We got a Puppy (again)

In July, we started the month with some wonderful visitors from Ohio. The kids were so bummed when our good friends moved to the mid-west. The kids spent a chunk of the summer with their grandma and so we thankfully got to have a sleepover.

Even if the current state of things does not have me feeling very red, white, and blue - we used the holiday to teach the kids about what patriotism means (and what it does not) and how we can act and do our part to represent our country of immigrants.

We also added to the family with an adoption of our second rescue pup, Scout. Will and I went to the pet store for fish food and came out with a puppy. Will noticed that they were having an adoption event, while were there. I warned him about going over, but he insisted. He was smitten with Scout instantly. He reminded him of Sparky the Fire Dog from his military days.

Needless to say, the kids were very surprised. They thought it was so funny how their "anti-dog" dad turned into a dog-lover. We were stuck on a few names: Pippin, Scout, and Sparky. Scout won out with Pippin a very close second. We did a family vote. I was glad to get one of the book references (Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird or Pippin from The Hobbit).

It took Charlie a little bit to get used to Scout, but I think it has been very good for him. More about the adventures of Charlie and Scout to come! At first he was not sure what to think of this hyper little creature.

It stressed him out a little. We did have to up his Prednisone dose for a few weeks. 

I think he was secretly happy for a little brother though. 

Even one that looked an awfully lot like one of his favorite toys.

Until next time...

                                                                         ~ The B Family

Charlie's First Year

In February, we celebrated Charlie being in our lives for a year. Our little guy has brought so much change and love to our home. The kids think of Charlie as a younger brother. He provides the typical ups and downs of a younger sibling. He takes their toys and shoes. He repeatedly bugs them when he wants to play.

Will has gone from extremely anti-dogs to a major dog-lover. He even shows the kids puppy videos and likes them! Charlie and Will are buddies. It is adorable to see. This has made me so happy, being a huge dog person. I love the cuteness. I did not think I could fall more in love with him!

I am so glad that Charlie was the one out of the litter that stole my heart. With his diagnoses of Addison’s disease, I am glad that he ended up with a family that could provide for his medical needs. He seems to be doing well and adjusting to the prednisone and monthly shots.

Happy first year in the B Family!

Until Next Time...

Love, Hugs & Kisses ~ The B Family

Charlie's New Love

I think that Char-Char was the biggest fan of all! I did not expect him to enjoy the snow, but he played outside forever!

Happy last days of winter!

 Love, Hugs & Kisses ~ The B Family

Christmas Photobomb

Our puppy, Charlie, has a really cute personality. As (in my opinion) most dogs do. He is super cute, fun, mischievous, and super playful. He is also very loving and cuddly. This is my first puppy after becoming a parent, and it amazes me how many similarities there are. Charlie will misbehave like my kids did as toddler. When he is mad at us, he acts out.

Recently, I was looking through the pictures I took this holiday season. I noticed Mr. Charles is a little master of the photobomb. Every picture I looked at where we were doing anything Christmas related, there was Charlie in the background. Here are a few:

Hanging Candy Canes on the tree.

Decorating our gingerbread house.

The kids opening their one Christmas Eve gift.

My traditional picture with the kids.

This was the last picture we took on Christmas Day. We were so surprised by Charlie. Will said, "family picture!" The kids and I sat down in front of the tree and without any prompting from us, Charlie walked over and placed himself in front of the camera. I love this picture! He even looks like he is smiling for the camera!

~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~

The B Family

BatDog Love

Meli picked out a Halloween costume for Charlie. Batdog to the rescue! She wants us all to be a superhero for Halloween. Will was beyond thrilled...then she says, "well I really want to be a kitty". Colin thought we should all be pirates (we do have more than enough "piratey" things for all of us to be one). Meli then added that mama and her could be kitty pirates. This will be interesting I am sure.

Charlie met his first female dog today...and blew it. Poor guy.

We have all been sick off and on the past two weeks, so poor Charlie has so much puppy energy and no one to play with. He has been acting out a bit. It is maddening but also kind of hilarious how toddler-like dogs can be.

Will told me the other day that maybe Char Char needed a friend! My mouth basically hit the floor! He said that maybe he is a dog person and just never knew it. He was even thinking of a lab or something. Oh. My. Goodness.

The kids wanted to have a chance to name one if we got another. Last time we vetoed Chewey and Blue Claw. Will said maybe Scott. No one really liked my Homer, Walter, Harvey, Otto, Francis, Atticus, Walden, or Alfred. Well Atticus and Alfred were put as maybe's. I love names that were popular in the 1880's - cannot help it...and some favorite authors/literature characters.

We will see if the B family adopts another family member. I do love seeing Will treat Charlie like one of his babies. So cute.




                                                   ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                                                              The B Family

The Joy of a Cardboard Box

Will and I ordered a new mattress the other day - One of those adaptive foam ones that come in a box and needs 24 hours to get back to its normal form. Tuft & Needle is one of the companies that sell them. I love their return policy! If you are not satisfied they send a replacement or refund your money, and then they work with you to have it sent to a homeless shelter or charity program. Awesome work ethic! I love companies like this. Ones that are aware that they can make a difference in communities.

Anyways...it came in a big (BIG) box that entertained my two kids and puppy (even my husband for part of the time) for several hours! Cheap, simple fun! Gotta love it!

