MAY 1, 2019 – – Adoption Day Ellen comes home as my first foster fail
The big girl is home! She was so excited both to see her people and her house! Leonard made her a princess bed and delivered it before her homecoming.
Ellen will not leave my side and asked me to please never do that to her again!
Lenny has made it home safely and The Piddle stopped by on his way to his new home.
Happy Tails to all my babies!
Congratulations to all the families that just grew today!!!
MAY 3, 2023
As you can see, Ellen is having a terrible time adjusting to sleeping in the big bed every night.
MAY 6, 2019
Sensitive Little Lenny has been a little sad, so he’s back at the orphanage for an endorphin-boosting play date with his sister, and they’re having a blast! First thing he did was try to hump her, a greeting that I only have ever seen in the wonderful world of animals. https://fb.watch/nB-u0JYDXo/
MAY 7, 2019 Lenny Returns
Since I am a September birthday, my parents had the option of starting me in kindergarten early. And since I was a holy terror dubbed “Crabby Appleton,” they signed me right up.
I made it to 1st grade, but I just wasn’t “getting it.” The math didn’t make sense to me and I was getting sad faces on my tests. (Yes I actually had a teacher put sad faces in red ink next to my grade. Her name was Mrs Bell and I still think she’s an asshole.) I was completely lost and I cried a lot after school.
My parents must have lost so much sleep worrying about their sad little girl, thinking of how to help me, eventually concluding that I just wasn’t ready, and I went back to kindergarten. Yes, I Ani Cannon repeated kindergarten!
After that, I did as well as anyone else. I guess I just needed a little more time.
So when my sweet, sensitive, special, and somewhat introverted Little Lenny said he just wasn’t ready to leave the nest, I remembered struggling as a little girl and seeing all those sad faces on my tests, and I didn’t blink before I said, “come home to Mama.”
I don’t know how the future looks right now, but I know that I’d rather him be back home than go anywhere else. At least I’ll know he’s okay and I can work with him and try to figure him out. Last night he was the happiest little boy settling into his new bedtime routine with Mom and Ellen. He slept belly up with his paws on my back while Ellen laid her head on my neck and snored in my ear.
Have I now completed all the stages of motherhood—this one being when a kid moves back in after college?
Crazy Town is back in business! Welcome back, Little Lenny, my precious baby.
MAY 12, 2019
Frick and Frack temporarily lost their bedroom privileges last night when Lenny peed in the bed at 2:30am.
I took them to the playpen and they went to sleep – didn’t even give me any crap about it.
Once again I have to give Jim the mattress salesman a shoutout for pushing the mattress protector on us.
The sheets are clean now, folks. Happy Mother’s Day to me!
MAY 17, 2019
Pretty soon they’ll be fetching beers…
Good morning from Crazy Town. Ellen just bit my nipple.
We are going to the park!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/355825165068117
MAY 21, 2019 SPAY/NEUTER CAMPAIGN
Lenny says don’t forget to neuter (or spay) your pets.
MAY 21, 2019 – MY FAVORITE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PETS CAMPAIGN
Lenny says don’t forget to neuter (or spay) your pets.
MAY 30, 2019 Announcement to Friends
I guess I should tell you all about how dogs are now running my life.
Ellen’s sweet and sensitive brother Lenny was adopted, but, long story short, he came back home. At first I thought I’d work with him so I could better understand his needs and try to get him adopted into another home, but he’s so happy here, and so is Ellen. Maybe he just needed us.
So either he’s a long-term foster or I just did an epic foster fail. 1/5 of the surviving litter lives here. I cried for nothing over their impending departure because 2/3 of mine never actually left.
Nonetheless, I am the mom of 2 puppies whom I have loved since they took their first breaths right here in my house, and there’s a GoFundMe started for paper towels.
JUNE 20, 2019
Today we donned our party hats to celebrate what would be Farley’s 15th birthday. This is the second one we’ve had without him. It was the perfect occasion to introduce the babies to his favorite food: pineapple! They say “dat boy had good taste!”
JULY 1, 2019
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been doing a lot of studying and a lot of reflecting on myself in the effort of giving the babies a good life and a good mom.
I love watching them be happy puppies and they have formed a solid, permanent bond with each other. They are friendly and loving and social with humans and dogs of all sizes.
