I love so many things about Wilson. His little face. His curly haired floppy ears. The way he runs which is way more like hopping with his ears flapping. His soft fur. His little tummy when he flips over to have it petted.
Wilson loves morning greetings. He has to be petted for a full five minutes before eating or drinking. He loves to be rewarded with a click and treat. I think he loves walks but he gets tired. He loves to curl up in Scott’s arms. He loves to mess with Diego
Diego tolerates Wilson. He may be starting to like him. He invites him out to play in the back yard at least one a day. We are teaching Wilson to stop grabbing Diego’s fur. Yesterday he took a bite and held on and flipped upside down and Diego dragged him several feet. I learned a new trick to get that to stop tonight that I can’t wait to try tomorrow.
Wilson is going to be huge. His paws are enormous. He weighed about ten pounds at six weeks. He has doubled that now at ten weeks.
We forgot what having a new puppy is like. He has slept through a few nights but he usually gets up twice. He goes back into his kennel and goes to sleep well for the most part. He is just starting to get too big for his kennel. We leave him in the bathroom puppy proofed during the day when I’m seeing clients, usually for only three to four hours at a time. He entertains himself with his toys. I was hiring a sitter for him. Once a week he goes to day training at Mutt school. He loves it and learns so much!
We were going to puppy kindergarten but neither one of us could handle it. Puppies everywhere and parents clicking and treating and a gal on the mic giving directions. Wilson yanked on his leash trying to say hi to everyone and wouldn’t do a damn thing I said.- We are going to do private training and day school instead and then rejoin the class for first grade. I guess you could say we are homeschooling him. Ha ha.
Every day Wilson gets better. He is biting far less and having accidents inside less. He is learning to stay on the left side during walks. He always potties when we take him outside. He knows to sit and come and touch his nose to my hand and leave treats in my palm alone and to look up at me.
Wilson is going to be a very loving dog. He’s super social when we go anywhere. He goes table to table and greets everyone at the coffee shop. He follows me when not on the leash. He is beginning to be a let o entertain himself with toys when I’m doing something else.
The plan is to have Wilson pass the certification as a therapy dog. We have a long way to go.
I made the short trek to Newton today to see Leah and the grandbabies. Oh what joy.
Usually the boys run to the door to greet me but today Leah had just given them new name puzzles and was taking pics of them. So i picked up Eleanor and loved on her first. Today she actually looked in my eyes for a really long time. It’s hard to get her to do that because of the masks. Goodness is she beautiful. She has just lost the newborn look, filled out and perfect. She seemed so content.
Highlights of the days were cute things Henry says and Emmet’s sweetness. We also went on a long walk. Henry also snuggled me a little when he woke up sad from his nap.
At lunch, Henry looked at the Teddy Grahams i brought them and put his little arms in the air( and you know they only go about two inches above his head because their heads are still so big at 1 1/2). He said “i di’n’t know! That there are bear cookies!”
Later Henry said, with the same arms up in the air, “I have an idea! My idea is… Let’s play a game!” Then he can’t think of what to play. He did ask me to play specific things later. “Gamma, let’s play trucks!” Which is more advanced even than last visit’s “Gamma, come play me!”
Emmet constantly tells me he loves me and how glad he is i came and gives me tons of hugs. During quiet time he was listing who lives with me and said “Rex doesn’t live there anymore. He lives somewhere else we can’t go.” Then he wiped his little eyes. He told me his mom told him about another dog who lived at his house before he was born. I told him about Professor then we looked at pics of Rex and Professor.
There was lots of running and screaming and “people piles” which i love because it’s basically little boys climbing on me and snuggling me. We played go fish and cars and houses with little people. We played hide and seek almost all day. They are getting better at hiding but it’s usually in plain site. Henry looks so cute with his eyes squeezed shot trying to count. He can’t stay hidden cause it’s too exciting. When i walk in the room and find him he screams at the top of his lungs.
We also turned flipped over my knees. They can turn front and back flips. I taught them to stick the landing then pose. So cute!
When i was leaving, Henry sang me the song from Daniel Tiger “adults come back”. He had just told me he didn’t want me to go. Then he said, “means Gamma will come back.” Emmet and Henry insisted on carrying my stuff to the car when i leave then stand waving goodbye s as i drove off.
I made the short trek to Newton today to see Leah and the grandbabies. Oh what joy.
