Billy Ray Cyrus??

School starts tomorrow.  I’m not going to go into that. 

Instead I’m going to inform the blog world that we have added a new member to our family!  He’s black, furry, and supper cute!  Meet Cyrus!

On the day we brought him home:

One week later, puppies grow quickly:

He is our solid black German Shepherd puppy.  Soft, chewy, clumsy, he’s all puppy!  We picked him up last Saturday, as he turned 8 weeks old.  In the past week he has grown in size and in our hearts.  He is a lot of work, requiring constant supervision to correct the instinctual chewing and curiousness that is a puppy, but we have really enjoyed him.  The children, especially Noelle and Max, have been great helpers, always quick to take him outside and help get his energy out. 

As I have been taking him for mini walks, and trips to the park, I have encountered more than a couple of, “Billy Ray Cyrus?” questions after telling them his name.  No, Tom and I do not have a deep hidden love for the Mullet Country Singer.  Although I do remember belting out “Achy Breaky Heart” while dancing around with my little sister!  For some reason I cannot picture Tom doing the same, but there may just be a picture of a young Tom, sporting only Superman underwear and cowboy boots!  The name is actually a name Tom has liked for a little boy that I immediately vetoed several times during my pregnancies, but fits well for a solid black dog.  We went back and forth with the children throwing around names like Baron, Brutus, Roscoe, and more.  When Tom mentioned Cyrus, we all stopped bickering and decided it fit him. 

Aside from taking care of the puppy, we have been keeping busy with the warm weather.  Soaking up the sun on these last few weeks of warmth.  I do believe we all are ready for changing leaves, cool nights, pumpkins, apples, and everything else wonderful that comes with Fall. 

We creep, a lot, on our neighbor.  The children lined up these chairs with no help, just to watch him cut the grass!

Violette learned, with ease, to pump on the swing.  She will do it the entire time we are outside, just perfecting that pump, with great pride!

We even made a few crowns from the decorative grasses around the house.

Zane dressed up a bit, he’s got a shoe fetish!

Now we must begin getting ready for school in the morning.  The backpack will be dusted off, lunch will be packed, and the First Day Outfit carefully set out.  Sigh, this growing thing is just too hard.  Now we have another baby in the house to occupy our time!