Herky Is My Hero

Hi all! We got a dog this weekend. A chocolate lab puppy actually. Before I go too deep, those of you who know me well know I sometimes have ideas that are.... grandiose. (Several things really scream out at me that I'm bi-polar... manic episodes, really over the top, grandiose plans to name a few. Classic symptoms.) I like to think that having a dog, starting a business, having 7 kids, nature walks through snow and thorns with a two year old in cowboy boots would be fun... but then actually it's just a lot of work. Which is no fun. So yes, we got a dog - Herky. He ( i know- i cant even get a girl dog) was first Sam, then Romeo (my personal fave.) and then we threw out Herky and of course the boys loved it and it stuck. And then we got the dog -- and it is very hard to differentiate between Herky and Hucky. Which is what we call little brotha most of the time. Jordan and I had planned ahead about how when picking names that he and I should pick some pre-approved names to suggest to the boys so that they don't think of their own --- Brown dog automatically = named Brownie (first thing Mack suggested!). And then we threw caution to the wind and blurted out Herky without thinking of how that might pan out. So yesterday was my first day in the trenches with the dog. It was suggested on FB that we take the dog out every 25-30 minutes during the day (ain't nobody got time to get up in the night with a dog- I told Jordan I don't even get up with my human baby anymore, you won't see me getting up with a dog. And he agreed since he gets up with no human babies ever.) SWEET JESUS does 25 minutes come around fast! By noon I had texted Jordan to come get the f-ing dog because I had already been outside with it 12 times and had basically spent more time with it than Huck. Which really made me hate the name Herky because I kept getting them switched up and I felt bad for calling my sweet boy Herky when at the time I wanted to put the darn dog on Craigs List (this is how these types of things usually go for me - day one). But, I switched to every 45 minutes and kind of got a routine down on how I do things and he has had only 2 accidents in 2 days --- and last night slept about 10 hours and had a clean kennel this morning! So the consensus today is that I'll keep him. As soon as he's house trained, Zeke is going in the kennel!! Oh and after we got home with the dog on Sunday, it was mass chaos - first warm day of the year, puddles and mud everywhere, newness of the dog = boys have to go out every time we take it out (45 times at least)---- 4+ outfit changes later and Jordan says "Not in a bad way... but I'm glad I get to go to work tomorrow." Kind of like No offense, but this sucks. Yeah. Throw in 6 loads of laundry and dishes and poopy diapers all around, and it's a regular ole blast around here!!

I have been patiently impatiently waiting for my sister to have her baby. Due date = this Thursday. She had a doctor appointment today and he was hopeful she will go soon... but if not he will induce her on the 10th. ON THE 10TH! She should have said and by the 10th do you mean APRIL FOOLS?! I guess I'm just spoiled that I get induced at 39 weeks (but God just laughs and laughs and says you will still have this baby on the birthday that I have planned. next week.).. 41 just seems cruel. We were just talking about how excited she is to get the nightly baby-is-hungry wake up calls from the nurses while she's in the hospital. Worse sound ever. Thrilled baby is finally here, but if there was ever a chance that you are going to get even a little bit of sleep in the foreseeable future - it's gonna be in the hospital. While baby is being snuggled at the nurse's desk. Can't wait until my niece is here! The only bad thing about us all having babies at the same time is that you really can't be of any sort of help --- here I'll hold your baby so you can relax a minute... and hold mine. :) She has had many days of "maybe this is it...??" so I have kept my phone on vibrate. We have a thing where we text mom and sisters and Justin all the while during labor... mine were usually like "doing nothing." "going home." "maxed out on Pitocin again. doing nothing. Dr. Thompson is probably afraid to come in (for fear of the hot mess i will become when he says well baby is lookin famous... but maybe lets try again tomorrow)" "Epidural in, thank you LORD" Can't wait to get her texts this time around!!! And go to Starbucks when I visit them (thank you Jess for delivering in a city!!!)

Mack is the Star Student this week at school - we filled out a sheet listing his favorites and he got to bring some pictures to share with the class. 5-10 were requested but this guy has caught MANY fish in his life, so we went a bit over that with all of his best catches, and a few of him and his brothers. Friday we take him to kindergarten round-up! I still remember when I had my kindergarten round-up --- Mrs. Elledge had her classroom out in a trailer in the parking lot and after she took my picture, I was amazed that there was another little girl in my class that looked exactly like me and was even wearing the same clothes! (one of those old cameras that spit the picture out right away --- newfangled stuff Ed-Co had back then!)


Anyway - 45 minutes is up. Puppy time :( 45 minutes isn't much better than 25 now that I think about it. Boo.

Have a great week!

Also - for the record, Jordan has gotten up with the boys at night before. Because I have kicked him and cursed at him and forced him to do so. :)