Usually the boys run to the door to greet me but today Leah had just given them new name puzzles and was taking pics of them. So i picked up Eleanor and loved on her first. Today she actually looked in my eyes for a really long time. It’s hard to get her to do that because of the masks. Goodness is she beautiful. She has just lost the newborn look, filled out and perfect. She seemed so content.
Highlights of the days were cute things Henry says and Emmet’s sweetness. We also went on a long walk. Henry also snuggled me a little when he woke up sad from his nap.
At lunch, Henry looked at the Teddy Grahams i brought them and put his little arms in the air( and you know they only go about two inches above his head because their heads are still so big at 1 1/2). He said “i di’n’t know! That there are bear cookies!”
Later Henry said, with the same arms up in the air, “I have an idea! My idea is… Let’s play a game!” Then he can’t think of what to play. He did ask me to play specific things later. “Gamma, let’s play trucks!” Which is more advanced even than last visit’s “Gamma, come play me!”
Emmet constantly tells me he loves me and how glad he is i came and gives me tons of hugs. During quiet time he was listing who lives with me and said “Rex doesn’t live there anymore. He lives somewhere else we can’t go.” Then he wiped his little eyes. He told me his mom told him about another dog who lived at his house before he was born. I told him about Professor then we looked at pics of Rex and Professor.
There was lots of running and screaming and “people piles” which i love because it’s basically little boys climbing on me and snuggling me. We played go fish and cars and houses with little people. We played hide and seek almost all day. They are getting better at hiding but it’s usually in plain site. Henry looks so cute with his eyes squeezed shot trying to count. He can’t stay hidden cause it’s too exciting. When i walk in the room and find him he screams at the top of his lungs.
We also turned flipped over my knees. They can turn front and back flips. I taught them to stick the landing then pose. So cute!
When i was leaving, Henry sang me the song from Daniel Tiger “adults come back”. He had just told me he didn’t want me to go. Then he said, “means Gamma will come back.” Emmet and Henry insisted on carrying my stuff to the car when i leave then stand waving goodbye s as i drove off.
We got to go see Leah and her family for Christmas yesterday. I was nervous about how it would go with Wilson along but it went fine!
Dave made the most amazing home made pizza and calzones with fancy cheese and deer meat sausage. He cooked for a couple of hours with us gobbling it up as quickly as it came out of the oven.
I got to spend some time with sweet Eleanor who is now 4 months old. I got her to smile and giggle a bunch of times. Her little personality is coming out. She loves to give kisses. She likes watching all that is going on.
I love spending time with the boys but with Papa and uncle Joel along, grandma’s popularity goes to third. Scott made paper airplanes with the boys and Joel played cars. We took the boys and Wilson on a short walk to play soccer in a nearby parking lot. Henry got knocked down twice and would only let uncle Joel comfort him. On the way back, there was a steady drip of water off the roof of a building that Wilson tried to catch with his mouth. It was adorable.
Wilson loves snow. He didn’t potty in their house once. The boys did ok with him but i asked Henry if he likes Wilson and he said “No, i like MY Moose”.
Henry talks a blue streak. I forget he’s only 2 1/2. He wants nothing to do with video chatting so i only really get to talk to him in person.
Emmet and i always get sad when it’s time for me to leave. After i left Leah texted that Emmet said he was going to dream about me last night.
Like most people, it’s almost impossible to put 2020 into words, to summarize it, to describe its impact on each of us. 2019 was such a year of loss and growth for me. I expected 2020 to be a time of recovery. It was, and along with all the challenges and additional losses came blessings.
2019 came with it the loss of a dream with Midwest Meets Manhattan, the loss of a church family and vision, the regaining of my health, the loss of a job and almost a career, the loss of a very important friendship, the loss of Scott’s mom, almost the loss of our marriage, the loss of who I thought I was. It was absolutely pivotal, life changing,
2020 was supposed to be a time of regrowth, awakening, recovering, healing. That happened but on a very different course than anyone could have imagined.
2020 started with a new hope. Hope in music. Hope in friends. The album came with such mixed emotions. It ended up with tons of money spent, lots of hurt feelings and disillusionment but a beautiful album.
Our marriage was in tatters. The life we had built and were satisfied with was reexamined and came up short. We started marriage therapy, a long, painful process of opening up and tearing down and building up. In March, we went on a trip to Hawaii to renew our relationship. It was a time of reckoning and decisions and a huge move forward.
