its been a week...

...since this huge creature has entered my life. I love him. And he doesn't feel huge any more.
The boys love him, daddy loves him, but he is mine!

I found out he catches a ball, a Frisbee, plays tug of war and can poop more than just a handful at a time (important when you are in a pooper scooper world)!

He cries when I leave him behind with the hubby, and during the day will howl when I go to the post office. But when I walk in, he makes me feel as if I'm the only person in the world.

The boys love him, pull on him, lay on him, wrestle. He takes it. My groom thought it would be his dog, and is a bit surprised that the dog has bonded to me. But hey, he lived with a 79 year old woman, I feed him and I give him most of his shots and most of his walks, so he's not stupid.

The Big Boy has been getting up an hour early every day to walk him with me. I love this time with the Big Boy. We get to talk about the flowers, what we see down by the river (the Hudson) and the other dogs and dog owner's we meet. This week we have been tracking a family of geese on the river. One mommy and seven babies. I'm guessing they are a month old. Old enough to be fuzzy and swim, but not really having feathers.

I love waking up in the middle of the night and hearing the dog breathing. The hubby has only stepped on him once in the middle of the night: what can I say he, the hubby, pees more than me and the dog is mostly black.

This huge dog will roll on his back if you scratch his belly, to which, my Big Boy gives a huge smile. The Little Man will never have a dirty face again; he is constantly letting the dog lick it. He is also not the easiest with the dog, but this will teach him where the limits are, as the dog walks away from him.

I'm a pro at injections. And today the Big Boy wanted to try and give him the shot. I was amazed by the compassion of my Big Boy, amazed that the dog allowed it to occur.

He fetches, sits, lays, and stays on command. I've put a line in the kitchen floor with tape and he knows he's not supposed to pass it. He's only jumped up on our bed once, and we immediately told him down. He follows me from room to room, but now lets us step over him rather than sitting up every time some one comes near.

The trust he has put in us is amazing. Blinding. The love he has opened up in me is refreshing. Life with toddlers is not easy, he is giving me a second perspective.

He is know in the neighborhood. Sometimes people will ask, "is that Bruno?" and I say yes, but then have to inform them of our neighbor's passing. From what I've learned about her, it sounds like she was on a seriously bad slope of dementia and the heart attack may have allowed her freedom from a scary path. I know Bruno loved her. I know she was still out and about, even if not totally "with it". I know that people are shocked to hear of her passing. I know that people think we are lucky to gain such a great dog, and tell me that he is lucky to find a home that could handle his "needs".

I needed to rediscover love. I think he is opening the door.

A week later, I'm happier than I was a week ago. And this all started by the bad habit of leaving my front door ajar during the day. And a bleeding heart that couldn't ignore a stray that walked in uninvited. What I ask for is one thing, what happens in life is another amazing event.

work related

The toy company is going well. And the stories that accompany the toys are my opportunity to try and change the world. The stories present cultural diversity, cultural inclusion and making friends even in the most unexpected circumstances.

I write the stories. I test them out on by reading early drafts to my boys. Then I test them out at pre-school. And before they publish they go to a real editor (who is awesome!!). Currently we have 2 Norman stories published, and the third that just finished with the illustrator. We have two more currently in production with other illustrators, one for Harry Hiccers - the Koala that likes to explore beyond Eucalyptus and then gets the hiccups, and one for Ben Kachoo - a hippo with allergies that lives in a swamp at the zoo, which is a explosive situation. I've already written stories two & three for Harry.

The Big Boy hears them all. He hears various versions. He hears bits and pieces before they are even complete. He gets to see the illustrations as they come in. He sees the creation process.

So this afternoon he walked up to my desk and handed me Norman Vol 2. I said "where'd this come from?"
"my room."
"don't you want a copy"
"I know it, I just want the keep hearing the new ones, the drafts"

Wow! isn't that the coolest! Someone who likes the drafting process! Someone who believes the stories will just keep coming! Someone pushing me to continue to explore Fierce Fun Zoo! Someone who knows there is more to explore at this zoo!

school notes

We get notes form our boys school on almost a daily basis. Either to notify us of upcoming trips, shows, opportunities to donate, or senior performances. Less frequently, but still regularly we receive a notice of "infection". These come in the form of,

"Dear 3's Families:

A case of conjunctivitis was reported in the 3's program ( so and so's class) today, Tuesday, June 1. The student was in school today and will be absent tomorrow.

- School Office"

These rarely give me pause for thought. Early in the year one of the kids in the Big Boys class had swine flu and everyone was in an uproar to bring in vaccinations - except me - again work in pharmaceutical industry for a while and you will start to challenge a lot of assumptions. Then there was the dreaded, but expected, someone in the Little Man's class had lice. The notes never say who, but the sitter always tells us who has been out of school; which makes me smile, because we all are going to get these things once in a while.

But today we got a goody! Notice of pinworm. I'd never heard of it. Totally new to me. I do what any mom with a lap top does, I google. This is what I found;

"

Pinworm (Enterobius vermicularis) infections are extremely common. Occurring world wide, it is estimated that there are more than 40 million cases in the United States each year, making it the most common worm infection in America. Although any individual may develop a case of pinworms, the infection occurs most frequently in school children between 5 to 10 years of age. Pinworm infections occur in all socioeconomic groups; however, human-to-human spread is favored by close, crowded living conditions. Spread among family members is common. Animals do not harbor pinworms - humans are the only natural host for this parasite.

The most common symptom of pinworms is an itchy rectal area. Symptoms are worse at night when the female worms are most active and crawl out of the anus to deposit their eggs. Although pinworm infections can be annoying, they rarely cause serious health problems and are usually not dangerous. Therapy with routine prescription medications provides an effective cure in almost all cases."

Ok, I just about died laughing and will watch to see if the boys start scratching. but at bath time, there was nothing suspicious going on, other than the question, "Mommy, why are you looking at my butt?"