Well, we survived the first day back. It was a good one, but we were all hungry and tired by the time we got home from school. It’s good to get back in a routine…at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
I saw this, and after a long day back to work, I had to laugh…
Anyway, I’m continuing on with the Bloganuary challenge…
…with this prompt today:
Before I jump into this post, I want to say, when I saw this prompt, I kind of rolled my eyes.
Last year, when I did the Bloganuary challenge, I felt like WordPress posed lots of great prompts.
I haven’t felt that way this year…but I’ve liked the “challenge” of posting every day, so I’ve shared my regular content as well as other prompts and some WordPress suggested ones.
So, I’m just going to roll with it because who doesn’t want to read about this sweet face?!
Also, I realized there hasn’t been much Homer content lately because, well, apparently when you are almost five years old, you behave…😆
No more stories of him running off (although, he still will if the front door isn’t shut all the way by accident), no more stories about him eating an entire cookie cake off the counter (but if there are crumbs on the counter, he will find them), and no more stories of him ruining pillows or shoe laces (but he will still snag a random item out of the trash can!)
Anyway, back to today’s prompt:
If we could make Homer understand one thing maybe it would be that we love him more than what’s probably normal? Actually, I think he probably knows that. We have so many nicknames for him, we all tell him goodbye when we leave, and of course he gets lots of cuddles…especially from Hadley.
So, really, I think I’d love for him to understand how helpful it would be for him to close the door when he comes inside. He asks to go out often, and then as soon as I sit down, whether it’s been three minutes or thirty, he comes inside only for me (or one of us) to have to go shut the back door. I guess we could probably teach him to nudge it closed…but it still wouldn’t be shut all the way.
Just a little dog owner “pet” peeve, I guess.
That minor inconvenience is worth it though! Just look at that face:
We feel lucky to have found Homer and have him as ours.
Why do the summer weeks already feel like they are flying by? Probably because these first couple of weeks of summer have been busy.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
At the end of last week, Travis and Hayden traveled to St. Louis for a race that Hoka put on. Hayden ran in the middle school mile, and ran a great race. The winner of the middle school race that Hayden was in ran 4:22! There were some of the best runners in the nation there, and it was good for Hayden to end his outdoor season on a “high” note.
I think Travis and Hayden were most excited about watching the professional races, and then Hayden got autographs and met some runners that he follows on social media.
It was a good “guys” trip, and I was glad to see Hayden smiling.
Last weekend was busy around Lexington/UK with the Railbird festival along with high school state track meet, and Kentucky was hosting the Super Regional for baseball.
On Saturday, Travis and the kids went to the high school state track meet. Hayden wanted to see the mile, and Hadley wanted to see the 400m race.
Then, Hayden went with friends to the UK baseball game Saturday night. Then a group of them went to both Sunday games with a trip to the pool in between. After the loss Saturday night, UK won both games on Sunday and then on Monday night too. Travis and Hayden went to the Monday night game.
On Sunday, Hadley had pool time with her friends and then went to the UK volleyball serving camp on Tuesday. They all had lots of fun as well.
I finished another Bodi program…Sweat and Sculpt. This was one of my favorites that I’ve completed in a while. I’ve mentioned it before that it’s probably not one that I would do in a class, but I loved being able to do these workouts in the comfort of my basement.
I have a couple of Trader Joe’s favorites from the week. This candle and body wash both smell so good. I’m bummed that I missed out on the body butter. I think my store put out what they had, and it was gone by the time I got to it.
These Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Bites are a sweet little treat. I’ve shared this recipe before, and they remind me of those….without the butterscotch flavor.
The weather has been really great this week. I’ve eaten most of my lunches on the patio, and we’ve eaten a few dinners out there too.
Hadley and Homer had patio time as well. she was listening to some music and said they were having their own “mini Railbird” festival. haha
Speaking of Homer, his 4th “gotcha” day was yesterday. So, of course, he got a scoop of ice cream and a picture in his birthday bandana.
Hadley had recital pics yesterday, and of course her least favorite costume is my favorite.
