Puppy Steps in Potty Training

Huck really did great not having accidents the first two weeks or so. We take him out OFTEN to try and avoid accidents since he isn't really able to say "Hey let me outside." while in his play pen.

The last couple of weeks however he's had some accidents while we are away at work. Either one or both of us comes home during the day to let him out at lunch but sometimes during that 4 hour span in between visits home he just can't make it. I attribute THAT to puppy bladder. Sometimes when we are home he's playing and will take a quick stop to pee on the floor and I attribute that to being like a kid too caught up in the fun to take the time to go outside.

We have begun ringing a little bell when we go outside so he knows that is the "please-may-I-go-outside" cue and he's still doing great going once we take him out. However today at lunch there was a nice little pile waiting for me when I came home. "Man we have regressed!" I thought.

But then, tonight while I was cooking dinner I look over and little Huck is doing a two-footed dance by the back door - he wasn't even scratching at it! (Good Boy, Huck!) We went outside and he went straight to do his business! (Good Boy, Huck!) Then about 30 minutes later I hear a tiny bell and so with my mouth gaping I take him outside and .... VICTORY again!

Huck, I'd have to say that tonight you have redeemed yourself! GOOD BOY!

You Lazy Dog

The other night I took Huck for a walk before dinner. When he came home all hot from walking he lay down on the kitchen floor with his belly flat on the tile to cool down. He wouldn't even get up for the dinner I set just a few inches in front of him.

I scooted his bowl toward him to see if the smell would rouse him, but instead he lay on the floor and craned his neck to get his head in the bowl to eat. He lay there flat on his belly eating for a few mins before he stood to get the remainder of the food.

We both laughed and then Michael says to Huck "oh man... I love you." You lazy dog - you're lucky you're so stinkin' cute!

- Natasha

Opa, Handy as ever!

Opa came to Dallas last Thursday to drop off a motor at a shop in Grand Prairie that needed some workin' on. He stayed with us Thursday through Saturday and we had a great time reaping the rewards of his handy-ness... not to mention Ninny's preparedness!

Now Ninny and Lexi didn't make it this time, but they sure did send 'enough food to feed Cox's army', said Opa. She sent a rotisserie chicken, potato and sausage casserole, salad, cherry tomatoes, spicy chicken, bread and a cinnamon caramel cake. YUM. Thursday night we ate on all that delicious food that was sent our way and we're STILL reaping the rewards as of lunch yesterday!

While he was here Opa repaired a leak under our kitchen sink, fixed the stopper in the secondary bathroom, helped Michael install a programmable thermostat and told us stories of all his crazy jobs. Life at the railroad and the time he was almost hit by a train of 4 cars, and all the great characters that he knew there - Stringbean, Porky and Rabbit! He also told the story of his brain tumor from the 90s, how they found it, the surgery and how he could hear the doctors talking and of the times he spent at Kelly Field working on nuclear weapons. During the nuclear conversation I could just feel Michael going into his Bourne-Identity-Zone!

Below are pictures of the thermostat change out. Opa said "your old thermostat looked like it came over on the Mayflower!"

(Ahem, and yes Michael is wearing a headlamp to work on that thermostat - he wears it for nearly all in-house repair jobs).

I feel so blessed to have an Opa that can travel and spend time with us in this capacity at this time in our lives. Love you Ninny and Opa - come see us again soon!

PS. One more pic from the visit to Dallas a couple of weeks before out to eat at Babe's after church.

Favorite Things

A couple of favorite things right now...

• McDonald's Iced Vanilla Coffee (I thought this was better than their McCafe!) and though I am sort of anti-McDonald's I got some of this while I was travelling last week and it was pretty delicious and cheaper than Starbucks!
• Huck when he is sleepy in the morning and lets me hold him like a baby
• Tracy Chapman "Change" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=196a3M9CbUA

Happy Friday!!!

Scraping Scraping and MORE Scraping

Well we had a very productive weekend at the Anderson household. Marcus came to visit and amidst some of the fun that we had and playing with our puppy Huck we also managed to get some stuff done. Some of it even after Marcus left (way to dodge that bullet Pook!). One of the things we got done WITH Marcus however was the ridding of a serious yellow jacket nest that I discovered behind one of our outdoor speakers. Marcus, you were so brave - that nest was huge! See video (cinematography courtesy of Michael) below...





Michael finishing sanding down the Master Bathroom door that wouldn't close because of the carpet hitting the bottom of the door. Michael also dug out the big pot of water (formerly used for a fountain by the previous owner) that had since become a mosquito breeding ground and filled in the hole with dirt. Earlier in the week he also fenced off the bottom part of our deck that Huck had become fond of running under.

We successfully hung one HUGE mirror in our dining room and together scraped and scraped and scraped some more in our breakfast nook. That stupid project has turned out to be a LOT more than we bargained for but I feel somewhat at peace knowing that if we do it right it will be worth it in the end!


This the status of the wall BEFORE the weekend (AFTER picture to come once I make some space on my camera). This is largely in thanks to the work mom put in two weeks before! What a mess it is!

Pic of Our Little Family