Everyone Needs a Little Encouragement Now and Then!

I have to talk about my dog for a minute. Nappy is my buddy! He's with me all day long- no matter what room I go into he follows! He wakes me up in the morning, he greets me happily when I get home from wherever, he is the most loyal dog I know! Nappy also suffers from a low self esteem, I think. He has short little legs, and now that he's getting older (8 years in March) he doesn't have the spry-ness he once did.

He used to be able to jump up onto the bed. Now he needs a stool to get up. It used to be easy for him to jump onto the couch, now he needs lots of encouragement. I do mean LOTS of encouragemet! He will approach the couch and look up at me as if to say, "Ok, I'm ready to get up now, but don't help me." He doesn't like me to pick him up to help him get up. When he first started this, I was at a loss as to what he wanted. He obviously wanted to get up, but didn't want my help, so how was this to be accomplished? Then I realized, he just needed a little encouragement! So, I started the ritual of saying, "You can do it, Nappy! Good Boy! Jump! Come on! You can do it!" He gets very excited and starts to "practice" jumping. The more I encourage, the more excited he gets until finally, in a triumphant moment, he jumps. He usually makes it. When he doesn't, he gets discouraged and looks at me like, "well, now what?" So, I start encouraging him more. This usually works, and rarely does he not make it the second time. Once in a while, though, he will just not have it in him and he puts his head down and goes to lay on the floor with his legs splayed out behind him like a chicken, and his head on his paws with the most dejected look!

The reason I bring this up is because I've noticed the same tendencies in my little guy, Eason. He is such a happy- go- lucky kid, yet sometimes he needs some encouragement. Especially during homework time. He inherited a lack of attention span when it comes to homework, (a double wammy from both his parental units!) and needs a literal cheering section every night! "Come on, Eason! You're doing great! Now do the next problem! That's awesome!" I get afraid when he gets into the "real" world, he'll be sitting at some drudgery desk job waiting for his boss to come cheer him on! But, isn't that my job, to be a cheering section for my kid? I cheered him on when he was potty training, I cheered him on when he learned to ride a 2-wheeler, it's all part of the job description, I guess- cheering the kid and the husband on to greater heights!

I just have one question..... who cheers the mom on?

Update on Dentist

Well, I survived. My new dentist was actually very understanding, and was extra careful while doing his exam. Incidentally, I don't have any cavities!!!! Wooo Hoooo!!!!! I made Merritt take me out for chinese at lunch to celebrate! Yay, Merritt!

Dentist...... Yuck!!!

I failed to mention one of my biggest fears of all in my last blog.... the dentist! No, it's not like a dentist killed my father or anything. It's that I can never get numb, no matter how many shots they give me..... and they never believe me that I'm not numb, so they start drilling, and tears well up in my eyes, and I clench my eyes really tight, and the dentist just says, "Oh, can you feel that?" When I say yes, they say they've already given me enough numbing agent and it should be over soon. 12 hours later my face has bruising from all the shots, I'm still numb, and in horrific pain! So, I have good reason to be afraid of the dentist!
Guess what? I have to go to the dentist today! It's just a cleaning and check-up, but I can already see the writing on the wall...... "Well, it looks like you have a cracked tooth, (I always get cracked teeth!), Well have to fix that, and those wisdom teeth! Wow! I won't touch them with a ten foot pole!" Yes, I have horrifically impacted wisdom teeth and every dentist I've seen since I was 18 has said the same thing. They don't bother me, and never have, but every dentist says....."Wow! Those are BAAAAAD! I won't touch them!" and the saga continues dentist after dentist. If I ever die in a horrible accident and they need my dental records to identify me, I'm sure the forensic pathologist will say.... "Wow! Look at those wisdom teeth!" and rule that's what killed me!

I had a dentist tell me once that I was one of the few people in the world "wired" differently. My nerves are in the wrong places, and that's why I never get numb enough. Well, whatever! Now my husband just rolls his eyes whenever I say something hurts and says, "Well, you're just wired wacky!" He thinks it's funny! Ha ha. I wasn't going to be too sympathetic when he had a root canal and came home whining about the pain. Well, guess what? He came home with a bottle of Codone for the pain and never even opened it! He wasn't even in any pain after! I was so mad, I took the codone myself! (Or at least I wanted to!)

I'm wishing I had that bottle of pain meds today! Ok, so I am just going to breathe deeply, pray, and pretend I'm at Pemberly with Colin Firth (Pride and Pejudice), and maybe I'll throw in Matt Damon for good luck...... Ok, and Merritt! (He at least makes me laugh when he's not laughing at me!)
Wish me luck!!!!

My First Blog..... It's About Time!!!!!

Ok, I spend time reading other people's blogs, I figured it's about time I get my own! Yeah!!!! (There was much applause and cheering!) I mean, why watch what the rest of the world is doing? Why not jump in and do something myself? Well, today is that day, my friends! This is a new year, and I am a new Erin. (Ok, so the "new year" technically started almost an entire month ago, but who says new years resolutions have to begin on January 1st? I mean, most resolutions made on the first are pretty much forgotten by the end of the month anyway, right? So I am just up-ing my chances for success by starting after everyone else has already failed!)

I just want you all to know that I really and truely AM trying to change myself, in small ways, of course. I have an intense fear of phone calls, (both making and receiving), church callings, singing in small cramped rooms with people who are only a few feet away, and finding hidden onions in my fast food! So, I have decided to try to conquer my fears. I am going to make a phone call today to the lady I am supposed to Visit for church! I am even going to make a phone call to the dentist and try to dispute this outrageous bill!!! I don't think I will call anyone else, though. I wouldn't want to push it on the first day, ya know!

I am also starting my own business! This, actually, is less frightening to me than making phone calls. It will require me to sew, which I am not afraid of. Putting my product out there for the world to mock and scorn is a little daunting, however. But, I am trying not to think about that part of it right now. Merritt is super supportive of me in this venture, and he believes I will succeed, so that really helps. (Of course, when we were first married, he said he was waiting for me to start my own business to make us our millions. So I think he's been waiting and hoping for quite some time now!) I will let you know further details about my business as I get further along, and I need to get a web site. But, I am excited about taking this new road. I feel like I am ready for it! (I just hope I don't have to make many phone calls! hee hee)

Well, I'd better go live in the real world now and make those phone calls! (big deep breath......) Thanks for helping make this my first successful blog!!!!!