All I Want For Christmas...

     As some of you may know, Matthew and I are expecting a baby in June of next year. Everyone is very excited about this but the little ones are really taking advantage of my bouts of pregnancy related woes. By little ones I do not mean the children. I mean our four-legged children. This would be Bella and Suzie. I am not sure what has gotten into either of them lately, but they are absolute terrors; both of them. My animals realize there is something not quite the same with Mommy and they are using every lacking ounce of energy I have to get into trouble and wreak havoc in this house. My wonderful husband is lucky enough, lately anyway, to be on the road during the week so he misses most of the drama. He comes home and both of these little shits act like they are innocent little angels. It annoys me to no end!!! I started taking pictures and texting them over to him so he can see the spoiled creatures in action and he wouldn't think I belong in a looney bin.

     I understand children act out when there is a major change in their lives and a new baby can bring on some stress and uncertainty but our two-legged kids are thrilled. They are quite helpful, compassionate and understanding when I am having a hard day. Sean and Brie are both very happy and excited to meet their new little brother or sister next summer, but these animals think they can run me over like a Mack truck when I am having a bad day. My new-found exhaustion and morning sickness is giving our four-legged children the notion that they can run hog wild and do whatever they please.

     Suzie has taken to actually knocking the garbage over and inspecting it for herself on a pretty regular basis. This cat is around seven years old and has never done this before. She manages to get her plump little rump on top of the dryer and dives head first into the garbage. I was not sure who the true culprit was; she or Bella, but the other morning I came downstairs for a drink around 4 AM and there she was, my fat little butterball of a cat walking out of the laundry room batting around an empty yogurt container. She proceeded to put one paw inside while holding it steady with the other one and started licking the yogurt from her paw. I could not believe my eyes. I stood there stunned because I had been blaming Bella for weeks. I kept reminding the kids to shut the laundry room door so the dog would not get into the garbage while we were sleeping. It did not occur to me that it really could not have been the dog. Bella sleeps upstairs in our bedroom and I would hear her get up and go downstairs. My Prego brain just did not register that fact.

     The dog is not innocent though, by any definition or term.  She has decided that it is her right to lick the kitchen island as she pleases, steal food if it is something that she wants and again, started sticking her whole big head in the freezer to get her ice cubes. She is supposed to wait for us to throw the ice cube to her like a regular treat but has decided she will get her own. This is so gross! I do not want dog drool on my ice cubes. We have to be careful that we block her way when we open the freezer. Twice in the past week I have had my hand slammed in the freezer by Brie who is aware of this problem and is "helping" me get the ice really fast to keep Bella's head out of the icebox. All I can say is "Damn Dog"!!! Now I really need ice for my hand not my water!!!

     I have resorted to Time-Out for the animals, as we used to mediate to the kids. Sean actually had a little time-out chair when he was small and Brianna used her little recliner. The rule is one minute for each year of the child. Suzie gets seven minutes and Bella gets five. I know the dog is not five but it is just not fair that the little hellion gets less time than the cat when she gets into more trouble than the cat. Both of them ended up in time-out recently because, again, I think they were working as a team to throw off me and the kids so they could hijack dinner leftovers. I had made baked chicken, potatoes and corn. It was a very simple, tasty meal that the kids enjoy. We were finishing up dinner when the two predators starting circling. First we heard the baking dish scraping across the island in the kitchen so I immediately got up and peeked around the corner to see Bella licking the side of the dish and using one paw to try and push it towards the end of the counter. I guess she figured I would not hear Pyrex hit the floor. My dog is not very quiet when she is confiscating food. I screamed "Bella get the hell away from that counter right now!" She was so busy trying to accomplish her task that she had not noticed me coming. Startled, she took off for the living room and jumped up on the couch, "sitting ladylike" as if she did not know why I yelled at her. In the meantime, her partner in crime had gone into the dining room and was busy swiping chicken off of Sean's plate while he was cleaning up the counters in the kitchen. Brie was beside herself giggling up a storm watching the cat across the table from her steal the chicken right off of Sean's plate.

