Mommy gets sick!

Up until now I’ve been lucky.  Three head colds, and the stomach flu made their way through my house and I was left unharmed.  Too soon had I spoke the words...and wham!  Mommy is smothered with a head cold.

The difference is, Mommy can’t get sick. When she does? It all falls apart.  There are dishes that at this point I assume toss out and replace with new ones.  Laundry in baskets I can no longer identify as clean or dirty; bits and pieces of family members strewn from one end of the house to the other.  It is here that I think it best to putter down the hall and seek refuge in my bed. 

With the help of Advil and pure determination, the groceries have been collected, pumpkins purchased, and shortbread cookies made at 5:30am for Gracie’s Halloween party (with a bed full of kids how was I supposed to sleep anyway). I have searched for the Halloween decorations, unsuccessful in determining their whereabouts and at this point, I’ve tossed in the towel in that department. 

With the soothing softness of Puffs strategically stuffed up my nose I continue to multitask my morning, searching for pumpkin stencils, so to create Jack-O-Lanterns with the kids (sometime before Halloween on Monday), make a feeble attempt at cleaning the kitchen, while the sounds of Treehouse TV whisper in the background while Puppy sleeps.

I’m thinking that he has the right idea.  Crawl into your comfy crate lined with blankets and a cuddle toy and sleep the morning away.  If only I could do the same.  It truly does amaze me at how quickly this house can literally go to pot when I’m not feeling well.

Yesterday I asked Drew to come help me in the kitchen.  I passed him the hand towel to dry dishes and was given a puzzled, unimpressed look.  Once again I reminded him that his item was called a dish cloth and people used them to dry dishes.  “Buddy, Mommy isn’t feeling well and could use your help”, I explain.  At eight years old this was his response. “Mom, if you leave the dishes on the counter the air will dry them you know. I don’t think I’m really cut out for manual labour.”

I would like to tell you that I smiled and took the time to explain to him that it’s important to help out around the house.  But, in my foggy, headache ridden head I wanted to take the dish towel and toss it at him.  I could hear my voice, squawking out something that made little sense to me, so I’d assume it made none to him, which inevitably led to the dishes remaining on the counter where they still sit this morning. Nonetheless, they are indeed dry. Next purchase…disposable plates.

So, with a coffee, two Advil cold & sinus in hand, and a clean set of tissues up my nose,  I will print what pumpkin stencils I’ve found, collect the last few pieces of Halloween costumes for the kids, let Puppy pee and head to bed.  Giving in to the flu, I am raising the white flag! With any luck, my Fairy God Mother will visit in my dreams, waving her magic wand leaving my house sparkly clean and Me feeling better….Please!

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Puppy Tales

 Mr. Marty McFly

I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of the Mommy Jingles family, Mr. Marty McFly.  Marty is a Boston Terrier and at 10-weeks old weighs in at approximately 5.5lbs.   Marty and his sister Lexi made a short trip to St. John’s to become our newest family member ; and Lexi with my two great friends.  Lacey and Tyler already had a wonderful 2-yearold Boston Terrier named Tuna and we were all very excited to learn that we would be getting a puppy from the same breeder, making Marty and Lexi half siblings to Miss Tuna.

Being a first time dog owner, I was quite nervous and excited waiting for Marty to arrive. With my friends, and a warm fleece “disney princess” blanket we were off to collect our puppies.  As soon as I saw him, I knew he was ours and instantly fell in love.  The sweetest little face and eyes that can melt your heart, Marty was home…and like the first time I brought my kids home from the hospital, “Now what do we do?” 

We had kept him a secret from our kids, hoping it would minimize the, “Mom, is he here yet? Is he here yet?” and to also give them a wonderful surprise.  And, surprise it was.  Captured on film, the look on their little faces when they not only saw Marty, but learned he was ours to stay was a true parental moment etched in my head forever. Disbelief, awe and love; this little bundle of fur would now be showered with love for a very long time.

 Cuddles with Grace

Two weeks later, and I am proud to report that Marty is doing great!  He has the sweetest little personality, is well on the way to fully house trained (minus gale force winds and torrential rain – but, who can blame him),  loves spending time in his little bed, and best of all, sleeps through the night!  Lights out by 10:00 and not a peep all night; 6:30am as I stumble out of bed, I am greeted by Mr. McFly patiently sitting in his kennel waiting to go for his morning pee.  Better still, the boys have now taken to getting up in the morning and brining Marty outside; further making our Puppy Adventure a family effort.

I’d like to tell you stories, of sleep deprivation, chewed shoes, hidden poopy surprises, and more. However, for now, I haven’t any.  As a family, we agreed on boundaries and rules to help Marty along and thus far, we seem to be going in the right direction as I look forward to learning along with Marty.  Seeing my kids with him is truly a special experience.  While Marty, like the kids, will become adolescent and push the boundaries of my very sanity, he too must remember the golden rule.  In this house, I’m the pack leader!  

 Meeting Mommy for the first time