First Snow of the Year

We had our first snow of the year a couple of days ago and since snow is my favorite backdrop to take photos of dogs in, we all went out and had a little fun with the camera. Actually I think Noah was the only one who enjoyed it. Momo girl isn't really into snow and Achoo just went with the flow although I think his face expressions (scroll to see his pictures) kind of gave it away (it was a hard no for him too).

It is going on six years in this little corner lot of ours and I have taken so many pictures of our home and dogs in the backyard that it feel a bit repetitive to me. But I think snow makes it feel new and magical, even for our poor backyard which needs major TLC at the moment (hopefully spring we'll be able to give it the look it deserves).

We don't have much plans for the weekend. To be truthful, I am a bit afraid to leave Noah home alone at the moment because I am unsure when his pain episodes will flare up (although for the past couple of days it has been every 8 hours). Taking him out with us is not really an option because stress seems to trigger his pain (Noah hates car rides). So we're currently trying to enjoy my time off from Piri's Place this month before Yangkyu starts his PhD program (while working full time) and make sure our dogs and our foster are all taken care of as well. It's a tricky balance but we always seem to come up with a solution that works out for everyone.

Have a wonderful weekend.

 // So my Momo girl isn't too fond of dogs who are hyper and uber happy (excitedly going up to her to initiate play). Well, Achoo is that hyper and uber happy dog and even though Momo has told him multiple times to back off or has given him the cold shoulder, Achoo forgets and runs to her every time. I actually caught their interaction on camera and when I zoomed in I couldn't help but laugh at Achoo's face. Momo didn't bite him or was aggressive - this is her actually just growling. But Achoo's face looks so dramatic! // 

 // A close up //  

Meet Achoo. Our New Foster.

We have a new pup here in our home and his name is Achoo. We are currently fostering this little guy until we find the perfect family for him. Achoo is a 9 year old Maltese who was rescued in Korea by Band for Animal and flew to Dulles Airport on January 4th. Achoo is actually our second foster. Cream, who was also a Maltese, came to us in early December and was adopted to a wonderful family just before Christmas.

For the past few days we have been learning more and more about Achoo. First off, he is the sweetest, most affectionate dog. He loves people and being with them. He does have a tendency to cry when he doesn't see his people and so we're hoping to find him a family who is willing to work with him so that he can eventually stay home by himself or a family who is able to incorporate him into their lives in a way that he won't be left alone for too long.

Other than his tendency to cry when left alone, Achoo is amazing. We start our mornings off with his incredible zoomies (he has so much energy!) and then he settles into his routine of napping and playing with toys and napping some more. I have shared some videos of this ball of energy on Instagram (his hashtag is #nmser_Achoo) and it may be hard to tell from watching him be so fast, but he naps just as hard. And he makes the perfect snuggling partner (he loves to burrow under the covers and sleep right next to my leg and he also loves falling asleep in my arms). 

He has started crate training. He didn't like it at first but he goes in now when I ask him to go "inside." I have asked Yangkyu to do it as well so that he is familiar with the command from different people. He also doesn't cry as often and I hope that means he is starting to get used to the crate as a safe and relaxing space.

Achoo has also started working on his housebreaking skills. He hasn't had an accident or marking incident since his first day and we have only begun to not use his male wrap as often starting yesterday. I am still very proactive about taking him out but he completely understands that every time he comes out of the crate and after every meal it is "outside" time. He runs to the balcony door and does his business in the backyard. 

Achoo definitely knows basic commands in Korean. He knows sit, stay/wait, come and I think he even understands "go inside" which I used when we first started crate training. He picked up on it really fast. For the past day I have been asking Achoo to sit in Korean and as soon as he does I repeat it in English in hopes that he will understand his commands in English. Another fun fact - Achoo even knows how to wait before eating his food until he is told to eat. I don't do this often but he is so great with his stay/wait command that I was curious whether he would be able to do this. And he can!

All in all though I think we have a pretty smart boy on our hands. He is just really quick in picking on things. Did I mention that he was a sweetheart? Because he is an incredibly sweet guy!

Achoo's has issues with his back right leg. He's not in pain but he holds it up and doesn't walk on it. Although for the past few days I have seen him put it down more and walk on it more and more. This doesn't deter him from having his zoomies or having fun while playing with toys. I haven't had the chance to take him out yet on a leash but I do believe he loves going out (he saw me put a harness on Noah yesterday and he wanted to be the one to put it on). 

Achoo also eats very well. He loves his food and treats. I am currently giving him 1/4 cup of I and Love and You dry food with 1 oz of Just Food for Dogs. So far he has had their Venison, Lamb and Beef recipes and he loves them all. He does eat on the faster side - he'll take big chunks of food and eat and when he is done with his food he will lick his dish until it is completely clean in hopes of getting one last taste of something good.

I have also been giving him some of the same supplements I give to my Momo girl including pre and probiotics, Turmeric, green lipped mussel powder and Dr. Harvey's Golden Years supplement. He also gets some Answers Goat Milk - we think maybe twice a week would be a good amount for him.

I have wanted to foster for a long time. But many times I thought I wasn't the proper candidate (I can't drive and my schedule isn't flexible enough to attend adoption events, do home checks, etc.) and so I kept hesitating until there was a call out with the rescue who helped bring Noah and Momo from Korea. Instead of assuming I wasn't a good fit to be a foster, I let them know what I can do and can't do and it was good enough. I'm incredibly glad I inquired. 

