Toddlering

Lately we have been "toddlering"... day in and day out, we are full of toddler activities such as:

Toddler watching pizza bake:

Toddler trying to dry himself after playing outside in the splash:

Toddler running around at the big splash, until he fell and scraped his forehead. Then he got up and kept running and screaming:

Toddler sitting on the pillow to brush his teeth:

Toddler helping with the watering of the Forsythias:

Toddler waking up from nap, dragging his chair to the laundry room door and listening to the dryer:

Toddler eating waffles!

Toddler trying to get into the dog food bin:

Toddler hanging out on the swing:

Toddler helping out with the garden:

Toddler out to dinner with Mama Fern and Daddy Norm:

Toddler playing with cookware on the kitchen floor... with no shirt on because it gets too hot in the house in the afternoons:

And that's pretty much what our life consists of at the moment. Starting at 7am, breaking for a nap from 12pm - 2pm and wrapping it up at 7pm.

Rest Well, Pellet

Rest Well, Mello Pello,

How did you get so old so quick? In the blink of our eyes you became an old man and started having such a hard time with life over all. You were so exhausted, your energy was drained.

What are we going to do without you around? 

Who will Baby get to pet and feed treats to? 

Who will set Cali straight when she gets crazy? Who will keep her from going crazy while we are gone to work?

Who will warn us when there's thunder in the horizon? 

Who will lay next to us when we are sick and not feeling well? 

Who will protect the house from bad people?  

To many you were big and scary and rowdy, but to us you were the most gentle (and stubborn) giant that loved to play fetch, tug of war, knew how to set boundaries, loved car rides, gave the best dog kisses, knew how to eat off our hands and ate anything in sight so effortlessly right off the kitchen counter and dining room table

We will miss your young spirit and sweet brown eyes. We will miss your loud scary bark that was so comforting (except when it got high pitch when you were scared).

The blog will go down to Ten Feet, but you will remain part of who we are forever. Twelve years worth of habits can't be broken over night. We will feel the void when we get home and there's only Cali jumping up to kiss us instead of the two of you. We will forever hide food in the oven and the microwave while we sit down to dinner. 

We went through so much together - we were so lucky to be your human parents.

St. Francis, pray for us and all dogs - those with us and those who rest forever. Amen