Five weeks ago, after an over 2 year bout of unemployment, my husband found a job in MA with a travel company who specializes in deluxe river cruises for the over 50 set in Boston. We were thrilled as I have been dying to return to the east coast and this job held great promise. Disaster struck yesterday in the form of a phone call from my DH telling me that he had been let go. We are devastated and I cannot stop crying when I think about returning to that awful life of unemployment--the…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on April 7, 2012 at 1:42pm —
32 Comments
I cannot believe that my fur-baby turns three years old today. What a ride it has been this past year and, through it all, she has been my psychiatrist, confidant and quirky jester-always able to get a chuckle out of me despite some not so happy circumstances. Phoebe has grown up so much these past few years. My family and I cannot get over how she went from chewing on almost everything and everbody to an incredibly mild-mannered cuddler. With four boisterous and fun-loving children,…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on January 3, 2012 at 2:00am —
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I was standing in school just now waiting for my children when one of the moms that I know started talking about another school's auction she had attended last year. Apparently, a doodle was one of the items to bid on and this woman 'won' the doodle. When I asked her how much she adored him, she told me...wait for it...prepare yourself...that she had to bring it to a shelter because they were not prepared for how big and rowdy it would be and how much time and energy it would take to raise a…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on April 5, 2011 at 2:52pm —
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Its true...my baby turns two today! I find I am doing the same thing on Phoebe's birthdays as I do on my children's which is to tell her about how she arrived here and all about her first day. She sits and listens to me drone on about how excited we were to get her, the rare ice storm that hit Arkansas that delayed her arrival and the look of wonder on my oldest's face as she strutted out of her crate.
Phoebe's first birthday marked the start of a truly terrible year for us--on her…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on January 3, 2011 at 2:30am —
17 Comments
I have failed Phoebe. My doodle is fetch-impaired. I naively thought that my doodle would be innately able to fetch. I soon Iearned the error of my thinking and started about to teach my Phoebe to fetch with yummy treats as the reward. Did anyone ever mention how smart our doodles are (ha!). Phoebe learned from the get-go that I had those treats and it would be really silly of her to pursue that ball/Frisbee/other airborne object when I had the treats in my pocket. I mean, seriously, what if…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on November 19, 2010 at 3:30pm —
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I just dropped Phoebe off at puppy day care because I have a friend coming over (all the way from IN, we are in MN) with her two small children (ages 3 and 5 years) who are precious but wild. I thought it best that Phoebe be out of the fray--we have an open concept house with no real way to gate her somewhere where she would not want to be part of the action plus, this is the first time my friend will be here so we need to do the house tour and such. I am such a worry wart. This is the first…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on October 28, 2010 at 8:30am —
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Just back from a long walk with Phoebe on a glorious day--76 degrees, blue skies and sunny--but instead of enjoying it all I can obsess about is the fact that my husband has been unemployed since January (for the second time in two years), knocking himself out with networking and sending resumes, all with nothing to show for it. Phoebe keeps me going through the day though I know by now she is sick and tired of listening to me drone on and on about our situation. Sometimes she looks at me with…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on June 3, 2010 at 10:55am —
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The strangest thing happened to us yesterday. Phoebe was lying near the front door looking out the sidelight at some men working on our neighbor's property. I was on the phone and washing a glass when I heard the terrible sound of metal scraping along something. At first I could not place the sound but I ran to check what Phoebe was doing before looking elsewhere. Apparently, while lying there her tags got caught in the AC register grate and when she stood up, she took the entire reigster out…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on May 5, 2010 at 7:26am —
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We headed back to our vet again today (Phoebe recently finished her meds for an ear infection, had her re-check and then headed back to the vet a week or so ago for a bout of vomiting!)--whom we see more than I see my husband it seems--as Phoebe has been gnawing on her left front paw off and on for two days. At first, I did not know what to make of it as she was running/walking/jumping without issue so I decided to watch it for a day. This morning, she was chewing on it again so I called the…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on April 14, 2010 at 11:30am —
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Last night, my youngest was walking Phoebe around our front yard--think super tiny yard with me beside him and Phoebe in her head collar which makes her a super listener..usually). My daughter decided to try to upset my son by racing in front of him...can you imagine what happened next? Phoebe took off after her like a shot and my son tripped and fell letting go of the leash. I remained 'eerily calm' as my DH told me and followed her into the back to see where she was headed while I sent DH…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on April 6, 2010 at 9:04am —
