April (Snow) Showers

When we got up at 6 am, the yard was green.  But by 7:45, it was starting to look pretty white.

Scout was in disbelief!  "What, Mommy???" 

Abbey took it in stride, though.  She went right for Scout's favorite ball, and of course Scout couldn't resist joining her! 

They are starting to play together!  I'm so proud and excited.  Last night, after rolling around on the floor together, they both fell asleep on Mommy's lap.  Abbey starting whining a little bit in her sleep, and Scout put her paw on Abbey.  My heart melted!  Sadly, I couldn't get a picture without disturbing them, but I'm feeling more confident that they'll develop a bond.

Did Someone Call for Housekeeping?

My little helper found the broom and pitched right in!  Go Abbey.  The vacuum cleaner is in the toy room, in case you get bored with sweeping! 

Introducing Abbey

Our new baby has arrived!  On Saturday, March 31, we happily welcomed a new Miniature Schnauzer into our family.  After much debate and discussion, we named her Abbey (because Mommy is a big Beatles fan, and Abbey Road is iconic!)  

Abbey and Mommy in the car, let's go HOME!  

Scout and Abbey check out their Easter baskets.  Can you see Sebastian in the background?  He likes to keep an eye on things from a safe distance!  

Scout is always polite, but Abbey decided to dive right in!

The toys and treats were pretty cool, but she's just as happy to chew on the basket!

So far, things are going well.  Abbey will sleep in a kennel overnight until she is completely potty trained, and the first night, I did not hear a single peep out of her until about 5 am, when she needed to go outside.  The second night, she did cry a bit after I closed the kennel door, but within 15 minutes, she was quiet.  She already understands that a trip outside means "do your business," and she's very efficient at doing it quickly ... YAY!  

Scout is a little jealous, but of course we expected that.  They've done plenty of sniffing and barking at each other, but I think they'll become happy playmates soon.  That's the HOPE, anyway!  For now, Abbey is still afraid of stairs, so if Scout gets sick of her, she just runs down the stairs and then stares up at Abbey, as if to say "ha!"  But I doubt it will last very long, because Abbey is a determined little puppy!  She'll master the stairs in no time.  Then Scout will have to invent a new game!  

There's something very joyful about having a new puppy in the house.  Abbey prances and rolls and paws with such exuberance that we all find ourselves with a little more spring in our step!  Life is good.

Scout Suggests an Exercise Routine

It's been a couple days, and I want to thank those of you who wished us well with Scout's latest bout of vomiting.  I am trying pumpkin now, and the good news is that she LIKES it, so if I mix a spoonful in with her food, she eats without much coaxing. 

Apparently, she thinks we should revamp our exercise routine, too.  Yesterday, as I was carrying groceries in the house, she managed to dart out the front door and proceeded to lead me on a nice leisurely SPRINT through the neighborhood.  Wow, she has little legs but she can move them!  Luckily, about a block and a half away from our house, nature called so she had to stop and tinkle.  I managed to catch up with her and carry her safely back home. 

After a run, the only thing to do is take a nap, right???

Scout naps on Mommy's lap while Sebastian enjoys a good chin scratch.

Yes, all is well when my babies are safely within reach.  Just the way I like it.

Bilious Vomiting Syndrome

Today is one of my favorite pictures of Scoutie, with a quick bit of writing, because we're fighting with Scout's bilious vomiting syndrome.  She's had it most of her life, and it basically causes her to vomit bile (hence the name of the syndrome) whenever her stomach is empty for too long.  She's on medication to reduce stomach acid, and we feed her three small meals per day, to avoid her stomach sitting empty too long.  BUT, she doesn't always want to eat ... because she's finicky.  So we have ups and downs in successfully controlling the vomiting.  Before this episode, she hadn't vomited in a couple weeks, but now she's back to doing it daily.  She's still always very active and playful, and the vet assures us she's otherwise healthy (I think she gets sick of fielding my calls.)  But it's hard, as a Mommy, not to react with concern when your baby is retching. 

What about Maddux?

