Day 12 and 13 - Fail

It was bound to happen.  I just thought I'd be able to make it longer than 12 days before I skipped one.  Oh well.  Instead of succumbing to defeat and dropping the whole thing, I choose to push ahead anew.

It was a busy weekend.  Well, actually, it wasn't really that busy, but both Kathie and I were still feeling under the weather.  Saturday was Brandon's 40th birthday party.  He's no longer allowed to have parties during Packer games, because they lost.  We're also trying to get the house ready for Emma's birthday party next weekend.

So, there wasn't a lot to really blog about anyway.  Yeah, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Day 11 - Friday!

I wonder how many of the 52 Fridays this year will have blog posts titled Friday!

I'm really drawing a blank on what to blog about.  It's been a long week.  Between all the new things going on at work and having a sinus infection most of the week, I'm pretty beat.

Day 10 - Happy Birthday Emma!

Six years ago, on January 10th, Kathie and I welcomed our second bundle of joy to our crazy family.  It wasn't nearly as crazy then as it is now, but that shouldn't be a reflection on Emma in any way.  Well, maybe a little.

Emma is a fun, energetic, smart and beautiful young girl.  We are so blessed to have her in our family.  She loves horses, drawing, reading and singing.  I think she likes singing songs praising God the most.  She's also very good at making up new songs.

This has been an exciting year for Emma.  She rode a pony at a horse show, flew in a helicopter, camped at the zoo and even fed a giraffe!  She also started Kindergarten, which she seems to be enjoying a lot.  She also learned to ride her two wheeler and spent a lot of time riding with her friends in the neighborhood.

Trinity has a 'tradition' where parents bring lunch for the birthday kids.  So Dad brought her taco bell for lunch.  She wanted to sit with Braden at the 1st grade table, so we did.  I think I probably got the 1st graders in some trouble with the joking.  Mrs Zellmer yelled at us to be settle down.  Whoops!

Emma wanted crab legs for her birthday.  And boy did she enjoy them!  Dad spent most of the dinner cracking crab legs for her to devour.  She didn't try the octopus sushi I had, but she did thing the sucker pads that were on it were cool.  While waiting for dinner to be ready, she was a bit grumpy.  So I asked her why she was so crabby tonight...  "Because I'm going to eat crab for dinner, Dad".  Well, of course.  Apparently the sense of humor doesn't fall far from the tree either.


I also had to leave the table for a while because I was laughing too hard.  Conversation had turned toward when Emma was born.   Braden declared that Mom had to have surgery to have him because he "was too big to come out of Mom's butt."   Much giggling ensued, but mostly because Braden said butt.  The adult perspective on that concept was a bit too funny for me, so I had to walk a way for a bit.

Day 9.5 - Yes... I'm late

I missed day 9.  I admit it freely.  But I'll still write about the day to maintain the chain of events.

It wasn't a terribly eventful day.  I ran a couple errand to get ready for Emma's birthday today.  She wants crab for her birthday dinner.  We'll see how that goes.  Braden wanted crab too, but then decided he didn't like it anymore.  Emma picked up on that and didn't eat much either, so Kathie and I had to eat  a ton of crab.  I know, it's a tough job being a parent some times!

I also brought home a dozen roses for Emma.  She loved them.  She was walking around the house hugging them!  She helped Kathie put them in the vase and they're proudly displayed in her room.  I also got a big cookie for her to bring as her snack.  That started an argument with Alex.  He's sure it's a cake.  "Daddy, that's a big cake!"  "Well, it's really a cookie."  "No, it's a cake!"  "See, look... it's a cookie".  "Oh, it's a cookie cake!"

Work is still hectic. Things are starting to shake out of the transition period.  It's a bit frustrating, but I'm trying to focus on the opportunity that's in front of me.

Day 8 - AKA as Day One

If the title confuses you, you don't work for RedPrairie... er... I mean JDA.   And I survived, as did most of us.  I was a little nervous during our two and a half hour 'Welcome to the new company' meeting today.  There was a lot of good information and we definitely have some aggressive goals and visions.  It's exciting.

I'm still looking forward to contributing to that vision with my new role.  It'll take me some time to get my feet wet and figure out, first, what my goals are, and who I'll be able to leverage to achieve them.  It's a good challenge to have.

Alex had his first speech class in the Waukesha school district today.  We were nervous how he'd deal with a new environment, new teacher and new classmates.  But Kathie did a good job talking it up to him, because he walked right in and started playing.  He was obviously excited about it.