Then Covid hit. We geared up for a crisis, gathered our courage and our resources, quarantined, learned how to take precautions. Three of our five kids came home to quarantine with us and we loved it.
Then it continued. Slowly, Covid wore us down. It took so much from us. Hugs, smiles, gatherings, belonging, community. We pieced together ways to meet on zoom, facetime, messenger. It worked for awhile. We worked out from home, wore masks, washed our hands. We made sacrifices. We looked at all the positives and tried to sort out what we would keep.
Then it continued. I watched my fitness level that I had worked so hard to achieve slowly slip away and the pounds added up. It started to divide our family as we each tried to decide what was safe and acceptable for us. We all became tired of zoom and facetime.
Leah was pregnant during all of this time. I tried to go help her as much as I could but it was hard to be safe.
I started practicing therapy again. I set out to open a practice and even with covid, I did it. I started by telehealth from home. I got my feet back under me. The long awaited space wasn’t ready so I improvised and moved into a temporary space and built up to a dozen clients.
In March, our best pet Rex died 15 minutes into his 18th year of life. I always prepared to completely fall apart when he died but I didn’t. It happened all as it was supposed to. We celebrated his birthday and he sat and watched TV with us then I held him as he took his last breaths.
In May, Hannah graduated with a doctorate degree in Physical Therapy. An amazing feat and end to long years of doubt and hard work and success came to be with very little fanfare due to the pandemic. Proud parents celebrated in our hearts.
We continued to limit socialization, to meet by video growing tired of this quickly. Covid wore us down more.
Then In late July, a call from my sister in law that my brother had died falling to his death in his barn. It was and continues to be unimaginable. A celebration of life in masks that literally risked all of our health took place, pared down from what he would have deserved. More grief, more loss, more to heal.
In August, the opportunity to open a coffee shop dropped in our laps. We said then and we still believe, it was either going to be the worst or the best decision of our lives. The jury is still out on the financial end but the coffee shop itself is a huge success. It brought back some semblance of socialization.
Eleanor was born in September. We quarantined and were able to go spend time with the kids and get the new family settled in. What a precious addition to our family. Such a blessing. I am so impressed with how hard Leah has worked to keep her family safe. And how she has taken on a third child in such a small house with hardly a blip. Covid has taken away opportunities to spend a lot of time with Eleanor and Emmet and Henry but makes the visits that much more special when they do happen.
In October, I moved into my new permanent office space. It is so comfortable and cozy yet professional, more than I could have imagined. Shari and Dave were not able to start due to the pandemic and coffee shop but I forged on by myself. I filled with clients quickly and felt purposed and fulfilled again.
Also in October, Joel moved to Kansas City from LA. We love having him closer. He quarantines there so we can see him fairly frequently. All three kids are within 7 hours drive now.
The elections of 2020 saw the end of an era of insanity in our country with a narcissistic President. Hopefully Joe Biden can get us back on track.
In November of 2020, fittingly, I got Covid. It wasn’t horrible but it certainly wasn’t fun. It robbed us of Thanksgiving even though the plan was for it to be small. I am still battling the leftover symptoms.
Then came Christmas 2020. We drove to Denver to visit Hannah and Kent, see their new house and take them their new puppy Oscar. Because Hannah works with covid patients, we were unable to have Leah and her family for Christmas so the day was quiet and special, with Christmas Eve and Day spent with us, Joel, and Mom.
Puppy Wilson joined our family in December 2020. His name is significant because he dropped into our lives on the most discouraging day of isolation with covid just after I posted a picture of the volleyball from the movie Castaway that Tom Hanks named Wilson.
2021 needs to be a year of healing and recovery. For our marriage, our family, our faith, our country. Covid be damned. Let the celebration begin.
Joel came up yesterday at noon. We made sugar cookies and pigged out on them.
We played ping pong and had Mom over and exchanged gifts and ate tacos. We sang carols around the piano loudly and obnoxiously then drove around and looked at the lights.
Of course, lots of puppy love and play.
Scott made a nice fire in the fireplace.
I went to bed early and praise God Wilson slept better in the kennel on the floor. He got up early but I lowered my expectations and just let him play.
I made a new recipe for our Christmas morning orange danish rolls. They were delish and I will improve on them next year. Orange danish rolls are a long time Christmas tradition in the Clark home but we usually have them from a can. These were plain biscuits rolled in orange juice concentrate then cinnamon sugar with powdered sugar icing. I put orange juice concentrate in the icing also and I’ll leave it out next year.