Favorite clothing item:
We had a little bit of pool time this week, so I was able to wear my new favorite cover up from Shop Style Your Senses.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Bahaha…this one made me laugh and is very relatable.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
Since we are celebrating our “Homerversary,” I’ve always loved this pic of him with the kids in 2019 after we first got him.
On Monday, we have our monthly Not Just a Mom link up.
We’d love for you to link up with us. I can’t wait to read everyone’s posts about how they became a mom.
What are your weekend plans? We have some family things going on and Hadley’s dance recital….but first ortho/dentist appointments for the kids this morning. Why do I always think early morning appointments are a good idea when I schedule them?
We had a good but busy summer week. Personally, it was nice to not get up and think about school, but I still had to set an alarm every morning due to Hadley’s activities.
Also, I’ve felt “off” all week. I guess it’s a summer cold, and Hadley has been dealing with congestion too. On top of having a sore throat and drainage, I was tired and sometimes achy. I did test neg for the Vid, so who knows! Maybe the hustle and bustle of the end of the school year caught up with me.
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that what was supposed to be a couple of hours at the pool Sunday turned into many hours at the pool and a Pina Colada with Trav.
Hadley has decided she wants to play volleyball again, so we signed her up for a camp this week with a friend. That meant 9-12 camp four days this week!
Hayden left on Monday to go to the lake with a friend, so I had lots of Hadley time this week.
After camp on Monday, we hit the mall for a few things and lunch in the food court. What is it about kids and the food court?! It seemed like a treat to her. haha
She has had dance recital practice three nights this week with the recital this weekend. It’s nice that she’s old enough to handle costume changes, but I definitely sweep in at the end to make sure she has everything!
Wednesday night’s recital practice included Hadley (and her friend) helping cousin Layla’s tap class up on stage. Super cute group of little ladies.
While at the lake, Hayden had so much fun with two of his friends. With limited WiFi, they had all kinds of good old fashioned fun. They swam, ran around, went in the kayaks and fished.
Hayden was so excited to catch a few fish (a first for him) including this large mouth bass.
On Wednesday, we celebrated our 3 year Homer-versary! Since we don’t know his actual birthday, we celebrate him on his “Gotcha Day,” and he obliges for a few photos in his birthday scarf thanks to a few treats!
6/8/19
He’s calmed down since we got him and is overall a pretty good boy (even though he destroyed a roll of toilet paper this week!)
Travis and I finally finished Season 4 of Ozark. I love me some Jason Bateman, but man, that show is intense! I wish it ended a bit differently, but I’m glad we finished the series. Now Travis and I need to find something else to watch together. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Favorite Clothing Item:
Is anyone shocked that my favorite clothing item is a new pair of pjs?
I bought these a couple of weeks ago when both the top and the bottom were each on sale for $8. I’d pay full price for them though! They are cute and light-weight…perfect for summer!
I actually have this pair ready for pick up too. I will let you know how they are once I get them.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Me…all week!
Flashback Friday
In honor of Hadley’s dance recital this week, here’s a throwback to her first-ever dance recital in 2016! #pinchycheekcute
Weekly Recap:
I had a couple of link up posts this week as well as one other one:
Also, before I go…we have our Not Just a Mom link up this coming Monday. The topic is dream travel locations.
If you are a blogger, we hope you join us! It’s the perfect topic as we dive into summer!
What are your plans for the weekend? We don’t have tons going on today, but Hadley will be a busy dancer this weekend! I can’t wait to see her routines!
Hey! Hey! We made it to Friday. As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Favorite Moment:
Travis and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this week. We don’t usually do gifts but instead exchange cards and go out to dinner whenever we have an available sitter.
I don’t know why, but from the beginning, Travis has always written my name in bubble letters on my cards. It’s so sweet and something I like forward to. (I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing 😉 Anyway, he brought home my card and a cookie cake. Our family loves cookie cakes and usually pick one up for birthdays and other special occasions.
