3 Christmas Traditions:
1. We get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving at a Christmas tree farm not far from here. One of the delights is seeing a St. Bernard who belongs to the owners as well as petting lots of other dogs who come with their families. Maybe next year we will have our own dog to bring.
2. My mom has given us an ornament every year since I can remember, as did her mother when she was still alive. When Paul and I were married I had quite a lot of beautiful ornaments. Since Mom has continued the tradition with all of us we have a very full tree – getting all the ornaments on is a big and enjoyable job.
3. Usually we take a picture of the kids to send out as our card. This year I really wanted to get a picture of the whole family, but it hasn’t happened yet and I think I am going to ditch cards this year. In thirteen years of marriage this will be the third year I haven’t sent cards. The first was a month after Christopher’s surgery. The second was two years ago after we moved and I chose to not send them. It felt really good to actively choose it. Doing the cards is a pleasure for me and is was becoming a “have to”. This year I am ditching the picture and instead I think I might buy some cards and send notes back in response to all the cards we receive, taking time at night after the kids are in bed.
I will miss the photo. I guess I could print off one from this summer to post on the regrigerator.
Have you made the dog decision yet?
I cannot recommend the labrador/springer spaniel cross. Before we got ours, I had heard from others that this mix makes for a bright, affectionate, wonderful dog.
Ours is affectionate, yes, and cute as a freakin’ button, but decidedly dumb as a stump.
This morning, for example, Fudgey successfully pushed open a partially-closed bedroom door with his nose. The whole family applauded; this was a big step for him, figuring out how to open that door.
Drake, on the other hand, could probably open the refrigerator, get himself a beer, find the bottle cap opener, pop the top off, pour the contents into his water dish and then deposit the empty into the trash can in the cupboard, if he wanted to.
There still might be a photo coming – think Valentine’s.
After reading a bazillion books, doing several profiles, hetcetera we are thinking Golden. Not original but gentle, tolerant and willing, for a few years at least, to play with a very energetic boy.
I would love a straight Chocolate Lab, but with the vinyl pool, there are no dogs allowed and that would be TORTURE for a Lab.
I had a bad springer neighbor…very barky and hyper…already have that covered on the human scene here as you know.
Family had an amazing Golden, She “talked pretty” and did several tricks in addition to being beautiful, gentle and well behaved. Still considering but thinking that might be the breed for us.