Jam at the Damz

Today Ro and I were able to participate in the 'Jam at the Damz'!  We did the 10k course, and it was a lot of fun! :)  We raised $155 and discovered that we needed to raise $250 to earn the really cool biking jersey (bummer!)  The event had raised over $65,000 when we left!  It was for a great cause so I was really glad we went. We did get a nice t-shirt and had a lot of fun!  So when we were getting ready I had put on Ro's shoes because they said that there might be some thorns on the ground because they had mowed the grass at the sides of the sidewalk.

 (Here she is waiting before we head to the starting line)

I asked one of the volunteers how the track looked, and he said that it was clear that over night all the thorns and such had been blown to the side and as long as we stuck to the sidewalk he didn't think her feet would have a problem.  Ro is not overly thrilled with her boots, so I decided I'd just take them and try it without them.  

Here we are at the starting line!

So me and Ro were doing really well, we were heading up the 10k pack (there were other racers doing the 25k, 50k, and 100k that started before the 10kers)  along with one other fellow.  We got to what we thought was our checkpoint, but the volunteer said "Not yet, keep going you are doing great!"  So we kept going.  It was quite a large hill, I was very surprised and said to the gentlemen "I hate to think how the kids are going to manage this hill..." because there were quite a few kids in our 10k race, but they had other bikers with them.  So we kept going.  We got a little behind the other fellow because there was a large downhill, and I like to give Ro a break after a long downhill.  So we went another half mile or so and started up this hill that I thought was GIANT!  (We are used to Wash Park which is mostly flat!) 

 Here is me showing Ro where we were headed!

 A far away shot of the course, we headed up that next hill (this was a little ways after the first large hill).

 It's hard to see, but the trail goes all the way up the far hill.

So...around the time we were 3/4 of the way up the third large hill, another volunteer catches up to us and was like "We are so sorry, but the lady told you wrong, you weren't supposed to come up any of the hills, the 10k course is back the other way."  Leave it to me to get lost!!!  So we turned around and finished the race.  We ended up around the middle/front of the pack due to our extra couple miles going UPHILL!!  We laughed about it, and now Ro's distance is even farther.  There were 4 stations that you punched a checkpoint card, and at the end we had "Jam the Damz'. 

 (Another nice photo from the extra part of the race, it was pretty so it was worth going!)

 This was during one of our water/rest breaks.

After the race, showing off how our punch pass was complete!  As you can see Ro needed a long rest!  I tried to have her give me her water bowl after and she just looked at me like "You have to be kidding mom, I just ran a marathon!"

 

This was Ro after she got a few minutes to catch her breath.  My tired, but happy dog! :)

CaPR- Bow Ties and Tails Event!

Zane, Ro and I were able to attend the CaPR: Bow Ties and Tail Event on Saturday.  I forgot to take pictures...but there was a photographer there so hopefully I can acquire some of them later!  I did remember once we got home, so I took a cute photo of Ro with her bow tie on.

Ro was the lucky dog that got to pick a tennis ball at the end for the winner of the big prize for the night!  I was joking that Ro would accept bribes because she is good at the 'Drop' cue, and I could have her put the ball back if it wasn't the persons...and then she really did drop one!  Made me laugh! :)  She did a really good job behaving.  We had the normal 'arrival excitement' that comes with having such a happy girl, but overall she did fabulous.  Zane even commented after we left that she did a fantastic job.  If I do get some photos I'll make sure to add them to the post.  Have a good week!

I can't believe how far behind I am on updates once again!  I'm a happy to say that Ro and I are having a fabulous year at school so far! Much different from last year.  She is settling in nicely and not having tummy issues like the beginning of last school year.  (She does try to sneak crumbs left from student snack, but not nearly as much).  I have been very busy with work and many nights we aren't home until at least 6.  Ro developed a strange bump on her ear, but the vet checked it and said it isn't anything we should worry about and it might even disappear over the coarse of a few months.  (Apparently it is quite common for younger dogs...)  Overall her health was super good!  Her weight is perfect and she behaves really nicely.
Ro and I have been busy getting in shape for our 10k next Saturday at Jam at the Damz!  We are on the Adaptive Adventures team (the group that has been lending us a hand-cycles each week).  We set up a donation page to help with our registration fees, so if you'd like to help please check it out! http://www.grouprev.com/shannonandro?saved=1
We are now up to 7 miles without getting too tired, so we should be up for the 6 mile race hopefully running most of the way!  :)  Ro really likes getting out and running as do I!   
A few weeks ago we volunteered at the Ataxia Run, Walk, Roll.  Ro was doing such a good job I let her man the tent for a bit.