Sweet treat that almost looks too good to eat 😉
Which leads me to my….
Least Favorite Moment:
Homer ATE THE COOKIE CAKE!!!
Y’all, he is SO bad. (Thank goodness he’s cute)
Because I have no willpower when it comes to a cookie cake, we’d each had a small slice of cake before dinner on Thursday. The cake was covered on the counter and pushed back on the counter. After dinner, we were outside and Hadley came out to tell me about the cake. I cried.
because I love cookie cake
because I was afraid Homer was going to puke all over the house all night long.
He ate 80% of the cake
We put him in his kennel. He tried to deny he did it, but icing on his nose was proof!
Favorite Activity:
I’m trying to incorporate at least one activity each week for the kids and I to do. I checked our forecast and Wednesday called for pretty mild temps with a high of 80 degrees.
I checked the Cincinnati Zoo’s website for details. Of course, they have new guidelines and the indoor exhibits were closed, but I knew we could at least wander around and check out the animals. The zoo actually had times with a specific number of tickets to be sold for various arrival times. I purchased tickets for the 12:30-1:00 arrival time. Of course, once you are in the zoo, I believe that you can stay as long as you’d like, but at least the arrival of guests is scattered. Also, I knew 2-2.5 hours would be all we’d need to look at the animals.
Cinci is about a 1.5 hour drive, so we left around 10:30, made a stop at Chick-Fil-A for lunch to eat in the car, and drove up to Cinci.
The weather was beautiful and we really were able to keep our distance and see most of what we would have wanted to see.
We’ve been to this zoo a few times. The last time was last year for the kids’ 3rd grade field trip. It was such a fun experience and lots of parents went, so the classes could be divided into small groups of kids. It was easier navigating this time with just my two kids 😉
Ready to explore
We started off by seeing the Galapagos tortoises, the Red Pandas, and the Gibbons.
We made a pit stop at the Dippin Dots truck before finding the elephants. The elephants are always my fave!
Then we went to see the giraffes (another of my faves!), and the kids loved seeing the African Painted dogs (I don’t remember seeing them last time), the lions, the bald eagle and hippos.
Last stop was to see the flamingos.
Overall, we had a great day, and I was glad we made the trip up there.
Another favorite activity was dinner out with Travis last night at one of our favorite places: Carson’s Food and Drink.
Favorite Food:
Well, my favorite food should have been the cookie cake…#Imstillbitter
but…the grilled Oscar style salmon for my dinner last night was amazing 😄
And then we stopped by a new (to us) place for a nightcap.
The Kentucky Native Cafe didn’t disappoint with the atmosphere…
or the wine…😉 #roseallday
*both restaurants did amazing jobs with social distancing signs, masking wearing, and tables spread out.
Favorite Pic:
Earlier in the week when I thought Homer was still cute ;), I was looking for him and found him on top of ALL the pillows on my bed.
Favorite Kid Quote:
At dinner the other night, we were having cheeseburgers for dinner and somehow Kobe beef was brought up. Hayden asked if it was somehow connected to Kobe Bryant and we said no. Hadley then said, “People assume Taylor Swift made that one cheese.” I said, “You mean Swiss cheese?” 😂 and we all laughed. Travis asked her if she really thought it was called Swift cheese, and she said, “Maybe…. Maybe not.” 😂
During the same dinner, Hayden, who has been eating mostly soft foods because of his spacers for his braces said, “Wow. I ate that whole meal with just my front teeth!” Way to problem solve, kid! 😉
Favorite Mom Meme:
My hashtag for Hadley often is #sassysincedayone. Also, when people say how much she looks like me, I always say, “Unfortunately, for all involved, she acts like me too!”
Bonus: Flashback Friday
In June 2013, the kids each got their own rooms at our old house. They used to share one very sizable bedroom, and then we put them each into smaller bedrooms. That night, they hugged each other good night and said, “See ya later!” ❤️ Such a sweet Facebook memory.
