We've added to the four-legged part of the family...

It's that proverbial time, when I get to eat my own words. When Mo died last fall, I truly thought that we would not be getting another dog for a looong time. But, as the great wheel of life often does to us, my plan was spun upside down. And now Lily has come to live with us. She's a miniature dachsund, just a few days shy of six-weeks-old at this point.

My brother's dog had puppies in late-November and, as dachsunds have been a kind of traditional family dog for my family, it seemed too well-intended to pass up the chance to have this little critter come live with us.

We picked her up last week. The kids knew nothing of it until I announced that we were driving out of town to meet the grandparents for a "live present." The kids promptly guessed that it was a "donkey. " **scratching of the head** But they were soon happy to make do with the puppy. A dog this small is something new to my kids. Our old dachsund is a standard-size as well as being 11-years-old, so they hever experienced him this tiny. They dubbed her Lily but she gets called Little Lily at this point. She's frequently carried in the sling, rocked to sleep and already sleeps with the kids. I think the love is very mutual at this point. :)