My "Must See" Disney/Marvel Movie List

Hey readers! It has been a minute since I have written about movies. I don't get to see a lot movies until they come out on DVD/Blu-Ray. I think the last movie I saw in the theaters was, The Lego Movie. I seriously need to catch up. Disney/Marvel Studios have some great movies coming out this year and in 2015 Here is short list of my "Must See in the theater" movies. *These movies are in no particular order. They just all look awesome to me.*


#1 Big Hero 6 (Nov. 7th 2014)
I know you might be thinking
this is just another kid's movie,
But, I think I will love it as much
as my boys or more!

#2 Tomorrowland (May 22nd 2015)
I saw the trailer for this one,
and it blew my mind!  I was instantly
intrigued by it. Plus, George Clooney
is in it. (smile)

#3 Into the Woods (Dec. 24th 2014)
I can imagine how many comparisons to
the tv show, "Once Upon A Time"
there will be, but I still want to
see it. Meryl Streep AND Johnny Depp!
No Brainer!

#4 Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1st 2015)
Need I say more? It's the Avengers
I have to go see this one!

Well, that's my short list of movies I really want to see BEFORE they come out on DVD/Blu-Ray. Check out the trailers below! Which ones are you most excited to see?

We Finally Went on Vacation (and other stuff)

Hmmmm? Let's see, what I can blog about today. Well, my family and I took an awesome vacation last week. We went to Orlando, Florida! I think I am still amazed that we went. We had been talking about going for so long. It had been a dream of mine to take my two youngest sons to Universal Studios and SeaWorld. My husband and I hadn't been in 15 years. We took our then 9 and 4 year old sons there after the death of our daughter. It was truly a dream come true being there with all of my guys. We stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Resort on International Drive. It was perfect for our family of 6. We had a 2 bedroom villa with a full kitchen, screened in porch and my favorite appliances, a dishwasher and washer/dryer. It really was great for us all to be together, yet still have our own space. We enjoyed our time at both Universal and SeaWorld. The weather was hot, muggy and it rained a lot. But it didn't hamper our activities one bit.

   Like all vacations, they have to come to an end. And I was actually ready to come back to Chicago. I can't even believe I said that, but it's true. If I had been in the Bahamas relaxing on a beach, I might not have been as ready to come back home. But, spending 3 full days walking at least 50,000 steps and riding roller coasters can truly wear you out. My little guys are ready to go back already and they have decided to get jobs so it won't take us another 15 years to take another vacation. I told them, we didn't plan on waiting that long again, but they were more than welcome to pitch in monetarily. :)

  One thing that made me sad when we came home was that Gunther is no longer here. We had to find him a new home. My oldest son is highly allergic to him and with him being back home now, his allergies flared up immediately. Also, Gunther's sheer size(210lbs), aggressiveness towards strangers and need for a ton of attention became too much for us. It was the hardest decision we have had to make.It was truly like losing one of our kids. Part of me feels like we failed him.We weren't able to get the training he needed and we were unschooled from the beginning on the characteristics of  the Giant breeds and challenges that come with having such an animal as a pet. I miss him,  He's a big, BIG, baby and he deserves a family that will spoil him rotten. I'll never forget Gunther. As a side note, the Dorsey family has sworn off of any pets larger than a poodle. Actually, I think we will just switch to goldfish or maybe a parakeet. 

  Last thing. I am still working as an extra for Chicago Fire and their new season (#3) just started this week. I have probably said this before, but I still get a rush every time I walk on that set.It is an amazing experience to be in the presence of such dedicated actors. I am still trying to find my place in this business, but I am enjoying the journey along the way. 

Peace

The Subject Of Dreams, and other things

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”― Christopher Reeve

I have been in deep thought lately. But, not the kind of thought where any answers are coming. You ever have that? Just a million thoughts and questions, swimming through your head constantly, but no answers? Well, that's where I have been residing for the past few weeks. That is never a good place for me. That's not exactly true. It is okay to be introspective, but when I linger there too long, negativity can start to creep in. I start to think about my age and how I haven't really accomplished any of my big goals. Then, that starts me to thinking about how I never really planned on staying in Chicago and how much I dislike the upcoming cold weather. I start worrying about if my homeschooled sons are learning enough. That leads to me thinking about my incredibly intelligent, newly graduated but not college-bound son that is currently spending 80% of his day in his bedroom. And my oldest son that just moved back home and has been trying to find a full-time job for over a year.