 And here is just a cute photo of her! :)

We are headed to the Bow Ties and Tails event for Canine Partners tonight, so I'm sure we'll take some more photos! 
I am very grateful for how flexible Ro can be.  Our lives a very full and crazy most days.  With work, three kids, and everything else we have going on it's nice to know she can handle it.  I thought for sure the beginning of the school year was going to be crazy.  A week before school started my grandmother passed away and we drove all the way to Salt Lake to attend the funeral and back over the coarse of only 2 days, and the next day had to start work.  I was so glad she was able to manage all of that (and me worrying!). I know there is so many more things I meant to post about, but at this moment I can't think of any of them!

It's Official...!

Last Wednesday, July 25th, Ro and I took our final PAT for me to be able to officially adopt Ro.  She did wonderfully and we signed all the paperwork afterwards at a celebration lunch!  Ro is settling in pretty well around here, Riley even accepts her as part of the family.  They even share the same water dish now! :)

Today we all went to the Denver Aquarium with Zane's mom.  Evidently there is a tiger there...so we had to get an escort through the middle area since Ro was with me.  I thought there was supposed to be just fish!  What is a tiger doing at the Aquarium?!  Anyhow, basically they just rushed me and Ro very quickly through that part and we waited for the rest of the family to get through before continuing on.  This was one of the more difficult outings I've had with Ro.  She was VERY curious and was trying to smell a lot, but after awhile it got easier when she realized that I wasn't going to let her off the hook and she needed to pay attention!  I did let her sneak in a few good smells on some of the fish.  In this photo you can't see but there is a weird looking fish right by her nose, it was very funny and cute!

Overall, we all had a great time...but it is very difficult to have the entire family look at the camera and smile for a photo...this was the best we had (even with a few attempts at different locations!).

Ro, Zane and I stopped at my work yesterday...we have a lot of things to get ready before next school year.  Ro had to give the room a good smell down as it's been all cleaned and things were moved all over.  I'm excited and nervous for this coming year, but glad that Ro is here to stay and that things are going well.

New Collar!

I noticed the other day that the clip on Ro's collar was broken (it cracked and was barely hanging on).  So I ordered one online and it came in today!  You wouldn't believe how hard it is to transfer the license and rabies tags...maybe it's because my hands nerves aren't that great...but it took forever!  I even got her a new 'Quiet Spot' to match and keep the tags quiet! Doesn't she look beautiful?!

Also...she has a bad habit of sniffing the floor at home (which we've been working on).  Well, yesterday she came up to me and I was like "Ro....have you been sniffing the floor again??!"  She gave me her cute eyes, but also this "Uh....maybe..."  She had a green sprinkle on her nose from Anya's cookie, so there was no denying it.  Silly dog.

We made it to the summer!  Our first working year together has gone pretty well.  Ro and I work really well out in public.  The only difficult time is when I am with the whole family!  I think it gets a little overwhelming for the both of us, and I think Ro feels a little responsible for Zander as she helped teach the little guy to walk!  It isn't all the time, usually just when the kids are really excited about something.  Now when I go out without her, which isn't often, it feels like I've forgotten something. 
So...it has been incredibly hot here lately, which doesn't bode well for me because my legs don't regulate my temperature very well.  We've had entirely too much time indoors...and here are some pics to prove it! :)

 Any guesses on whose hiding under the blanket with a dragon?!..........

....

....

That's right!  A smiling dog named Ro!

We have managed to get out occasionally...but it seems so complicated!  The ground has been so hot for little Ro's feet, so I really have to be careful because I don't want to burn them. And then to top it off, we took the girls to dance class and because it was so hot I thought we'd wait in the car with the AC on.  Well we were PARKED for a good 40 min (relaxing...listening to music...talking...), and then a car came along and hit the van.  SERIOUSLY??  Argh...so now I have to figure out how to work in a repair.  The good thing though was that Ro was relaxing on the floor and it only jogged us and the kids weren't in the car.  Some paint damage and front quarter panel (something like that).  But still...I have terrible luck I think.  I'm just glad that neither of us were hurt.  

I have also been trying to get in shape more, so I have been heading to the gym each morning.  I haven't taken Ro yet as I only go for a short amount of time and it's usually during her morning nap! :)  But we are scheduled to go on another hand-cycling ride this Saturday!  I really hope it isn't like 105°F...that would be crazy!  I wish it would cool down so I could go out and practice more with Ro, we have our Public Access Test coming up and I'm super excited for this one!  As long as we pass, Ro officially becomes a part of our family!  She already is...they'd have to drag her away I think...

