Crouching kitty, snoring puppy

Here's that snoring puppy, from Friday morning.  Prior to Friday the week was pretty much a "lather, rinse, repeat" week in Emberville, with day care for her on Tuesday and Thursday, trainer workouts for me on those days in addition to the usual "clean the house while the pup's away" routine.

I am trying to gradually shrink the x-pen and give a little more freedom to the puppy outside that space.

There is now human foot room in front of the couch.  I'm keeping the wooden furniture protected still and fencing off the floor lamp with its cord.

And here's the "crouching kitty" on a puppy day care day.  He's considering spilling my coffee... but did not manage to do so.

On the human front this week, the court date for "permanency plan" for the foster grandchild (and his siblings) was held.  The short version is that he will live with my son and daughter in law "for the foreseeable", while the state goes about terminating birth dad's parental rights, for failing to fulfil court requirements.

That leaves a long legal road, at least several months, and lots of details to figure out in that time frame!  A lot depends on whether birth dad will relinquish parental rights or fight their termination.

Saturday afternoon / evening took me with my older sister to a family wedding.  We did a sister catch-up on the drive (55 miles) up and back.

It was a lovely ceremony, outdoors and with perfect weather.  The groom was one of my cousin's sons.  The bride and he were high school sweethearts and have been together all the way through college to this new chapter.  Her grandfather is a minister and performed the ceremony.  

The reception was a very happy gathering. We were musing on the last time my two cousins my sister and I were in the same room at the same time, and determined it was at these cousins' mother's funeral.  Yep, we are at the weddings and funeral stage for family gatherings.

We were seated with the groom's immediate family.  I felt honored.  This is the family I lived with when I was four years old and my own family was scattered about among the relatives while mom was hospitalized for a few months.  Father of the groom on the right, cousin closest to me in age between my sister and me.  I hold many happy memories of "life on the farm" from my time with them.

Ember survived her extra crate time well and did not object at all to getting fed late and then on time the next morning.  We enjoyed some deck time together Sunday morning.  She posed in the deck chair while I sipped my coffee.

We went on our morning pack migration (walk), and the reactions began.  Very distracted by cottonwood fluff floating down from the trees.  

Once we got home, the reactionary behavior set in.  Ember decided to remove the couch cushions and slip covers on the couch that she hasn't yet destroyed. 

If her goal was to get Mommy's attention it certainly succeeded.  Mommy hustled her out of that room, put up the baby gate, and asked her to respect it.  Then Mommy got her something to destroy (puppy bombs) in the x-pen.  I eventually tucked her into her crate for a little while, so mommy could put the couch back together. 

Based on prior episodes of me going away for longer than usual periods of time, having a reaction was predictable, and I had already told the kids I probably would not make the t-ball game Sunday afternoon.

I took Ember on a car ride after the clean-up, and she was nicely settled down after we got home.  After lunchtime for me, she even voluntarily trotted into her crate for a cookie and puppy nap #2.  Which leaves me to take a mommy nap now, as well!

Life is good.  Keep on Sparking!