Proud Momma

 

Bring your puppy to work day

Everyone at work was begging me to meet Chanel before session started and before she grew out of her cute puppiness. So, I brought her to work one day. By the time she was done meeting everyone she was ready to pucker out under my desk for the rest of the day.

Look! I'm peeing in the snow!!

Chanel's first experience with snow of any kind...of course it has to be while she is peeing.

What is this stuff?!?!?

No worries though, because after that she was completely ready to investigate and figure out what this stuff is exactly.

Footprints in the snow

This is me being a cute momma and capturing a picture of my footprints with her paw prints in the snow. Wherever she goes, I go. I love this little pup!

This is a typical evening...and yes, I do love this

Many times Chanel will have one ear flopped over funny. Puppy don't care, puppy just accepts it and moves on. This happens a lot at night, but I still wish it would happen more often.

Favorite couch position

Makes you wonder how she could possibly weigh 30 lbs don't it.

This is the life...and I did have to be right smack in the middle

While Franni came to visit, Chanel decided that her spot was not going to be taken over by some stranger. So what does she do? She finds a spot right in the middle and forces her way into the bed.

Morning everyone!

So cute all snuggled up! Ready to start my day Mommy!

Christmastime!

With the holidays comes joy and happiness..along with a little stress. Before I go talking about my adventures with Chanel to PA, I must take the time to share with you all about the gift exchange Jonathan and I had. He and I are very set in our families' Christmas traditions, so we do not spend Christmas together. Therefore, we exchange gifts early with the rest of his family in Dover. He got me a 32" Panasonic flat screen TV, a $90 gift card so we can go get our nails done (be jealous ladies...my boyfriend is going to the salon with me), and a car part that somehow fell off of my car and needed to be replaced. Kudos to me for putting it on all by myself, if I lose it again we will know why. I had his favorite panoramic photo that he took of the Las Vegas skyline blown up to a 12"x7' print. And yes I mean 7 FEET. Then I cut a piece of wood and stained it for the backing. I had my grandpa laminate it, and then finally, I cut and stained wooden trim to nail around the photo as a frame. It was interesting trying to fit that, my puppy, other gifts, and myself into my Milan, but I did it! One more piece of information...on Christmas day I woke up to let Chanel out and was sitting in the living room when my mom gave me a card that Jonathan sent up with her for me to open on Christmas day. It was complete with a list of 101 reasons why he loves me (yet another reason why I think I am the luckiest girl in the world). Of course I cried and looked like a fool but I didn't care. What a great start to an awesome day!

My snow jacket!

Now I get to be a proud momma and tell you about how GREAT Chanel did on our trip up to PA. I was so nervous about how this was all going to go down. Chanel had never been on a trip over 2 hours long, and we have never attempted to stay at someone's house for three days. But, to my surprise, she was fantastic. We started off the day bright and early Saturday morning. I took her for a nice long walk to try and tire her out. Then I packed up all of our things. And I thought I had a lot of luggage...we had to bring the kennel, the baby gate, her food, her water, her leash, her clothes, and her toys. Make fun all you want, but Chanel is a cutie when it comes to her little clothes and she likes them so back off! Plus, she gets cold very easy and starts to shiver so she needs a coat when she is outside. Once we packed everything up in the car, we put her bed in and she hopped up and laid next to me for the trip. She would doze off every now and again but any bump, turn, or stop caused her to sit up and look around. She only had to stop twice on the way up and once on the way back during a 5-6 hour car ride. I think that is great when you compare it to when she needed/wanted to stop ever 20 mins when she was younger.

during the car ride

My grandparents live on the side of a mountain so there is not much grass around. Chanel had one patch of grass next to my grandparent's house, that is about as big as my office, to do her business on. I can't get her to pee when we visit Josh and Carrie in Wilmington to save my life so I was not looking forward to trying to get her to go in this tiny spot for three days. I figured that eventually she would have to cave in and except that this is her area. By golly she got it right away! Of course, she wanted to check out what was on the side of the mountain so she would constantly try to walk down the side, but other than that she was awesome. I had to take her out every few hours which isn't unusual for her, especially in a new place. When you compare that to the fact that when she is at Jonathan's house she wants out every 10 minutes, I will take every few hours any day.

My Christmas outfit!