Handcycling

Today we tried hand-cycling for the first time.  Ro did a great job of figuring out where to run next to me so that we didn't get tangled.  My best friend June came along for the ride, she did one of the hand cycles as well! I only got stuck once when I tried to turn around because we were going the wrong way.  A nice cyclist by us helped me get turned around and we were off again.  We were able to ride a total of four miles!  Ro was pretty tired at the end, but we had a lot of fun! :)

My sweet girl Ro! :)

I feel that it is once again time for an update as it's been awhile since we posted anything new.  The school year ended, and it was a difficult year indeed.  It is hard to balance something you feel so passionate about (teaching) with the politics of the education system in which I currently find myself.  I know that I will never fit any 'mold' of what a teacher or classroom should look like- I am a unique individual presented with a unique perspective and situation in life.  Every aspect of my life has been difficult this year, and I was very fortunate to have Ro listen to all my cries and whines as I struggled to find the courage to continue to move forward and figure out what my next step is.  I do think the biggest thing Ro does for me is just being next to me...even when I run to the restroom! :)
So what has Ro been up to over the last few months?!  We've been to the movies, out for dinners, to a dance recital, to visit my grandma who has been very sick...and much more- again to far in between updates to remember them all.  Just the other day we went over to Barb's house so Ro could play with two of her half-sisters and her good buddy Chivay!  She ran around for two hours straight and was SOOO excited!  I guess she deserves some time off since I work her so hard (sarcasm...about the overwork part!).  As soon as we got home, she walked right to her bed and didn't get up until morning!
I have also learned a lot about taking care of a dog.  I try hard to make sure she is a clean, lean, hardworking machine!! I really strive to make sure she behaves well, and that her cute tail is always wagging.  I like to think that my dog is the cutest one around.  My students were upset when they realized that Ro would not be moving onto the third grade with them next year, I told them although she is smart-she needed to be held back...mostly because I needed her help again!  I know that this summer is going to give us some much needed relaxing time together to prepare for the upcoming year.  It is going to be great-it has to be!
Last thing, today we started a summer camp called 'Camp Invention'.  There isn't much for Ro to do since there is lots of magnets and things in our unit-and I don't want her to topple over the kids towers and such.  She was so sweet and good about sitting in the corner today.  I felt bad, but really appreciate that on days when I need her to sit quietly, she is able to.  Such a blessing! :)  Here is a cute picture of her being her sweet self!

 My favorite little face!! (Mom...can I eat it now?  How about now?  Now?)

Don't even think about taking her favorite toy!  She likes to guard it...

April's News

Once again, it's been awhile since I sat and wrote a post.  Lots has happened...St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Anya's birthday, outings, etc.  We've had our ups and downs, and have our things we need to work on...but Ro is always there with her cute little eyes and that keeps me going most days! :)  When we are out doings things by ourselves she is fabulous, but at work lately she hasn't been listening as well as I'd like.  Unfortunately it's due to the fact that many adults don't heed my requests to not touch her, and I am feeling like a broken record lately.  I have found that if I am much more forceful and literally begin running my chair between them and Ro-they finally get the hint that I'm serious about "Please, don't pet her." I have had to brings treats a few times on days I deem 'practice days' and she is doing well on those, but I don't want her to only work when I'm rewarding her so I have to really watch what I'm doing and that makes a difference.
Anyhow, here is a cute collection of photos from our random outings the past month or so!

 A picture of all my girls! :)

 The girls dressed for St. Patrick's Day (at school).

 Ro with her green gear (probably thinking "MOM TAKE THIS OFF!!")

 Ro watching our guest speaker during a sound presentation!  She loves this position...and it is my favorite of hers, makes me smile!!

Ro looking very proper with her paws crossed in her favorite spot in my classroom.  The kids all know that if Ro starts walking towards the ottoman, they better get out of the way because she will sit on their things to claim her spot (especially if Mom has said 'Ro, jump on')!

March is a busy month!

So I always promised myself that I would keep this as up to date as possible...but life gets in the way and I find that my online baby book for the kids is also looking neglected.  My goal is to get them updated this month!  In March is not only my husbands and my birthday's, but our anniversary (10 years!).  Unfortunately, the entire family ended up sick...so babysitter was canceled and we spent the day at home watching movies and negotiating who would get up and feed the kids.  Our son was sick as well, but the girls were not and had a lot of energy!  Poor Ro wanted to get up and do things, but she ended up sitting at my feet just looking all cute.
Anyhow, I wanted to get on to put some pictures up that I kept meaning to add of Ro doing various things.  Enjoy! :)

 This is Ro practicing 'leave' with her favorite treat-carrots!

