Dog Shopping... Fur Real!

So... Remember when Randy told Mikayla she could get a dog as soon as she earned $100 dollars?

SHE DID IT!... even after we said it needed to be $111 because of tithing. Frankly, she probably would have a LOT more if I remembered to pay her more often. Or if I let her aunts (Rachelle being the biggest culprit) or Uncles Nick and Spencer pay her as much as they were willing to...

Here we are. 6 weeks until her birthday, money in hand (I put in all my tip money from school), and wondering to ourselves- what kind of dog do we get?

Remember the last dog?


The GIANT SCHNOODLE, Noche, that was incontinent whenever around Randy... Noche -would seriously pee ALL OVER whenever Randy came home(please note-the bigger the dog the bigger the puddle.)

And let's not forget the Christmas tree. You know, the one he ripped down even after I tied it to the wall, ate all the 'indestructible ornaments', and then peed on repeatedly. And I do mean repeatedly. It's a good thing the apartment flooded at least twice while we were there because we would have had to pay for a new carpet I'm sure. I could only shampoo that thing so much, and all the enzyme cleaner (we bought several gallons) in the world couldn't have save it. So at least one blessing came from the backed up problems with the water heater and all the nastiness that came with it. Who knew?

Noche was a good dog,albeit a little ugly when he was shaved for the summer. (Randy thought this was cuter... ewwww.) Aside from his morning breath that didn't help me out so much with my morning sickness, and his urinary tract issues, I guess we could say he was ok. I liked him most of the time. I don't think anyone else liked him. He peed on Jim, Mere and Braden's kids weren't fans, and uh... oh wait. The neighbor. She LOVED him. And he LOVED her. And Mikayla LOVED LOVED LOVED Noche. I do have to say this... I have NEVER NEVER seen a dog so good with kids or at least kids that actually like dogs. Never.

It was Noche's one redeeming grace.

Even though he peed. A LOT, I was still a little sad when he grew to be so much bigger than I ever thought and out grew the apartment. And I started working full time and it just was not fair to leave a dog alone for 13 hours a day. I tell you what though... I felt guilty for giving him to a new family at first. But NO! Don't feel sorry for him. He now lives in a castle. Literally. With people that are SO NICE, responsible in taking him to the vet (I checked) and have the means to care for him should he ever get some horrible disease that needs some horribly expensive treatment.... he went to a family of lawyers that run Hundred Oaks Castle in Winchester, TN.




The Kent Bramlet Foundation has been restoring the castle in memory of their son. Noche splits his time between the castle, and a home in Green Hills. I'm glad I was a little snooty about who he could go to... I did like him, and he was Mikayla's best friend after all.

So...back to the beginning. We are again in the market for a dog. We have taken so many surveys, looked at so many dog websites. First and foremost, we want to adopt. There are so many breed specific rescues that we feel like we can shop around. Surveys consistently tell us to get Great Danes- uhhhh again, Bigger dog, bigger puddle... yikes!

We want a dog that will:
-go with me on my 5 am workout for 30-45 minutes of good strong cardio (this is imperative!)
-be great with kids
-easy enough to groom. I am down with brushing daily... tweezing ear hairs is my limit.. that's just gross
-lower shedding would be nice, but since I can brush daily it doesn't matter tons and tons...
-medium to large. Rowan would flatten a little dog and he is scared to death of them for now. He seems happy with big dogs though. Go figure

So, any suggestions? This time around we have what we need- fenced in yard, time, energy, an actual routine, the whole family is in on it, and just enough money that I won't be freaking out anytime I have to buy food, take the dog to the vet etc.

So now we need to go shopping...

oh yeah, the exciting news- most of you called and asked, and some of you missed the comment stating that we are NOT pregnant (sorry Janae)

Randy and I have a job! I get to teach a Domestic Violence Prevention course to Juvenile Delinquents in Wilson County, TN and Randy gets to write the curriculum. We had to get approved by a committee consisting of judges, lawyers, and a few other teachers. I'm really excited and scared. No felonies though so I should be safe and sound! I taught a similar course during my internship in college and loved it... And this job sort of found me and it feels really good. I like hair, but I did get a degree and it is really validating to actually use it to benefit people outside of my family. Pray for me- I'm going to need it. I am very nervous but so so SO excited. Stoked if you will.

