So. About the puppy. It all started a few weeks ago when Lena suggested that perhaps, since we were about to buy our first house, we should get a dog. We'd always promised the kids, when they partook in the obligatory, "we want a dog!" whine-fest, that we certainly would get a dog someday, but not until after we were done with renting houses. Lena and I rented with dogs for four years (which, since it's us we're talking about, translates into 3 different homes) and it was really difficult to find acceptable dog-friendly housing in our town(s). Once we added the human children to the mix, finding appropriate rentals became even more difficult. Not many people want to rent to a family with 3+ children and a dog. And if they do, it's because their house is already so trashed that there's pretty much nothing left to destroy, and no one else willing to live in it.
When Lena suggested that we put the "we'll get a puppy when we buy a house" plan in motion, I was quick with my "absolutely not" response (puppies are, as we well know, a
lot of work). That was on a Friday. The next morning
my computer took a flying leap into a tub full of water, I lost three years of photographs and other written work, and
everything changed. I spent much of the day--post computer death--out in the goat yard, taking down fences and communing with my four-legged friends. Suddenly the idea of living without the daily presence of animals seemed downright depressing. And I thought, "let's."
"Let's get a puppy. For the joy of it."
This time it was Lena who balked. Puppies are a lot of work. She had proposed the dog idea as a "theoretically, in the future" kind of idea, whereas I, being my most impulsive self, was suggesting it as more of a "right now, tomorrow" kind of idea. But Lena came around to Operation Puppy after a couple of days, and then the "perfect" puppy landed in our laps (her mama is a golden retriever and her papa is a miniature poodle. Just like our human children, she was conceived with the help of AI (alternative insemination). We felt hugely conflicted about the whole shelter puppy vs. breeder puppy thing (our best dog thus far, Sky--whom Zeben is named after--was a shelter puppy), but needed a "hypo-allergenic" pup, so ultimately felt at peace with our decision). We picked her up on October 5th, when she was 8 weeks old, and her name is Tula. It means "leaping water."
There have been times over the past 10 days when I have wondered if maybe this time we really did bite off more than we can chew (pun absolutely intended). But Tula is a sweetheart and the pieces are coming together. We are confident that, assuming we survive her puppyhood, she will be a great dog who will very much enhance our family. The kids adore her (though not so much the extra chores), she has already drastically increased the amount of time we spend outside (especially in cold, wet weather), and once we finish fencing in our yard, I'm guessing that life-with-puppy-and-four-young-children will feel just about manageable. With all the joy it could possibly contain.
I made French Toast for dinner while wearing two kids.
My family took a bath without me. And they all fit in the tub!
Leo was REALLY happy.
Because he learned to sit!
Zeben looked for lots and lots of worms (and found a few).
We walked about 20 miles, to and from school. 
We went apple picking at my grandparents' house.
We picked lots . . . 
. . . and LOTS of apples. Seven bags full. 
Jaz took a picture of Lena and me (and Leo).
And I tried to capture our whole brood looking happily at the camera.
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