Muddy Paws

They say April showers bring May flowers, but I say April showers bring muddy puppies. We're working really hard on teaching Polo not to run straight to the back of the yard where there is no grass aka the dirtiest, muddiest area. He does pretty well with the "just go potty" command, until he spies a squirrel or cat walking on the back fence. Then he takes off faster than we can shout "NO!" For this reason, we keep a ratty old towel ready at the back door for wiping his paws. Often times just wiping them off is not enough, and I have to take him up to the bathroom to get rinsed off. Fortunately, Polo actually likes this. I think he even knows it's coming because after I use the towel to dry him as best I can, he'll run upstairs and wait by the bathroom door. Maybe getting muddy is part of his evil plan to spend more time in the shower.

Waiting to be dried off

This photo doesn't really do justice to how muddy these paws really are

Ready for his rinse off. With the awesome shower attachment, I'm able to just get his legs and paws.

My Knight in Shining Versa

Polo and I went out for a run on Saturday afternoon. I knew there was a chance of thunderstorms, so I planned to go out for four miles, beat the storm, and finish with three more miles on the treadmill, which is about as much as I can handle indoors. With a gray, cloudy sky above, Polo and I ran down to the Scioto river in the slightly chilly air. I love running along the river and looking out at the gently flowing muddy water and the towering trees lining the banks. At the end of the west side trail, we crossed over the bridge and ran up the east side of the river. As we reached our turn-around point, I spotted numerous small, round white specks hitting the ground and realized it had started to hail. Fortunately, the hail was not coming down fast or hard, so we picked up our speed and headed back to the bridge. In my mind, I kept thinking about various scenarios and what I would do if the storm got bad.


Should I wait it out under the bridge? Should I flag down a stranger and ask for a ride? It would have to be a pick-up truck because no one wants a wet dog in their car. That's probably not safe. Should I run back through the neighborhood instead of by the river so that I can knock on someone's door and ask to borrow their phone and have Michael pick us up? Should I just say 'what the heck' and get soaked?


I did start running through the neighborhood after crossing back over the bridge, though I couldn't really imagine knocking on anyone's door for help. I'm not afraid of getting wet or anything, but last time I got soaked through in a sudden downpour, my Nike+ chip short-circuited, and I had to buy a new one. I also know that though Polo loves the water, he's not a huge fan of being rained on. With about a mile to go, the light hail had turned to a drizzle. We turned left onto the main street that leads into our neighborhood, and I spotted a black Nissan Versa driving toward us. Could it be Michael? He's slowing down. It is! He rolled down his window, and I said, "Hey, can we get a ride?" He was on his way to rent a video for us to watch that night. I put Polo in the back, hopped in the front, and we drove away. Less than a minute later, the sky unleashed a torrent that surely would have drenched us in seconds, but I had been saved by my husband, my knight.

One Lucky Dog

A couple that we are friends with were expecting their first baby on February 3rd. Michael and I had agreed that when the time came, we would go pick up their dog and take care of him while they were at the hospital. As it happens with babies, they rarely come exactly when expected, and little Ethan arrived on January 21st via c-section. That meant that Polo got to spend a few extra days with his good friend, Barkley, while mom recovered. Barkley and Polo have known each other since Polo was a puppy, and they get along really well. Barkley is part Golden Retriever, so they even look like cousins. After I took Barkley back to his house, I came home and let Polo out of his crate and he ran all over the house looking for his friend. He went to the door to see if Barkley was in the backyard, and when he didn't see him, he looked at me with these sad eyes that just said, "Mom, where's my friend?"

Barkley and Polo staying comfortable on the couch

 He didn't have to be lonely for long though. Just a few days later, another friend emailed me saying she and her family were going out of town and they wondered if we could dog-sit for them. Of course! So, Riley came over on Thursday and has been playing with Polo all weekend long. We actually dog-sat for Riley last year, but he was having joint issues and wasn't up for playing with our very active puppy. This time around is a very different story. Riley seems like a puppy himself running around and playing with Polo. I just know I'll see those sad eyes again tonight when Riley goes home and Polo gets lonely again. Hmmm.... time for a second dog? Probably not yet but maybe someday. For now, we'll just keep planning play dates and trips to the dog park.

Just Riley

Polo's first run

We're trying to teach Polo how to run on the treadmill.

Winter Wonderland

After three winter storms, our backyard (like the rest of the city) is covered in a deep, thick blanket of snow. To see how much more than our first snow, check out the picture on my White Christmas post. Polo seems to love it, but he might feel differently if he was the one who had to shovel the driveway. I may have to shovel my fair share, but I love the snow too.

All around update

Reading
As much as I enjoyed my reading challenge of 2009, I'm looking forward to the freedom of reading anything I want from any genre again. Like so many other people, I like to read books before I see the movies based on them, so I recently read The Lovely Bones and The Lightning Thief. I enjoyed The Lightning Thief so much, that I decided to continue the series and just finished Sea of Monsters. The plot can be described as a cross between Harry Potter and a Greek hero tale. I enjoyed the adventure and the use of Greek mythology, which also makes it a good read for any students studying mythology in school. Fun, easy reads. The rest of the series is on reserve at the library, which is an AMAZING place! I can read just about any book I want for free. I may have to wait for it, but reserving books is super easy. I recently checked out The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, and Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. Plenty to keep me busy.

Running
Thanks to my former roommate from NYU, the winter weather has not kept me from running. She and I both use the Nike+ running system, which allows users to create and compete in a variety of running challenges. She challenged me to a contest to see who could run the most kilometers in 30 days. As I can be quite competitive, this was a perfect way to ensure I would not let the snow or below freezing temperatures stop me. I've run over 40 miles in the last three weeks and have four days until the challenge ends. After that, I plan to start my official marathon training, which is another feature the Nike+ website offers.

