Stage 5 Clinger

We are having a bit of an issue with Miss Lulu.  She is real attached to us.  I'm not sure if it's the herding breed in her blood, or the fact that she is with me all day long, but this is getting a little nutty.  We finally resorted to building a crate that looks strikingly to a human jail cell because she can bust out of regular crates.  But that wasn't even good enough.  She watched us close the crate twice and then figured out how to open it.  So now, we put an upside down cookie sheet over the bars that lift to let her out and then put a 50lb dumb bell on top of the upside down cookie sheet.  All totally normal. But, it keeps her and her peanut butter filled LARGE Kong in.  Oh yes, we had to upgrade to the large one because she kept pushing the smaller one out of the crate and it made me sad that she didn't have her Kong buddy.

So.  We have conquered the crate debacle.  But now a new fresh hell arises.  She is C-L-I-N-G-Y.  Like whoa.  She cannot handle being anywhere in or outside the house alone.  She wants to go outside, but about 93% of the time, if you don't come with her, she will almost instantly turn around and whine at the door to come in, only to whine to go back out because PS? she still has to freaking pee.  She doesn't sleep at night without laying completely against one of us.  Tip to tail.  Resting against Travis, Alex, or me.  Ya know those dogs who will get up the second you move?  She is rapidly becoming one of them.  Except at night.  At night she turns back into Liquid Lulu and you can place her anywhere...as long as she is touching you.

Anywho, just now she was whimpering to go out.  So I let her out and ate my cereal on the deck.  She was happy to prance around outside until I was done.  She came back in with me.  Within 27 seconds, she was sitting next to me while I was at my desk, whimpering to go back outside.  So I let her back out and went back to my desk.  Less than  minute later, I heard an almost inaudible whimper behind me.  I turned and saw this:

Yep.  She is sitting IN the open window next to my desk, staring at me, and quietly dying inside because there is a screen separating us.

Fashion Struggle Bus

I have a habit of dressing the boys very similar to myself.  Not on purpose mind you.  I just end up grabbing the same general outfit for me and whatever kiddo I've grabbed clothes for.  I never notice it until someone points it out to me.  In the past it's always been a daycare teacher giving me some static about being twins with one of the boys.

Yesterday, I didn't notice I did it again with Sam, and the teacher didn't call me out when I picked him up.  I finally noticed it when we were leaving CVS after talking to multiple people...

Apparently I was feeling all sorts of NASA yesterday morning.

I don't have this issue with Alex anymore since he just grabs his clothes, but he is a hot mess in his own right.  He doesn't really care about matching/appearance.  As long as it's comfy, he'll wear it.  This leads to him usually just grabbing whatever shirt and pair of shorts are on top, no matter the color.

He's been riding his bike to school again, but it was rainy this morning, so I told him I would drive him.  After some back and forth and him revealing the plans he made with a couple neighbor kids to ride together that he had not told me about, he was back to riding his bike.  It was no longer actively raining, but the pavement was wet, so I told him he could ride if he wanted to, but his butt was going to get soaked from the spray of his back wheel.  "Oh, don't worry, Mom.  I've got that covered."  He comes downstairs, poses in a "ta da!" type stance, and says, "See?  Double shirt, double shorts.  I'm all good."

Watch Dog

Alex is at the middle school this year and he gets home a little later than he did last year.  How long do you suppose it's going to take Lulu to figure out that Alex isn't on the bus when it makes it first trip passed the house?  Poor little thing is gonna wear out her ear muscles keeping those satellite dish ears perked up in anticipation for so long!

Back At It

Today is officially the first day of school for the year.  Alex was seemingly over his nerves and was excited to go to a new school.  Sam was just about crawling out of his skin he was so excited.  I'm lonely but also enjoying the quiet.