A sign inside suggests one should have "Cake for Breakfast". That's just what we did. Kiddo typed out a list for himself. In case the type is too small, it says:
"1 go to rabbit hole bakery
"2 eat good food
"3 have fun
"4 take a picture"
I can't post the picture he took, due to foster care rules, but all four to-dos were accomplished.
Several times the past week, this foster kiddo, who has some incredibly difficult memories in his past has chirped "I'm happy", unprompted by his care givers. That of course warms the hearts of all of us who have come to love him.
After I got home, Ember and I went for a nice walk on leash in the neighborhood. It has been raining off and on today. Being on a walk did not save us from it. We got about three blocks of light rain at the end. Along the way, Ember collected pets from a lawn service guy and a marathon runner I know down the block. He commented on how big she has become, as my running neighbor met her back when I first got her. They don't stay little for long, as this man knows, since he has two dogs of his own.
Ember and Bella, an aging yellow lab, approached from opposite directions about mid-walk. Ember laid down and did not spring up when Bella came up. They politely touched noses. Bella's dad commented on how well-behaved Ember has become, compared to the last time we encountered one another on leash. "She's past two years, now?" he asked. I affirmed it. "Same with Bella. At two, she settled right down. It was like a different dog." I shall not disillusion him. I pray that this remains her adult personality.
Saturday was a calm good day with a long leash walk in the morning. We had a tentative date to walk with my former co-worker and her dog, but we waved that off, thinking it was probably still too muddy where we normally meet. As it was, the ground in people's yards was kind of muddy, too. Still, Ember was allowed to greet one lady who was coming out to work in her yard. She was so good at first, but at the end, put her muddy paws up on this woman's sweatshirt. Lady was very accepting of it, but fellow dog-mamas know what I mean... we want our fur-kids to have good manners.
Our grocery trip was also in the morning coolness, so that Ember could stay in the car. We had a celebrity sighting. Somebody has clearly put a lot of work into their fandom! I've seen this vehicle in my grocery parking lot more than once. I have yet to deduce whether the owner is a shopper or an employee.
Sunday also started with a long leash walk. The tree that was down when we walked earlier in the week (photo in Thursday's posted blog) had been all cleared off by Sunday morning. Ember was a happy and good girl on the walk. We were certainly far from alone out there. It was between showers, after all. We encountered at least four clumps of two or more dogs being walked together. We were polite, gave them their space, they gave us ours. I was proud of the whole neighborhood full of dogs, because nobody got out of line. A couple might have tugged a bit or barked a bit, but they pretty much acted like they knew it was Sunday morning and people might want to be sleeping.
For the curious, this is a Suisse exercise ball, wrapped up in a tear-resistant cover. It comes deflated with a foot pump to fill the ball once you insert it in the cover. Then zip it up, and work on teaching your dog what to do with it.
The ad says your dog won't be able to pop it, but they don't advertise it for labradors. We shall see how indestructible it is or is not.
Remember that this next week was supposed to be the next great adventure in home maintenance? The replacement of my deck?
Well, Sunday afternoon brought a phone call from the gentleman in charge of the project. His builder is running behind (considering the recent weather, this does not surprise me). So it's not happening this week. I'll be reshuffling Ember's day care to something closer to "normal" and I will expect a phone call sometime end of the week or beginning of the next week to see where we stand on the schedule.
Oh, well. Life goes on. Life is good. Spark on!
Well maybe it is a good thing for a normal week before the work begins. Nice Ghostbuster vehicle! Wonder if they ever took it to New York to take a picture outside the station where Ghostbusters was filmed. Walking Alice went by there and showed all the great painting on the pavement to mark the place. Sounds like a great time at the bakery too. Reading list is still wonky sometimes it is up to date and sometimes things are missing but I always dig to see. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I was relieved that they were not going to show up at 6:30 this morning! Ember will get 3 days in daycare this week, because it was too late to cancel today. We'll have a mommy and me day on Wednesday.
DeleteThat's for right now, I am feeling exhausted, and I'm glad of the extra daycare day so I can decompress.
To stop and realize one is happy is an unbelievable quality of character for anyone of any age. Your grandson is a man of character, good heart, and cheer. I wish him (and you all) well.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a Time, more than a decade ago, I found myself saying to a therapist, during a rocky time, but in the midst of all of the difficult stuff there were moments of pure contentment. And if I could just string together enough of those moments, I would consider my life to be a good one. Perhaps my foster grandson is learning this lesson a lot sooner than I did. Of course it helps that he's had a year and a half of a stable placement... It takes some stability to have time to reflect.
DeleteThe difference is he really is just a kid, not yet 8 years old. I pray that this becomes a foundational thing for him
DeleteSounds like a good week! Ember well behaved, FGC is HAPPY (that’s awesome), a nice outing to the Rabbit Hole Bakery (what a cute name). Too bad that the deck renewal is being postponed, but hope you hear from the carpenter soon.
ReplyDeletehugs and blessings
barb
Vacation was a wonderful respite for FGC. He has some emotional hills yet to climb, as he learned of his siblings' change of placement. That's hard on kids. But it's our hope that once they settle in with the new foster family, some sibling visits will be possible again.
DeleteMay you all have many more days of happiness.
ReplyDeleteThat ball cover doesn't look like it will survive Ember too long. Oscar would have had it chewed off by the end of the first day.
LOL! I had the same thought about the ball cover, but it is that slippery canvas-like material that her teeth don't easily take hold of. So I am cautiously optimistic. However, she's a clever dog, and in her first play session with it, she dug out the zipper handle and opened the zipper. Once you do that, you have access to the underlying plastic ball...
DeleteFortunately, I told her it was time for the toy to take a nap and got it put away before she was able to do big-time damage. I'll wait a few days before I bring it out again.
She has an interesting pattern with new toys. She will destroy the first one. If she had enough fun with that, I will purchase another of the same toy, and she's better about not destroying it. She learns how to make the fun last longer by playing more gently.
It sounds like Ember is growing into such a sweet, polite girl, and those cozy rainy-day encounters with neighbors and fellow pups are just the best. Even with a little mud on a sweatshirt here and there, you should be so proud of how well she’s doing—especially during that wonderfully quiet Sunday morning walk!
ReplyDeleteThe herding ball sounds like a fantastic challenge, though as a fellow dog lover, I totally share your healthy skepticism about anything claiming to be "Lab-proof." Good luck with the deck schedule reshuffling this week, and I hope you and Ember enjoy the unexpected bit of normal routine before the big project starts! (((BIG HUGS)))
We all need that "down time" from time to time, as you have also noted in your own blogs! ((( Big Hugs )))
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