To make the weekend even more of a success, she never made a mess in the house! I brought spot remover and a whole roll of paper towels just in case and I didn't have to use them once! I think she is finally getting the hang of this peeing outside thing. She was also privileged to be graced by the presence of one of my grandparent's two cats. The other cat is smart enough to stay away. But Buffy, the cat, could not resist the temptation of seeing what this new creature is. Buffy did not have a positive first encounter with a dog...Chanel. Chanel is terrified of cats. We know this from her experience with Josh and Carrie's cat, Christmas Cat...yes that is its name. That explanation is for another time. When Chanel saw Buffy she growled like I have never heard her growl before and you would have thought she instantly grew a mohawk with all the hair she has down the center of her back. I mean it was straight up! ^^^^^^^^^ (that is my attempt at a visual). So of course, Buffy ran away. Well, Chanel decided to walk back down the hall and look down the little hole (the cat door) that led to the basement. To her surprise, and terror, this cat was looking back at her and she darted off. For the rest of the weekend, Chanel was terrified to walk down that hallway by herself. She would not go unless someone else was walking through as well. And every time she passed that door she stared at it intently.

My new collar from Aunt Allison!

On the way home I misread her pathetic whimper for "I need to pee" when it was really "I want to stretch/move" So, my mom graciously and quickly pulls over to the side of the road where we thought there was a strip of grass next to the mountain. O no no no...it was a strip of bristles and whatever other pointer thorny weeds you can think of. Thankful Chanel had her schweater on and all of the prickles attached to that instead of cutting up her belly. Lucky me, I had to pick prickles off my sweat pants for the next half hour because they were all of me. Guess that's what I get for not knowing what she wanted and assuming PA has grass on the sides of their roads. Don't even get me started on the fact that less than 2 mins down the road there was a pull off section with lovely green grass next to it.

Chanel taking up the whole couch

We made it home safe and sound and my stress and worry of bringing my puppy on vacation could subside. I just couldn't seem to relax during our trip because I assumed that as soon as I let my guard down she would prove me wrong and do something she shouldn't. Maybe next time I can calm down a little. I think this post is getting a little lengthy so I will cut myself off here and fill you in on more another time.

Until next time...

Chanel's Diary

I have been thinking lately about life from my puppy, Chanel's perspective. I decided that I would attempt to write as though Chanel was writing in her diary. This is just a taste of what I am compiling. Please let me know your thoughts. If I have completely fallen off the wagon, then I will stop myself before I completely go off the deep end. But if you find this somewhat funny, easy to relate to, and maybe even educational please tell me. That's what I am going for.

Dear Diary,
Today mommy left me all alone while I was eating dinner. No crate, no baby gate, totally open! Now who does that to someone?! I am only 7 months old for crying out loud! What did I do to deserve this kind of punishment?? And who up and leaves in the middle of a meal? She thought leaving this big box with talking humans on it would make me feel better...well it didn't. Where did she go? Is she going to come back? Why does it always seem that when I get comfortable in a home, they up and leave me? As you know, I was stranded in New Jersey when I was just a wee pup. Then a nice human brought me to another place to stay where there were lots of other dogs like me. This human took me in for a little bit, and then gave me away to the human I am with now. It is hard to move around so much.
Well, let me try to keep my mind off of this. Oo! A toy! Ok, this will work, I'll just throw it up in the air and run and catch it and then do it again. That will make the time go by...weeeeee toys...yay....ok why isn't she back yet? There is soooo much space. Where can I hide? Oh, look, an little cave next to the couch. I think I have heard this called an end table before. Tonight, it is my safety cove. I will sit and wait. One hour later...
Mommy's home!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! And she brought Daddy!!! This is the best moment of my life! I wish I could wiggle my butt faster because I can't even begin to show just how happy I am. I thought they left me for good. But they didn't! What an exhausting experience. Now I can sleep in peace.
Little does she know...I'll get her back in the morning...

Dear Diary,
Today Mommy is bringing me to her Mommy's house. To start, I think I will have to go pee every 15 minutes. I am going to whine incessantly while she has me out on the cord. I don't care how much she hits me with the paper, I will keep whining. You can't hold me down, Mommy! Haha, it is working. She thinks that she can sit on the couch and rest? Think again! Mommy, Mommy, Mom, Mom, Momma...I have to pee. We do this for quite some time and now I think she has caught on to my tricks. You think you can just sit there and tell me no, and that is going to stop me? Think twice before you make that decision...I will just go pee...right...here! In your face Mom!! I'll show you! O boy...she is not happy...dang it.
Yay! We are going for another car ride...I love car rides. Everything moves so fast and air comes out of this slotted hole in the car, and I just love the smell of it. I love to stick my nose as far into the vent as I can. Phew, we are home. Finally. Oh no, Mommy is leaving again. Thanks for putting up the babygate this time!!! Gosh, was that so hard? She thinks I have calmed down, but I haven't.
So it's, the next day. You think playing with me is going to make me forget how you left me all by myself in this big scary place??? Nope. Sure didn't. Thanks for the playtime Mommy. I think I will walk over to this random spot, look at you, and pee. How do you like that one? Dang it. She is really mad. Hello crate. It has been so long since we last saw each other. I guess I won't pee in the house anymore. But it sure felt good to stick it to the wo-man.

