The little monster boy is officially ours. The guy did the home visit this morning and we passed. It really seemed like a formality. He spent more time playing with Willie (lol! But thankfully not HIS willie. lol) than checking our house. He looked at the backyard and where we kept the crate. That was about it. Then we had to PAY for our dog and he was ours! He's been good today. We had to implement a "NO BEING ON THE COUCH!" rule. He was starting to jump up and see the couch as his and he would get all play nippy with the kids and drive them off the couch. When he was doing it before, I would have them turn around, pull him off the couch and get back up on it. But I got tired of constantly coaching them and then it dawned on me: "Why is he even allowed up there at all when no one has invited him to come on up?" I mean, hello, he's basically chasing the kids off the couch. That's a big no-no in my book. So poor Willie is no longer allowed on the couch. I guess eventually he will be if we invite him up, but for now it's not at all. We also got the prong collar and he has been SO MUCH easier to walk on the way home. Tonight we took him for his walk and he watched us so well at a hell position. Then we got to the bridge where the kids like playing and we switched out his collar and put on the retractable lead and let him loose and he ran through the water and chewed sticks and ate dirt and had fun. Then he was back on the prong on the way home and, even though he was full of piss and vinegar, it was much easier to keep him at a heel. I've heard people say the prong collar isn't humane, but omg, anything is better than constantly jerking the life out of the lead when he is constantly pulling. THAT seemed inhumane, to me. The prong collar just starts to tug when he gets in front and I don't even need to jerk it... he's instantly reminded to come back to heel. He watches me the whole time. It's awesome. He's seems like a smart dog, though.

After taking him to the dog park this morning and letting the kids play at the park next to it, I went and FINALLY got my hair done. My poor hair has been growing out and looked awful. So it is cut and colored and she did a great job. Yay for younger looking hair! heh.

Maybe I should make an icon of myself. Maybe that would be too concieted (hm, conceited?). I read my last post and it did realy come across snarky. I have to apologize to myself for sounding snarky to myself. heh. I think that comment is a common comment to mothers and I think it is frequently said to mothers by people who don't know them well yet. anyway, I am past that now.

I went out to the homeschool mom night thing last night. I haven't been in a month or so. It was nice. I found someone who also didn't want to do the co op and was kind of grateful to not be the only one not wanting to do it. I had gotten all excited when the co op was first forming. Yay! A co op! This will be so much fun! Then I really thought about it- it was going to be every Friday for three hours. They were going to be teaching some neat things.. but every Friday for three hours on top of gymnastics, speech, science classes, soccer coming up, playgroup and eventually Ariel will have extracurricular interests. I just got cold feet. Three hours a week is more time than I spend homeschooling in a day (for one kid). It also a large chunk of time for me to spend out of the house. we're gone an hour here and there.. sometimes two-three hours at a friend's house. But to be gone and actively learning for 3 hours seems daunting to me to prepare for. It's kind of cheating, I guess, but I really want the co op to get off the ground, work out the kinks and mainly for my children to be a little older. Ariel, while definitely getting big, is still a little one and subject to fatigue, or feeling like not humouring me. She's not ready for formal learning, even as a unit study in a group setting. So really I kind of would like her to be 4 or 5 before i think about a co op. Then I think I will also feel a bit better about volunteering my time and effort into helping out. Right now I am pretty absorbed in our own lives and I don't know how much I want to extend myself right now, whenI am still getting used to homeschooling my own children. Anyway...

Then this morning I had my hair appt. OMG. It can't always be that expensive when I go in. I think she did all over colour again. Next time I need to be firm about just a touch up.. just the roots! But it looks wonderful again and the colour has brightened and I feel ready to go to NC for easter without having gray hairs emerging and dark roots. Ew. Ray took the kids to his gym so he could work out and is now at Home Depot getting a "No Solicitors" sign and back screen door. I am sick of Jehovah Witnesses, people selling magazines, people replacing windows/siding/cleaning gutters, etc knocking on the door in the middle of the day. Jehovah Witnesses especially. They are pretty easy to get rid of, but the only way I can is by taking their pamplets. I don't need any more Watch Tower pamplets.

It's supposed to be nice today, and it is.. though i am waiting for it to get a little warmer. Ray will be calling soon, I hope, for me to head out and meet them at the park.