Done and Named

I’ve had paperwork and electronic work and braille-work and school work and children work all hanging over my figurative head since before the start of December.   Every time I’d get close to getting caught up other things would come along (like a vacation in St. Thomas and other much, more mundane things) and I’d get behind again.   I had emails I was so late on I almost responding before they became irrelevant.   I had text messages days behind and I was just tired.

Did I have time to do it all?  Yeah, I have to admit I probably did.   My mother always told me you shouldn’t make excuses for things just because you prioritized something over another thing.   The dog, who is quite the joy, takes time.   She’s fun but she’s at an age where I’m trying to take advantage of as much brain width as I can to get her trained with consistent expectations for our house and family.  

My latest experience with a dog, for the past fifteen years, has been one that was trained and needed much less maintenance.   She didn’t need a fenced in yard, went outside, came in and didn’t wander.   She liked attention, but not so much.   And she was trained.  

But having a dog that wants to work, enjoys playing with the children and actually likes being played with has been a happy thing for everyone.   My children literally manhandle the dog and she doesn’t growl or try to bite them—even when she has a high-value bone in her mouth.   It’s rather fascinating to watch.

Back to paper-e-life-work.   I’m almost completely caught up.   There is almost nothing in the queue I’ve left for days that’s been weighing down on me, bothering me because I haven’t gotten to it yet.   I even got around to naming the dog.

I’ve had the AKC paperwork since November 6th when we picked up the puppy and haven’t gone through the registration process today.   I had everything done until I got to the point where I had to register the name and I realized I had to make a decision.  We’d named the dog Matisse.   We all call her that.  We’re not shortening the name or calling her anything else (although my daughter does like to call her, “Matissie-poo”).   But to register a dog with the AKC you need a unique name.

I was most-way into the registration process and I wasn’t stopping to get a family consensus, so I just made a call.   We had considered the name, “Snowy” and almost went with that in the car before we settled on Matisse so I stuck that in as a second name and then added, “Foxwin” on for the third name after my children, who’s middle names are Fox and Winter.  

Unique name confirmed.   Dog registered.   Work done.   Well, most of it.   I have more that’s come in and a project I need to get on top of with a deadline, but I’m back on top of things.   It’s a good feeling.   Tonight I’m going to tell the children what our dog’s full name is.   I hope they like it.

The Big Boy Update:  My son is in a winter festival with his class and school tomorrow.  He wants to wear his suit and tie from Uncle Bob and Uncle Brian’s wedding to look nice and he’s asked for a haircut this afternoon as well.   He’s been enjoying the singing and dancing he’s been practicing with his class and knows we’ll be watching in the audience tomorrow.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:   My daughter asked if she could go on an exploration trip to the grocery store with her father.   They’re there now looking at (well, touching and talking about) all sorts of things in the store.