Sick.... again....

I've been wiped out this past week with... I'm not sure what. A minor cold with a horrific cough that goes along with it. Pretty darn draining.

The kids got it this weekend, so now we're all sort of melting into the furniture -- finding a comfortable spot, covering up with a blanket, and dozing off in that tired feverish fog.

For some reason, I always seem to get hit with something just before I go into the hospital to have a baby. Why is that? Is my immune system just really low beforehand, or is it that almost all of our children were born around this time, and this is the season for fun new illnesses?

Either way, it's given me an opportunity to catch up on some movies that we've rented:

HITCH: a fairly decent movie starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes. Will Smith plays "the date doctor," who helps clueless guys get through those first few awkward moments when they are meeting a woman they would like to date. Predictable plot, but enjoyable (in a light, fluffy sort of way). It was rated PG-13.

HAPPY FEET: Can't say I even begin to understand why this one earned any sort of attention. I thought the movie was just plain bad, truthfully. It's the story of a young penguin who can't "find his heartsong" (yeccch. It made me gag just typing that...) but has the gift of dance. There are a lot of big names providing the voices for this movie, but for the life of me I have no idea why....

THE DOG WHISPERER: Those of you who have cable/satellite/whatever have probably seen this guy before, but he's brand-new to me. He has a pretty decent understanding, it seems, of what makes dogs act the way they do. His advice boils down to having the owners learn how to act in a confident, dominant, "pack leader" sort of way, which in turn will make the dog respond in a calm, submissive manner. He does this with his bearing/manner, and with taking the dog out for a walk -- but not just any kind of walk. The way he holds the leash and the way he has the dog walk behind him soon makes the dog understand who is the leader and who is the follower.

I needed this because we've been having problems with our dog lately. While I'm not going to say that watching a few shows and working on her for a day has cleared up all her problems, I can say that this pregnant woman -- for the first time -- was able to walk our very strong, VERY forceful dog around the block without being dragged down the street! I was even able to give the leash to my oldest daughter for a few minutes, which I would NEVER have done before.

Here's hoping that the techniques in this video are part of God's answer to our family's prayer for our dog!