I have often joked that they don’t know I’m alive most of the time, unless I’m feeding them or getting clobbered with their hugs and kisses. They especially don’t care about me on leash when I have both of them, and that is a problem for training and will be a problem for me in the future as they will one day be strong enough to pull their dizzy mom down the block.
So I’ve changed gears and have started a 1:1 bonding campaign which I feel is just as if not more important than their training right now.
Lenny went with me to the pet store. It was the test excursion to see how the babies would tolerate being separated. We had a good time aside from the rude lady I had to put in her place in the store, and my boy loves to ride in my lap with his head out the window. He likes to give me hugs. When he sits in the passenger seat, the seatbelt alarm goes off because Hims is a big boy now.
Ellen and I went to deliver food to an elderly lady and then we took a detour to swim in the river. She chased sticks I threw in the water for her (video in comments.) She met all sorts of people and dug lots of holes in the sand. I loved watching her just be a puppy and she got to swim so much more than she does when we have Lenny as he likes to eat mud the best!
When they’re on adventures together, each of them is limited by the other, and they are two entirely different beings. I didn’t know Ellen would swim after sticks until today. I didn’t know Lenny could be so well behaved in a store. I’m looking forward to getting to know each of them as individuals and learning more about who they are and what they like to do. The only way to do that is to split them up and, in the words of my mother, have special time.
We’ll still have play dates and group adventures, I’m just adding something to the mix. It never hurts to bond with another soul.
JULY 29, 2019
When Lenny came back, I think we all decided that Farley was playing tricks on me, deciding that it would require 2 dogs to fill the gigantic hole he left in our lives and our hearts.
Over time I have noticed traits from each baby that remind me of my ol’ boy and, although I am at peace with his death and was in no way trying to replace him, it is comforting to be reminded of him from time to time.
But sending 2 dogs was only part of the joke. Although these babies do remind me of him, he left out the trait I long for the most: the incessant snuggles. These guys will snuggle a little (mainly Ellen) but they don’t have the burning desire to be touching me at all times the way Farley did. So instead of sending me a snuggler, Farley sent me two farters.
Three food changes later and they’re still ripping them so hard I walk into the room looking for a poop.
Well played, Farley Eugene. Well played.
NOVEMBER 3, 2019
I forgot I bought the babies all a special chew for their 8-month birthday. Better late than never!
NOVEMBER 9, 2019
When you’re way too proud of yourself
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Lenny’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but we love our big oaf.
DECEMBER 15, 2019
This is what happens when it’s nail trimming time and your dog is smart and a sassy pants.
DECEMBER 31, 2019
All things considered, 2019 hasn’t been bad to me. As I say goodbye to a decade, I realize I have been a foster mom for just over a year. It changed my life far more than I ever expected.
I was hesitant to start doing this at first, but ultimately I decided it would be the best way to ease into loving again after the passing of my beloved Farley Eugene at the beginning of 2018. I had no idea I’d also like the people.
After a difficult and dizzy few years, I found that animal rescue is a cause that I can get behind and go full force overachiever on. I cannot think of anyone more worthy of my love, my time, my energy and my tenacity than an animal.
I learned a lot about love this year and just as much about myself. I learned how to let go. I got my heart broken a bunch of times, but I know that a broken heart is the price we pay for love, and it’s worth paying again and again and again. Some goodbyes are harder than others, and for some I just wasn’t ready. Sometimes love gets taken away and we don’t get to understand why.
I grieved in 2019 and I laughed a lot. I felt more joy this year than all other years combined. I discovered that I’m a kitty lover, too! I learned that you have to love someone on their terms, not on yours, and that requires I spend time getting to know every one of my fosters. I have found that kittens are so different from puppies, but equally fun and interesting. They make me feel joyful too.
I had my share of failures in 2019 and I had my triumphs. I did smart things and I did dumb things, the dumbest of which was adopting 2 loons from the same litter. Just kidding. I left things up to the universe, and the universe said I needed two.
I love Lenny and Ellen more than life and I cannot imagine my world without them. How lucky am I to be among the elite few to get selected for twin puppy motherhood?! I got a second job (that I LOVE) to give those nuts a better life. They’re getting trained and starting daycare in 2020!
