The Case of the Missing Zip-Loc Bag

Rush, rush, rush. From 5:30 AM to 9:00 PM, we're on the go. Not much down time these days. Occasionally, I remember to pull some kind of protein out of the freezer for dinner. Yesterday morning I was actually on my game, I was able to remember to grab a bag out of the freezer and have a tentative game plan for dinner. I always leave the protein on the counter during the day to thaw (it takes all day to thaw because it comes from our deep freezer).

Half way through the day, I remembered Child #1 had a basketball game. 5:00 PM rolls around and I'm running late coming home from work. Thank God, the coach volunteered to take my daughter to the game that started at 5:15 PM (In the past, I might have shown up almost late to a few games. I was never technically late because I always made game time). So I rushed home to pick up Child #2 and #3, running inside to use the home facilities I realized that the protein was on the counter, making a mental note to put that in the refrigerator. Then we rushed to the game. We were only 3 minutes late to game time. See I'm almost always on time.

The score was 5 to 0, we were losing. Child #1's team was playing the hardest team in the league. Within the next two minutes, we pulled ahead 6 to 5. We actually had a chance. This was so awesome. The girls and I were cheering, it was an intense game. Coaches screaming, crowd grumbling about fouls and missed fouls, players were getting rough. It was the best game ever. Between the time outs, the fouls (one of our girls fouled out), and the ball going out of bounds, the last quarter took 25 minutes.


Last Quarter we took the lead:


Child #1 scored 2 pts and got a 2 pt foul, she scored 1 of the free-throws
18 to 14
22 to 14
One of our girls just fouled out (uh-oh)
22 to 20
22 to 22
3 minutes to go
22 to 24
They took the lead
The other team 2 pt free-throw 
22 to 26
Tons of steals and break-aways but no scores
One of our girls gets 2 free-throws, makes 1 point
23 to 26
Last twenty seconds, we try for a three-pointer.
We missed

What an awesome game! I was so proud of the team. They played their hearts out. It was so much fun for the parents too.

After the adrenaline rush, we stopped at Cousins to get subs. Then headed to the grocery store. We were out of bread and apples for school lunches. Though I provide the choice of hot lunch at school, Child #2 and #3 prefer making cold lunches. Yay, we are saving money.

Finally we're home. We rush around to get ready for the next day and it occurs to me I need to put that protein away. I completely forgot. Oh well. I look on the counter and it's gone. I ask the girls if they threw it away or moved it. Shoulders shrug, puzzled looks appear, and replies of no are said. I check the refrigerator. Maybe in all my rushing around, I forgot I put it in the frig. Nope. Literally, there is no evidence of package or of meat (it was ground up venison meat packaged in a freezer zip loc bag). No bag, no pieces of meat anywhere to be found. It was literally a mystery.

Then it occurred to me to check the dog cage. We found the evidence. The dog ate a half a pound of nicely thawed raw meat. Wow! Child #2 even fed her dog food before we left for the game.

She never touched the meat all day. Yep. She was mad we left. It was a break from routine. We have a very crazy dog or a dog that acts like our 4th child. She is good during the day when we are away, but expects someone to be home with her in the evening (which we normally are). Even though, Child #2 and #3 played with her for an hour before we left for the game. Any break from routine and she needs prozac. Oh well. So far she hasn't gotten sick, but she hasn't eaten anything since either. We'll see how today goes.

Results: It Only Took Two Hits

Challenge
Out-of-control puppy has turned several corners in a matter of two hits. Treating, yelling, smacking, or training the puppy hasn't really worked with her constant need to bolt across the road (she likes to socialize with the neighbor dog) if she happens to slip out of a small hand or get off her leash (she is one fast runner). Her luck is going to run out soon or later. As I've informed all the children that belong to me, I will not be replacing any dead puppies. The chances of not getting hit by a car get smaller by the day.

Solution
So my solution to increase puppy years and warn off several brokenhearted children...drum roll...the 
PetSafe Wireless Fence.


 
Results
What an amazing little contraption. After setting the transmitter circle, flagging the boundaries and attaching the receiver to the puppy, we tested out the experiment. Per instructions, you are supposed to train your dog with the transmitter turned off what the flagged boundary means. Well Freckles wasn't quite understanding what we were doing. Like a dog is supposed to understand what a flag means. Really? 

We went to plan B. Let's turn it on and see what happens. It doesn't take a scientist to figure out what happened. Of course, as soon as she knew we didn't have a hold on her, yep you guessed it, straight for the road. This time the transmitter was on and the receiver collar was secured. I've never seen the behavior of a dog getting shocked before. Maybe a little traumatic for the children, but I would have to say ultimately traumatic for the puppy (borderline torturous).

Needless to say she whined, cried all the way back to the front door. She didn't want to come out, but we had to encourage her outside with treats (there was no way I was going to have a dog too scared to go potty outside). So we continued to walk the flagged boundary. As soon as we reached the backyard, she thought she outsmarted us. Freckles ran for the border to our next door neighbors yard.

In a matter of two hits, we have a completely different dog-mellow, obedient, walks next to you kind of dog. At least this is after one day. She was so wiped out she slept the rest of the evening away most of the time on or near Child #1. Only time will tell how clever she becomes in her prison break techniques. Until then, we are enjoying the calm.

Have a great weekend!

Bottomless Pit

I'm not sure this puppy is going to make it to one years old. When you put a rambunctious, energetic, non-stop gnawing-chomping-chewing puppy together with absentminded children that leave anything and everything laying around, basically you get a reduction in puppy years.

 As you can see, she is very cute, adorable and innocent. The Handyman has taken it upon himself to loosen the restrictions of where the puppy can go by taking the baby gates down.This hasn't helped the situation since she now has access to more stuff. She loves pencils not exactly sure how many she has consumed, lead and all. It must be a wood thing because she devours sticks, pine cones and occasionally she gnaws on the bottom edge of the cabinets (weird). I am going to change her dog food as soon as I run out of the current bag. Supposedly this will help with the wood issue.