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I think one of the most interesting things about parenting–about being an engaged parent–is that your concept of reality is constantly challenged by someone else’s surity that they are the center of your universe.  You don’t even have ownership of your body past a certain point.  To this day, if I am still for more than a minute, I can be assured that my child will be on top of me.  We still don’t have a firm line between where I end and he begins.  I’m still entirely his property. 

I know that as he grows and matures, that line will become more and more apparent.  It will be like losing teeth.  He’ll start to wiggle and move, and now and then it’s going to hurt like blazes when someone bites down wrong, and there will be yowling, and there will be tears, and there will be discomfort.  There might even be failed efforts at pulling that loose tooth out.  But, one day that tooth will come out, and there will be a moment of pain, followed by excitement and euphoria.  There will be a gaping space left, but then a permanent tooth will grow in and an entirely new relationship will start.  We’ll still have all the same functions, but we’ll be more adult in our dealings with one another–able to manage more and take bigger bites.

Last night, Thor climbed up on me and went to sleep in my lap.  It was a rare treat, lately.  Whenever he curls up on me, or snuggles, or wants to hold my hair, I think about how I used to do that to my mother.  I remember how much I loved being close to her, how safe and warm I felt, and how happy I was just to be up against her side.  It amazes me that someone–Thor–feels that way about me.  It amazes me that someone else loves me as much as I have loved my mother.  It always takes me a little by surprise.

When we go places together, I see how my parents or B’s parents look at Thor–specifically, I see the look on my mother’s face when she’s watching him and I remember seeing the same look on my grandmother’s face when she would watch me.  I have a whole new understanding of how much I have been loved in my lifetime.

It’s a nice thought for the new year.

2012 was not bad at all.

In fact, it was pretty darned good.  Not so great if you were baby teeth, since Thor has lost 4 of them, but a brilliant year for all other calcium deposits and such.

Right now, Thor is playing happily at his grandparents’ house.  B is napping, and Hoo is snoring loudly after a long walk.  I’m going to turn on TV and maybe watch Gremlins.  I’ve never seen it before.

Happy New Year, everyone.  Thanks for reading. =)

About a week before we were able to unveil Hoo, a neighbor backed into our fence and busted out two support beams and three full slats.  Now, while we are waiting for the landlord to do the repairs, we have about 8 slats into the corner of the fence that are leaning inside the yard, held up only by the bottom support, and a three slat hole that is more than wide enough for a puppy to pounce through.  What to do?

We aren’t going to keep Hoo in the house, save for sleeping in his crate, and the garage doesn’t give him much room.  So, I got a yard stake and a 30 foot lead for him.  The 30 foot lead allows him to go anywhere in the yard or on the patio (where I’ve set up Dogtown with his crate, a bed, and his water bowl tucked securely under the patio table), but pulls him up short about 5 feet from the back fence, keeping him a safe distance from the hole and the cars coming down the back alley.    I also got him a reflective, stretchy harness to wear, so he isn’t being yanked around by his throat, and he can’t slip out of it like his collar.  How are puppy heads so collapsible?  How can they just twist their heads and slide right out of collars?

He seems happy enough.  He plays with his toys, barks at the squirrels, and bounces around with delight for no apparent reason.

Once Thor is finished having the flu, I’m sure he’ll be outside all the time.  Til then, Hoo is extremely patient in letting Thor hold him for long periods of time.  Very much unlike my first dog, upon whose body I had to keep a kung-fu grip, lest she “fall out of my bed”.  Poor Susie.

Our Christmas was eventful.  It started at 2am, when Thor woke up sick, and then restarted again at 4 and 5, and 5:30, when I gave up, got up, and called to find out when Grandma was heading over.  She was here by 6:30, but it was after 7 before Thor felt well enough to get up and paw through his gifts.

His second-to-last gift confused him.  It was full of tennis balls, dog chews, training treats and assorted canine goodies.  I asked him, “Who do you think those are for?”  He said, “I don’t know… a dog?”

Then, I gave him the little gold box.  He opened it up to the dog tag and read it aloud.  I asked, “What do you think that means?”  He said, “…Maybe one day I’ll get a dog?”

While Daddy and Grandma talked to him, I went to get the puppy (who was dressed in his Santa suit) and carried him into the living room.  I tried to video and give the dog at the same time, which resulted in blurry video work, but I still caught the moment!  You can see it here

Thor was pretty happy.  Very happy.

But not so happy that he could ignore how he felt.  So, we ended up in the ER for 2 hours, but after some iv fluids, some medicine, and rest, he was finally hungry after two days of not wanting to eat at all.  Now, he is snug in bed and his dog, Hoo, is snug in his kennel next to Thor’s bed.

Oh!  And it snowed.  We had a white Christmas!

I’m happy we’re home.  I’m happy we’re all okay.  I am thankful for everything.

Whatever it is you celebrate this season, be it merry, happy, blessed, or another felicitation of goodwill, I wish it right back atcha with those tidings of comfort and joy.

I wish you and yours the best and brightest.