It gets a bit overwhelming to me, so I start to retreat inside my head even further because at that point, if I voice my feelings to anyone, they will just think I am complaining and tell me how thankful I should be to have such awesome children and how some people would love to have the experiences I have had, meet the people I have and how I should be thankful to have a husband that supports homeschooling and helps out with it when he can and doesn't expect me to work. I'm not stupid! Believe me, I am very thankful and I count my blessings everyday. I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to stay home and raise my children. It has been a wonderful experience to never have had to leave them in a daycare and be there for each and everyone of their milestones.

 But, does that mean that I am not allowed to have dreams and wish that I could pursue some of them with the same energy that I have spent being a wife and mother?

An old friend of mine really upset me a few weeks ago. He suggested that I go to L.A. to try and find some work in acting. I explained to him that I didn't have the luxury of just leaving my family to go "try my luck" in Los Angeles. He went on to say that they would understand and that I should do it. Now, this is a retired person, with no dependents, that spends his time traveling telling me, the full time wife and mom to "just do it." And there lies the problem. He doesn't understand my life at all. And that's okay. I am not asking him or anyone else to. I am just saying please don't suggest things for me to do with my life, that you've never even had to deal with in your own.

Sorry. I just needed a minute to get some thoughts off my chest. I still have no answers though. A good friend reminded me yesterday that this is where I need Patience and Faith to take over. I have to have the patience to be still during this period of my life and trust that God is with me and knows all I am going through. And,the faith to believe that my dreams can come true. Even though it doesn't feel like they can right now, who knows what tomorrow holds.

Men-O-Pause

    I have come to discover recently that it probably isn't good idea to live in a house full of males when you are going through menopause. The word itself seems to be a signal that during these sensitive times, you need a "pause on men". Lately, I have been a bundle of emotions. Well actually, I have always been a bundle of emotions. But, they are heightened to the 10th degree. Sounds seem louder. Especially, when my husband snores, my poodle whines, and my sons listen to that bass heavy, electronic "dubstep" music.  It makes me want to scream! Don't they understand that my ovaries hurt!? My breasts are doing some weird painful thing, too and silence is the only cure!  I understand their stuff. Is it too much to ask that they would take the time to be a little more sympathetic and study the intricacies of the female reproductive system?

I really think that until I actually complete this evil female metamorphosis, I should be able to live alone in a lovely cottage on the beach. Of course my darling husband and sons would be able to visit often with gourmet meals and flowers, but they just wouldn't be able to stay all day. And overnights would definitely be out of the question. Strictly for their well-being of course. I mean, they don't need to be around me in this wacked-out hormone imbalanced state. Who knows when a severe mood swing might hit me or a hot flash that feels like I've been dipped in a volcano comes over me? Huh? I am not responsible for my actions during these times and their safety is always my first priority.

Also, pets should be kenneled. At least ones weigh over 200lbs, drool incessantly and shake the floor when they bark. Not sure exactly why they should not stay in the home, but let's cover all bases, shall we?

Cooking for the family and doing heavy housework should also be handed over until the menopausal period is completely over. I have heard that small lapses in memory can take place and it would just break my heart to burn a meal or not cook exactly what my picky bunch of testosterone laden children desire or forget to wash their socks or favorite t-shirt. So just until I am "all better", these jobs should be handed over to them.

I figure I should be 100% in about 8 years. Coincidently, this will be the same year my youngest son turns 18. Yes, I am sure I will feel much better around then. But only if he has a full scholarship and they pay for his apartment through the completion of his studies and afterwards.

Of course, I kid. So far going through "the change" hasn't been so bad. Very annoying and too slow for my liking, but it's the price we women have to pay for being able to get pregnant, be swollen and uncomfortable for nine months, experience excruciating pain giving birth, and then sleepless nights until forever.