 This is Ro making sure that no one has a seat on the couch....!!

 This is Ro making sure that the students are working!  It's nice that they don't even notice her even though she can take up a lot of room!  She can also take up a very small amount of space...but she usually chooses to stretch out. 

This is Ro during one of our meetings...you can see she was bored (I may have been as well...maybe...)

We passed! :)

Ro and I had our 6 month PAT (Public Access Test) today at the Aurora Mall.  Ro did fabulous!!  So proud of her!  She didn't even try to sniff for food which was my biggest worry.  I had been worried about it for weeks now, so it was a relief to pass and have her do so well!  All our work has paid off!!  The kids at work will be very pleased with her as well, they have been asking for awhile now when Ro has to take her test.  We joke a lot because when they have their math tests I always tell them that Ro has to take her tests too and she has to practice just like them to be ready for them! :)
We just got home...and Ro is now taking a well deserved break sleeping on the couch.  Have a good day!

Basketball season is over

Ro did an excellent job in helping coach this season!  Our girls went into the playoffs and made it through second rounds.  Unfortunately we lost and now are out.  They had a great season and we hope that our next one goes even better!  We are starting 6th grade season here soon, but it is a non-competitive league where we work on building skills and sportsmanship in order to get ready for next year when they are 7th and 8th graders.
Here is a pic that a friend took of us during a time-out.  During games I tend to put Ro at the end of the bench and not up by me if the game is close because I'm usually yelling towards the court to tell the girls the next step (or maybe at the refs...ahahha) and Ro sometimes thinks I'm trying to get her to do something.  When I put her at the end she realizes that I'm not trying to have her do something and she relaxes more.  This photo was taken during a time-out.  Ro always wants to be involved as you can see!!  She has very important tips for the girls! (Along with a good-luck shake before we start each game!)

Long overdue for an update!

I can't believe I haven't posted since before the holidays!  A lot has been happening around here and this next week things are going to be even crazier!
First, over the break Ro and I got a lot of practice sessions in at malls and various stores while shopping.  She did fabulous and has continued to improve on not eating.  Despite me not letting people pet her, she always wants people to know she's there!  She is just a social butterfly!!  I was able to get the button for her to turn the lights on at work in a position the fire marshal didn't complain about (only took 3 tires...grumble...)  And her and Riley are becoming best buds.
So I guess I'll just go over the highlights since it seems silly now to try and recount everything as it's been a few months.

Ro went to visit Santa with the kids, she was very well behaved.

(My four beautiful babies...)

On Christmas Ro had her own personalized stocking hung by the fire! Santa filled it with yummy bones! 

(The pic is kinda blurry but it's her enjoying her treat)

She also got some fun toys!

Here is a pic of her and Riley laying on the couch together!

What else?  She loves to hang out with the kids at school...they have been really good about not petting her, but I'll find them in close vicinity sometimes! :)  Last week our school had 'Spirit Week' where each day you would show your school spirit by dressing in various ways.  Tuesday was 'Impersonate a teacher' day...we had a few kids show up in wheelchairs dragging along their service dogs (stuffed animals)!  I couldn't help but smile and snap a photo.  I can only put up the ones of the doggies due to kids photos...but here they are!

Basketball season is wrapping up right now.  It has been a fun season, but hard on the girls.  Many nights we don't get home till late and it's a long day for Anya.  She has been falling asleep lately...so I taught Ro the 'babysit' cue...or 'sit on baby' (ahha, jk!)  But this was cute.

 

Another few cute pics of Ro...

 (She ran up to me with her toy...ear back...and I made her wait so I could take a pic)

 Ro on the ottoman at work with her new dragon toy since cookie monster ripped.

 (She's not supposed to be on our bed....came into the room to find that she snuck up there during a nap)

So you might remember that Ro is not a fan of giant stuffed animals (the ones with people in them!) Well we went to Chick-fil-a during their opening in Aurora and there was a cow one.  This is her behaving very beautifully while the cow walked by us! I was very proud of her.  (And glad to have the participation of the cow to practice this!!)

 

Well, more to come!  I need to upload more pics.  Ro has been such a great assistant coach that we are headed to playoffs this week! (#3 seed spot, highest for our school so far!)  With parent/teacher conferences and the like this week...it's going to be very long.  Wish us luck!