Yangkyu and I were fortunate to have had two amazing fosters who cared for Bartles, Lady and Noah. They (and a few friends on Instagram who are also fosters) really encouraged and inspired us to take on the same role. 

Achoo is available for adoption in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area. Out of state considerations can also be made (NY, NJ, Philadelphia). All adoption inquiries can be made through Achoo's Petfinder Profile. 

Fostering saves lives. And always choose adoption.

More pictures of videos of Achoo can be found on our Instagram.

Looking ahead

"Happy New Year! I can't believe 2019 is almost over!"

That is what I've been saying to everyone lately. I really cannot believe this year is out. When I put it into perspective, end of the year means that it's almost already one year since Momo and Noah joined our family. While at times it feels they have been with us for much longer, I also feel like they just got here. In a blink of an eye, winter turned to spring then summer to fall and now winter again and we're looking ahead to new experiences and adventures in 2020.

Many people who know me know that I don't do resolutions. For one, I've been terrible at keeping them and it's just a deflating feeling when it's not even a month into the new year you find yourself wondering where all that hype and motivation went.

But the other day when I was out walking our guest dogs I found myself in the most peculiar outfit. Pink sweatpants, a red North Face fleece jacket and my bright blue running shoes. I don't think I have been so disastrously un-color coordinated in my entire life. 

I was telling this to Yangkyu the other day and I made a vow. To actually look halfway decent (in every day starting "tomorrow" (which was actually yesterday).

You see, dog sitting means that my clothes get dirtied a lot. Often. Within seconds of taking a shower and changing my clothes. There is drool and dirt and food and sometimes a pungent smell of a dog will linger. I'm not sure when it happened but I began to revert to sweats as my go to outfit. And I have a few select ones that I began to wear on a daily basis whenever I had guest dogs with me. Somehow that began to manifest into my off-dogsitting days. Normally I was happy to finally "dress up", do my hair and make up and go out. That quickly became a hassle and I went out looking a bit frumpy. And I began to not like feeling this way.

And so yesterday, after a busy morning routine with all the dogs, I got ready. And I took out a pair of jeans and a sweater. I did my hair. I put make up on. And while I still got stains, dog food and drool on my clothes, I got through my first day of keeping my promise to go through the day looking put together.

Here's to day 2. (Edit: I'm just coming back to go over what I wrote after showering and not only do I have jeans and a "nice" shirt on, I'm even doing a facial pack this very moment. Huzzah!)

I hope I'll be able to come back some point next year and say that I'm continuing to do this.

PS - Yangkyu just walked in and saw that I was actually writing. "You're blogging?" This space has been such a hard place to come back to. I used to always have something to say or share. Now I grasp at what I want to share. Are my stories good enough? Funny enough? Relevant enough? Are my pictures good enough? Do people even care? Will people judge? I used to find moments so well and I think I got caught up with worrying over what everyone might say and trying to find perfection in words and pictures that I just gave up trying. And so I hope to also go back to where this all began - writing and sharing for the purposes of keeping a diary of our family and being thankful for anyone who wants to follow along.

2019 Year End Giving

It's that time of year again when we share our giving list for the year in hopes that it may encourage some of our friends to donate before the year is out. No amount is too small to help the cause you believe in.

1. Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue (March)

2. Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue (May)

3. Immigrant Welcome Center

4. Rockstar Cocker Rescue

5. Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue (September)

6. Hawaiian Island Humane Society

7. OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue

8. Asan Angels Sanctuary // Band for Animal Asan

9. Centreville community (food drive, high school band)

10. Fairfax County Animal Shelter

Past Year End Givings
 // 2018
 // 2017
 // 2016
 // 2015
 // 2014
 // 2013

Pumpkin Patch

I got these adorable pumpkin hoodies on chewy.com for Momo and Noah and now we have a little pumpkin patch of our own.

Speaking of pumpkins, we'll be carving 7 over the weekend. That's 7 for me, Yangkyu, Momo, Noah and our three across the rainbow bridge, or who we like to call the Sunflower Gang - Piri, Bartles and Lady. We actually plan on carving a sunflower to represent them and while it looks perfect in my head, I just hope it turns out looking like a tall sunflower. We picked out jack o lantern carving patterns for the rest of us and I just can't wait to have it out in the backyard like we do every year (even though our backyard is currently a hot mess right now and decorating it hasn't even crossed my mind. It literally looks like a big dump).

I can't believe this will be our last weekend of our break before we have guest dogs again (our next weekend break comes right before Thanksgiving). We hope to take Noah and Momo out to a short outing. We don't get to do this a lot with them and so it's been harder to establish an outing routine with them. We're also trying to figure out what's best for Noah as he isn't the biggest fan of riding inside cars and so we don't want to stress him out by taking him out all the time. I realized that with Piri he was the happiest when he was going places with us and so we adjusted our lives to do everything with him. With Noah it is the complete opposite and so we'll just have to condition ourselves to say it's ok to leave him home alone and even take just Momo with us so that she can start to get used to going places without Noah (she is so dependent on him though and does so much better when he is by her side). Definitely a tricky puzzle for us to figure out as a family but we'll find something that works for all of us.

Lately we have been terrible about working out, cooking at home and including vegan meals and so we hope to jump start all that starting this weekend. Fingers crossed it doesn't fall off our plates again.

Happy weekend!