London's New Adventure and Small Wars

So little London went off to her first day of dance class and of preschool this last week. I wasn't sure how either one would go but it turns out that she loves both and had no problem jumping right in. It was a relief that she adjusted well but also a sharp reminder that she is getting older and that's just tough sometimes. Little Zoe is determined to keep up with her sister and does so many things that I would never expect, like stealing her sister's glass cup and using it properly, climbing on the couch and bouncing, and wearing a purse and beads and then walking around the house saying "bye bye". It's hilarious and painful at the same time because they are growing up and the second one goes way faster.

Watching the two of them play together is pure comedy and then comes tragedy shortly after because an animal was taken or a bracelet was not shared. Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! The sound ricochets off the wood floors and echoes through the house. "Oh no, what happened now" I think to myself as I head in their direction to break up the latest quarrel. I question London and get the facts and then dispense justice accordingly. Now it is midnight I was supposed to be asleep two hours ago but this was the only time I had to record their shenanigans and fit in a little bit of my own time before we start the race again tomorrow. It's all worth it.

A Lost Dog and a Dented Bumper...

Wow, there's a lot to catch up on. Most recently, I was attempting to assist a lost dog that I met at the playground. She was a darling boxer who followed me up the play structure and after drinking a sand pail full of water, lay happily between me and my girls near the slide. After many inquiries, I decided to put her in the back of my vehicle and take her to be scanned for a microchip in an attempt to locate her owner. She jumped right in, more readily than my own dog, and off we went.

Unfortunately, the stray did not have a chip and so I decided to return her to the park in hopes that she would find her way home or be picked up by her owner. As I backed up to leave the shelter, I heard a crunch and my heart dropped to my feet. Oh crap! I had backed into my friend's car, the friend who was kind enough to come along to help watch my kids so I could run into the shelter with this dog. My brain reeled and I could not believe what I had done. After apologizing profusely and freaking out, I told my friend that I would have my insurance fix our cars and she said not to worry about it, that her car was not a big deal. What??? She was serious and I kept telling her that I could just get it taken care of, but she meant it. At that moment, I felt like I had been given a get-out-of-jail card and was amazed at her graciousness. This is something I will always remember for the rest of my life. What an incredible gesture.

As my girls and I drove the dog back to the park, I was crying and feeling so stupid for getting myself into the whole situation. We returned the darling boxer and said goodbye and then I went home to fester over the whole thing for the rest of the day. Now I am completely paranoid about backing up my car and check everything 18 times before going. The good news is that the dog was returned to her owner the next day through an ad and her story had a happy ending.