I Used to Be a Dog Person

I'm not sure anyone else has gone/is going through this, but I am finding I have a love/loathe relationship with our family dog Wesson. I've compiled a list to get some of this off my chest maybe re-gain my "dog person" status.

#1. LOVE: Wesson makes me exercise. Studies have shown exercise has many positive benefits. Some include: heart disease prevention, muscle building/toning, and weight management. People who exercise also often find they are happier due to endorphins. For these I am most grateful. I have also found dog walking is a ministry tool, as most of the neighbors I meet as a result of a dog walking encounter.

#1. LOATHE: Wesson makes me exercise. Sometimes I just don't feel like walking or running our neighborhood for 30 plus minutes. The time and energy it takes to load Julianne into the proper clothing, put her in in the stroller with a snack then harness up the dog, is at times a daunting task in itself. Not to mention, it is not always nice outside! If the weather is questionable, the pack and load time increases substantially. Why not just skip the walk? Our dog has ENERGY people. Google "English Pointer" after you're done reading this and you'll discover pointers are built to run all day chasing birds and such. If we don't go he is bouncing off the walls all over the house taking out all in his path. In other words, HE DRIVES ME CRAZY! In my naiveté, I thought this was the perfect dog for marathon runners like Andrew and I. Fast forward 2 years: Andrew has all together given up the sport, we have a child, and I am struggling to meet Wesson's need for speed.

#2. LOVE: I vacuum everyday. Having a freshly vacuumed space is very warm and inviting. It looks nice when your carpet has those lines in the floor. I also would bet my carpet and floor tiles lack many of those microscopic organisms I learned about in Biology. Though my floors would not appear to be the cleanest, I'd bet germ-wise they are quite pristine. This chore is also a good way to exercise and burn some extra calories (see above for those benefits).

#2. LOATHE: I vacuum everyday. OK if I am honest, it is 5 times a week or so, but still I do this activity A LOT! Most of the time Julianne is on one hip too since I am trying to remove hair from wherever she is at any given time. This task is an endless losing battle. I could vacuum all day long and 10 minutes later, pick up my baby covered in tiny white hairs. He sheds CONSTANTLY. I had no idea this breed would be such a mess, but unfortunately I was wrong. AND IT'S NOT JUST HAIR. Anytime there is any sort of precipitation, Wesson comes in with muddy paws. Despite my best efforts to remove the mud clots, I inevitably miss some, and end up with brown paw prints all over the house. The dirt clots then dry into small pebble like choking hazards our daughter makes every effort to find and swallow. All this to say, floor cleaning occupies more of my time and energy than I'd like most days.

#3. LOVE: Wesson accompanies Julianne at mealtimes. This is very helpful in the cleanup department. She drops food here and there and he is quick to make it disappear. This saves me some time at the end of our eating experience and I appreciate that.



#3. LOATHE: Wesson accompanies Julianne at mealtimes. We have found this to be problematic for a couple of reasons. The first being her desire to feed Wesson. If I am not watching her take every bite, I will soon see she is handing Wesson a bite of her food. Sometimes he will lick on it some then she will decide she indeed would like that bite and eats it! Gross.... Secondly, she purposely throws food for him, for which we have had to end meals prematurely to avoid. No fun for any of us.

#4: LOVE: Wesson and Julianne are best buds. This is probably the only reason he is still around. That, and I have issues with giving up a dog I made a commitment to give a good life. I signed my name on the doggie adoption paper so I am in. Seriously though, they love each other. She will crawl over to him and give him kisses which he happily returns. She points and waves at him all day and he is very patient with her. Wesson could care less when Julianne gouges out his eyeballs or bites his ears. He lets her pull his tongue and toenails. They have a bond.

I'm not sure this post has converted me back to a "dog person" but it has made me feel better. Maybe slowly Wesson will grow back on me. Perhaps when all our kids are born and grown and they can take over some of the chores. Until then, I will try to keep in mind the reasons I love Wesson.

Nathalie

Team McClish

Well I put my money where my mouth is and actually did something about the fact that I miss running. A few weeks ago, with encouragement from Andrew, I signed up for the Dallas White Rock 1/2 Marathon. The race is on December 3rd and getting into 13.1 mile shape has not been easy. Part of that might be the fact that I am pushing a stroller and holding a very energetic dog during my weekday runs. Andrew stays home with Julianne on Saturday mornings for a longer run with just me and Wesson. So far we are up to 4 miles with a 5 mile run this Saturday.