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Frustration is my mood for the day. For the past three or so weeks Phoebe has decided that, despite not having gone potty since 11pm the night before, she does not want to go when my son takes her out at 7am. Mind you, she had been doing this
beautifully for forever prior to this. He comes in frustrated after about a half hour and I am equally frustrated as I know I will have to rush home after drop off (at school)to take her out again. I know it might sound as if there is an easy…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on March 12, 2010 at 9:05am —
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I took Phoebe in this morning for her annual vet check plus I had suspected she might have an ear infection. Of course, she does...the poor thing. Interestingly, it was the odor that made me concerned as she was not scratching or whining at all to alert me to what was bewing in that ear canl of hers. She is now on a two week course of twice daily ear drops. She also had two shots, blood drawn and her bordatella nasal drops. I cannot believe how wonderfully she behaved--not so much as a whimper…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on March 8, 2010 at 10:56am —
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Today is the one year anniversary of Phoebe's arrival into our family. We had moved to MN eight months prior and I had spent years telling my children they could not get a dog as I ran my house as a 'pet-free zone.' Seeing how miserable my two older children were here and how much they wanted a dog, I began doing some research and caved quickly after that. As a matter of fact, it was I who eagerly shared the news that the breeder I loved had just emailed with info on a new litter. I was…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on March 1, 2010 at 7:50am —
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Phoebe has decided that she loves the sound of he own voice so much that she wants to share it with us throughout the day. Sometimes the reason for her barking is obvious--like the garage door opening across the street or the big black lab behind us is playing outside. Other times, I am clueless as to why she starts but I am certain she has a reason in her little doodley head. I have tried spraying her with water but, true to doodle form, she loves water and has made a game of it. I have tried…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on January 27, 2010 at 10:30am —
5 Comments
Sunday my car window was smashed and my purse was stolen. Today, my husband lost his job. Are the gods toying with me? Do bad things really always come in three's? If so, I am really screwed! Thank heavens for Phoebe who helped me stay focused today. I never knew de-matting could be so therapeutic!
Added by Phoebe's Mom on January 5, 2010 at 3:59pm —
19 Comments
I was so prepared...Princess party hat (with streamers!), princess dishes (for my little ones) and a glittery red number 1 candle. The day was sunny, if frigid, and we were going to party with lots of presents we had been buying for a few weeks. Then, while at a pre-season baseball drill session for my son, my car window was shattered and a thief got away with my purse (opted to leave it in the car as with four children, all the coats, the baseball gear and the fact that we would be moving from…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on January 4, 2010 at 5:53pm —
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Today, January 3rd, our 'little' Phoebe turns one year old. She has brought much joy and happiness to our family and is truly my best friend. To be honest, though my original intent when I purchased her was to help ease my children's difficulties with our move, Phoebe has become my confidante and companion far more than the children's. This move has been very hard on me and she is the epitome of fun and goofiness--how can you not help but smile when your doodle is scratching at your gorgeous…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on January 3, 2010 at 5:00am —
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I had thought we had weathered our first Halloween with Phoebe very well including her acceptance of being dressed up and walking with us facing all the revellers on our night trick or treating. Last night, I put all the costumes away and everything was great. This morning, two of my boys had taken the cat mask back out and had left it on our living room chair--unbeknownst to me, of course--where Phoebe got it and ate the wire out of the whiskers. Thankfully, my oldest son caught in her the act…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on November 1, 2009 at 5:39pm —
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at least one I have heard of. My darling Phoebe is driving me nuts today as she is barking at the snow/sleet/rain we have falling here in MN. She is pacing near the door and windows like a cat about to pounce and then sprinting between the front and the rear windows--it is hilarious and yet somehow unsettling. I am praying she calms down soon--I took her out in an effort to help her 'realize' what the white stuff was--or else I am in for a very long winter (as if I do not have enough winter…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on October 23, 2009 at 10:01am —
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Well, we had another race to the vet's this morning after a little bathroom issue. All while trying to race to school and to a doctor appointment for myself as well--all within an hour. Phoebe was supposed to go to puppy daycare for the afternoon as I was chaperoning a trip for my son but she ended up staying in the hospital ward instead! She had some impacted stool and then the vet tested and found an overgrowth of bacteria AGAIN! She is once again on antibiotics--I cannot believe she is on…
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Added by Phoebe's Mom on September 28, 2009 at 3:10pm —
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