Both kids were in the box for most of the time. Charlie loved running around it and trying to get in. I am fairly certain that he would not have actually gone in. Our little scaredy cat.

     

                                                  ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                                                                   The B Family

Char char: A Life of Shenanigans

This little cutie...his face and the way he cocks his head with one ear slightly bent totally gives me that feeling when you want to just squeeze a baby's cheeks. I adore our little guy! He has fit into the family somewhat seamlessly. Almost.  He can be a total pain. Total. Pain. He definitely acts out when he is upset over something. Still we just love him. If we are gone for more than a few hours, then he becomes a little terror. Doing things he knows he is not supposed to. Stinker. He is so obvious about it that it is hard not to laugh. He just stares at you ready for you to catch him. 

He is getting so long. This above picture was a few months ago. He is even longer now. I am not sure how much more he will grow though. I think he is roughly 7 months. I am thinking he is basically done. 

Of course his favorite place to lay. My poor cushions. At least he is so light. I think close to 14 lbs now. If that.

I was working on my weekend project (refurbishing an old bench) and Charlie (of course) got in the paint and left a trail of paw prints. Thankfully, we plan to redo the deck soon. He loves the weekends when we are all home. He is totally my shadow when I am at the house. The rest of the time he follows whomever suits his mood. Meli when he wants to play, Colin when he wants to run, and Will the rest of the time. Especially cuddles. He loves laying on Will's lap. I think he was in heaven this weekend, when Will and I took a nap on the sofa. He laid right between us. Our cuddle bug. Then he woke me up by biting my ear!

Puppy Games

I love to watch the kids play with Charlie! They both have very different relationships with our puppy. Colin will definitely play with Char, but he seems to really enjoy when cuddle time. He wants Charlie to sit with him while he reads. 

 Meli and Charlie have a really cute relationship. They seem to have this unspoken connection that they just get each other. They play chase a lot! Meli will also create games for them to play.She obviously has some idea of what they are playing in her mind...and of course Charlie has no clue, but loves it all the same. 

Chase & Jump game Meli created

Big Jump!

It was so cute

She would just laugh and laugh

Charlie's First Outdoor Excursion

Finally! Charlie can go outside! Our vet had suggested to wait since the previous owners had a dog and we did not want to risk exposure to parvo. So, he is fully vaccinated and now able to go on walks, to the park, and free to run in our backyard.

It was very interesting watch him be attentive to all of the different noises and objects. I have never had a dog wait so long to go outside before. He gets a little braver each day. It is neat seeing all of the wonder from a little puppy's perspective.

The cone pictures are from his actual "first walk" and the cone free is once he was done with his healing period.

He loves walking the kids to the bus stop and we were even able to pick them up today when they were dropped off. Such a beautiful sunny day - yay for spring!

                                                     ~ Love, Hugs &  Kisses ~
                                                              The B Family

A Month into it

Charlie has been with us for a little over a month now. I was a little hesitant at first that this was the right decision for our family, especially since Will has never been a “dog person”. I was totally surprised when Will said that maybe a dog would be a good idea. We had been talking about a kitty before Christmas, but I was not super motivated to go for it. I like cats OK, but knowing my kids I want something that would be cuddly and with cats (in my experience) it is hard to tell if they will be as a kitten.

I am glad we waited, because Charlie is a good fit for us. We are still having some growing pains with the potty training and biting/chewing. Potty training will be easier once he can go outside. The end of this month cannot come soon enough. He will be able to use up more of his abundance of energy when he can run his little heart out in our backyard.

It is so cute seeing Will and Charlie together. I think Will is very surprised by how much he loves and enjoys the little guy. Charlie absolutely adores Will. They are buddies who hang out with each other most of the day. So, that is good that the whole love thing worked out. 

                                             ~ Love, Hugs &  Kisses ~
                                                      The B Family

Welcome, Charlie!

Charlie

It only took me 10 years of trying...but we got a puppy!! Anyone who knows my husband, knows that he is not really a dog person. Mostly, because he has never had one and a few bad experiences. He was chased by a big dog as a kid and he had a cousin who had a horrible experience with another big dog. I get where he is coming from, but I LOVE dogs!! To be honest though, I have not really pushed the topic because I needed a break from animals (as much as I love them). I had to say goodbye to my puppy Baxter and cat Citrine after a break-up. Plus, before that I had lost my bunny Foley and had a few other cats that I had to leave with my mom. Growing up I was very fortunate to get my first dog, Sandy, when I was 9 and she passed 21 years later. That is truly unheard of. She had such a long life. By this time, I was needing a break from the sadness. 

But recently...I have been wanting a little pet again. I was so surprised when Will was like, "whatever you think". OMG!! I had to jump on it before he changed his mind. 

We did not tell the kids. When we went to go pick out the puppy, I told them I met some people who said I could bring the kids over for a playdate with their new puppies. They were so surprised!!

Charlie just fits in with us! I can tell that Will has totally fallen for him! He is a "surrendered" dog that was with a foster family. I loved working with Wiggly Tails. They were so helpful with helping us find our perfect fit. Charlie (originally Cupid) has such an adorable personality. 

He loves to cuddle and has a great amount of energy for the kids. I am so glad that we chose to go on this adventure.

Precious

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