Houston, we have a problem.

Well, not really. We just finally made our way to Space Center Houston. Tom and I both have memories of going to NASA and being slightly disappointed. I imagined it being like the Space Camp movie of the 80's ("Max in space.") and Tom, well, he just wanted more to do. Times have changed, however, still not much like Space Camp. More like George Lucas fest. There was an Indy ropes course and bounce house type obstacle course and a Star Wars laser escape thing that Tom and Lauryn tried. I was able to capture their adventure because the monitors broadcast in the waiting area.

Gone are the space rocks and hello R2D2 and C3PO. Fortunately, we were still able to find a space suit for Lauryn to poke her head through and a simulator that allowed Tom to try to land a shuttle.

One of the coolest things about our timing for this visit is that there is a shuttle in space, docked to the International Space Station. After doing the Blast Off! video, we were able to look at monitors that showed a live feed of mission control (it's just across the street from Space Center), a live feed from the shuttle, and the orbit path of the space station.

Fenway update

As a parent, I have given up the concept of privacy or a "quiet bath." It is normal for Lauryn to knock and ask for something or come in to see what I am doing without her. Add a puppy into the mix and I have constant companionship, even when I would rather a few minutes to myself. This week, I was foolish enough to attempt a bath prior to Lauryn's bed time. I had put in a bath bomb from Bath Junkie, grabbed my book and iPod and was ready for a little downtime. Perhaps 15 minutes into my bath, Lauryn enters my sea of tranquility and realizes that the bath had been altered with product. Before I knew what hit me, she had hijacked my bath. Shortly after Lauryn took over, I turned my back on a perfectly good lemongrass bath. In that moment, Fenway had joined Lauryn in the tub. Remembering she is a golden retriever and that the breed is practically genetically required to be interested in all things water, I had to laugh at child and dog in the tub.

Fenway's next big adventure this past week was less exciting and definitely not soothing. She went to the vet on Thursday to be spayed. Poor girl trotted off happily, completely clueless as to what the future held. Lauryn cried the whole drive home because she knew that there was no longer an opportunity for puppies. I could have cried when we picked Fenway up; she was so loopy that I didn't receive the usual "tail wagging so hard that her hind end could take off like a helicopter." I love that greeting! We had an unusually calm evening that night and magically, the next day, she was back to normal. However, we have since returned to the vet today because there was a knot of tissue on her suture area. She has to be confined and her activities limited so as not to irritate the tissue on the internal sutures. I laughed at the vet - like out loud. How do you keep a nearly 4 month old puppy still when there is a 6 year old and a Molson to provide entertainment? So, she is now supposed to spend most of her time in her crate for the next 3 days. Good thing she loves her new froggie...

Puppy Playdate

Our dear friends Liz and Garth are expecting their first child in August and we have volunteered to beagle-sit while they were welcoming Holden. Prior to Catcat coming to Camp Stetson, we arranged on a puppy play date with the resident goldens. Lauryn was thrilled - she loves Liz and Garth but was counting down the hours until Catcat came over.

The play date went well. Beagles and Goldens are such friendly breeds that I didn't anticipate any problems but we needed to know for sure. Molson was not a concern because he is so laid back, but Fenway is a baby and I didn't know how Catcat would take a hyperactive puppy in her face. One thing I did not think about was how excited Fenway would be to have a friend her size. They romped together for a long time.

I think bone chewing was a favorite past time for all of the dogs and a great way to unwind following the hard core play.

Tummy Time

So, those of you that know me well, know that I am pretty big on the organic foods and also not so much a fan of the red meat. When people come to visit, I try to be a good hostess and take their eating preference into consideration and mix up our food offerings a bit. While Mom and Hope were here, we ate well but it was not what I normally serve for a week - sausage, ground beef twice, and real hot dogs twice (typical Stetson food substitution for these items would be turkey dogs, either ground turkey or chicken, and turkey sausage). At the end of the week, our bodies had to adjust and poor Lauryn's tummy rebelled. She spent 2 days with a "tummy ache" and Fenway took advantage of an automatic cuddle partner.

My birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I don't know if I ever mentioned that Fenway was a birthday gift. She has been with us for a little over a week and has adapted well. Her biggest down fall is that she has a thing for flowerbeds. Although I hate her pouncing in the beds, she does look pretty darn cute.

In usual girly fashion, she loves to pose for pictures. I think she may have a future in calendars... Lauryn also says that she needs to be pampered because she is a girl and us girls like to be pampered.

The other big news on the Fenway front is that Molson has finally decided that she is okay to play with. He is very gentle with her and they seem to have a lot of fun. Before we know it, we will have 2 large dogs playing in the house.

In in order to celebrate my birthday, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant, Chuy's. YUM! We were joined by my Mom and Hope, who were in town to from Dallas, our friends Liz and Garth, and Jay, who was in town for work. It was a great treat to be able to spend my birthday with friends and family!

Jay and Tom have been friends since high school in Chicago. When Tom moved to Texas, Jay moved to Georgia and they remained in contact. Jay was a groomsman in our wedding and Tom in his. The last time they saw each other, Lauryn was not walking! I know that Tom really enjoyed seeing his friend and we look forward to Jay's next trip to Houston.

A Visitor

Lauryn has lost another tooth. This makes 5. We are still toothless in the top. Her center bottom teeth have been replaced by adult teeth. In the process, she has lost another tooth on the bottom. What is most impressive about this recent tooth is that Lauryn actually pulled it out. This has always been a big fear for her so much so that before the bottom center teeth fell out, she had 2 rows of teeth like a shark because she flat refused to pull a tooth or let us do it for her. We are so proud of her!

Meet Fenway!

So, yesterday, we added a puppy to our home. Molson is a fantastic boy with a lot of tips to share and we wanted to provide his that opportunity. After looking around and making numerous phone calls, I was on a trip to Conroe. Tom was going to meet Lauryn and me, but I knew that if we did get a puppy it would be difficult to get us all home. I called my friend Liz and proposed an adventure. Thankfully, she was up for it and off we went.

After driving into the middle of nowhere, we were greeted by the sweetest little face. Unfortunately, our sweet girl was covered in fleas so Liz and I took her straight to the vet. She was given a clean bill of health and the unwanted company was killed off. With a flea-free puppy, we went home.

Molson will be a great companion to Fenway (go Sox!) and an amazing snuggler. I think Molson is probably a large reason why we were able to have an easy transition with Fenway. Last night, she only had us up once and cried for only a few minutes.

Lauryn has been very helpful. She goes out with us every time and enjoys feeding her. I look forward to the bond that Fenway and Lauryn will share!