Lent 2012 – Day 34 (Monday)

I have a sunburn.  In March.  We mowed the lawn Sunday, and then hosed down the driveway (an annual tradition).  In March.  Our bedroom was 80 degrees when we went to bed last night.  In March.  We’ve not shut our bedroom windows (all three of them) in over two weeks.  In March.  Ixchel caught several earthworms this weekend.  Highly ACTIVE earthworms.  So active, I didn’t know they could move that fast!  In March.  In Council Bluffs.  In March.  I went outside in running shorts and tshirt at 5:30 am.  In March.

In case it isn’t obvious, I’m a bit stunned by the weather we’re having this year.  In March!

So, Saturday was a big day!  Nikki got her quarterly bath (and whew, did she NEED it!) and nail clipping.  It’s always a traumatic experience for her, she hates the groomer, she hates the bath, she hates having her pawses messed with.

And Saturday was also the big “Marco/Polo Family Reunion” at the St. Joseph’s Villa Retirement community in South Omaha.  Marco is the daddy to three litters of Dachshund puppies.  Polo is… you guessed it… the Mama to three litters of Dachshund puppies.  The two of them and at least 9 of the puppies from those litters gathered at the Villa (where the Mama’s Mama works, as well as our friend Juline who introduced us to Mama’s Mama).  The Villa is very pet friendly.  We met the resident Black Lab who came when her mommy came for Hospice.  The only way she’d consent to go to hospice was if her dog could be with her.  After she died, only a few days later, the Villa allowed the dog to stay.  Soon thereafter, a woman was admitted to the Villa who was very depressed at having to leave her home, and sank into a “funk”, wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t talk, just sat in her chair with her head bowed.  Then Bella, (the black lab) who was also mourning and depressed, came up to her one day.  Well, to make this shorter, the lady is now very happy, and has a forever doggy!

We all had a great time chatting getting to know each other, while all 9 puppies and Marco and Polo all romped and played in the courtyard.  Might I just say that one could always find Ixchel because one merely had to look at the pack of dogs, then follow it to the front of the pack, and there she was, leading them all (not always to good places!)

A lot of the residents came out in to the courtyard to watch, and puppies went and introducted themselves and got lots of petting and “ohhs!” and “Awwweee!s” and “How preciouses”.  Several had tears in their eyes.  Many would say “We had a dachshund” with that far off, happy memory way of recollecting that we get when we have fond memories.  Many of us confessed that we were “Big dog people” who fell head over heels in love with these little creatures!

Alas, for Ixchel, it was not a 100% happy day.  Toward the end of the 2 hour event she had… an experience.  There was a woman there with her 2 small children and her bigger dog.  She didn’t have one of the Marco/Polo pups, but had been invited as a friend of one of the people who was there.  She kept a very close rein on her children… until the end.  Her little boy, about 3 or maybe 4 years old, set his sights on Ixchel, put his arms up like a scare monster, fingers curled in to claws, let out a “ROOAAAAAHHHRRRRRR!” and started stomping and running towards my litte princess!  I stood transfixed with horror, too far away from her to help her as the little monster (and I DO mean that affectionately) came at her.  She rolled over in submission, peed a little and was horribly frightened.

Mother called her son back to her, and scolded him.  And Ixchel jumped to her feet, looked around for the nearest of Scott or me… and ran straight to me. I picked her up and she shook a little.

It was clear from what I heard that Mother had warned him up front how to behave around puppies and dogs, and had told him the ramifications of misbehaving… which was he was to be removed from the event.  And that’s what she did, to much howling and yelling by little boy!

Now, less you think otherwise, let me be clear here.  Little boys will be little boys.  I hold no animosity towards little boy OR towards mother.  I would have stopped her and told her it was okay, but this was obviously a teaching moment for the little boy, and mother quite obviously had things in hand.  I was concerned that to interfere would have been improper, and threatening of her teaching and disciplinary authority.  In retrospect, and after it was too late, I do wish I had asked her before she left if she’d let her little boy come to Ixchel and pet him sweetly and calmly – with my very close supervision of both, naturally!  I didn’t.

Ixchel has never met a person in her life that she was afraid of and who she didn’t want to greet… enthusiasically so!  Whenever we go someplace and people don’t come to her she yips and yelps and barks and is very obviously saying “Hey, come play with me! Ilikeyou! Ilikeyou! Ilikeyou!”

After the party, we took Ixchel and went to PetSmart to pick up Nikki.  There, as we headed towards the front door, a family came out with a little boy about the same size and age as the boy at the party.  Ixchel took one look, stepped back, growled low, then started barking menacingly.  We snatched her up and escorted her past the family (who ignored us, thankfully).

I can see we have our task cut out for us… we now have to reverse the effects of this experience for Ixchel.  It just breaks my heart that my little girl who knew no foe, is now afraid of little children – and that I wasn’t able to protect her! Very not good.