Four Months Old

Flip Turner.  He is now 4 months old.  He loves to chase cars, hump bigger dogs, work for treats, chew shoes, bite hands, sleep, sit outside, and more.  He knows how to high five, shake, sit, lie down, walk on a loose leash, leave it (sometimes!), and will hopefully learn to roll over soon.  I'm secretly looking forward to teaching him to play dead as well.  How cool!  He is a good dog.  And his best friend is Max, even though he bit him hard on the tip of the nose.  ;)

A Month of Growth for FTC

We have had him for four weeks now.  I had no idea how much he had changed until I compared these photos.  Wow.  He is now house broken!!! If only he were "bite broken".  Rotten nippy mouth.  ;)

4th Grade? How Did That Happen?

Back to school… already.

Max has been so excited about heading back to school this year.  The minute the class lists were posted he has been saying "I wish it were August 25th already!"  Weirdo!  I vote for summer foreverrrrrrrr.

Since he doesn't let me dress him anymore, and will ONLY wear dri-fit stuff from Nike and the like, I took him shopping and let him pick out one new outfit for school (since he has so many already!)  He is so proud of the ensemble he chose.  The color is called "laser crimson" and boy is it ever!  It's a cross between red and hot pink, I guess?  And he is decked out from his head to his toes in the color.  He even bought his Lebron shoes with his own money. (because honestly how could I afford them?  He's the money-saver!)

Here are our first day pics!  He was ready to go bright and early… even though he was up all night coughing from his cold/allergies!  What a kid!  Cheers to a wonderful 4th grade year!

He's Home! Welcome to the Family, Flip Turner!

We picked our Goldendoodle, Flip Turner (or FTC as we like to call him), up on Monday from Kareaway Kennels in Xenia.  He is now 8 weeks old and ready to be with his human family.  We were all a little anxious for his arrival, just not knowing really what to expect over the next days and weeks to come.  New house and a new dog?  Just seems crazy.

The first 4 days have been so great.  He sleeps through the night from 11 pm to 6:30 am when we have to get up to take Max to swimming (and Chris gets ready for work).  He is learning how to ring a bell hung on our back door so we know when he wants/needs to go out.  He eats three times a day.  He LOVES chew toys; the more the better!  He checked out completely healthy at the vet and at 8 weeks weighs just under 8lb.  We are exhausted from constantly taking him outside to "go potty" but we love having him home.

It will be fun to watch him grow!  Here are a few pics I took tonight with the help of Max and his friend Bret.  :)

Flip Turner Christensen

We continue to go visit Flip Turner Christensen once a week.  This weekend he turned 5 weeks old.  That means just about three weeks until he can come home with us. (To a house filled with clutter and boxes that we have no clue what to do with after the move!)

Here are a few pics I snapped during this visit…  Puppy love.

A Puppy For Max

We are finally giving in.  Max has begged for a dog for years and we have always said no.  We know who would really take care of him, right?  (me!)  For a few years having an outdoor cat sufficed as a pet, even though in our experience you don't really play with a cat like you do a dog.  (no offense cat lovers)  Our kitty didn't want much to do with us unless we were giving her food.

I have been researching dogs for a while… I landed on a labradoodle or goldendoodle.  Both are intelligent, easily trained (they better be!), low shedding, and great family dogs.  (we hope)  I had contacted a labradoodle breeder in Cincinnati and was getting ready to send in a deposit when an acquaintance posted images of her new goldendoodle online.  I inquired.  The breeder is in Xenia (we can visit every week!) and the puppies will be available on July 25, right after Junior Olympics and the last day of swim practice for a month!  It was perfect timing.  Fate even.

Chris and I visited while Max was in school last week to make sure we were really going to do this.  Oh, once you are there and see the puppies you can't say no.  So we put our deposit down, took a ton of pics, and surprised Max with the news when he got home from school.

This week the puppies are 2 weeks old and I took Max for a visit.  We have two boys on hold and will have to choose soon.  We are waiting to see what their coats look like and if they start showing any personality traits.  Max has already picked out a name.  Flip Turner Christensen.  (named for all the flip turns he does every day in practice)  He will be called Flip, of course.  :)

Here are some photos of the day Max and Flip met.  Max was a little timid, just like he always is around dogs, but I know they will grow to be great friends.  I'm seriously worried about keeping the new house clean (a new house and a new dog?  People think I'm crazy… am I?) but I have to believe the love and life experience will prove to be much more important than a perfectly tidy home.

Third Grade

What a year.

Max completed his first year at a new school today… and had a fantastic year!

His teacher was Mr. Knightstep.  He is the man we have heard will be the best teacher Max ever has his entire student career.  Impressive!  And if you ask Max, he lived up to that reputation.

Max had speaking parts in two class plays this year in front of the school and parents.  He did crazy and fun projects:  he had to investigate and solve a crime scene with animals as suspects (the raccoon 'did it') and write a full report about his findings; he learned all about our government from the local level up to the federal and had to run for an office (he was elected to the City Council by his classmates);  he researched and wrote a report and did a power point presentation for his class on what he would like to be when he grows up (an architect, after he swims in the Olympics… duh);  he studied a country (Italy), gave a 5 page presentation to his class, and helped create a recipe book for parents;  he took a field trip to the Cincinnati Zoo and another to Downtown Springboro to learn about the slaves and the Underground Railroad; he also created an entire flip book comparing slaves to plantation owners and his own life today; he studied chocolate (!!) and got to eat chocolate covered bugs… I could go on and on…

Max also made a lot of new best friends, went to sleep overs and birthday parties, and of course continued swimming through it all.

I fully expect him to be crying when he gets off the bus today.  He will miss Mr. Knightstep and has begged him to teach 4th grade next year.  I'm thankful for wonderful teachers who encourage, support, and push Max and whom he loves and respects.  What a year!!!