The day we knew would come, but that we thought would come in a couple of years, came yesterday. We woke up yesterday morning, and Sugar didn't. The world's most awesome dog died. On Monday, he seemed just fine. He was barking relentlessly at the lawn guy in the afternoon. He was with me in Lila's room when I put her to sleep. Then he came into our room for a while. Then he ended up in Ben's room for the night, and that's where Hector found him yesterday morning. Ben actually walked right passed him when he woke up, but thankfully, he just thought he was sleeping. Hector walked into the living room and asked me if I had noticed the poop on the floor. I hadn't. But Hector saw that it was black and knew something was wrong, so he went to look for Sugar. He found him on the floor in Ben's room. We are choosing to believe that he didn't suffer. He made his rounds to say goodbye to all of us, and then ended up in his brother's room.
Hector and I are taking it far harder than we thought we would. We haven't known post college life without Sugar. He's been our family member for the last 12 years. He was somewhat our firstborn! Dealing with the death and telling Ben was really hard, but Ben actually took it really well. We stressed out about how to tell him, but Hector took the lead and did a great job. We were honest with him. We told him Sugar died and went to doggy heaven. Then we quickly proceeded to play with water balloons to distract him. He had a few questions and didn't really understand why Sugar wasn't coming home, but he didn't really seem affected much by it. He wasn't emotional at all. And for that, we are extremely thankful. He continues to ask about him, but in a healthy way, i think.
Hector and I, on the other hand, are blubbering idiots. You don't realize how much a dog is part of your day to day life until he's gone. He's not there to greet us at the door. He's not there to grab our food when we drop it. He's not there to protect our home. He's not scratching at the back door to get out. He's not running from Lila. He's not cuddling with Ben. He has a specific spot that he lays in pretty much every room of the house. So, no matter what room I walk into, I miss him. With two kids, Sugar definitely took a back seat the last several years, but he was an awesome dog, and he loved Ben and Lila. We are so incredibly thankful for the time we had with him. We're thankful for the experience he gave our kids. We're even thankful even for the way he died. We love that dog more than we even realized, and it will hurt for a long time, but it was totally worth it.
Thank you Sugar Daddy for all you were to the Santiago family. You were my gift to myself when I got my first raise. You were there when Hector and I dated, when we broke up, when we dated again. You probably even played a role in keeping us together. You were there when we got married, when we bought the house, and when we had our two kids, and you've created memories that will last our lifetime. You were God's gift to us, and I choose to believe we will see you again. As far getting another dog, my mind can't even go there right now. Sugar was the only dog in my life that I truly called mine, and now he's gone. Any future dog will be more for the kids.
Sugar Daddy Santiago: Born June 16, 2001. Died June 25, 2013.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
She's officially 2!
So our little girl is officially 2 years old! I can't believe it! May and the first part of June still seemed to be filled with sickness. This year, that seems to be a theme. Lila and Ben both have had strep twice over a 6 week period. Four cases of strep in 6 weeks is not fun, especially when Lila comes down with her second case on the morning of our 9 year anniversary, and Ben comes down with his second case on the morning of Lila's birthday party. But it all worked out just fine! Mom and Dad watched the kids on our anniversary long enough for us to grab a quick bite at BoomerJacks, and Savannah came to the rescue during Lila's party to take care of Ben.
Lila had a Minne Mouse themed party! We had the party the saturday before her birthday. When she woke up and saw the decorations, her jaw dropped. I think she liked the decorations as much as the gifts! She had a ball at the party. We had all of her friends from church (Elliott, Caleb, Mason, Brooklyn, Lucas, Noah, Eisley, Micah) and then Hector's family came so Janessa was there as well! She was so excited to have her baby cousin there! We missed having Bowie and Gabe! She behaved perfectly, which is great because hector and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Fajitas sounded easy in theory, but since Hector had been at the doctor with Ben that morning, it put us a little behind on prep. Fortunately Mom stayed to help in the kitchen for a while! Lila opened every gift with a smile and said thank you each time. She was the perfect hostess. She got Minnie dress up stuff, Hello Kitty clothes, a sit n' spin, books, and a bunch of other stuff. Her birthday was on Tuesday. We went with Mom and Dad and Sav to chuck e. cheese. The kids had a blast. And Lila loved all of her toys we got her too! We ended up spending more on the two parties than on her gifts, but that's ok. She was in heaven. And since Ben didn't get to come to her first party, we wanted to celebrate with him.
