Back to Work

That time has come, the first day of school. SIGH....summer is over. So sad! I feel like I should have done something special today. A way of going out with a bang. Instead I went grocery shopping and organized some cupboards. Hmmm...not really the "bang" effect I was hoping for. Oh well, life goes on!

Poor Maddie has her ear infection back. Two days before she goes back to school no less. How unfair is that?! My poor baby! Hopefully it is nothing some antibiotics can't knock out. She is very excited to return to school and her teacher. I knew she really didn't feel well when she was irritable with the dogs. Normally she is so welcoming and loving towards them. Today it was "Tilly! Mischa! Go away!" Said in an uber-cranky whine that I know so well (only because I have the same whine when I don't feel good!) Here is a photo of Maddie with the dogs from the other day. She decided to lie in front of Mischa and cuddle with her.

Our home life is so busy with Maddie, the dogs, and a baby on the way. The majority of the raucous comes from the dogs of course. If you have never seen a husky play you may be in for a shock. They play incredibly rough. They will tear around our backyard, chasing one another. The girls then take turns pinning each other down and gnawing on the each other's heads. They attempt this in the house quite often, only to be shooed out to the backyard. We call them our crackheads. They are so hyper I swear they are on crack! But we love them just the same. I cannot imagine our lives without our dogs. And Maddie's life is so much richer with them. She is just infatuated with "the girls". Todd spent yesterday re-screening our screen door and then reinforcing it with metal grates. We bought a new door in June only to have it demolished by August. Such is life with two dogs! So we brought out the big guns: dog-proof, heavy duty screen, and the two metal grates (one for each side). So far this investment has proven to be worth his while.

I guess the reason I am singing our dogs' praises is because I want to encourage anyone who wants to get a dog to adopt. Trust me, if you want a pure bread they are out there. Both of ours are purebred Siberian Huskies that would have cost us a fortune. Tilly came from the SPCA and Mischa from a Husky rescue. There are a lot of breed specific rescue groups out there. People also question the dog's temperament when they adopt. "How will I know what the dog is like?" The SPCA and a lot of rescue groups temperament test their dogs so they can best match them with their forever home. The rescue groups want to ensure a successful adoption. They want to dog to have a successful home, not bounce around from home to home. We were close to spending $1,200 on purchasing a pure bread when I realized there were so many dogs in shelters in need of a good home. Please give adoption a chance, there are so many wonderful companions out there!
On another note...

I did finish my Halloween banner. One project completed before school! Here is the finished project. Pardon the carpet, I didn't feel like hanging it for the photos.

At eighteen weeks I am feeling this baby move a lot! So much stronger than Maddie. She felt like a flutter. With baby number 2 I am feeling a lot of jabs and forceful movements. I can even feel him/her move their hand or foot across my abdomen. Plus I think he/she likes to bounce off of my bladder. It is now pummeled on a daily basis. So different from the first. I guess this is his/her way of telling me they will not be one of those quiet babies who is content to sit there and play with their toys. Maddie was one of these babies. I now know I am in for a big shock when this active wee one arrives!