The Surprise

Mark and I had a surprise for the kids.   

For weeks we planned the best way to give it to them.

It was something that they had been asking for for years, and we finally felt like the time was right.

On Thurs morning I drove 3 hrs away with M & A.  Our surprise just happened to be located in the same town as one of my favorite twin friends, who has 3 three-yr-olds (don't ask).  We have been meaning to get together forever so this was the perfect opportunity to hang out (if only I had been on top of things enough to take pictures of our kids together, especially of Fletcher who stole all ten of Addy's napkins at lunch time and threw them on the floor).  

Finally it was time!  I was so excited.  We drove to the local Sam's club, got out of the car and were greeted by this...

Meet Rufio (name provided by Mark) Risky (name provided by Katie) Sanofsky an English Springer Spaniel

I had the video camera to record their response, we couldn't get it working, which was fine because all I got from them was Addy's disinterested glance and Marcus' crying about wanting to take pictures. SERIOUSLY!!!  I buy you a puppy and you cry about wanting the camera.  They both got back in the car, by choice, and I finished up all the paperwork.  Richele took the puppy to her car and her kids were so excited that I almost let them take him home.

Disappointed I drove head home with a crying puppy and  two kids that were more excited to watch a movie in the car then to talk about their puppy.  We stopped halfway home to take a quick break.  Luckily, this went a little better.  M&A and Rufio ran around together and had a grand time.

I was excited to get home and show Katie because I knew I could count on her.  We had put a note in her lunch box telling her we had a surprise for her.  She was at our neighbor's house bc I didn't get home before school ended.  She jumped in the front seat (we are only about 10 houses apart) and we headed back to our house.  She started talking to me about her day and every couple sentences Rufio would start whining, Katie would pause, look around and keep talking; this happened a couple of times.  Finally, Rufio let out a howl and then started barking, Katie stopped talking turned to Marcus and Addy and said "who said that",  Addy said "Rufio", but Katie turns to me and starts talking again as we pull into our garage.  I started laughing at her and tell her it is her surprise.  I think it all starts to click for her.  She jumps out of the car and runs to the back.  I pull out Rufio and get the response I deserved.  She starts screaming, jumping up and down and yelling, "you got me me a puppy, that's the best surprise ever, thank you, thank you!"  That was the moment I wanted recorded.  

  

All tuckered out after a long scary day--he climbs under the bar stools while the kids ate dinner (Katie put the blanket over him)

He got a little scared at one point and found the shoes to hide in

Mark came home early and it was love at first sight.

The last couple days have been a little crazy with house training and anti-bite training.  Marcus loved Rufio until he got clawed a couple of times, now he is a little weary.  Addy on the other hand, runs as fast as she can every time she sees Rufio and Rufio thinks she was made to chew on.  He also LOVES her hair and goes for it whenever he can.  Tonight Addy said, "that dog, Rufio, is trying to kill me.  He has sharp claws, he is Shere-khan (someone has been reading a little too much Jungle Book)".

Katie likes to carry him around.

Yesterday, Katie got a few chew marks on her, so we spent the day working on Rufio with "good chew" "bad chew", no marks on anyone today so we have great hopes for him.

Katie and Rufio have a very special bond already, he really missed her while she was at school.  Tonight we were having family movie time, and he got scared and climbed on Katie's lap. 

Back to reality...

We have really been enjoying life...but as much as we LOVED having everyone here and being in Guatemala, there is something to be said about being in your house with nothing pressing to do. 

Addy's fav thing to do is hair

In our efforts to get Katie into the neighborhood school I talked to the principal (back in Dec) and she advised me to put her in our home school and apply to transfer her over (you probably need to live in Charlotte or have an hour long conversation with me to understand this).  So...after Christmas we enrolled her in kindergarten.  It has been weird getting used to her being gone so much.  Katie, on the other hand, has been loving every sec of it.  She spent 3 weeks at the 'other' school, and then we got word that she was accepted into the Montessori school that is 5 houses down the street! 

It is a uniform school, they are casual about it, but khaki or blue bottoms and blue, red or white tops.  Do you know how hard it is to find uniform stuff in the middle of the school year!

The weather has been warm enough to be outside, so after school everyone gathers at the park across the street.  I'm not sure life gets much better for the kids.

Last week there was a little accident outside our house and a car crashed into our fence.  Seriously!  It has been such a hassle to deal with even though their insurance will someday cover it.

Wednesday I picked Addy up from school early to have a mommy/Addy date.  She really wanted to get fries and 'girl' soda.  I think that the girl thing comes from us telling her that the coke, etc in the house is "daddy soda", and since I don't drink it she thinks it is only for boys.  I took her to a little burger joint we have been wanting to try.  We got one large meal and I had the burger and some of the fries and she had the soda and most the fries. (Another funny Addy note is that she is calling everything blasted; "this blasted door won't open".  She also says "I'm gonna freak out" if I don't respond to her right away.)

I forgot my camera, and the phone isn't quite as good of quality.

Sat we went to the mall to hang out (and we also went to the pet store to shop for some items for a certain type of animal that the kids don't know about yet, but will on Thurs!), Katie wanted me to take this picture of her and the Hello Kitty, who was walking around the mall.