How do you sum up a week like this one? Our lives have changed dramatically with the arrival of Buddy. Despite the self knowledge that Steve and I are (were?) very independent people, I think we've both been a bit surprised by the sudden change. I guess it's like first time parents who say "having a baby will change your life, but it's soooo worth it."

It is also...

...strange, funny, disturbing, etc. to wake up at 2 am and see your dog in shadows staring at you with intense concentration inches from your face.

...amazing the amount of pride you feel after teaching your 4 year old dog the basics of "fetching." Also a bit of sadness that he wasn't taught before.

...stressful to know that you create so much anxiety in a pup just by walking out the door. Even more so, when you come home an hour later and he's chewed another hunk off the crate.
Way more so, when you come home and realize your dog either jumped or climbed over baby gates stacked 5 feet high. Unbelievably so, when you notice half of your living room shade has been torn? eaten? shredded? by this bundle of nervous energy.

...absolutely awesome to have a running partner who loves to play in the mud too! Especially when you both arrive home dripping in the entry and your dog's sweet face just makes the husband laugh and grab a towel. Buddy is also the only being to EVER get Iris out of bed each morning (way too early by the way) for a quick run.

...kind of funny that I found myself buying a roast to boil then freeze in a kong per the dog trainer's suggestion.

...with a sense of panic that we find glitches in work schedules that leads to an appointment with doggy daycare and discussion of pick-up/drop-off times.

...interesting that pure exhaustion has me falling asleep instantly and staying that way the entire night. We have a Border Collie. One morning run is not sufficient. He gets that and usually a couple longer walks as well.

...pathetic that I used to criticize people who could only talk about their children. Ironically, there have been few conversations this week between Steve and I that did not revolve around Buddy. He has found a place in our family permanently. I guess I'll have to change the name of this blog..."Running Only with My Thoughts AND Buddy."