The things we do for our dogs...

I wasn't sure which blog to post this in... so I decided to post it in both.  I'm compiling a list of "the things we do for our dogs"... so be prepared for additions... because something always comes up!

1. I prop my door to the backyard open so the dogs can go in and out as they please... even if it means me freezing my butt off.

1.5. I sweat my butt off at night surrounded by dogs just so I don't disturb their rest.  It gets hot when you're surrounded by a bunch of heaters (dogs).

2. I avoid going out of town just so I don't have to leave them.  I still haven't brought myself to trust a petsitter or a boarding facility.

3. I go to the pet store to buy dog food with what money I have left rather than going to the grocery store to by myself food.  The dogs certainly come before I do!

4. I up my power bill by leaving the television on Animal Planet for my dogs when I'm gone.

5. I come home to chewed up paper towels, toilet paper, plastic containers, mail, blankets, etc. because I feel like crating a dog for 5+ hours just isn't "right".  Logically, I know it's not a bad idea, but I'd rather clean up shredded toilet paper than keep my dog cooped up for 5+ hours in a crate during the day.  Side Note: I always worry that something will happen... and I won't be able to get home for a long time.  I'd rather them piss and shit in the house and have access to water than go without!   (I don't disagree with crate training.  I'm just a softy.  I KNOW my pup and 2-year-old would benefit from it... but I still can't bring myself to crate them.)

6. I treat my foster dogs to a "going away meal" of Burger King hamburgers!

More to be added as things I do for my dogs comes up.

Peace, Love, & Paw Prints

Babysitting Etiquette (From the babysitter's point of view!)

Morning, folks...

Today, I'd like to touch down on babysitting etiquette. As the word spreads that I babysit on occasion, I have more and more people asking me to do so. Today's blog entry is inspired by my 7:00AM babysitting job from this morning.

See #2 of 10 Things Your Babysitter Won't Tell You before continuing.

Okay, now that you've read that, I'll explain...

Parent X is a very nice person and actually in the childhood education area of work. Child Y is 5-years-old, and Child Z is 2-years-old. Today, I had to get there at 7:00AM, but it's usually 6:30AM. My morning starts somewhere between 5:00-5:30AM. Keep in mind that I have 4 dogs to take care of once I roll my sleepy self out of bed. I get ready, let the dogs out, make coffee, feed the dogs, then let the dogs out and in once more. By then, I've managed to get into the car and make my way to her house. With morning traffic and red lights, it takes about 20 minutes to get there. My duties typically include getting both Child Y and Child Z dressed, fed, hair and teeth brushed, to the bus stop with Child Y and then to daycare (roughly 7 minutes down the road) with Child Z. I then return to her house, take out the car seat, and make a last sweep of the house to make sure everything is tidy and where it's supposed to be. After all of that, I get paid $15. That's not even $8 an hour!

Your point, you ask? It's just not worth my time. I hate to sound smug. Money is money. But it's really not worth it. By the time I get out of bed and get back home, I've already wasted almost 3 1/2 hours of my day. I can put - what- 4 or 5 gallons of gas in my vehicle with that money? Some of which I already used driving there and back!

So, mamas and papas, it's probably best to pay your sitter more than $7.50 an hour! The lives of your children are in that person's hands. You should probably pay them at least the typical going rate.

A not-so-peaceful entry... but nonetheless...

Peace, Love, & Paw Prints

Emily vs. The Grocery Store

As weird as it might be, I have an irrational fear of the grocery store. I know I'm not the only one. You other grocery-store-phobic people know that feeling all too well! I believe it's technically a form of agoraphobia. It's just strangely petrifying the way the florescent lights give you nowhere to hide. How about the mass amount of items that you have to look through? Am I forgetting something? Should I buy this? Can I afford all of this? What if my credit card declines? All of these questions race through my head as I push my cart up and down every single aisle in the store with the hope that I won't forget something. That list I made? Forget it. I either left it at home or don't dare to pull it from my pocket to see what's written on it. Surely I'll remember everything, right? Not so much. I organize everything obsessively in my cart and head towards the checkout line. Usually I remember what I've forgotten once I get there, but there's no way I would leave my spot in line and return to the aisle of the forgotten. Then I'd have to suffer the anxiety of standing in line again. By the time I make it out of the grocery store, my face is red and I'm mentally exhausted. The mere mental exhaustion makes me never want to return again.

Alas, I haven't been to the grocery store for months, and I've been eating fast food, junk food, and pretty much everything that isn't good for you food. I feel this poor diet taking a toll on my body and surely my bank account. It's time to conquer the dreaded grocery store and make some healthier food choices. Wish me luck...

Peace, Love, & Paw Prints