Now, there are some edits to be made, but this will give you a feel for what I am trying to accomplish. It will talk about the ups and downs, along with the funny and not so funny moments of living in an apartment with just me and the pup.

Chanel!!!! not the designer, the puppy

Hello everyone,

look at her little white socks!

So, once again it has been forever since I have posted. I am going to try and be better about it now, so keep checking in after this post. I am officially graduated now, and I have my bachelor's degree in Political Science. Pictures from graduation will be posted soon.

Chanel at 3 months old

Upon graduating, I moved into my new apartment. Yup! That's right! I am living all by myself now...well not quite by myself. I have adopted a puppy named Chanel. She came from the SPCA in Vineland, NJ, and we think she is a black lab/beagle mix. But who knows. Jonathan and I drove over to meet her on September 11, 2011 and he bought her for me that day. She is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

enjoying the car ride

Chanel is 6 months old now, and lives in luxury at my apartment. Well, maybe not luxury, but it sure beats the street she was found on during Hurricane Irene. It took her a little while to adjust, but now she is really getting the hang of things. Jonathan bought me a dog training DVD by The DogFather. Cheesy name, I know, but the man knows what he is talking about! She is doing so well with sitting, staying, laying down, walking without pulling on the leash, not peeing in people's houses, not barking hysterically when I leave, and lately even walking without me hanging on to a leash!! It is remarkable how quickly she is learning these things.

she did this all on her own

One of my favorite things to do is snuggle, and by golly she is finally starting to understand that. Now, when I get home from work we play a little then have a snuggle fest on the couch and watch Friends. What a great way to spend the night, right?! I am so thankful that Jonathan helped me find and get a puppy of my own. I do not know what I would do without her now...except maybe go on vacations and not have to find a dog sitter. I completely agree with those who say puppies are just like children. Boy is this preparation for the future!

snuggle time on the floor, Lady is on the couch

Two key points to remember, though, when transitioning from having puppies to having children: 1) you cannot leave a child in a crate for 8 hours while you go to work and 2) you have to clean up a child's mess regardless of if they "go" outside or inside. Heed these words of wisdom as you make the great transition through life.

Chanel in one of her sweaters

Until next time....

It's been a while...

Hello everyone!

Clearly it has been quite some time since I have posted. Seems as though fall and winter semester got the best of me. But I am back in action, ready for the spring!! A lot has happened since my last post so I will try to fill you in on as much as possible without taking up your entire day.

Well, to start, I made it out alive from my fall semester at UD. I took six classes and it was rough to say the least. However, it managed to be one of my best semesters GPA-wise. I guess I got in the groove of things and just went on auto pilot till it was over. The winter was very similar in that I was so busy that I didn't have time to slack off on my school work. I finished my first graduate course as well and managed to come out with a B+! I can't complain. I am hoping to graduate with above a 3.7 overall GPA...keep your fingers crossed!

My entire immediate family has celebrated their birthdays since my last post: Dad and Josh in November, Mom in December, and Carrie, Allison and me in January. Add Christmas into that and it was quite the gift giving time. So, I am finally 22. The other day a gentleman asked me how old I was, and it was the first time I got to say that I am 22. My mother informed me later that I made it sound so old, as though I had been 22 for a while, meanwhile I have only been 22 for 2 weeks. She kept my secret for me though and let it slide!

I had the pleasure of singing at my friend Dana's wedding in the beginning of December. She asked me to sing a french song by Josh Groban. It ended up being a huge success, and it was the perfect touch to her walking down the isle. Thank you so much to Phil Doucette, who taught me how to pronounce all of the French words, and helped me create a cheat sheet of all the sounds so I could sing the song and sound French.

The Meludees, the a capella group I am a part of at UD, had our winter concert in December as well. The theme: Candyland!! It was amazing!! Everyone dressed up as different characters and my good friend Neil and I were the dice! Now, you may be thinking, "There are no dice in Candyland.." Well, you are correct. However, it took everyone a long time to figure that out, so then we were supposed to be the cards...ummm yeah. So, we petitioned the group and declared victory as dice! So, we sent ourselves out on a journey to build cardboard dice using a box, scissors, spray paint, and construction paper. The perfect touch to all of it....black and white unitards!! Classic! If you missed that concert stay tuned to hear about our spring concert in May...