My whole life changed for the better this year, and fostering was the catalyst for all of it. Fostering got me back in the game after years of struggling to find my way in the world with a chronic vestibular disorder.
I’m so looking forward to my second year as a foster mom. I am excited about who I’ll meet and who else I’ll get the privilege to love.
A huge, heartfelt thank you to all of you who have followed along for the good and the bad alike. You stuck by me and saw me through some hard stuff; you encouraged me and you helped me.
Here are some highlights from my first year as a foster mom. Happy New Year to all of you. Lots and lots of love from the pack leader of Crazy Town!
JANUARY 3, 2020
Luckily I take them for their meet and greet at daycare on Monday.
I’ll pick them up when they turn 3.
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
Our babies are turning 1 next month and it’s cause for celebration!
This is an open invitation to any of you who have followed our journey and want to celebrate how far we have come in one year’s time.
We are celebrating the birth of the entire litter and trying to contact as many of their families as possible. Feel free to bring your friendly dog as this pawty is being held
MARCH 1, 2020 1st Birthday Pawty
A big thank you to everyone who came out today and made our pawty so much fun. One year ago tomorrow the puppies were born, and just a few days later I took over as their mom. It has been a journey. The party today celebrated the survival of the litter, and that they got a chance at life. I was overjoyed to see so many of my former babies all grown up as well as all the dogs having such fun together!
If anyone knows how to party, it’s a dog!
MARCH 2, 2020
One year ago at this time I was curled up in the whelping box, crying and completely in awe of what I’d just witnessed: the birth of 11 baby dogs.
Happy 1st Birthday, sweet babies! We made it!
As it’s necessary to celebrate important occasions, we threw a pawty yesterday for the whole litter and their friends. A big, heartfelt thank you to my beloved Alyson Edgecomb for being just as enthusiastic about throwing a party for the litter and for being the best damn friend and team mate you could ever ask for, to Dawn Savering and Muttypawzfxbg for being willing to host our pawty and making sure it was a great success, not to mention being our 3rd parent while the puppies are in daycare. And thanks to Sue Bee Photography at It’s All About You Studios for coming out yesterday and taking the cutest puppy portraits ever!
This is the greatest outcome we could have hoped for! Mama loves all her babies, and it was so special to see them grown up!
FEBRUARY 14, 2020
Lenny giving Cam a proper welcome.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Crazy Town! We love you all!
MARCH 13, 2020
Hey jealousy!
Introducing tinies Elaine and Matilda (not pictured) who have been with us a couple weeks, are still too small for spay, but have decided they belong in the bed just as much as the puppies do.
MARCH 9, 2020
Allergist: don’t let dogs sleep in your bed.
Daniel: the puppies aren’t sleeping with us.
Ellen:
MARCH 19, 2020
When you’re The Tenacious E trying to stare down a kitten, but you’re also so, so tired..
MARCH 27, 2020
Ellen : QUARANTINE DRAMA QUEEN
JUNE 2, 2020
I thought I’d surprise the babies and bring the dad to daycare pickup this evening. Turns out he was very much needed.
On another note, my apologies for being MIA. I have been overly busy with work and overly sad for our nation.
2019 was hard, but it brought me 2 lunatic angels who are the antithesis of hate, and role models for how we should love each other. I need them as much now as they needed me on that fateful day last year.
I hope that all of you are taking care, and if you find yourself in need of some joy, Lenny and Ellen would be happy to oblige.
Anyway, here’s Ellen after daycare.
JUNE 4, 2020
Ever since I took Ellen to the river (by herself!) this weekend, she will not leave me alone. She follows me everywhere I go and brings me toys to admire as she wiggles her butt. She must either lean on me or sit on me to watch her TV shows, and she licks my face so much I have to wipe it off with my shirt.
Guess we’ll be going back to the river pretty soon!
Yes, yes Lenny will come next time. He about cried himself silly when his emotional support dog left, I hear.
JUNE 7, 2020
Not sure if everyone’s up to speed on the evolution of the sleeping arrangements in Crazy Town, so in a nutshell it goes like this:
1. Newborn puppies sleep in whelping box with Molina. Ani sleeps.
2. Newborn puppies sleep in the whelping box WITHOUT Molina. Ani becomes the mom and Mom does not sleep.
3. Puppies grow up and sleep in the playpen. Mom sleeps some.
4. Mom lets puppies sleep in the bed, but puppy pees and everyone loses privileges. Mom does a lot of laundry, sleeps some.