Today’s post is all about Homer! It’s our Homer-versary with him on Monday, June 8, so of course we need to celebrate him! 😉
I’ve shared previous Homer posts, but thought I’d share one more to celebrate one year with our Homer (AKA Pookie, Biscuit, Homster, and Pook-a-to)
We’d lost both our our beloved Boxers within a year of each other as of last spring. I wasn’t sure when my heart would be ready for another dog, but the practical side of me figured summer would be the best time to look for a dog. We’d never rescued a dog, but some friends and neighbors had mentioned the Petfinder app. I set my search for Labradors/Lab mixes within 100 miles. Travis wasn’t sure about having a puppy again, but I was the kids’ age when we got a new puppy, and I remember how exciting and memorable it was to be surprised with a puppy.
After searching the app for a couple of weeks, I realized how quickly some pups are adopted. So…when I saw this face, I did some quick convincing to Travis for us to apply for him.
His name was “Glorious” and his two brothers “Notorious” and “Victorious” were found abandoned on the side of the road. Tails of Hope Rescue in Cincinnati, OH nursed them back the health before making them available for adoption.
I submitted an application on a Thursday and the next day, Friday, I received the approval email while sitting in a summer professional development session! Needless to say, my lunch break turned into a stop at Petsmart with my friend to buy all the puppy goodies I thought we needed.
We surprised the kids on that Saturday morning with the news, and drove to get our pup. There was much debate about his name…I wanted to name him Sunny and nobody was having it! As we pulled into the parking lot, Hayden said, “What about Homer?” (As in the fact that Hayden loves baseball- Homer/ home run/ Homer Bailey) and we loved it.
I will always remember how excited the kids were when we finally had him in our arms. It was such a sweet ride home, and they were so excited to show Homer to everyone!
Car ride homeDay 1 at home
While he’s cute, he is a handful…and has been since day one! The number of things that have been #homered in our house are too many to count 😂
He loves to be near us which is so sweet and both the kids are obsessed with him. While the kids loved our other dogs, the kids were either too young to appreciate them or as the kids got older, our other dogs were slowing down and aging too. So, to see the love the kids have for Homer and the joy that Homer brings to our family is simply the best. Homer has definitely helped our hearts heal from the losses of Shiloh and Scout. I’m very grateful that we made the decision to adopt. He needed us as much as much as we needed him.
Now, according to my Shutterfly app, I’ve taken 400+ photos of Homer. I will just share a few faves 😉 (ok—“a few”=25!)
#spammingyouwithpuppypics 🐶😂
Baseball Boo and HomerThe number of bandanas I’ve ordered off of Etsy…too many to count.Bad boyGo Chiefs!His ears kill me!Hayden requested Homer on his birthday cake.Christmas card 2019Homer’s first time in the snow.Helping Hadley get ready for the Father/Daughter dance!Homer loves to go on a walk!Homer kisses!Happy Birthday, Homer!We guesstimate mid-March as his birthday.Sleepy BiscuitPatriotic Pookie!
Clearly, we are oobbbbsessed with our Homer. Good thing he is cute because he sure is ornery!
Homer “Glorious” White (as the kids call him when he misbehaves) 😂, you’ve certainly changed our lives for the better; we wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world.
For this edition of Friday Favorites, I’m celebrating Homer turning O N E!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea, Narci, and Erika, so make sure to check out their posts too!
I’ve previously posted about getting Homer being a highlight of our summer! Also, I wrote a post about Homer at his six month milestone.
Two of my favorite things are birthdays and Homer, so here’s a little Happy Birthday tribute to Homer.
It’s my birthday!
Of course, we don’t know Homer’s actual birthday because we adopted him from Tails of HopeOH. He was listed as possibly being 12 weeks old, but after the first vet visit, he thought Homer was closer to 10 weeks old. So, based off that, his birthday would be around mid-March. Dogs in our family get a vanilla ice cream from Dairy Queen on their birthday, so we will get Homer one this weekend! Then, in the future, we may just celebrate his “gotcha” date of June 8.