Had Mom over again and made a traditional Thanksgiving meal since we didn’t have Thanksgiving.
We saw Hannah and Kent last weekend and hope to see Leah and her whole family in a week or two. I was initially disappointed but with a new puppy, I think spreading out the chaos and joy might make for a better holiday after all.
We brought Wilson home Sunday night. It is now Christmas Eve. I am completely overwhelmed.
I am overwhelmed with love. He is so precious, snuggly and sweet. He gazes up at me with such love in his tiny little eyes. He lays his nose on my shoulder or nuzzles up to my chest when I hold him. He pounces when he plays and lopes around the yard following me. I love his soft fur, his fat tummy, the curly hair on his ears, his giant paws, his wagging tail, his sweet face.
I am overwhelmed with the amount of care he needs. I had forgotten how much work puppies are. More work than newborn babies in some ways. I did newborn way easier than I am doing Wilson. Maybe its because I’m older. And Wilson doesn’t wear diapers and has very sharp teeth and claws. I have had my nose and lip ripped open and my hands are covered with scratches and bite marks despite all we are doing to teach him not to bite.
He knows to go potty outside and we take him out every half hour he’s awake and every two hours he’s asleep but he gives about a split second warning that he has to go when indoors, like, whine, pee, or whine, squat to poo.
This morning after the 5th night of getting up every two hours to take him outside when we got up at 7:30 am BC—before coffee, we were outside, Diego watching from the patio. I was just standing completely frustrated as Wilson pulled on my pajama pants and then my robe. I swear Diego looked at my face and took pity on me by coming down to play with Wilson awhile. He is very patient as his nose is scratched and bitten up too.
We came in and i put Wilson in his kennel on the bed next to me for naptime, about 8:15. Wilson napped and I tried, but he whined and changed positions and harrumphed himself down about every minute and a half.
I then sat in my quiet time chair trying to drink my coffee while Wilson wanted up then down, tried to chew cords, ignored his toys, tried to figure out ways to get past the blockades, tried to play with Diego who usually lays at my feet. Forget quite time.
I was near tears when my knight in shining armor woke up and came in. Scott hugged me and took Wilson so I could eat breakfast and do about 10 minutes of reflection, gratitude, etc.
I took Wilson back and had him with me for my morning bath. He whined and came over and put his paws up on the tub so he could see me (adorable) and licked the water off my fingers then plunked himself down for a nap. What’s a girl to do? I filled the tub up the rest of the way and took a nap in the tub til I was pruny.
Mid morning and afternoons are mellower. He eats and drinks and potties and thank God, naps some. I have been going in to the office this week to see clients in the afternoons. My grand plan was to have Wilson quietly napping in the kennel during sessions. I am a dreamer. Scott has been off this week and has watched Wilson. I am so grateful for how into this Scott has been when it was totally my idea to get a puppy. He loves Wilson. He said to me, “It’s so much better to have a puppy when we are older and more patient.” Huh. I’m back on my anxiety meds lol.
Evenings are a bit better. Wilson is mellow in the evenings. He naps and chews his toys and snuggles on the couch taking turns on our laps or between us. Late in the evening we take him out to the yard to chase us around to get him tired or we put him in a backpack and go for a walk. We let him chase us through the park. Then its off to bed where he sleeps for two hours at a time then snuggles and goes back to sleep after going potty.
I think we will survive and he will turn out to be a wonderful family addition and hopefully therapy dog. I am enrolling him in puppy school today.
Don’t worry, I won’t write every single days about Wilson
I picked up Wilson after a very long drive home from Denver. We had decided that Scott would come home and greet Diego so I made the trek out to Frankfurt alone.
It was dark when I arrived. Wilson was in the house so he said a quick goodby to his Mama and his first family then we got in the car. He was so incredibly snuggly that I held him and drove with one hand for abut 15 minutes then decided that was not safe and put him n the kennel next to me. He was quiet and. Had my hand on him the whole way home.
Diego did not know what to think. He wouldn’t come near Wilson who clearly made him nervous. He wouldn’t come near me when I had Wilson in my arms and didn’t’ want a lot to do with me after smelling me.
We let Wilson explore some and drink some water. He peed outside every time I took him out but also peed inside.
We went to bed fairly early, a nap at 8:30 then lights out at 10. Wilson woke up and whined every two hours. He peed right away when I took him outside then pretty much went back to sleep when I put him in his kennel, but I had to keep my hand in there until he fell asleep.