For my birthday, Hector did this gift game for me that's kind of hard to explain, but basically, he gave me a bunch of cool gift options, including an IPAD, a family vacation, and a ranger game ticket package. Then he said I could choose ONE of those or open the last envelope. If I opened that, I had to take it. Ben convinced me to open it! When I did, it was an envelope filled with almost $1000 cash that Hector had saved up throughout the year of his own money! He knew the best gift for me would be one that was already paid for! So, with that money, I will be taking Ben to Sea World on an airplane! Ben has been begging to go on an airplane for over a year. I can't wait. We're going July 16-18. I think it will be a really special time for us. That was actually the gift option Hector originally intended us to use it for, but then decided to turn it into a game!
Both of my kids are awesome. They have incredibly strong personalities and strong wills. I have no clue where they got it! :) Ben is going to be a lawyer when he grows up. He never just takes no for an answer. He has to convince you exactly why the answer should be yes. Lila is on track to be an actress. If she doesn't get her way, she just melts down in the middle of the floor like her world will end in an instant if you don't change your mind. They play very well together, but they are also starting to fight like brother and sister, which I think is cute ... for now. I'm sure it will get old fast. Lila's still a great eater. She now loves broccoli and tomatoes. She's especially a fan of stir fry. But she also loves candy and will eat it whenever she can get her hands on it! Benjamin is still very picky but now his new favorite food is pizza with sauce and pepperoni. We're trying to move away from corn dogs because of how bad they are for him. Both of them have become water drinkers which I'm very thankful for.
MAJOR PRAISE: Ben's stomach appears to be doing better!!! We decided one day just to stop the Miralax and after a couple of weeks, Ben's complaints have reduced to almost none. So, I think up front, the Miralax really helped his stomach, but at some point started adding to the cramping. I just have to choose to believe it wasn't too long ago, or I begin to feel really guilty as a mama for not stopping it sooner! But I'm so thankful that he's doing better! I hated seeing him hurt like that, and now he can pee standing up like a regular little boy!
Summer has officially begun and I'm thrilled. Hector has already been doing so much to help around the house. The garage is cleaned out! The backyard is visitor ready! And I have a new ceiling fan outside which we will desperately need in July and August - thanks Mom and Dad! Ben's loving the pool and swimming like a fish, off the diving board, all the way to the shallow end, breaths and all! Lila's still not so sure. I'm starting at home lessons with her. We'll see how they go. This summer is going to be great, but it may be a little challenging. We are potty training Lila in a few weeks. I think she'll do really well, but we shall see. I was gone last week for a few days and Hector experienced the whining tendencies of our children. Together, we've decided that this summer we are going to de-whine our kids. That means more consistent consequences quicker. It means a new line on the sticker chart. So far, they don't like it. Wish us luck!
Actually, I don't know if I've mentioned the sticker chart. We started it a few months ago, and it's really helped. We have lines on it for being kind and obeying, eating dinner (ben), picking up, getting ready for bed, and now no whining. We also have a Super Sticker for Ben for staying in his Ben all night. After the first straight week of sleeping in his bed, he earned the Larry Boy Silly Suits Toy. Just yesterday, he earned the Larry-copter for two weeks in his bed. Now we're shooting for the Rise of the Guardian figurine set. He has to stay in his bed for 21 days. I hate that it's such a battle for him, but this new program, plus some serious patience and trips back to his bed, seem to be working. We hope to get to the place where it's not a chore. I hate that he's scared in the night. I'd give anything to go back in time and not let him watch those stupid cartoons.
Anyway, as always, I'm incredibly thankful for how blessed i am. God is good!