10 weeks vs 1 year
Homer: month by month
My friend Natalie got a Golden Retriever pup a few months before we got Homer. She had the idea of monthly pics based off of the @goldenpeanutpupper account on Instagram. I loved the idea (and remember: I treat Homer like the third child I never had!), so I took monthly pics as well. Homer will pose instantly for a treat, so the monthly pics weren’t too hard to take. It was so fun to watch him grow this year!!
Months 3-7 (month 6-7 amazes me how much taller he got!)months 8-12
Homer’s DNA Results
I wrote a post about Homer’s DNA results here, so check that out if you’d like. We were looking for a lab mix, and that’s what we got! Even the first time our vet saw him, he mentioned he thought Homer had some Husky in him…and he does. His break down is:
25% American Staffordshire Terrier
25% Great Pyrenees
25% Labrador Retriever
12.5% Chow Chow
12.5% Husky
Hobbies:
Since we got Homer, I’ve joked about his “hobbies.” They include, but are not limited to:
chasing his tail, trying to catch lightning bugs, chewing shoe laces, licking dirty dishes in the dishwasher, unlocking his kennel while he’s inside of it, stealing food off of the counter, licking lotion off my legs, running full speed onto the couch, licking the shower door, chewing (and destroying!) the remote control, licking icing off of a cookie cake, chewing up stuffed animals, getting into the outside garbage and littering the backyard, playing in the mud, dragging the toilet paper down the hall, destroying Trav’s wallet (x2!), tearing up school work, running around in the snow, dumping his water bowl over and bringing the empty bowl to us, taking receipts out of jacket pockets and tearing them up, destroying baseball hats, eating a tub of Parmesan cheese, and giving us KISSES (I had to end on a positive note!) #homerisahandful #buthecute
Homer by the Numbers…
years old: 1(ish)
Pounds weighed: 55
# months in our family: 9
# of nicknames: 4 (probably more!): Homster, Biscuit, Pooks, Sweets
# of dead birds he’s brought into the house: 3
# of breeds in his genetic makeup: 5
# of scarves he wears to be stylish: 7
# of things that have been #Homered: too many to count
# of hearts who love him: 4 #wehearthomer
Fave Pics of Homer
Our Dogs are Our Family
My love for pups runs deep. The greatest gift my parents gave my brother and me was showing us what a dog can add to a family. Growing up, we had a German Shepherd named Maggie and then a couple years after she passed away, we got a Doberman named Jake. They were such an important part of our home and taught us about unconditional love, responsibility, and unwavering loyalty.
While we currently heart Homer, we’ve loved two other pups in our family as well. After our one year anniversary, I tricked Travis into thinking that the standard one year anniversary gift was a dog! We didn’t have kids yet, but we knew Boxers were great with kids. We got Shiloh in August of 2006. In the spring of 2008, I convinced Travis that Shiloh needed a friend…We stuck with the Boxer breed, and we got Scout!
Shiloh and Scout meant the world to us…when both of them passed (Scout in April 2018 and Shiloh in March of 2019), I thought about all the times they were there for us. Their unconditional love helped us through some tough times, and, in general, they brought such joy to our lives.
I’m not sure what they would think of Homer. Scout would probably enjoy playing with him, and Shiloh would probably have had zero tolerance for him 😉 (She was known for her rested B face!)
We miss them fiercely, but Homer has helped our hearts heal.
“A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more that he loves himself.”
–Josh Billings
#truth
Top left: Scout; Top right: Shiloh
Happy birthday, Homer! There’s a vanilla ice cream pup cup headed your way this weekend!
Thanks for reading today’s Friday Favorites post. We sure do love Homer, and he certainly is a favorite of ours…especially when he’s behaving…or sleeping (He’s so cute when he’s sleeping!)
Have a great weekend! See you back here on Monday for a favorite recipe of mine!