Meet the team:



1. THE BOB: this is the greatest stroller on the planet. We bought it used before Julianne was born because they are also one of the most expensive strollers on the planet. Well worth it though since I don't think I could run with the baby without it.



2. THE CHEERLEADER: She is my companion and selflessly spends 30 minutes in the morning taking in the fresh air and "cheers" me on during the ride. Couldn't do it without her.....



3. THE ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER:
He may me a tan and white canine, but this dog loves to run! If we miss a day I know it because he is asking to go as soon as we get up in the morning. I love and hate this about him, but that is how it should be with any good accountability partner. He pushes me to keep going threatening to take off without us if we can't keep up.


4. HOW WE ROLL:
With leash in my left, and stroller in my right, we are finally ready to set out. I think this somehow tones my arms...not a bad side effect of the pushing.

I have to admit I am slightly intimidated by the race. Even though I have run at least 10 1/2 marathons, I have never trained alone or attempted to prepare this quickly for a race. I think as long as I keep in mind that I just want to finish it and have fun all will go well. I am really enjoying the runs even if it is a pain to get us all out the door.

Nathalie

Julianne is 6 months old!

Dear Julianne-

You are now 6 months old! I can't get over it and am LOVING this age! You are coming into your personality and you make us laugh and cry for joy daily. Your Daddy and I are simply in awe of the way God made you and are beginning to forget what life was like without you. You are so precious to us!

Here are your 6 month stats:

Height: 25.5 (50%)
Weight: 14 lbs. 9 oz. (25%...dropped here but the doctor said you have enough fat rolls to ease any cause for concern)
Head Circumference: 16 in. (10%)

Some of the highlights of this month:

1. Your first 4th of July! We took you to Daddy's hometown to visit Gran and Gramps and for some good old fashioned 4th of July fun.

There was the annual Canyon Parade and "Fair on the Square" we took part in. As you can see you slept through most of the morning festivities while Daddy ran into a lot of people he went to High School with.  

Maybe next year you will be more into it.....

Later in the day we attempted to get a picture of you in your 4th outfit.....

This one was my favorite....you looked so cute!

2. I think we already knew this, but you like to be moving constantly. This is achieved by lots of time playing on the floor, in your exersaucer, and in the jump door chair thing. It is great because Mommy can get things done in the kitchen while you play.

3. We jumped the gun and went ahead and started you on solids a couple of weeks ago. My plan was to wait until 6 months but you stopped sleeping through the night and wanted to nurse constantly so something had to give. You didn't exactly eat the sweat potatoes I made you but now you have learned to swallow and love them. You have also tried acorn and butternut squash and we are continuing to expand your pallet. Your poops are another story all together though. I have to say miss that breast milk poo you used to have that didn't stink but I know you had to grow up sometime...tear. 

4. Wesson is your BEST friend. You have known he exists for some time now but somewhere in the last few weeks he has become your entertainer, friend, and companion. Sometimes you would rather watch Wesson than Mommy or Daddy. It is really funny and sweet. The thing is he returns the sentiment exactly and is constantly by your side. Y'all have a special bond. 

That's all I got this month baby girl. I am anxious to see what happens next. 

Love, 

Mommy

June Update:

 

June will have a new family starting on Friday. A woman was immediately interested in meeting her as soon as we posted her information online. The woman is in her 50’s and wants a dog to walk with and keep her company since her husband works late. We invited her over last Saturday so we could meet her and introduce her to June. I think June liked her and we did too. Her home will be a good place for June where she will be the only dog and there won’t be any young kids around. It is sad, but honestly I am more and more affirmed this is the right decision for our family. We will miss June, but having one dog and not worrying about June’s behavior is a weight lifted. Wesson might have the hardest time of anyone though. He loves him some June.

Nathalie

4th of July in February...a "Marley and Me" Moment

Apparently Wesson wanted to throw a surprise 4th of July party for us yesterday, as I came home from work to this (please imagine the dog in the crate...in my haste to examine the mess I did not think of taking a picture):

You might be thinking...don't crates have a plastic tray type thing that separates the dog from the floor for situations such as this? The answer is yes, and we have such an item, the problem was he figured out how to move it out of his crate. You also might be thinking what caused these unfortunate results to my carpet? The Answer: 2 gel pens somehow got within reach of him. One was red, the other blue. Red+Blue+White Dog=Patriotic Dog. I think he sort of looks like one of those rocket ship shaped Popsicles that are red, white and blue...thoughts?

