Benji's Reprieve

I sat on the living room couch picked up my computer to check my bank account and start paying the bills. First of all I really DON'T look forward to this day, and second of all I especially don't look forward to this day when I get a whiff of dog pee in my LIVING ROOM! I turned around and walked right over to the spot by the piano and sure enough it was WET AGAIN.

I got on the phone and called my friend..."I'm serious this time, I am saying goodbye to Benji once and for all. I can't take this anymore!" To which she replied, "Oh, Adriane, I told you so...you shouldn't have gotten that dog." We continued to discuss the possibilities of Benji's future. The humane society, Nana's farm, cousin Isaac's new dog, free cycle dog, craig's list dog. 

I went ahead and paid the bills and put Benji outside for the moment. I took some deep breaths and went on with my day for there was still MUCH to be done of the daily grind, regardless of Benji and his pee issues.

During the next four hours, I was still pondering ways to tell the girls that Benji was gone. He "ran away," or  "we took him to a new home." But...in the middle of my thoughts the phone rang and it was my sister Olivia.

Olivia: Adriane, Raula died.

Adriane: What? You've had that snake (boa constrictor) for so long what happened?

Olivia: Well, last Tuesday I called mom and told her that Raula died, but I was just kidding, then on Thursday I got home from teaching and I saw Raula in her terrarium upside down. So I picked her up and put her on the floor and she started to slither very slowly. I decided to then put her back in the terrarium and put the heating lamp on, because I thought she might be cold.

Adriane: Seriously? Oh, no.

Olivia: Today after school I saw her upside down again so I thought to myself, I should really take her to the vet to see what is the matter. So, I took her to the vet and he put her on the table and examined her. The vet then told me that Raula was dying either from kidney failure or cancer and that the most humane (animane) thing to do would be to put her to sleep, because she was in a LOT of pain. I asked the vet how much that would cost and he said $100. He then gave me options and said I could take her home and let her die slowly, but that it would be a very painful death for her and really, again the most humane choice would be to give her a shot and put her to sleep. At that moment the little snake lifted her head and turned and looked at me, oh and Adriane I speak parcel tongue.

Adriane: What is parcel tongue?

Olivia: It's from Harry Potter, it's the snake language.

Adriane: Seriously?

Olivia: Seriously, (laughter) but no....really the little snake really did lift her head right at that moment as if to say, "PLEASE PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY!" 

Adriane: Oh. My. Word.

Olivia: Yes, so then I thought about it and I decided. Raula has given me many good years of scaring lots of teachers and she has been a GREAT classroom pet for ALL of the behavioral special ed. kids so the least I can do for her is to give her a peaceful death. I then told the vet that I would like for her to be put to sleep. At that moment the nurse technician came in and asked me if I would like to bury Raula at home or if I would like her remains and I told her that I would like neither of these options. So, I said my last goodbyes to Raula and left.

Adriane: Oh. My. Word. (sniffle) Did you cry?

Olivia: I actually did. Oh, and mom said that I wasted $100 and that I should have just gotten a machete and chopped her head off and make a stuffed snake head and mounted it on a piece of wood.

Adriane: She. Did. Not. Say. That!

Olivia:  Yes, she did...to which I replied..."Mom, when Teddy (her brown poodle) dies would you have a poddle purse made out of it?" Laughter, laughing, laughing.

Adriane: Oh. My. Word.

As I hung up the phone I was wiping tears from my eyes. Not that I was close to Raula the snake, but that it was just the thought of this living animal, this living thing that was a part of my sisters daily life gone...and just how tenuous life is in general.

I sat down in the living room again and started smelling the strong dog pee smell (which I'm still irate about), but I feel differently. I mean, regardless of the pee bit Benji is a REALLY good dog and Eliza loves him and the girls do play with him and...well...I just need to figure this out for the sake of my girls.

I think I am about ready to call the dog whisperer because obviously I haven't learned how to speak dog yet, but I'm sure I can learn. Benji really has been a "background to our lives" and not just something I can get rid of when he makes a mistake. I'm pretty sure it's me making the mistakes.

My dad told me last week when he was here, "DOG is GOD spelled backwards you know why?" to which I replied, "No, why?" "Well, because if you think about it, dogs have all the same attributes as God. Hmmm...yes, that's mostly true, except for the fact that Benji pees on my piano and I know that God would not do that. But, I have had a talk with God about the Dog and well...I'll be keeping Benji until that sad day when my vet tells me I should put him out of his misery.

P.S. Raula used to be Raul until my sister Olivia took him to the vet and told her it was a girl. 

Popcorn Tooth

So, Friday Julia was eating popcorn. She wasn't just eating one little piece at a time, but pretty much stuffing it down her mouth. "Mom!" she yelled, "I've got a popcorn something stuck in my gums!" She then proceeded to cry and whine and moan. I explained to her that she probably had a piece of popcorn kernel stuck in her gums and that I would need some dental floss to get it out.

So, I got the floss and I worked for about 10 minutes trying to get the tiny morsel unstuck from the tiny tooth. I worked the floss up and down and in between and at some point she said, "Mom, I think you got it!"

On we went through the weekend doing weekend things, playing soccer etc. But...I must say I noticed her tooth today and her gums all around that tooth were inflamed and red. In my mind there was a conversation going on in my head, it sounded something like this:

"Mmmmm....the gums around that tooth look pretty bad, should I call the dentist? If I go in there and nothing is wrong I'm going to feel like an idiot and waste time and money, BUT if I don't go in there and there is something wrong, I will be happy that I went in and it won't have wasted time and money...and if I don't do anything about the tooth it could abscess and she could get brain damage....mmmmm....what to do, what to do...well, I'll wait a bit and see if it passes....(an hour later)well...what the heck I'm going to take a chance and just call and get an appointment."

So I called, 2:00 p.m. was the first opening they had. Now mind you, this dentist office is sort of like Chuck' e Cheese on crack. The kids love it, and all the parents looked stoned. We got there and I started playing a video game. The nurse came out and called for Julia about 3 times and none of us could hear her, because literally it's like your senses are being assaulted when you enter the waiting room. So, we walk back to the back and I'm immediately nervous. In my head I'm thinking, "I hope nothing is wrong, but I kind of hope something IS, so it's not for naught."

Dr. Will (who I love) came over to the chair and I explained the entire ordeal. I had to tell him twice that this was a "peace of mind" appointment. (I don't want him thinking I'm some weird overprotective mother) and he nods his head with agreement and said, "Let's check it out!"

At this point (all of you mothers out there can agree with me on this one), I felt a bit vulnerable.  Whenever I have a "peace of mind" check-up because I'm not sure that I'm there for the right reasons or not. So, my heart was sort of pounding and I watched.

He got his little utensil mirror and all of a sudden he said, "A ha! There it is!" He then grabbed his poky tool and carved onto Julia's little gum for a minute and pulled out a HUGE popcorn kernel! I was elated. My appointment had NOT been in vain and it's going to be a while before she eats popcorn again!

Eliza's Baptism

Last Sunday my little Eliza was baptized by her daddy. It was a beautiful evening with Grandmas and Grandpas and lots of ward family members. We felt very loved and supported by all of the good friends that we have here and we could not have done it without them. So, thank you so much for coming and being there with Eliza on her special day! Below are the photos! We love you Eliza!!!

Christmas 2010 Pictures

So, this was our last minute photo shoot for our Christmas pictures. The photo seen on the right was the final family photo, but I thought these ones were really cute of the girls....Merry Belated Christmas!