So a third puppy showed up.  The boys were walking and found it in the ditch. It was the runt and it was scared of everything/one.  I got it cleaned up, and waited a couple of days.  We couldn’t find homes for them so we called animal control.  The local shelter they take them to is a no kill shelter.  Hopefully they find homes; however, I don’t feel too bad because I did my part.  I took them in, cleaned them up, and got them putting weight back on.  Okay, so I do feel bad, but they weren’t house trained and three more puppies is just too much work - especially with an older puppy with a broken leg that isn’t supposed to be playing. =(

Random goes to the vet tomorrow and will have to have a bigger cast.  He’s outgrown his.  He’s getting tall.  Today, someone left the lid to the potty up and loving water like he does, he jumped in….with all four feet.  He had to be helped out.  That’s not good for his cast. =/  He’s a good dog though.  I can’t wait to get this cast off him!!

Kohl’s mom said he could have the puppy.  Kohl’s dad said no though.  The puppy was gone with them when I heard more whining….yup.  Another puppy.  This one in worse shape than the first.  It was covered in little tiny ticks.  I bathed him and got all the burrs and ticks off, but I simply didn’t know if he was going to make it.  He ate, but threw it back up. =(  I kept making him drink some water and kept offering more food.  He did better when his brother got back.  He finally was exhausted and slept.  This morning, he seems to be doing much better.  He still looks ill proportioned - his hind legs are very thin, but I’m hoping he’ll fill out and it will look normal.   The problem now is keeping broke leg Random from playing with the puppies.  He looks at them and whines and barks.  He brings them toys and nudges them with his nose.  Sometimes they try to play, but most the time they just look at him like he’s nuts while he does everything he can to make them play.

I don’t intend to keep them all.  We have our quota of dogs; however, I couldn’t just send them to the pound like they were.  I had to know they’d be okay.  Robert said I went into mommy mode.  I stayed home from the double feature at the drive in - Eclipse and Inception - to keep an eye on the small one that I wasn’t sure was going to make it.  Once they get stronger, if I can’t find a home for them, I’ll turn them over to the no kill shelter and let them find one.  For now though, I’m working on getting them eating and pottying like normal.  I’m taking them out every time I take Random out and they’re doing pretty good for little ones.

I offered the littlest one some liver treats last night (no dog can resist little jacs).  He ate some and the other dogs all came, said down around me, and patiently waited their turn.  The boys looked at me and said, “Three are so many!”

I said, “Yup.  Wanna join my dog pack?”

Kohl said “Heh.  I was the first one.”

Henley is about 14 years old now.  For a dog, that’s old.  He was sleeping at my feet and I was going to give him a bite of chicken.  I called him and called him, but he never moved.  Apparently his hearing is not what it used to be.  I know he can’t see well.  He depends on Mia to guide him and barks when she barks.  We’d been talking about dogs and what type of big dog we would get to replace him when he was gone.

Robert likes brindle, short hair large dogs.  I like long hair, solid color dogs  =(  I was looking at different puppies trying to find a good balance that we could both like, when Vanessa walked in.  I explained how old Henley is getting and that Robert had wanted a big dog when I got Mia so he was going to get to pick the next outside dog.  When they came down for the fourth of July, Vanessa brought us a chocolate lab.

Robert wanted to name him Corwin; however, that’s his characters names (as well as other Corwin’s I know) and I just couldn’t see naming him that.  I tried for a short time, but Robert kept turning to look at me rather than the dog.  Finally, I told him we had to find a different name.  Random.  Same book, still a good solid character.  I liked it and so it is.

Random is a whiner.  He doesn’t want to be held and loved on all the time; however, if he wants anything at all, he whines.  He knows to use the doggie door, but whines when he needs to go potty until you take him outside…lol  You’re likely to see him sitting watching you.  He does that a lot.  He has pretty green eyes and when you catch him looking, he does that doggie head tilt that can make anyone melt.