One of the things I've been wanting to write about is our hamster condo.  Yes, hamster condo.  Apparently a 10 gallon aquarium is not enough room for a Syrian hamster.  I'm deferring to my wife's knowledge of hamsters and judgement on this on, as I thought it was plenty of room.  I mean exercise was hardly a problem, since she ran on that hamster wheel all the time.  Anyway, my wife began her normal level of research into a new purchase.  I don't want to say she's tenacious about finding the right item in her searches, but let's just say she puts the O in Obsessive.  After looking at hamster cages that were too small, required shipping from the UK or... well.. .just not good enough.  She settled on a 20 gallon long aquarium and an aquarium topper that sit on top to give her a high rise condo.  Well, the price range of that setup quickly hit the $150+ range.

I suggested may be we could find a regular hamster cage that I could retrofit to the top of our aquarium.  Dubious, but willing to try, she agreed and we all headed off to Petco.  Bindi barked at a cat they had and scared the bejesus out of a poor woman.  But we found a 10 gallon topper that looked like it'd work great.  We brought it home and Nibbles absolutely loves it.  After some engineering feats by both Kathie and I, we managed to attach her wheel to the top of the cage.  It's all in all perfect.  And it was only $25.

Phew.  I was worried she'd start looking on craigslist for hamster cages.  Who knows what kind of things you'd find with a search like that!

Day 7 - Change Sucks

Change sucks.   Today was a difficult day for many RedPrairie and JDA folks.  Our merger is now mostly completed.  As part of that merger, too many of our friends and coworkers were let go today.  No matter what side of that fence you are on, it's not an easy day to go through.  I wish all the people seeking new opportunities tonight the best.  My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.

Change sucks.  But it also brings new opportunities.  Tomorrow is being touted as Day One for the new company.  We will try and look past the difficult times of today and garner excitement to being a new venture as a new company.   It will be a challenge.  Two companies merging to form a new company with close to 4000 employees obviously presents a lot of challenges.  The message being pushed is one of excitement and enthusiasm.  It's a difficult message a day after so many were let go.

Change sucks.  But if we don't change, we don't move onward to better things.  Personally I have a huge opportunity in front of me.  It's one I'm very excited to take on.  I will be the new product manager responsible for user experience for the combined company.  I will interact with all the development groups and leaders to help define and drive our new user interface style and user experience vision.  It's a big task, but one that the company seems excited to take on and do well.   It's also a fairly undefined task.  Step one for me will be to start creating a plan for this grand venture.   That involves quite a bit;  forging new relationships with sales, marketing and development teams.  Learning about products and their users.  Setting up UX teams and helping the succeed.   Daunting?  Yes.  Challenging? Of course.  Exciting?  Absolutely!

Change sucks.  This move closes some doors for me as well; as I move from my software development track to a product management role.  I'll miss the technical aspect of my previous roles.  I'll also miss the awesome team I had.   While I'll still see them every day, I'll miss working actively with them.

Change sucks.  I'll most definitely have to travel more as part of this new role.  That obviously presents challenges for Kathie and my family.  But I know I have her support and that she'll do absolutely great even when I'm away.

Change... Ok, maybe change isn't so bad.  I suppose it's more in how you handle change and what you do with the opportunities that change throws your way.  So as I bid farewell to some, I look forward to meeting many more wonderful people in these new adventures.  As I look back at the day-to-day tasks I'm leaving behind, there are many I won't miss, some that I will.  But as I look forward to the new challenges, I can only imagine where they will take me and the opportunities that are in store.  With the support of my family, God, and my coworkers, I know I will succeed at making change not suck!

Day... um... 6?

Day 6.  January 6th.  That's a weird coincidence! Oh, wait, no it isn't... It should probably be easy to remember what day of the year it is until February. Then things get tricky.  Imagine if it were a leap year!  It isn't it is?  Phew.

Today started at about 3 AM for me.  I'm suffering from a pretty bad sinus infection.  It basically feels like some kind of alien creature is trying to claw it's way out of my face.  So it was a long, sleepless night.  Nothing really helped the pain.

So, being wide awake at 6:30, I spent some quiet time downstairs before the kids woke up.   Very nice, all in all.  Just wish it wasn't because I was awake most of the night.

I was installed as co-chair of Trinity's stewardship committee today in church; an added bonus to a very nice service with communion.  But after church, I decided it was a good idea to hit an urgent care for some antibiotics    After the 30 minute wait quickly grew to an hour, and after I asked them to let a mother and her small, obviously miserable little boy in ahead of me,  the doctor quickly confirmed my diagnosis and sent me home with some antibiotics.

