#mamathoughts

[mercurialmollie]

Matrescence - Matrescence is a term for the radical transformation that women go through when they are having a baby.

[mercurialmollie]

Read My Vibe.

[mercurialmollie]

Forever & Always - the happiness I have a achieved seems unreal at times. Undeserved and then all at once feels absolutely right and totally mine, that I’d kill for.

What a fantasy to be loved in the same way as the princesses in my story books of my youth. To find happily ever after in the creation of a life I never dreamed I could have. A love story built upon the foundations of friendship and the test of time.

[pippindot]

Pip was a good worker today for TAing, but she was also very silly so it's a wash. After class we did some practice on our own but it was HELLA windy and she was so full a beans she was zooming all over. She even started biting her leash (while playing with me!) which i can't ever remember her doing???

I'm sure it gets old to read all the time, but it's like I have a whole different dog. She's so joyful and optimistic and zestful. She spent so long feeling shitty and fearful and hurt that seeing her blossom again, with the pain getting under control and bad cells zonked, and watching her find so much joy in the movement of her body makes me misty eyed over and over again. She hasn't had that in so long, the glee and the confidence that she can move how she wants to and it won't hurt. Just brings a mama to tears.

[pippindot]

Took Pip to a community park today, because I had the day off. Last time we visited this park (right after she started prednisone), she didn't want to do anything except lay in the grass for a few minutes and look anxious. This time, she was raring to walk, happy to sniff all over the different terrain types, but she didn't want to take any food. Once we had sufficient space from others, I let her off leash and she was an angel, staying right nearby and listening if I felt like she was getting too far.

I did a little hopskip in an open area and it triggered a BIG HUGE ZOOMIE. She hasn't had a full gallop in a while and it made my heart happy to see. After the zoom, she was happy to take food AND I asked if she wanted to work and she gave me yes ears! We did a couple simple heeling shapes (even a figure 8 around some big rocks!! INCLUDING TURNING RIGHT), fronts, and getting into position. She was focused and eager the whole time, never looked miserable or put upon.

I quit while we were ahead but it felt SO GOOD. I have struggled to feel like I could get ANY work enthusiasm in outside locations, especially only using food. But I think Pip just needs a moment to sniff and relax somewhere before settling in to work, which I know is pretty common and reasonable! Not always completely feasible (at least not the galloping) but good to keep in mind nonetheless.

I love her SO MUCH she is the best baby.

[pippindot]

Brag time: Pip hasn't been able to go to the park since like, Monday, and has been getting by on short walks and helping us at the new place because there is so much work to do there still. In spite of that, she was still content to snuggle with me during my fever sleep for a long long time. I just love having a dog who can match the activity we need. Feeling so grateful for her rn 🥰

[pippindot]

Finally logged in to the online course I bought from FDSA for the first time. In week 5. 🙃 Glad I am too old for distance learning because I clearly would have failed.

It's a small spaces agility foundations class and I'm looking forward to working on these exercises. First week is startline stay and tight turns around an obstacle (eg jump wing).

Looking forward to working on the tight turns. I think I need to make a master list of cues. I keep going back and forth on what needs a verbal and what doesn't. Do I need a separate cue for wrap left and wrap right? Or call it a wrap and use my body for the direction? Do I need a cue separate from that to indicate go all the way around something? I have "around" for go right around an object, but I never did finish teaching "loop" for going left. Does that even matter? GAHHH

Add to this that our verbals are shaky at best in a lot of cases (in all disciplines) and I am feeling overwhelmed. I still haven't named heel position, even though she is pretty solid on it now from posture alone.

[pippindot]

I have been tricking myself into reading my agility book by simply leaving it open on the only table in the motel room. Whenever I sit down to eat, it's already there! No extra steps! Take that, brain.