January was an exciting month, even beyond all the birthdays. The first weekend was Dancing with the Delaware Stars. I was honored to be one of the stars and dance with Bill Mitchell of Ballroom by Bill. We danced a tango that would knock your socks off! At least, I think so :)
It was a night filled with dinner, cocktails, and dancing. What could be better?? Although we did not win, I was so proud of what we performed and I am incredibly grateful to Bill and Alex for teaching me how to Ballroom dance. I also started my internship at Legislative Hall in January. Three days a week I go down to Dover to work for the Senate Republicans in Legislative Hall. The internship is through the University of Delaware and goes through the month of June. It has been incredible, and I am so excited to be working there. The Senators I work with are phenomenal!! Everyone there is soooo nice. I do research for bills, write letters to constituents, find co-sponsors for bills, and I am sure there will be even more things yet to come! They also allowed me to be the primary creator of the Senate Republican Redistricting map for the state of Delaware. Each caucus has one or two people work on maps using the latest census information to redistrict the current senatorial districts. Hopefully by June both the House and Senate, along with the Republicans and Democrats, will have a map they can agree on to present. I get to be a key player in this process!! This internship has got to be one of the most rewarding jobs I've held. It's running a tight race with my year as Miss Delaware. I think it just goes to show that even after you hold a title, there are other things in life that can make you feel important and like you are giving back to your community.

I also bought a new car in December! Bye bye Mustang, and hello Milan. I traded in my Ford Mustang for a 2007 Mercury Milan. It is all wheel drive and has heated leather seats, auto dimming rear-view mirror, side mirrors that defrost, a sunroof, and (my favorite) a built in GPS system for a head unit! No more sticking my GPS on my windshield only to have it fall off two seconds later.

So, I am back in the swing of things at school and starting off my final semester as a University of Delaware Undergraduate student. I graduate May 28th with my Political Science Degree, and I simply cannot wait. Last weekend I sang the National Anthem for the Kent County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner, and a few weeks ago I sang it for a local Miss Delaware pageant. I already have several other events that I will be singing at in the next few months, too. So, if people try to say that titleholders are washed up after they give up their title tell them they are wrong. I am still constantly doing appearances, while finishing my degree. It's the best of both worlds, and I couldn't be happier!

Until next time...

150th Governor Ross Plantation Celebration

For those of you who may not have seen or heard, I have indeed dyed my hair yet again. I guess once you start changing it's hard to stop. I feel as though the sky is the limit. But I'm actually really liking my new hair color so it may stick around for longer than 5 months unlike the blonde. Nonetheless, this was my first appearance with my new deep auburn hair. It had just been dyed so it ended up looking black for a while. It has since calmed down, but the pictures from this event make it look incredibly dark. I kind of like it though...hmmm... anyway that's for another day.

I was asked by the wonderful Ron Breeding of Nemours to sing the National Anthem at the 150th celebration of the Governor Ross Mansion and Plantation. It was a great day filled with various vendors, exhibits, and even a corn maze! Unfortunately, I did not have the time to get lost in the corn maze so I figured I wouldn't even try to start it. Several people spoke at the opening ceremony about the impact agriculture has on our state. Our Secretary of Education, Dr. Lillian Lowery, and 39th District Representative, Dan Short, were in attendance. The handsome fellow in the middle's name is Caeden, and he was generous enough to give me his Governor Ross pin that you see me wearing in the picture below. Thanks bud!

It was great to see the excitement of the audience as I sang. One thing that topped off the whole experience was the true Sussex County flyover....a crop duster! After I was done singing, we looked towards the sky to see a crop duster give the National Anthem a proper ending. I guess there is a first time for everything. I can't say that I have ever experienced a crop duster flyover before. Definitely one to add to the books.

Of course, in true pageant queen fashion, I wore heals to the event. Poor decision! The entire event was in the grass and I punctured little holes everywhere I went. When I got in the van to go home, I realized I had a collection of leaves on my stiletto heal like a shishcabob! Gotta love the good ol' country. It was great to spend time in the fresh air and learn all about how agriculture benefits the state of Delaware and people everywhere. Thanks Ron for inviting me to such a lovely event!

Voting

So yesterday I voted and worked the polls all day in Dover. It was a crazy day, but I was thrilled to see that so many people turned out for a midterm election. Although not every race went the way I had hoped it would, I am still thrilled that people came out to let their voices be heard. One can only pray that they were educated about the candidates they were choosing.

It's a difficult dilemma, voting, because we always say that people should go out and vote, but what if they are uneducated about the candidates? I think the bigger message should be vote educated. Don't just vote because you remember someone's name or you are a part of a particular party. Vote because that person stands for something that you agree with and would be satisfied if they pushed legislation for it. I cannot stand people who complain but never vote, and I equally cannot stand people who complain after it was because of them that the particular person is in office.

It's tough to see so many campaigns walk away defeated, but I think so many wonderful lessons are simply in the journey alone. Great things come out of the worst of times and a light is able to shine its brightest in complete darkness. So although this is a rough time now for some candidates, I hope they know that it will just make their future victory that much sweeter in the end. Everything happens for a reason and I fully believe that. Congratulations to everyone who won and to every citizen that went out and voted! I'll see everyone at the polls in 2012!