Poor Kathie had to manage the kids most of the day, with me going to church alone, spending 2 hours at the doctor and then taking a 2 hour nap to try and appease the face alien.  We have a lot to get done around the house, but I would have been mostly useless (more so than usual) anyway.  I popped up from my nap re-energized  got the kitchen clean, then proceed to get hit by another truck.  So, I'm going to head off to bead at the bright and early time of 8:00.

I've also been meaning to mention Braden's latest Lego creation.  The picture below is his rendition of the F-15 Eagle.  I'm pretty impressed.  He doesn't follow any directions for these.  And I'm fairly certain we don't actually have an F-15 model anywhere in the house, so he did this from memory of the way the F-15 looks.  For a 7 year old, I think it's pretty good.  He even has Sidewinder missiles and bomb pods underneath.  I really look forwarding to what he can do as he grows older.

Day 5 - Go Pack Go

Good win by the Packers. I almost felt sorry for the Vikings having to start a QB that seemed to barely remember how to throw the ball. Almost.

I was just wondering how long I'm going to label these posts with 'Day N'. All year, or will it get old?

This another short post. I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection, so I'm going to bed.

Day 4 - Long Day

This is going to be a short one. I'm beat.

Personnel actions started at work today as part of the merger. Even though I'm pretty certain that I'm okay, the emotion of a day where you see people walking out the door for the last time wears on you. There will be more on Monday. But then we can focus on a new company and new opportunities.

Day 3 - And a Half

First.... let me just say I had this post written yesterday! On Day Three!  But I didn't publish it before I went to bed.  Argh!  I've already blown my post a day commitment.  But I hope everyone gives me a pass on this just once.  Or twice.  Or however many times I do this.

Day 3... Seven days until Emma's 6th birthday.  Well, actually her 7th birthday.  But she turns Six.  She's pretty excited about her birthday and turning 6, even though it means we're making her keep her Boo Bunny and blanket upstairs in her room.   That's a big step for her, since she's been pretty inseparable from them.  We're also planning a small party for family and one or two of her friends.  She doesn't want to invite the whole class.  We think it's because she wants to spend time with her favorite friends.  I also think it's because she's just a bit shy.  This was a problem with her last party, but since it was at Salto's, it was a bit easier to invite everyone.

I've managed to stay out of the political arena on this blog for a whole two days!  But I'm a bit frustrated about this whole fiscal cliff thing and how it affects me.  Apparently I'm one of the rich... I wish someone had told me;  I'd have been celebrating instead of trying to make ends meet.  Somewhere in the whole fiscal cliff discussion, the expiration of the payroll tax cuts seems to have been forgotten by the mainstream media and the politicians.  That alone will increase my taxes by over $2,000.  Really looking forward to that!

It was also the monthly Culver's night for church.  I get a kick out of Culver's night.  Basically it's a night when one of the local restaurants donate 10% of their proceeds to our school.  It's funny because when you go into the Culver's, it's like a church meeting.  You see almost everyone from your kids' classes, teachers and pastors.

Kathie attended a meeting with the Waukesha School District's speech pathologist/coordinator today to go over Alex's test results.  He was evaluated for inclusion in their speech programs.  He tested at a moderately delayed level.  It's interesting because what they sent home with Kathie was a lot of information about yelling and speaking loudly and how it affects your vocal chords and speech development.  We, of course, are using that as leverage to help get Braden and Emma to be more quiet. After all, it's their job as big brother and sister to help Alex learn to be more quiet.  Emma, in particular, will have some work to do to cut down on the screaming and yelling.

I saw this article: iPhone Rules for Kids on Gizmodo today.  There's a great list of rules that parents should give their kids if they have smart phones.  It's a well thought out list that details why the rule is important.  We're a ways away from using it, but I really liked some of the thoughts in it.  But what really shocked me was the absurdity of some of the comments left on the article.  It sure seems like we've already fallen off a cliff where a whole generation of people don't understand the importance of interpersonal communication.  Easy for someone writing a blog to say, isn't it?

Day 2 - So far so good

Well, here it is all the way to Day 2 of 2013 and I've successfully blogged every day this year.  Cue the sarcastic round of applause, please!

Well, that's about all I have to say today... but it counts, right?  Yeah, you're probably right.  I should probably not cut corners already on Day 2.

