Magnus hates car rides. He has an overwhelmning fear of getting into cars. Now, that is easy to overcome when the dog is small, but Magnus is a 58.4 pound, 4 1/2-month-old puppy. He's easily getting too big to lift up into the car. So we have been working hard at overcoming this fear. In fact, Magnus now receives most of his food in the backseat of the car. I set it there and let him figure out how to get up and in it to enjoy his meal. I truly hope he learns that cars are good places. Finally, he does well until I shut the door. I even keep the windows down so he doesn't feel so enclosed. Doesn't help. He won't eat if the doors are closed. We keep repeating over and over closing the door and letting him out. Leaving treats on the backseat. Letting him eat some. Closing the door. Magnus stops eating and pants. At least it was a great victory to get him to want into the car for his food. That, by the way, took sitting in the back of the car with Bogart (who LOVES the car) for a few hours. Yep, you read that right. I spent part of a day sitting in the back seat loving up Bogart. After all, Magnus doesn't want Bogart to get all the attention. That afternoon was a success. And it needed to be. That was Tuesday afternoon. And Tuesday evening was his first day of PuppyKinder Class. Our PuppyKinder Class first night experience was less than positive. Sigh. For one, Magnus hated being closed in the car. For another, I was running what I consider late (I want to show up to things ten minutes early) when I missed my turn. Argh! My stress level went up as I was driving down the highway looking for a place to turn back. We finally made it to the property and Magnus was happy to get out of the car, but he had just ridden over half an hour in the car, so I knew he'd need to pee before the hour was up. So I tried to potty him. Magnus had no interest. Sigh. We needed to get inside the pole barn, and I didn't have the time or luxury of doing my usual making Magnus sit before entering, etc., to show who was in charge. Add to all of that, Magnus was incredibly anxious and exuded this high-energy, uncontrolled feel. He did not settle down. We were to sit in chairs, well, dogs on the ground next to us, but you get the picture. I could barely listen because Magnus kept wanting to go enthusiastically greet the other puppies. Sigh. The lady running the class brought over a huge box of toys. Magnus picked up one that had already been torn open: some other dogger from the de-squeaker squad had disemboweled it. However, the lady thought Magnus had torn it apart. He really, truly hadn't. Truly. But now somehow I feel he has been labeled as a destructive, high-energy dog. I wasn't enjoying myself, and Magnus just wanted to meet the others. She taught us clicker training technique, something I have used on our dogs, not that you could tell because Magnus had zero interest in listening to me. Ugh. It was ugly. The uncontrolled, hyperactive mass of muscle and bark at my feet was nearly unrecognizable to me, and I'm almost certain he's been labeled a problem student from the get-go. I wanted to yell out, you need to see him at home! Magnus sits on a mat with Bogart two feet from seven (now eight although Grigsby eats elsewhere still) cats enjoy a leisurely meal. He does not destroy anything in the house, although he has stolen a stray sock that didn't make it to laundry about three times. Magnus sits at the door when he wants out, waits patiently for Bogart to go out first, and Magnus is finally learning he has to sit once outside and await a command to release him from that sit. Magnus heels nicely (at my R side as Bogart is on my L). Magnus is a fabulous puppy who needs to learn socialization. I know that. That's why I enrolled him in the class. Sigh. Well, enough rambling. I'm hoping I can get Magnus more accepting of the car. And I also hope I can get him calmed and centered before entering the pole barn next week. All it takes is exposure and gaining confidence facing new experiences, so I know it'll get better, but this problem child really just needs understanding and patience. And I need to get him more and more socialized somehow. Before he gets too big. Sigh. . . . . . ************************************************************************************************************************* Oh, by the way, I am absolutely reeling. I received Magnus' DNA test. He is officially 0% Newfoundland. He has one pure-bred parent and one cross-bred, so there are only three breeds in this boy. Not one ounce of his blood is Newfie. Wowsa. Any new guesses as to his heritage? ************************************************************************************************************************* . . . . .

Sally jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: "How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?" The surgeon said, "I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it." Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?" The surgeon asked, "Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he’s transported to the university." Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good-bye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. "Would you like a lock of his hair?" the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally. The mother said, "It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. "I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom." She went on, "My Jimmy had a heart of gold, always thinking of someone else, always wanting to help others if he could." Sally walked out of Children's mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room. She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She lay down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep. It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said: "Dear Mom, I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say I LOVE YOU. I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus! Doesn’t look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good-bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed him?' "God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm, sure the food will be great. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is al gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that? Signed with Love God, Jesus and your son.