Love Them So, To Let Them Go

Today was a very sad day for us.  We had to give our two sweet, loving dogs away.  :(

About a week ago, Knox was continuing his daily harassment of Lula and Chloe.  He chases them from couch to loveseat over and over again, and once he corners them, he wallows all over them.  I guess the dogs finally had enough.  One day Lula snapped at Knox, which only scared him for a bit but left no marks.  A day or two following that little incident, the one we thought would never harm a hair on Knox's head had her fill of rough housing.  Without a growl, she turned and bit Knox on the forehead.  One snap and she was done.  Unfortunately, instead of only scaring Knox, she actually left a mark.  I flipped.  No one was home with us at my parents, except my sleeping father.  Keith was 4 1/2 hours away.  I cleaned his little cut and applied some medicine.  Knox calmed down quite quickly, but he kept touching it--I know it was sore.  I called Keith, Mom and the vet.  Knox was fine and wouldn't need shots, and the wound would heal fine on it's own.  Actually, today it's barely noticeable.

Without much discussion, Keith and I knew we'd have to give our precious puppies away.  The only reason they behaved like they did is because our little rough-and-tumble little boy didn't know how to play gently with the dogs.  Once the other baby gets here, I can't eagle eye Knox while taking care of newborn to ensure it didn't happen again.  I know it is best that they find another home, but I can't help to be so sad that they won't be with us anymore.  They were mine and Keith's first "babies."  I've had my bouts of crying spells for the past few days (I know this is enhanced due to pregnancy hormones), and noticed I've distanced my self from them lately.  I guess it was fear of the separation.

I think we had favor on our side when we received a call this morning.  We desperately wanted to keep them together--the only dogs they like are each other and they love each other so.  We had other arrangements that fell through this morning, when a woman that lives with her mother and 14 year old son called.  They wanted one for the both of them-and they wanted lap dogs.  If our two aren't lap dogs, I don't know what dogs are.  :)  I went with Keith to meet their new owners, but couldn't bare to see them handed over.  Keith is really happy and at peace after meeting the ladies.  The grandmother was so excited, saying they were sleeping with her at night.  She already had Chloe rubbed silly, in her lap, with her head laid back on the grandmother and eyes half closed.

I know they will be nothing less than spoiled in their new home, but can't help to tear up because I had to give away my first "babies".  Mommy will always love you so.  :)

Good Things in Small Packages

Just a few things I wanted to share. One is understandably fab, and the other two are somewhat menial but fab in my little world.

First, and most importantly, I am now an AUNTIE to a beautiful...cocker spaniel!!! My brother and his girlfriend, Lindsey, got a puppy over the weekend. Griffin is absolutely adorable, and I hope we get to meet him SOON! Lula and Chloe now have a dog cousin to play with when we're all at Big Daddy & Ma Jack's house! I know Knox will love him just as much as he does his sisters. :)

Secondly, and not quite as important, are my savings from yesterday and today! I haven't mentioned my couponing in awhile, because I have been quite slack in that department. I'm slowly but surely getting them all organized in a manner that I think will be the most accessible, therefore allowing maximum savings. Gosh, I sound goober-ish, but saving money is a serious matter in this household. We're doing the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace, and loving it, as I have mentioned previously. We have paid off 2 lines of credit card debit and my student loan in 6 months.

Yesterday, I hit Staples and CVS. Staples had several school supplies on sale, as well as copy paper. I know no one in our household attends school yet, but my BFF, Jill, is graciously asking for school supplies to be donated to her church as gifts for her 30th birthday! How fantastic is that?! Anywho, I had an $18 Staples rebate check for recycling ink cartridges (you can recycle up to 10 per month and receive $3 for each--up to $30 per month!) I also had a $5 off any $20 purchase from the store circular. I purchased two reams of paper, two packs of #2 pencils, two packs of scissors (two in each pack), two pencil boxes AND an ink cartridge for my printer for $1.49!!! Plus the packs of paper have rebates on them for a total of $7 AND I recycled 7 used ink cartridges. So, in theory and not counting the recycled ink cartridges, I "made" $5.50--and at Staples of all places!

CVS was even better! They had tons of school supplies FREE after ECB (Extra Care Bucks), FREE razor, FREE glucose monitoring systems that produced overage (to be donated!), and almost free Tylenol. Including my coupons, and the 9 ECBs I received from Spring quarter (I slacked the past few months) I MADE $25 in ECBs and only paid $6 OOP (out of pocket)! I know some peeps do much better than that on a weekly basis, but that is the first time I've "made" overages pay like that!

Today wasn't as phenomenal with savings, but I still did well. Went to Kroger and bought tons of meat and snacky stuff--I spent $55 but saved $77!!! YAY! Probably good, since this current week of sales at Publix isn't the goldmine it normally is, or at least that's what I think.

All in all, it's been a fab few days. Hope your week is off to a great start too!

UPDATE: We just received Knox's very first brand-new Veggie Tales in the mail, for which was FREE and I only paid $2.99 for shipping! :)

Puddin' Pop in Trouble

We have two of the sweetest puppy dogs ever.  Knox absolutely adores them:  loves hugging them, chasing them and watching them wrestle each other.  Tallulah Belle, aka Lula, is the skinny white one that is much more energetic, but less likely to stay still for Knox to love on.  Chloe Kahne, aka Chloe or Puddin' Pop, is the slightly overweight, lazy one but will lay still for lovings until Knox drives her crazy.  (She's the one that rides cargo in the stroller for walks.)

I say all of this to preface that despite how loving Chloe is, she's definitely the black sheep, so to speak.  Our couch and oversize chair have holes chewed in the corner of nearly every cushion.  Our carpet has seen better days--when she has to go, she HAS to go.  We've gone through multiple packs of pacifiers, since the little sneak will grab them off our chair-side table and chew (and eat) them.  You think we'd realize by now that she needs to be in her crate whenever we're not home (that is the time she reeks havoc), we've just gotten out of the habit.  All of this we've taken somewhat in stride, but yesterday she almost broke the camel's back.  Well, actually she did, but my tears and pleading saved her.

I came home from running errands and picking Knox up from school to find this:

This is the scene of the crime.  Can you tell what it is?  I should have left the "murder weapon" where I found it, and you might be able to tell.  Guess I wouldn't make it for long on CSI.  It's black ink from the pen Chloe was chewing on, smack dab in the middle of our living room carpet.  I know the pen was NOT on the ground.  I had just picked up the downstairs, so I guess she got it from the table?  Once she burst the ink cartridge, she managed to step in it and track it EVERYWHERE downstairs.  Each of the following pictures are different areas of downstairs she managed to massacre.

She looks a little ashamed/scared in this one.  Another image of the originating crime scene.

Behind the recliner and front door entrance.

Walking from originating point to the kitchen.

And on to the dog bowls.

Lucky for her, the trail was easily cleaned from the hard floors.  Removal from the carpet was a little tougher.  Prints came up for the most part using a Magic Eraser and baby wipes.  The origination was much, much tougher.  I got up as much as I could using a sopping wet Eraser and towels.  When Keith got home, he managed to get the kinda-broken steam cleaner to work with the attachment brush.  Our carpet has been stained previously, but this was the icing that it will have to be removed.  This fiasco just confirmed the fact that I want hardwood throughout the downstairs--don't you agree???