{Scott}
True, it's been months since I've posted without a "Nicky &", but here it is.
Speaking of Nicky, she's preparing Christmas cards right now, and they turned out exceptionally well, so look for those. I'd spoil them, but that would...spoil it.
My four-day weekend is coming to an end, and it was quite a busy one. We (mostly Nicky) spent a good portion of the last few days decorating the house for the holidays. We'll be going with a live tree this year (my first ever, but far from her first). Apparently if you keep a live tree around the house for a month, it dries out and becomes a fire hazard (who knew?), so that won't come home for a couple more weeks. Instead, and to fill the gap until then, we put up out four-footer upstairs. I've begun referring (in my head, at least) to it as the "Accident Tree", since the section of hall beside it gets about as much traffic as the Autobahn, and, when Dixie's in full pursuit of the cats, the speed is about the same.
True, it's been months since I've posted without a "Nicky &", but here it is.
Speaking of Nicky, she's preparing Christmas cards right now, and they turned out exceptionally well, so look for those. I'd spoil them, but that would...spoil it.
My four-day weekend is coming to an end, and it was quite a busy one. We (mostly Nicky) spent a good portion of the last few days decorating the house for the holidays. We'll be going with a live tree this year (my first ever, but far from her first). Apparently if you keep a live tree around the house for a month, it dries out and becomes a fire hazard (who knew?), so that won't come home for a couple more weeks. Instead, and to fill the gap until then, we put up out four-footer upstairs. I've begun referring (in my head, at least) to it as the "Accident Tree", since the section of hall beside it gets about as much traffic as the Autobahn, and, when Dixie's in full pursuit of the cats, the speed is about the same.
The "First Christmas" ornament is hanging from the little tree as well, and it's pretty appropriate. Even though this is technically our third Christmas, it's in many ways out first real Christmas together. 2005 was a whirlwind, since we were moving less than two weeks later, and last year I was in Dubai. It won't be easy being so far away from the rest of the families this year, but it is an opportunity to lay down our own new traditions.
The other half of the title: I wasn't around for Dixie's puppyhood, but Nicky was and has told many tales of a cautious, uncertain puppy who would bark herself hoarse at night. So, when we got Jackson, that's what I expected. We're both learning, though, that like different children, different dogs grow up differently. I weighed Jackson on our bathroom scale yesterday, and he came in at 8.4 pounds. That means that in the week since he came home, he's put on almost two pounds, and is really starting to fill out. His Shar-Pei skin on his legs has smoothed out, and although the picture doesn't really do it justice, he really looks larger. He's also opened up quite a bit, and is just about fearless. He's even gone nose-to-nose with both cats. Dixie has also really taken to him; they play together for hours a day.