5. Puppies sleep in kennel.
6. Puppies grow up and sleep in puppy room.
(Repeat steps 4,5,6 several times. )
7. Puppies begin to sleep with Mom, but Dad kicks them out to the puppy room when he’s ready for bed. Mom sleeps!!
8. Puppies take control of the sleeping arrangements by being so annoying Dad lets them back in bed for “all nighters.”
9. Puppies decide they won’t be leaving the bed. Dad caves.
10. Mom continues campaign to get larger bed.
11. Dad surprises Mom and installs new giant bed so everyone can spread out and sleep like kings.
JULY 1, 2020
Lenny and Ellen did such a kind and loving job of fostering Pistachio (their first foster dog) and have proven to me that we are ready to take foster dogs again.
They helped Pistachio feel safe here; they happily shared their space and their humans and their car rides and their trips to the park. Ellen, head of the welcoming committee, always made sure Pistachio knew she was so glad he came to our house.
My babies, my loons, my crazy towns— they made me really proud!
So, last night, when it was just us again, I felt a grand gesture was in order. We do a lot of special things around here, so I really had to up the ante.
Well, for the first time, we let Lenny and Ellen sleep exactly where they wanted, and we, the humans, moved ourselves.
In lieu of a picture, I have drawn this diagram. Yes, that is Lenny taking up 3 pillows—it’s his favorite and most inconvenient spot. Guess who instilled in Pistachio his love of fluffy places…
July 11, 2020
First things first: Congratulations to Mikey, Tom Ari, and Marshmallow Floof. They all found their furever families today and we wish them well!
But since Lenny and Ellen just finished a foster assignment (Mikey) and were so kind and patient and tolerant, today is their day!
They ran, they played, they met their new puppy cousin and some horses. Ellen, unaware that she’d have access to an actual pool, cooled herself in the horse watering trough.
July 11, 2020
Lenny has gotten brave!
JULY 11, 2020
Ellen never misses an opportunity to upstage her brother.
JULY 12, 2020
It’s no secret that Crazy Town is THE place to be if you’re an orphan, and that is largely due to our exquisite toy selection. Sure, we also have good treats, but the TOYS!
We owe a tremendous THANK YOU to Shalan and his dog Minor for thinking of us and being our supplier of fun and fluff! Over the course of my foster life, they have given so many wonderful squeaky, crinkly, and all-around interesting toys. And, today, a cushy dog bed!
Shalan and I used to work together and he used to come into the kitchen and lighten the mood with his hilarious bad jokes. I have watched him grow up into a man, and one who has been so kind to me as a girl trying to run an animal orphanage.
He is also a fabulous dad to Minor, the happiest and friendliest dog you’ve ever met. Now that Lenny and Ellen, dare I say it, are starting to mature and are no longer pulling toward and barking at people in public, we are going to get to have some new kinds of adventures with them.
If I were a better blogger I would have planned this post and gotten some pictures when I was at their house earlier, but guess what?! I’m not perfect!
Anyway, here are some pictures of the new swag. Please note, there is no way in hell anyone is going to chew up that F bomb. It’s MINE.
Thank you Shalan and Minor! We love you!!
AUGUST 1, 2020
Residents Lenny and Ellen sit for a treat next to the unsung hero of puppy fostering — my BISSELL steam mop!
“When you shouldn’t bleach, steam!”
AUGUST 29, 2020
Lenny and Ellen take their comfort seriously. After a good shower, I came out to find them both in the freshly washed dog bed, which is on the human bed, and note that Lenny is also using a pillow.
Ridiculous level 10 and I love it!
SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
I explained to them that some families don’t like to have dogs on the couch and they said, “we aren’t that kind of family, Mom.”
No, we aren’t. Couldn’t be if we tried.
JUNE 4, 2019
My big girl, who is distracted and envious of her brother’s stick in this picture, has a middle name.
Ellen Molina.
It’s a nod to the beautiful and special girl who gave me my babies.
I’m still working on Lenny’s.
