Friday Photos!

Dominic has taken to snuggling under things while he naps.
Either it's too cold, or he's hiding from Miles.

Playing with Duplos in his room.

Playing ball with the Baby in the Mirror. :)

Look at those eyelashes.  Swoon.  I love this kid. :)

Friday Photos!

I bring you Friday Photos!  This week, as narrated by Miles!

I like books.  Not so much the reading, but it's fun to turn the pages!

Can I help you, Mommy?  I'm rather busy playing here. 

Okay, you have your picture.  Can I take it off, now?

Cuddling with my bestest buddy.

Lessons of Mommyhood

Lesson #106: Never take a sick toddler anywhere.  Especially somewhere that requires waiting.  Even if it's just for a minute.

Today was Dominic's first vet visit since coming to live with us.  We wanted to get him checked out, and establish a relationship with a vet, just in case we need one in the future. (We had one for Lilo, but we weren't crazy about him, and his office was 20 minutes away.)

I got there a few minutes early, anticipating the inevitable barrage of paperwork that comes with going anywhere new.*  We arrived, and were immediately taken to an exam room and handed a clipboard and a pen.  I rolled up my sleeves and dove into the paperwork frenzy.

It was a single page.  Front only.  Lots of white space.

Which meant that I now had several minutes to wait in the tiny exam room with a Very Worried Dog and a Very Cranky Toddler.  Not a good mix.  Dominic laid under my feet, whining, probably expecting to be left here or worse.  Miles, meanwhile, ran laps around the room.  In the space of two minutes, he asked for Goldfish and a book, pushed the doctor stool around the room a half-dozen times, threw his Goldfish angrily at the floor and tried to take the dog's leash from me.  And then I wiped his nose.

All hell broke loose.  He threw his head back, arched his spine, and wailed.  He punched and kicked and tossed and turned like a fish flopping around on a dock.  Snot and saliva flew.  Eardrums were pierced.  Bruises were inflicted upon an unsuspecting and helpless Mommy.

Who was still trying to hold on to the dog and keep him calm.

Blargh.

In the end, the vet came in, Miles calmed down, the dog was given a clean bill of health, and we went home.  Where Miles promptly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from his first-class tantrum.  And I fell into a heap in my chair to blog and watch the neighbors call the cops on each other repeatedly.  For an hour.

Ahh, it's so relaxing to be a stay at home mom!

* Seriously, there's a reason I don't go to new restaurants anymore.  By the time I finish the paperwork, I'm famished! :)

Boy's Best Friend

This is the little bundle of energy we adopted this weekend.  He is a Dauschund-Beagle mix, and it's not hard to tell.  He has the face and markings of a beagle, but his body is all dauschund.

His name is Dominic Deagle.  And props to your nerdiness if you get the joke.*

So far, here is what we know about the little guy:

• He travels well in the car.  On our way back home last night, he curled up on the floor of the van and slept the entire way.
• He loves to go for walks, and never pulls.  Until he sees a squirrel.  Then, he points, and gets really confused when you want to keep walking instead of chasing the squirrel.
• Our place is surrounded by squirrels.
• He is intelligent - five hours after getting him and changing his name, he was already beginning to respond to it.
• Someone loved him once.  He is house-trained and wants to sleep in the bed.
• He plays fetch.  And he usually brings it back. 
• He loves Miles.  That's why he came home with us.

*If not, google Dominic Deegan for a delightfully cute webcomic.

A Boy and A Dog . . .

My poor little heart is breaking.

I have to move Lilo to a new home. Yes, even in the midst of the chaos that is my life, I still have to move her because she growled at my baby. My baby who loves dogs. Seriously, this kid has ridiculous amounts of love for any four-legged animal, especially dogs.*

And Lilo wants nothing to do with him. And Miles is scared of her. With good reason.

Today, Jill brought her Australian Shepherd, Buddha, to the office with her.** As always, Miles was fascinated. He kept crawling into the Sales office to look at Buddha. Finally, Miles worked up enough courage to touch Buddha (with adult supervision on both sides, of course).

And Buddha licked his face. And Miles giggled with delight. I could hardly tear him away from the dog for the rest of the day. And when I managed to, I would have to chase him down two minutes later, as he crawled at top speed toward the Sales office, calling in his adorable little voice, "Daw! Daw! Daw!" [Translation: "Dog! Dog! Dog!]

It was beautiful, this love between the boy and the dog. I only wish that beautiful love existed between Miles and Lilo. :(

*Except for my grandfather's poodles. But, apparently, they're not dogs. Miles is quite adamant that they are "kitty!"

**I work in the coolest office ever.