Learning to Sit

Week two of having Benson.  Whew.  We are worn out.  He is very much like a toddler -- if he's too quiet or we don't know where he is or what he's doing it is not a good thing.  He has taken to chewing this week.  He chews the furniture, the blinds, the carpets, and he tries to nip our heels.  He has definitely gotten more comfortable in his surroundings.  He has also been waking up at 2:30 a.m. or 4:00 a.m. to use the backyard facilities.  Todd's been doing the early morning call outs for which I am grateful.  (I am also grateful he is using the outdoor facilities.)

This is how he sleeps - head on the floor.

Caroline has still been requesting morning walks.  Todd and I have traded off, though we've still managed to make it out most days.  On several days we've taken Benson out for a "walk" right after.  He walks a bit, sniffs a ton, and doesn't cover a very long distance.  However, right now it is getting so hot that both walks will probably stop.  Between the heat and the mosquitoes, it is not fun to be outside.  The mosquitoes are really, really bad.  They usually spray for them once a week around here, but the spraying is past due and it is not pleasant to be out.  Whenever I have to take Benson out after the sun's gone down, I don a long sleeve sweatshirt with hood to try to keep them at bay.  Todd's and Henry's legs look like they have the chicken pox they have so many bites.  

Todd took Benson to the vet last weekend.  That appointment was a free one through the SPCA system, but our intention was always to see a vet closer to the house.  We had an appointment set up for early this week because Benson has been scratching like crazy and has hair loss because of it.  Then the morning of the appointment I was outside with him and saw worms in his excrement.  Very squiggly, very much alive worms.  Todd brought a sample into the vet and they were hookworms.  So Benson got the works that day.  They did skin scrapings to

see why he was itching so much (that turned out to be benign - just mites that got more active because Benson was probably stressed to get adopted and change living facilities).  The worms were hookworms.  He got a shot and pills and he came home and slept it off for most of the afternoon.  He woke up only to throw up.  They said the pill works nearly immediately and fortunately it did for him.  When Henry heard about the worms, he exclaimed, "I've had worms in my poop for years."  What?  I told him that was really bad and if he really saw worms he needed to get me immediately.  Then he backed up and said he hadn't seen them since he turned nine.  Just tell me if you see them again.  Literally the next day he's in the bathroom and I hear, "Worms!"  I go in, look in the toilet, and say, "Henry.  Those are carrots.  You're fine."

The vet gave us the okay to give Benson a bath.  It was all hands on deck.  Josiah designated himself as shampoo squirter.  He was a bit too generous in his handing out of shampoo, so we are likely to switch jobs in the future.  Henry was in charge of the hose.  Caroline was photographer.  She preferred close ups.  Benson's coat was much softer to the touch and looked much shinier by the end.

Todd is also teaching him to sit.  Benson's been picking up on it fairly quickly.  The only thing is he tends to slide when he tries to sit on our wood floors, so when Todd says, "Benson, sit!" Benson looks for a carpet to sit on.  The kids are enjoying getting him to sit for them.  They get a handful of kibble and give him a piece when he sits on cue.  Benson loves his food, so he gets all excited when he smells it in their hands.  

Besides Benson, the kids have done their regular things.  Josiah did some chalk drawings from Captain Underpants.  

Harold with a face mask

The three of them gave a very moving Beatles lip-syncing concert.  Henry does everything with intensity, even playing the light saber guitar.

They got to use their Pop-Its on the 4th of July.  They ran around and threw them at each other.  Henry threw them in the air and hit them so they'd pop in the air.

Then they watched fireworks from our bedroom.  We could hear fireworks from 9:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.  There is never a shortage of fireworks around here.  And fortunately they didn't seem to bother Benson at all.  He sat up and looked alert for the first ones, but then settled down and slept through the majority.