I'm Distressed

I've noticed I only tend to blog when I am irritated about something. Not always, but that seems to be the case... So, let's just skip the funny stuff and get down to it...

I think I fried someones hair.

As most of you know, 12 year old girls get perms. It is one of those unwritten rites of passage that I shall never understand even though I too participated in this ritual. Go figure (I did it when I was 19 too... cute curly haired roommates are fun and all, but don't ever try to look like them. Then they have to do your hair every morning because you'll never be as good at is as they are. 'nuff said)

So, a perm. I was NOT excited about this. Perms smell, take an inordinate amount of time and effort, and in all honesty they just don't look that good. Nothing is as good as a natural curl. Give up now people!

So I said I would do it. I gathered all my supplies. Except one thing. A cotton strip to run around the hairline. Apparently that's a big deal. So... the plastic cap that I put on touched her skin, she ended up with a mild chemical burn around her hairline because it held the chemical close to her skin (ummmm if your scalp is burning TELL the hairstylist. I will go so far as to say, "DUH!") and somehow she held her hair funny while it was burning and it ruined the first curl in the front. I wasn't paying attention because I was hilighting her sister's hair. I did, however, leave the room for some reason. When I came back her sister informed me the other's skin was burning, and only then was I able to fix the problem. By then, the front curl was weird because she had been pressing it, the red line on her face was present and I think I lost any and all good standing I had at that very moment.

Sigh.
Sigh again for emphasis.
Deep sigh once more.

We finished, the front curl was weird. I've never seen anything like it. I've given a lot of perms too. Oddly enough at school I am known not only as Sister Stolle but as the 'Perm and Roller Set Queen.' More than once I've been told I should work in a retirement facility (not to break any one's heart, but older people are about the only ones left that get perms... someone tell the 12 year olds!) Please don't tell people they should work in a retirement facility. It doesn't exactly make them feel like an amazing stylist- although the elderly are my favorites I do have to say, so it is a fair comment, just not one I know how to make sense of. Am I that bad or is it obvious I love geriatrics?

So this whole situation is even more upsetting to me given I am supposedly good at what I messed up.****


I can't stand when I am not good at stuff..... And so her mom took her to Supercuts (insult of all insults. No offense to Supercuts... I'll probably have to work there someday because I don't want to work full time... but it still hurts.) I'm not sure what they did there but they obviously went to fix something. And little girls feel bad telling their YW leaders that they fried their hair so the truth doesn't always come out so I have NO IDEA.

And to top it off I just feel guilty. I feel bad because I didn't even want to give the perm (what if I subconsciously messed up?- Freud is weird but WHAT IF he's on to something?) I tried to talk her out of it and failed, she paid her own money (I will refund), and I probably helped her along the prepubescent 'awkward path.' Maybe she'll just get through it faster?

AND now people at church will know I stink at hair. Great. There goes the only clientele I even had. I know I will probably get better over time, but everyone will remember the bad perm. It didn't look bad (except the slightly 'off' front curl, and to me it just felt like permed hair. None of that feels to fabulous at first. But what if it becomes the "Remember when so and so let Sister Stolle perm their hair... MUHAHAHAHAHAHA"

I am too (or to?) self conscious for this business.

I can't defend myself. I guess I just goofed.

****I want people to know that I am also upset about the flooding and massive damage to our area. It does concern me and I will blog about it another time. I am so grateful to be safe, dry, and with my family. Never before have I felt the complete necessity of maintaining food storage and water. Randy and I were at such peace during this natural disaster because we were actually prepared (for once!)

I don't want to dismiss the seriousness of the flood issues by blogging about a perm that I apparently messed up. I think I'm actually blogging about my insecurities that I haven't been able to deal with and the perm story sort of epitomized them... but please know that we appreciate the prayers that have been sent our way. Our little family has been very blessed! And I do recognize that a bad perm is not a big deal and in no way compares to the realities that Nashville is currently facing. (That's for Mom who stares at me in shock every time I take my goof ups seriously. I'm always reminded that it is just hair and that what I do is not in fact life or death and does not REALLY matter -thank you mom) I get a little overwrought sometimes...

P.S Randy and I have some exciting news that we will post soon. If you care. Let us know if you care, and we'll let you know our good news!