Field Trippin’
I’m currently playing nurse to an injured Lulu.
Call it the dangers of having a home gym.
Miss L was bouncing on an exercise ball in our living room when it slipped out from underneath her and she bonked her head on the tile surrounding our gas fireplace. There’s no more horrific sound than your child’s skull hitting a hard surface. It ranks up there with the sound of your cat coughing up a hairball on your down comforter, the dentist saying, “You are going to need a $900 crown” and your preschooler yelling, “Mom, there’s poopy in my panties!” I’ve heard each of those at least once since Monday.
I called the doctor’s office as a precaution (yes, I’m one of THOSE moms), and they said to watch her for crankiness or incoherent babbling. She’s two. That’s the story of her life.
As for the story of our morning, we took a field trip with Gigi’s class to the Humane Society.
Before we left/post-workout, I had a green smoothie in a bowl with a little hovercraft watching.
- 2 c. spinach
- 1/3 c. almond milk
- stevia
- frozen pineapple
- frozen peaches
- TJ’s High Fiber Cereal
- TJ’s Low Fat Vanilla Almond Granola
Arriving to the shelter, I felt a bit like I did when I went to the theater to see Schindler’s List. “The list” that greeted us inside the front door confirmed my fears.
Almost 550 animals have been taken in in the last three weeks. And my children wanted to have nothing to do with any of them. Gigi did what we lovingly call “assuming the position.” She’s done this since she was a baby, and whenever she gets frightened, she hunches her shoulders and pinches the skin on her neck.
It started with the dogs,
continued with the rats,
and surprised me with the cats.
We have a cat, but you’d think it was an alligator in those cages.
Lulu, shockingly was a little more brave.
She tasted that jerky treat before she gave it to the dog. So much for being a vegetarian.
Gigi had no hesitation in pretending to be a bunny,
but didn’t want to study the live subject to inject realism in her role.
I guess she can kiss that Oscar goodbye.
Not only was I sad about the number of animals, but I was struck by how afraid they were. Of course this got me thinking about how scared farmed animals must be at factory farms or dairy farms. Even around curious yet harmless four-year-olds, these animals were trembling, shrunk back in their cages and wetting themselves, and this was at a place that is caring for them, not prepping them for slaughter (at least I hope not….la la la, I’m not listening).
It was an okay place to visit, but I certainly wouldn’t want to live there. Bob Barker’s not kidding: PLEASE HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED OR NEUTERED!
Maybe I was a little dizzy from my soapbox, but I wanted something really clean and simple for lunch.
No surprise there.
- spinach
- cabbage
- broccoli
- carrots
- red pepper
- cucumber
- lemon juice, stevia, nutritional yeast and cracked black pepper
A little lunch dessert was in order, and Holly‘s recent creation of April‘s Protein Cookie Dough was very necessary.
- 1/2 a pack of vanilla Spirutein
- dash of salt
- sprinkle of stevia
- baby spoon of almond butter
- a few chopped dark chocolate chips
I had this treat alongside a cup of Earl Grey tea. I was savoring every baby bite until the crack of baby skull interrupted my mirage of sitting in my college apartment, eating cookie dough straight from the bowl tube while crying because my loser boyfriend ditched me to go to a strip club with his frat brothers. Emotionally eat much?
I’ve now got to see if I can comb Lulu’s hair into bangs before Daddy gets home. And you thought having pets was hard.
I always laughed when Bob Barker said have your pets spayed or neutered, but it’s so true. Weirdly, I still remember the day my dog was neutered, even though I’m pretty sure no one told me what that meant for another 5 years
awwww the animals are sooo cute but not as cute as your girls!!
Awww…poor Lulu!!! I hope she’s okay
That looks like a really fun day for kids– I love seeing kids with animals (when they aren’t tugging/pulling on ears and tails).
Crankiness and incoherent babbling is also the story of my life. Just ask my husband!
I hope Lulu feels better
I’m with bob barker on that one! Hope the head bump wasn’t too bad :-/
kailey’s gonna go ape sh!t when she reads this post….
i wish i could adopt them all (well not really), but it makes me sad (and at the same time sorta proud to be veg?) meh. anyways, hope lulu is feeling better soon. maybe a jerky treat will help, haha
OH WOW. this post just broke my little heart. when my dog was lost years ago, i spent day in and day out going to shelters looking for her. it was then that i decided if i got her back, she would immediately be spayed. it is seriously SUCH an important thing to do to reduce the overpopulation of homeless pets. (luckily we did find our lost dog, spayed her, but she has since passed away)~ your photos of the shelter left me feeling so helpless.. sure wish i could rescue them all! that basset all the kids were loving on looks IDENTICAL to my basset. it is such a cute nervous habit gigi has. sorry about lulu’s head~ hope she gets feeling better! have a great night
Aw, look at Lulu’s poor, pitiful face. No fun!
Ouchie! I’m glad she’s doing okay despite the head injury.
