Tali Tali

Since Josh and Liz started school, Tali has been creating her own fun, and some mischief.


I had to hide the Dum-Dums because, apparently the top of the fridge wasn't high enough.


I also had to explain to her that it's not okay to put Toby outside without asking me. We don't have a fence.


I also keep finding fruit snack wrappers all over the house. But we don't have any fruit snacks in the pantry . . . oh, food storage! Sneaky, sneaky.


Lastly, the other day I heard her yell,
"Mom, I'm tapped!"
Me: "You're tapped?"
Tali: "Yeah! I'm taaaaaaaaaapped! HELP!"
This is what I found.
I asked her if she could stay trapped for another 30 seconds while I took a picture . . . and another . . . and a video.
She consented.

Tali & Toby.

Toby the Wonder Puppy

Similarities between Toby and a baby:

• He barely knows his own name.
• He sleeps a lot.
• He will fall aslep anywhere.
• When he's alseep I don't let anyone disturb him.
• When he's awake he distrubs everyone.
• He whines when he wants (or doesn't want) something.
• He can't make it through the night without peeing.
• Everything goes in his mouth :)

Differences between Toby and a baby:

• He can walk, run, jump, leap, spring, claw, climb, and flip, and he uses his 3-month-old brain to decide when and where to do each.
• He doesn't wear a diaper, but sometimes I wish he did.
• At bedtime I put him in his kennel, in the garage, lock the door and leave him.
• When I leave the house I put him on his runner in the backyard.
• He eats twice a day, not twice an hour.
• He gained 7 lbs. in a month.

We've had Toby for almost 4 weeks now. In that time, he's learned his name and sometimes he comes when called. Other times he stares at me tauntingly, waits until I get close enough to lunge at him and then makes a break for it, leaving me lying, embarrassed, on the grass. I think the neighbors enjoy watching this.

They say that a dog will NEVER pee in his own kennel unless he absolutely HAS to. Toby pees in his kennel every night, without fail. So I wash his kennel pad everyday. The alternative is to set the alarm for 4am, take him out back and watch him collapse on the porch and immediately fall asleep until we put him in the cold grass and he finally pees. I prefer washing the kennel pad everyday.

The kids are doing very well at taking care of him. Josh and Tali seem to have a real love for animals. I think Liz is still developing hers. Josh will scoop poop with a shovel or pick it up with a plastic bag when we're on a walk. He also feeds and waters Toby twice a day. Tali plays with Toby for at least an hour every morning. She loves him, despite his sharp teeth and love for nibbling on her. She hog-ties him and tries to ride him and he has never growled or snapped at her. Toby has helped Liz develop her leadership and delegation skills. It is her job to take him for a walk three times a week and she always finds a friend to go with her, or one of Josh's friends to do it FOR her.

I am doing fine with the house training only because I have been promised new carpet when it's done :)

Just like Buddie, Toby loves running and hiking. As he grows up, he'll make the perfect mountain companion.

Toby @ 10 weeks

Toby's makes himself a bed in the backyard and under the desk . . . Tali makes him more comfortable.

Toby today.