#mommybloggerproblems #blameitonthedog

My kids say the darndest things.

Yes. I'm one of those moms that thinks everyone will definitely without a doubt certainly be interested in what Porter (7) and Campbell (5) have to say about any topic. I don't often tell the tales here on the blog (I tell them elsewhere), but last night, as I was reading my children a bedtime story, my phone was "all atwitter" (I had the phone on vibrate, and I wasn't looking at it...don't judge). There was a pause in the action, and then we heard another "buzz." 

Me: Sheesh! Sorry, guys. I need to get this phone out of here. 

Cam: He he hee he he heeee heeeee HEH Heh Heeee. It wasn't your phone, mommy. It was a TOOT! 

Po: hashtag "booty"

Cam: hashtag "itwasthedog"

Po: hashtag "yeahright"

Cam: hashtag "stinky"

Po: hashtag "seriously"

Me: hashtag "gotobed" 

treating my animal allergies through exposure

I have a confession to make.

It's not something I advertise or want my clients to know. In fact, I go to great length to hide this fact from new clients, especially:

I am a professional pet sitter and pet blogger who is allergic to animals.

Huh?

Yes, you heard me correctly. 

This fact that I have not revealed publicly came to mind recently because I had a consult with a lovely, yet exuberant, English Bulldog who I was pretty darn allergic to. She basically wanted to make out, and, of course, I wanted to, too! I did pet her lots, which I intend to do during each and every visit, but I had to do my best to hide my "disease" to her human parents. During our discussion of the ins-and-outs of this pooch's routine, I fought back the sneezes. As soon as I sneeze once, it's all over. Best to keep it under wraps, if possible. I let my eyes water a bit, instead. I feel like if my allergy is apparent during a consult (when it is likely at its worst), my new clients might feel I'm less than capable or feel insulted that I think their animal is "dirty," neither of which is the case. 

When I left the consult, the insides of my arms were welted up from the cuddles and my cheek was red from kisses. Sigh.

Does this stop me? No way! I am madly in love with this dog already. She'll get kisses and pets from me no matter what. It's part of the job. And, besides, I love it.

The good news? The more I pet and kiss her, the better things will be. My method of treating this allergy is to build up a natural tolerance. I do not take medication. I am lucky because my allergy to animals does not affect my breathing. Those who have trouble breathing around animals should not use this method. 

treating my animal allergies through exposure

This is my inside forearm a couple of hours after my consult.

My allergy is primarily a contact allergy, accompanied by sneezing. That means that my skin welts up and itches in areas where I've had contact with the animal's fur or saliva. You can tell when I've been "making out" with an animal because I come home with a fat lip and itchy arms. The worst is when I accidentally rub my eyes after petting an animal. Itchy, puffy eyes result, and the symptoms take hours to subside.

Instead of popping pills or taking injections, I treat my allergy by increasing my contact with these animals and building up a tolerance. I know...sounds crazy. It's a bit uncomfortable at first, but, in the long run, it's effective! I am not at all allergic to my own pets or those I see on a regular basis. I have lots of contact with them, and my immune system has built up a tolerance.

I am most allergic to dogs, cats, small caged animals, horses, and goats. I am also highly allergic to hay, so any animal who eats hay is a double-whammy (horses, guinea pigs, etc.). Brand-new clients definitely have a break-in period for me. I just love on them as much as possible, and after a few visits, things get better. My body fights off the allergen. I also notice that certain dog breeds cause a more severe allergic reaction in me than others. Contrary to popular belief, it's not about fur length. It's about dander and saliva. Frequent grooming helps, but only a little.

The toughest breeds for me are labs and retrievers because their skin typically carries a lot of dander, even when groomed well. Bulldogs and pugs, and other flat-faced breeds are also tough because they typically rub and project saliva on to those around them. Do I love these breeds any less? ABSOLUTELY NOT! In fact, they are some of my favorites!

Thankfully, I am not allergic to fish, reptiles, or birds. 

So, yes, I'm a pet sitter and pet blogger who is allergic to pets, and I treat my symptoms naturally, if unconventionally. Please don't hold it against me. 

an unconventional family bonded by a dog: childsplay's "super cowgirl and mighty miracle"

I figured that the littles and I would enjoy any play where one of the main characters is a dog (played by a human), but I didn't realize how touching and thought-provoking a seemingly simple tale could be. We knew going in that Childsplay's Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle would likely be fantastic. When we saw The Velveteen Rabbit a few months ago, we were blown away. What surprised me about this production was how playwright José Cruz González took serious current social issues and made them approachable for young audiences and how Childsplay's actors communicated the story in such a way that these beginning theater-goers could "feel." 

Childsplay summarized the play:

When a stray dog appears on the doorstep, it's love at first sight for six-year-old Cory, and the last straw for Grandma Autumn. Life hasn't been easy lately for either of these two, facing absent parents and lost homes. But in a delightfully surprising story filled with humor and heart, Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle reminds us love makes almost anything possible, even in hard times.

The subject matter couldn't be more timely.

We had the honor of listening to González speak about the play before it began. He explained how he wanted to tackle current issues that are facing so many in our country. He wanted to illustrate an unconventional family both in terms of multiple generations and in terms of race and culture. 

My children (ages five and seven) were quite entertained throughout the performance. There were no untimely bathroom requests or declarations of starvation. They were riveted. They laughed a lot, and felt the tension that some parts of the story required. I enjoyed watching their faces as much as I enjoyed watching the performance. With such complex, sensitive issues being raised I wondered how much my children absorbed. I asked them what the play was about (possible spoilers):

Quotes from my seven-year-old:

• "The girl had to live with her grandma because her mom was dead and her papa had to go to another country to work. They didn't have a lot of money, so that must have been hard."

