these are my confessions.

My sister sent me a link to this yesterday - the signs that you treat your dog better than you treat yourself. If you haven't seen it yet, you MUST check it out because the pictures are awesome. Here's what I have to say about the whole thing:

1. You shiver half the night because you let them steal all the blankets. Truth. I also sleep curled up in a ball because she tends to sprawl out in the middle of the bed.
2. They have their own personal tablet to watch animal shows on. Um, no, that would be weird. She uses the TV in our bedroom so she can get comfy and relax. Also, Animal Planet has some shows that are not age-appropriate for Claire, so she tends to watch The Food Network.
3. More people show up to their birthday party than to yours.  Again, truth. People and dogs. The neighborhood pups aren't willing to come to mine...
4. You take your job super seriously but you never get mad when they slack off at theirs. Yes. I mean, how can you get mad at that sweet little face?!
5. You sing them lullabies to help them get to sleep... every night. Well, I sing along with the Spotify playlist that I made for her. She finds The Civil Wars very soothing.
6. You pay top dollar for their groomer but you haven't been to a hairdresser in ten years. She has short fur so she doesn't need a trim, but she does get "manicures" - and I haven't been to get my nails done in a really long time... Pretend you aren't looking the next time you see me.
7. You took the time to teach them to surf, but you can barely swim. Not true; I'm a Cape Cod girl, so I love the water! Though I did take up running because it's Claire's favorite thing to do.
8. You take the day off work to make sure they don’t overheat on the hottest day of the year. I have done this in the past. Thankfully I won't have to do this at the job I have now because I can work from home and personally make sure that Claire is comfortable with the temperature set on the AC control.
9. You spend your life savings on emergency surgery for them and would definitely do it again. A few things about this: (a) I'm a social worker, therefore I don't make enough to have savings, and (b) I'd cash out the ol' 401K if I needed to. But praise God that she hasn't needed emergency surgery because my heart would break for her!
10. Your significant other is convinced you love them more. I don't  have a significant other. Probably because everyone knows that nobody puts Baby in the corner. No second place for my girl!
11. You take them to the dog park everyday after work instead of going out and having fun with human people. I did this every day for the first three years of her life - and I met some of my good friends because of it (humans, not dogs). Now she tends to have more low-key afternoons since she's a mature 4-year-old.
12. You sleep on the floor with them when they're not feeling well. I have done this on the few occasions that Claire was too sick to come to bed. When she had pancreatitis, she couldn't get off the couch one night, so she slept there and I slept on the floor next to her.
13. You spend more money on toys for them than your parents spent on you as a child. Hahaha! When we were home on Cape Cod, even my mother commented on the endless supply of toys!
14. You spent more time stressing out about their doggy wedding to the neighbor’s dog than your own. Not applicable, people! Besides, the neighbor's dog hates Claire. And Claire's many boyfriends would be jealous...
    
    

140 characters of fame.

I'm pretty excited about this shout-out from Thompson Square - even though I publicly admitted that I sing love songs to CBB... (which probably isn't all that surprising, huh?!)

i love a rainy night.

Remember my awesome friend Lauren who I met at the BarkWorld conference along with her dog Paige? You know, they are the talent behind the 1-800-Pet-Meds and Nylabone commercials! Wellllllll, Claire and I went to visit them (and Paige's brother Dexter) in DC over Christmas on our way back to Nashville from Cape Cod.

Claire, Paige, and Dexter hanging out together in DC!

At the time, Lauren said that she and Paige were getting ready to start canine freestyle [I totally wish we had classes like this in Nashville because I would love to try it!]. And hey, they just won first place in their first competition! Available for your viewing pleasure, here's their winning routine, performed to "I Love a Rainy Night!" Choreography by none other than Miss Lauren herself!

Want more Lauren&Paige? Check out more amazing videos from our pals here!

my apologies.

I have been SUCH a slacker. No new post since 2/13? Unacceptable. I am so sorry about that! Though, in my defense, work has been extremely stressful lately, and even eating has gone by the wayside (I'm Italian, so you can imagine that this is a very big deal).


Now it is 11:13pm, and I am posting not only because I love you few but faithful followers, but because I just got home from the BEST concert that I have been to in awhile, and I am still humming along to some pretty sweet songs. What concert, you ask? Ben Rector and Steve Moakler, with a guest appearance by my very favorite: the one and only Matt Wertz. Check them out. All of them. And if you want more amazing music recommendations, let me know. My iTunes library never stops playing, my toes never stop tapping, and... well... you get the idea.


So, yes. Work has been busy. Even my after work has been busy. This week was so crazy that I'd pick up Claire from school, drop her off at home, and then race out the door again, while watching her little face look at me out the window while I drove away to head to another commitment. Isn't that enough to just break your heart? It broke mine! To catch up on quality Claire time, I spent the afternoon at the park with her today, and I am planning on spending the whole day there with her tomorrow. I can't wait, because I miss her! I miss her even though I'm cuddled up with her right now.


I'm revamping my schedule this week. Plans are cancelled after work, for the most part, unless Claire can be involved too. I seriously need some time to just unwind, rest, and be with my sweet girl.


Now, speaking of rest, I am going to go get some. I'll be posting again soon. Promise.

Me and Claire on her "lounge chair" in the kitchen.

(It's big enough for the both of us, so I tend to use it as a couch, too.)

headphones!

Claire's boyfriend Kingsley is famous! He has a cameo in Britt Nicole's new music video for "Headphones!" Let me know if you want Kingsley's pawtograph (that was cheesy, I know) - I think I might be able to arrange that! Enjoy the video!

a possible career for claire?

Every morning, when I am getting ready for work, I tell Claire that it would be great if she could work for me so that I could stay and rest for her. A friend showed me this video tonight, and my first thought was: this is the perfect job for Claire! Check it out! Also, and most importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!