Brooks Family Training Facility

Some of you might remember the BBFF, well I'm pleased to announce we've opened up a new branch of our company entitled Brooks Family Training Facility. Some people joke about having their husbands or wives trained. I don't buy into that and actually think it to be demeaning. I hope Matthew's not plotting my training schedule and I'm surely not doing so to him but instead seeking to become a better wife and helpmate to him. However, the Lord has blessed us with two precious children and another to arrive in the spring. As we believe these little ones to be from Him, I find God's advice most comforting when seeking to raise them to know Him. A particular verse I take to heart is Proverbs 22:6,

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not go from it."

Training has come to my mind a lot this week as we finished our second week of school. We decided to up the fun level (er, crazy level) and adopt a puppy from the pound this week too. Her name is Chloe and she's a 2 1/2 month old Blue Heeler. Having Chloe has brought back many happy memories of my childhood dog Sparky whom we adopted from the pound when I was 10 and passed away a few years before Matthew and I married. However having a puppy in the house brings about another complete level of training. Here's the list rolling around in my brain of the training which is going on in our home these days.

• Me getting up on time in order to have a quiet time before the house wakes up (failing currently)
• Philip and Braewyn not watching TV before breakfast and school
• Philip staying focused on his school work
• Me trying to find a schedule for his subjects which isn't cumbersome to either of us
• Braewyn being told to play independently or color quietly during school time
• Chloe being housebroken (actually going well; using puppy pads or crate when not able to walk her outside)
• Chloe staying down from jumping and nipping (Braewyn says, "She's eating me!")
• Chloe to stop chewing the fireplace rocks and furniture
• Philip and Braewyn to stop running past Chloe which makes her think they're playing and she begins nipping
• Me at getting my mind around preparing meals for my family when I have no appetite (due to being 11 weeks pregnant)
• Me at finding a desire to fold clothes, wash dishes, clean bathrooms, (fill in the blank with ANY housework)
• Philip and Braewyn at completing chores (unloading the dishwasher, folding towels, cleaning their rooms)
• Me getting enough rest and even remembering that I am pregnant (aside from the appetite and digestion issues)

I suppose that is enough of an exhaustive list for now. And to think we're adding another human in March! However by then Chloe will be at a different behavior level (we pray!) and the baby comes out relatively motionless. I told Ruth Ann today that Chloe is like a crawling toddler who really has the ability to destroy things. Our newborn won't be destroying anything other than diapers at first! I would say my good night's rest too but I'm not finding that very common these days anyway.

Here's our sweet little rambunctious pup.