• "I thought it was cool how they went to all the different places and just switched a couple of things on the stage so you could tell where they were." 

• "The girl helped the dog, and the dog helped the girl and her grandma, too, so they became a real family. They all loved each other."

Quotes from my five-year-old:

• "Love...and family."

• "The play was about the dog saving the girl's life just like she saved his life."

• "The girl and the grandma didn't get along so well at the beginning, but then they loved each other."

• "My favorite part was when the grandma stepped in the dog poop!"

photo provided by Childsplay

I must say, the poop part was pretty funny. There were several points during the show that had the whole audience roaring. Despite–and perhaps partly because of–the hilarious antics, the kids were able to understand that the story was about love and family.  

Aside from the fabulous performance that Childsplay put on, I love the fact that they make theater approachable for kids. After the performance, the actors took their traditional bows, but then remained on the stage. They first asked the children in the audience specific questions about the play that made them think how they, as individuals, could relate to the story. Some of the questions required detailed comprehension of the story, and some didn't, so there were questions for all ages. Everyone had the opportunity to participate. The children then had the chance to ask questions of the actors. The actors were approachable and said "ask us anything!"

My favorite question came from a young man: "How old are you?"

It was clear that Osiris Cuen, who played "Cory," a six-year-old girl, was no where near that age. Yet during the performance, she made us believe she was. "I'm twenty-two," Cuen told the young man. Carlos A. Lara, who played the dog, reported his age as "twenty-four." Perhaps we can figure that out in dog years. And Chanel Bragg, who played "Grandma Autumn" was a mere thirty-one! Now I really feel old. It was wonderful to see the children in the audience asking questions that adults would typically take for granted. Not only are the children learning at an early age how to think thoroughly about a production, but adults get to view a live production through the eyes of inquisitive children. How rewarding for all!

Related: adopt a friend and get a free ticket: childsplay teams up with the arizona animal welfare league

Disclaimer: I am a Childsplay Mom2Mom Blogger. My family and I were provided tickets to this performance in exchange for my honest opinion. This review was also posted on Childsplay's Mom2Mom Blog.

honey, i'm home: communicating your arrival to your pet sitter

Call me overbearing. Call me neurotic. 

As a professional pet sitter, my motto is "expect the best, but prepare for the worst," so I ask my clients to let me know when they are home safely. 

Why do I care?

Imagine they don't return home safely, and I don't know it. Though it's never happened in my entire pet sitting career, imagine it did....I made my last visit for the "Smith Family Pets" at noon on Saturday because they are scheduled to return at 4:00 p.m. But they don't. Could they be...

• held up camping and out of cell phone range

• at the airport with drained cell phones, no charger, and a cancelled flight

• something worse, which I won't mention

What would happen to the pets who'd been in my care if their family hadn't arrived home as scheduled and could not communicate that information to me? Who cares about pooping on the floor at this point? What about dehydration or starvation?

So how do I solve this problem? I ask my clients to give me a call or text or email when they have arrived home safely. Even if it's 2:00 a.m....just let me know. I'll see the text and go right back to sleep, and I'll probably sleep easier knowing the animals are taken care of.

Most of the time, if my clients are delayed, they let me know. I'm able to extend their visits, and all is well. 

In order to ensure they let me know about their arrival home, I let them know during our initial consult that I expect a "safe arrival" message upon their return, and it's all spelled out in my terms and conditions. I also leave my clients treats and a note letting them know how things went. That note always includes a little reminder: "please let me know when you arrive home safely." If I don't hear from them when expected, they will get a call from me, and if I don't hear back from them in a reasonable amount of time, I will then make a visit to the pets to make sure all is well. I've done this a couple of times, only to find out that all was well and the clients had simply forgotten to call. Thank goodness. 

I find that my clients really appreciate this feature of our service. It may seem silly and unnecessary at first, but once they think of what might happen if this precaution was not set in place, they immediately get on board and thank me for my insightful ways. 

Insightful and caring? Thanks! Those closest to me call me a worry wart. I'll take insightful and caring any day. 

adopt a new friend and get a free ticket: childsplay teams up with the arizona animal welfare league

I love a win-win situation, don't you? 

This past year, I became a Childsplay Mom2Mom Blogger, which means I have the opportunity to take my children to professional live theater productions, then write reviews both from my perspective and my littles' viewpoint. They ask me to review their animal-related productions, and we most recently saw The Velveteen Rabbit, which was a wonderful experience for the whole family. We're gearing up to see Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle next weekend. The show's main character is a stray dog...right up our alley! The Childsplay web site describes the show:

When a stray dog appears on the doorstep, it's love at first sight for 6-year-old Cory, and the last straw for Grandma Autumn. Life hasn't been easy lately for either of these two, facing absent parents and lost homes. But in a delightfully surprising story filled with humor and heart, Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle remindes us love makes almost anything possible, even in hard times.

Childsplay has teamed up with the Arizona Animal Welfare Leage for a unique offer. During the month of March, if you adopt a dog from the Arizona Animal Welfare League, your family will receive one free ticket to see Super Cowgirl and Mighty Miracle. How amazing is that? You get to bring home a new friend, and you get to see an awesome show!

If you live in the Phoenix area and are planning to adopt a new dog soon, please take advantage of this special offer and join our family next weekend for what is sure to be a fantastic production!