The birthday festivities are finally finished. The party was Saturday, the real day was yesterday and the school celebration was today. Cake, cupcakes, pizza, pancakes.....just a few of the ways we celebrated the big 6th birthday of our little guy!
He got lots of fun gifts that would keep him busy if he were ever inside long enough to play with them, but he has started to hang out with a pack of boys that play street hockey and he is in heaven. He is the youngest, but there are two boys who are a year older (1st grade) and then a bunch in 4th grade. They play on the opposite cul-du-sac, which is crawling with stay-at-home moms, and everyone looks out for my little guy. Lucky for me, he still wants to snuggle when he comes inside....but he's growing up fast now that he's in elementary school.
I even got a call tonight from the mom of one of his friends, asking if he could go there for a sleepover on Friday night. In Kindergarten? Really? That's not happening for us. I know other families are ok with it, but we have only let our daughter do it once, for a small slumber party at our neighbor's house right across the street, and that was when she was in 1st grade already. Kids are in such a rush to do everything these days -- what is there to look forward to anymore?
On another topic, I need help from the Dog Whisperer. Our dog is so overly protective of me and the kids when the Mr. is not here that he is putting a serious damper on my ability to converse with anyone who comes to my door. I get so embarrassed because I come off like the dingbat housewife who has no control over her household! I even told the painter a few weeks ago, "I have MUCH better control of my kids, I swear."
Seriously, if one neighborhood kid comes to the door and then walks inside to get a cup of water, the dog goes bonkers -- barking, jumping, carrying on for the entire time the poor kid is indoors. But when the Mr. is here, the Chinese food delivery guy can come up to the door without the dog even making a sound. He didn't even bark once as the 15 costumed kids bearing weapons (and their parents) came traipsing in and out of our house on Saturday -- because the Mr. was here. Geez, even I wanted to bark at that crowd.
Comments (11)
What kind of dog, again?? It's funny you should mention the Dog Whisperer. I JUST received copies of two of Cesar's books, which I ordered on Amazon several weeks ago. We aren't going to try to rehabilitate the Yorkie, who is 14 and beyond any help. We are merely going to try to avoid making the same mistakes with the labradoodle we are going to be buying soon. My kids did sleepovers in K. I'm a bad mom. I don't have the energy to stop the Podville Train.
@ordinarybutloud - Mini schnauzer, but he thinks he's far bigger and scarier than he really is.
Ah. We considered a standard schnauzer but ultimately decided to pick something less territorial.
@ordinarybutloud - Uh, yeah....QUITE territorial. Especially when the territory belongs to a dingbat housewife. :)
@turningreen - you, or me???
@ordinarybutloud - ha ha -- me, but remember the whole blogging twins, thing....so interpret how ever you wish!!
@turningreen - HA! (see private message I'm about to fire off to you).
My husband has been able to implement Cesar's suggestions (rules?!) pretty well with our dopey eight-year-old lab. Our Shih Tzu, on the other hand, is a maniac. Mostly in regards to barking when someone rings the doorbell. Drives me crazy! Otherwise he's perfectly calm and laid back. :P
My mother thinks the Dog Whisperer has a lot of good advice for classroom teachers. (-: How funny that your dog is so protective of you when your husband is gone! Schnauzers are an interesting breed.
Probably because the dominance order is Mr., dog, you, kids... You don't have control because he is higher on the "chain of command" than you. You need a promotion. (I'm the Alpha female in the house and ALL kowtow to me - especially the dog!)
@murisopsis - A promotion AND a raise!!!!