we finally got one potty trained, now this?

So the dog I was referring to in <a href="http://www.aisforbeautiful.com/blog/2008/11/09/i-need-some-advice/">this poll </a>is one of <a href="http://www.aisforbeautiful.com/blog/2008/10/21/we-just-might-have-to-get-her-a-puppy/">these puppies</a>. The grandmother is back in town and she brought with her two of the little male puppies so the family could choose one of them to keep. She offered us the other one and we're still thinking about whether or not we should actually take this huge step in responsibility.

It is a true <a href="http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DKUS_en__223US225&q=boykin+spaniel&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title">Boykin </a><a href="http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/boykinspaniel.htm">Spaniel</a> and it is precious. There are two colors: chocolate brown and rich liver. They are currently about eight weeks old and can be taken away from the mother now. They've had all of their shots.

Boykin Spaniels are good hunting dogs since they are retreivers. The are medium sized dogs and look like a larger cocker spaniel. They are energetic and have to be walked. They can be trained pretty easily. Julianna has already played with these puppies several times.

ANYWAY, thank you all for the comments on the last post and your votes in the poll. Most of the things you mentioned, we have already been considering, but I wanted to let you know what we've been talking about.

<ul>
<li>One of our dilemmas is obviously the amount of money involved in getting a dog. We don't have tons of money to be throwing around right now. Our neighborhood regulations don't really allow us to have any kind of fence except an invisible one because our house is on the corner and our backyard is very visible from the road so in addition to food, vet bills, shelter, accessories, etc we also have to purchase an invisible fence.</li>


<li>Another "discussion" we keep having is about keeping it outdoors only. Jonathan doesn't want the mess in the house or to have to get up and let it out at night. While it is a puppy he says it could stay in the garage at night. I don't see the point in having a dog if it is going to be outdoor only. </li>


<li>Also, we go to the beach a lot and I don't want to have to deal with making arrangements for a dog every time we go somewhere. Jonathan assures me that would be easy because several of our immediate neighbors are dog lovers and if it were outdoor only it would be easy for them to take care of him while we're gone. </li>


<li>Finally, as silly as it is, we totally cannot agree on a name. I'm voting for <a href="http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilightseries.html">Cullen </a>and hubby thinks that's just plain dumb.</li>


</ul>

<strong>Bottom line:</strong> we're still really just thinking about it although hubby is leaning towards getting it. It would be nice for Julianna to learn about caring for a pet and it would be fun for her to have a puppy to love on and play with, but that doesn't mean we have to do this NOW. We have to decide by Friday b/c that's when the puppy goes back to Alabama if it doesn't come here.

So anyone have any other advice/experience they want to share? Can anyone think of a good dog nickname for Cullen?

my child’s imagination

You've no <a href="http://www.aisforbeautiful.com/blog/2007/03/04/a-note-from-little-j-6/">doubt </a>seen or <a href="http://www.aisforbeautiful.com/blog/2007/03/22/362-days-old/">heard </a>about <a href="http://www.aisforbeautiful.com/blog/2008/08/29/first-again/">Lucy </a>before. She is Julianna's prized possession - one she would have a little bit of trouble living without.

Well, Jonathan had Julianna last night for a couple of hours while I went to a friend's house. They went a few places and then came home for bath and bed. After I got home he told me that as they turned onto our street Jules started calling out, "Julianna? Julianna?" and he asked her what she was talking about. She told him that Lucy was calling her. He said, "She is?" and she replied with, "We're almost home, Lucy!" So they proceeded to drive the rest of the way up the hill saying together, "Lucy! We're coming!"

I need some advice

<div class="TWIIGSPOLL"> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLpollcontainer" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLpoll" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 5px; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLquestion" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal; font-weight: bold;"> <a class="TWIIGSPOLLquestionlink" href="http://www.twiigs.com/poll/Recreation/20197" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;">We could get a puppy, but my husband says we could only keep it outside. And an invisible fence runs about $200 (money we really don't have right now). Should we get it anyway?</a> </div> <div id="TWIIGSPOLL20197" class="TWIIGSPOLLresponse" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <form method="POST" name="twiigsformpollvote20197" action="http://www.twiigs.com/vote" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <input type="hidden" name="pview" value=""/> <input type="hidden" name="pid" value="20197"/> <input type="hidden" name="ptype" value="1"/> <input type="hidden" name="pmultiple" value="0"/> <input type="hidden" name="results" value="1"/> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLanswers" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <ul class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerselection" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <li class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerselectionitem" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: list-item; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 4px; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-image: none; *margin-bottom: 2px;"> <input class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerradio" type="radio" name="paid" value="1" style="clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"/> Yes, puppies are totally worth all the money and headaches </li> <li class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerselectionitem" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: list-item; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 4px; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-image: none; *margin-bottom: 2px;"> <input class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerradio" type="radio" name="paid" value="2" style="clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"/> No, what's the point in having a dog if you're only going to leave it outside? </li> <li class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerselectionitem" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: list-item; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 4px; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal; list-style-type: none; list-style-position: outside; list-style-image: none; *margin-bottom: 2px;"> <input class="TWIIGSPOLLanswerradio" type="radio" name="paid" value="3" style="clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"/> It depends (please leave an explantation in the comments) </li> </ul> </div> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLpostinfo" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: none; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> Created on Nov 9, 2008 </div> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLvote" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; 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word-spacing: normal;"> <input class="TWIIGSPOLLsubmit" type="submit" name="vsubmit" value="Vote" style="clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 4px; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 4px; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"/> </p> <p class="TWIIGSPOLLdisplayresults" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 2px; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 2px; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <a class="TWIIGSPOLLlink" href="http://www.twiigs.com/poll/Recreation/20197?results=1" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;">View Results</a> </p> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> <img src="http://www.twiigs.com/pixel.png?pid=20197" width="1" height="1" style="border-style: none; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"/> <div class="TWIIGSPOLLpolllink" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: block; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal;"> <a class="TWIIGSPOLLmorelink" href="http://www.twiigs.com/" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: none; border-style: none; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; position: static; visibility: visible; height: auto; line-height: normal; width: auto; margin-top: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; outline-style: none; padding-top: 0; padding-right: 0; padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; clip: auto; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: auto; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0; text-shadow: none; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: normal; font-weight: bold;">poll by twiigs.com</a> </div> </div>

Note to Self

Just a minute ago Julianna was eating yogurt and watching TV while I put some laundry in the washer. When I popped my head in the room she said, "I want you to put some earrings in my ears."

Which means she has to have holes in her ears. Which means she has to get her ears pierced. Which I swore would not happen until she was at least 6 or 7. Let's just say, I've made a note of it and leave it at that.