     To say I am fed up with these two little monsters is an understatement.  Thank goodness for winter coats for dogs because Bella is just too large to put into a cage or crate. Her punishment is to go outside on her chain for five minutes. Now you say, "Hmmm, outside on her chain for five minutes is a punishment?"  It is because this Prima Donna of a Pooch hates the winter weather in New England. I have never seen a dog pee so fast in my life. In the cold weather she goes no further than the side of the front porch. She squats, pees and dives right back to the door barking to come in. Five minutes to her is like two hours for another dog. By the time her five minutes are up, she is literally howling like a coyote and scratching at the door as if the Hounds of Hell were after her. Anyone driving by would think someone is trying to kill her. It is so embarrassing. She is such a big baby!!! Mind you, I do not put her out with no protection from the elements. She wears her fleece coat for these time-outs. I am strict but I am not cruel.

     The other problem child is not so lucky. She avoids the cold but her time-out is more confining and a wee bit longer. The trick is to catch the feline to get her into her time-out. We still have Bella's crate that she was sent to us in from her first Mom. It is where the cat gets to spend seven minutes whenever she acts up. She is not as loud as Bella but if you get close to her while she is in there, you would think she is a rabid squirrel. She tries to bite you through the cage! It is funny because she cannot get her head out to do so but tries her darndest to get your finger. I make sure Brie is not bothering her when she is in there because it is not nice for the two-legged child to tease the four-legged child when she has done something wrong. I also know this cat will get revenge on Brie if she irritates her too much. Once Suzie gets off of her punishment she bolts upstairs and we do not see her for the remainder of the day. It is her way of protesting, I suppose.

     Even though I have put the hammer down on these two little troublemakers, I do not see an end in sight. No matter how many times I try to correct their behavior, they continue it. Bella has gotten to the point over the last few weeks that if we do not give her table food she refuses to eat her dog food. She gets hamburg mixed with honey and garlic salt in her dog food every day. To turn her nose up at cooked hamburg is really making a statement. I swear she is protesting via hunger strike. This is her new thing. I do not like having my hand forced so she better start getting the picture that I am the boss or she is going to be one of those anorexic looking dogs you see on TV. Trust me, she is not starving but she refuses to eat so the kids and my husband feel bad for her and keep giving her table food. I cannot break her bad habits if I have no support from the rest of the family. Do they not understand they are reinforcing her poor behavior?

     She is the most stubborn spoiled dog I have ever known. I have to get back to my child right now though, because she is laying here barking at me from over on the couch and I cannot think straight, let alone try typing with no errors! The kids just went upstairs after having their snacks for bed. She is letting me know that she wants a snack too. I was thinking tonight I may have a Granny Smith apple sliced up and dipped in peanut butter. Looks like Bella is having the same thing....well I cannot let her simply starve. I guess if you can't beat'em then you give in. That seems to be the popular vote around here anyway where the Big Blue Dane is concerned. All I want for Christmas is two well behaved animals! I have a better chance of getting a new SUV at this point. Goodnight all. Baby George is getting restless, Mommy is getting hungry and sleepy, and Bella is getting angry as usual.

Check back soon to see how the troublemakers are doing. If I cannot manage another post between now and Christmas, everyone have a wonderful holiday!!!

Merry Christmas from the George Family and the Big Blue Dane!!! 

She Is Very Put Out Tonight

It amazes me sometimes just how spoiled my big blue baby is. Last night Brianna had a sleep over with her two little sisters. Their parents had a trip to go on so I offered to take the girls.The girls are five and two. I babysat for them last year for a short period and Bella got very used to having three little ones to play with instead of just Brie.  Needless to say, Bella was in her glory.

This dog believes she is one of the girls! She insists on coming outside to run around the yard with them, she tries to steal whatever object they are playing with because Keep Away is by far her favorite past time and of course lying in the grass cloud-surfing just like a kid, imagining what the clouds look like. Yesterday we found a T-rex, a frisbee, a volcano and a boat. I wonder what Bella was imaging them to be; maybe a big chew toy or pig ear?

Dinner went well except for the fact Rori, the youngest child is too small to fit in the dining room chairs so we dragged Brianna's kid-size recliner into the kitchen and made do with that. The older two sat at the island in the swivel bar stools and we used the two empty ones to cage off Miss Bella so she could not steal any of their goodies. Try as we might we could not have a conversation or discuss our movie options for the evening because Bella was irate being stuck behind the chairs and a baby gate for food safety. She carried on the entire time telling us why she should be part of the gathering in the kitchen. I am sure if she could actually speak English, she had some valid arguments. The girls were giggling so hard due to Bella's awful behavior, that they were actually dropping bits of food before it reached their mouth.  This caused quite a kick for the youngest and she laughed so hard she spilled her drink right on the floor.