This morning was tricky. It is very much like having a new baby in the house. It is tricky to know how to fix breakfast and eat, bathe, etc. Wilson is very young at 6 weeks and needy and unsure. He snuggles up so close to me, his head on me when I lift him. He stays close to my feet.
I let Wilson run around the yard this morning after breakfast and a poop. Diego was out. They sniffed and both were extremely nervous and cautious. Wilson kept getting under Diego searching for teets. Diego was also quite confused as to what he was doing. Wilson then got under the chair and Diego ran around wanting Wilson to play. I picked him up worried Diego would be too aggressive.
It is hard not to compare Wilson to Oscar, the 8 week old labradoodle we took to Denver to Hannah and Kent and spent the weekend with. Oscar is very much more adjusted, less whiny, less need to chew everything. Clearly two weeks makes a huge difference.
As much as Wilson likes his new kennel, he also likes exploring and running around the yard and being held. Why do fingers and apolstry and blankets satisfy teething puppies more than chew toys?
Wilson napped right around time for bath so that was helped. Packed up for the day and took Wilson to the coffee shop to meet Dave. He said hello to a couple of customers while I was in the restroom.
We went to the practice and hung out in the grass in the back. I wanted my first client to meet him and then Scott came and got him for the rest of the day.
Tonight we went for a walk in the park with Wilson in my coat for most of the way but we let him run in the grass following us for quite a while. I am hoping he sleeps better tonight.
I happen to know that Scott loves him too. I knew he would.
I picked up Hannah and Kent’s new puppy Oscar yesterday late morning. I put him in a laundry basket and immediately went back to the house to get the kennel. He threw up in the way to jc to pick up Scott but once in the road he was perfect.
We stopped twice. Oscar peed in the grass right when we put him down. In the car, he preferred the kennel, when awake he put his nose out to watch us and when asleep, he made a nest out of the towel and slept hard. It couldn’t have been easier.
Hannah and Kent love little Oscar so much. Sierra the husky not so much. It was calm except one moment so they have a challenge ahead to keep them separate.
We had a wonderful weekend playing ping pong, eating, sleeping and puppy snuggling. We took the pups on a walk at a park in the snow.
It was our first time seeing Hannah and Kent’s house. It’s wonderful. It’s quaint and comfortable with a big rec room in the basement.
It’s aways good to spend time with family. Seven hours isn’t that terribly long of a drive. I will miss little Oscar but I’m ready to pick up Wilson today.
Yesterday we visited Wilson and today we met Hannah and Kent’s puppy and the puppy’s Mom Luna.
Wilson lives in Frankfurt Ks with his eight brothers and sisters and his Mama Dally. When we arrived, Kendra had her kids go out to the garage to get a few of the puppies. We played with them on the floor. Scott met Wilson for the first time. He bonded more with Dally who is sweet and affectionate.
Wilson is still all about nursing. He was fixated on getting to his Mama and latching on. She never did sit down but he went at it anyway. One of his siblings also nursed but just for awhile. Wilson wanted to the whole time. It does make we worry that we are taking him away too early. All but one of the puppies will go home this next weekend. They will be six weeks old.
I bought a crate, food, a harness and leash, toys, chew toys and a bed for Wilson. We will train him by crate. He will sleep in his crate next to me in the bed. He’s going to be a lot of work. I will take him out to pee every half hour that he is awake and get him out of his crate every hour. He will go wherever I go. When I see clients, he will be in his kennel either in the back room if he is Whitney or next to me if he is quiet and doesn’t disrupt. I will socialize him at Homestead and in the coffee shop.
I know that Diego will do fine with Wilson. He was gentle with Rex when Rex got too old to play. Wilson will be closer to Diego’s size when he is grown.
Wilson is considered an F1 Golden Doodle or a first generation doodle. HIs mom is full golden and his dad is a full standard poodle.
Today I went over to our friend Aja and Bo’s house to meet Oscar, Hannah and Kent’s new labradoodle. He is a second generation labradoodle meaning both of his parents are labradoodles. Oscar is 7 weeks old. We will pick him up on friday and drive him to Denver to meet Hannah and Kent.
Dally
Oscar was super calm. His Mama, Luna, was frisky. Oscar snuggled my neck then laid on my lap. WhenI stretched out my legs, he laid his head on my legs. His Mama tried everything to get him to play and he did not want to. He’s going to be a calm puppy.
dianegclark 