Dear Juneau

Dear Juneau,

This week marks the first year of your passing (actual day was August 24th). We knew it would be a year of bittersweet memories and for some crazy reason, we thought the sense of loss would be more manageable as time continued on. But how is that possible when we often refer to you in the present tense.

We chose not to have children but the day that you and your siblings danced and sang into our lives was the day our "family" was complete. You showed us an unconditional love that only a "child" can have. There were days we thought we would never get passed the anger (like chewing door frames of our apartment), days we wondered about your iron stomach (remember when you ate the ant trap and we actually tracked down the manufacturer to see if we needed to rush you to the hospital), and then there were the days we thought you would be with us forever. We yelled and punished (which never lasted longer than 15 minutes before we gave in), we worried, we comforted, we laughed, we hugged and most of all, every day we loved you! Now who can argue that we don't have children.

Nakita misses you most of all I think. You were her soul mate. She had nothing to do with other dogs before you came along and the very second she met you, she accepted and loved you. You showed her tolerance and how to be social with your laid back style. You were the one that literally found her voice. You know, since you left us, we haven't heard her say much. I think she's saving it all for when she gets to see you again. You better be ready, because she's got a lot to say!

Gretchen misses you a lot, too. She loved playing and talking to you and getting you all riled up just for fun and then laying next to you when you showed her it was to time to rest. You know, she went from last to middle child...you would be very proud of the way she is handling herself. She took on your job and she's serious about it. She keeps Nakita feeling young and she keeps Cash in line and reminds him (often) of his place.

Cash...you would have really liked Cash. He shares a lot of your qualities. He loves the sound of his own voice and he talks a lot and loud. He plays with a bit of a mischievous manner in his own sly way, and even though he is all boy, he plays nice with the girls. So many times we look at him and we see a spark of you...you put him in our lives, didn't you?

While we could go on about all the things we miss about you, all we really want to say is:

We miss and love you everyday, Sweet Boy!

With absolute and total love,
Forever Your family
Gayle, Michael, Nakita, Gretchen, and Cash

A New Place To Spread My Wings

No...don't panic! I haven't left Hope House or moved anywhere. Well, actually, I did make a major move but not with a change of address. After 13 very interesting years with preschoolers (3-5 year olds), I was offered a different age group. While I am still, and will always be, The Queen Bee, I will be buzzing with the Honey Bees instead of the Busy Bees.

My new hive has Bees that range in age from 6 weeks to 15 months. That's right friends, I get to mold little minds from the earliest age possible. Did you know that from 0-6 years the brain acquires 4x more information and fires 10x more synapses then 6-14 years? And after 14, the activity decreases by half! So to say I am molding little minds is an understatement. A few of the greatest things about this age: I get to witness their first steps and hear their first words and so many more firsts!

Now, this was not an easy adjustment or task to take on!! Creating and maintaining a routine/schedule that will benefit a more inviting learning environment was bit daunting and getting the Honey Bees on board was exhausting...at first. Having never worked with this age, I had a lot of homework to do. Once I learned what milestones are developmentally appropriate at each month, I was able to put together a meaningful and interactive schedule where EVERY activity contributes to the constant learning and growth. And after 3 weeks, the Honey Bees and I are all on the same page! Now, if we can all nap together...