Last Saturday night (or maybe early Sunday morning), Random was whining to get off the bed.  Robert gave him a little push and he freaked.  He twisted and tried to stay on the bed.  The next thing we know, he’s crying.  He didn’t get better during the day.   I went to my sister’s and got some children’s motrin.  When I got back home, Henley’s face was swollen.  He got stung by a bee.  I went back to my sister’s and got some children’s benadryl too…lol One got motrin and the other benadryl every4 hours.  Monday morning, Henley was better, but Random went to the vet.  Sure enough, it was a break.  He’s now in a cast.  I took him for a check up today.  We thought his cast was slipping; however, he’s just growing.  We got back Friday to get more xrays to make sure he’s not moving it too much.

Today, I was watching  tv and heard whining.  I didn’t think it sounded like Random, but it was a puppy.  I went outside wondering when Random had gotten past me to the doggie door (he’s supposed to be limited on movements - not likely for a puppy, but I can at least keep him from going up and down the porch steps by blocking the doggie door).  There on the other side of the fence stood a small puppy looking at Mia and crying.

He’s soooo skinny and filled with grass burrs.  I brought him in, bathed him with dawn (did you know it kills fleas?), let him eat, and he ran to cower in the corner.  I forced him out of the corner and made him sit on the sofa with us.  He’s snoozing now.  I’m afraid he ate too much and might get sick.  I’m also afraid that he’s too skinny and might be too weak.  E’s friend is trying to talk his mom into letting him keep the puppy.  If not, Robert’s brother might want him.  If by some stroke of luck he’s as good as Random is and wont eat my furniture, I’ll let the guys keep him like they want…but I’ve had lots of puppies and not any bigger ones that are as good as Random.  He looks like some kind of shepherd mix.  Random wants to play with him, but he’s not supposed to play and at only 2 months, he dwarfs the puppy already…lol

Mycroft was right.  Two dogs just doesn’t seem to be enough at my house. =/  Apparently we’re meant to have more.  As for Henley, he’s old but still doing good.  Not many people have doggie companions still having a good life at his age.   We’re lucky in that respect.  Mia is a motherly dog if you can imagine.  She can’t stand it if the other two need something and we’re not responding.  She’ll lick me and nudge me until I finally get up and see what needs to be done.  Random annoys her, but she continues to look out for him despite him tackling her and pinning her to the ground…lol  I’m holding my breath wondering if this puppy will fit in.

While July 4th may be independence day for the United States, I didn’t earn my independence back until July 6th this year.  That’s the day the swarm of teenagers that had arrived at my house the prior Friday, finally left my house to infest other unsuspecting folk and consume their edibles.

It all started on Facebook.  My Spfacebook - the place were spam goes to die.  My sister and my children have been bugging me for a while now trying to get me to “get in touch” with people on there. I can’t for the life of me figure out why.  I personally think it’s an evil fad - like those skin tight leopard print pants girls wore in the 80’s.  They both show the entire world what you’ve got…good or bad…and at some point, you realize you really don’t want the entire world seeing your every move.  I know what you’re thinking, how is it any different than my blog.  The only RL friend that knows my home on the net, other than my children and boyfriend, is Moose.  (Feel special Moose?  If you tell, I rip your antlers off!)

Vanessa called me up and said, “I’ve been talking to Uncle Jon on facebook and he’d like to come over at our next family gathering.  Can we get together for July 4th?”  What I didn’t know when Vanessa called me, is that she’d already called my mom and sisters and she was bringing bringing a friend too.  Friday at work, Rebecca called asking if she could bring her boyfriend if they promise to stay in different rooms and Vanessa helps chaperone.  I stupidly said yes bringing my weekend teenage totals up to 6 - 3 girls and 3 boys…including E and his friend that basically lives here.

Knowing the food in my kitchen would only be an appetizer for a pack of teens, I went grocery shopping. $225 later, I thought I had enough to make it through the weekend.  I was wrong.  Lucky for me though, half the kids went to the lake with my sister for one meal one two separate days.

The first night, I cooked two pots of American Spaghetti (a variation of chicken spaghetti).  The second night, I made a huge roast (that included an entire bag of potatoes).  The third night, we grilled out 15 lbs of hamburger meat.  Silly me, I thought they’d leave Monday, I was wrong.  Leftovers and sandwiches that night!  Tuesday, they finally left…when the kitchen had only appliances and dirty dinnerware left.

We had fun, but man was it stressful.  More on the non cooking parts later.