He's Growing Up So Fast...

I really need a new subject to write about. Or I need to change the name of my blog to Tales of Kona, or All About Kona. But seriously, can you believe this:

Has become this:

In just a few short weeks? He's a beast!! And, folks, he ain't done yet.

Kona's a pretty easy going guy.

He loves football.

He loves napping on the hearth on hot days.

He loves his pink blankie.

So I was a little caught off guard by his violent reaction the publication the Jehovah's Witnesses dropped by today.

So intolerant.

I guess it's time we had a discussion about respecting opinions that differ from our own.

Because this is simply unnecessary.

Last night I played dodgeball with a 6 foot 3, 308 pound NFL defensive tackle.

Notice I said "with" not "against". I'm not that stupid. We put all the 7 and 8 year olds on the other team and me and Antwan Lake handed it to 'em. Well, ok to be honest the kids actually beat us a couple of times.

My first shift at the gym was a lot of fun. I shadowed a kids' cardio class and a weight lifting class that I'll be teaching soon. The gym is still relatively new (they opened in January, but had their grand opening this past Saturday) so the classes are small. Which is nice for me just starting out. I'll be able to work with a small group of kids and adjust as the class size grows. Which it hopefully will or this will be a short-lived position.

After the classes we had 45 minutes of dodgeball, which the kids just love. And even though we don't have to play, most of the staff joined in including Antwan who owns the gym along with his fiance.

I'm really looking forward to teaching the classes and already started coming up with ideas last night for games and activities I could use. I'm still looking for something else to get more hours, but this should be a lot of fun for a few hours a week!

We had snow here on Sunday!! Snow is a pretty rare sight here, especially this late in the winter. It was fun and beautiful to watch, but I'm so ready for the 70 degree days that are coming this weekend!!

Check out the pictures of our snowy neighborhood: Snow Day Pictures

Well it's not exactly full-time, but it's a position I'm actually excited about! And it's income - amen and hallelujah!

Starting this week I'll be working at NexGym, a gym for kids that specializes in "exergaming", exercises that use games like Wii to get kids moving. I'll be an instructor teaching classes a few times a week. For now it will probably be very part-time. I don't expect to be there more than 10 hours a week or so. Unfortunately, working with kids, my schedule will be when kids are out of school - weeknights and the weekend. So Jamie's going to be cooking his own dinner :) But I'm excited to be getting back to work and to NOT be stuck at a desk again!!

Bathtime

Kona, as a general rule, despises water. So getting a bath is about the worst thing that can happen to him (closely followed by having to go outside when it's raining, which leads to many housebreaking accidents when the weather's nasty as it's been for the past several days and according to Mr. Weatherman will continue to be for the next two days at least. Joy). Just look at the absolute joy on his face following his bath:

Don't worry Kona. It's nothing a few minutes with the blowdryer can't fix.

Happy First Month-iversary, Kona!

Today we've had Kona for exactly one month! Here's an update of how he's changed in the past 31 days:

• He's doubled in size going from about 10 pounds when we got him to over 20 pounds today. His face and fur have also changed a little and he's looking more "dog" than "puppy".
  
• He now goes very happily into his crate and even takes naps there during the day on occasion, and he waits patiently for me to get up in the morning without whining or barking.
  
• He's (almost!) completely housebroken and is using his bell to ask out.
  
• He sits on command and is getting the hang of "Come" and "Lay down".
  
• He chases a tennis ball, but only when he feels like and when not distracted by other things; it's hilarious to throw it onto the wood floor and watch him slide around trying to get his footing on that floor.
  
• He goes on walks and is very well-behaved on his leash. I don't even use the harness with him anymore.
  

Over all, Kona is really growing into a sweet, well-behaved dog. The biggest change over the past month I think is he's really bonded with us. Before he seem to see us as the meanies who took him from his family. Now he gets excited to see us, loves to be petted and played with and likes to stay close by when we're in the house. He gets super excited when Jamie gets home from work even though I've explained to him in no uncertain terms that I'm the one who cleans up his poop and by default shall be his favorite human, no questions asked, amen.

Here are some pictures of what a big pooch his turning into!

Kona on Day One:

And Kona today:

Kona and his sock on Day One:

Kona and his sock today:

Can you see a difference? He definitely looks bigger, but I think the most noticeable change in the pictures is his face and ears. He just looks so much older!