Today was the first day back at work for me.  It was also the first day back to the only adult in the house for Kathie.  I think I survived my day in a little better shape than she did, a fact that all the moms out there can probably understand.  The kids start back at school tomorrow.  I think they're a bit stir crazy right now.  So hopefully getting back into a regular schedule will help things settle down a bit.

Braden, Emma and Alex had their first foray into 'skating'.  Yes, skating is in quotes there.  Not because they fell or weren't good at it, but because they didn't actually skate.  The neighbors have a very large, homemade skating rink in their back yard and we took a trip up the hill to check it out.  The kids don't have skates, so they tried 'skating' with their boots instead.  They had a good time and no one had any head trauma.... although Dad was pretty nervous at the lack of helmets and other protective equipment.  I imagine we'll be out looking for some skates soon.  If I have to get back on the ice to help my kids skate, I suppose I can make that sacrifice.  And if I also happen to bring my stick with me a play a little hockey too, that probably wouldn't suck either.

Day 1 - 2013

I told myself, as I counted down the final moments of 2012 with Braden and Emma, that I should really write a journal / blog post once a day throughout 2013.  I've heard all the reasons for tracking your thoughts throughout the year.  I also know how cool it would be to look back over the year and remember all those events, be they mundane, exciting, wonderful or terrifying.  

So here I sit at 11:00 on Day 1 of 2013, typing away on my first entry in the journey of the new year.  This is a post  that can lead to 365 other posts extolling the year ahead.  It's also a post that could be an empty promise.  Only time, and my will power, will really tell.

I also struggle a bit with this type of journal.  I want to be able to share my thoughts, feelings, memories and goings on with my friends and family.  I'm also open to sharing them with perfect strangers who may find wisdom, ideas, entertainment or, most likely, humor in what I have to say from day to day.

I also realize that some of my thoughts need to be private.  Not because they are perverted, weird, politically incorrect, etc... but because there are events in my life that I need to keep private for one reason or another. So, how do I completely journal about my life in a way that I can share with others, but still also log my own thoughts that need to remain private?  I'm not sure I have the answer to that.... but for now, we'll just go with it.  It is only Day 1, after all.

For example, I've spent most of my time off of work around the holidays pondering my future and career decisions.  A week from yesterday will mark a different kind of Day 1, as my company will execute on all the integration actions involved in our merger.  This will be an exciting day, a terrifying day, a sad day and a hard day.  Those that will not be moving on with the new company will be missed.  We'll wish them good luck as they move on while we silently thank God that we are not looking for new opportunities in a hard time.  For some it'll mean new opportunities with new companies.   For others, it'll mean new opportunities in the newly merged company.  Others still may find themselves in roles they aren't happy doing.  Like I said, it'll be a hard day, no matter where you fall.

And here I find myself skirting some of those private thoughts.  I have decisions ahead of me that can lead to some great new opportunities.  I'm excited.  I'm scared.  I can't wait to get started, yet don't know quite where or how to start.  I look forward to the next year knowing that I'll have one of my biggest challenges ahead of me.  I'm confident that it'll be rewarding and full-filling.  And I'm confident that I will tackle this challenge with everything I have to offer.  I welcome the challenges that 2013 brings me.  And with God and my family by my side, I know I will succeed.

I've said as much as I probably can at this point.  I should also be getting to bed soon.  Emma, Braden and I rang in the New Year together, so I'm a bit tired.  They didn't quite understand the concept of the new year, but they were thrilled to stay up until midnight!  Emma kept asking "But why does the ball have to drop?"  I failed to explain it in a way a 5 year old was able to grasp.  I don't think Braden questioned it because he was just happy to be up.  It was a fun night of bonding over a movie (Ice Age 3) and Xbox.  For the record, Braden and Emma BOTH cheat at Kinect Sports Volleyball.  That and the ceiling's too low in our basement for me to jump and spike.  Ow.  

So, Day 1.  2013.  I like it.  Writing has a way of centering me that feels good.  I think I'll try this again tomorrow.  And the day after.  We'll see about the rest of the 365 days after that.  One step at a time, as they say.  So, before this post bleeds into Day 2 of 2013, I'll get my butt off to bed.

Happy New Year.
God's blessings.
Happy Day 1.

A Whole Month!?!

