Reasons I love My Mother-in-Law - Part Eleven

The MIL loves our dog, and I do mean loves. Sometimes we wonder if she likes the dog more than the grandkid - but that is another post for another time.

For many years there was a ongoing 'please don't feed the dog' battle between us and she.

A few times a week she would make some kind of homemade stew for the dog and bring it over here during the day for the dog's lunch. The dog doesn't eat lunch. What dog eats lunch?

So our healthy 15lbs dog grew into a chubby 18lbs bundle of love. No matter how much we tried the MIL would not stop feeding her.

You see, in her mind, dog food is cancer causing and dogs should eat people food. (You can kinda see where this is going, right?)

In the summer of 2005, the pups went to spend a few days with the MIL while we went to the cottage. Upon our return we called and asked if we could come pick the dog up. Turns out the dog wasn't there so much as at the Emerg Vet with severe pancreatitis. (It was much harder to get that out of them than you might think).

See the MIL had made the dog a huge bowl of dark meat chicken and broccoli stew, of which she ate all. Making her terribly terribly sick.

Now, by no means is that the funny part. My poor pup recovered, thank god.

The funny part is how the MIL blamed us.

Go ahead, read that again, I'll wait.

It was our fault the dog wasn't used to people food and the vet was crazy for saying it was her good cooking that made the dog sick.

And if you are wondering, no she never apologized.

And no, she doesn't cook for her anymore.

Reasons I love My Mother-in-Law - Part Eight

I am not a crier. Don't get me wrong, I am not morally opposed to crying, I just am more of the bottle-it-all-up or bitch-and-complain-about-it type.

So for my husband to call home to find me balling my eyes, was, well, rather off-putting to him.

See, as you may recall my MIL has a charming habit of just stopping by. She did this often in the early days of my maternity leave (before she realized she doesn't like babies). One time when my daughter was about 4 months old she barged in to find us napping on the couch together.

She then proceeded to freak out, wake up the baby and shower me with (ahem) useful advice.

• And I quote "What are you doing? Don't let the baby sleep on you! She will get used to your heartbeat and never want to sleep without you!" Note: not that the 41 weeks in utero would have made her at all used to my heartbeat.
• "When she gets colicy, give her boiling water in a bottle." Note: she was never once colicy, and I am not sure scalding water would make a kid stop crying.
• "Here is a book written by the Pet Psychic with diets you should give the dog. She is very wise and you should do this or the dog will get cancer." Note: It was the same diet that she fed to our dog giving her severe pancreatitis.

It was the Pet Psychic diet that sent me over the end.

Gotta love the view

My MIL feels very comfortable in our home. So much so that she comes by whenever she feels like, usually with no warning or invitation. It could be to garden, to walk the dog or in the past to feed the dog homemade stew (there is a forthcoming post about this one).

You never really know when or what she will be doing.

There have been many times either the Hubz or I have come home one or all of the following scenarios:

• to find her taking up the whole driveway so that no other car can park
• to find her sitting on the couch watching the Y&R
• to find the front door unlocked and her out for a walk with the dog
• to find many small plastic bags of yard waste at the curb (that won't be picked up because the are small plastic bags)
• to find random plantings in our front or back garden
• to find a full and slightly sick dog

Let me put it this way. She is featured in my Google Street View.

Reasons I love my Mother-in-Law - Part Three

My dog has outfits - all purchased by my MIL.

Her (my 16 lbs boston terrier) has the following in her 'closet':

• Snowsuit (with but removed)
• Parka with fir-trimmed hood
• Wind breaker
• Boots
• Roots fleece
• 3 sweaters
• Raincoat
• Harley Davidson t-shirt with matching cap
• Fleece PJs
• Sequined bow tie with collar

And the only thing I have ever put on the dog willingly is a sweater. But that is were I draw the line.

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