Little Miss Sunshine

I have 30 something posts already for January and I don't know how that's possible... because I have hardly documented anything on our life. The kids are saying funny things everyday and the puppy grows a few inches every night. I still have so much to catch up on (mostly Christmas posts) but I just don't have any extra time. Homeschooling and feeding my family are my priorities and they keep me away from the computer. Anyway, I wrote this post when Sunny was a week old, but never posted it because I wanted to add pictures-- BLTN (better late than never) even if there are no cute photos to add.

*written 1/2/11
You're never going to believe this, but Zack is the most playful with the dog. The two of them are often wrestling or playing fetch. And by playing fetch, I mean that sometimes Zack runs to her with the ball in his mouth and spits it out by her paws. He loves going to her training classes and has scolded many of us for not doing EXACTLY as the instructor told us. Sunny doesn't bite anyone in the family except for Zack... and we laugh at him when he gets hurt because we all know he was asking for it. Zack's favorite song since we got her is, "Who Let the Dogs Out" but will usually sing it as, "Who let the dog in, who, who, who?" He also thinks he's Sunny's daddy.. that's right, at least once a day he tells her to "Come to Papa!"

Simon is Sunny's biggest fan and worst enemy. He wants her all to himself, but at the same time, he's very jealous that she's taken over his role as the baby of the family. When no one is looking, he lays down on her and opens his mouth when she licks his face. Simon is on the tippy top of the dog's favorite list because he feeds her the most food. I haven't swept under his high chair since we got her! Simon is so cute with the puppy and smacks his lips and pats his knees when he wants her. He also does the same motion when he wants a drink of milk or a piece of candy. It's his universal sign for, "Give me what I want." And we give in because it's just so cute.

Just hours after we opened her, Luke kept saying over and over, "I can't believe we have SEVEN people in our family!" A few days later, he gave us this mathematical breakdown= "There are 7 people in our family, but only 6 humans. There are 5 boys. 4 blue eyes. 3 brown eyes. 2 girls. 1 dog. and zero idiots!"

Then there's Ben. I knew getting a dog would be fun for the others, but Ben is by far the most excited about her and the most responsible. If I was being honest, I would say that without our oldest, we would not have a dog. It has been so rewarding to watch him grow with our new pet. Believe it or not, he sets his alarm every night at 2 AM and takes her potty. He is so diligent and takes his responsibility seriously. Last night, I heard her barking and thought maybe Ben forgot to set his alarm, so I got dressed and headed down the stairs, and was surprised to run into Ben on his way up. He said, "Hey! She just went potty but doesn't want to go back to sleep. I think she'll quiet down in a minute. Get some sleep, mom! I'll see you in the morning."


This is current (written 1/27/11)
*Sunny now sleeps through the night and Ben is happy about getting his sleep, too! We are so proud of our potty-trained puppy! She's hasn't gone potty in the house in over 2 weeks. She's a smart dog and only goes poop in ONE corner of our yard, because that's where we trained her to go.

I have been so pleasantly surprised how easy it has been to adjust to a puppy. Granted, she is the best dog in the world, but honestly it has been 99% positive and 1% frustrating. People say that puppies are harder than babies and I would NEVER agree with that. She potty trained at 3 months old, she eats whatever we give her, she sits and stays when we tell her to, she doesn't throw tantrums, or talk back, or scream or cry. We love her and she is so full of happiness and love she can hardly stay in one place.

All of my free time lately has been spent reading about DOGS... I would have laughed if you told me that a year ago. Anyway, I am convinced to get another soon, but this time a male standard POODLE. Have you ever heard of Goldendoodles? Well, that's the kind of puppies are going to breed. If you're interested, look them up online. They are the smartest, sweetest dogs that have super soft fur and never shed (and are hypoallergenic). They are also very expensive puppies (we would probably sell them for around $1500 a pup and that is on the low end). Anyway, I am on the lookout for a cute male poodle.

How does Aaron feel about everything? I don't know, you'll have to ask him. I do know that he loves Sunny and he is great with her. The other night after reading one of my dog books, I told him that I could totally see myself getting into serious training and dog shows. He rolled his eyes and said he isn't surprised. I think he is annoyed that I love her so much :) But, again, I really don't know how he feels. Last week he called me at lunch and I told him I want to get a male poodle he said (and I quote) "What? I can't hear you. I think my phone is dying. Sorry I can't talk about this right now."

And that's the update on the puppy. If you're thinking about getting one, do it! I waited longer than I should have because I was so afraid I couldn't do it. It's work, but the good kind, that makes your heart grow bigger. We will have cute little puppies in about a year, and if you can't pay for them, I will be willing to trade :) Goldendoodles are SO cute! They look like Goldens with a perm.