Are you watching?

I love the Olympics especially the winter games! Growing up in the north there was no shortage of winter sports. From hockey to figure skating to cross country skiing (there are no hills in Eastern ND)...winter sports were all around. However, I am not athletic. I've skated leisurely and still own a pair of figure skates, but I left the sport to my sister. I also cross country skied with the family and did easy downhill runs at Red Lodge in Montana on a church trip.

Here are some of my favorite Olympic moments so far:
Opening ceremonies: the poetry by Shane Koyczan. Catch it here if you missed it.
Sport: a new favorite...snowboard cross! Plus short track speed skating and mogals are early favs.
Winning moment: to many to choose one! Canada's first home Gold by Alexandre Bilodeau, men's snowboard cross repeat Gold by Seth Wescott, Pairs skating victory by China.
Commercial: To their Moms, They'll Always Be Kids - when I first saw this commercial, I thought of all the kids watch at home dreaming of the Olympics...then it took the perspective of moms and melted my heart.  And I'm not even a mom!

When I watch the Olympians make it look effortless, I feel like I could be there competing in 4 years. Now that won't happen and I know these athlete spend more than 4 years in training, but isn't that a part of the lure of the Olympics? The athletes do the impossible while making us believe we can do it too. We begin to live vicariously through them. Their success is our success, their disappointments are our disappointments.  Their story is our story.  


With a lot of Olympics left to come, I'm sure there will be many more outstanding events and memories.  

I Am NOT the Pack Leader!

Shortly after we added Lola to our family last year, I began to turn to the Dog Whisper for advice.  I read his books, I watched his show, I even followed him on Facebook.  And now I’m ready to declare…

I AM THE PACK LEADER…sometimes.

I’ve decided to share some of the Dog Whisperer’s advice with you and show you how not to follow it!

“When the pack leader is eating, no one interrupts him.  Ask your dog to wait until you are finished.” – Cesar Millan

We made a decision early on not to give Lola scraps from our plate.


Occasionally we let her eat a vegetable that has fallen to the floor or give her a little peanut butter for a treat, but that’s it.  It didn’t take Lola long to figure out that what was on our plates was good!  Since we normally eat on the couch, she is always trying to get to our plates.  She’ll even walk on the glass coffee table to get to it if she can. 

We now feed her dinner in her “house” (her wire cage) while we eat so we can be left alone.  But if we leave something behind, she’s sure to find it!

I guess I was finished.