Dog training!

Um.....I love school. Like as in a really really a lot. As in I can't wait to get there and I smile all through class and LOVE IT! Part of it is because I am past my general classes and get to do the classes that are just for my major and that are very interesting to me.

I NEVER planned on going back to school. 

I ALWAYS planned on staying home and homemaking my whole life long. 

I am  EMBARRASSED that I did the typical mid life crisis thingy and had to go do something for "me" now. 

Kristopher said I definitely had a major mid life crisis. 

SO EMBARRASSING!!!!!!! I did the exact thing that is stereotypical for a 40 year old housewife. 

So five days and no sugar. Feeling awesome. Feeling free. Not missing it. Well a tiny bit when I saw a Reese's Peanut Butter cup on commercial. I was like "ohhh....hello sweet little friends". I love those. But I am NOT going to risk going back into bondage wanting sweets. I am not. 

Okay....So Brody.

First I need to tell my awesomely awesome neighbor friends that I am so sorry our dog chased your little girl down the street and bit her bike tire and nipped her bummy. I am assuming he was herding her. 

But I took it very seriously. But I couldn't just get rid of the dog because I have a 12 year old boy who threatened to run away if I did. 

So I signed Brody up for THREE MONTHS of dog training. 

And I took him to the vet and got him on anti anxiety pills. IT DOESN'T EVEN SURPRISE ME THAT WE JUST HAPPEN TO GET A DOG WITH ANXIETY. It is just the way the universe works. Of course the one dog we would pick would have mental illness. Of course. 

And I bought him a muzzle so that he can't bite. He hasn't actually broken skin but he sometimes makes me nervous. 

So our first day of dog training was SO fascinating. 

The dog trainer completely ignored Brody. In about three minutes Brody went up and sniffed her and wanted attention. Dog trainer ignored her. Brody was comfortable. 

Another lady comes to Brody and calls him and wanted to pet him. Brody growls at her. 

The dog trainer observes that Brody cannot handle any pressure on him. (Which is why he DOES NOT like our little kids 

who maul him all the time. 

The dog trainer also talked about the way Brody carries himself is very unlike a border collie. He has no confidence and is very scared. She says he is growling because of fear and not meanness. 

She said anyone who comes to our house 

needs to completely ignore him. 

And since he has been on the anti anxiety medicine he has really done a LOT better. So I have hope. 

So one of the first steps was teaching Brody he was NOT in trouble when we put the muzzle on him. So she helped me and she just stuffed hi full of treats. He soon left the muzzle alone and quit fighting with it.

Then we worked with him at home...

Treat after treat

 Introducing Hannibal Lector! 

Brody seems to oddly feel safer in his muzzle as well. And I can relax because I don't have to worry about him. And when we practice socializing him at dog training it is good because people are like "RED ALERT! DOG WITH MUZZLE!!!!" And no one tries to pet him. So that helps Brody be more relaxed and not feel like anyone 

is expecting something from him. 

The trainer taught me the coolest thing to get Brody to heel. I'll tell you tomorrow. I had also bought a shock caller but the trainer said it wasn't the best method with Brody

 because he is so timid. 

We have taught him about six really great tricks. He is actually getting very well trained. 

Okay, talk to you later!

Day two! And Day four.

This cracks me up. This was how are old dog Josie felt. She was the best most patient dog ever. 

So one day my friend Becki and me and my brother in law Danny drove up to visit my family while camping. We had to take this cute pictures of us and the leaves. It was fun. I sort of cried on the way home because I felt bad leaving my kids. But I couldn't spend the night this time. I love my little chickies. Also when you aren't with them for a day or so suddenly you forget they were driving you crazy.

Bo has had to have some more dental work. I actually had to force him in the room. He did not want to go. But he dealt with it and is a newly committed brusher! He is doing much better. He had to have a space maintainer because he also had to have a tooth pulled. 

 Bo is still doing puzzles like crazy! We have one (or two) set up in our living room at all times. He is actually pretty dang smart when it comes to them. He is figuring out really hard puzzles. 

So four days and no sugar. The beautiful amazing thing is that after about four days (which is hardly anytime at all) your body forgets that it NEEDS 10 candy bars in one day. And it becomes possible to give it up. I love chocolate. It is my friend. And cake and cookies and peanut butter bars and ice cream with Oreos and mint and FUDGE and carmael apples, all of it. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you know what happens to me when I eat it? It becomes my master. It makes me spend 15 dollars in one day at the gas station. And it would make me do it the next day too. It makes me break the Sabbath and sneak out during Sunday school to buy mavericks Reeses peanut butter cup cookies and hide them in my purse for later that night. It is 

IN CHARGE of ME!!!!! 