It’s been a good experience adopting Homer, but my type A personality has always wondered what breed(s) he is. My brother mentioned that there are DNA tests for dogs (I had no idea this was a thing). The past few months, I’ve had a few friends say they’ve done DNA tests of the dogs they’ve adopted and how interesting the results were. Most of them had mentioned Wisdom Panel as the brand they used. One of my Christmas presents was money from my dad to buy the DNA kit, so I did. The kit I bought was $50 on sale on Amazon (price is usually $80). I probably wouldn’t have rushed to purchase one, but using Christmas money made the expense a bit more justifiable. 🙂
Getting Homer’s DNA was easy, and the kit provided very detailed instructions. There were two swabs, and I used each one for 30 seconds rubbing between his gum and cheek. Then, the swabs had to air out for five minutes before putting them back in their packets. I had to get online and activate the kit. Wisdom Panel did ask how old Homer is and his weight. I sent the kit off on a Monday, received an email they had received it on Friday and about eight days later received his results via email.
We were all so excited to see the results. Based on an idea a friend had given me, I had everyone write down their top three breeds they thought Homer would be. When we adopted him, the people at Tails of Hope said he (and his brothers) was a lab mix of some sort. Our vet, from the beginning, thought he may have some Husky in him.
The picture from Tails of Hope when Homer was up for adoption. I used the Pet Finder app to search for lab mix puppies within a 100 mile radius of Lexington.
Our Guesses:
Hayden: Lab, Husky, and Wolf!
Hadley: Golden Retriever, Yellow Lab, and Husky
Travis: Lab, Husky, Heeler
Me: Lab, Golden Retriever, Shepherd
The Results:
25% American Staffordshire Terrier (I hadn’t even heard of this type of dog!…and I always thought all terriers were small in size!)
25% Great Pyrenees (Once I clicked on the pic of this dog type, I could totally see it in Homer…and it must be where he gets his long legs…as this breed was the tallest of Homer’s mix)
25% Labrador Retriever (Thank goodness he has a bit of what we were looking for in a dog! :))
12.5% Chow Chow (This one still surprises me!)
12.5% Siberian Husky (I guess our vet was right!)
Online, you can click on the link for each dog and it provides pics, traits, physical features, and even history about the breed.
American Staffordshire Terrier – Hard-working, loyal, stoic, intelligent, usually good with children, enjoy sports. Bred to guard people and property.
Great Pyrenees – Intelligent, watchful, generally calm (maybe Homer is easing in to this trait? haha), can be standoffish.
Labrador Retriever – Gentle, trusting, happy-go-lucky, good family dogs, enjoy retrieving (we know Homer knows how to do this!) and swimming.
Chow Chow – Loyal family dog, reserved, wary with strangers, independent spirit, bred to guard people and property.
Husky – Intelligent, hard-working, active, social, friendly, do well with children, energetic, stubborn, long history of helping humans, engage in digging and chasing wildlife (after reading about digging and chasing wildlife, I think Homer should have a higher percentage of Husky in him! haha) Also, cute story–Hadley was reading about each dog and the history/traits…for Husky, it said they are used to herd reindeer. Hadley said, “How hard can it be to herd reindeer?” I looked at her like, “Huh,” and she said, “There are only eight reindeer. I guess nine if you count Rudolph!” So sweet.
Family Tree
The family tree showed both parents, grandparents 1-4, and great grandparents 1-8.
Parent 1: Terrier, Lab; Grandparent 1: Terrier; Grandparent 2: Lab; Great Grandparents 1 and 2: Terriers; Great Grandparents 3 and 4: LabsParent 2: Pyrenees, Chow Chow, Husky; Grandparent 3: Pyrenees; Grandparent 4: Chow Chow and Husky; Great Grandparents 5 & 6: Pyrenees; Great Grandparent 7: Chow Chow; Great Grandparent 8: Husky
I’d say Homer is a sweet mix of all of these breeds. He’s loyal, intelligent, energetic, happy, independent, stubborn, watchful, active, and social. He’s a handful, but we love him. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a puppy, so I think I’ve forgotten what that takes, but he’s worth it (most days!) Sometimes, I feel like we are still getting to know each other. I’d say I feel that I was always the most attached to Shiloh and Scout. Now, I joke that there are four of us and I’m probably fourth in line to love Homer. (haha)…probably because, at times, he’s like having ten toddlers, and he’s one more thing for me (us!) to take care of.