JULY 9, 2019
1 vestibular patient and 2 puppies. What could go wrong?!
https://fb.watch/nCu8bwIslB/
SEPTEMBER 7, 2020
Lenny came to my aid this evening when he heard Pearl pitching a fit.
In this video Pearl has decided she’s outgrown her current bottle situation (does not hold enough for her fat ass) and is campaigning for a bigger nipple.
This is hangry Pearl and helpful Lenny.
September 8, 2020
This morning we all loaded up (baby Pearl too!) for Lenny and Ellen to have their first appointment with who is definitely our new vet. This guy immediately could tell that I care for my animals and that I want to learn. He treated me with respect and complimented me on the health and overall condition of my dogs, which carries a lot of weight with me. He noticed.
He respected that I have my own way of doing heartworm prevention, and told me I was smart. Then he asked me a few questions and gave me some ideas about adding a wormer, which I think is probably a good idea and something I’ll be reading about. For comparison purposes, the vet I got kicked out of made me sign a “bad mom” waiver for this.
I was given several topics to research and Dr. Bond is helping me figure out Lenny’s toenail chewing issue. Lenny has a yeast infection in his feet. Tonight he got a pedicure and all 4 paws washed in Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo.
But COME ON – how apropos that my dog would get the yeasty feet?!
Anyway, it was a fabulous and enlightening trip to see Bond. Dr. John Bond. He is on my team. He’s in it for the animals. He’s got a good heart and he’s willing and eager to teach me how to be a better mom. That is all I could ever want in a veterinarian and I am so looking forward to working with him.
He’s also Rio’s vet, so probably a good thing for him to know me.
Anyway, after the vet we all got to visit Gail and Seneca. Gail, in case anyone forgot, is the super hero who saved me when Molina abandoned eleven 5-day old puppies and I had to figure out what to do. I made it through the night and Gail came early the next morning (without my address, prompting or a shower — she just got in her car and told me she was coming to help) and fed puppies with me all day and then stayed by herself feeding eleven tiny dogs while I took Molina to the vet.
For this reason, all my bottle babies must meet Gail as she is a good omen and it’s a great excuse for me to see her. She is my hero and I was so happy for her to meet Pearl today, and of course see Lenny and Ellen – two of the dogs she helped save last year! And I always love to see Seneca. He is the best at frisbee if he’ll let you have it long enough to throw it!
SEPTEMBER 14, 2020
Although she loves doing my work for me, I believe Ellen will enjoy a breather from her corralling duties tomorrow at daycare.
She has requested a massage.
DECEMBER 25, 2020
Thanks to COVID, we got to enjoy an extraordinary snowy Christmas morning walk!
I hope you found magic in the day.
They’re guilty.
JANUARY 10, 2021
Evidence of great adventures; assurance of happy dogs.
Hope everyone is getting out with their best friends on this beautiful January day!
JANUARY 25, 2021
It’s the end of my first week of chemistry. I am not going to lie, things got off to a rocky start. I felt like I was learning a new language just getting acquainted with all the technology and the learning platform. Old lady learner over here. Surely if that part was hard, the actual chemistry would be harder.
But I kept chipping away and I figured out where the lecture videos were, and that the lab tech support is open until 3am, and I read the textbook, and to my complete and TOTAL relief, I learned that chemistry is just a bunch of math! I don’t know what I thought it would be, but I derived a lot of comfort from the familiarity of using the rules of algebra to manipulate numbers, and now I am learning conversion factors that I can use when I make soap! I’m learning things about solutions that I wish I knew when I started fermenting, and I am scientifically vindicated in a judgment I once passed on a doctor who told me to shake the saline solution before I squirted it up my nose, for if I didn’t the salt would sit on the bottom.
But it’s not easy. I don’t remember everything I ever knew, and I spent the week simultaneously learning the new material and brushing up on exponent rules and learning about the math we’ll be doing in chemistry, and then I practiced….a lot.
For now, I think I’ll be okay. I will report in if things go south again.
My friend snapped this pic of me and my girl while we were on FaceTime tonight. Love it.
JANUARY 31, 2021
Lenny, Ellen, and my snow angel (Rio) all experience white fluffy stuff for the first time on this most magical Sunday morning!
AUGUST 2, 2022
This is what the pharmacy lady saw when she opened the drive-thru window.
Iiiiit’s Crazy Town!