Bella was all set for cleanup duty at that point. It does not help that Suzie will come and sit at the far end of the island while we are eating so she can gauge the quickest scoop-and-run retreat. It makes me feel bad for Bella but not bad enough to let her into the kitchen. Once the cat got up on the island, out of my swatting reach mind you, the dog lost it. The kids were hysterical and started making Bella noises. While I was wiping the floor and the girls were content being mini-Bella superfans, Suzie swooped in stealth-like and went right for the easiest prey at the table; Gabi lost two pieces of ham right off her plate.  "Damn that CAT To Hell!!!"  The cat did a quick grab with one paw, scooped and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. By the time we were getting ready to clean up there were tears streaming down my face because I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe and it really hurt. Chest pains at 42 years old are no laughing matter. Often they lead to my paranoid worrying and a mini-panic attack. For the record -- that really sucks!

Once the dinner festivities came to a close, each child took a bath and then it was movie time. We settled on Toy Story 3. I happened to be the only one that had not seen it so each of them took turns letting me know what would be coming up next. I gave up 20 minutes into it and just resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be well-versed on the next scene, and the next, and the next... Bella was getting upset the entire time. At night she curls up on the couch with me and goes to sleep or if I am working on the computer, she lays at my feet at the desk. Tonight I was scrunched in the corner of the couch, Brie, Rori and Gabi next to me consecutively - then Bella was stuck on the other side of the sectional and kept trying throughout the movie to fit between each of us systematically until she made it to me and Brie. After being told to stay on the floor repeatedly and sent out of the living room to go lay on a blanket in the hallway; truly shunned, she came up with a new strategy. She began to whine like the poorest lost soul you could ever imagine. Brie said, "Mommy Bella is crying. Can she come back and lay in here on the floor?" So I said "Sure" and went to get the pathetic faker. I swear that dog was smirking when I brought her back into the living room.

The content demeanor of the dog only lasted until she figured out she still was not sitting with Mama. Barking ensued; loud, loud, nail biting, ear splitting barking ensued. Brianna is used to this and just cranks the volume on the TV. Gabi and Rori were not sure what to make of this stubborn pooch. Rori's solution was to scream at this 100 lb monster of a pissed off dog "SHUT UP BELLA! I WATCHING WOODY AND BUZZ!" This coming from a two year old was probably the funniest thing I have heard in a very long time. It actually shocked the dog into being quiet for about two minutes.

By the time the movie was over Bella was staring at me with a look of pure anger in her eyes. If she ever considered biting me seriously instead of a love nip as I usually get here and there, I would have been dog-meat for sure. Her anger was directed right at me. She knew the girls were not to blame for her banishment to the floor but it was me. The girls decided to sleep downstairs, pretty much where they were during the movie. We got pillows and blankets and they settled in for a bedtime story before going to sleep. Bella finally dozed off while I was reading to the girls. I tucked them all in and went to work on my computer. Bella decided to get up on the couch but wanted the spot Rori was fast asleep in because it is the center of the sectional and she always sleeps there. I guess she was too mad at me to lay at my feet while I worked.

She was slowly belly crawling her way to the sleeping child to figure a way to recoup her favorite spot on the couch. I banished her to the floor again with a bribe, I mean treat. She was pretty tired by then and after a few pulls on the collar to remove her from the couch, I got her to stay on the floor after I went and got her bed upstairs. When I finally was ready to catch some sleep, I curled up on the far end of the couch and Bella refused to give in this time. I let her up on the couch and something funny occurred to me. This dog thinks she is really and truly one of the kids. Whatever Brie is doing she wants to be doing too, whatever we are eating she wants some too, whatever family time we are sharing, she parks herself right on the couch with us or out in the yard with us depending what we are doing for the day and whenever we have company, she wants to be part of the fun too. I think tonight I hurt my dog's feelings. I made her feel like she was not part of the family. Shame on me.