That being said, it was my idea to get him….it’s just in me to know the love, loyalty and joy a dog brings to a family…and I know the time and will come when he quits destroying things (that time is going to come, right?), stops putting his paws on the counter, and will eventually leave dead birds outside (right?!).
He’s a good one though…and it’s been great for my kids to have a dog at their age to help and play with while also learning about the responsibilities it takes to own a dog.
Special shout out to Travis who walks him daily (the kids help sometimes too as an after school chore) and takes care of him when he’s driving me crazy.
I think the DNA kit does help give us a better understanding of our sweet, handful of a pup as we continue to get to know each other.
And, while he does drive me bonkers sometimes, I think it’s sweet that he wants to be where we are and as close as possible to us at all times. Also, he loves a routine…like every night, he hops in Hadley’s bed for a few minutes…before she kicks him out after he smothers her with his love. If she shuts the door on him before he can at least hang with her a few minutes, he whimpers and slides his paw under her door. It’s one more thing to add to our bedtime routine, but it’s Homer, so we let him have his moment.
Our sweet, playful, handful of a boy is 10(ish) months old.
Last thing, if you are a dog lover, you’d love this Dogs magazine from Life. Travis knows me so well, and it was in my stocking. It has the sweetest pictures and stories and had me tearing up from time to time.
“Dogs have given us there absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.”
–Roger Caras, A Celebration of Dogs
This is most certainly the truth. We heart Homer. (AKA: Biscuit, Pooks, Homster, Homer, stop! Homer, drop it! Homer, kennel! Homer, be a good boy!) #wehearthomer #homerisahandful
We added Homer to our family on June 8th after I found him on the Petfinder app. Homer and his two brothers (the three dogs were “named” Glorious, Notorious, and Victorious for adoption purposes) were found on the side of the road malnourished and had worms. Tails of Hope nursed them to health and thought they were about 12 weeks old. At his first check up, our vet thought he was more like 10 weeks old, so we’ve gone with that time frame. So, at this point, he must be about six months old. It has been a long time since we’d had a puppy and last time we did, I didn’t have two kids. So, Homer is a sweet addition to our home, but he is a bundle of energy. We had a fun summer with him, so the timing was just perfect to get him when we did.
Milestones/Phases
Amazingly, getting him house broken wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be! That actually didn’t take too long. We have one of those strings of bells by the back door, and he does jingle them when he wants to go outside. During the early puppy phase, he thought they were a toy and would shake them with all of his might. Luckily, he didn’t have any problems being in his kennel and sleeping through the night (as I think he was so used to doing so at the rescue)
While he still steals your shoe, or will find a stuffed animal under the bed, he thankfully has quit drinking out of the toilet, chewing on random things (like my coffee table), and getting into the trash can. Unfortunately, he continues to put both paws on the kitchen counter quite often, so we have to stay on top of him and push all food to the center of the island if we don’t want to him to get it.
“Hobbies”
I feel like with each passing month, he’s doing something else that’s funny or a way to get our attention. Some of the funny things he’s done include: biting and chasing his tail, trying to catch lightning bugs throughout the summer, chewing his way through multiple pairs of flip flops, standing on the open dishwasher door, licking the dishes in the dishwasher, UNLOCKING his kennel while he’s inside, stealing food off of the counter, licking the lotion off my legs, chewing on an orange marker and getting it on his paws (& my couch! 😳), running full speed at you when he jumps on the couch…and this morning took a Poptart right out of the cabinet and tried to devour it before we could get it from him! #neveradullmoment
He also barks at almost any food that he sees. I guess he thinks he has a right to any and all food that anyone has.
