A couple of years ago, Mayu and I set out to train the dogs. We went to training classes, read books, asked friends…. Now after a couple of years we can say how much we got trained in the process. Here is a quick presentation that we gave at Pecha Kucha about these “lessons for life”. Enjoy.
I’d be lying if I say that I was not worried about how our doggies would react to the new baby. The dogs had been our babies so far and I could not imagine that a new human baby would come into our lives. I had heard that whether we like it or not (of course, we would like it ;)), the new baby would soon become the center of our lives (owing mainly to the fact that the baby would be totally dependent on us for every single thing for the next so many years). The side effect? Doggies (no, not the cat) would go lower in the totem pole. And stay there. It hurt in the pits of my stomach.
While the dogs have done great with the baby since the day she was born, there was something amiss. I could not say what. In dog terms, I thought that perhaps we were all still not part of the same “pack” . Perhaps I was right….
I had heard about the benefits of having animals while bringing up babies. Kids that have grown up around pets tend to have lesser allergies (look at me..I cannot even fake an allergy ;)). They end up being more tolerant, compassionate and considerate (look at me ;)…alright, not the tolerant bit :)). It will be a while before I can test these theories with my own little one, so I paid little attention to them. As of a few months back, I really did not see how the pets+kids combo did much else besides generate more work ;)
But NOW it is a whole new story. Sorry, but I have to gloat. Life has been so much fun the past few weeks (barring the sleep deprivation, of course), I just HAVE TO talk about it.
Savi will laugh loud and happy when she sees the doggies (and the cat). She loves it when we carry her and run with the dogs in the back yard. She has figured out the she can roll all around from one dog to the other when she is on the floor of the great room. She will “talk” to them since she has figured that they “respond” to her. Charlie very often comes and sits right by her too. Iris, he crazy one, will bring her tennis ball and put it in front of her. Lucky (the cat) will come by and rub his head against her hand …and she will promptly respond by holding his ears and trying to eat him ;) … ( I know what you folk without pets are thinking ;) …NO, we folk with pets really do not let our babies EAT our animals ..so you rest easy there !)
It has been just six months since we had Savi and we are back to being a family again …sitting around together, eating together and playing together. Very soon, we will be going on walks together (will spring ever be here ???).
One happy family …just bigger but back in action!
frus·tra·tion
–noun
1. what Savi feels when she tries to sit up these days (more like “ab crunches” …)
2. what Savi feels when she tries to crawl these days (more like “swimming on the spot”…)
3. what Savi feels when she tries to “catch” a flowing stream of water these days (bathtime means that I continually pour a mug of water on her tummy, so she can hold it…)
4. what Savi feels a LOT these days
4. what Mom feels when she cannot get even an hour of sleep at night (Yes, I know that I did not increment the count at No 4 …moms really don’t count, you know… )
5. what Iris feels when she cannot get her tennis balls from under the couch every single day
6. what Charlie feels when we lock him out of the baby room these days (separation anxiety;))
7. what Lucky never feels (duh, he is a cat …’frustration’ does not exist in the cat dictionary ;))
7. what Dad feels when he is sick and cannot hold little Savi for days ..( not only does dad not count, he is also always “last” ;))
One happily frustrated family. I love it!!!
