Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Dog attacks and lost gifts

This morning I was trying to get my kids out to the van and had Kristopher buckling himself in, Emma already settled, and I went back up to the front door to grab Micah (waiting by the door inside) and walk with Brianna down to the van. I grabbed up Micah and took three steps and my heart DROPPED. There was the neighbor's dog JUMPING on Brianna, laying on the concrete crying!! I ran over with a 25 lb weight on one hip and grabbed her up while shooing the dog back and trying to make sure I didn't shoo him over to the van (with the big doors open because only half the kids were inside!).

When I was about 3 I was pinned to a fence by a doberman pincer and it was biting my face when my dad came out after hearing me scream. I was going to say good morning to my grandparents in their motor home I believe. Then when I was around 6 or so I was pulled from a porch and drug around by a german shepherd. I haven't had very good experiences with dogs and was FEARFUL of them for a very long time. Admittedly, all the way up into my later teens I didn't dare go around large dogs.

So seeing my tiny little 21 pound lightweight of a child being jumped on by the neighbor's dog had my heart racing quickly! She was ok, though didn't want to be put down (understandably) and I couldn't get into the van while holding both kids (or I might kill myself, together they're almost 50 lbs.) so I walked across the street with one on each hip and knocked on the door, rang the bell... no answer... of course. By this time Brianna had calmed down and I was able to set her up on the seat (and close the door so she couldn't fall out) and then get Micah buckled in then her. Now I was late meeting my sister at Wal-Mart to grocery shop.

Uneventful as shopping trips go (haha, they're NEVER uneventful when you go with 4 kids and need food for a good 2 weeks since I don't want to shop a big trip until after New Year's!) we then came back to the house and continued to work on a Christmas gift that Elizabeth is doing for my little ones but needed help to do.

Later in the evening (MUCH later, like 10:15) Elizabeth came back and helped me wrap up Christmas gifts since I hadn't wrapped a SINGLE THING until then. While wrapping I realized that there was no gift from Emma to Micah. What had she gotten him anyway?? I can't remember... since I bought them ALL :) But we had K buy gifts for each of the kids therefore we did gifts from each of them to the others too (little things).

I 'robbed' my Christmas stocking stuffers the other day when we had our Christmas party here because one of our group couples brought their two little friends with them to the party. Since all the other kids had gotten small gifts from others in the group, I didn't want them to be left out and I knew I had a little doll that was "from Santa" for Emma's stocking that she likely wouldn't play with much (but it matched Brianna's so I bought them both) and I had a ball for each of the boys that was also a stocking stuffer. The thing is, I took the ball out of Kristopher's stuff and set it aside, got the doll out, then couldn't find the ball! So... I took the ball out of Micah's stuff and wrapped them each up. Now... I have dwindled the 3 little stocking stuffers down to two for three of the kids.

Not a big deal.

Until I realized that the other day when I'd bought cool little toothbrushes for two of the kids that you press the bottom of them and they light up as a 1 minute timer for brushing... I put them somewhere "safe". As in "safe from being found again by ME before Christmas". I have no idea what I did with them. And yes, those would have been stocking stuffers. So... the kids' stockings are going to look pretty bare on Christmas! Oh well... I don't think they'll really notice once they start to open the things that are wrapped under the tree.

And one day... when I clean out the closet really well... I'll find that other ball and the toothbrushes (which will no longer light up in year 2012~)! I bet they'll be even more glad to have a 'surprise' gift then they would have been to find them on Christmas morning- what do you think?

Yesterday we went to two nursing homes and sang Christmas carols to the residents. I'm glad we had the opportunity to go and afterward we went back to my parents' church (that hosted the outing) and had potatoes and visited with their friends. An unusual treat- I haven't been caroling since we were kids and used to go around the neighborhood house to house!

2 comments:

  1. Poor Briana! She must have been awfully scared! I hope the dog's owners were notified of what it had done. And yes, I have hidden things so well before that I can't find them either! LOL--Have a wonderful Christmas.

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  2. oh how frustrating! I, too, was attacked as a little girl, and have a nice scar by my eye to show for it. I was always ok around dogs that were OURS, but couldn't handle any dogs that were not. Then about 15 years ago I decided I was tired of being scared to death of dogs all the time. I love all dogs, but was afraid of them at the same time. And now...15 years later...I'm an obedience trainer. LOL I'm in people's homes all the time, working with problem behaviors. I still refer all aggression cases to my good friend who's a canine behaviorist. I can handle aggression, but once about a year ago I was working with a dog who, for some reason, triggered MY fear response, so I've chosen not to put myself in that situation anymore. As for your neighbors dog, I hope he was just "greeting" her, but that still isn't an excuse for why he's roaming the neighborhood, especially when they're not home. I'm assuming he just managed to get out of their yard somehow, but still! I hate when people leave their dogs outside all day when they're not home. It's not safe for the dogs, and unpleasant for the neighbors if the dogs has a tendency to bark alot. Lots of things can happen in the course of 8 hours. Most people who keep their dogs outside all day when they're gone will say, "Well, we're gone for 10 hours at a time." Well...WHY have a dog then??? Ok, sorry, stepping off my soapbox now. LOL I hope your neighbors will listen to your concerns and do what they need to make sure there isn't another incident.

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