Warm weather = smiles

I thought I'd do something I rarely do and write two posts in two days! WHAT?! Buddy and I had a rough morning. There was a lot of chewing on rugs, pillows and blankets. We have a crate downstairs now, so every time he started chewing on things he's not supposed to I put him in his crate until he calmed down. By 1:00 I just needed a break, so I crated him for two glorious hours. He really is such a good pup. I keep reminding myself that he's not even 4 months old. He's just a babe! Grace!

Elijah had another GREAT day at school, yay! I stopped by this morning to spend time in both boys' classrooms and they were both happy and working hard.

I took a few cute pics tonight of the boys and the Budster (Sammy's favorite name for him).

We have some big things in the works right now as far as getting even more help for Elijah. He is doing SO WELL, but we always want to stay way on top of things. After many months of waiting, he is finally "in the system" with the state and is eligible for PCA care. We are getting all of that sorted out and will hopefully have things in place within a few weeks.

Tonight Sammy called me back into his room as he often does after bedtime. He said, "Mommy! Do you know how many percent I love you? Like 5 quadrillion percent. Times INFINITY!" :) He then requested "as many smooches and hugs" as I could deliver. That boy. I love him!

The weather was GORGEOUS today! I walked outside around lunchtime with a coat and quickly shed it. We so enjoyed being outside tonight. It lifted our spirits so much!

Isn't this pup adorable?!

I'm off to relax on the couch for a bed before an early bedtime. Thanks for peeking in!

Spring Break 2016!

Dan and I agreed tonight that it has been a WEIRD past couple of weeks for our family. We went from debilitating sickness (me) to vacation to NEW PUPPY WHO LIKES TO CHEW ON EVERYTHING to more sickness and strange leg infection (Dan) and then spring break. It's been a lot, but we are doing just fine. Our laundry is piled high. A few stacks of unsorted papers sit atop our counter. I can't seem to keep up with the dishes. I haven't cooked a meal in nearly two weeks. Our bathrooms all need a serious cleaning. But we are alive and happy! I have spent the majority of my energy on: 1. boys, 2. hubby (when he was ill) and 3. dog. And that is just about it!

Elijah loves when Buddy licks his face. These two are so cute together and I know that one day they are going to be a huge source of comfort for one another. Sammy loves when Buddy snuggles his little head into his lap. He writes Buddy notes and draws him pictures and tapes them directly above his kennel. This pup is loved! Car rides are a source of comfort for ALL of my boys.

The boys and I had a great Spring Break Monday today! We brought Buddy down to my sister's house for a puppy play date with her pup Tate. Buddy wanted to PLAY-PLAY-PLAY and Tate wanted nothing to do with it. :) Yesterday Buddy played with Dan's sister's dog Oreo and they basically mauled each other (freaked me out!). He was so tired after hours of play that he could literally barely keep his eyes open when we got home.

We are all looking forward to warmer spring weather! We are going to get another bike for the boys soon and I'm determined to get them riding this spring. Swim lessons start soon and so does soccer for Sammy.

Thanks for checking in! More puppy and boy tales certainly coming soon. :)

Funnies and a Weekly Update

Sammy's bedtime musings tonight..

Sammy: Mommy? How many minutes are in 4 hours?
Me: 240.
S: Soooo that means there are 240 seconds in 4 minutes?
Me: [how the HECK does he know this?]

S: Mom, I have a question about a certain farm animal. It's a chicken. Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
Me: This is a great question! Why don't you think about which YOU think came first.
...2 minutes later...
S: Mommy! I know the answer! The chicken HAD to come first because all babies need a mama and not all mamas need a baby.

Woo! We have had quite the week! Buddy has been adjusting to his new home and we have been adjusting to having a new, very energetic member in our family. The first 48 hours were a bit rough. Dan got very sick and has acquired a strange leg infection/rash in both legs that has kept him off his feet. The timing hasn't been wonderful, but we have made it work like we always do.

Buddy is so cuddly and soft and lovable! The first few days he was here he peed ALL over the place. Today he only peed in the house twice and both times he made sure to do it on the tile (thanks, Bud!). After dinner, I found him patiently sitting by the door and I took that as a sign that he needed to go outside. Success! Let's hope this continues!

He loves to play (and still nips a bit). He is a LOVER and totally loves being touched and snuggled (our type of guy for sure!). He doesn't like walks yet and literally stops at every house we pass thinking it's ours. He will sit in each lawn and whimper because he wants to be home. He obviously needs exercise, so we have to push him a bit with this. When we walk alongside busy streets he doesn't seem to like the sound of traffic, so he walks directly behind me and tries to bury himself between my legs.

Sammy and Elijah both adore him, but they are timid around him and worry about his nipping. It's so cute to watch the three of them when the boys get off the bus. They all huddle on the sidewalk together and LOVE on each other. :)

Dan's legs and throat are on the mend. We are hoping for a turnaround day for him tomorrow. Our family has endured so much dang sickness this winter and we are just so done with it! Yuck! As of this evening, the boys are on spring break for 10 days! We have some fun things planned and we're looking forward to spending some quality time with each other. More later!

Our Buddy!

Meet the newest, softest member of our family...Buddy! This has been in the works for about a month. Dan's dad found an amazing yellow lab breeder in Northern MN who happened to have ONE puppy left in her most recent litter. He mentioned it to us and we both felt like we should jump on the opportunity. It is a small miracle that it was on MY heart to get a dog because I have felt so opposed to it up until now. The timing just seemed right for our family!

Dan and his dad picked Buddy up today! He is 12 weeks old. He is super soft and sweet. He very curiously explored every corner of our house and Sammy diligently followed him with the bitter apple spray while spraying everything Buddy should not be nibbling on. :) He has peed on our carpet six times, but we are working on showing him the proper place to go. Buddy plays HARD but then rests very easily (a lot like us, ha!). We know this first day must be hard on him, so we are giving him tons of love. We are so excited to bond with our new pup! Life with a dog is completely foreign to me, so this will be a huge learning experience.

We are all recovering a bit from vacation still. Dan and I had the most PERFECT vacation ever. It was honestly just plain perfection. It was such a needed time away together that happened to be at an amazing and beautiful resort. We made some unforgettable memories. The boys had tons of fun with their Auntie and cousins while we were away.

The boys have a few more days of school this week before spring break begins. We have a few fun things planned while they are off school next week. Thanks for peeking in. I'm going to go snuggle on our Budster before bed!