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...

A Beautiful Morning

I'm going to be honest, there are some days when I really miss teaching. I miss the challenge of motivating a room full of high school kids to conjugate Spanish verbs in the appropriate tense, of creating tests and quizzes that are pedagogically accurate and reflective of what we have done in class, of interacting with colleagues (oh the joy of adult conversation!), and establishing a positive rapport with my students. Oh yeah, and getting a paycheck was nice also, although it was arguably minimal compensation for the work being done... Sometimes, I don't look forward to leaving the "Employer" section of documents blank, or filling in "homemaker", even though I know what I am doing is important and worthy of a title.

It has been part of Jason and my plan all along that I would stay home with our kiddos as long as possible, and it's something I have always looked forward to being able to do. However, occasionally I stumble upon a morning when teaching would be the more desirable option. They are usually the mornings followed by a sleepless night (would you consider three hours sleepless?). They are the ones when Mitchell, who is usually happy and easy to please, is throwing his oatmeal on the floor and yelling about waffles. Remy is running around like a fool, knocking over everything in his path because he saw a squirrel run by, or better yet, a cat. Landon is only three weeks old, but he has had those mornings plagued by gas, when his cry is deep and his legs are curled up (bring on the mylecon). Mitchell might be crying for a snack or for me to read his Elmo book to him, while Landon is crying to be held or changed, and Remy is using a stuffed teddy bear as his chew toy. These are the mornings when teaching doesn't seem like such a bad gig... Then there are moments like today.

I had just finished my latte. Over these weeks, I have come to master the art of making lattes at home; watch out all of you baristas out there, these cuppas are fantastic! Mitchell had thoroughly enjoyed his eggs and toast- there was no mention of waffles, and much to Remy's disappointment, not a crumb hit the floor. Landon was sleeping happily in the Beco (read more about these wonderful carriers here),and Mitchell was dancing and playing his guitar, while I sang to James Blunt's "Beautiful", and Remy watched us contently, curled up on the couch. It was one of those sweet and perfect moments that reminded me how lucky I am to be able to stay home with our little guys. These are the times that I will think of when I am asked what I do for work, or who my employer is. I certainly look forward to teaching Spanish again in the future, but for now I will be cherishing these moments and focusing on teaching the two most precious students that I will ever have.