I realized today that I haven't shared many pictures of Maddux on the blog.  Believe me, it isn't because he's unimportant or uninteresting!  Sebastian, our yellow cat, is very sweet, but a lot of the time, he can be found in a quiet corner.  Maddux, on the other hand, likes to be in the middle of the action.  He's not shy, and he gets along with just about everyone.  He's always been more playful than his brother, so when we got a puppy, Maddux actually embraced Scout's energy and enthusiasm.  They typically play together very well.

Scout and Maddux sharing Franklin, the giant stuffed turtle with long arms and legs.  This toy was a gift from Grandma, and they like it a lot, but let me tell you, it is a dangerous weapon in the hands mouth of an animal who likes to shake and whip toys around!  Franklin's long limbs have smacked us all in the face numerous times!

Of course, after a rigorous session of tug with the dog, Maddux can be found napping among the boy's things.  This is the most logical place to nap, because if the boy decides to play a game, Maddux needs to be ready to help by batting all the game pieces off the board!  Or stealing the dice.

Honestly, a huge percentage of the pictures I take of Maddux are of him sleeping, because when he's not sleeping, he's zipping around.  That gray blur I often spy in the corner of my photos?  Yep, that's Maddux! 

New friends and family

Late last fall, our neighbor adopted a yellow lab pup named Frankie.  Being ME, I was extremely excited to get to know him, but he was painfully timid.  He would never approach us.  He kept his distance and quietly observed the chaos our gang creates.  When we shoveled our driveway, he would try to catch any snow we accidentally flung up in the air, but if we went near the fence, he would back away.

Well, I'm very pleased to report that in the last couple weeks, he has really come out of his shell.  The weather is nicer, we're outside more often, and he finally got brave enough to come near the fence.  Every day, we say "hello" and with the neighbor's permission, we sometimes offer him a couple treats.  I think he's deciding that new friends aren't so bad, after all!

Meanwhile, we are busy preparing for OUR new family member.  Our still unnamed puppy will arrive on Easter (give or take a day.)  The UPS driver delivered her kennel today, and we set it up near Scout's.  The whole ordeal was rather upsetting for Scout, because:

• UPS drivers are always upsetting, even though I'm sure they're perfectly lovely people AND they often bring us goodies.
• Why do we even need a new kennel???
• No treats were found in the delivery box
• Why do we even need a new kennel?  We already have one, and it isn't broken.
• Toys were moved to make room for the kennel, and last but not least ....
• WHY DO WE EVEN NEED A NEW KENNEL?

Our new baby.  What should we name her?

Grooming Day is Grumpy Day

"No, I'm not holding still.  I'm not in the mood.
Put the camera down.  I need snuggles."

Whenever Scout gets a haircut, I try to take a couple pictures (because that's my Mommy game.)  Normally, my little attention seeker has no problem posing for the camera, but she wasn't having any of it this time.  The groomer who had been taking care of her since haircut #1 has moved. She went to the same salon as always, but she had a new groomer.  I didn't think it would be a big deal since she likes almost everyone, but the sulking and sighing she's been doing since returning home tells me otherwise.  This photo was the best I could do to document the latest haircut.  And even this was "not cool" with her.  Maybe I'll just give her a few days to calm down?!?

Special Appearance

This is one of the feral cats that was born under our front porch in the spring of 2016.  I have no idea if it's male or female, but to make things simpler, I have chosen to assume it's a SHE.  Anyway, seeing her isn't rare at all ... she often hangs around in the yard, and I'm quite sure she still sleeps under our porch at least some of the time.  What IS rare is getting close enough to snap a decent picture.  Usually, as soon as we get close, she goes down in the "hidey hole." 

She and her litter mate were kittens when Scout was a puppy, and they would occasionally stalk Scout in the yard, but they always kept a safe distance as they investigated her.  As they got older, they became more and more elusive, but Scout still sniffs the ground every time we go out, because she just KNOWS they're around.  She wants to play, and she doesn't understand why they won't cooperate.  She's used to our cats, who are VERY tame and tolerant of her shenanigans. 