Come to think of it, i'm not kidding. I need my place on the beach and I need it NOW!!!

Just thinking.......

So, I am having one of those "quiet moments". No tv, radio, video games or anything. Just silence and the occasional passing car and chirping birds. These moments are heaven to me. I am just one of those people that doesn't have to be doing something. I REALLY like being alone. And I don't have to be out shopping or going to a movie either. Just me, in my house, being quiet is fine. I am not anti-social in the least. It is just the way I am. I love people. I love listening to people, talking to them and being around them. But I value my alone time. And being a full-time homemaker and homeschooling mom, I don't get much alone time at all.

Sometimes I get a feeling of sadness when I see people with lots of friends hanging out, laughing and smiling. Part of me always wanted to have that.  I have always known tons of people, but I never had a group of girlfriends or even close friends that I hung out with. Not sure why it never happened, it just didn't. I used to think that maybe people didn't really like me, that they were just pretending. You know how people call you their friend, but never ever include you in anything they do. Or they say after the fact, "I should have called you." It seemed to me that their exclusion of me, was them letting me know how they really felt. WOW! I must have felt like this a long time. hmm? I guess I never have felt like I fit in. You know? I wanted to fit in and I tried really hard, but I always felt stupid when I did that. Even though embracing and loving myself for who I am, has left me feeling alone and excluded for most of my life, it is still better than pretending to be someone I'm not. So I learned how to enjoy just being with myself. No pretending going on there. I do have some awesome people around me though; my husband, my sons, my brother and my mom. And, a few family members and people that I know and love beyond kinship/friendship. I may not talk to them a lot or even hang out with them. But, if they ever needed me I would be there for them and I believe they would do the same for me.

That raises the question,
"Who am I?" I am just a pretty simple person with big dreams, and lots of insecurities doing the best I can with what I have. I am sensitive, empathetic, caring, but cautious. I am curious, creative, talented, but a bit shy. I don't like to brag or be boastful. I would however like to be dynamic at something and I would like to be recognized for it. Just keeping it real with you.

Moving on:
As long as I can remember I have wanted to act. But, I don't actively go out on auditions and I have gotten the courage up to get and agent. I believe I have the talent to get tons of jobs, but I still hold back due to fear.Maybe it is fear of success. Maybe it is a fear of rejection. Not sure, but I am working on it. Because more than anything, I want to an actor. And not just a good actor, A GREAT actor! SO, in order to actively live my dreams, I need to cast off the fears and stop being passively patient! I have things to do!!

Oh well, enough about me. I am going to take advantage of this quiet time and catch up on some sleep. Nap time is sacred.

Peace and Love, family. 

New and Improved

 I titled this blog post, "New and Improved" because I believe that since my last post I,personally have become new and improved. In just a few months, my thought processes have changed, my outlook on my future has gotten better. (although I still sink at times) And, I just feel so optimistic right now. Here's a few reasons why. 

 Lots of good things have been happening since I last posted. My husband,brother and I threw my mother  a huge surprise 75th birthday party. We invited friends and family and it was a really beautiful event.  My teenaged son when on his prom, had his final Orchestra concert and graduated from high school. Somehow, I managed not to cry during any of these ceremonies, but it wasn't easy. One day after my son graduated, I celebrated my birthday. It wasn't so much a celebration as it was waking up, fixing breakfast for my sons, doing some chores and going to a meeting. My husband did get me a beautiful cake. I realized this year, that although cakes are pretty and smell wonderful, I really don't like cake. (Sshhh, don't tell my brother!) Two days after my birthday, I embarked on a pretty cool project. I got the opportunity to work as a Production Asst. on a movie.The movie is called 72 Hours and will be released in 2015.  Actually, I did two jobs on the movie. Along with the P.A. work,  I was in charge of craft services. I made sure the cast and crew had food and drinks throughout the day. It was a great cast and crew to work with. The director, Christopher Nolen is an amazing person. I met so many awesome people and I learned a ton of stuff. The work was challenging. It even got frustrating at times, but the experience was unforgettable. I think I learned a lot about myself as well. 

