lessons learned

A while back I was taking both dogs to get groomed.  Like always, Neo was pulling ahead and Max was cautiously hanging back.  As we got close to the door, Neo slipped out of his collar so I had to grab him and hold him (while he is fighting to get free from my hold).  This caused Max to loop around me in a panic and started pulling in the opposite direction.  So now I am fighting to walk with a leash around me, Max pulling in the wrong direction and Neo squirming in my arms.  And I had the thought, "I hope no one inside can see me.  I am so embarrassed.  Why can't my dogs just walk into a building like normal dogs?".  After dropping them off, I was driving home and I was still thinking about how embarressed I was and then I thought, "they are just dogs...no one cares...the vet understand how dogs are...they know Max and Neo and their personalities. "  And then a flood of memories came to me.  Me with my two other boys. Feeling like everyone was looking at me as I held a way too big baby while chasing a way too much energy toddler.  Wondering why they couldn't just act like normal kids and not embarress me.  I wish I knew then what I know now...no one cares, people understand how kids can be.  

fall break

We headed back up to the Virginia Creeper bike trail for the first part of fall break.  We brought along Carter's good friend, Matthew.  Which ended up being a very good thing or Carter would have rode the trail by himself.  Here is the story:  It all started great our first night; we played games and ate junk food.  But the next morning Jared wasn't feeling good.  He said, "I feel like my stomach is being stabbed by a ton of knives".  Not good.  By time we needed to go, he felt a little better and decided to try.  We were riding the 17 miles that connect Damascus to Abingdon, which is flat and so you have to work instead of coast like White Top to Damascus.  About a mile in Jared stopped for the third time and so Allen decided to wait with him.  The four of us went on.  Carter and Matthew would ride for awhile at their fast pace, then stop and explore/climb until Claire and I caught up.  This was Claire's first ride on her own=slow.  Ended up Allen decided that there was no way Jared was going to be able to make it, so he headed back to the car in Damascus so he could drive Jared back to our rental house in Abingdon.  Good plan except for one thing.  I had the car keys and house with me, now several miles away.  Luckily a man gave them ride back to the house.  Allen left poor Jared on the back porch and then took off down the trail hoping to find me as I was coming his way.  And praying that I didn't decide to turn around.  So, instead of enjoying the ride and the beauty around him, Allen had a great work out biking as fast as he could to me and then right back to Jared.  Carter and Matthew road back with Allen.  And about an hour or so later, Claire and I made it back.  Did I mention she was SLOW?  Oh, and it rained on us for about 30 minutes, but that really wasn't bad.  Thankfully Jared felt much better that night and was able to make it to dinner ( a fun 50's soda fountain place) and to the play we went to.  So, not the best trip ever, but one we will not soon forget.