So much to do, so little time.....

I truly miss my blogs. :( On the lighter side, I've been really busy with the family and work and it's all fun! :) Monday will be the first real day off since returning from vacation like 3 1/2 weeks ago! All I have left to do is finish Kamp K9 (kids graduate tomorrow) and Joey has a soccer tournament starting bright and early Saturday morning and, of course, I've volunteered to work concessions while Joey is not playing, both for Saturday and Sunday......UGGGGG. I have a problem saying no sometimes. It'll be fun socializing with all the other mom's there and everyone knows how I love to talk.
I have sooooooo many pictures to post. I have to get on Smilebox and create a few slide shows. I have pics from our vacation in Lewiston, from work at the MCJJC, and Kamp K9. Kamp K9 is a summer camp for kids ages 10-15. We teach them as much as we can cram in a week about dogs and other animals and bring dogs from a local rescue and teach the kids how to train. Basically the same stuff I do regularly except these kids are not in a detention center or EI School. The camp is advertised in the paper and anyone can come. It's a whole lot of fun but lots of work sometimes. This week it has rained three out of four of the days so far. One exciting thing about it this year is I brought all three kids with me! They have all done great. Genesis is a pro already since she has gone to work with me at the EI School and could already show anyone a thing or two about training a dog. She even surprises me at times!
Joey is the perfect age for the camp, 11. He has made a few new friends, some annoy him, some he likes. He's a huge animal lover, like his mom, and has done a wonderful job with his dog Reno. Bobby, my little perfectionist, has struggled a little. Training a dog requires a whole lot of patience, which Bobby does not have. BUT, I have finally seen, from a parents point of view, what this kind of thing can do for a child. He has been amazed by the fact that if he just keeps trying, he can actually get the dog to listen to him and even do tricks. It has been a HUGE self confidence booster for him. He has had his moments but just grins from ear to ear and literally jumps with joy when he's accomplished something with Sparky. Sparky, by the way, is a Pit Bull/Black Lab mix so you can understand how powerful this dog is, and to be able to figure out how to get this big scary looking dog to do what you tell him to, and have loads of fun doing it, is quite an accomplishment. Sparky is a great dog, so happy and lovable.
Gen has been working with Piccolo, a Pug/Beagle mix, so just her size and strength! Piccolo ended up at the rescue because both of his owners were recently deployed to Iraq and no one would take their dog. :( Piccolo did need some training though and will easily find a new home now.
Tomorrow is Kamp K9 graduation. The kids get to show off their new skills to their parents but then have to say goodbye to a new found friend. It's always hard to watch the kids say goodbye to their dog. I always cry through almost the whole graduation and for about an hour afterwards, then again on my way home, and then later on that evening. Some tears of sadness for the kids but more tears of joy for all the great things the kids have done, and then there's that awful thought of never seeing those kids and dogs again. We get so close during these camps and classes.
This time it will be MY kids graduating and saying good-bye to their new found friend. Oh my, I have no idea how I'll handle this!

I should get going to bed now. If I can't sleep, which is a good possibility, always happens before graduation, I'll be back to work on some Smileboxes!