After that project was over, I had to take a few weeks to think. I needed to figure out what I really wanted to do with my future. I have known forever that I wanted to work in the television and movie industry, but I wasn't sure where I fit in. I am still not really sure. But, I knew I couldn't just be stagnant. So, I set out on a personal journey to see if I could help myself figure it out. I decided to go to Atlanta to take a 2-day intensive acting workshop.The class is taught by actress, Tasha Smith. She runs a no-holds barred, tell it like it is class.  I had been wanting to go for a few years,but was never able to go. This time, I was determined. I learned a monologue, put my fears behind me and went. I am so glad I did. It was very educational. I came away with more confidence and the feeling that maybe I can do this. 

Since being back home, I have gone back to work as a background extra on the show, Chicago Fire. This is our 3rd season and I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great show. The hardest part about my job is that it always leaves me wanting more. I want a script in my hands, learning lines! I want to be an integral part of a show. I had a taste of that working on 72 Hours. But, it somehow always seems like I am just on the very outside looking in. I can say however, that in the past 12 months, I have had some incredible opportunities, and met some dynamic people. I pray that this continues and that there are even bigger things for me on the horizon. I leave myself open to all positive possibilities because I believe that dreams can come true. I just have to be patient. In class, Tasha Smith reminded us that if we stay focused on our goals and stick with it, our "due season" will come. That hope is what gets me through those rough days when I feel like it will never happen for me. 

In the mean time, I will keep dreaming, keep learning and keep trying to be become the best "me" I can be. 

Oh, by the way. My husband and I just celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary yesterday! Actually, he was at work all day and I was at home washing clothes, planning dinner and taking our sons to and from Summer Camp. But, it was still a beautiful day! 

Peace and Love

Letting Go, So They Can Grow.

I was sitting at my kitchen table this morning, when I saw a bird fly by. I was struck by the fact that you never see a baby bird flying along side its mom. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about my sons. I Have been having a hard time lately. So many changes taking place in their lives and I can't protect them like I used to when they were babies.  My oldest son, Devin is struggling and it is so hard to watch him go through this difficult time in his life. It takes every fiber in my being to not just swoop in and rescue him. But I can't. I have to let him go through this life lesson, so he can grow into the man I know he is. He is a beautiful person. Loving, sensitive and caring. All the things a mother could only hope for their child to be. I hope to see your smile return soon.  My son Khalil; He was my baby for so long. So quiet and shy, I was truly a mother hawk over him and I still am when I really think about it. He is going off to college soon and it is breaking my heart. I will miss his gentle spirit in the house everyday. I want him to know how proud of him I am, and how wonderful I think he is. He has so much greatness in him. He doesn't even realize how amazing he is. I hope he uses this time to embrace his gifts and use them to enrich his life and the lives of those around him. Matthew; I look at him and see so much of myself sometimes, it scares me. He is deep and spiritual and he feels the weight of the world already. But, even with the chaos around him, he can still find beauty in a pebble or a leaf. He was born after a tremendous loss in my life. His birth represented a new beginning and every time I look at him, I am reminded of how precious every moment is and how to look for beauty in the things so many casually walk over. Kyan; I can't even say his name without smiling. He is one of the purest souls I have ever met. He loves with every cell in his body. He was my biggest baby. A whopping 10lbs 2 ozs! He is now the tiniest thing in the house, but growing by leaps and bounds nonetheless. I look at him, all of them and wonder where the time has gone. Ky brings things full circle with my sons. He helps me understand that ultimately, all I can do is be their mom. I can love them, care for them, teach them, but at some point they will all leave the nest. My prayer is that I have nourished them properly enough for their wings to carry them to wherever they want to go. I can't wait to watch them soar. 

My Plan Worked!