She really is one of my kids. Just because she has four legs instead of two, a long tail that will leave a mark like you just got snapped with a wet towel, has terrible table manners, and she cannot speak human, she is as much a family member as any of the rest of us are. I guess I may need to reconsider her rights next time we have a sleepover. Maybe we can arrange ourselves around the big blue dog instead of the dog rearranging her habits around us.

Something to ponder...

THE LOVE OF A CHILD AND HER DOG!

     This is one of those times when I really appreciate life and the gifts I have been given. My husband and I just made a trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for a very special appointment. 16 years ago I gave birth to the most amazing wonderful young man on the planet; our son Sean.  Then about two years ago we were blessed with the gift of Guardianship of our niece Brianna who is now our daughter in every way that matters to the heart. She is a gift from above and that spunky little free spirit makes it apparent why being a Mom is the greatest job you could have.  This little girl owns a place in my heart where no one could ever reach before; except for Sean. Even though I did not conceive, carry and give birth to Brie she is mine in every sense, and I could not be a more proud happy blessed woman to be raising this wonderful child who teaches me new things about life everyday.

     Which brings me to my latest post: As I mentioned, Matthew and I went to North Carolina to have an operation which will make it possible for us to grow our wonderful family even more; I had a tubal reversal!  Right now I am in full recovery mode. I had my surgery on Wednesday, June 26th at 9:30 am and from that moment forward we have a new view of our future. As excited as my husband I, and Sean are, Brianna is even more so. She is so excited to be a big sister some time in the future...sooner than later we are hoping - I am no spring chicken.  All went well and we can start working on our new addition in the next few weeks. Brianna is working on containing her excitement but today I witnessed just how excited she is about having a new baby someday.  She was sitting on the couch with her Bella. Notice I said, "her Bella"...Somehow since Brie has found comfort and security in her new life with us, Bella has become her dog and I am Bella's keeper. Bella  watches over this little girl without fail. She makes sure she is always in the same room with her. When Brie is watching TV, Bella is in her lap on the couch instead of mine, when she is playing on the floor; maybe a board game or playing cards with me; Bella is curled up behind her or laying next to her all sprawled out but is careful not to interfere in our play. She is a gentle soul with Brianna but only with Brie. I think she understands because Brie is so small, she has to tread with care. When Bella and I go to bed at night I check on Brie sleeping and Bella always has to come with me. If I put her in her pen before I go check on Brie, Bella will whine and carry on until I let her come along. It is her duty to make sure Brie is safe and sound in dreamland. 

     This afternoon Brie was telling Bella without realizing that I could hear her, how happy she was that she would be a big sister again. She has two younger siblings with her Dad and his wife; they are all beautiful little dolls. I think it is so adorable how there is one of each - the smallest is a cute little red head, the middle child is a little peanut with Snow White-worthy black silky hair and Brie is an adorable little Goldilocks curly blonde! The compliments Sean and Miranda must get when they go out as a family must be numerous.  Three smiling little cherubs. Bella loves to hang out with the girls when they come over to visit. But Brie is her kid!  This dog is in love with this child as much as I am.  It is the fire and spirit she gives off just walking in a room! Bella thrives on playing with Brianna because you never know what sort of mischief they are going to find.  I have come into the living room where I only left five minutes prior to find big forts with blankets and pillows where all I can see is little feet and a tail peaking out from under the camp and I can hear Brianna telling Bella "Pay attention, I am trying to read you a story that Mom read to me"  It is so heartwarming to see a little girl so in love with her dog!  What a beautiful relationship and bond they have.  They also wear capes and necklaces around the house at times. Bella is a great dress-up partner. She will even let Brie put socks on her paws - it is so cute!
   
     As terrible as Bella can be to Suzie our cat, is as wonderful as she is to Brie. It is a tradeoff I accept.  Bella is learning to leave the cat alone and I know there has been progress because as I type this Bella and Suzie are curled up together on the couch sleeping like angels. I am sure when Bella wakes up and realizes how close the cat is she will nudge her or smack her with a paw but it comforts me to see the cat is not at all afraid of our giant baby Bella.  She loves her as we do and just humors her by going along for the chase. 
   
