Rem Blog II

After my post about Rem Dog, I have had many thoughtful and concerned readers ask me how he is doing and if we have found a solution to the barking. The answer is a very enthusiastic: YES! Thanks to some of the comments from y'all,we decided to bite the bullet and try a bark collar. We reluctantly headed to PetSmart where the helpful associate confirmed that the collar was guaranteed to solve the Remmer's barking without harming him in the process. We picked one out that actually emits a beep before a zap (something about some guy named Pavlov and classical conditioning) and we began putting the collar on him when leaving, as well as keeping him upstairs in the condo, so that he couldn't nervously watch out the window for us. He used to spend hours just looking (and barking) until we came home. Within days, our problem was solved. Once we created the routine of bringing Remy upstairs with the collar, he actually seemed to look forward to it (with Mitchell chasing him all over the place and Landon grabbing his tail, I can imagine Remy gets much needed respite when we leave). I can happily say that we no longer have to use our cell phones as a dog monitor, and we can leave the house without the fear that our neighbors will complain. To all of you who we offered Remy to, I humbly retract the offer. Remy Roo is a wonderful family dog, and even though he gets in the way (we don't have much space to work with right now), can be a bit annoying at times (aren't we all), and I stress out about whether he gets enough exercise (the days are becoming too short), he is a DeStratis for life and we're happy about it!

me like it

I have crossed a few things off of my list below, but have yet to post a blog about our summer (I have until the 22nd, right?). I've started it, but I'll just have to keep you in suspense for a few more days... Until then, here is a video of Mitchell man enjoying some ice cream the other night. He has become our little chatter box, and every conversation we have with him is just as sweet as this one.

Summer Time

Summer has definitely come to a close and Fall is upon us. I am looking forward to crisp air, hearty dishes, all things pumpkin, and most of all, the fun fall memories we will create with our little guys. Speaking of which, I am happy to be sitting down to finally write about our dog days of summer. I am so grateful that I have been able to stay at home with Mitchell and Landon over these months, and I will certainly treasure the moments we had together as a family, especially when the day comes when I begin teaching full time again.

Over these months we've had all sorts of excitement which have included:

Celebrating Mitchell's second birthday at the Tornado's game. We had a wonderful day surrounded by family and friends, and even a special visit from Abu!



Venturing in to Boston for the 4th of July to watch the fireworks with boys in tow. They both did great, probably better than I did. I guess Jason is starting a new streak, we'll see if he can beat 12 years in a row!


Heading to New Jersey to visit with Chris and Kim (who are such wonderful hosts!). We went to the Jersey Shore, Linvilla Orchards, and spent some time relaxing at the house. We played a little American Idol on the Wii, and although I've never been known for my voice, I really impressed the judges with my version of "Hey There Delilah"


Our annual family vacation to Cape Cod, which was nothing short of wonderful. The week was full of beach trips, boys playing and laughing, shopping, relaxing, good food, even better company, birthday celebrations and family portraits on the beach. Really, family vacations are the best and we are already counting down the months until next years trip!

hunker down

I think that in general, "To Do" lists are far too underrated, especially for people like myself (any other extreme procrastinators out there?). I've come to realize that if I actually write down some of the things that I would like to accomplish that day, I am more likely to get them done. I know that this is not a new concept, but it is one that I should probably incorporate into my day. So, I guess there is no time like the present (you never thought you would hear those words come from me, did you??).

To Do

1. Write blog for July - Add pics and videos, and talk about how amazing Mitchell and Landon are and how much I am enjoying motherhood
2. Take chicken out of freezer
3. Send that gift to a good friend whose b-day was in July
4. Go to library and get "The Lace Reader" before I get kicked out of book club for not reading the book again
5. Brush Remy's teeth
6. Organize crafts
7. Finish making and then send out Mitchell's thank you cards - acknowledge that the cards are a month late
8. Go to Target
9. Work on Mitchell and Landon's baby books (order photos)
10. Send a note to those amazing friends I have been thinking of, but haven't contacted in a while

OK, I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, so my list will end here for tonight. I am going to go get a good night's rest so that I can hunker down and start crossing things off my list (yes, tomorrow!).

enjoying the ride

And what a bad blogger I have been. It must be because I have been so busy baking homemade bread. OK, so I've only baked one loaf so far, but it was quite delicious and I plan on making more! We really have been keeping busy though, hanging out with our two cutie pies. The month of June seems to fill up and go by so fast every year...