For the most part, I have never pressured my sons to read. I would consider more of an encouraging them to read more than a flat out command. And I've never minded if what they were reading. it could be a magazine, the funny papers or the back of a cereal box. I just wanted them reading, something. However, since I have started homeschooling, I really wanted the boys to delve into more novels and books that would enrich their vocabularies and imaginations. My teen ager already read a lot of novels for school, so I didn't mind him only reading his car magazines when he was home. My oldest son used to read a lot when he was younger, but the video games took him over and that was it for him. My third son, is a voracious reader! He reads more novels a year than I have read in a decade. He is a lot like his dad. On the other hand, I think my youngest inherited my reading gene. Now don't get me wrong, I love to read. But, I am extremely picky. I don't read many novels. My mind wanders too much. They have to grab me and suck me in from the first few pages or that book will sit there and gather dust. I do love to read magazines and cookbooks though. Now, my baby boy is what I would call a reluctant reader. He reads very well, and loves the library, but he consistently chooses only books with facts, maps, books for younger readers that don't have a lot of pages and any book with Charlie Brown. To try and get him to read a book with more than 50 pages is a struggle. He has no shortage of books to choose from, but like I said before, he is just like me. So, in my quest to help ignite his thirst for more substantial reading, I came across something that I thought might be helpful. I was on Facebook and one of the bloggers was talking about a deal she had seen on Kindles. Hmm? My husband already had a Kindle Fire, but it never seemed to interest the boys much. They only wanted to see what games were on there. So, I looked up the Kindle paper white. No bells or whistles, just books. I hoped that this would spark Ky to read more. Since, he loves gadgets as much as everyone else in the house.I turned it on and was instantly impressed. This little thing was great! it had a wonderful battery life, a built in backlight so you can see it anywhere and it even has a section on it called, Kindle Free Time. This allows me to make a separate side account for the boys and add books just for them. It counts how long they read and they can even use the built in dictionary to look up words they don't understand. Another great tool is the ability to "borrow" books from Amazon's lending library. You can download one book and keep it for a month. The entire Harry Potter collection is on there! Anyway, I got the Kindle Paper white yesterday and of course my book eater was ecstatic. My little guy really didn't pay it much attention, at first. Matt got busy reading the Chamber of Secrets right away and I wondered if Ky would show any interest. I took him aside and put it in his hands. I even bought him his own book, Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja. When he saw that the book was in his own section AND had a password, he was hooked! My boy was reading! Later on, he even asked if it time for bed so he could continue reading. I was overjoyed! That was until the arguing started about who could use it at night to read their book. So, today I will be making a schedule of when they can use it. So needless to say, I am super proud of myself for thinking of such a brilliant idea. But, if I had been truly brilliant, I would have bought two! Oh well, he's reading and that is all that matters.

Let's play catch up

Oh wow! The last time I blogged it was winter. I have been so insanely busy and every time I thought about writing, something else would come up. So, let's get caught up shall we?

First off, I had the pleasure of connecting with an awesome group of people that were putting on a stage play. I went to a couple of rehearsals just to see how the process works, and I ended up working as the asst. stage manager for the production company. The experience was amazing!  There were months of long rehearsals, countless hours of tweaking lines and getting cues just right. It was nerve racking at times, but the end result was an awesome show that touched a lot of people.(including me) In between doing that, I still worked on the set of Chicago Fire and I feel so thankful and blessed every time I get to watch those talented people work. I was overjoyed to hear that they were given a third season. I truly love that show and working on it, is just a HUGE bonus. Not to mention being invited to end of the season cast parties.

I can't forget about Gunther. Gunther celebrated his 2nd birthday on March the 9th. Paul bought him a big party hat and he actually let us put it on his head. He is still a work in progress. He weighs about 225lbs now and he still has a big problem with strangers and the occasional car bumper. We haven't been able to work out a proper training schedule for him, but we are still hopeful that it will get done.

My teen-aged son graduates from high school very soon and will hopefully be going away to college in August. I am not handling that very well. He is such a shy and quiet young man, and I just worry like crazy about him being on his own. Ever since my oldest son left I feel like my family is slowly pulling apart. I know that is the natural progression of things, but it is still hitting me like a ton of bricks.

See, I told you a lot of stuff has been going on, and this is not all of it. But, I just wanted to let you know that I was still around.