I hear ya about the fear of the animals at the Humane Society. We got our dogs from there and our loveable little Leo was scared and shaking so bad when we saw him that we thought he was going to have a heart attack. We only got him because he was a package deal with little fluffball Peanut. She was desperate to get out and licked us unmercilessly until we took her home.
I think it’s so normal that your called the Dr – with all these people hitting their heads you just never know! Hope she feels better!!
And I have totally fell off a ball like that. In the middle of the gym. Where I worked.
OMG you have to warn me when you post things like this! when i saw that basset hound i started crying around, flashed the screen at anne and said, “i just need to go get him”… i’m sure you can imagine her reaction!
something along the lines of, OH NOOOOO you don’t!!!
clearly we need to get gigi a puppy… when’s her birthday again??
THAT is why i can’t go visit the animal shelter… I’d end up bringing home 49 dogs and 75 cats!!!
Hope Ms. Lulu is recovering well! I’m not even a parent and when I’m around children I fear the head-smack and pretty much hover in anticipate, I’m sure that’ll pass.
That stats for new homeless animals at that one sanctuary alone makes me want to cry. Can you airmail that Bassett Hound to NJ?
Poor Lulu! Hope she feels better soon. We adopted a boxer mix puppy from our shelter this year. Best thing ever!
You are so right, there is no sound worse than a skull hitting the floor. I still remember when Maya fell out of her highchair years ago.
Poor animals…I hope they are rescued soon!
Oh my goodness. Those sweet animals Break. My. Heart. (Into a trillion little pieces.) I wish I could take them all home.
I can’t wait until I don’t work 13-hour days every day of the week and then I can adopt one or two or a hundred.
I’m so thankful I’m a vegetarian.
Hope Lu is feeling better!!!
Poor little Lulu =( hope she’s ok, your daughters are soo adorable
Poor Lulu…I hope she’s ok. Poor animals, too. That stuff just breaks my heart…I’m glad you brought it up. I’m like the “simple salad.”
oh no . . . that is quite the bruise! funny though kids are resilient . . . heck I’d probably go on short term disability if I hit my head
Such a funny post, don’t worry to much about Lulu’s head, over the past 21 years my parents have witnessed/freaked over many a bonk of my abnormally large skull and i’m pretty sure i turned out okay…i’m pretty sure i turned out okay…i’m pretty sure i turned out okay
So if that’s a bad sound to hear… I feel bad for my parents! At least she didn’t hit a coffee table. Been there, done that, twice. Two sets of stitches two different times on my forehead. One in the middle of my forehead and one on my eyebrow (and no, eyebrow hair doesn’t grow on scars
lol)
Dang. I didn’t even notice the bruise on her head until after I read someone else’s comment! I hope she’s feel a lot better now!
I want to take all those pets home with me
I wish that was possible through the computer (as well as for a college student that won’t necessarily always have the means to take care of that many pets)
OMG MY JAW JUST HIT THE FLOOR NOW TOO!
“There’s no more horrific sound than your child’s skull hitting a hard surface.”
PLEASE tell me she’s ok!!!???!!!! Omg I know it. Skylar has had a few. And my heart just sunk. Currently she has a horrible cold and I have not taken her to the doctor in a year. But I think tomorrow I may have to. Herbs and holistic meds arent touching it. Sigh.
Take care Mama Pea. Life is not easy with sick and injured little ones.
I would love to volunteer in an animal shelter…but I would be so heart broken I’d end up coming home with a new pet each week! Animal issues make me so sad.
I hope Lulu is fully recovered after a good night’s rest
Hope Lulu’s okay and her bruise goes away quickly!
Awwww poor Lulu and poor you! The terror and heart-stopping sound that is skull meeting ground is awful. I don’t know how my mom dealt when MattyRich got hit in the head with a baseball bat when he was six-ish.
And the animals! I can’t even look. It breaks my heart. I’m not kidding when I say I teared up. The thought of them not having homes makes me sick. I want to adopt all the puppies from the Athens County Animal Shelter, but MamaJ thought it best that I don’t turn into the crazy dog lady. Someday!
I hope your Thursday brings some solace! Love you, MamaPea! xoxo
poor lulu! So good to see her brave twice in one day!
wowza look at that purple bump! Poor thing…
Aww..poort animals. Just reading that makes me SO sad
Love Gigi’s “frightened position!” She is so freakin’ adorable.
Poor Lulu:( Hope she feels better soon.
Oh poor Lulu! Fireplaces ledges and toddlers always make me nervous. I hope her head heals up soon!
That picture of Gigi being a bunny is priceless!
ahh lulu, i’m glad she’s okay. i continue to be amazed and interested in how different your girls are. it’s so funny to see their little personalities and the things that interest them. i would have sooo expected gigi to be into the animals and lulu to be nonchalant. your girls are so beautiful. i don’t think i’ve missed one single day of reading your blog! i heart the pea family;-).
I’m so glad you tried my protein cookie dough! I eat it almost every day
Poor Lulu, I hope she feels better soon!
I remember when we adopted my dog Suzie from the humane society. She was sitting in the back of her cage with her ears hanging down. She was an older dog (3 at the time) and all of the puppies were active and barking for attention. But she was just scared.
