. 

Meanwhile, I have filed our taxes and keep hoping the IRS finally says "oh yeah, hey, we received them and we're gonna send you the money you overpaid last year." Not that I'm going to hold my breath on that either, but it would be nice to get some kind of recognition...ya know? I get that it's the Gubbament and they really don't like confirming anything...I mean, really...I do understand that...hello! they employ my husband and are the ones who cut his paychecks. Sheesh...I really should be used to the whole "we can neither confirm nor deny" factor by this point. 

I'm impatient and I know that. Sometimes I embrace that quality and run with it and other times I allow it to drive me bat shit crazy. Today is the bat shit crazy day. Just so you all know. 

Oh yeah...gosh how could I have forgotten?! We now have three boys in our household. Ash is our newest addition, he is now the official little brother of Tiberius and Seamus (pronounced Shay-mus...not Sea-mus). That puts our total count at one cat (Seamus) and two Siberian Huskies. Yes...I am a glutton for punishment and insist on cleaning the floors in our house more than once per day. However; I don't know any other person that gets the kind of unconditional love and free entertainment every single day that my Siberian's provide for me, so I'll take my glutton with a side of dog hair and be happy about it!