By the way, we also have a few opossums who sometimes grace us with their presence.  That drives Scout absolutely MAD.  When they run across my path in the middle of the night during one of Scout's emergency potty breaks, it makes me a little crazy too for a few seconds!  I love animals, but I don't particularly like being startled by things that go bump in the night.  But hey, we're all here sharing this earth ... maybe the opossums don't like ME interrupting their nightly activities either! 

Soccer Dog

Scout has always been interested in balls.  I'm sure the fact that my son has about a hundred of them lying around the house contributes to this fact.  But honestly, she decided very early on that she was going to be a soccer player.  With absolutely no coaxing from us, she started learning how to move the ball across the lawn with her face at an early age.  And trust me, it was comical to see a 3 pound puppy pushing a ball bigger than her through the grass.  These days, she's good enough to play a makeshift game with "the boy."  He'll stand on one side of the yard and kick the ball towards her.  She'll bark and wag her tail, waiting for it to land so she can push it back across the yard to him. 

I'm sorry this video is short, but I'm new to blogging and I'm still figuring out how everything works.  It seems to take forever to upload videos, and when I do, they aren't the best quality.  This particular video is just a sample of her impressive soccer skills, taken in the house one day when it was too muddy and cold to play outside.  She'd rather have a bigger field, but hey, we make do!

Kids and their toys

Good news - the boy has returned from Grandma's house and Scout has resumed her duties as official snack (and meal) monitor.

Bad news - it has been cold and rainy outside, so we're getting a touch of cabin fever after being spoiled by a few nice days earlier in the week.

SO, inevitably, we've endured a few disputes.  Today, Scout was playing fetch with her skunky, and Sebastian suddenly decided "if you have it, I want it."  Pretty typical attitude around here!

Sebastian decides to stake his claim on Skunky.

"I love you, little fuzzy friend."

Scout protests.  "HEY, I was playing with that!"  Sebastian considers giving Scout his ear (hahaha).

Eventually, Scout backs away a bit, but still keeps an eye on the situation.  

But nobody, even Scout, had the heart to take Skunky away when Sebastian was clearly experiencing such strong feelings of joy!  You win, Sebastian!  

Cat Nap

Maddux, just a little kitty dream with a hint of snoring.  In the middle of the night, when the house is quiet, I can sometimes hear him snoring two rooms away!

Meanwhile, Scout is anxiously awaiting the return of "the boy."  He's on spring break and went to spend a couple days with his grandma.  She doesn't like it when he's gone too long ... it makes her job of looking after her people too difficult.  Honestly, how will we know if he needs help finishing a snack if he's not at home???

Whatcha got there, boy?  Is it a snack?  I like snacks.

I'll just move in a tad closer.  No pressure, but if you decide you're full, I'm here for you!

All together, now

It's rare to get a picture with ALL the animals, more or less looking at me.  But when it happens, it almost surely means one thing ... it's meal time.  Because Sebastian is diabetic, he eats on a pretty strict schedule, and EVERYONE knows when it's approaching eat o'clock!!!  

Come on, Mommy!  Up the stairs, you're lagging behind.  Let's get our CHOW on.

Look what I found

Hey Mom, I found a ball.  I rescued it from a mud hole.  Let's play, ok?!?  Mom?  You don't look as excited about this as you should.  Maybe you didn't hear me.  I found a BALL.

Hey, what are we doing in here?  The ball is outside.  Is this the TUB?  I think you're overreacting.  OH no, please don't turn on the water!  Look at me, I'm cute.  The mud just adds character.  We should try this look out before we take drastic measures.

Cuddle Time

Cuddle time is highly valued by Scout, and she gets plenty of it.  But when the cat threatens to join in, she gives me a concerned look with a little head tilt.  "Uh, hi Mommy.  Excuse me, but what is the cat doing on the bed during our cuddle time?  Should he be here?  Can we work this out?"  Meanwhile, Sebastian the cat plays it cool as he slowly inches in for a few chin scratches.

Meet the Family

By order of birth, but certainly not importance, here we are!

Meet MOMMY:  First, we have a couple elusive photos of ME, the mommy, writer, medication dispenser, grooming supervisor, potty trainer, litter box scooper, and person who's normally BEHIND the camera!

