Happy New Year!

We started the new year of with a bang. . . or several bangs actually.  First, the upper trim of our guest room window, on the second floor, fell off.  We knew this would need to be repaired, but weren't really planning to do so right now.  This is not something we can DIY.  The people who owned this house prior to us did extensive work inside the house.  And essentially none outside.  Clearly the outside is where we'll be focusing some attention in 2011 when the weather gets warmer.

Next, I woke up on New Year's morning to find several leaks in our breakfast room.  We have a metal roof, and we had a drip in one small area when it rains hard.  One small area.  When I woke Saturday morning the greater portion of the room was wet.  And there were probably seven leaks.  (Please note, we did have extensive heavy rain for probably a 12 hour period, which is not normal for this time of year.)  This we will try to DIY.  Thankfully this part of the roof is not thirty feet in the air.  Chris is not excited about climbing onto the roof.  I'm more excited about him doing it than paying someone else to do it.

 On New Year's Eve, the kids were jumping on their newly constructed trampoline.  The dogs were in the house.  David went into the house for something and, when he came back out, Max escaped out the back door.  He ran through the neighbors yard.  Where he was cornered by at least two other dogs who consistently roam the neighborhood without an owner in sight.  Apparently the dogs attacked Max, and had him up against a chain link fence.  Max had an eye injury and looked like this later that night.

When we woke up Saturday, his eye was completely swollen shut and leaking puss.  Awesome.  Of course it was a holiday.  What does that mean?  Our vet wasn't open.  One trip to the emergency vet and $217 later, Max has four prescriptions.  And can see.  And I'm seriously contemplating bringing the owners of the dog that did it the bill.  I did call animal control, for what it's worth.  And I think I'll continue to do so whenever that dog is in our yard.  I cannot wait until we get a fence up.

Here's hoping that 2011 only gets better from here!

Bad Dogs? Bad Owners.

Who knew that moving could cause housebroken dogs to not be housebroken anymore?!  I mean, I guess it totally makes sense - new house, new environment, lots of changes, etc.  I just didn't consider that.  Nor did I consider that Max and Georgia would pee and poop all. over. my. damn. house.  But not on one of the many non-carpeted floors.  Oh no.  That would be too easy.  In fact, there are 12 different rooms or hallways that they could pee and poop in, and it would be on wood or tile.  Do they?  Of course not.  They find the best area rug they can locate and do it there.  What?!  WHY!?  Apparently they prefer to pee on an absorbent surface. . . trust me, because I googled it.  They are now only permitted in the kitchen and laundry room.  I have the doors to the living room closed so they can't get out of the kitchen.  (I guess the FIVE doors in the living room situation is paying off in this case.)  I did have a gate across one of them, but Georgia hopped that in about 13 seconds.  She should have been a circus dog.  They probably pee wherever they want.

Day in Review

Dear day from hell,

Please turn into tomorrow.  Let's review the highlights of the day, shall we?

1. Jack woke up at 3:00, wanting some "APPLEJUICERIGHTNOW".  Which woke Henry up.  Which woke the dogs up.  Oddly, none of this woke my husband up.  You know, the one who doesn't have to get up and go to work.  I got up and got Jack some water and brought it up to him in his bed.  Just in time to hear him snoring.  I went back down the stairs and let the dogs out.  In the rain.  Where they proceeded to sniff every blade of grass in our backyard.  In the dark, on leashes.  And I thought of ways to let them run away and not feel guilty about it.  I got everyone and everything settled and couldn't fall asleep.  And couldn't get our wireless Internet to work in our room, so I had nothing to read.  Or watch, because we have no cable and I don't read "real" books anymore.  I finally fell back asleep at 4:00.  Just in time, because my alarm went off at 4:30.
2. I dragged myself out of bed and got breakfast made for everyone, got a shower, and got ready for work.  This was the most uneventful part of the day, oddly.
3. Work, work, work.  Blah, blah, blah.  Nothing exciting at all, except eating enough Halloween candy for a small third world country.  Awesome.
4. I came home from work and when I got home it was raining.  For the first time since we've moved into our house.  I guess I'm glad it is, because it allowed me to determine that we have a leak in the roof in our breakfast room.  Not a huge leak.  If it's not raining hard.
5. While I was chatting with our babysitter, David went to the bathroom and washed his hands.  And filled our vessel sink to the top with water and soap bubbles.  And let it overflow all over the bathroom.  But didn't think it pertinent to tell me this until almost an hour later.  Bonus?  That episode, plus three baths gave my bathroom floor a good cleaning.
6. My dogs don't know that they are able to go to the bathroom while on a leash.  So they go out and sniff every other dog in the 'hoods pee and poop in our yard.  Then come in and pee and poop on the floor.  Thankfully we don't have carpet anymore.  That doesn't mean that I like cleaning up the poo.  Or stepping in the pee.  Twice in one day.
7. Clearly my children set a bomb off in the playroom promptly upon coming home from school.  Yet getting them to clean it up is like getting them to eat Brussels sprouts.  David told me tonight that if I cleaned up his 15 things he was responsible for he would give me a dollar.  If I gave him one first.  While I admire the creativity, he needs a little help with getting there.
8. Jack needs to remember that he pees in the toilet now.  And that his underpants aren't a toilet.  
9. My dogs clearly didn't know when to quit.  I caught Max like 19 times chewing on a pillow from the living room.  And caught Georgia chewing a HOLE IN MY NEW FREAKING SLIPCOVER.  Lucky, lucky for her it was in a spot I can conceal.  They are sleeping in their crates tonight.  And quite possibly every night hereafter.