Oh no Earnesto!

Here he comes! It has been raining cats and dogs here all day long. The wind is picking up and we are snuggling down here at Casa De Lane to weather the storm. We likely wont see much more action than what we are seeing now, but it sure is making for a messy day.

I am still having a hard time over the loss of our dog. I am not usually an overly emotional person, so this is new for me. I cant identify if I am mourning the loss of Jakey or the trauma of seeing what happened.. the pain of it for my Dad or what. Every time I close my eyes I see his happy little face..and then the scene of his death, and I cry.I keep telling myself to suck it up.. its just a dog.. puppies die.. things happen, its the way of nature. But it isnt helping. Im still so incredibly sad over it.

Things One and Two dealt SO well with it. Only a few tears from Thing Two..and that
surprisingly was over the loss of BOTH the dogs.. she felt compassion for Taynus.. the one who commited the crime. I was shocked, when my 6 yr old could feel such compassion, And I? punched him in the skull and ordered his execution.She is an incredible little kid. Thing One is stoic about such things. I remember when she was about 6 and her great grandad died. She tilted her head to one side and said "ohh thats too bad" or something equally as unemotional. A year later when Steven's Grandmother,someone Thing One had been very close to,died very suddenly she barely shed a tear. She is just more internal than most.

In other news about Thing Two, I am a little worried about her. She has something called "selective mutism" wich is basically a fancy term for "really really shy in certain situations" And it is getting worse.

It is debilatating for her in some situations. She clams up when men speak to her (and I know the first inclination would be to ask Who messed with her? She has rarely been out of my sight.. as a victim of abuse in my childhood (a teacher) It doesnt play out like that) and she REALLY freaks out over situations where she will be in a crowd or loud noise. Im trying to think of a way to deal with it, and to help her be more approachable by loved ones. Any advice?