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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

As promised, here she is: our new puppy. We drove to Ohio Monday and spent the night at a hotel with a water park. Very fun! Then Tuesday we went and got Keely and drove home. It was a fantastic trip, but exhausting. I didn’t even feel like eating anything until midday Thursday.

The last three nights have been a crash course in remembering what sleep deprivation feels like. Keely’s a great pup, but she’s little and needs to go out…frequently.

She is of course the most beautiful puppy on the planet; there is none to compare. Except for when she’s a fireball and nipping at the boys faster than anyone can react. She clearly adores the boys already, looking for them if they’re out of sight and seeking them out for snuggles when she’s tired.

The boys, for their part, have been adorable as well. Having a puppy is a lot like having a new baby. Of course, none of the boys know/remember what that’s like, so this is pretty new for them. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they’re really doing great with her.

They’re already learning all about cleaning up after puppy messes. The first shriek of “SHE POOPED!!!” followed up by “OH! UGH!!! THAT STINKS!!!” while they cleaned was hilarious. I have to say, the experience certainly motivated them to want to take her out whenever necessary.

It’s really great to walk downstairs and find a boy keeping an eye on the puppy. If it’s nap time (which happens a lot since she’s so little) there’s usually a boy holding her close. As soon as she wakes up she’s whisked out for a walk, and then brought in to eat and play until it’s time for nap again.

Hubby was teasing her a little after bedtime tonight and she barked fiercely at him. Both TechnoBoy and The Mercenary demanded to know what had happened when I stopped in their room to turn out their lights. When I said that Dad was teasing her, they were both quite disapproving of Hubby’s behavior.

I knew that having a dog would be a good thing; it didn’t occur to me that they’re learning all sorts of parenting skills in the process.

Shhhhh! Don’t tell them they’re learning something.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who love their new puppy.