Flutter Nutter and His 'the girl'

Flutter Nutter is related to his mom. He has a hard time remembering names.
But this time.... well, **sigh**, he really blew it.
FN: "Could you get the basket down, me and the girl want to play a game?"
"The Girl"'s Mom: What's the girl's name?
FN: I dunno.
TG's Mom: Better go ask the girl her name, cause if you are going to buy her a house, you kinda need to know here name. She's gonna want her name on the house.
FN: Okay

The house story can be found here.

Here's Pics of "THE GIRL" and Flutter Nutter!

Gus has been Naughty !

Our newest family member is not enjoying the absences of his boy or girl much at all this week.
He has discovered he can jump the fence and escapes several times a day.
He doesn't go far, but I am sure he is wondering where his two play buddies have gone. The rest of us try to spend some time loving on him, but it just isn't the same as the bond he has formed with Hockey Player and Little Princess. Sure hope he stops the fence jumping once they are home and hanging out with him in the backyard once again.
I took him for a walk the other night along with the other 3. I fed him Flutter Nutter's ice cream... FN didn't want it, it was melting faster than he could eat it. Poor Gus, didn't realize my hand wasn't part of the ice cream sandwich. He didn't hurt me, but he was a little sheepish. Then I offered my hand to him to lick clean and he misunderstood again. Boy was he disappointed with me. Licking my hand clean was not something he thought was his job. He was a good dog to walk. He kept pace with me. When I took him off the leash, he didn't run off, just stayed right there. The only problem we had was when a boy came along Hockey Player's age, he started after him. I'm sure he was hoping for some boy time. He came back when I called him.
He has been entertaining himself and us. When he doesn't know we are looking he acts like a complete dork with his bone. Dancing, bouncing and twisting all over the place with his bone in his mouth. He will go to hide it and check to see if we are looking and sure enough we are and quickly changes his mind and heads in another direction. He has loved the sprinklers. He gets even goofier when they are on.
So if you are wondering, he is still fitting in with this family, that long ago decided it wasn't a family made for pets.

Hockey Player & Little Princess missing...

This week they have been off at camp.
It has been ever so quiet around here. The Little boys are substantially more subdued. THey play and get along with each other more than we ever imagined possible. So much so, I can say, I have completed quite a bit around here on my list of projects. I do make sure we get out and do something each day, so as not to press my luck in the harmony department, but I am astounded at how peaceful it is around here.
Even though I am enjoying the change in temperments around here, I do miss my Little Princess and Hockey Player. I am every so greatful to the camp for posting pics online, so I can stay up on what they are doing and see their beautiful faces. I would say smiles, but in each photo, they have intense looks of concentration and/or competiveness. Their photos seem to be captured when they are playing games. And well, I have some pretty competitive children.
The weekend begins tomorrow and we will all be back together...so off to get more done, while the peace and quiet and harmony exists...

Rock River Rapids Water Park !

Yesterday Rock River Rapids offered free admission to the military and their dependents. Big-O-Daddy-O's boss let him have the day off to take the family.
We headed out mid afternoon. Arrived around 3:30 and boy was the park busy!
The excitement, tears, blood, fighting amongst the little brothers yielded to looks of euphoria as they got their first (second, actually since RRR offered this last year as well and maybe the year before) look of the park.
No pictures, I wanted to enjoy this trip with the two little boys and Fun Mom. I didn't want to have to worry about the camera.
We are missing Hockey Player and Little Princess, but this trip to the water park was significantly less stressful. Amazing how when you only have to count 2 instead of 5 regularly how much easier it is. Before you comment on my math, we don't worry so much qbout counting Fun Mom when there are 3 as we do when there are 5. The more taller people there are, the more confusing it can be in the counting when short one person...trying to figure out which one is missing and saying the correct name as well. So much easier than to count to 5 instead of 4. But even easier counting to 2!
My math skills are amazing aren't they.
But back to RRR. Everyone had a great time! This is how I know:
Flutter Nutter was head banging to the tune of Zzzz's within 10 minutes in the car. Flutter Nutter after dinner was sent to get his jammies on. This he did and then disappeared. Found him curled up on his bed with his blankies sawing logs. Slept till 8:30ish this morning. (Roughly 12 hours)
Daddy's Buddy slept 12 hours and didn't argue about going to bed.
Fun Mom at 9:00 am still in bed.
BigODaddyO at 9:00 am still in bed.
THE MOM was in bed at 9 pm and up at 700 am. Anyone who knows me, knows I tend to stay up late...midnight/1:00 AM Late. Not last night. ;)

