Puppy school

Christopher and I have found something to do together. Take our dogs to Puppy school.

We all know Howie is the baby, but does not come when he is called and is quite the little stranger alarm. Anything that goes by the house he is quite loud about announcing it, and yes the term "yappy dog" comes to mind.

Sammy is Christpoher's dog. He is a German Shepard in the very meaning of the words. His Grandparents are still in Germany and they win competition on shepherding. His parents (on all fours) came up to my mid waist area. (I am 5'9", not short)So when he is grown he will be rather large. He is already as tall as our 9 yr old Lab and is growing by leaps and bounds. We need to get him under control before he is bigger than all of us and eats us.

Courtney and I find great mother and daughter things to do together but with Christopher I thought this would be a great project for us. It will be just the 4 of us. Yes I'm taking the Maltese and the German Shepard with my son in my van, that right there is going to be an adventure. The up side is Brewster is in Florence and they have free, yes I said free, Puppy Sundays. So if the dogs are good at school we all get a treat after class.

I'm sure there will be lots of stories about what happens at puppy school that you will be reading. In fact one has already happened.
Mom and I have started working out a Curves, and Daddy and Christopher have been baby sitting each other. I thought this would be a great time for Christopher and Sammy to do their homework that the teacher had assigned for next week. Our homework and handouts were in a great folder, a great way to keep everything organized. Well by the time we got back Christopher was mad at Sammy because Sammy had eaten the homework folder....

Brotherly Love?!?

Ok I know we can't pick our family. or our in-laws. But it seems to me that since you grew up on the same household, with the same parents, who taught you the same things, and instilled Christian morals and love, that well, there should be love?
Right? When you grow up and siblings move apart from each other in a perfect TV world there should be happiness, excitement, and joy about getting to get together again after long absences.... Right? No not really. Which to me is sad. My brother has had some hard things happen in his life lately and I really felt for him and what he was going through. I did try to be there for him. But I really feel the love between a brother and a sister is not there.

Why am I writing this now? He is coming with his family this weekend. They will be staying for a week here but Mon. - Fri.. They will be at the beach with my parents, and my kids. Why not me and David you might be asking? We have to work. This is my first week back to school. Getting my classroom ready for my 2 year olds.

Doug called me before school was even out and asked when I would be starting back. They were planning their summer. Can I just stop here and tell you how pleased I was that he wanted to find out my plans. I thought this information was to be used to plan for us to be able to get together but... No, No its was not because, not even 2 hours later he called Daddy and had him book the beach for that same week I had told him I would be starting back to work. When Daddy called me to check with the date I told him that was the week I would be starting work, so he needed to cancel my families room.

Mom wanting the cousins to be able to spend time together decided to take my kids any way even though David and I are unable to go. Carla later made the comment that she sure hoped I would be able to come knowing how important the beginning of school is and how hectic, she was a teacher also. She also said that they really wanted to visit with David and I... Now here is the kick in the gut while I am still doubled over from the first one, they are not leaving their house until Sunday. They are not leaving on Saturday so they can be here to go to church with us on Sunday, and spend Sunday together since they will leave on Monday to go to the beach. No it's going to be Sunday night late when they get in and then leave on Monday. They will return from the beach on Friday, and they plan to leave to go home on Saturday morning.

Sorry that does not sound like they want any time in Hartsville, or with David and I, or just me maybe. It also sounds like they are just coming so they can go to the beach, not to visit with family, its what we can do for them... Beach time, babysitting, presents... Not family, not really ever just family.

And to me that is sad, because my mom and daddy have really been through it this summer and they are not even coming to check on them, did not come for the surgery. but there are reservations for the beach so they will be here but not much more than they have to...