Introducing...Jasper THE DOG!

How excited are we to finally have our very own dog? I don't think there are words. The kids and I came home with him after weeks of searching and years of talking about including a canine in our family circle. I grew up with dogs, my grandparents and great-grandmother had dogs, and I think one of the loveliest sounds early in the morning or late at night is the scratch of tiny paws on the floor as your friend makes the rounds of his home. The children? Over the moon!

I know his first photo depicts him as a little less than enthusiastic, but you might look that way too if someone tried to take your picture at 5am when you were just barely awake. He's a fun, calm, great with kids, sweet cock-a-poo straight off the city streets, out of the shelter and into loving arms, or mostly.

Did I mention I am married to a non dog-lover? I know, love is blind, but he has so many other redeeming qualities and I was pretty sure I could bring him around to reason after a few years of marriage. Nineteen years later...So, after what seemed like fair warning, ("six of us want a dog,honey," "it is really good for children to grow up with a family dog," " I will be ready for a dog when my last baby is out of diapers," "a poodle mix would be perfect," "did you see our friends finally got a dog?") I brought home our dog and let them sniff each other out. It will be alright. Dominance has been established; Jasper sits when Pierre looks at him though the rest of us have a hard time getting him to listen to much at all, unless he feels like it. Some friendly feelings pass between them, but I will not say any more, lest I jinx the situation by over-enthusiasm. Isn't he cute?