Even as a child, I wanted to make sure my babies were fresh and dry!  And I clearly had no aversion to messes.  Perfect pet parent in the making!

Me, all grown up and as ALWAYS, enjoying the company of animals.  Nobody would help me adopt this one and bring it home, so I settled for a few kisses and a nice swim with this adorable Sea Lion.

Meet DADDY:  In 2006, I met this guy, who is now my husband and the Daddy to our crew.  Aside from going to work every day so we can buy food to feed the gang, he helps out with potty breaks, cuddling and various other duties.

My husband and I, when we first started dating.

We got married in 2009, in Jamaica.  My doctors had informed me years before that I would probably never be able to have children, but we realized there was more than one way to build a family.  So shortly after we returned from our honeymoon, we set out to find some babies who needed a home.

Meet SEBASTIAN and MADDUX:

Sebastian, our yellow domestic short-hair cat.  Wasn't he a cute baby?

Aaaaaand, his brother Maddux, our gray domestic short-hair cat, who honestly was naughty from the start.  His orneriness was the main reason I chose him.  FULL of character, this one.

Brothers, Maddux and Sebastian, shortly after we adopted them in May or June, 2009

We had a lot of fun with our two energetic, mischievous kittens for a couple weeks.  THEN, we got some unexpected news.  Apparently, we had unknowingly brought home a little souvenir from Jamaica.  We laughed, we cried, and then we rolled with the punches.  Maddux and Sebastian were about to get some competition.  They took it in stride.

The cats supervising nursery preparation

And doing safety inspections on toys

Meet THE BOY:  Yes, in January, 2010, we welcomed a HUMAN baby into the fold.  Surprise, sometimes even doctors are wrong!

Ok, Dad, there's room for both of us here.  It's cool, I guess.  We can keep the tiny crying creature.

For quite a few years, we were content with Maddux, Sebastian and "the boy."  They kept us busy, with their typical toddler antics.  Sebastian frequently demonstrated his affinity for plastic bags, so we learned NOT to leave our bread (or anything else in a cellophane-type wrapper) sitting on the counter.  Maddux developed an interest in shiny, expensive things, so we spent one very panicky night searching high and low for my wedding ring, which he stole off my nightstand and attempted to stash in a secret hiding place.

Alas, no living thing is immune to aging, and eventually all my kids grew out of the baby stage.  I started getting a serious case of baby fever, so we began discussions (negotiations, really) on expanding the family.  I wanted a puppy.  When my husband and I met, I had two adult mini schnauzers, but sadly, they had both since crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.  Losing them was SO tough, and my husband wasn't sure getting a new dog was a good idea.  So we waited awhile, to make sure I was ready for a new canine pal, and when my heart told me it was time, I found one.

Meet SCOUT:

Scout's newborn pic.  She's a Shih Tzu, Havanese mix, aka Havashu, who was born in April, 2016

We watched her grow, courtesy of photos from my friends, who own her parents.

And then in June, 2016, she came home to live with us!  Daddy and the boy posed for a pic before letting her loose to explore the yard.

Maddux giving me that "have you lost your mind" glare while getting acquainted with Scout.

Now, I love cats, but Scout reminded me how very much I enjoy having a dog around, as well.  Yes, we had many accidents on the carpet in the beginning, and the incessant puppy chewing drove me nuts, but there's NOTHING aloof about Scout.  She is always ready and willing to show us how much she loves and needs us.  She's my shadow, my constant sidekick, my amusement when I'm bored, my therapist when I'm feeling low.  Yes, two cats, the boy and a dog was just right.  The perfect family.

UNTIL ....

Meet ??? (name TBD):

Miniature Schnauzer, born in February, 2018

I came across THIS little lady, and as soon as I saw her, I knew she was meant for us.  She will come home to live with us at the beginning of April, and her name is yet to be determined.

Ok, that's it, you've met all the players in our family saga.  I'll share more pictures, humorous stories, tales of woe and/or mayhem, and wisdom I've learned from our brood as we go forward.  Feel free to leave comments about your own experiences with the kiddos in your life (two-legged, four-legged, winged, finned ... you know, whatever, I love them all!)