Lila had a Minne Mouse themed party! We had the party the saturday before her birthday. When she woke up and saw the decorations, her jaw dropped. I think she liked the decorations as much as the gifts! She had a ball at the party. We had all of her friends from church (Elliott, Caleb, Mason, Brooklyn, Lucas, Noah, Eisley, Micah) and then Hector's family came so Janessa was there as well! She was so excited to have her baby cousin there! We missed having Bowie and Gabe! She behaved perfectly, which is great because hector and I were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Fajitas sounded easy in theory, but since Hector had been at the doctor with Ben that morning, it put us a little behind on prep. Fortunately Mom stayed to help in the kitchen for a while! Lila opened every gift with a smile and said thank you each time. She was the perfect hostess. She got Minnie dress up stuff, Hello Kitty clothes, a sit n' spin, books, and a bunch of other stuff. Her birthday was on Tuesday. We went with Mom and Dad and Sav to chuck e. cheese. The kids had a blast. And Lila loved all of her toys we got her too! We ended up spending more on the two parties than on her gifts, but that's ok. She was in heaven. And since Ben didn't get to come to her first party, we wanted to celebrate with him.
For my birthday, Hector did this gift game for me that's kind of hard to explain, but basically, he gave me a bunch of cool gift options, including an IPAD, a family vacation, and a ranger game ticket package. Then he said I could choose ONE of those or open the last envelope. If I opened that, I had to take it. Ben convinced me to open it! When I did, it was an envelope filled with almost $1000 cash that Hector had saved up throughout the year of his own money! He knew the best gift for me would be one that was already paid for! So, with that money, I will be taking Ben to Sea World on an airplane! Ben has been begging to go on an airplane for over a year. I can't wait. We're going July 16-18. I think it will be a really special time for us. That was actually the gift option Hector originally intended us to use it for, but then decided to turn it into a game!
Both of my kids are awesome. They have incredibly strong personalities and strong wills. I have no clue where they got it! :) Ben is going to be a lawyer when he grows up. He never just takes no for an answer. He has to convince you exactly why the answer should be yes. Lila is on track to be an actress. If she doesn't get her way, she just melts down in the middle of the floor like her world will end in an instant if you don't change your mind. They play very well together, but they are also starting to fight like brother and sister, which I think is cute ... for now. I'm sure it will get old fast. Lila's still a great eater. She now loves broccoli and tomatoes. She's especially a fan of stir fry. But she also loves candy and will eat it whenever she can get her hands on it! Benjamin is still very picky but now his new favorite food is pizza with sauce and pepperoni. We're trying to move away from corn dogs because of how bad they are for him. Both of them have become water drinkers which I'm very thankful for.
MAJOR PRAISE: Ben's stomach appears to be doing better!!! We decided one day just to stop the Miralax and after a couple of weeks, Ben's complaints have reduced to almost none. So, I think up front, the Miralax really helped his stomach, but at some point started adding to the cramping. I just have to choose to believe it wasn't too long ago, or I begin to feel really guilty as a mama for not stopping it sooner! But I'm so thankful that he's doing better! I hated seeing him hurt like that, and now he can pee standing up like a regular little boy!
Summer has officially begun and I'm thrilled. Hector has already been doing so much to help around the house. The garage is cleaned out! The backyard is visitor ready! And I have a new ceiling fan outside which we will desperately need in July and August - thanks Mom and Dad! Ben's loving the pool and swimming like a fish, off the diving board, all the way to the shallow end, breaths and all! Lila's still not so sure. I'm starting at home lessons with her. We'll see how they go. This summer is going to be great, but it may be a little challenging. We are potty training Lila in a few weeks. I think she'll do really well, but we shall see. I was gone last week for a few days and Hector experienced the whining tendencies of our children. Together, we've decided that this summer we are going to de-whine our kids. That means more consistent consequences quicker. It means a new line on the sticker chart. So far, they don't like it. Wish us luck!
Actually, I don't know if I've mentioned the sticker chart. We started it a few months ago, and it's really helped. We have lines on it for being kind and obeying, eating dinner (ben), picking up, getting ready for bed, and now no whining. We also have a Super Sticker for Ben for staying in his Ben all night. After the first straight week of sleeping in his bed, he earned the Larry Boy Silly Suits Toy. Just yesterday, he earned the Larry-copter for two weeks in his bed. Now we're shooting for the Rise of the Guardian figurine set. He has to stay in his bed for 21 days. I hate that it's such a battle for him, but this new program, plus some serious patience and trips back to his bed, seem to be working. We hope to get to the place where it's not a chore. I hate that he's scared in the night. I'd give anything to go back in time and not let him watch those stupid cartoons.
Anyway, as always, I'm incredibly thankful for how blessed i am. God is good!
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