Before we left for RRR Daddy's Buddy was certain the waterpark would be fun, but not near as much fun as Hockey player was having at camp. Now he thinks RRR is more fun than camp!

UGH! ! the things he eats...

This afternoon we went swimming.
Took showers at the pool and came home and changed into dry clothes.
Of course kiddos were hungry and were a little less than patient for dinner to be ready. On a little trip to the basement I discover Flutter Nutter sprawled out on the couch watching tv and eating FROZEN corn dogs.
And I thought the box of corn dogs on the counter was only a hint of what was wanted for dinner. Silly me!
I ordered him upstairs to have them put in the oven for dinner, to which he exlaimed, "But I like them frozen!"
I do have faint memories of eating hot dogs right from the refrigerated package as a child....
but never FROZEN!

Potatoes!

Last year the rabbits invaded. This year, we had POTATOES!
The girls were excited to see the crop we dug up. I was gonna have the Dad help me, but the girls were quickly at our side, so Dad was allowed to go and do his thing.
Not a bad crop for the small garden we have! We also dug up the onions at the same time. Not quite I was hoping for out of the onions. Maybe next year will be better. But the plan from last year worked and the rabbits did not bother the potatoes! Woohoo!

We have a new family member! !

And he is 4 years old.
His name is Gus!
I know, I know. All you out there who know me have your jaws sitting on the ground. What was I thinking?
Dad went into the hospital for a second time this summer, only a week and a half after his first visit. Had surgery. The last year, he has not been able to do much with Gus. His friends were actively looking for a new home for him. Dad has been asking me for the last couple of years if we would like to have Gus.
We have tried to have dogs. We have learned we are pet-sitting kind of people.
But a week at my dad's and I fell in love.
Gus has all the criteria, I have kept secretly to myself should we ever seriously consider having a dog.
The criteria:
We are no longer potty training children (we have been done with that for a 1 1/2 years now)
Children are old enough to completely take responsibility.
NOT a puppy...no more potty training for me!
Leash manners
Not a chewer
Good with the kids

Well Gus is good with the kids. Has a strong protective instict. He even tried to protect us from the Big O Daddy O. He got between kids, me and the Dad. But when we hugged on Dad and talked with him, he warmed up to the Big O Daddy O after about 10 minutes. He has to know the person is okay. He runs on the leash with Fun Mom and Hockey Player really well. Now they have a body guard when they go to do their miles or two.
He woke me the other night. I went to put him in the garage because of the barking. Turned out, he was barking because there was some not so friendly visitors at the neighbors. As we struggled at the gate to get to the garage, they were startled and took off. Police believe they were getting ready to rob our neighbors' garage. He has not tried to jump our fence once as of yet. Super gently with the kids.

My favorite first memory... He won't get into the cage in the suburban. So we ask Flutter Nutter to hop in so Gus will follow. FN got real indignant and told me he didn't want to ride in the cage. No, No, you are not going to ride in the cage, just get Gus to follow you in and then you get out. Well it worked, Gus hopped in right after Flutter Nutter! Flutter Nutter hopped out and he was caught! However, he is one smart pooch. The rest of the trip home, he would not fall for that trick at all. We had to help him into the cage by showing his haunches up to the back of the suburban. The last stop, he finally got the picutres and hopped in all by himself. I think he figured, he might as well, make it easy for us.

I must admit it was hard to seprate a man from his dog. I think I was a bit more emotional for me than the others in that regard. Hard to see my dad aging to the point he can't keep up with having a dog. He told me the cats are a perfect for him now. They don't require as much from him. But sweet Daddy's Buddy was quick to tell Grandpa he could come and visit as much as he wanted.