     This afternoon Brianna was telling Bella about the future baby; God Willing of course. I am not taking for granted that it is not 100% guaranteed but if positive prayer and thought have anything to do with it we are heading in the right direction. Brie was telling Bella that she is helping me pick out names for the babies and that she hopes we have one of each; a boy and a girl at the same time. She told Bella that is what Dad wants; two at a time but he wants "four of them". Then she was telling her that is why we went and looked at new cars.  She talks to Bella as if she is talking to one of her little friends and it is really sweet how Bella appears to be listening. She looks at Brie while she is talking, she puts her head on her lap, looks up, puts her paw in her hand, etc. It is as if they are really communicating!  Brie also told Bella that they should tell me they want to go in the hot tub again.  A couple of weeks ago we had a heat wave and I let the girls go in the hot tub with cold water and no jets to cool off. Bella did not actually get in but she cooled herself off and helped herself to a few licks off the faucet.  Brianna had an absolute blast with her dog and we captured it all on video. Today Brie asked me if she and Bella could watch their video from the hot tub.  I said sure. So me and my girls sat on the couch and looked at how much fun we have when it is too hot to play outside. A child's giggle is the most amazing sound in the world and I can still remember that tinkling magical sound from Sean when he was small and used to love watching Blues Clues.  Brie has that very same giggle but it is usually brought on by her beloved companion!

     Sometimes I just close my eyes and wonder how my life turned out so perfect. I sure as hell am not perfect but I have given up on asking myself why and "How do I deserve all of this?" and I now say "Thank you". Then I look over and gaze on my beautiful baby Bella and baby Brianna and know all is right in this crazy world. Throw in my husband, our son, our family and friends and how could it get any better?? Only the pitter patter of one, two, three or four little sets of feet chasing after a Big Blue Dane and Fat Little Cat named Suzie with a big sister chasing behind saying "Be careful and slow down. There is no running in this house"...My little mini-me or I could say mini-mommy to be:) 

CAN SHE DO IT!!!!!!!!

     It has been quite some time since Bella and I have sat down to write a post.  She says "Hello" by the way to everyone interested in hearing about her daily adventures.  I had resigned myself to the fate of having a 100+ pound dog sleeping with us until we are old and grey.  Bella is incapable of accepting that she is a dog.  This is based on irrefutable evidence.  She thinks she is one of our kids!

     If she doesn't like a rule; she breaks it with ne're a care of consequences.  She gets irritable if she doesn't get her snack - like Brie if she loses track of time before bed and does not have her favorite ice cream or some other delectable dessert.  Bella becomes irate if I don't take her for a walk or I leave her home when it rains. This is like Brie if it is raining outside and she can't go to the park.  If Bella is mad about something and doesn't get her way, she tortures our cat to get my attention.  Poor Suzie has been lying on the floor and Bella has gone over and put the cat's whole head in her mouth or just squished her to the floor with one big foot while the cat flails around helplessly.  This is just to piss me off!  Brianna will go punch Sean or throw something at him when she's angry.  They are two peas in a pod.  Scary Mary and Scary Mary Mini. Bella pouts if I change Animal Planet while she's watching one of her favorite programs - "Cat From Hell" or "Dog Whisperer".  This is equivalent to changing "Phineas and Ferb" or "Looney Tunes" on Brianna.  Bella will sit on the couch, throw her head back and howl at me until I either shut off what I am watching or put the channel back where she wanted it.  I kid you not, this dog watches television!  Brianna simply hides the remote after putting her channel back on so I cannot change it.  If I were more Tech savvy I may be able to fix this issue, but unfortunately, I am not. This results in no one watching TV at all.  I do know where the power button is without the remote.  When Bella figures out how to hide the remote, I'm really going to be in trouble.  She's already buried my phone in the yard.

     We have decided that once we become pregnant, the dog can no longer sleep with us.  We are not there yet, but working diligently to increase our happy nest.  We have to make sure the dog is settled into her new digs before a baby bundle arrives; God Willing...

     My husband and I are very good to our animals.  However, I treat them like our children.  If I get kicked in the stomach while carrying a baby, it is not only going to be quite painful but dangerous for our new little one-to-be so I cannot take the risk at the expense of my dog's feelings.  There are some boundaries when it comes to safety.  I am not totally delusional about the risks with a 100+ pound pup.  I had seen a really cute futon bed at Walmart that I thought would be great for Bella.  I decided we could put it at the foot of our bed inside her pen and she would be comfy cozy but not right on the bed.  I guess I hadn't considered the dimensions of the dog pen or that of the futon.

