I hope it’s been a great start to the week for y’all and that you’re enjoying the arrival of spring. My weekend close to home was exactly what I needed to feel set to take on this week. All day on Monday I felt this undercurrent of happiness and gratitude.
This is a day-in-the-life style of post that has extra dog love (and craziness) in it along with lots of sweet Finn!
SUNDAY
Finn and I ended up staying in our PJs until 1p on Sunday and then we got dressed to go outside. He opted to start in the backyard with the dogs so while he ran around and played I decided to tackle giving Zoey a very thorough Furminator and brushing session. I think I got enough hair off of her to make a coat for another golden retriever and she was still this fluffy! I think she’s shedding a little extra right now with the season change. She sure is pretty, huh?
The Furminator is a bit of an investment but 100% worth it. I’ve had mine for 8-10 years now and it’s good as new. Although now I linked to this one I think I need to upgrade because this Furminator has a release button for the hair you collect. It’s a really great grooming tool for dogs like golden retrievers who have an undercoat. It’s also helpful in preventing matting. The Furminator is my “every now and then” brush. My day-to-day choice for Zoey is a slicker brush. Soooo great for catching loose hair and all the leaves/sticks/pine straw/etc that stick like velcro to her fur.
Benji got a good brushing too. I’m a year into goldendoodle motherhood and I’m still trying to get a good grasp on the best brushes to use on Benji. His hair is MUCH more poodle-esque than golden with tight curls. I love the length he is now and would like to keep him around here.
Related! It’s time for these two to get a professional grooming. I’m considering a mobile grooming service because I think it would be easier on Benji. If you’re in the Charlotte area, I’d love to hear recommendations if you have them!
After a couple of hours in the backyard Finn asked for a snack and to walk over to the park. We started hanging out just the two of us. I ran all over the park with Finn “watching” and doing all the things he wanted me to do before we ended up on this swing. Finn isn’t really one for swings but we got on one of the big rounds one together. I laid back and was surprised when we laid back on me…and then stayed like this for over 10 minutes. He was so still and so quiet. In that moment it felt like time stood still and it’s one of my favorite memories of two years old. He wanted to keep swinging with me but I got too dizzy. I cannot hang with the swings as an adult!
A family that we’ve met at the park a few times before showed up about this time and Finn was over the moon happy to run around after their seven year old son. Finn seems to really like older children and everyone was cracking up at how overjoyed Finn was to be playing with him. He was literally running around and laughing out loud. I also got to meet and chat with another family that I didn’t know. We both had a great time and got a little social activity in!
Finn seems very into the Easter Bunny this year and was just telling me yesterday about how the Easter Bunny was going to hide eggs with candy in the yard so I think Easter will be fun. I need to get on putting a basket together for him! If you’re looking for ideas for your own Easter baskets, I will suggest this color and shape matching egg set. My mom got it for him last Easter and he plays with it more now than he did then.
MONDAY
I can’t wait to fill you in on Monday. It was an awesome day with a doozy of an ending.
My day started with a visit to my friends at Greenapple Sports and Wellness to get my back and hip worked on. It had been a month since my last visit and I was not feeling good. If I go every 1-2 weeks I am almost pain-free but if I push it too long things start to fall apart due to my hip impingement and labral tear.
Afterwards I taught a hot yoga class at Charlotte Yoga and then went for a four-mile run. It was my first workout after four full days off because I was feeling run down and my back was bothering me. Gosh, if felt so good to move and it was perfect weather to run.
Later on Monday afternoon Finn had his weekly swim lesson. We haven’t been in over three weeks because of a break between sessions and travel so it was good to be back. This is a favorite activity for us and he loves going. I was so proud of Finn for wearing his goggles for about 15 minutes straight in this lesson. I think we set a record!
Mom hack: since we always have our lesson towards the end of the day on Mondays, I put him in his PJs after he rinses off in the shower. Here’s a link to his PJs. The are our current favorite!
We have established quite the routine of going to the car wash after swim. Finn is obsessed with car washes and we found a big one near swim that has different colors like green, red and blue as you drive through and self-serve vacuums for just $6! Fun times with a toddler, haha.
And this is where Monday takes an interesting turn. I got Finn down for bed around 8 and came downstairs to eat dinner and relax. Well, there was no relaxing to be had. I opened the back door to let the dogs in from their post-dinner potty break and no one came. I ventured out to see where they were and found Zoey by the fence in a giant hole and Benji with his body halfway under it.
I got them both in the house and they were COVERED in clay, mud, dirt, sticks and leaves. I sequestered them into the guest bathroom and washed both of them. There was mud EVERYWHERE.
Like we are talking covering the vanity, all over the tile, up the walls, on the toilet and look at the state of the bathtub after I was done with them. It took me over an hour to get them clean and over an hour to get the house and bathroom clean.
I was so perplexed because my dogs are generally not diggers, especially of the escaping kind. I was in the backyard at 7:30a this morning with a shovel trying to repair the hole and it was our nanny that discovered that on the front side of the fence there was a dead creature. You guys, it was a bunny. I think these two had a great adventure chasing that bunny through our backyard at dusk and that the bunny tried to escape under the fence and they went after it. I’ll never know exactly what went down out there. Poor bunny. I did not enjoy disposing of it.
I am slightly less perturbed at these two knowing they were following their animal instincts and probably having a great time doing so. Hoping we don’t repeat that one any time soon!
