Mom, on my porch, when everyone came over for her birthday supper on Saturday.

Courtney continually talks about getting one and Chan is saving his money for a dog that is small that he can hold and love on and that can live in the house (the retrievers are too big for that and they just knock him down).  He really felt that Santa got the wrong house when he gave Gail and Larry their new dog and not him.  We kept telling him that he just couldn’t have another dog, since we have four as it  is.  One day he said, “It’s too late, I’ve already ask Santa for one.” His letter was published in the Leslie Co. News.  It was very sweet about how he would feed his dog and call it Ruffy.   We told him Santa was out of dogs.  Therefore,  he thought Uncle Larry got the dog that he was suppose to get and he thought Santa made a mistake. 

Tomorrow we go get our new baby from a breeder in Jackson Co.  She will meet us in Manchester.  He is a beautiful miniature schnauzer, who looks nothing like Dee, thankfully.  He will be inside, but can do well outside also. 

I made a deal with Courtney–It will be her birthday present, but she can’t tell Chan.  She has to pretend to share it with him.  She agreed.  Whew!  I just couldn’t deal with 2 housedogs.

I sure hope this doesn’t just finish me off! lol

That afternoon when school was out, she walked him to my room.  They would touch each other’s arms and were so sweet.  He petted her on the back, reached up and felt her ponytail and said, “Alexis, your hair is so soft.”  She is so sweet to him too.

I could never get Chandler out of bed—when sweet-talking failed, I tried  threatening—finally, I just got him, put him in the floor and gave a small push to the bathroom—he was whining the whole time that he didn’t want to go to school—all morning he kept saying this! —needless to say I tried to coax and cuddle and sweet talk—finally, after a long morning and trying many times to get him off the couch—I tried the flyswat—still no luck—TEARS WERE POURING—I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!!! —I had to resort to the little red belt—I didn’t have to use it though—just the threat of it worked—so the red belt went to school also on the 1st day!! I put it on the seat (in the car) between us. He just turned his head away and pouted at me! — all the way to school.
 
His teacher gave out little prizes every 30 minutes to all the kids that were staying in their seats.  For his first day, he did well as can be expected—of course he didn’t win the prize for staying in his seat—but he did well.  On the 2nd day so he stayed in his seat better and got a small prize to bring home.  They said he did better today.  He does like school — Things are going well I guess —THEY HAVEN’T CALLED ME ANYWAY-ha ha — and he hasn’t been expelled or anything!
Today he came out of the computer lab which is past my room—he was walking good and staying in line when he came by my door, he said “HI MOTHER” and kept right on walking—THOT HE WAS BIG STUFF!  He was a little disappointed to learn that he has to go to school past August though. All summer when we talked about school, I would say “you will go to school in August.” Well! I never realized it, but Chan thought I meant he would ONLY go to school in August. He thought after August, he would get a break!