     We went to look this weekend and my husband says "Really!! Not gonna work".  I asked what the problem was and he asked me if I knew what math was.  I said, I thought it would fit and he said "That's the problem, you thought.   Dammit!!!  I want my bed back and I hate it when my husband is right. He is so rude!! I'm so tired of waking up with unexplained bumps and bruises from a dog, but  as usual Matthew's common sense supersedes my unrealistic visions.  We went to the pet section and he says "Ah, there you go".  Of course his unnecessary sarcasm is always at hand when he is right but as usual he was onto something.  He found a therapeutic dog bed which is big enough for Bella but not too big for our bedroom.  Of course, from a practical standpoint this bed makes perfect sense but for my baby's comfort, it didn't look very cozy.  Bella is accustomed to being pampered and loves our bed.  It is a California King that is just melt-worthy comfortable; cloud-like.  I looked at this dog bed and was very unimpressed.  If I were her, I'd go chew up Matthew's boots!!

     Well, "What the hell do I know?"  We determined we would try it out and give Bella the opportunity to decide if she liked it or not.  If it was up to me, it would have remained on the shelf.  We brought it home and she started checking it out immediately. It wasn't even out of the packaging and she was trying to lay on it. We took it out of the box and let her get used to it in the kitchen. When we brought it upstairs at bedtime. she jumped on the bed and was looking at me with this sideways head tilt that said "Mom, why are you sleeping there". I think the dog was letting me know it was for me not her.  Matthew had already brought her pen upstairs so it was pretty clear she thought one of us was in trouble. This dog shocked the bejeezus out of me.  Once she realized it was for her, she went right in and sniffed around then laid down. Bella LOVES HER NEW PAD!!

     The first night was a bit sketchy.  She whined but there was no growling, jumping around or knocking things over, chewing or howling.  She was somewhat perturbed but within about 30 minutes she settled into her new spot.

     Since then each night, she comes upstairs, tucks Brianna in with me and then she goes into our room, inspects her bed to make sure there is no cat laying on it, then heads downstairs with me until it is time to sign off for the evening. She goes right to her pen and waits for me to open it, circles her bed a few times and then plops down 'til morning.

     I am so impressed by this turn of events and the ease at which she got past sleeping with us, that I have to give credit where credit is due:  My husband is a genius.  I complain about the dog not knowing she is a dog and now I understand it is my fault.  I wasn't treating her much like a dog.  I file and polish her toe nails (clear only - daddy would not approve if he came home and she had red toe nails), brush her teeth, Brie and I make necklaces for her that coordinate with her collar, she gets Dunkin Donuts munchkins every morning, and a home-cooked breakfast she eats with me and the kids.  She has hamburg with honey and garlic salt mixed into her food each day; I'm not so sure about the benefits of honey for a dog but she just loves it on her toast so I thought she'd like it in her breakfast as a treat. Matthew tells me all of the time he is convinced I am a crazy person masquerading as normal.  I don't agree.  Why should our children be treated like royalty and our animals not so much.  They are our kids too! 

     My husband treats Bella like a dog and it makes her happy and content. I treat her like one of the kids and she is petulant and stubborn; acting out constantly.  She is downright fresh!!! Go figure... One more reason I married him.  It is so nice to have someone tell you that you are crazy in such a loving caring compassionate way. Crazy wife - happy life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did find one problem with her new-found puppy sanctuary. During the day Bella comes and lays at my feet while I write or sits with me while I do housework. She is always by my side.  Since she is in her own bed now, I cannot get this dog off of me.  She is like crazy glue!  It is one thing to have her beside me but if I leave the room she is right on my heels.  I actually sat on her today which was not pleasant for either of us.  She ended up nipping my butt because she was not pleased and I actually fell off the couch because it hurt.  I was trying to sit down on the couch and she beat me to the spot.  I pretty much fell over her and as I went to stand up that is when I got the shark bite.  OUCH!!  She growled her discontent with the situation and I yelled at her for biting me.  Brie thought this was friggin' hilarious and proceeded to high-five the dog.  Yes, I suppose I am accepting she is a dog...if those teeth are any indication.  Good thing Brie doesn't have chompers like that or we'd all be screwed!!!  Maybe since Bella is in her own bed now I can start working on getting her off the damn couch.  BUT:  If today was any indication;

I don't think I'm going to win that battle any time soon.