Peace and Love

Moving out, moving on

My oldest son moved away a few months ago. It was kind of a shock to the whole family. We knew he had been thinking about it, but how it all came about was still a surprise. Our family had chosen December 29th 2013 as our designated, "gift giving day". We choose a different day every year and this was it. We had gotten up early to open presents and I made a huge breakfast. I couldn't remember the last time all six of us had actually sat down together  for breakfast. We laughed and talked with one another. It was such a great way to start the day. My 11 year old son commented, that we should make the big breakfast a family tradition for "present day" I told him, that I agreed with him wholeheartedly and was proud that he felt that way. I snapped a few photos and soaked in the scenes. I had no idea how special that moment in time would become.

We finished up breakfast, got the kitchen cleaned and watched the boys interact with their gifts. My oldest announced that he had a few errands to run and would be back later. I told him that I hoped he wouldn't be gone long because his grandmother was coming over for a visit. The day progressed as usual and my husband laid down for a nap. He had just finished his 24 hour shift at the firehouse that morning. A few hours later, my son returned home. He asked if could he speak with me. I followed him down the hallway toward his room. We stopped right outside his bedroom door and he uttered the sentence that changed the course of the entire day. "I found a place". "You found an apartment?", I asked. "Yep", he replied. I am pretty sure my mind went totally blank for a moment and that my mouth was hanging open. I quickly recovered and could only say, "Wow". The next question I asked was, "When are you moving?" He said, "Today".

I was dumbfounded. "Today?" You come home, tell me you found a place and that you are leaving Today?? None of this was said aloud of course, but I was surely thinking it. Who does that? I was sad and proud at the same time. Proud that he had done what he had set out to do, but sad that he had shut us out. Not that I wanted to go with him and look at apartments or anything, but sad that he felt he had to keep it all a secret. He went in his room and starting putting his things in a bag. I went in the living room and woke my husband to tell him the news. I think his exact words were, "Get the hell out of here!" "Seriously?" "Wow!" We stared at each other for a quick minute and then he jumped up to go see if his ears had heard me correctly.

Yep, our 23 year old son was moving. We both knew this day would come, we just really weren't prepared for it to be that day. He didn't have any food, furniture, or even a bed. But, at that moment I realized that none of that was in my hands anymore. My son was now a man and that man was moving on. My heart and mind raced, A million thoughts and questions flooded my head. I thought back to that seriously ill child that couldn't even take a breath on his own at birth. That sweet baby that stayed in the NICU for two weeks on respirators and heart monitors. That little boy who had beaten so many odds throughout his life was moving away from his family and setting out on his own. I watched him pack his things into his car and drive away. The years had gone by so quickly. In just a few hours,our family of six had gone to five. No long drawn out goodbyes or tearful hugs. He wasn't that kind of a guy...anymore. He had grown a bit distant in recent years and just ready to do his own thing and we had to let him. I said a prayer that God would continue to watch over him. I did tell him before he left that, I was proud of him and that no matter what, wherever we were, he would always have a home. 

The case for morning alcohol drinking...or why does this only happen to me?

 

  So, yesterday my husband woke up late for work. This meant that he wasn't going to have the time to get Gunther outside. He ALWAYS gets Gunther out. It is one of the few things I count on. A constant supply of strong coffee, green tea and me not having to let Gunther out in the morning.  I mean, I let him out in the afternoon, but it is something about having to roll out of bed after only 3-4 hours of sleep to feed Gunther and wipe his mouth before he covers you in drool that doesn't scream,GOOD MORNING! However it is an effective weight loss tool. After having to stand nearby while he eats and drinks is enough to severely cut your appetite for hours. YUCK.

  Being the mother that I am, I got past all the drool and got him outside. Of course there has to be drama that comes along with that, because I was the one that let him outside. So, what I didn't mention was, a few weeks ago someone stole the gate to our back fence. It was old and broken, but that was no excuse for someone to drive down our alley and steal it. Anyway, since we had no door to our back fence anymore, we had to devise a makeshift barrier so the dogs couldn't get out. We found our two large city garbage receptacles covered the space nicely. However, it was also easy for neighborhood strays (four legged and two legged) to easily get in. To help out, my husband placed a large piece of scrap drywall out there to help. Yes, it does look as tacky as you imagine, but it keeps the dogs in the yard.