We got her out of the cage and she instantly loved on us and walked around sniffing everything, so happy to be out of the cage. There was no way we were putting her back in it and the rest is history
“I called the doctor’s office as a precaution (yes, I’m one of THOSE moms), and they said to watch her for crankiness or incoherent babbling. She’s two. That’s the story of her life.”
As a mom to a 3 year old, this line made me laugh my butt off – because it’s true. And the crack-thud sound is the worst sound on the planet. May you both recover quickly!
Egads that’s a rough day on so many levels. I totally think you did the right thing calling the doctor!
You’re such a good mom for noticing that Gigi has a fright/anxiety response action. That’s definitely a good thing to be aware of. So interesting that she does that.
Hope Lulu’s ok!
:-/ thats sound is seriously the most nauseating sound in the world! I hope your little pumpkin did okay through the night!
i hope Lulu is doing better today!!!
Some of those animals are scared because of the situations they were in BEFORE coming to the shelter – I’ve seen it a lot, but I’m glad they’re being cared for now. Definitely follow Bob Barker’s advice! We’ve had a lot of strays around our neighborhood, and I wish our neighbors would get their cats fixed.
Hi! I just stumbled upon your blog and read through some posts – and I love it! I can’t wait to come back:)
I’m especially excited about finding your blog because I’m a vegan and my husband and I are looking to start our family in the next year or so. I have wondered quite a bit about what it’s going to be like to be a vegan mom and what that will look like. Your blog is inspiring, and I’m excited to see how a real vegan mom handles everyday life.
Hope Lulu is okay!
OMG I hope your little girl is ok! That must be terrifying to hear her get hurt like that! Good thing Mama Pea is nursing her back to health!
Your post on shelters made me cry! I rescued my dog from a shelter and I volunteered at one during college and it always made me so sad (and angry) to see how animals are treated sometimes.
Whenever I see things like this, I’m always so shocked that people continue to pay tons of money for “fancy” dogs from breeders.
Hope Lulu is feeling better.
Aww, something about Gigi’s “position” is so sweet. I can understand her feeling overwhelmed–I still have memories of visiting the shelter when I was little (we always adopted our pets from there), and I always felt intimidated by the dogs, too. It’s scary when they’re as tall as you are!
Hope little Lulu is feeling better today
Been meaning to ask…don’t you have a Magic Bullet? Do you recommend?
I DO have a Bullet. It’s no Vita Mix, but it gets the small jobs done okay…like single serving smoothies. Convenience/cleaning wise, I’d recommend it.
Ack! I Can NOT go to the humane society with out coming home with an animal.
Oh no, look at Lulu’s goose egg! I can only imagine, you must have nearly thrown up. I’m not even a parent, but I scratched my niece’s face by accident when I picked her up one time a year or two ago–a TINY scratch on her cheek, didn’t even break the skin, she didn’t even flinch–and inexplicably, she still has a scar on her face. I’ll never live it down!
So sorry about Lulu’s crash. I cringe even thinking about it.
You’re a braver soul than I Mama Pea. One trip to the humane society would mean another pup in our household.
Gigi’s assuming of “the position” made me laugh. Isn’t it funny how we all react differently when we get anxious. I used to wrap my hands around each other over and over…still catch myself doing it at times.
gah. i love your blog. that’s it. i don’t know what else to say. oh wait i do, i do! how was the protein cookie dough?!?!
Aww, poor Lulu – I hope her head feels better today! The pictures of your girls at the shelter made me smile. Loved the bunny!
Look at Miss Brave Thing Lulu!! You go girl!
Look. This chit eats me up inside. I nearly cry even thinking about animals being scared.
What you can do is switch your perspective. Think about the lives those animals CAME from, the neglect they likely endured. And find some peace in knowing they are at a home now where people do love them.
We have a totally neglected adopted doggy who is now a complete angel. These animals do find homes and people to love them!!
Poor lulu…i know what that sounds is like, and how terrifying it is when you’re supposed to be watching your younger brothers and that happens! yikes!
and i always get sad when i go to the pound/animal shelter and see all the puppies and kitties that need homes…
Aw poor Lulu! Ouch!!! My head aches just by thinking about it. Poor kiddo.
I get so heartbroken when I think about animals at the pounds/shelters. I just want to adopt them all. Seeing them so scared is the saddest thing.
Hope Lulu’s bump gets better soon!
Oh my goodnes… would be so hard not to want to take them all home!
So question…Was just wondering if you had any fabulous insight for us regarding the transition from young professional to professional mother? Maybe a future topic? My dream is to be able to stay home with my future babies, but that transition seems like a doozy! Not working, going to one income, etc… any advice you have? I realized holding off on buying a beloved vita-mix is one step you can make, but there is so very much more. I’m sure the time spent with your girls is well worth it:)
Uhh my friends and I accompanied our frat guy friends to a strip club last night….it was quite an interesting experience. I’ll leave it at that!
PS! Puppies, protein cookie dough, your adorb girls and the freshhh salad!! I love!