Bella May Never Find True Love :(

     I was so excited at the beginning of the school year for Bella.  Each morning Bella and I drive Brianna to her Kindergarten and every so often we'd see in another truck, a big beautiful black Great Dane.  He is just the most gorgeous male Dane I've seen!  He is as handsome as my Baby Bella is beautiful.  So of course, as a future Grandma to Bella's pups, I had great hopes that this handsome gent would be the Pop of her pups.  Well, I guess Grandma Patti needs to accept the fact that Bella hates all other animals and is never going to find TRUE LOVE!  Yesterday, the Black danes daddy stopped and asked me what kind of dog Bella was and I told him, "Yes, she is a Blue Dane and you have the black male!"  I was so thrilled when he then asked how old she was and told me how beautiful she is.  It was going through my head how many adorable little black pups and blue pups we would have.  Some looking like their mom and some looking noble like their dad.  I told him she was almost two years old and he says, "Oh mine too".  I am getting more excited by the minute and asked if he was going to "breed him", then I felt stupid cause the real terminology would be "stud him out" but nonetheless the dad knew what I meant and dashed part of my hopes and dreams and says.  "No he's fixed!"  UGGHH!!!!!  I said, "Oh dammit, that sucks"!  That wasn't exactly eloquent for having just met this man but Mama's frustration was utmost at that moment.  The handsome black Dane was not with him so as I said, "Well, that's too bad, we'll have to keep looking.  Have a nice day."  I was still hoping that maybe Bella could have a playmate.  My plan was next time I see this man (forgot to get his name) I'd mention how maybe Bella and his boy could get together for a play date.  Bella doesn't get along with any other animals, especially those smaller than her but I was thinking since he is larger than her and he's a Dane maybe she'd make an exception and have someone to pal around with on a walk here and there, or we could meet them at the dog park and I could meet the black Dane's mom.  I was thinking life long Dane loving pet owner friends.  COOL!!!
     Well the rest of my hopes and dreams were shattered this morning.  Bella, Bella Bella!!!  Here we are in line again dropping Brianna off at school and here comes the handsome black Dane and his dad to drop off their kid.  The dad stops along the side of our truck so they can meet; Bella and this handsome giant.  What does my daffy dog do!  She turns into CUJO and tries jumping out of the truck while her future friend stares at her quizzically from his window wondering if this girl needs medication!  She is an absolute lunatic and he's calm as a cucumber looking at me and then his owner like; "What the hell did I do?"  Poor guy.  He just met an unstable crazy female!


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     All I can picture is Petco all over again.  I'm wondering if when I go to pick up Brianna today, the school officials ask me if I can leave the rabid dog home from now on so she cannot scare the children and staff.  What am I going to do with this looney tune of a dog!  She failed puppy school, tries to attack every animal she sees; including larger Danes than herself I now know, and refuses to even make an introduction such as a normal dog butt sniff, like most other non crazy animals do.  She goes for the jugular before even determining whether it is friend or foe.
     I hate to say it, but the likelihood of my beautiful girl ever having pups is pretty darn slim.  I am starting to think she may just end up an old lonely spinster with run of the house, access to all furniture and anything she deems a chew toy.  I believe until her old age, she will still be sleeping in our bed between me and Matthew, chasing poor Suzie every chance she gets, scaring every delivery person who comes in our yard, being barred from PetCo forever unless Daddy is with us, and chasing Vets when they try giving her shots.
     What is a Mama to do?  I don't think they will actually do artificial insemination for a dog but I'm tempted to look into it because I really want to breed her and keep a pup.  We would love to have another Bella running around but one with a less temperamental disposition.  My other option is to find out if I can get her into Doggie Therapy and figure out what her issue is with all other living creatures.  Where does this anger come from!!!  Good thing she loves all of us or we'd be in real trouble on one of her bad days...then again, maybe she is just happy with her life the way it is and doesn't want any other animal stepping on her turf.  Who knows.  All I can say is I love my Baby Bella and puppies or no puppies, she is the best darn dog in the entire world!!!   It took her Mama almost 40 years to find a soul mate and love of her life, so maybe; just maybe, there is some hope for Bella to find True Love.  I won't be holding my breath though...