Polo
He's still getting bigger. We haven't weighed him in a while, but I would guess around 50-55lbs. He loves sleeping on our bed and couches, carrying around socks in his mouth, and joining me for runs. He still gets overly excited around guests, which we need to keep working on, but we love him a ton.

Michael
He started a new rotation at Nationwide that he seems to enjoy, yet he still has plenty of time to be a wonderful husband. We grabbed Chinese take-out on Saturday night in celebration of Chinese New Year (Feb. 14th), and on Valentine's day, he made a delicious dinner of shrimp pesto fettuccine with seared scallops as an appetizer. The best part, though, was the cheesecake. He used a recipe from Junior's in New York, which is the best cheesecake he's ever had. I'm not as distinguishing, but I know it was really, really good. It may fit under "reading," but I'll tell you here that I just started a book called The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian, and I'm excited to see how focusing more on praying for my husband will positively affect our marriage.

Vista
I really enjoy the church we've found here. Michael and I are involved in a great small group and volunteer with the set-up/tear-down team. I also signed up to be in the Easter choir. It may seem crazy to those who know anything about my singing ability, or lack thereof, but I'm hoping to blend in. I'm really looking forward to getting to know some more people this way.

Work
We had two snow days last week, Friday was a teacher workday, and today is a holiday, so I have not been subbing very much. I'm hoping it starts to pick up. I really like the district I'm working in, and I generally enjoy each of the subbing jobs I take. It keeps me busy and helps pay the bills. I'm hoping to get a full time job for the next school year, and I actually think I would prefer middle school, which may seem insane, but it's my favorite place to sub. I don't know that I will have much choice though. It's very competitive here.

Weather
Freezing (literally) cold and snowy. Today is the third winter storm in as many weeks. I may drive a 16 year old car, but I'm grateful that it is an all-wheel drive. Our street does not get plowed or salted, but we keep our driveway and sidewalks shoveled. Michael and I take turns with that.

In the words of Porky the Pig, that's all folks!

Sunday Night In

We've been having really laid back weekends lately. On Saturday, we had some friends and their dog over in the afternoon. The pups ran around the backyard tiring each other out, the boys watched the Indiana basketball game, and the girls chatted in the kitchen, oh so stereotypically. Then the four of us played, but didn't finish, Trivial Pursuit. Michael and I actually went out for dinner that night, which we haven't done in nearly a month. We had a two for one coupon for Spagheddie's, which is a much cozier place than expected. The food was so-so, but it was a good deal :) After our typical Sunday routine of church followed by grocery shopping, I took Polo for a nice five mile jog. I have to take advantage of as many sunny days in the 20's and 30's as I can before the weather turns bad again. I baked oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries, and then Michael and I watched the Grammy Awards while playing another round of Trivial Pursuit. Polo tried to join Michael's team but was of little help in answering any questions.

Playing with Christmas presents

On Christmas morning in Arizona, there was a present under the tree for Polo from my mom. It has become one of his favorite toys to bring us for playtime. It's great for a little tug-of-war and for retrieving.

White Christmas (a little late)

As much as Michael and I loved the warm weather in Arizona, we missed out on the white Christmas experience. However, we returned to a light snow storm in Columbus that was off and on from Saturday evening through Monday morning. It left everything covered in a beautiful blanket of white. Since most of our neighbors still have their lights up, and we still have our decorations up, it still feels a bit like a white Christmas. What a blessing!

Polo explores the snow in our backyard

Doggie Dashboard

I took Polo to visit a friend the other day. Just as we pulled into the driveway, my phone rang. As I sat in the parked car talking on the phone, Polo decided it would be fun to climb on top of the dashboard. Of course, I had to take a picture!

They grow up so fast...

He'll be four months old on Friday, and he's already this big!

Up the stairs

We thought it would be a while before our tiny little pup would be able to climb the stairs. It would be a perfect way to keep him in one area of the house. On his second day with us, Polo could climb the short set of stairs from the family room to the kitchen. For the past week, he has been attempting to climb the longer set up to the bedrooms, but he usually only makes it to step two. It's been exactly one week since we got him; just yesterday marked his 7 week birthday, and today he made it up his Everest. Unfortunately, he cannot yet make it down any stairs so he stands at the top and whimpers.

He's now a pro at these stairs...


Climbing Everest...

Polo's First Ball

We picked up a tennis ball today for Polo. It's a little big for him, but we loved watching him play.

Welcome Home, Polo!!

Michael and I have each wanted a dog for several years, but we always agreed to wait until we were married so we could raise him together. Once we got married, we decided to wait until we got a house with a yard. Once we were in the house, we wanted to wait until we finished painting and felt a little more settled. After much waiting, we decided to take advantage of this three-day weekend to get serious about a dog. We have been checking out Petfinder.com for possible adoptions and the Columbus Dispatch classifieds for pet listings for the past few weeks. Today, we took an unsuccessful trip to the humane society and then checked the classifieds again. We found a new listing for Golden Retrievers (my dream dog!) born July 24th at a price that was so good we had to call. Once we learned that all the puppies were still available, we left right away. After driving an hour and a half south of Columbus through miles of cornfields and farmland, we finally arrived at the right address. We played with three different males, picked our favorite, paid and headed home with huge smiles and full hearts. We finally found a puppy to call our very own. We named him Polo.

Polo's birthplace

Playing with Polo

Heading home together

Polo's new home

Tuckered out from a long day