Dog Wars

So, I'm having dog trouble with my neighbor. I think she is unreasonable—obviously I do. Let's see what you think.

When we first got Tucker this neighbor decided it would be really sweet to bring her dog over so they could meet and become playmates. I thought this was a crazy thing to do myself, especially since Tucker had only been in our home for about a day and a half. For a couple of minutes things went OK. Until her dog decided to show dominance by putting his paw and head on top of Tucker's shoulder. It looked like a sweet doggy hug, but we soon found out that Tucker didn't appreciate it at all. Later we read online (your source for all wisdom and knowledge) that this "doggy hug" was, indeed, a dog signal for, "I am the boss of you. Yes, even on your own territory." Well, we pulled the dogs away from each other and she went home.

A few days later my kids took Tucker for a walk at the park. Tucker saw the neighbor and her dog there, broke loose from the kids and went to finish what her dog had started. The neighbor freaked out and got in between the two dogs, and so she got hurt. She came to Bruce and me four times in three days to tell us that she didn't want to make a big deal of it, but if it ever happened again she'd call animal control. Not satisfied with that, she told us that if she ever saw Tucker outside she'd report us. Then she said that if she ever saw my kids out walking Tucker she'd turn us in. And, that still not being enough, she brought over her favorite dog-training book for us to peruse.

Since then Tucker has pretty much stayed in the house—far, far contrary to my own wishes. When we let him out for a potty break one of us watches him from the back door and calls him back into the house as soon as he's done. We've had Tucker for about seven months now, and he's only gotten loose maybe three or four times.

OK. It is no big secret that I don't really like dogs. It's a pretty well established fact that I'd just as soon not have a dog. But Tucker really is a nice dog. If I could overlook the fact that he makes a disaster in my house by shedding everywhere, and that I can't stand his face to be near me because he drools so much, and that he sleeps on the stairs, and that he is generally underfoot, then he's not so bad. He's good with the kids, pretty obedient, and very friendly—not just with us, but with everyone who comes to visit—almost too friendly (he thinks he's a lap-dog). So my point of view is that if I'm stuck living with a dog for the next 15 years or so, and I'm stuck keeping him in the house with me, at least he's a nice dog.

Ferocious brute!

Well, two nights ago Jessica let the dog outside and then forgot to stay and watch him; I didn't realize this until the next scene played out: Tucker couldn't have been out for more than five minutes when we heard a pounding on the door. And, you guessed it, there's our neighbor. Does she say "hi?" Does she say, "Did you know that Tucker is running loose?" No. She just started yelling at us that our dog was running around and that if it happened again she would call animal control. As soon as we realized Tucker was out—while she was still at the door—we called him and he came right in. But there was no acknowledgment of that. No, she just delivered her very rude message and stormed off without even saying goodbye, never mind a thank you.

Now have I ever complained about when her dog, who is almost as big as Tucker, ran over to our yard and knocked my four-year-old Jessica down? No. I said, "That's OK. He's just excited." Have I ever gone and griped at her when her dog was running loose? No. In fact, I've coaxed him to me and kept him in our garage until she got home so that he wouldn't get hit by a car. Was I feeling really grumpy yesterday? You bet!

It's not about the dogs. Like I said, I couldn't care less about having a dog. This is about how rudely she treats us; storming over, yelling, threatening, and making unrealistic demands. This is what really frustrates me. If my temperament were like hers, we would have a battle royal over this. However I am non-confrontational to the point of almost being afraid to state my own opinion. I certainly don't want to start a battle over something as stupid as dogs—I don't want to go over to her place and say, "Not only do I think you are wrong, but you are very rude." But I don't want to be bullied by her for as long as we own Tucker, either.

So here I was, wanting to be on friendly terms with my neighbor, but feeling very angry and not knowing what to do about it. I definitely felt like she should know how I feel about all of this.

Finally I decided to write her a letter yesterday morning. I tried to be very nice about what I said; I didn't call her a big booger, or sign it with poison ink. But just to be sure it was OK, I took the letter to Melanie at her school to ask her how she thought it sounded; then Melanie showed it to her teacher/partner for a more unbiased opinion. They both said it was really good. (That means 100% of school teachers who read the letter said it sounded clear, and not nasty at all.) But I still wasn't sure about giving this letter to my neighbor, since I don't know her well enough to know whether even the most polite note would give offense. As I thought and thought about it, the best revenge popped into my mind: I would take her some brownies! Yes! (Insert evil, maniacal laugh here.) That would just serve her right! Weird, huh?

So after school I made the brownies and packaged them up. By then Bruce got home, so I had him proof-read the letter too and he agreed that it was a good letter, and he delivered the package for me. The neighbor was very happy to get brownies—apparently they are her favorite. (Who knew?)

I don't know how this will play out. I don't know if she'll say anything to me, or if I'll just have to see what happens the next time Tucker pokes his nose outside without her permission. In the meantime, I feel a little better.

Odds & Ends

Kaylie's third-grade class has been working on some new inventions for the past month or so. Today Kaylie's invention goes before the patent board. Here it is:

The Snowplow Bike! (patent pending)

Kaylie's clever design allows the cyclist to ride his/her bike in the winter, while providing service for the neighbors by shovelling—and salting—their sidewalks. As an added bonus, the cyclist will get the workout of their life!

In other news, Jessica has gone curly.

A few pin curls, and lots of bobby-pins

A "Jemima" cap to cover it for the night

And, voila! A halo of golden curls in the morning!


And, finally, all Rachel wants for Valentine's Day is:

her two front teeth! (LOVE that smile!)

The 2010 Calendar

This year we actually finished our calendar in February instead of April. (I was hoping for January, but . . .)

Our calendar is extra-cool this year: not only is each month represented by a piece of fabulous artwork created by my family, but special days—like birthdays—have a corresponding picture as well.

I had hoped to get this calendar hung on the wall before the end of January, but someone didn't finish his picture on time. (To be fair, we didn't start on the pictures until the last week of January.)

Still, getting the calendar on the wall in February would be a tremendous improvement over last year!

Here is my amazing family's stunning artwork:

January: Memory: Hugging Mom and Dad, by Bruce

Bruce has told me this story many times: One day, when Bruce was about two or three years old, his parents greeted each other with a big hug. And he was so happy, and "feeling the love," that he had to get in on it too, almost squeezing himself between them in his eagerness to hug them both.

February: Whale, by Lindsey (age 13)

March: Junk, by Brandon (age 12)

This is a bird's-eye-view of a junk (boat) at the dock.

April: Moonlight Cityscape by Michael (age 17)

May: Flower Garden, by Kaylie (age 8)

June: Summer Days With Tucker, by Rachel (age 7)

This, from my little girl who last year was a self-proclaimed cat lover and hater of dogs.

July: Smoke Bombs and Fireworks, by Jessica (age 6)

August: Still LIfe: On Top of the Kitchen Cabinets, by Ryan (age 10)

September: Mom and Jessica, by Jessica (age 6)


October: Trick or Treat, by Loralee

So much for creativity. But I do like my witch mask. :-)

November: Lighthouse, by Jason (age 15)

December: Chili Days With Tucker, by Rachel (age 7)

I think she meant "chilly" days.

As you can see, we have a really cool calendar this year. So if you come over, you'll have to check it out!

Check out the poem of the week in the sidebar!

Lindsey wrote it for a school contest. She won and is going on to the next level. :-)

Infected

Yes, we are the lucky ones! Two big, whopping computer viruses within a month.

What is it with these people?