  The problem is, on garbage day, which is Wednesday, they move the cans and never put them back. So, I went outside with Gunther to move the cans back. What I didn't anticipate was Gunther running ahead of me and jumping over the 2 foot piece of drywall and going right out into the alley at the same time a man in a pickup truck was coming down the alley. You know how you play out an entire scene in your head and pray what you see doesn't happen? No? Maybe that's just me. Thankfully, the man in the pickup truck had really good brakes and probably didn't want to replace the entire grill on his truck. Gunther literally missed getting hit by 2 inches. All I could think of (AGAIN) was that I was going to have to call Paul and have him come home because either Gunther had been badly hurt, or worse yet, killed. I realized at that moment that I function quite often without a heartbeat. I swear it stopped for several minutes as I went out in the alley and tried to retrieve Gunther. As I passed by the gentleman's truck, he opened his window and said, "How are you"? I replied, with my still non-beating heart, "Good, how are you"? He drove off down the alley and soon the fact and panic that Gunther was loose in the alley without a leash took over. My mind raced with the thought of, "If Gunther decides to gallop off down the alley, there is no way I can catch him". Thank God for a dog's passion for smelling other dogs.  A neighbor a few doors down just got a new puppy and his smell attracted Gunther just long enough for me to get a hold of his collar. I mustered up my best stern voice, pulled him back down the alley and told him to get back in the yard. He jumped back over the piece of drywall and I pulled the garbage cans back into place. I got him back inside and proceeded to shake like a leaf for the next 30 minutes.

  The whole ordeal had to only last maybe 3 minutes, but it felt like an hour. I called Paul and told him what happened and he apologized for not fixing the gate sooner. I contemplated having a really large glass of wine for breakfast but figured, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. Especially since I soon had to start our daily homeschool lessons. I settled for a cup of hot tea instead. I looked at the clock on my microwave and figured that it would take about 7 hours for me to calm down.... Just in time for Gunther's afternoon walk. 

The Gunther Chronicles: January 2014

Gunther with the boys

Our guy, Gunther is now almost 22 months old and it is easy to forget that he still is considered by some as a, "puppy". Even when he really was a puppy, he didn't seem like one. These past few months have been spent trying to socialize Gunther. It has been challenging to do because his sheer enormity intimidates people. Our two young sons did not want to be around him in the beginning because of his behavior. I think I mentioned before that he would just barrel past them and knock them over. This did not go over well with our youngest son and I believe his acceptance of Gunther will be one of the final pieces of the puzzle. I am happy to report that small improvements are being made. Just the other night, Gunther joined the boys for an impromptu sleepover. Actually it was more like a sleep on, because that is what he did to our eleven year old son. He laid his 200+ lb. body right on top of him. He was okay with this arrangement until Gunther decided to move. Unfortunately, Gunther stepped on Matt a few times and that was the end of the sleepover. I had to convince Matt that he didn't need a new spleen after Gunther finally got off of him. Today, I convinced the boys to play their video game with Gunther asleep nearby on the futon. They were a little hesitant at first, but Gunther didn't pay them any attention and just laid there and enjoyed the company while he napped. We still haven't allowed our family members much access to him, because frankly we are scared. He barks ferociously when he hears a voice that he doesn't recognize. And most people that come around just really aren't all that interested in testing the waters with him. The time will come though. We hope to really get his formal starting in a few weeks. I am so glad that we have this chance to reconnect with him. I am starting to learn his "language". He has a habit of putting my entire hand in his mouth when I sit next to him. But I noticed that he never tries to bite me. He is actually trying to tell me that he wants to be rubbed. Gunther is the most interesting dog I have ever been around, and I have been around LOTS of dogs. I believe this journey will be good for all of us. Might not be good for our electric and gas bill, because he slobbers all over everything and we have to wash more. But, that's the life of a family with a dog named Gunther.