Gus, Day 4

 Today during training, Laura decided to help Jeremy.

She stood in front of him and kept staring, and smiling, of course.

 Hanging out with her favorite pup.

 Gus was intently watching a fly on the ground.  Nothing gets past him!

 I walked into the bedroom and saw this...

 

partners in crime.

 Not sure who the ring-leader is...

 But I have my guesses.

Gus, Day 3

 Day 3 with Gus...more intensive training, and more fun.  My brain is beginning to fry.

Jacob chilled out with some animal crackers.

 Amarin joined some new friends on the trampoline.

 Laura was exhausted from watching Mama and Gus train.

 Laura decided here to join Gus in snack time.  She seemed to enjoy his dog food just fine.

 Snuggle time on the mutt mat.

 Biggest development today...Gus came back to the hotel with us.  He will be with us now 24/7.

I chickened out taking him to dinner tonight.  I'll be ready in the morning to manage him in the hotel restaurant.  We did practice our commands, though, and he's doing well.

 Finally, back to the hotel for some r&r.  Laura continues to smile at him, and loves playing with his nose and mouth.

Not All Work

 We're working hard with our dogs here.  But it's not all work!

We're with 13 other families, and we're making the most of our time together.

A few of us families sat outside while our kids played bball and hide & seek.

 Laura enjoyed swinging on our lunch break.

 Movies every night!  Laura looks very impressed with National Treasure 2.

 

 BK boys! Never too old for the crowns!  This is becoming Jacob's favorite expression for the camera.

 Trying a new drink...it's a cold drink, with tapioca balls that get sucked up the huge straw.

I've tried it...weird texture.

 Twinkies...mom had a brain hiccup when trying to buy healthy snacks!

 Lots of giggles!

Lots of fun!

Gus, Day 2

 I forgot to post this photo yesterday from my phone.  This was Laura's first glimpse of Gus.

 On to day two.  It's so important that Gus bonds with Laura, so I keep dropping little treats in her lap for Gus to find.  She loves the attention from Gus, and hopefully Gus is associating Laura with lots of yummy treats.

 More training today.  Such a good boy keeping his eyes on me.

 Good boy, Gus!

 Gus's brother, Boeing, is also in this class.  Have you ever heard of a black golden-doodle?

 Laura loves playing with Gus's mouth and face.

 It's common knowledge that Laura LOVES water...even if it means playing in the water dispenser while Gus drinks.  I was impressed that her playing in his dish didn't even phase him...he just kept right on drinking.

 Could he look anymore relaxed?  Look at those back legs!

 She loves kissing Gus!

 It was a good day!

Gus

 We made it!  We were about 40 minutes ahead of schedule this morning, but still were not the first ones to arrive!  There were some pretty excited families from all over the country,  ready to meet their dogs.

 Here's the welcome sign for our Sept. class.  We are sitting in the same place we did last time we were here.

 This young man is getting a dog, too, and quickly befriended Jacob and Amarin. He is such a fun, happy kiddo.  We agreed to overlook the fact that he is wearing an MSU hat! :)

 Gus was the first dog introduced.  Doesn't he look like he's smiling?  He is big dog, and his paws are HUGE!  I wonder if he's done growing?

 I helped Laura feed him treats, and since Gus hadn't eaten breakfast yet, he was more than eager to eat!  Here goes our grocery bill again!

 This is our friend's dog, but I love how Laura photo-b'mbed the picture!

 High five, buddy!

 "I'm happy, Mama."

 Looks like they're having a heart-to-heart.

 Hugging her new friend.

 OK, now a hug this way.

 Laura loves touching his fur, and playing with his mouth. She even leans over to give him kisses...which he gladly returns.  Gus loves tennis balls, and Laura loves tossing them.  They had a great time...until Gus's strong jaws quickly deflated the ball!

It was a fantastic first day of training.  We practiced basic obedience commands...not for the dogs as they are already trained...but for us as the new handlers.  Gus did great and clearly loves attention.  So excited to get back there tomorrow and train more with him.

Great job, Olivia and Beth!

Soccer Season!

It's soccer season, and one little guy is over-the-top excited to be on a team and have a jersey!

Practice time kicking goals.

Being goofy before the scrimmage.

What this little guy may lack in height, he makes up for in determination and speed!

He was all over that ball!

A fierce look of determination

Leadin' the pack

Waiting for his turn to get back into the game...the boy does not tire easily!

(Yes, those are safety pins holding up his jersey.  It hung down to his knees!)

Jacob and Amarin are playing on the same team again this year.

The players keep getting bigger and stronger and faster...

which can lead to injuries such as this.  The ball met his forehead...ouch!

Matched!

Yep...I bet I wouldn't be able to count how many of my adoption friends read that post title and thought we were headed back to China!  Gotcha!

In reality, Laura has been matched with a new service dog and we will meet him very, very soon.  He is a golden doodle named Banshee.  He has worked in prisons, schools, and attended university.  What a smart little guy!  We have already met his foster moms online, and I sure hope we get to meet them in person.

I showed Laura his picture this morning before school.  She leaned in closely to look, and then got a big grin on her face.  I wonder if she understands.  

Funny story...I shared with Charlie and Jenna that Banshee had spent time in prison.  They both were silent (which in itself is astounding), mouths open, and huge eyes.  It was hilarious! They probably were scared that another being in the house might conquer their level of mischief.

We will try to change his name to Gus because that is one of the sounds that Laura can say well.  It would be great if she could call her dog.  Banshee/Gus will be able to detect seizures, retrieve objects, and be tethered to Laura so she can have some independence while we are out and about.  It is said that he loves to play ball.  Laura should enjoy this as she throws balls all the time, not in our direction, and grins until we "fetch it" for her.  Perhaps her new BFF can play this game now.  I'm sure there is so much more I could share about him, but my mind is reeling with all that needs to get done before I leave to meet this new family member.

So, without further delay...our newest family member...

One Toasty Parade

 The boys' first parade was last Saturday...during a week of really, really hot weather.

Thankfully, they got to wear this summer uniform.

Jamie took them to the parade, and I stayed home with the three littles.  Laura, especially, does not do well in this heat for too long.  The heat was so intense, and I knew that everyone at the parade would be trying to find a place in the shade.

It was Amarin's first parade and he was pretty excited.

 

 Amarin found out that even though drumsticks are easy to carry, hauling a drum through a hot parade is hard work.  But he still had a lot of fun.

 Jacob knew what lie ahead for him, hauling a sousaphone for a mile!  They both enjoyed the parade, and they sounded great...Jamie face-timed me so I could see and hear them.