Landon is 4 months old now and growing so quickly. The whole family thinks that he looks like a tough guy and that he will be a football player. I'm hoping he opts for soccer, but we'll see. Anyway, he has the sweetest disposition and the cutest smile ever. We just love him so much. He's blabbing away lately, but yet to roll over (should be any day!).

Mitchell is almost two (and that sums up a lot right there!). He keeps us on our toes, but we love every minute of it (ok, not every minute), but he truly is a joy to have around. He loves being silly and making the family laugh. Now that he's talking even more, we can see his perspective on things (last week I was wearing an apron and he called it "mommy's bib"). He LOVES horses and any kind or sport- What a fun little guy.

Jason and I are hanging on for the ride and enjoying parenthood. Jason was able to hang out with Landon all this weekend while I have been recuperating from having my wisdom teeth out. Mitchell spent the weekend with family, and had the time of his life. I was on the couch napping,and I loved every minute of that...

Anyway, here are a few recent pics for you to enjoy! peace

sweet tooth

I went to a discussion group the other night about sugar. The speaker was Tracy Harrison, a certified health counselor from Hopkinton, MA, who runs a company called "Purpose". Tracy did a wonderful job of describing the harmful effect that sugar has on our bodies, as well as drawing attention to the immense amount of sugar that the average American consumes. We certainly learned a lot of information, much of which was very thought provoking. Here are a few facts that I jotted down from the meeting:

• The absolute best diet change that one can make in order to improve his/her health is to reduce the amount of sugar consumed.
• A bottle of coke contains approximately 1/2 cup of sugar. Also, in many cases, "healthy" foods, such as yogurt and granola, contain as much sugar as that bottle of coke.
  
• Sugar actually can become an addiction. Over time, our taste buds are "deadened" so we need more sugar to satisfy that sweet tooth of ours.
• Our body considers all refined carbohydrates (ie. bleached flour) as sugar.

It can be overwhelming to think about cutting all refined carbs from one's diet. I'm not sure that's totally practical for many of us, but I do think the goal of significantly reducing sugar intake and eating healthier can be attained.

Our family has decided to do this by:

• Avoiding high fructose corn syrup
• Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables
• Adding more whole grains to our diet
• Drinking more water (we love the seltzer!)
• Making our own fruit and vegetable juice (still on the lookout for a juicer, but found a free juice recipe book from someone online!)

There are lots of other changes I would like to make (like baking our own whole wheat bread), but we'll take it a few steps at a time. I've reassured my husband that I won't be taking all things sweet away. We'll still be eating chocolate chip cookies (I'm going to be trying a recipe calling for maple sugar soon), and you bet I'll still be drinking that coffee with a sugar (or two), but we will be calling on mother nature to provide more of the food we consume, and surely our bodies will be thankful for it!

Rem blog

Sometimes when we are out at a restaurant as a family you can hear barking coming from our direction. Mitchell will say "doggy" while JD starts speaking into his cell phone, "It's OK Remy, we'll be right back, go lay down". The barking quiets, only to start up 10 minutes later and the process of calming the pup down begins all over again...

Yes, we have resorted to using our cell phones as a dog monitor so that we can calm Remy down when we leave. Since moving to a new condo recently, Remy has developed some separation anxiety when we are not home. He expresses his anxiousness by barking, which turns to a howl once he gets going.

We have never had this problem in the three years that we have owned him, but there are several issues outside of our control that we believe have led to his anxiety. If you want our diagnosis of the problem, let me know and we can talk dog psychology together. Either way, we need to find a solution because we have gotten complaints from the neighbors, and emails from the condo association. We have tried all sorts of modifications to get him used to the idea that when we leave, we will be coming back for him. I also tried calling the vet recently to inquire about medication for our nervous nelly, and was told to contact the local animal behavior specialist. I looked up the specialist's information, only to learn that a consult starts at $200, and a 30 minute phone conversation is $65...

The only other thing that we haven't tried (besides getting another dog to keep him company, which is out of the question) is an anti-bark collar. I'm hesitant to do this for obvious reasons, but I have to say that I am starting to consider it as an option. Before all of the animal activists start writing letters, please know that we are running out of options here. We can't leave our cellphones on forever (plus Remy is starting to catch on), he can't always come with us, or go hang out with his cousin Marcus (although the D'Orazios have been extremely gracious in letting us bring him there when we need to), and we can't continue to avoid leaving the house so that he doesn't bother the neighbors. These things are impractical and are taking a toll on this familia. We don't want to have to find Mr. Remy a new home, so perhaps we should try and land a spot on Cesar Millan's, "The Dog Whisperer". In the meantime, this desperate dog owner is welcoming your suggestions...