It’s been over a month since I blogged last???? Uh oh.
Let’s see… updates:

• Braden and Emma now take showers instead of baths… much more fun.  Much steamier in the bathroom for Dad.
• Braden has been evaluated by a therapist for what we think is ADHD and PDD symptoms.  He has also had some intelligence testing and his therapist believes he’s extremely intelligent and needs more stimulating activities to help.  We’re not sure where the 'extremely intelligent'  part comes from and aren't quite convinced.  We don’t think his ADHD symptoms are major in any sense of the symptom, but we do think he struggles with it a little and can use some help.  And no, medication is not on the table no, or in the near future.
• Emma is starting potty training, which is going about as well as we expected.  In other words, not well at all.  She has yet to actually go in the potty.  I’d be happy if she managed to go ON the potty at this point.
• School is out for the summer!
• We have new neighbors moving in this weekend.  They have a 4 year old girl, a 2 year old girl and a baby coming in November, so they’ll make great playmates!  Plus they go to Trinity and will be in Braden and Emma’s class next year.
• Bindi is 18 weeks old today and weighs 55 lbs.  In spite of that, last night she figured out that she can climb on my lap in the recliner last night.  She’s actually not a bad cuddler… until she decides she wants to get down.  Graceful she isn’t.
• Braden and Emma are at Grandma and Grandpa’s house this weekend.  We’re monitoring the Appleton emergency bands closely.

Twelve Things Good Bosses Believe

The following list was taken from an article in the Harvard Business Review.  I think it's a great list and something that I wish I was better at.  I think I do well at some of these and obviously could do better at most of them.  I'm sharing this here in hopes that it'll remind me to keep at it and so that others will remind me to do better.

1. I have a flawed and incomplete understanding of what it feels like to work for me.
2. My success — and that of my people — depends largely on being the master of obvious and mundane things, not on magical, obscure, or breakthrough ideas or methods.
3. Having ambitious and well-defined goals is important, but it is useless to think about them much. My job is to focus on the small wins that enable my people to make a little progress every day.
4. One of the most important, and most difficult, parts of my job is to strike the delicate balance between being too assertive and not assertive enough.
5. My job is to serve as a human shield, to protect my people from external intrusions, distractions, and idiocy of every stripe — and to avoid imposing my own idiocy on them as well.
6. I strive to be confident enough to convince people that I am in charge, but humble enough to realize that I am often going to be wrong.
7. I aim to fight as if I am right, and listen as if I am wrong — and to teach my people to do the same thing.
8. One of the best tests of my leadership — and my organization — is "what happens after people make a mistake?"
9. Innovation is crucial to every team and organization. So my job is to encourage my people to generate and test all kinds of new ideas. But it is also my job to help them kill off all the bad ideas we generate, and most of the good ideas, too.
10. Bad is stronger than good. It is more important to eliminate the negative than to accentuate the positive.
11. How I do things is as important as what I do.
12. Because I wield power over others, I am at great risk of acting like an insensitive jerk — and not realizing it.

Where does a Mastiff ride in a Car?

Anywhere she wants to!

Yes, this is our 35 pound, 13 week old Mastiff doing her cat impersonation and riding in the back window of our Camry on the way home from puppy class.

Bantam Bindi

Bindi will be 12 weeks old tomorrow.  I don’t think I can quite get a feel for how much she’s grown in size, however we did weigh her last night at the vet.  She’s 32.6 pounds.  Yep.  She’s gained 11 pounds in under 3 weeks. 

Last night was the second week of puppy kindergarten.  It’s so funny seeing the contrast between her and the other dog in the class, who probably ways 3 pounds. 

She’s starting to do well.  The main reason is that Kathie picked up some freeze dried liver treats.  She goes absolutely crazy for them.  She follows you around watching you for any kind of command.  So far she’s learned sit, down, come, stand and touch to some level.  She’s a pro at puppy pushups.  She’s also learning release.  Kathie was even able to get her to come when she was across the yard playing with the neighbors dog.  Those liver treats are THAT good.

She’s still pretty nippy, but it’s pretty limited to her ‘crazy’ puppy times. When she’s just outside or hanging out, she’s getting much better.  But if she gets the crazies, then it’s very difficult to get her to stop. We’re going to try a spray bottle next. 

Happy Birthday Braden!

Wow, five years old!  Where has the time gone!? 

Braden is very excited to be five and we’re very proud of him.  It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling, though, as it’s amazing how quickly they grow.

Last night after prayers, Braden said he couldn’t sleep.  That sparked another Bradenism conversation:

Braden: “I know, I can think about the really nice birthday presents I got.  That will help”

Me: “Good idea.  Happy Birthday, buddy”

Braden: “Happy Birthday. I’m very excited!”

Me: “Me too.  I’m very proud of you and I can’t believe you’re five years old already!”

Braden: “When is this talk going to be over?”

Me: “Now.  Good night.”