It is my drug.

And I don't like that. I can't afford it and I DESPERATELY don't want to gain my weight back. And I don't like always thinking about getting my next hit. And I'm serious. So I have to give it up. Completely. And make the cravings go away so it becomes manageable. 

I'm still learning. And relearning. I'll let you know more later about stuff I am learning. 

Still in therapy. Still a blessing to me. Still working on what is called in therapy lingo, "termination" (of therapy). It is a process most don't understand. I wish I could just sit with all of you and share the gifts that have been received to the depths of my soul. It was so unexpected. 

I'm back!!!!! I don't know where I went!

Almost 30 days without a blog post. I really don't know how that happened. I just don't.

So I am just going to get going again because I love the history it creates of my life. 

So lets start with how much I am adoring this kid lately.

Playing with the littles in the sandbox. Letting them bury him alive. So sweet. 

He is cracking me up because all he wants to do is watch Bear Grylls and learn about survival tips. He is LOVING it and wants me to sen him to survival camp. The whole family is addicted to the commercial on Discovery Channel about loving the Whole World. Our favorite part is when Bear turns to his little scorpion on his shoulder and sings so softy to him that he loves the whole world. We watch it over and over and sing it. Cute. Rhett got a few seasons of Man Vs. Wild for his birthday as we don't have cable. And it has been a family favorite.

Tonight Kate cried and cried for Justine. And she said she has no siblings. I told her she still had brothers who loved her. A few minutes later I convinced Rhett to go in and hug her goodnight and tell her that he loved her. He didn't want to but agreed. Unfortunately when he tried she went "uh". As in "go away I am being a big bratty pants". Sigh. But sweet brother for trying.

So...I have tons to say but I have to go do math before I get too tired. 

Let me just say this. I have decided to quit eating sugar. Today. And tomorrow. And the next day. 

What started this? Again? 

10 candy bars in one day. 

And I ADORED every second of it. And I could have had ten more. No lie. Not even a slight exaggeration. 

And I wanted to do the same the next day also. It felt so good. 

More of the story tomorrow. 

For now....

P  x (apr)

over

 n

over

1-(1+APR)-ny

over

n

....calls my name. 

I do not rock. Dang it!

Unimpressive things have been happening to me at college!

D MINUS on my first paper!!!!!

It was such a shock. I thought I rocked it!

And I have been LOVING my classes so much I just assumed I would do AWESOME!

The sadly ironic thing is...

My teacher has his TA help grade the papers. I find that offensive. I want my professor to read my paper. I want the person with the Doctorate on the topic to read my paper. Not another student!

This class is pretty laid back with lots of teasing and joking. So I questioned The teacher. He is lots of fun. He said that he and his TA read the paper. I shared my point of view. I want HIM to read my paper. So he jokingly said "I am going to read your paper!" I was glad. Because I had rocked my paper. 

He gave me a D MINUS!!!!! And he wasn't even being vindictive. I found the whole thing funny. I admit to getting some tears in my eyes about the grade but he had me read another essay showing me my mistake and I realized he was right to grade me that way. And I learned. 

So then I turn in my next assignment. I am learning how to write treatment plans for clients. I rocked it again. 

I submitted it. He gives us three chances to get it right. I used up one chance. I did not get it right and I didn't rock it. 

I DO NOT ROCK.

Okay, I cried a tiny bit this time. What in the heck!!!!! Why is this so hard!!!!! 

But I just kept thinking rationally about it. And it felt like the stretching Kristopher has often given me during therapy. Stretching hurts. But it is done so you can grow. 

And I am sure going to learn a lot from these low scores and from having to redo things. The professor is going to meet with me (as he will do with everyone who doesn't get it) and I will not be out of the class until I "get it". So I am grateful he is teaching me. He is not criticizing me or being mean by scoring me low. He is teaching me. It is not about the grade. 

So that is where I am at and trying to mentally stay so I don't get my self esteem kicked too bad. 

Sometimes when I am bored during class my bestie classmates and I take snap chat pictures and put baby cheezeits on our others bestie's shoulder. 

BABY CHEEZEITS!!!!!! SO CUTE!!!!!!

Met my cute college girl for dinner one night! We found this great place that is like a subway only with burritos! And it is a great price!

Bo got to celebrate his Birthday in class the other day. Since his birthday is in the summer they just chose a day for him to celebrate. You know I was so excited that it was close to Halloween! My favorite ever! 

Bo wanted to bring donuts. So I added a pinteresty spooky twist on them. CUTE!