motivation

Mornings in our house are as typical as any I suppose. 

We have to make sure our kids wake up.

We have to make sure our kids look appropriate when they leave to school. 

But not on Thursdays.  Thursday is JROTC dress up day.

 No sneaking out in anything out of order here....in fact, we woke up to Braden

asking for his Dad to inspect his uniform. (insert blurry eyed groggy me ...

BLERGH what?)

We like JROTC in this house. 

Because we are a military family?

NOPE.

Because the cadre will bark up one

side and down the other of my oldest son's

tree if he falls out of order.  And if he is out

of order, he is off the rifle team. 

Motivation.

Motivation to do well in school.

Motivation to be on time.

Motivation to look sharp.

GREAT!

After I was fully awake, and I have told Colton to go

change his uniform (also a green shirt, but a polo and

khaki pants), I got Olivia ready for school.  It's

P.E. day and they are learning to do back bends.

Must.

Dress.

Accordingly.

(they mean it, it's not Olivia's idea, even if

she agrees completely)

Then a little known thing about my youngest daughter happened.

Mess with her morning and she does something...

strange...

familiar....

and infuriating...

she Russell's.

Yes she does the "Russell", a trait anyone

close to my side of the family has witnessed in my

youngest brother.

In fact the more urgent a person

is to get things moving, the more Russell will

quietly, and stubbornly, digs his heels in and decides to

start moving slower than tar in January.  I  mean

it.

I tried to get him to hurry across Highway 48 when

a semi truck was coming down the road.  NOPE.

NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

Olivia does this, but she doesn't get mad when

you push her too far like my brother.  She

cries and shuts down. 

Motivating her is hard and complicated stuff.  BUT

today, her Dad came home from work early and

picked us up on the way to school (saving her from

being WAY late), and she made it!  Seeing her Dad

in his Avalanche, she started running like MAD.

Daddy is her motivation.

After Chris went to work, it left me with my dogs,

a chilly morning, and being on the other side of

base from my house.  Which for today was my only

motivation.  If I don't walk, I don't get home.

But luckily today was jump day at the Airborn School

here on Fort Benning.  I got to walk around, enjoy the

morning (it was pretty cold) and listen to the jump

masters give instructions repeatedly over a loud speaker

as they hoisted men up in groups of three just to drop

them and their parachute to join the others on the

ground.

The jump master would tell them when they got to

the top..."IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE...YOU

HAVE FOUND WHAT YOU SHOULD BE!!!", and

then proceed to order them to be dropped in turns

on the count of one (drop one) two (drop the second)

and three (off goes the third).

I don't think there is enough motivation in the WORLD

that could get me to do that.  I will take my walk

across base.  I enjoyed it too.  I dropped the dogs off

at the dog park and chatted with some ladies about

Fort Stewart, and then headed on my way.  No time

frame, no one yelling at me.  No real hurry.  No one

MAKING me be motivated.  And guess what?

It was encouraging.

DOGS

Meet Mork and Mindy.  Yes we got dogs again.  After leaving Mattie behind in Kuna with the most awesome family ever Colton went into severe dog mourning.   He really was sad.  Not pouting sad, but my best friend went away and I can't see her ever again sad.  We reminded him of all of the reasons we had to leave her behind.  Her back legs may not have tolerated all of the travel as she would be kenneled for hours on end while we drove, and THEN she would have to stay inside (which I know a lot of people think is natural, but she would disagree).  The list just went on and on.  Our smart happy loving Mattie got a new home and she gets to go running and get furminatored and spoilt and she might even be a library therapy dog soon.  She is in awesome hands. 

Enter Mork and Mindy.  Jack Russell Terrors Terrier mix (Chihuahua maybe?) dogs with so much packed in per square inch, I do not think they are aware that they are small and have limitations.  I wish I was more like that!

Mork and Mindy

(at the shelter they were "Spunky" and "Schooner" and they did NOT answer to them so we changed them and they fit them PERFECTLY)

Morky, Dorky, Morkus Dorkus, Dorkasaurus Rex and many others is the smallest of the two.  He has one ear that sticks straight up, and one that is Jack Russell floppy.  He loves to "kill" tennis balls, and really does not like other dogs not of his pack.  (This is creating a bit of a problem)  He got over a HORRIBLE marking habit, and has settled in quite well.  He will do anything for someone to throw the ball, but hasn't figured out that he is supposed to bring it back and drop it yet.  (Not quite the brightest dog...that, or he just looks dumb)  He does have a new skill though.  He can climb ladders.  Yes Jack Russell Terriers are NOT to be under estimated.  So maybe he isn't so dumb.

Mindy, or Mindimus Maxiumus if your feeling regal and Roman, but she just doesn't lend to silly nic names.  She has two huge ears and big ol eyes that make people say she looks like a miniature deer, when she is in trouble she gets a weird expression on her face, and I swear she looks like a house elf.

The dogs are fun.

They drive me crazy.

They have fur.

They live in my HOUSE (getting used to it...slowly)

My kids adore them.

Mork adores Chris....Chris thinks it's strange.

They have fur.

Dogs stink.

My kids adore them...well the jury is out on Braden.

They can climb ladders...and I think that is weird.

Savannah thinks it is equally weird when they climb up her bunk bed ladder to wake her very stealthily awake.  Probably more startling than weird.  I am too busy laughing to notice.