Awake Before the Dogs & Excuses as to Why I Have Been a Bad Blogger...

Awake before the dogs.  It doesn't occur often, really.  Living in the city the first sounds of traffic, the early morning garbage truck or the slightest change in noise and my two eager cocker spaniels are ready to start their day.  First, leisurely walk with my little pups down our quaint "You've Got Mail" block, followed by a stop at the nearest cafe for a slow sip of morning pick-me-up and a day dreaming walk slowly home with two completely laid back dogs who catch the passerby's attention and the child's brief pet.  We arrive home and my day begins with bliss.  They lay quietly at my feet while I blog, read, do a word puzzle for my aging brain.  Eventually, only after I have had my quiet "me time" does my angelic daughter awake from her slumber, make her bed and mine and join us in the kitchen for a little breakfast followed by an eager start to our homeschooling.  By this time, I have completed my blogging, laundry, breakfast dishes and life is on auto drive.

Yep, that's the picture I have in my mind.  Here's how it really goes down.  I get up - early - so that I can have a quiet start to my day with a brief few moments to read, check my email, shower if I'm lucky and blog.  As soon as I reach my door (always tiptoeing), Thing 1 (Buster), begins to yelp from his kennel.  He has separation anxiety.  He has to be near me, no matter what, no matter where (I do mean "where").  So, scratch that original plan.  If he cries the whole block of Brooklyn cries with him.  So, I quickly throw on clothes, grab their leashes and try to beat the early morning traffic.  We are out the door with all the other dogs having their morning walks.  My dogs don't like other dogs and they snarl, whine, bark incessantly, and generally stress out.  When Lilly is stressed she can't pee.  When Buster is stressed, he pees while he walks.  I pray the light will turn WALK so that I can get across the street and around the corner before the giant, mammoth dog/half beast that Lilly likes to snarl at reaches the same intersection.  I inevitably run out of potty bags for our stroll and have to make do with what is nearby.  We make it back to the front door in time for them to scowl and lunge at at least one dog or stranger.  They ram through the front door with so much force they slide across the wood floors.  I have to reprimand them both while attempting to give them their morning meal.  Then, it is the half hour of medications for all manner of Cocker spaniel ailments.  Sigh.  My turn.  I run to my computer to salvage whatever might be left of my morning quiet time while tripping over my darling doggies who must be at my side.  My sweet daughter rolls in shortly (I mean, shortly) after with sleep in her eyes.  I get up and make breakfast and start setting out school.  That idyllic wee hour of the morning me time is vapor in the wind.  What is the idyllic part?  My daughter has made her bed and more often than not, mine.  And well, you have to love that.

Be assured, I love my dogs.  Wouldn't trade them for the world, have tried doggy training, have tried all manner of leashes and am now resigning myself to the fact that I have cute, but very naughty dogs and I love them anyway.