I like sharing this kind of everyday life stuff from time-to-time because I think it’s relatable and creates connections. I asked for stories about crazy things that people’s dogs had done on Instagram last night and the responses made me laugh, cringe and want to cry but were great reminders that like all things in life, pet ownership has its highs and lows.
I hope you have the best week and that it’s free from any pet or toddler disasters! Sending you guys lots of love!
QUESTIONS
I’d love to hear about your pets! Do you have dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, reptiles…? What’s your favorite part about being a pet owner? What’s the hardest part?
What are you planning to put in Easter Baskets for little kids? Would welcome some inspiration.
My border collie has truly been my emotional support animal through the past year. We’ve had so many great moments together! That said, he found a dead rat when we were on a walk in the fall. Still has to be my grossest pet memory to date! There was a new high rise building under construction in the area. Luckily I was able to get him to drop it. He didn’t eat it and it was only in his mouth for a few seconds. He wanted to bring it to me as a “present” but I was yelling at him to drop it and still trying to keep him at a leash distance. People staring. It felt out of a sitcom. It still grosses me out to think about it and I hope it never happens again! I feel you on the yard surprise and mess!
Aw, Meredith! What a sweet comment (the part about the last year) but the rat…UGH! It’s mind-blowing to me the things that dogs think smell good/interesting. REALLY!?
I have a 10 month old French mastiff, 4 chickens and some fish. I think the hardest part of pet ownership is the guilt with working outside the home I often feel crazy bad for leaving my dog alone. He has a dog walker who comes to play and is never alone longer than 4 hours but still. Breaks my heart. Also travel… and of course when they are sick!! Best part is the joy they bring you. Watching my chickens peck around is truly so relaxing!
Andrea – your comment made me smile. I love what you said about watching your chickens. I hear you on the guilt. Luckily, most of my work is from home so I am with them most of the day or the nanny is here. I do travel a good bit though for work and family but I have an amazing house sitter who stays with them and has been with us for 5+ years so they have a lot of consistency in care and get to stay home.
It’s so wonderful that you have a dog walker. What a gift for your dog!
I loved this update! So fun to read.
No pet here, yet. We have 3 and 5 year old daughters and almost pulled the trigger on a dog last year thinking it would be good timing since we were home all the time, but we got cold feet. I grew up with dogs and know how much work they are and get nervous about it, especially with travel. My girls are FINALLY at the age that we can pick up and go somewhere pretty spontaneously and I’m not sure I want to change that yet, time will tell! As of now, we just have an aquarium filled with fish which is WAY more work than we anticipated. Thankfully my husband loves it and doesn’t mind the maintenance!
I LOVE Easter baskets. I always get my girls a new bathing suit and sun shirt and a pair of crocs. They get tons of use out of them during the spring/summer/fall!
Thanks Sara!
I hear you on the dogs and deciding to wait. It sounds like when it is the right time, you’ll be a great pet owner given that you’re so aware of what’s right for your family and fair for the dog! I can imagine fish might require more upkeep than anticipated. That’s nice that your husband enjoys it!
Your comment had me searching for toddler crocs online! I think I’ll get Finn a pair. Are they good for running around and playing?
One of my twin sons used to always gravitate toward the older kids when he was Finn’s age, too!
We have two dogs: a 5-year-old “Malti-poo” (we don’t really know because she is a rescued street dog from Mexico, but that’s what she most closely resembles) and a 9-year-old golden retriever. IMO, golden retrievers are the absolute best dogs, apart from their copious shedding. 😉
We are trying to cut back on sweets for my sons these days, so while their Easter baskets will include some candy, they will also likely have a book, Pokemon cards, a Robux gift card, and maybe some slime and/or stickers.
Hi Sharon! So cute that your dogs are kind of opposites when it comes to size and breeds. I am so heavily biased towards goldens, I think they are absolutely wonderful. That being said, I’m grateful Benji got the sweet side of golden personality and that he doesn’t shed like Zoey.
Your Easter baskets sound perfect. I love it when it’s a mix of toys, books and treats and not just sweet stuff.
My two pups escaped today and went on a tear through the neighborhood! Took almost two hours to track them down and they were absolutely filthy when we finally got them back.
I would love to hear more about the work you get done on your back and hip. I have a sports medicine doctor and physical therapy for a persistent knee issue so am always curious about these types of treatments!
Oh no, I am so sorry Alaina. Not only is that a pain to deal with but it’s so scary! I’m glad they were returned home safely.
So what they do for my back and hip is mostly muscular active release therapy in the muscles that are surrounding my injuries/trouble areas. They also do some tractioning work on my spine and quick adjustments. We always do a manual adjustment to release my hip impingement, that was actually recommended by my PT. On my own, I do a lot of glute work and ball rolling.
Your dogs are so cute! We want a dog so badly but my husband and I are both teachers and so we’re gone all day. I am pushing for 2 kittens next year. Our last baby is 2 right now, and is really rocking that two-ness hahaha, so once he’s a bit older we will add some furry family members lol.
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Oh thank you! They are cute and sweet but a lot of work for sure. I do think that it would be a smart decision to wait until you get through the craziness that is 2 years old before adding dogs or cats to the mix. Especially since you’re currently pet-free.
I just got my son’s basket things today. I got him some Reese’s bunnies, Annie’s crackers, flip flops, 2 water shooters, a space shirt (he is really into space), eggs to put some coins in, Peeps (bc I want to see his reaction ha!), and some swim toys. I usually get him a swim suit but I got 2 at the end of season sale lasts year for this year. I think I am going to get him a new water bottle too.