Well, I bit the bullet. Satan-himself must have frozen-over. I got a friggin' PUPPY!!! But, I must say, I'm 100%, absolutely, positively, IN LOVE with him!! Here's how the story goes....a few weeks ago, I had promised the girls that we could go to the Animal Shelter "just to LOOK" and play with the animals. So, two days after Claira's 2nd birthday, we headed out early in the morning (and stopped by Waffle House first, of course), and ventured over to the Carroll County Animal Shelter. Once I saw him, I knew I was bringing him home. Meet Henry:
He is a Chihuahua/Bulldog mix. And just for the record, he was absolutely terrified in this first picture, and everyone kept saying that he looked just like "Dobby" from Harry Potter....
But I don't care. He's absolutely the best puppy. EVER. He is so good-natured and friendly. His only downfall is that the LOVESSSSS to chew Barbies (we've already had to purchase SIX replacement Barbies since his arrival). You can see Nora's and Ella's frustration about him chewing a Barbie....but of course, Claira thinks is absolutely HIARIOUS. :)
Daddy's first time meeting Henry :) Instant partners.
Henry is really good about locating old pacifiers that have been lost for months (or even years). So far, he has located 3....I'm sure he has millions more to find!!
Daddy is very happy to finally have another man in the house. :)
He is just the best little snuggler ever....makes our hearts happy!!
As if our bed wasn't packed before.....
He just fits right in....especially with that precious little face. :)
I'm not just saying it because I love him so much, but he is TRULY the best puppy I've ever seen. He is so very laid-back and loving.
Yet, in this house-full of estrogen, he will never stand a chance of being a real man....
Lea also recently got a new puppy, a Black-and-Tan Coonhound named Duke. So, Henry now has a little cousin to play with. (btw, Henry also attempts to "play" with El Gato -the idiot cat- on a daily basis, but Gato kicks his butt everyday. Poor guy.)
While Henry has gotten much better with his leash....
....he never really got accustomed to the crate. However, my naked child willingly got accustomed to it.
Now, the crate just serves as an extra chair for Gato and the naked child. I pick my battles.
So, there you have it. We have a new family member that I vowed I would NEVER get!!! But, I don't regret it for one second. He makes us all happy.....except for Gato. Pets really are family.
A few weeks back, Grandmommie and I headed to the zoo with ALL 5 LITTLE NEZLETS!!! What a fun adventure it was!! And just so you know, I haven't paid to go to the zoo in years (go check-out that DVD from your local library for free tickets. Word.). Uncle Matt had such a fun time trying to get all 5 carseats in Grandmommie's car.....
But, finally, SUCCESS!! Grandmommie was extremely proud that all 5 grandkids actually fit in her Explorer!! :) That's why she bought the car in the first place. :)
When we arrived, we hit up the flamingos first. I've always heard that they are pink because they eat so much shrimp....I need to research the truth in that....especially since that's what I've told my kids....
Fake Feline Photo-Ops:
Stinky elephants:
The big girls got the opportunity to "paint like elephants" using big trunk-like brushes:
Believe it or not, elephants are brilliant, and many can paint....like, wayyyyyyy, better than me. Watch this, it will blow your mind (obviously, this was not taken at the Atlanta Zoo, but it's one of my favorite YouTube videos. It blows my mind. Maybe, I'm a nerd):
More photo-ops and animal-gazings:
The Petting Zoo ~ Always a favorite!! :)
Ella kept asking me if this particular goat had an "utter" or if it was "something else." I honestly had NO IDEA!! Whatever it was, it was very large!! I just responded with, "I don't know, baby. That's just how God made it." Wow.
The "shim" goat....with very large "mystery-parts."
Sweet, big sis making sure Clairy washes those hands thoroughly after touching the stankin' animals.
I don't know why we really bother to go the zoo....we witness these monkeys on a daily basis.
PANDAS!!!! Every time I go to view the pandas, I tend to sing South Park's "Sexual-Harrassment Panda" in my head. Anyone else do that?? No??
Claira thought pandas were pretty lame. She preferred to just swang. Basically.
Orangutans!! The kids?? Or the monkeys??? Either way....
A little play time....
A little ice cream time....
I think he thinks I'm about to take his vanilla.... :)
A photo-op with Willie B. And yes, this is the BEST I could do with all 5 kids....they don't necessarily cooperate during the picture-taking. :)
Ella: "Come look at THIS MOWNKAY!!!" :)
Being dramatic (per usual) about seeing the snakes in the reptile house. They just "died," if you can't tell.
Drama-queens or not, they are still darn cute.
Little birdles.
Lions and tigers.
Once again, Claira had no interest in the felines, but preferred to steal things from her cousin.
Such beautiful creatures. Makes you aware of God's creations, big and small.
Zebras.....
....and GOOD-LOOKIN' WOMEN!! Hot dang!!!
The bird house......another favorite!!
Again, not very hyped about the "bird-feeding," but they were scheming something....
They spotted, yet another, playground.
So merry on the Merry-Go-Round
Waving to the big girls, every single time they went around. :)
Train ride!!!
Okay. THIS was my favorite picture of the entire day. They train takes you into several tunnels which are pitch-black. I snapped a picture of Matthew in the pitch-darkness. His face shows his terror, but I still laugh hysterically every time I look at it. Bless his sweet heart.
Meanwhile, crazy girl is having her own personal pitch-black party.
Right after the train ride, a storm came a brewin.' So, Grandmommie and I rushed the youngins' back to the Explorer (which, mind you, I thought Grandmommie and I might keeeeeeeel over while running up that redonkulous hill with 5 kids). Still, the Lord favored us, and gave us just enough time to get the kids in before the bottom fell out. Despite the fact that Grandmommie and I were panting, sweating, and ready to resuscitate each other at any moment, the kids looked like this within 3.5 minutes of being in the car:
We came home and recounted our experiences with paint and glitter.
Claira basically just painted herself. But, ya know. Yesterday, she also dumped a bottle of glitter over her head, then attempted to suck it out of her scalp with the portable vacuum cleaner. Sigh. And look at that face. She don't even care.
