because things have been pretty dull around here

This Mother's Day, I got breakfast in bed, for the first time ever. It was as fabulous as I could have imagined, complete with a bouquet of flowers and crisp pepper bacon with the fat trimmed off (thanks, honey!).

I got special treatment because I'm a Mom (hooray!), and what (other) better way to celebrate being a mom than adopting another child?

Met Harley Davidson.


Harley is a six-week-old Border Collie-Australian Shepherd mix (or Border-Aussie) who was a complete spur-of-the-moment purchase by John off the back of a farmer's truck at the Sportsman's Warehouse parking lot to be the newest addition to our little family.

She is a perfect puppy: all fluffy-puffer and puffy-fluffer, with a white coat and gray patches, with blue spots in those patches (to match her pretty blue eyes). Her nose is a mottled pink and black. Her teeth are tiny and pointy and want to bite into everything.


We've been saying for quite a while that Mila needs a friend to roam the property with, and though we've gone to the pound a couple times and wishy-washed the idea at least a thousand times more, it seemed fate came knocking on Mother's Day and now Mila has a little sister to gently nuzzle and sniff, all the while thankful for the extra treats and attention she's been getting (preserving the alpha-dog thing, you know).

So yeah, we have a new puppy. A brand-spankin'-new, fresh-off-the-teat-and-a-little-confused puppy. She's nothing less than adorable, nothing less than a completely needy new little being.

We're crate training, which is hailed as the best method of raising a new pooch, and so far it seems to be successful. Okay, we've brought her in to bed with us the past two nights at about 5:00 a.m. because the mewling from the family room kennel completely disrupts our sleep, and I know that's a no-no, but just this evening I placed her in there after her outside dinner poop and she hasn't made a peep. And she's only pooped inside twice. And peed once.


Welcome to our home, Harley. I have no doubt you will be a wonderful addition. And the extra attention you require? No problem. We don't have anything on our plates besides raising a toddler, starting up two new businesses, planning a wedding, teaching Stroller Strides (me), working nights (John), paying bills, caring for an acre property (and its home), and - oh, yeah - watching over your big sister, Mila. But hopefully she'll teach you well and you'll turn in to a sweet, mellow, well-behaved lovey-dove of a dog-daughter, just like she is.

Hopefully.



By the way, I could use some help with the spelling of her name. We know her name is Har(ley), but is that too masculine? Should we write it out some other way? This is a HUGE decision, okay?! (See the poll at right.)