A while ago, my friend Jill took pictures of her dog. They were beautiful and the post made me cry, because noooooooo dogs are not allowed to get old and sick and I refuse to even think about it when it comes to my own dog. It was bad enough when my vet put the “Senior” sticker on his chart.

Brutus is basically the best dog ever. I have friends who I’m pretty sure like my dog more than they like my kids. He barks at strangers and looks very scary (extra important since our neighbor’s house was robbed a couple weeks ago) but once he’s done acting super excited to meet you he will be your best friend forever. At the worst he might lick you to death. When the kids were babies he made an excellent pillow and would lie on the floor for hours so Evan could rest his head while he drank from his sippy cup. Now that they’re big and they “forget” not to ride him like a horse (it’s frowned upon in this establishment) he stands still and lets them until I can chase them off. He just wants to be fed, lie near his people, and let out occasionally. He appreciate a people-food snack every once in a while but Caroline has literally SHOVED cheese into his mouth and he won’t eat it until she drops it on the floor and he’s sure she doesn’t want it. Like I said, best dog ever.

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His only bad habit is he’s terrible on a leash, so we don’t walk him as much as we should, so he doesn’t get any better on the leash, so we walk him even less. It’s an unfortunate circle. But now that the kids can both walk around the block without a stroller and I can have both hands free for the dog I’m determined to make it a family habit. The kids love it and Brutus loves it and it tires them all out. Win-win-win.

That’s why we were out the other night when I realized the sun was setting just over our hill and it would be a great time to take some dog-kid pictures of my own. These aren’t technically perfect and not exactly how I would have planned a photo shoot – DON’T EVEN ASK about Caroline’s outfit, I’ve given up – but they might be some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken.

I can’t believe a week ago I was in NYC. Not that this week was busy – it was, in fact, the laziest I have ever been since having children – but it feels like a million years since I was hugging my people. At least this week ended with one of my peoples coming to visit!

Sunday:

BEBEH FEVAH

Just hanging out here, 50 feet over the river on a train with the door open. NBD.

Epic puzzle ball is epic

Monday:

I told them we were going to go through the toy box and give away the toys they don’t play with anymore. Their reaction was to sit on it.

So I did it while they were sleeping. One giant bag of trash, one medium bag for Goodwill, two bags of baby toys put away until I have a baby again.

Tuesday:

Somehow, a cool fisheye lens makes my dirty house look less awful

I took this picture right before I fell asleep on the couch too

Yes, that looks safe.

Wednesday:

Love is patient (with the baby), love is kind (to the kitty)

At the aquarium, er…I mean the grocery store. Whatevs, he likes the lobsters.

Caroline takes sleeping very seriously

Thursday:

I don’t even know

What do you mean “poor choices”, Mom?

Fish-eye bathtime

Friday:

This is why I never say “no” to her. THAT FACE.

Sometimes we play NEXT to our friends

And sometimes we share a stool with them

Saturday:

Snack break at Hasbro’s Big Back Yard

Aoudads are like mountain goats – good climbers. Very similar to toddlers.

Caroline and JD check out the penguins while Kim and I die of cuteness

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

As if the rest of my posts this week haven’t made it obvious, life’s been kind of stressful lately, with “kind of” meaning “I’m considering buying my wine by the case instead of just the box”. Except that wine has too many points so I’ve been binging on grapes and broccoli. It is highly unsatisfying.

Sunday:

Caroline refused to drop her truck even while she was nursing.

Because what I need right now is MORE living things acting needy.

LOUD NOISES.

Monday:

Don't even THINK about trying to help her.

He's replaced actual at-home naps with 5 minute car naps.

I put in my headphones and cleaned, including this COMPLETELY filthy mirror

Tuesday:

Obsessed with baby dolls.

Despondent dinosaur is despondent

It's much easier to control two kids at Target when you give one of them to someone else to deal with.

Life is SO UNFAIR when your mother dresses you in leggings.

Wednesday:

Let me tell you a horror story. Once upon a time there was a teething baby who screamed ALL THE TIME! Ahhhhh!