Real talk: there are moments in the day that he drives me crazy…but it’s mostly because his energy is high right around the time I’m begging my own kids to go to bed! Also, if Hayden didn’t bounce a ball all throughout the house multiple times a day, maybe Homer would have the chance to be a little bit more chill. 🙂
Nicknames
Homer has accumulated many nicknames. He definitely knows his name, so I don’t think we are confusing him with our many terms of endearment. The kids tend to call him Homie (and then Homer when he’s doing something he shouldn’t be!), but Hayden also calls him Sweet Cheeks. haha. I tend to call him Homes, Sweets, and Pooks (Pookie). I guess we all just love him so much that we call him whatever affectionate name we like at the time.
Love his heart
He is so sweet (especially when he’s tired 😉 ) I love the mornings with him as I get up before the others, and he sits by me on the couch (at this point, I’ve given up telling him to get off the couch #choosingmybattles ) and I will hand you a lint roller if you sit on our couch. 😉
In the morning, he also follows me into each kid’s room when I wake them up. He usually sits on Hadley’s rug on her floor until she gets up. At night, Hadley shuts her door, so he doesn’t go in there but he usually ends up on Hayden’s rug for a bit until Hayden goes to sleep. It’s very sweet. Although, he hops all over them and can be a handful, I know he’s a sweet tempered dog who loves the kids.
He’s been a perfect addition to our family as our hearts (especially mine, I think) needed help healing after losing Shiloh and Scout within a year of each other. When I think of everything Shiloh and Scout helped me (and our family) through with their unconditional love and sweet support, it’s good for my soul to know Homer can be there for us too during the ups and downs of life. After Scout died, my dad said what a good dog he was and “He was great with the kids. Pets never let you down. Something that can’t be said about humans.” That seems to be ringing true with Homer as well.
This is our first rescue experience, and I’ve had a few friends who’ve adopted dogs say that rescue dogs know the owner saved them. Therefore, there’s a special bond and love because they know their lives could have been very difficult if someone didn’t rescue them. I hope that’s true. I feel like he wants to be around us all the time (Shiloh was so sweet but good on her own–didn’t really need much attention and Scout was as loyal as they come). I see a mix of both Shiloh and Scout in Homer, and I hope he knows what he means to us. He certainly has our heart (and sometimes my sanity!).
6/8/19 – the day we picked him up from Tails of Hope Rescue. I’m sure he wondered where the heck we were taking him.Such a good boy on the first day home…even posed for a picture.He’s a very photogenic pup, and my phone is always nearby 😉 Go Chiefs!
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” – Josh Billings
So, having Homer in the house is basically like living with a toddler. (Newsflash Homer: I raised two toddlers at once!) He’s always on the move, begs for treats, & is constantly doing things he shouldn’t be doing like licking the dishes in the dishwasher, putting his paws on the counter (as evidenced above), chewing on my coffee table, and, well, even bringing a dead bird into the house!
One morning last week, Hayden called me into the living room saying Homer had something in his mouth. As soon as he dropped it, I knew what it was. A bird…even though it looked like a chewed up hash brown. Travis was already at work, I was near tears, and Hadley, for once in her life, was speechless. Hayden bravely got the dust pan and retrieved the bird. As soon as he got a good look at it, he continued to yell, “It has a beak. IT HAS A BEAK!” while running with the dust pan outside to the garbage can. I hugged him (after he washed his hands) and told him he that he was my hero! 😂
Later, after I texted my dad, brother and Travis, all said something to the effect of, “Well, I guess he is part retriever!” While that’s a cute response, I’m not sure they were completely understanding the trauma I had experienced that morning. 😂
Later that evening, I was telling Hayden about what they said and what retrievers are bred to do, so I guess it made sense that Homer was acting on his instincts.
The next day, Hayden was lying on the living room floor which is fair game for Homer thinking he wanted to play with him. While Homer licked him and nipped at him a bit while playing, Hayden was laughing and said, “Homer! Quit retrieving me!” I busted out laughing. 😂
Needless to say the kids AND Homer keep us on our toes…and like when my kids were in the toddler phase, I always held on tight until nap time. They are always the cutest when they are sleep 😉
showmeandsweettea.com 