Introducing Zoe...I mean Zeus...

"Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic life form?"
~ Obi-Wan Kenobi

A little bit ago, before Sadie even arrived on campus, a stray cat appeared on our doorstep. Anyone who knows either Mommy's or my family, knows we have a weakness for stray animals (i.e. Puddy, Cali, etc).

The cat was clearly a lost pet: She was very friendly and wanted inside the house in the worst way. So I walked around the block and talked to a few neighbors hoping to find her home to no avail.

At that point, our mind-set was; Just ignore her and she find her way home. Yeah, that didn't work either.

Fast forward a few days, a few bowls of food, and a new name: Zoe. We still had no intention of keeping her: We couldn't take her in due to allergies and didn't think it fair to keep her outside with the impending winter.

Then the end of last week, one of our neighbors, who we learned was also feeding Zoe, had a vet friend take a look at her with the possible intention of adopting her. That's when we learned the truth: She's a he.

So now, for as long as he's here, we'd like to introduce you to Zeus.

Photo creds to Abby...

Two Weeks with Sadie

Our first couple of nights with Sadie were...challenging. She would wake-up almost hourly crying and barking. We had kinda expected this so we weren't too surprise...which doesn't negate the fact that, by Wednesday of last week, we were looking for a way to speed up this crate training thing.


The following Thursday, Mommy had the genius notion that, 'Hey, the hamsters are nocturnal. Perhaps they're disturbing her'. So Thursday night we moved Sadie's crate into the family room, away from Yoda and Squeaky. Wow, what a difference. Since that point, she has slept (or just been quiet), consistently, through the course of the night. And this without any messes in her kennel. Good girl!

Another neat little tidbit: Sadie plays fetch already. Toss a tennis ball down the length of the kitchen and she'll run to intercept it, usually sliding half the length of the kitchen, and bring it back. We're still working on releasing it once she returns, but, hey, its a start.

The kids are loving playing with Sadie. A little Tug-O-War here, a little fetch there. Alex will take her out in the back yard and the 2 of them will just run around in circles chasing each other. And with Aidan and Sadie being home together the brunt of the day, the 2 of them are bonding. They're also partners in crime: We've found Aidan rolling Matchbox cars under the gate to her - "Hey, Aidan. Roll me the one over there. You know, Alex's favorite. So I can taste it a little..."

Welcome Home Puppy

This evening, after dinner, we piled the clan in the van and headed back to Adonai Farms to pick up the puppy we picked out only 2 short weeks ago.

Upon our arrival, we found the remnants of the litter in the barn, clamoring for some attention. Now 8 weeks old, they had clearly grown and they were much more animated than our last visit.

After saying goodbye to her brothers and sisters, our little girl curled up in a towel in Mommy's lap for the ride home; still nameless at this point. Oh, we had a list of possible names, but finding consensus across 6 family members is...challenging.

However, by the time we hit Newark, we had done it (mostly). Welcome home, Sadie.

Once home, we all spent some time in the back yard under the warm glow of our new security light (thanks, Poppop) running around, tiring the little girl out.

An album of our most recent addition can be viewed by clicking here...

In Memory of Leia

Post updated on 5/9/11 due to shutdown of GoogleVideo.

Playing Catch-Up

So much has happened over the past week that I'm going to try to catch-up with a single post...

Last Monday was the kids first day of school. Yes, it's a bit early I know, but this will help them to get out for next summer a bit earlier. This marked Amanda's entrance into 1st grade and RLCA. Abby and Alex moved up to 3rd and 5th, respectively. So now the 3 school age children are in one place, saving Mommy some driving. Everyone loves their teachers and are looking forward to a great year.

This past Friday, we picked the kids up from school and immediately headed southward for one final hoorah at the shore. Saturday, with the temps being a bit cooler, we still headed over to Cape Henlopen State Park, but instead of going to the beach, we spent the afternoon having a picnic lunch (OK, it was in the van, but close enough) and exploring the park. Among the highlights of the day, we got the chance to climb up Fire Control Tower #7 (the only one open to the public) and enjoy the spectacular view. Afterwards, we wandered around Fort Miles looking at the old barracks and some of the artillery that's been restored. Finally, we headed to the north end of the park to see the light houses and the point. Lots of great history and beautiful views.

Sunday was a beach day with absolutely perfect weather. We couldn't have asked for a better day. We arrived fairly early and Alex immediately made a new friend; David from Annapolis. The 2 spent the majority of the day in the water boogie boarding and body surfing. The girls spent a lot of time digging holes in the sand before Abby got the urge to go boogie boarding herself and Amanda took a crack at body surfing which they ended up spending the balance of the day doing. And Daddy and Aidan? Yeah, we both got in a good nap. Perfect.

Sunday night, as we made our way home, we swung by Conowingo and Adonai Farms to choose a puppy from a litter of 6 wk old Golden Retrievers. Decisions, decisions. After spending close to an hour sitting in the pen, holding and cuddling with each pup, and fretting over the decision, we made a choice and our newest addition will be coming home in another 2 weeks. Now we just have to choose a name...