As you can see he was still licking his chops hours post ingestion....he threw up moments after this was taken. I think he felt better...but wasn't sorry in the least.

Here is another view of the marble effect he was able to achieve on his fur....

Another shot...and amazingly I was able to remove the stain. That Oxyclean stuff is amazing! I did have to scrub for 30 mins though. You will also be surprise to know, if you know me at all, that I did not freak out about my lost gel pens, carpet stains, or tri-colored pet. Nope...I busted out laughing as soon as I saw him and am still giggling about it. I suppose owning dogs is teaching me something about patience. I called Andrew and told him we had a "Marley and Me" situation and then explained. He laughed too and it was way more fun than getting upset about it. I hope you are equally as entertained.

Nathalie

Pat's Granola

I made some homemade granola this weekend and thought I would share. The recipe comes from my mother-in-law Pat McClish and is quite tasty. I started making granola after reading that boxed cereal is really not very good for you. Apparently it must endure quite the unnatural process to become a puff, flake, or what have you. I am not saying I won't ever eat cereal again or anything, just wanted to make an effort to minimize the amounts since up until December, I ate it almost every morning of my life.

Pat's Granola

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 c water

4 tsp vanilla

8 C oats

Assorted nuts and dried fruit to taste (I like pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, cranberries and dried cherries) I just keep adding until I feel like there are enough there...for me that is is A LOT

Measure out 8 C of oats and nuts to taste and put in a large bowl.

Then, mix brown sugar and water on stove until just begins to boil....stir often. Once it gets to the almost boiled state, remove from heat and let it cool. This is important as if you add to the oats when hot you get oatmeal...I found this out the hard way.

Preheat oven to 275

Add vanilla to sugar mixture when cool, then pour onto oat/nut mixture and stir until oats and nuts are coated

Pour onto 2 greased cake pans or cookie sheets with sides and spread all around

(I do not have pic of this...turns out I am not a great food blogger)

Instead I take pictures of my cooking helper...not that he really helps me cook...that would be gross but he does keep me company.

Bake at 275 for 45 mins. stirring every 15 mins. Your house will have a lovely smell as this is happening.

Remove from oven and cool...add dried fruit and enjoy!

I like mine on yogurt and this lasts me almost a month so it is economical too:)

Nathalie

Snowed in....

I figured I would join the thousand other Dallas area bloggers out there and discuss the recent, record breaking snow storm we've had. Now I grew up in Colorado, and have never considered the light dusting of snow once a year in Texas anything special. However, this storm puts some of our Colorado snows to shame. It snowed all day yesterday and when we got home from work there was at least 6 inches of snow on our lawn. Andrew and I played in it for an hour like two little kids. We threw snowballs, wrestled with the dogs...it was great fun.

This morning was another adventure entirely....

First, I awoke when it was still dark out feeling a little colder than usual. I turned to check the time and the clock was black. Still half asleep I got up to use the bathroom and realized when the light wouldn't come on our power was out! Not to worry I thought...our heater is gas.... I got back in bed. An hour later we were up...still no power. Andrew then informed me that our heater does indeed need electricity to run even though it is gas. Darn! I elected to take a shower since hot water was a luxury we still had. It wasn't until I got out that I realized my hair dryer would not be working without electricity. Shoot I thought...not only will I now be colder with a wet head, but my hair is going to look terrible today! With nothing I could do about it I brushed it out, put on about 4 shirts, extra socks and a scarf and thought what to do next. Andrew and I had both brought work home with us, but without power we could not get online to access it. Too bad right? So...our next thought was breakfast. Hot coffee and pancakes sounded perfect, but how can one cook on an electric stove without electricity? Not to worry...said Andrew..he would make pancakes on the grill! Thank goodness grill manufacturers include skillets on grills these days for emergencies such as this! And....those pancakes were SOOOO good! Coffee on the other hand I passed on, while Andrew made himself some instant (warmed the tea kettle on the grill). My man is resourceful! It was such a fun little morning! We ended up going into work after breakfast since the roads were clear and our house was so cold. Hopefully the power is back on soon! Enjoy the pictures....

Nathalie