Carlisle

Long time, no see! I have neglected my blogging duties terribly these last several months. Thanks to Sue and Kari for keeping things alive and kicking around here! I was really overwhelmed by the holiday season this year. Trying to keep myself organized with getting ready for Christmas and ending the semester at two schools which I work at part-time really did me in. And just when the new year arrived and things should have settled down, my son turned 5 and there were more presents to buy and celebrations to plan. When I finally came up for air, my semester at the community college started again and so I dove right back into syllabi, lesson planning, and teaching. Whew!

It doesn't stop there. On Sunday, my son got a big Valentine's Day surprise. A new dog! His name is Carlisle. He's a poodle-terrier mix whom we purchased from the Poodle Rescue of Houston. So far, we are already reaping the many benefits of having a dog in the family. Our exercise routine went up a notch immediately! We are taking at least two walks a day with Carlisle in addition to some pretty active playtime with him indoors as well. My son has enthusiastically taken several chores upon himself: feeding Carlisle and holding onto his leash for much of the time that we walk him. Valuable lessons concerning responsibility are being learned. We are also simply enjoying laughing and playing together with our new addition to the family!

Here is a picture taken on Valentine's Day of me with Carlisle at the shelter when I picked him up to bring him home.