First gymnastics class! Some of the moms were a little...intense when it came to their TWO YEAR OLDS but we liked it.

Oh good, I was worried about nuclear fallout.

Outside in January, enjoying the 60 degree weather before the ice caps all melt and drown us.

Thursday:

10 am nap from ALL THE CRYING.

Stripey legs

And then THIS ONE fell asleep on the floor and refused to wake up. Even after Caroline jumped on his head.

Friday:

You'd think I don't feed this kid, what with the trying to eat his stroller.

I am smiling because Stroller Strides is over.

More floor naps. I took the hint and on Saturday he got a real nap.

Saturday:

The reason ALL MY PICTURES this week are of sleeping kids is because it was the only time they weren't covered in snot and screaming.

Even the packed grocery store was a nice change from the angry babies.

"Oh I see now Daddy! You fly on the dragon to defeat the wizard because you're a HUGE DORK. Got it!"

Besides these weekly iPhone round-ups I’m doing the monthly photo-a-day challenge from Fat Mum Slim. I’m posting them on Instagram (my user name is bebehblog, let’s be friends!) but all my IG photos are also on my Flikr page – you can get there using the button over there in the left sidebar <———- because my mom would be really mad if I took pictures of her grandkids and DIDN’T let her see them.

Tomorrow we’re going to a Superbowl party where we will eat a bunch of food and probably come home before the game even starts so the kids can go to bed and I can put on stretchy pants. Go Patriots!

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s . It’s really fun!

Poor, poor Brutus. He’s such a great dog and we take him so much for granted. Clean up this mess Brutus! Watch the baby while I run upstairs Brutus! Let the toddler jump on you like a trampoline Brutus! Fetch me a drink Brutus! (Still working on that last one, sadly.) He’s amazing with the kids and lets them climb all over him or ride him like a horse and never complains. He gets fed last and let out to pee last and almost never gets real walks anymore. He went from full-person status in our family with his own spot on the couch to low dog on the totem pole who isn’t even allowed to eat food off the floor without permission. And yet he continues to be the best dog ever.

We let him off leash on our walk yesterday and he was in doggy heaven smelling ALL THE THINGS and marking ALL THE THINGS and eating ALL THE THINGS. He loves all the things.

After our walk, Brutus was exhausted and barely moved for the rest of the day. He turned 6 in October – which is CRAZY because I remember getting him here in Ohio like it was yesterday – and he’s starting to show his age, even though I still think of him like this:

WOOK AT DA WIDDLE PUPPEH!!!

PUPPEH CUDDLES!!!1!1!1!!

Today I am thankful for a loyal, patient, dog who makes me feel safer when E isn’t home and I hear scary noises and who barks REALLY REALLY LOUD when strange people ring the doorbell. We are so lucky Brutus is part of our family.

We (and every other family with a toddler) have had these Target boots for ages but because Little Evan has such tiny little feet (he’s wearing a size 5 or 6 shoe at almost 23 months) he never wears them. They’ve just lead to a lot of falling down and frustration.

Little Evan recently found them in his closet – I think I pulled them out of storage when I was struggling to find snow boots, thinking at least they were waterproof and would be better than nothing – and he started carrying them around saying “BOOT! BOOT! BOOT!”

A couple days ago he got bored with just holding them and wanted to wear them. He’s definitely gotten the hang of walking in them but because they’re kind of big they fall off a lot. It was a constant battle of on-off-on-off-on and eventually I told him I was done playing Prince Charming to his Cinderella with lost boots.

So when I saw him sitting here with the dog, wearing his boots again I was a little surprised.  Did he…put them on himself? How awesome is that?! And how terrifying – he cannot possibly be old enough to put his own boots on. That seems like such an advanced skill, such a grown up ability, so much more of a KID thing than a TODDLER thing. It made me a little teary-eyed. If he doesn’t even need me to help him with his boots, how much longer before he hardly needs me at all?

Of course, he hardly ever gets them on the right feet. So maybe he still needs me for a little longer.