Busy!!!

Things are going well.  Ok, as well as they can when you have 3 small kids and a 10 week old puppy at home.  It’s Easter break this week and I’m guessing Kathie will probably go crazy fairly soon.

Braden continues with his gross and fine motor skills therapy sessions twice a week.  He is already getting tan from playing outside!  He loves playing with all his friends and (sometimes) his sister.  His birthday is next Monday and he’ll be five.  He’s very excited.

Emma is a constant:  A constant roller coaster of emotion.  She can be the sweetest girl one minute and a screaming devil child the next.  She’s very smart and I think she takes advantage of our lack of constant discipline at times.  Wait, I meant to say consistent there.  No, actually, with her it’s probably constant.  But I mostly joke about Emma and her fits.  She really is a sweet girl.  Her latest thing is pretending to be a baby, a momma or a daddy.  “I’m not Emma!  I’m a baby. Waahhhh”

Alex has had a rough week or so.  He hasn’t been feeling quite himself and we suspect it’s new teeth coming, but really aren’t sure.  No fever or other symptoms.  He’s just cranky a lot.  Ok, a lot for him… because he still is a very happy kid.  He’s also getting physical therapy once a week to help out with his core muscle tone.  But that doesn’t stop him from trying to climb everything in sight.  The other day he figured out he can get into the bathtub.  Or, rather, he figured out that he can get over the edge of the top and that gravity takes over from there.  He also really enjoys being outside and swinging.

Bindi is doing well.  Probably amazingly well for a 10 week old puppy, but it’s a little hard to judge when your embedded in the situation.  She has had a few accidents, but is house broken for the most part.  Of course we don’t really let her out without supervision yet, so there’s still some work there.  She’s getting a little better with the nipping and is starting to learn commands.  She came up to Emma the other day and Emma said “Sit!” and her little..um… moderately sized… butt plopped right down on the ground and she sat there looking for her treat.  At last measurement she was 27 pounds, but I think she’s growing in size faster than weight.

I know this is getting a bit long, so I’ll leave you with a Bradenism.  Braden took on himself to hide an Easter egg for Emma in his toolbox.  Then he wanted to give her a subtle hint, so he said “Emma, there’s an egg in the toolbox.  No.  Wait.  I didn’t mean that.  Um…. there’s an egg someplace where we carry lots of tools.”  Subtle he isn’t!

Wordy

A friend of mine (who will remain nameless) told me last night that I’m too wordy in my posts here because he can’t stay focused past a sentence or two.  He said he just looks at the pictures… so….

(nameless, but not faceless)

Mega Update

So, I blogged last about our new puppy and her arrival.  Then disappeared for three days.  Disappeared probably doesn’t accurately describe the situation.

I took three days off of work so I could be home and help get the puppy acclimated to her new home, as well as get us acclimated to her.  It was a fun, but very exhausting three days. 

Bindi has definitely settled in to her new home.  She’s gaining more confidence each day, which is both good and bad.  She’s definitely a good dog!  She’s friendly and has an appropriate level of submissiveness.  She likes to sit behind you, but isn’t afraid of a lot of things.  She follows  you around the yard or the house and likes to be near us.  But she’s definitely a puppy!  When she gets frantic, she tends to chase the kids or us and nip a lot.  We’ll work on that and it’ll improve with age, but it’s difficult to prevent it with the kids running around.

She’s learned her potty spot already and the accidents have been limited to two so far.  She has even gone to the door and asked to be taken out already.  That was probably mostly coincidence, but she did go right away when she went out.  The first night involved 4-5 trips outside, the second night only two and the third night was only one and that was because I was already up with Alex and woke her up to take her out.  Last night she slept through the night. 

She loves her play area and her kennel and can be found sleeping peacefully there quite often, especially after playing with the neighbors dog and getting worn out. 

Her first vet visit went well.  She was very calm until they gave her some freeze dried liver treats.  After that she was a nut case looking for more treats.  Who ever heard of treats making the vet visit worse!?  Her checkup went well.  We’ll probably have her spayed around 5 months after all her puppy teeth are out and she’s ready to head to puppy kindergarten and play with other dogs now that she has her vaccinations. 

The kids are doing pretty well with her, but so far they haven’t been terribly  involved with her, short of running around the yard. It’s a little hard to get kids their age involved in training a puppy her age.  They’re all a little intimidated by the nipping.  Well, Alex isn’t, but he doesn’t know any better.  Sterling is also doing well with the new addition. They’ve been face to face a few times with no incidences.